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TEAMS: Rd 08 vs Brisbane

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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12 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Which post ox ? Or have I had too many Shiraz?

The one about Martins injury.

Edited by DemonOX

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    This is a big week at selection.

    Not thrilled with any of the possible ins for VDB, probably lean toward Tomlinson.

    Our depth drops off quick

    Edited by BW511

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    16 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

    Well the ins have mostly all been covered in demonland speculation 

    Smith is a surprise but I can’t see him getting a gig this week 

    I'm not a fan of Smith, but I'm not surpised. The emergencies each week are usually, if not always, made up of a forward, a defender, an onballer and a ruckman. Picking Smith suggests he's the next best defender and only likely to play if one of the others is unavailable.

    Having said that, I don't know the Brisbane team at all. If it is going to be wet, and with Stefan Martin missing, could we possibly be contemplating not playing our Oscar because there's not an appropriate match-up for him? In that case, Smith could come in. I hope that doesn't come to pass, though. I thought Oscar was good last week and I'd like to see him get some continuity with May and Lever.

    My best guess is that Tomlinson will come in for vandenBerg (because a two way runner is going to be valuable in the wet and I think Tomlinson is better for the role than ANB or Jones ) and that T McDonald will replace Jackson (because I think Tom's bigger body will be better suited to the conditions than Jackson's).  

     

    Edited by La Dee-vina Comedia
    typo

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    I like the move of Harmes into vdb’s role and Frittata to the wing.  I think that covers these off and allows other decisions.  With Stef Martin out, that changes their balance.  Big O has done ok, but Max should chew him a new one.  

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    I am interested to see what we do with Neale. Does he get a Harmes tag? Do we put Trac head to head with him? Intriguing stuff.

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    29 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

    I feel too much respect is being paid to Neale.  Yes I know he is leading the voting panels but he doesn't really hurt in the same way Zorko and McCluggage do.  They are both goal kickers, Neale is not.

    Fagan is a smart coach and neurtralizing Max's dominance will be his #1 goal.  They are a very smart mid-field and will rove to Max's taps.  Also, Lions is one of the teams last year that used the strategy: "match them on the inside, beat them on the outside".  So if roving to Max doesn't work they will try and stop us getting the ball out.  So we win the clearances but forced to turn the ball over.  If it gets into McCluggage's hands they are off to the races.

    I would be tempted for Harmes to hard tag McCluggage.  Then let Viney run with Zorko; two bulls going at each other ?.  I would back Viney to win that!

    Should be a ripper of a mid-field battle.

     

    P.S.  I really hope Mathieson doesn't play.  He is from the Selwood ducking school and it often works to our detriment.

    Sorry LH, but you're wrong on this. The reason why Neale is having the year that he is, is because he's hitting the scoreboard. This year alone in 7 games he's played, he's kicked 8.9. His match against Adelaide he kicked 6 behinds. That tells me he's added another element to his game and hence why right now he's too 3 player in the competition. 

    The only midfielder for us who's come close to those numbers is Petracca with 6 goals. 

    In fact for a guy that supposedly doesn't kick enough goals, in his 166 career games he's still kicked 87 goals. That's still a lot better then what our midfielders are dishing up.

    This is what's stopping the likes of Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver from truly becoming elite mids of the competition. They barely hurt the scoreboard.

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    16 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Sorry LH, but you're wrong on this. The reason why Neale is having the year that he is, is because he's hitting the scoreboard. This year alone in 7 games he's played, he's kicked 8.9. His match against Adelaide he kicked 6 behinds. That tells me he's added another element to his game and hence why right now he's too 3 player in the competition. 

    The only midfielder for us who's come close to those numbers is Petracca with 6 goals. 

    In fact for a guy that supposedly doesn't kick enough goals, in his 166 career games he's still kicked 87 goals. That's still a lot better then what our midfielders are dishing up.

    This is what's stopping the likes of Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver from truly becoming elite mids of the competition. They barely hurt the scoreboard.

    Good point.

    They are like us:  take one mid-fielder out of play and another will pop up.  Overall, I feel their mdifield scoring power is better than ours.  We just have to stop them.  :cool:

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    6 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

    Good point.

    They are like us:  take one mid-fielder out of play and another will pop up.  Overall, I feel their mdifield scoring power is better than ours.  We just have to stop them.  :cool:

    Yes i do agree regarding their midfield power.

    This is why the likes of Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver need to start hitting the scoreboard more. Petracca is the only one doing it from a midfield perspective.

    Get those guys hitting the score board and that's finals sewn up.

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    46 minutes ago, Jaded said:

    I am interested to see what we do with Neale. Does he get a Harmes tag? Do we put Trac head to head with him? Intriguing stuff.

    I think harmes is the one, he's a very good stopper but has proven he's capable of hurting the other way. not sure what Neale is like as a defensive runner but the Freo boys aren't exactly known for that sort of thing. 

    personally i would be tempted to tag Zorko because i think he's the one you can totally take out of the game and then back our midfield vs theirs especially given Max and Jacko should have a field day against Oscar Mcinerney 

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    43 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Sorry LH, but you're wrong on this. The reason why Neale is having the year that he is, is because he's hitting the scoreboard. This year alone in 7 games he's played, he's kicked 8.9. His match against Adelaide he kicked 6 behinds. That tells me he's added another element to his game and hence why right now he's too 3 player in the competition. 

