MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - Round 8

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

Just now, america de cali said:

Except for the brain. A 50 year old brain on a 20 year old body would be awesome.

We all dream of pulling that one off.

[deelete my account 1,194]

Can we not get Jordan Lewis to do some around the ground ruckwork at some point this week or this year?

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

1 minute ago, DominatrixTyson said:

Can we not get Jordan Lewis to do some around the ground ruckwork at some point this week or this year?

Depends. How tall is he compared to old dee?

[Adam The God 30,259]

3 hours ago, godees said:

Weid and ANB travelled. Weid hasn't regained any form in VFL yet so it would be crazy to bring him in. 

Go small in forward line. Give ANB the tagging job on Laird. Watts leading up at CHF. Petracca from goal square. Hannan also deep-ish with Kent and Garlett hanging around. It would require a fairly significant change in the way we have been taking the ball into F50 (no long bombs) but our recent strategies have been working appallingly anyway.

On the Adelaide board on bigfooty they were worried about being too tall and slow in the forward line. Let's go for broke with a small and fast team, play with dash, take risks from defence. I think its the only way we can win. Oh, and tag Sloane with Vince!

Yep, I'd be going small. I'd bring in Stretch for Hogan. Play Petracca at FF and Jeffy nearby. Hannan, Kent and Watts rotating from the wings, to half forward, to deep inside 50. Play Pedo in the ruck up forward, in the centre and let Tommy Mac take the ruck in defence. Leave Watts out of it this week to provide a target up forward. I'd only use him in the ruck if he or Pedo are struggling to get into the game. Adelaide are a quick side in both ball movement terms and in speed terms, but if we hit the sweet spot, I believe we can match them in those two areas. The most vital thing? Melbourne taking on this game and moving the ball on as quickly as possible. We're at our best when we do that and I actually think we're the team that looks most like Adelaide when we are playing this way.

I'm expecting a really good contest. Pedo needs to provide an out contested marker at half back, as does Tracca from defensive set ups. I'd switch Petracca and Watts deep forward depending on where the ball is. If it's in defence from a kick in, I'd get Petracca presenting on half back and Watts playing deeper forward, along with Kent. If it's forward or the ball is in dispute, I'd play Trac deep and Watts higher up the ground and use his ball use.

We can win this if everything clicks. I think it will.

Having said all this, I note that Stretch hasn't travelled with the team, therefore Weideman probably has to come in for Hogan, which means Hannan may have to play higher up the field. Bugger. Not how I would have played it, but anyway.

[dee-tox 4,835]

2 hours ago, Gorgoroth said:

Laphroaig is on the cards. 

Try a Ballechin 10 Gorgoroth. Even better.

[What 18,810]

We can still win without Hogan, just like we won in Geelong 2015 and against the Hawks last season when they were two games clear on top of the ladder.

The Kangaroos smashed the Crows last week, sure they are a different prospect at home but who cares.  The game is ours if we want it.

The biggest factor is Sam Jacobs, he is going to dominate the hitouts, it will come down to if we can somehow take advantage of his ruckwork. 

[old dee 23,791]

11 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

Try a Ballechin 10 Gorgoroth. Even better.

Might be a little above my cost level dee-tox

[old dee 23,791]

1 minute ago, Petraccattack said:

We can still win without Hogan, just like we won in Geelong 2015 and against the Hawks last season when they were two games clear on top of the ladder.

The Kangaroos smashed the Crows last week, sure they are a different prospect at home but who cares.  The game is ours if we want it.

The biggest factor is Sam Jacobs, he is going to dominate the hitouts, it will come down to if we can somehow take advantage of his ruckwork. 

We beat Geelong with Gawn and Spencer Pa. Not there tomorrow.

[deelete my account 1,194]

4 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

We can still win without Hogan, just like we won in Geelong 2015 and against the Hawks last season when they were two games clear on top of the ladder.

The Kangaroos smashed the Crows last week, sure they are a different prospect at home but who cares.  The game is ours if we want it.

The biggest factor is Sam Jacobs, he is going to dominate the hitouts, it will come down to if we can somehow take advantage of his ruckwork. 

Can we put a hard tag on Jacobs?  Have Bugg hold onto one of his legs all match?

[What 18,810]

Just now, old dee said:

We beat Geelong with Gawn and Spencer Pa. Not there tomorrow.

