How Spargp still gets to be an emergency is staggering, considering his 3 costly turnovers resulting in EAGLES goals AND that fact that Bedford and Lockart offer so much more. Pace for a start. Perplexing I would say!

Drastic changes with plenty of inexperience but I'm excited to see how our newbies go but feel for us to win this one we will need our better, more senior players like Gawn, Oliver, Jones etc to play to their very best and Trac to break out and have a blinder.

Jordan as an emergency is also very interesting. He must be training really well

A few comments:

The defense is played as a unit.  The big blokes of Carlton have to get through the system and if our backs are good enough, being a little shorter should be ok if we block space, rush their entries and hit their bodies on the contests.  Their two big blokes wont get shorter, but we can corral them into low probability areas.

Going with speed to break lines and upset zones is actually a good idea.  If our skills can keep up, then continually playing the ball forward and winning the contest should play to our strengths.  The pressure inside our forward 50 needs to be manic, and to be looking for sweepers to clear the area and get us closer to goals.  Having Bennell and Brayshaw on the outside, with Trac Ollie and Viney clearing the congestion and smashing bodies could break up their zones and get us through.

last nights game was terrible in terms of standard.  Hope our ‘smash and grab’ approach sets us up with a new way that eliminates the need to ‘bomb it to a stationary big bloke’.

9 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

Jordan as an emergency is also very interesting. He must be training really well

Sometimes this is somewhat of a false economy - it's used to try and get the player to lift more at training.

Kind of like saying "James, you're going well at training, so much so that you're on the cusp, but to turn that in to a proper selection, we just need you to lift to the next level".

42 minutes ago, picket fence said:

How Spargp still gets to be an emergency is staggering, considering his 3 costly turnovers resulting in EAGLES goals AND that fact that Bedford and Lockart offer so much more. Pace for a start. Perplexing I would say!

Here here 

Ropable that Jay has been dropped and that Jayden And Joel have been selected Omac and Jay better options.

33 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

A few comments:

The defense is played as a unit.  The big blokes of Carlton have to get through the system and if our backs are good enough, being a little shorter should be ok if we block space, rush their entries and hit their bodies on the contests.  Their two big blokes wont get shorter, but we can corral them into low probability areas.

Going with speed to break lines and upset zones is actually a good idea.  If our skills can keep up, then continually playing the ball forward and winning the contest should play to our strengths.  The pressure inside our forward 50 needs to be manic, and to be looking for sweepers to clear the area and get us closer to goals.  Having Bennell and Brayshaw on the outside, with Trac Ollie and Viney clearing the congestion and smashing bodies could break up their zones and get us through.

last nights game was terrible in terms of standard.  Hope our ‘smash and grab’ approach sets us up with a new way that eliminates the need to ‘bomb it to a stationary big bloke’.

Not sure that Brayshaw plays his best football as an "outside" player.

9 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Not sure that Brayshaw plays his best football as an "outside" player.

I think you'll find he'll get his chances in the guts as part of the midfield rotations...

2 hours ago, DeeZee said:

Luke Jackson gives us everything Weideman can give and more because he is also a genuine ruck man.

I feel for Weids as he has not been given a settled forward role and is not a ruckman. 

28 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Not sure that Brayshaw plays his best football as an "outside" player.

Agree. Appears lackadaisical even lazy waiting for the outlet handpass. Not sure how he's going to regain his 2018 form. If we have an over supply of in and under players then either HF or run-with role.

3 hours ago, poita said:

On the back of playing one of the worst, most unbalanced sides we have ever seen in round 1, here might be one that is even worse. We are clearly missing a genuine key defender, a genuine key forward and a crumbing forward. 

If seven unforced changes isn't a clear admission by the selectors that they got it completely wrong in round 1, I don't know what is.

The disconnect between the side that is being selected each week and the game plan that Goodwin wants to use is hugely concerning. Is he not getting the side he wants, or does he simply have no idea how to construct a football side?

