24 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

There is something wrong with Lewis. He's old as heck and more interesting in a media career than playing football. Clarkson knew that 2 years ago. When the going gets tough against a high pressure aggressive team he doesn't have it any more.

I knew it as well. I knew it at exactly this moment.

 

If you think he would have made any difference you have absolutely no idea.

33 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Smart changes. We need a tall to play on Rance. Smith was doing it well last year before Rance put him in hospital with a well disguised knee to the ribs. I'd be keen to give him another shot at it.

Given we know you're a passionate Demon, it's obvious what you mean. But to the dispassionate, neutral supporter it's possible that this could be interpreted to mean you want Rance to attack poor, old Tim Smith once again!  

Outs: Goodwin

 

In: Someone that has a clue

Wrong thread, delete this.

Edited April 16, 20186 yr by Clint Bizkit

We need Hunt back asap. Bring Pederson in if you're going to throw Hogan in the midfield. Drop one of ANB or Bugg. 

1 minute ago, praha said:

We need Hunt back asap. Bring Pederson in if you're going to throw Hogan in the midfield. Drop one of ANB or Bugg. 

Harmes deserves to be dropped before ANB. 

On a rethink...

Frost isn't up to it and the Tiges only play one tall, so he goes.  Hopefully forever.

Pedersen may play, but I'd rather Weideman.  Tom McDonald would be playing if he was fit and Hogan would benefit from the structure of having another tall.

Hunt is a no brainer against the quick Tiges.

Harmes hasn't come on as expected after a strong summer.  Out.

I like Fritsch and reckon he'll be a very good player, but they may want to get Hannan in.  If so, I can potentially see that swap. 

As was said to me today, Lewis is finished, but they won't drop him.  The thought being that if they did, at 32, he might not get back.  So they won't.

Changes:

IN: Tyson, Hunt, Weideman

OUT: BUGG, Frost, Harmes

 

8 minutes ago, ProDee said:

On a rethink...

Frost isn't up to it and the Tiges only play one tall, so he goes.  Hopefully forever.

Pedersen may play, but I'd rather Weideman.  Tom McDonald would be playing if he was fit and Hogan would benefit from the structure of having another tall.

Hunt is a no brainer against the quick Tiges.

Harmes hasn't come on as expected after a strong summer.  Out.

I like Fritsch and reckon he'll be a very good player, but they may want to get Hannan in.  If so, I can potentially see that swap. 

As was said to me today, Lewis is finished, but they won't drop him.  The thought being that if they did, at 32, he might not get back.  So they won't.

Changes:

IN: Tyson, Hunt, Weideman

OUT: BUGG, Frost, Harmes

 

What structure would that be? I wasn't aware we had one.

Agree with your outs but Weid won't come in.

Pederson injured i think from what we saw on Fox during the game.

I’m not one for a lot of changes but geez do we need a big change. 

Out: bugg, melks, lever and Lewis 

in: hunt, pedo, Hannan and Tyson

3 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Vince must have a sore back as he continually chose to (try to) kick the ball off the ground rather than bending over

I think you may be misreading what was Vince's attempt to adapt to the conditions. Hawks played them perfectly: get behind the ball and keep forcing it forward however you can. Punch, kick or just work it forward through hard tackling.

Kicking off the ground is a valid adaptive tactic when the ball is greasy like a pig, such as yesterday. I wish more of our players gave up their preferred finely skilled play for some mongrel old-style footy.

11 minutes ago, pitmaster said:

I think you may be misreading what was Vince's attempt to adapt to the conditions. Hawks played them perfectly: get behind the ball and keep forcing it forward however you can. Punch, kick or just work it forward through hard tackling.

Kicking off the ground is a valid adaptive tactic when the ball is greasy like a pig, such as yesterday. I wish more of our players gave up their preferred finely skilled play for some mongrel old-style footy.

