Changes v Eagles - Preliminary Final

[DubDee 25,860]

No Change

Tyson played his role on the weekend. Frost and O Mac on their talls plus Hibbo, and Gawn dropping back is enough

the great thing about the last month is that we have not accrued any injuries. the cohesion and comraderie in the 22 is awesome, do not screw it up

[Superunknown 4,217]

47 minutes ago, Bonkers said:

West Coast may boast that having Kennedy back gives them an advantage since the Rd 22 encounter. I'd say we have them more than covered in the midfield and that is where the game is going to be won. Viney back into the side for this game gives us another player that will worry the Eagles, they weren't able to curtail our midfield 4 weeks ago, what makes them think they will be able to now? It's time to start believing in this Demons side. We have arguably the best contested midfield group in the comp, are the highest scoring side in the comp and over the last 10 weeks I think we have been the best defensive side also. 

No change. Back the guys in that have been doing the job. It's a tough ask to win over there but this side is good enough.

Caro: Dees will win. Midfield too good. MFC defence well oiled machine now. Not sure WC midfield will get quality delivery to Kenny/Darling due to Melbourne midfield pressure. WCE didn't earn trust against Collingwood, MFC by 4 goals.

Bob: Demons: momentum too great, too many things going right, something NQR with WCE. Demons by 3 goals.

Gleeson: Melbourne midfield pressure brutal but Demons by 2 goals. Head says Eagles, heart Demons.

Niall: WCE too good, Kennedy/Darling better for run last week, WCE  2 goals. 

[Superunknown 4,217]

37 minutes ago, McQueen said:

Just on the Eagles supporter noise... The more I think about it the less I'm worried about the 'hostile environment' with this team. The noise is deafening in that stadium and the booing is so completely over the top - that's for certain.

But we've withstood that for two years running now and pulled away with two wins under immense pressure. This variable is now small and maybe insignificant for much of the team and coaches and I reckon the media need to realise this as well.

yes. And in fact, the MFC players may have learned to thrive on it.

From Metallica's famous song "BOOOO": Give me Boo, give me fire give me that which I desire (BOOOO!)

 

 

 

[Willmoy1947 4,086]

I'm thinking Bernie will be on the plane....

[Jaded No More 68,915]

17 hours ago, Yokozuna said:

Haven’t oksted for a while, and I would like to think my mail this year has been pretty spot on, as my source is very reliable.

Hunt is a big, big chance to come in this week, for Tyson most likely. Want his pace and run for the big ground.

not a certainty, but very possible a this stage of the week.

He'd want to play the game of his bloody life if he gets a chance. Has been [censored] poor all year, and Tyson has done an admirable job playing out of position and then covering for Viney. 

I'm not against dropping Tyson, but I prefer Smith to Hunt, and that's coming from a big Hunt fan!

[dazzledavey36 54,923]

11 minutes ago, Jaded said:

He'd want to play the game of his bloody life if he gets a chance. Has been [censored] poor all year, and Tyson has done an admirable job playing out of position and then covering for Viney. 

I'm not against dropping Tyson, but I prefer Smith to Hunt, and that's coming from a big Hunt fan!

This.

If its one bloke that needs to come in its Joel Smith.

This week WC will have Vardy, Kennedy and Darling up forward. 

3 big talls vs Oscar and Frost...

[Mr Steve 3,820]

No Change. You don't make changes when you don't need too.

[scarlett 247]

54 minutes ago, Mr Steve said:

No Change. You don't make changes when you don't need too.

So adding a tall defender for a tall forward line isn't a need? Lycett and Vardy will rotate through ruck and forward and will be too tall for hibberd, but might enjoy the freedom running off but the net gain wouldnt be worth it. Nev would make a mockery of needing tall defenders and embarrass the afl and we'll get a fine for bringing the game into disrepute when he continually beats two ruck forwards. Leaves lewis or salem.

Who ever we play (including smith)  will get massacred one on one, so we need smith in for his intercepting. Between hibberd, smith frost(who is ahead of o'mac for quality intercepts meow) and o'mac hopefully we can limit the influence of the 3rd big tall.

Im thinking back trying to remember the last big forward line, it would be adelaide playing 3 talls, and vince took lynch and i think vince on vardy would as good as lewis on vardy.

