Bennell looked tired in the last half especially last week. No zip. So a rest looks appropriate. Swallow deserves a go. TmC will stretch their backs. He and Jackson are mobile and can run all day.  Looks like Port are backing their mids to flogg ours like the Lions mids did.

 

Training by candlelight?

 

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Port Adelaide going in with the one ruckman.

If we do not capitalise on this then you can almost shut up shop for the season. Can't stress how important our mids take advantage of Gawn this weekend.

That went well the last two times that happened (ie Carlton and Brisbane). I'd much prefer Max having someone he's got to try and beat, rather than the opposition shark off all his taps. 

20 minutes ago, DubDee said:

I reckon we will win. But no way our season is over if we lose. Beat two bottom four teams and we are 5-5 still. If we win we could really move up the ladder 

Mathematically yes. But lose tomorrow and it is mighty difficult in a 17 game season

We blew last week. We had so many chances. Good sides do not do that

I do not mind these changes. However, I hope the coaching panel has a few ideas of how they propose to use the three talls in the team structures. Wiedeman and Jackson have performed well in the last couple of games and the structure has allowed us to gain a reasonable percentage of conversions from our forward 50 entries.

I would look at a few things. Wiedeman to play deep and use structured leads. TMac to give an option at kick ins and as a release marking option with Jackson in the middle on the defensive side of the square. Jackson at a few center bounces the way Hogan was used a bit. This may cause Port a few problems. I like the way that Jackson has delivered the ball inside 50 a few times while running through the corridor. Intelligent, measured kicks.

Having both TMac and Jackson there allows us to use Max as a flexible positional player when he is not rucking.

I am bullish about a win over Port tomorrow.

15 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Mathematically yes. But lose tomorrow and it is mighty difficult in a 17 game season

We blew last week. We had so many chances. Good sides do not do that

And Geelong, we really needed to pinch one of those games to give ourselves our best shot at being in finals contention.

Rockliff is a big in for them, from memory he had a good game against us last year.

6 minutes ago, CHF said:

However, I hope the coaching panel has a few ideas of how they propose to use the three talls in the team structures. Wiedeman and Jackson have performed well in the last couple of games and the structure has allowed us to gain a reasonable percentage of conversions from our forward 50 entries.

Will be interesting to see how long all three are on the ground together.

I think they may also be looking to manage Gawn through the next few weeks.

4 minutes ago, Pates said:

And Geelong, we really needed to pinch one of those games to give ourselves our best shot at being in finals contention.

Rockliff is a big in for them, from memory he had a good game against us last year.

Yes i was going to mention Jeelong

8 points in a short season (with a game in hand)

Big game Tomorrow. We have no injuries

We have to win or we are just not good enough 

3 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Will be interesting to see how long all three are on the ground together.

I think they may also be looking to manage Gawn through the next few weeks.

Agree about the management of Gawn. 

I will also be interested to see how proactive or aggressive we are in our tactical positioning at the beginning of the match and how the coaches react as the game unfolds.

Happy to see T.Mac in the side I think we are a better team with him in. Can't wait to see how the 3 talls go.

Happy to see Sparrow back was good in the pre season and good in the scratch matches, I thought he would replace Brayshaw who is lucky to be in the team due to poor form but now we have an extra midfielder in the team which will be interesting.

I suppose Harmes becomes the 7th defender. Have no problems with Jetta being dropped Lockhart can take his spot. Surprised not to see Rivers thought he would be the 7th backman.

It's Wednesday, and we're playing a [censored] game tomorrow. Has to be the most surreal moment of this season for me.

1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Mathematically yes. But lose tomorrow and it is mighty difficult in a 17 game season

We blew last week. We had so many chances. Good sides do not do that

Mathematically? You would think we’d be 5-5 with 7 games to go having played a lot of the top teams. Win 4 of the 7 and we should make finals. But I’d back us to go on a run 

10 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Mathematically? You would think we’d be 5-5 with 7 games to go having played a lot of the top teams. Win 4 of the 7 and we should make finals. But I’d back us to go on a run 

We have won 3 games with 4 games in 20 days

there are no easy games at all. 
 

We need a win tomorrow night

3 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

It's an interesting team.

Neither player has been replaced with a similar player.

Who takes Jetta's role in the backline? 

What role will Sparrow play as it won't be Bennell's?

What role with TMac play and how will we line up forward of centre with him, Weideman and Jackson?

Sparrow plays between half back and back pocket (ie Jetta's spot) and McDonald plays at half forward and forward pocket (ie Bennell's spot), plus a wing rotation.

2 hours ago, binman said:

Like swallow in. New players bring an energy. Expect he will plays jetts role.

Sparrow, but I hope he does take Jetts role.

I've been on about this one for a while.

I think he has the ideal skill set to make it as a small/medium defender.

I don't see him as a mid to be honest.