The old team rule is no kicking off the ground in the backline though. I think kicking off the ground is valuable when it keeps the momentum going with the play, and if you can smash it forward from half back to the wing that's fine too. But after Lever had an air ball Bernie attempting a little dinky kick 5 metres out from goal when and that kind of thing is inexcusable. All in all he's actually played pretty well this year old Bern but as a senior player he has to do the fundamentals.

1 hour ago, Demons11 said:

If you think he would have made any difference you have absolutely no idea.

This wasn't a Watts post. It was a Lewis post. Watch him desperately throw a foot at the ball afraid to bend down because the sheer might of Jacky boy was coming the other way. Lewis was done as a player then. Clarko knew.

Time to play to our side and stop trying to copy Richmonds style.  If we are going to continue to kick long to a contest we need tall forwards to compete, bring in 3 quickish players and 2 talls

 

In: Pedo, Weiderman, Hunt, Hannan, Stretch

Out: Lewis, Milkshake, ANB, Bugg, Vince

All Vince and Lewis do is fall over.  To me the below is a more balanced side.

Jetta OMac Lever

Hibberd Frost Hunt

Stretch Oliver Brayshaw

Kent Weiderman Petracca

Garlett Hogan Pederson

Gawn Jones Salem

Harmes, Hannan, Fritsch, Wagner

1 hour ago, Deespicable said:

I have four certain ins with a fifth likely, depending on coaching philosophy.

In: Hunt - if you are going to play a high press, as we have done, then you need quick players to get back. He's a monte anyway against Richmond's small forward set up. Yes he may bomb it long too often, but which of our defenders was immune from mistakes against the Hawks. 

Tyson - If he's healthy again then he has to play. Sure he makes the odd error, but he's a genuine worker and has the confidence to present and the vision and long kick to switch play.

Stretch - As with Hunt, he's needed because he works hard both ways off his wing and he presents and makes space. With Tyson, a key to us rediscovering how to switch play again.

Hannan - Our 23rd man yesterday and given how poorly most of our small forwards went, he has to be recalled.

The fifth gets down to whether Goody decides he needs a stronger (albeit slower) tall-marking option up forward than what he has got already. Personally I would go Tim Smith (because he is a better tackler than Weids or Pedo), but there is a case for both Weids and Pedo. I'm just dubious that this is the right game (at night against a ferocious tackling side) for Weids or Pedo and I doubt whether they can influence the ruck enough against Grigg to make it worthwhile. Harmes has been prepared with this game in mind - to forsake him now, would be a panic move.

 

So who do you leave out, that is the question and there are probably 10 possibles after such a lame effort.

But for me the outs are:

Jetta - Yes he copped a knock to the leg in the third term, but he's been struggling this year after a superb 2017 and his lack of run out of defence has reached a stage that it is stifling our options. Back to the VFL to regain last year's form. Replacement: Hunt.

Fritsch - I said last week how excited I was when I first saw him at training (Robbie Flower-esque was my comment), but that doesn't mean you go stupid about him. Yes he deserved a game, but he has now been carried for four weeks. He is still a bit lightweight and he hasn't been able to fulfill the role of locking the ball in at AFL level, nor lay the crunching surprise tackles of a small forward. Needs to go back and be recalled after some dominant VFL displays. Replacement: Hannan.

Frost - My preference is that this is Lewis, but I reckon we have a suitable match up for the ageing ex-Hawk in Townsend and I have no doubt that Frosty is again out of favour with Goody. Clearly there is no point playing Lewis at the fast Etihad Stadium the following week, where like several teammates he should be rested due to the 5-day break. Replacement: Stretch (note: Brayshaw to move into the centre mix and Jones to be sent back on Edwards to provide smarts early before being summoned into the midfield in the second half.