Neither Lever or Smith is a key position defender, and Lever rarely wants to be in the same postcode as his opponent at the best of times. Any opposition coach worth is his pay packet will use May's opponent to drag him out of the play (as Kennedy did in round 1), and use other targets. McKay will have a field day with Cripps slamming the ball down his throat all day. Hopefully Goodwin puts Harmes back in the midfield, because a half back line with both he and Salem ball watching will be a disaster.

The forward line looks more of the same. Nobody who can take a contested mark. No big bodies to bring the ball to ground. Just a bunch of mid-sized leading players who will all get in each other's way. Why you would go from having 4 crumbers to 1 crumber in the space of a week is mind boggling. Good luck to Jackson having to provide an entire forward line's worth of physical presence in his first game.

If our midfield doesn't dominate we will lose this game, and comfortably. The likes of Langdon and Oliver have to lower their eyes and find a target, because more indiscriminate bombing into the forward line will not end well, even against poor opposition.

You continue to astound me with your unbridled, unrelenting negativity.

Which are the players who haven't been selected who should have? 

1 hour ago, The Chazz said:

A defensive unit is only as good as the pressure being put on up the field.  If we let opposition teams just waltz out of half back (our half forward), through the wings and deliver in to their forward 50 with pace and ease, it wouldn't matter who we have down back.

It's why, over the past 25 games, that we've made even some poor opposition defences look elite.

Agree that pressure up the field is key, but so is the way the defensive unit works together.

West Coast's back six/seven work very well together, reading each other and covering for each other. Richmond and Collingwood too, IMO.

Through constant personnel changes and May/Lever injuries, we haven't had our preferred back six/seven playing together long enough to get them to gel together.

Our mids will be licking their lips with Gawn and Jackson this week.  The game is going to be fast and players will be spent, Gawn wouldn't be able to ruck 90% like he normally does, expect him to be standing in the goal square for periods of the game.

Skills will be down so the ball will be contested, look at last nights game, the players couldn't run after half time, the could run to defend but then couldn't run to attack.

We are just adding a lot of run and will back ourselves to run Carlton off their legs.

Unlike Poita and Werridee who seem to have found a love for Oscar that belies his 75 games, I love this selected side, specially conceived for the fast track Marvel Stadium. A few extra points:

Those worried about the size of our forward line just need to think back to the Eagles game when we had Spargo, ANB, Bedford plus Pickett and then had Brown as our second tall up forward. We are bigger and having an extra wingman in Bennell means we can throw Tomlinson forward if Jacko is struggling to do his main role - which is to bring the ball to ground when players are forced to do long down the line. Jacko's speed once it's on the ground mean he can assist with our now electric side in applying pressure. Jacko's ruck ability also permits Goody to rest Gawny up forward as a tall marking option if needed.

Fritsch will play largely out of the goal square and was clearly our big improver in the off-season - not sure how he went in the COVID break - but he now looks big enough to cope with the bashing he will cop from Jones, assuming the latter goes to him. His kicking means that he only needs it a handful of times to make an impact.

Smith is also bigger and stronger than in 2019 and is way more suited to the key defensive role than the running defender one that Rivers will play in his early days. Like others, I am a little worried about his disposal, but that's more to do with his lack of career game time. He needs a string of matches to really develop the confidence to make the key plays, but he has the tools to be a great third tall. Whether he now gets a lucky injury run will determine if he kicks on to the next level.

Those who keep saying Lever is an intercept defender, need to remember that yes he was at Adelaide as a youngster and he did that role incredibly well in their GF year. But he is now a grown man and he can cope with a genuine big and he still will be able to peel off occasionally to assist others.

Two more things about going forward with this side:

1) At Marvel we will get away with speed and class, but as we saw last night with Tiges and Pies, we will need more grunt and physicality at the MCG during the winter period - hence VDB's return is crucial and Hibberd should be brought back next week for the Dons as well. We will need bigger bodies.

2) This year the finals are being played in October when grounds will be harder and temperatures will be warmer - pace, skill and grunt will be king. This quicker (and bigger) side has a much bigger chance of doing damage then, assuming we can get there. And October's dryer conditions should mean that sides consider going back to playing three talls - so Weid should not feel his season and career at Melbourne is over. He may yet play a big part down the track.

