TEAM: Rd 03 vs Essendon

[John Demonic 5,743]

22 minutes ago, loges said:

Don't like Fritsch at FF his position is pocket or flank.

Goodwin reliving his Tony Modra glory days vicariously through Fritta.  

Edited June 18, 2020 by John Demonic

[loges 6,767]

Really can't see us winning this. unless we bring the tackling pressure for 4 quarters they will be too fast. Another hope is the unexpected results so far this year.

[58er 6,381]

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

We will get done!! Hibberd? No Weeds? Jones injured ??Neal Bullen?? T Mac totally out of form, Structure not convincing! Jacko very very raw!

I sense a bloodbath

Why /How  fo you think Jonesy is injured?

TMac is not  totally out of form Yes  he didn't score last week but give him another chance and LJ also.

Smith lucky Lockhart better suited us faster and classier.

ANB ok last  week Prob deserves another chance not at Kossies expense though.

Interesting  clash plenty of questions to be answered.

Even money if we can limit Tippa. 

[Cards13 9,117]

1 hour ago, hardtack said:

Isn’t that what we were thinking in 2018 when he’d had a similar lay off? He came in and tore it up. He’s worth the risk. I think we’ll see him and Pickett come in for Jones and Smith.

Difference is he came into a side that was match fit otherwise. Adding Vanders in now with 2 blokes with 1 game and Harley screams desperation to me. Can’t wait to be wrong with all 3 dominating us to a win.

(Same as last week, Forward line still gives me the jitters)

[Pates 9,659]

13 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

Difference is he came into a side that was match fit otherwise. Adding Vanders in now with 2 blokes with 1 game and Harley screams desperation to me. Can’t wait to be wrong with all 3 dominating us to a win.

(Same as last week, Forward line still gives me the jitters)

It's going to be interesting to see how much game time they give to Harley this week. Perhaps longer stints in the forward line as "rests". For me they shouldn't be bringing in two players that fitness wise are underdone, so I think they see Vanders as being able to actually last longer than HB.

[Little Goffy 14,442]

I have to admit I've got some serious nerves about the sheer number of Essendons pacy shorties.

But in the middle, with Petracca and Oliver being both taller and stronger, the only piece missing there is Viney playing a brutal game.  'Picking one someone your own size' isn't really a fair thing to say when Viney is involved.

I'm wondering, with Heppell being their only tall true midfielder, would there be value in putting Brayshaw onto him as a tag.  Compel Angus to work defensively to limit their most dangerous mid, and also draw him to the ball to hopefully pick up some touches. 

It will be strange seeing Hurley and Hooker at one end with Tom Mcdonald being their only full-time tall opponent, and May and Lever at the other end with only McKernan. It'll be a fascinating battle of the mid-sized forwards against taller defenders.

In fact, strangely enough we've got +5cm on Essendon pretty much everywhere on the ground except their tall defenders against our mixed forwards. Maybe we should just drop the game plan and go one-to-one all around the ground play a giant session of kick-to-kick?

Finishing the height theme - if anyone is wondering why so much hate for Bellchambers, remember that once upon a time he was going too be a big beast ruckman, the heir to Simon Madden or at least David Hille. But he has spent eight years 'about to break out' but hindered by injuries and now he's mysteriously gone form good prospect to over-30.  As a match up, he's much less of a worry for Gawn than Pittonet turned out to be, because Pittonet made a good effort of running around and getting involved wherever he could, while Bellchambers will give the illusion of a ruck contest then struggle to keep up anywhere else.  Realistically, expect Gawn to have a similar game to last week BUT also expect his direct opponent to not be so significant. (Full credit to young Pittonet, too, always good to see a player at a career cross-roads make an impression... and I can say by one point...)

[spirit of norm smith 16,250]

??? Weideman ??? Lockhart

[Dee-Nee 91]

Max may well get the lion's share of the hit outs like last week. But the opposition soon starts roving to him and get the clearances.

Our mid fielders and Max need to adjust to this to take advantage of his hit out domination.

[jnrmac 20,053]

I'm shocked there's no OMac

The experts here assured us  he would be straight in as he's best 22....

 

[spirit of norm smith 16,250]

Likely 22 

The Tall defenders - May. Lever.

Midsized defender - Smith 

Rebound half backs - Salem,Rivers

Lockdown small defender  - Jetta

Ruck - Gawn

Inside mids - Oliver. Viney. Petracca. Harmes* Jones*

Outside mids - Langdon. Brayshaw. Tomlinson*

Key forwards - Tmcd. Jackson (!)

Midsized forwards- Melksham. Fritsch. Bennell*

Small dynamic forward - Pickett. Hunt. 
 