10 minutes ago, A F said:

Sparrow plays between half back and back pocket (ie Jetta's spot) and McDonald plays at half forward and forward pocket (ie Bennell's spot), plus a wing rotation.

That would be the simplest way, but has Sparrow played defence at all this year?

And whilst TMac can slot into Bennell's spot in theory, in practice he's a totally different player who won't be sitting off the side of packs waiting to distribute the ball the same way Bennell does.

8 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

That would be the simplest way, but has Sparrow played defence at all this year?

And whilst TMac can slot into Bennell's spot in theory, in practice he's a totally different player who won't be sitting off the side of packs waiting to distribute the ball the same way Bennell does.

I didn't say I agree with the changes. In fact, I've said I believe McDonald throws out our forward mix, but this is what I think we'll go with. It'll be interesting to see how we go with three talls.

McDonald doesn't lay tackles, Jones is too slow and Fritsch couldn't stop a paper bag from running away from him, so it worries me that the opposition may waltz out of defence, but let's hope the midfield pressure is up.

As for Sparrow I'd like to see how his attributes go in defence. He's not going to get a look in through our midfield mix, so he needs to find another go.

Edited July 29, 20204 yr by A F

2 hours ago, binman said:

A bit surprised tmac comes in.

 

2 hours ago, Win4theAges said:

I don't know what has gotten into the selectors of late they are making all the right calls.

Tmac, Weideman and Action all in the same forward line looks scrumptious especially for the kick down the line to help elevate us under pressure it just looks dangerous.

 

57 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

Happy to see T.Mac in the side I think we are a better team with him in. Can't wait to see how the 3 talls go.

3 talls generally hasn't worked for us.

As some have noted our structure looked so much better with Weid and Jackson, the 2 talls.

Tommy tips the balance.

Maybe they're going to try him or Jackson as the other wing...

If it's 3 talls though then to me it's not the right selection call.

TMc may fire up without pressure. One of our talls will get their 3rd tall defensive option, likely more of a medium/tall.

Fortunately Jackson and T Mc are fairly mobile and good runners.

Edited July 29, 20204 yr by manny100

3 minutes ago, A F said:

I didn't say I agree with the changes. In fact, I've said I believe McDonald throws out our forward mix, but this is what I think we'll go with. It'll be interesting to see how we go with three talls.

McDonald doesn't lay tackles, Jones is too slow and Fritsch couldn't stop a paper bag from running away from him, so it worries me that the opposition may waltz out of defence, but let's hope the midfield pressure is up.

As for Sparrow I'd like to see how his attributes go in defence. He's not going to get a look in through our midfield mix, so he needs to find another go.

I'm also worried about TMac in our forward line, but not for the pressure reason: Bennell wasn't putting much pressure on so we're not losing that much in that regard. I'm more worried about variety.

12 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

That would be the simplest way, but has Sparrow played defence at all this year?

And whilst TMac can slot into Bennell's spot in theory, in practice he's a totally different player who won't be sitting off the side of packs waiting to distribute the ball the same way Bennell does.

I think TMac will revert to what he has been doing for two years, and that's playing deep. Having faith that he will start clunking them now that Weid will relieve some of that pressure.

It's Jackson that is a taller version of Bennell. Lanky in posture, athletic, skilled and gets to the right spots, or has an intuitive sense for it that will develop the more he plays. I think we'll see him up near the stoppages to distribute it forward more this week. 

Edited July 29, 20204 yr by John Demonic

8 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

I think TMac will revert to what he has been doing for two years, and that's playing deep.

It's Jackson that is a taller version of Bennell. Lanky in posture, skilled and gets to the right spots, or has an intuitive sense for it that will develop the more he plays. I think we'll see him up near the stoppages to distribute it forward, more this week.

Yep, they could well end up playing Jackson further up the ground, and if they do, it's why I dislike McDonald in the team with Weideman and Jackson. Anyway, we'll see.

11 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

That would be the simplest way, but has Sparrow played defence at all this year?

And whilst TMac can slot into Bennell's spot in theory, in practice he's a totally different player who won't be sitting off the side of packs waiting to distribute the ball the same way Bennell does.

Maybe he's been thrown in there in the scratch matches.

Hard to know what's going on in those games...

He did play some defence in his underage years, so has done it.

Pretty good leg speed, strong in the body and pretty good in the air...good attributes for a small defender.

Kicking not his strong suit.

Sparrow has essentially been playing as a mid at vfl level when fit and in the scratch matches this year, yeah?

I’d expect Harmes or Brayshaw to roll back as the 7th defender and Sparrow to rotate forward and midfield

6 minutes ago, rjay said:

Maybe he's been thrown in there in the scratch matches.

Hard to know what's going on in those games...

He did play some defence in his underage years, so has done it.

Pretty good leg speed, strong in the body and pretty good in the air...good attributes for a small defender.

Kicking not his strong suit.

I feel like this is because he's often doing it at speed. If he can model his game on Jetta and slow things down a bit before he kicks, he can tidy that up.