Finally, the youth of this side means that Trac, Angus, Salem and Olly all need to take more responsibility in standing up and flying the flag when necessary. Their days as promising kids are over.

Edited June 12, 20204 yr by Deespicable
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1 hour ago, DeeZee said:

Jordan as an emergency is also very interesting. He must be training really well

On Max's zoom meeting to fans this week asked at the end who his standout player was pre season up to this week - it was Jordan.

If we win the selections will be considered “bold”. If we lose....oh boy. 

Disappointed about Lockhart. The kid can seriously play and on the back of Round 1 he deserved a recall.

There isn’t a side in the AFL that would be intimidated by that forwardline on paper. The lack of anyone who we can feel confident in taking a contested mark is alarming. It’s a pretty sad indictment on Weid that Jackson is already being picked ahead of him.

It’s time the likes of Brayshaw and others started contributing to the scoreboard, and it seems they will need to if we are to win this game.

The crumbers look to be Pickett and um....Hunt I guess?

Yeah, we better win or else this selection is going to be crucified in the aftermath.

1 minute ago, P-man said:

If we win the selections will be considered “bold”. If we lose....oh boy. 

Disappointed about Lockhart. The kid can seriously play and on the back of Round 1 he deserved a recall.

There isn’t a side in the AFL that would be intimidated by that forwardline on paper. The lack of anyone who we can feel confident in taking a contested mark is alarming. It’s a pretty sad indictment on Weid that Jackson is already being picked ahead of him.

It’s time the likes of Brayshaw and others started contributing to the scoreboard, and it seems they will need to if we are to win this game.

The crumbers look to be Pickett and um....Hunt I guess?

Yeah, we better win or else this selection is going to be crucified in the aftermath.

What about the ones who have made it Pman ?

Silvagni confirmed out for Carlton on Saturday - there goes any hope of hard tag on Petracca...

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

How Spargp still gets to be an emergency is staggering, considering his 3 costly turnovers resulting in EAGLES goals AND that fact that Bedford and Lockart offer so much more. Pace for a start. Perplexing I would say!

I agree but one of Goody's boys PF & just shows you that the buck stops with the coach.....He drafted him, so he plays simple. 

Lockart very stiff

Hopefully for Bennell's sake too he gets through.....Goodwin put a lot of faith in him on limited prep. Hopefully doesn't comeback & bite SG on the [censored].

Should be an easy victory, but we've said that many a time before.

 

21 minutes ago, old dee said:

What about the ones who have made it Pman ?

Not sure what you mean, OD.

3 minutes ago, P-man said:

Not sure what you mean, OD.

What happens to the FD if we lose this game?

34 minutes ago, AaronDaveyChipsAndGravey said:

Silvagni confirmed out for Carlton on Saturday - there goes any hope of hard tag on Petracca...

Maybe made himself unavailable after learning that was his role?

Tom Morris reporting that Kozzie and Spargo have both broken covid protocols and likely to be suspend...

Because of the time frame, are we able to bring in someone from outside the emergencies? Would think either ANB or Bedord come in, but the remaining emergencies are Hibberd, Weid and Jordan.

 

1 minute ago, Lord Nev said:

Because of the time frame, are we able to bring in someone from outside the emergencies? Would think either ANB or Bedord come in, but the remaining emergencies are Hibberd, Weid and Jordan.

 

No info as of yet to why or how this all happened. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-melbourne-demons-covid19-coronavirus-rules-breach-regulations/news-story/ebf8297a06cb2fec9286bc542e3605df

Not sure if the coaches still view Lockhart as someone who could go up forward but wouldnt mind seeing him or Bedford come in

2 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Because of the time frame, are we able to bring in someone from outside the emergencies? Would think either ANB or Bedord come in, but the remaining emergencies are Hibberd, Weid and Jordan.

 

I believe because it is the day prior to the match you can replace him with someone outside the emergencies.