    The only midfielder for us who's come close to those numbers is Petracca with 6 goals. 

    In fact for a guy that supposedly doesn't kick enough goals, in his 166 career games he's still kicked 87 goals. That's still a lot better then what our midfielders are dishing up.

    This is what's stopping the likes of Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver from truly becoming elite mids of the competition. They barely hurt the scoreboard.

    Neale 166 games 87:58, Adam Treloar also 166 games 96:84. Clarry 88 games 26:20. Trac 91 games 85:56 and has maintained his average since playing more mid-field (6 games for 6 goals)

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    1 hour ago, buck_nekkid said:

    I like the move of Harmes into vdb’s role and Frittata to the wing.  I think that covers these off and allows other decisions.  With Stef Martin out, that changes their balance.  Big O has done ok, but Max should chew him a new one.  

    Fritter is not suited to the wing in my opinion

    played better forward

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    5 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

    You must have had too many Shiraz ox !!!!

    That’s on the Changes round 8 thread - which is now closed

    Ah my bad. Carry on.

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    I'd pick Nibbler over Jones purely for his workrate.
    Jones is finished ..... Or should be.

    Edited by Fork 'em

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    17 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

    I'd say he is getting a run as the coaches know more than us. 

    The terrible team selections in the first five rounds and the improved showings with a better balanced side in the past two rounds would suggest that the coaches don't know more than us.

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    31 minutes ago, poita said:

    The terrible team selections in the first five rounds and the improved showings with a better balanced side in the past two rounds would suggest that the coaches don't know more than us.

    Tough but there's little doubt that selection cost us a real chance in at least two games. (Richmond, Geelong)

    On the flip side credit where is it is due. Most of us picked Brown in front of Jackson last week.

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    48 minutes ago, poita said:

    The terrible team selections in the first five rounds and the improved showings with a better balanced side in the past two rounds would suggest that the coaches don't know more than us.

    Which team do you coach?

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    19 hours ago, No Plan B said:

    I don't understand how Lockhart seems to be an automatic selection. He doesn't get involved much and has given away goals every week with his mistakes. Am I missing something here? Give me Jetta any day.

    He doesn't get alot of it. But i could see him locking down on Rayner this week while Hibberd/Jetta have a crack at Cameron? 

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    4 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Sorry LH, but you're wrong on this. The reason why Neale is having the year that he is, is because he's hitting the scoreboard. This year alone in 7 games he's played, he's kicked 8.9. His match against Adelaide he kicked 6 behinds. That tells me he's added another element to his game and hence why right now he's too 3 player in the competition. 

    The only midfielder for us who's come close to those numbers is Petracca with 6 goals. 

    In fact for a guy that supposedly doesn't kick enough goals, in his 166 career games he's still kicked 87 goals. That's still a lot better then what our midfielders are dishing up.

    This is what's stopping the likes of Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver from truly becoming elite mids of the competition. They barely hurt the scoreboard.

    Agree, anyone suggesting Neale isn't damaging is incorrect IMO. 

    Also agree that Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver could add goalkicking to their game to go to another level, although it doesn't bother me too much. I actually wish we'd rest Oliver in the forward line more, I remember that game in 2018 vs North when he went forward and looked fantastic as a lead-up marking forward. Might have been a once-off but I feel he can do that more often.

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    11 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

    Agree, anyone suggesting Neale isn't damaging is incorrect IMO. 

    Also agree that Viney, Brayshaw and Oliver could add goalkicking to their game to go to another level, although it doesn't bother me too much. I actually wish we'd rest Oliver in the forward line more, I remember that game in 2018 vs North when he went forward and looked fantastic as a lead-up marking forward. Might have been a once-off but I feel he can do that more often.

    Unbelievable someone could suggest Neale is not worth worrying about. He's a class act.

    Stats wise he is outperforming Petracca this year on:

    Kicks, Marks, Goals, Tackles, CPs, UCPs, Clearances, Rebound i50s, 1%'s, bounces, TOG, Centre clearances, stoppage clearances, metres gained, tackles i50, Intercepts

    He's also outperforming with less clangers and less turnovers

    Let's not worry about him though.

    https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_player_compare?playerStatus1=A&tid1=20&playerStatus2=A&tid2=12&type=A&pid1=3694&pid2=4041&fid1=S&fid2=S

     

    Edited by jnrmac

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    19 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

    I'd say he is getting a run as the coaches know more than us.  While he might not get much of the pill, he is clearly doing his job defensively and therefore he keeps his spot.  Our defensive unit last week was terrific so I can understand why they don't want to mess with it.

    As for selection, there aren't too many surprises.  Tomlinson may get the nod for AVB, while it wouldn't surprise to see T Mac back in for Jackson, even though that would be harsh on Jackson as he played well last weekend.

    He’s the quick one on the last line..

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    Jones in. Perhaps a bit of a message to Tom Mac - and to all the players. No free ride, earn your spot, but if you perform we'll back you.

     

    Edited by bing181

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