Melky - Essentially he is rested up for the Essendon game (five days later) but he just needs to get his game-thought process back as he has lost his way after a sensational pre-season. Replacement: Tyson 

Bugg - It's between Buggy and Jeffy and this decision should come down to the wire and the conditions. Both can be big game players but both butchered chances yesterday. I just think Jeffy might be a harder match-up to contain out the back. Replacement: Tim Smith

I also think we should play a spare down back for much of the first half and Lever gets that role, especially when Dusty heads forward. It's really important that we try and keep it low-scoring and having wise old heads like Jones, Lewis and Vince down back should ensure we switch the ball better early and control the tempo.

As to Dusty, I'd start Brayshaw on him and have Wags go to him  when he rests forward. Angus needs to be given a challenge and so far all we've done is protect him for three seasons now. It's time we found out what we have.

I'd also play Trac for large periods of the game at full forward in the hope that Rance goes to him. Like Angus, Trac has the abililty to lift in big games and big match-ups. Salem should start on Cotch with a view to switching him with Jones in second half.

So my side is:

B:  Hunt (Butler) Lewis (Townsend) Hibberd (Caddy)

Spare: Lever

HB: Jones (Edwards) O.Mac (Riewoldt) Vince (Castagna)

C: Stretch (Lambert) Brayshaw (Martin) Hannan (McIntosh)

HF: Kent (Houli) Hoges ANB (main role to shut down Short who is a key rebounder for them)

F: Garlett Petracca (third missing as spare defender until half time)

Rucks: Gawn (Nank) Oliver (Conca) Salem (Cotchin)

Int: Tyson (midfield), Wagner (defence), Harmes (mid/back-up ruck), Tim Smith (forward)

 

In Hunt, Tyson and Pedo or Weid - not fussed who. Harmes up in ruck oh what can I say. 
Take your pick Out of: Harmes, Melksham, Wagner, Bugg etc

IMO that was way worse than any loss under Roos. I had little expectation then. Now I have high hopes and heads need to roll. unacceptable performance. I wonder whether that illness Tyson has went thru the club?  OPPS I have not changed either. Still looking for excuses.

We looked like stunned Rabbitts staring at Car headlights. To frightened to move.

Its amazing how hesitancy makes you look timid. Do that to often and you get labelled.

 

5 minutes ago, manny100 said:

ts amazing how hesitancy makes you look timid. Do that to often and you get labelled.

He who hesitates is lost. 

The only real change we need is attitude. 

This is the week where we don't really need a second ruck with Grigg the back-up ruckman, but Harmes was horrible so it's out of Petracca, Pedo and Weed. If Hogan's going to float around, it has to be Pedo or Weed to give us a target up forward (unless Gawn is resting there - how could we go past Gawn's kicking for goal?)

This is the week where we don't really need a second ruck with Grigg the back-up ruckman, but Harmes was horrible so it's out of Petracca, Pedo and Weed. If Hogan's going to float around, it has to be Pedo or Weed to give us a target up forward (unless Gawn is resting there - how could we go past Gawn's kicking for goal?)

hang on.  Last week Goodwin said Viney and TMAC 4-6 weeks away.  Mahony today  'within 3 weeks'.  Its all falling apart.

Not much to argue about here ... the usual suspects under the gun: Frost, Melksham, Bugg, Wagner, Harmes & Jetta (ankle?). 

Though I'd be surprised if there was much more than Tyson plus 1 - 2 other changes.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-04-16/no-early-calls-needed-after-dismal-day

3 hours ago, praha said:

We need Hunt back asap. Bring Pederson in if you're going to throw Hogan in the midfield. Drop one of ANB or Bugg. 

Both 

Hunt in is a no-brainer.

If Jetta is injured, I would send Melksham to the backline. He has good speed and is good in contests in the air and on the ground. Wouldn't mind him against the Tiges small forwards and to help out with Riewoldt and Townsend.

Edited April 16, 20186 yr by Brayshaw Self

Hunt, Hannan and Weed/Pedo to come in. 

Bugg - gets involved but as most of said, his goal kicking is horrible. 

Frost - not needed, he is like a deer in the head lights. 

Melksham - out of form.