Yeah and also with Jimmy Toumpas, Matt Jones, Rohan Bail, Chris Dawes and Aiden Riley.

Thankfully not there tomorrow.

[deelete my account 1,194]

Just now, Petraccattack said:

Yeah and also with Jimmy Toumpas, Matt Jones, Rohan Bail, Chris Dawes and Aiden Riley.

Thankfully not there tomorrow.

Dawes on hindsight would've been a very valuable player this year.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

5 hours ago, mongrel said:

Ok then. But on the DL who does he think should be our backup tall forward/marking option? Keilty? who else is left????

These two are now on the emergency list mongrel and I have it on good authority one of them is likely to replace 'Weid' in the starting 22.....

 

 

 

[old dee 23,791]

Just now, Petraccattack said:

Yeah and also with Jimmy Toumpas, Matt Jones, Rohan Bail, Chris Dawes and Aiden Riley.

Thankfully not there tomorrow.

We are so low on tall forwards I might take Dawes back for tomorrow.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

1 minute ago, old dee said:

We are so low on tall forwards I might take Dawes back for tomorrow.

Old iron hands would have done little more than someone like Weideman.  

We're very good at revisionist history round these parts.

[old dee 23,791]

1 minute ago, Rusty Nails said:

These two are now on the emergency list mongrel and I have it on good authority one of them is likely to replace 'Weid' in the starting 22.....

 

 

 

Very good RN.

[old dee 23,791]

3 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Old iron hands would have done little more than someone like Weideman.  

We're very good at revisionist history round these parts.

Small joke there Wiseblood as you probably remember I was far from being a fan.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

1 minute ago, old dee said:

Small joke there Wiseblood as you probably remember I was far from being a fan.

True OD, I probably didn't look at it closely enough.  Long day!

[old dee 23,791]

Just now, Wiseblood said:

True OD, I probably didn't look at it closely enough.  Long day!

We all have them. Being a Dees supporter can have a negative effect on sense of humour.

[Young Blood 2,620]

13 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

These two are now on the emergency list mongrel and I have it on good authority one of them is likely to replace 'Weid' in the starting 22.....

 

 

 

You're right either will be better then the weed!

Edited May 12, 2017 by mongrel

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

I will ensure that I am 3/4 pizzed at the commencement of the game ( not an extraordinary occurrence at that hour I'll admit) and from then on fade into gentle oblivion.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

32 minutes ago, old dee said:

Very good RN.

Ty but I was simply looking to stop the rot and plant some seeds of hope in what is fast becoming a somewhat uprooted season OD

[Gorgoroth 12,954]

57 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

Try a Ballechin 10 Gorgoroth. Even better.

Will do, I'll add it to the list... actually the Overlord is already googling it... ha ha

[Gorgoroth 12,954]

1 hour ago, ding said:

Qtr Cask......

Yup. We are going to Isle of Islay next year, can't wait!

[dee-tox 4,835]

48 minutes ago, old dee said:

Might be a little above my cost level dee-tox

About the same OD. Around 60 bucks. get on it!

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

36 minutes ago, mongrel said:

You're right either will be better then the weed!

Our stocks are certainly at a very low ebb mongrel.

To have any chance of pulling off a miracle win I would prefer we just go small and fast up forward (as others have already suggested) and slam the ball in with a record number of stab passes and low raking kicks to the hot spot, see the ball spill off hands, faces, knoggins, chests etc with maybe an occasional mark. Feed off the crumbs front and square with at least one player getting there at all times and just kick madly in the general direction of the two sticks and hope for the best.  Set shots excluded of course.

Roll the dice with going short and fast as above and hope that Watts/Tracc can clunk a few in amongst the mayhem leading out to either flank.  We usually get as many inside 50 entries as our opponents, sometimes more.  But we can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear from wet players like the Weid overnight. He is a work in progress over at least the next two pre-seasons before we might see a decent AFL level key forward emerging and impacting over 4 quarters.

I truly hope he surprises me and does something special.  But height is only valuable if you can at the very least bring the ball to ground by hitting the contest for most of the match and/or take some valuable pack marks, even in the dying moments of some quarters and also stick tackles in the ground ball mayhem in front of goals.  I doubt the Weid has the tank and strength to bring that for more than a half at this point.

Good luck to him anyway and let's hope he grasps his surprise selection with both hands for his and our sake on Sunday.