 

 

* start on the bench

 

Edited June 18, 2020 by spirit of norm smith
X

[titan_uranus 24,969]

Pickett comes in for someone. Options on the bench are Jones and ANB. I want it to be Jones, I fear it will be ANB (I'm not an ANB fan but I don't think it's fair or the right call to drop him before Jones based on last week).

If Hibberd comes back in it's likely for Smith, given that bench. 

I expect Jackson to hold his spot. If we don't play him, we'll be sending TMac into the ruck for small parts of the quarters and when we do that, unless Gawn rests at FF, we won't have a tall player anywhere near our forward half.

I'm really unsure about where Weideman sits with the FD if he couldn't get a game last week and then again this week.

[Pates 9,659]

2 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Pickett comes in for someone. Options on the bench are Jones and ANB. I want it to be Jones, I fear it will be ANB (I'm not an ANB fan but I don't think it's fair or the right call to drop him before Jones based on last week).

If Hibberd comes back in it's likely for Smith, given that bench. 

I expect Jackson to hold his spot. If we don't play him, we'll be sending TMac into the ruck for small parts of the quarters and when we do that, unless Gawn rests at FF, we won't have a tall player anywhere near our forward half.

I'm really unsure about where Weideman sits with the FD if he couldn't get a game last week and then again this week.

I can only imagine the FD have demanded that he back it up again this week, it may be as SWYL has suggested they are really making him earn his spot rather than getting it by default. If he has another good performance in whatever version of a scratch match they are doing this week (any word on that?) but gets overlooked again I will be very confused. Especially if Jacko isn't very impactful.

[bing181 9,193]

4 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

I'm very surprised that they haven't given either Weid or Mitch Brown a run

On the surface, yes - but those changes could only be at the expense of Jackson, and the selectors have already shown that if they select someone for their first game they'll back them for at least a couple of games, no matter what.

[stinga 556]

you can only have 4 of the 8 on the bench.    Pickett, AVB, Smith and Jackson for me. The last 2 simply because you've got to give them at least 2 weeks to show something.    ANB, Jones Hibberd and Hannan miss.

[TheKozzieExperience 258]

8 minutes ago, stinga said:

you can only have 4 of the 8 on the bench.    Pickett, AVB, Smith and Jackson for me. The last 2 simply because you've got to give them at least 2 weeks to show something.    ANB, Jones Hibberd and Hannan miss.

Not sure Goodwin will drop Jones.    Lets see if he makes the big call.     Time to get tough!

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,733]

7 hours ago, TheKozzieExperience said:

Not sure Goodwin will drop Jones.    Lets see if he makes the big call.     Time to get tough!

In - Pickett

out - ANB

 

If the club had any integrity of selection, Jones, Melksham and Jackson should all be dropped.

Jones had his career worst game and was a liability.

Melksham needs a reality check. Seems to be coasting since returning from injury late last year.

Jackson wasn’t ready. I liked how he won a couple of free kicks because his height troubled the opposition last week, however we’re playing for wins right now. Weird should be in and if he doesn’t cut it, then revert to Brown. Jackson to play if/when we’re out of the finals race.

T Mac must be on thin ice as well.

[Meggs 595]

11 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Love Vanders effort, hate his disposal and goal kicking. Looked below  par last time he played.

Yes, I rewatched the Hawks JLT game and had forgotten his skillset and limitations. 
But we all love and miss his tackling and hardness. 

[Wiseblood 24,637]

9 hours ago, bing181 said:

On the surface, yes - but those changes could only be at the expense of Jackson, and the selectors have already shown that if they select someone for their first game they'll back them for at least a couple of games, no matter what.

Fair point, bing.  I kind of like the fact that they are happy to give players a decent run before dropping them, particularly if they're a young kid. 

The only reason I'm surprised is that we struggled big time with our tall targets last week, and with both Hooker and Hurley playing this week, I thought they might try and go for a more experienced body to ensure neither player is allowed to zone off and take a heap of intercept marks.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

2 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

In - Pickett

out - ANB

 

If the club had any integrity of selection, Jones, Melksham and Jackson should all be dropped.

Jones had his career worst game and was a liability.

Melksham needs a reality check. Seems to be coasting since returning from injury late last year.

Jackson wasn’t ready. I liked how he won a couple of free kicks because his height troubled the opposition last week, however we’re playing for wins right now. Weird should be in and if he doesn’t cut it, then revert to Brown. Jackson to play if/when we’re out of the finals race.

T Mac must be on thin ice as well.

You have my vote on all counts BBP although happy to give chunk one more run given it was his first game back > age factor.   There's a few big names who's spots are on the line this week (or should be).  The shortened quarters means much less game time and more than likely favours the player who has a significant athletic burst edge.  Not sure we have enough of those vs the Bombers with the team fielded but happy to be proven wrong.