 

Edited September 18, 2018 by scarlett
Spelling

[Mr Steve 3,820]

1 hour ago, scarlett said:

So adding a tall defender for a tall forward line isn't a need? Lycett and Vardy will rotate through ruck and forward and will be too tall for hibberd, but might enjoy the freedom running off but the net gain wouldnt be worth it. Nev would make a mockery of needing tall defenders and embarrass the afl and we'll get a fine for bringing the game into disrepute when he continually beats two ruck forwards. Leaves lewis or salem.

Who ever we play (including smith)  will get massacred one on one, so we need smith in for his intercepting. Between hibberd, smith frost(who is ahead of o'mac for quality intercepts meow) and o'mac hopefully we can limit the influence of the 3rd big tall.

Im thinking back trying to remember the last big forward line, it would be adelaide playing 3 talls, and vince took lynch and i think vince on vardy would as good as lewis on vardy.

 

No. We don't need to make changes and we should not make changes.

[Adam The God 30,249]

7 hours ago, SPC said:

I agree with comments about Frisch, he needs to move back to the wing. Smith comes in to replace him in the back half, Tyson out. Solves all our issues- these being pace and disposal off the wing and a good 3rd tall defender. 

“You know it makes sense”

Smith is an ordinary kicker and his decision making is questionable in the regular season. No way we play him in a final. Fritsch's fumbling is enough of a liability back there, we don't need to add another weak link.

[SPC 3,549]

23 minutes ago, A F said:

Smith is an ordinary kicker and his decision making is questionable in the regular season. No way we play him in a final. Fritsch's fumbling is enough of a liability back there, we don't need to add another weak link.

Prefer the silky smooth skills of Tyson perhaps?? 

[layzie 33,796]

I'd like Smith's height in there but that selection would come with big risk. It's fair to say our backline is in sync at the moment and making few silly errors, Smith could be a good addition but it's no time for one of those brain fades and you'd have to be prepared for that if he comes in.

[John Demonic 5,795]

2 hours ago, scarlett said:

So adding a tall defender for a tall forward line isn't a need? Lycett and Vardy will rotate through ruck and forward and will be too tall for hibberd, but might enjoy the freedom running off but the net gain wouldnt be worth it. Nev would make a mockery of needing tall defenders and embarrass the afl and we'll get a fine for bringing the game into disrepute when he continually beats two ruck forwards. Leaves lewis or salem.

Who ever we play (including smith)  will get massacred one on one, so we need smith in for his intercepting. Between hibberd, smith frost(who is ahead of o'mac for quality intercepts meow) and o'mac hopefully we can limit the influence of the 3rd big tall.

Im thinking back trying to remember the last big forward line, it would be adelaide playing 3 talls, and vince took lynch and i think vince on vardy would as good as lewis on vardy.

 

Don't forget the question of which defender will take McGovern if he is thrown forward in a last quarter if we're ahead ? From memory TMAC rolled back and took a mark last week but I don't think we can mess with our fwd structure.

Edited September 18, 2018 by johndemonic

[Adam The God 30,249]

1 hour ago, SPC said:

Prefer the silky smooth skills of Tyson perhaps?? 

I prefer midfield depth, to shaky defenders, yeah.

The midfield is our advantage and where the game will be won and where the game has always been won. Why would you weaken our one major advantage?

Edited September 18, 2018 by A F

[Wunders 397]

4 minutes ago, A F said:

I prefer midfield depth, to shaky defenders, yeah.

The midfield is our advantage and where the game will be won and where the game has always been won. Why would you weaken our one major advantage?

I actually felt Smith was having a break out game when he was injured. I saw great kicks, pressure, dash and thought he was finally looking above average in the position (and bang shoulder). My point is that last week dom Tyson was ranked worst on the AFL app statistically for any person in our team playing as a winger/not a midfielder (week before 4th worst). I saw him being played out of position and i thought that it was a weakness in the team (not a strength that he could go through the midfield and make us bat deeper). My thought is that we have a number of elite midfielders who i want in the middle when they are on the ground. If we play dom in the middle then these better midfielders have to be played in another position FOR SOME PART OF THE MATCH (and we go from being super elite, to above average in that area). A little like having hogan, petracca, salem, ANB in the middle earlier in the year - that's great that they can play there, but in my view by playing them their and our first choice midfielders in other positions we lost a big advantage. Yes there will need to be rotations but i haven't seen dom as being involved in those starting midfield rotations from memory (did anyone see him in a center bounce?).

As a result, I see a strength having Smith come in and swapping Fritsch to the wing (team balances out a lot better). 

• I see Smith > Fritsch as a defender (bigger, stronger and faster - can't kick the ball as well though).
• I see Fritsch > Tyson as a winger (every statistic required for that role & better disposal going inside 50).