Playing Jackson this early ahead of Weid and Brown isnt the smartest of moves imv.

Edited June 18, 2020 by Rusty Nails

[old dee 23,763]

10 hours ago, Dee-Nee said:

Max may well get the lion's share of the hit outs like last week. But the opposition soon starts roving to him and get the clearances.

Our mid fielders and Max need to adjust to this to take advantage of his hit out domination.

Like so many things in our game plan we just keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Opponents change tactics but we don’t make any change to counter. 

[poita 3,889]

Another woefully compiled team. Do our selectors even consider who goes on the team sheet, or do they just throw darts at the wall?

One badly out of form key forward, plus a developing ruck / forward who is miles off having an AFL body. We get smashed in the ruck every time Gawn leaves the ground, and smashed up forward because nobody can take a contested mark or bring the ball to ground.

One genuine key defender, plus a bloke who is key position size but can't defend like one. How many times does Goodwin need to see Lever & May play together before he decides it is not the answer?

One slow as treacle small defender to match up on Essendon's multiple quick small forwards. We all love Jetta but Fantasia & Tippa loom as massive threats.

But hey at least we've got ten medium sized forwards in the squad. One of them is bound to kick a couple of goals surely?

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

14 hours ago, Lord Nev said:

Yeah, but he also kicked 5 goals and not sure it's fair to judge his performance based on Carlton's highlights video.

I'm a big Jacko fan, but he should not be playing ahead of Weid this week.

 

10 hours ago, bing181 said:

On the surface, yes - but those changes could only be at the expense of Jackson, and the selectors have already shown that if they select someone for their first game they'll back them for at least a couple of games, no matter what.

I expect Jackson to play for two reasons. Firstly, Goodwin has consistently (although not in every instance) given debutants two weeks rather than one before being dropped. Secondly, and more importantly, we need insurance in case Gawn or McDonald are injured during the game. Of the 26 selected Jackson is the only player that has the height to be able to help out.

I also wouldn't be selecting a team anticipating wet weather. The forecast is for less than 1 mm of rain with only a 60% chance of any actually falling.

 

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,733]

5 minutes ago, poita said:

One slow as treacle small defender to match up on Essendon's multiple quick small forwards. We all love Jetta but Fantasia & Tippa loom as massive threats.

Yeah I thought they would've brought in Lockhardt for that reason to take on the Fantasias, Tippas, Smiths, Mckennas etc...

[buck_nekkid 5,845]

This team can win this - we have to win the contest and hold our defensive structures.  That is all the Hawks did.  Nothing fancy.  If the conditions are wet, then winning the grunt ball will be even more important.  With the wingers holding their width and our inside mids, we should have the structure to do this.  I Would put Bennell and Fritsch high and play TMac and kozzie deep.

It looks like Goody wants crash + speed as his mantra (looking at q1 last week).  That will either lead to a success or a car crash!

[Lord Travis 10,696]

37 minutes ago, poita said:

Another woefully compiled team. Do our selectors even consider who goes on the team sheet, or do they just throw darts at the wall?

One badly out of form key forward, plus a developing ruck / forward who is miles off having an AFL body. We get smashed in the ruck every time Gawn leaves the ground, and smashed up forward because nobody can take a contested mark or bring the ball to ground.

One genuine key defender, plus a bloke who is key position size but can't defend like one. How many times does Goodwin need to see Lever & May play together before he decides it is not the answer?

One slow as treacle small defender to match up on Essendon's multiple quick small forwards. We all love Jetta but Fantasia & Tippa loom as massive threats.

But hey at least we've got ten medium sized forwards in the squad. One of them is bound to kick a couple of goals surely?

Bang on. It's why I've been so vocal about Lockhart getting a game. We have one small lockdown defender in the team in Jetta, and he is slow and in poor form. Essendon have a bunch of quick smaller forwards who will tear us apart. Lockhart should've been brought in for match ups alone, let alone based on form after his great pre-season form. We'll struggle to defend them tomorrow, but we'll struggle even more to score ourselves with a completely impotent forwardline.

We've got a lot of plodders in the 22 now. It seems like we've regressed 4-5 years again. 2018 was years ago now and the game has changed since then. So have the rules - we failed to adapt to those also. We've won 6 games in 18 months, with only two of those being by more than 7 points. Quite simply, we don't win and on the rare occasion we do win it's stumbling over the finish line against another bottom four team. This team is guaranteed to give it's supporters a heart attack!

We're teetering on the edge of the bottom 4 yet again and instead of playing our best team to win, we are gifting games to kids and name players who haven't earned it. Our culture is still not fixed, and our game style and structures need a complete overhaul.

Edited June 18, 2020 by Lord Travis