But i also understand we might want stability and if we make no changes i can understand (& won't be unhappy as smith has been out injured / may have lost some touch, which we can't afford). I've always felt that when viney came back at the start of the year we were 1 contested ball midfielder too heavy (and tyson was dropped, but then viney got injured again and our team had a much better make up with tyson in for viney).

Either way i hope we play well & win

[rpfc 28,417]

Fritsch was not good in contests last week but him, Lewis and Salem are so helpful for their skills coming out of the backline. I don’t want Smith there for that reason... I get it, but I just think we need skills back there - it’s our point of difference for us. Not the greatest defenders but pretty good at hitting up targets and getting us out of there.

[Wollongong Demon 182]

1 hour ago, SPC said:

Prefer the silky smooth skills of Tyson perhaps?? 

Smith is a risk. Hard to play your best after   a significant absence as well as the pressure of a prelim.

No change.

[scarlett 247]

52 minutes ago, johndemonic said:

Don't forget the question of which defender will take McGovern if he is thrown forward in a last quarter if we're ahead ? From memory TMAC rolled back and took a mark last week but I don't think we can mess with our fwd structure.

Who has Tomald when Mcgovern goes forward? Last time when Mcgovern was in defence melksham played as a defensive forward on him. A defensive forward that ripped them apart offensively. 

9 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Fritsch was not good in contests last week but him, Lewis and Salem are so helpful for their skills coming out of the backline. I don’t want Smith there for that reason... I get it, but I just think we need skills back there - it’s our point of difference for us. Not the greatest defenders but pretty good at hitting up targets and getting us out of there.

Smith seemed to be finding the time to dispose better before his injury but i wouldn't expect him to find that time first game back in a prelim. If he's serviceable by foot takes the easier option then the gain would be defensively Smith over Fritsch who is ok but gain more from him on a wing and you dont lose his disposal you just move it to where he gets more chances to use it. So that would be tyson an unlucky out, who has improved his disposal but is not a natural wing and is doing well with a role that doesnt suit. The other choices i think would be spargo who was good last week and even his quiet games he still has good important moments. Or Hannan who can either bag 3 or 4 or only get 1 or and with his low possessions is vulnerable.  But remember his last game in perth? Got us firing early. Fritsch would have to go forward who is better than spargo/hannan but not as good as his good games on the wing. so the team gain wouldnt be as great as it is for unlucky tyson.

[Gator 17,342]

Tom Morris reporting Joel Smith "right in the mix".

I don't think they'll make a change.

Edited September 18, 2018 by ProDee

[Dees'97 52]

Am i wrong in saying Kennedy + Darling are 11-0 when playing together this season? Those two worry me, I dont want another mason cox/tom hawkins scenario where one or both of them kick a bag. I trust frost and omac, but they cant always keep their men to doughnuts

[Gator 17,342]

2 minutes ago, Dees'97 said:

Am i wrong in saying Kennedy + Darling are 11-0 when playing together this season? Those two worry me, I dont want another mason cox/tom hawkins scenario where one or both of them kick a bag. I trust frost and omac, but they cant always keep their men to doughnuts

Who cares ?

We break hoodoos every second week.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,858]

4 minutes ago, Dees'97 said:

Am i wrong in saying Kennedy + Darling are 11-0 when playing together this season? Those two worry me, I dont want another mason cox/tom hawkins scenario where one or both of them kick a bag. I trust frost and omac, but they cant always keep their men to doughnuts

10-0. We’ll just have to keep their supply to a minimum and when they’re entering their 50 keep the pressure up so the delivery to those two is rubbish. 

Edited September 18, 2018 by Ethan Tremblay

[Lucifers Hero 39,779]

2 minutes ago, Dees'97 said:

Am i wrong in saying Kennedy + Darling are 11-0 when playing together this season? Those two worry me, I dont want another mason cox/tom hawkins scenario where one or both of them kick a bag. I trust frost and omac, but they cant always keep their men to doughnuts

If our midfield is as ferocious and brutal as the last few weeks the ball won't get to Kennedy and Darling often enough and if it does our equally ferocious backmen will make them earn every possession.  Kennedy and Darling won't get many easy or clean possessions. 

[Dees'97 52]

1 minute ago, ProDee said:

Who cares ?

We break hoodoos every second week.

you're right, MFCSS seems to be seeping in

[Moonshadow 17,676]

Will Harmes go to Yeo?