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CHANGES: Rd 14 vs St Kilda

titan_uranus
in Melbourne Demons

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1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Membrey v Dees 

5,4,1,2,2,4,4,3.  25 goals in last 8 games. (Av 3.125) And 55 marks  (Av 6.9) 

what’s the answer this time 

So previously we had Oscar or Joel Smith go to him.  He has been too strong or even too agile for our defenders in the past !!

 

I think that the only time Smith has played against Membrey was in his first game where he did his shoulder in the 1st quarter. Frost has been the one who has taken him over the last few games, he's been too smart for him and got a few of those goals out the back or when Frost got the wanders and leaves his man free. 

I don't think we can just worry about Membrey, they've also got Marshall who goes alright resting down there and also the young kid Battle. I really think we need either one of OMac or Smith to come in to help May and Lever, I want Tomo back running the wings. 

    • Like 1
     
    3 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

    A bit rhetorical but do our leaders have a licence to make changes, especially when the ops are getting on top or a specified run of goals?  Undoubtedly May and Lever could see the bulldogs dominance upfield unfold before their very eyes but do they have licence to do something?  Or did the official leaders listen. 

    Failing all that the captain goes to the bench and gets on the phone to the coach!!

    Good discussion LH.  Following on from this re your last two points above...

    I believe May is probably the ideal leader to be making such instant / mid quarter change ups as you say, assuming he has that authority.  He's in the ideal position to see the game unfolding to the betterment or worse of the team and he would no doubt have a feel for the ease / regularity with which the opp is entering 50.

    Almost a Hodge type captain down back.  Now that doesn't mean he HAS to be named as a deputy capt or capt etc.  It just means he is given the licence (and authority) to make change up calls in defensive styles/methods/tweaks (in game only), before the coach is able to address the troops under certain 'qualified' scenarios, probably scoreboard related.

    And nothing extraordinary, just methods which the entire group are savvy to and fully trained to handle so it's not a major move away from standard trained playing methods.  Eg; simply one option from two or three standard methods of team defending for example.

    Or it might even be attacking as in the last 2 min of a match and coming from behind eg;  pushing a defender into the middle etc.  Protecting a lead with X number of forwards moved back to stack the defence in the last two min etc.

    All set plays/structures that are known to the group and if someone isn't quite getting the set play / method and/or structure (eg; a rookie or new to the club) then of course a senior leader steps in and directs player/s accordingly.

    Now your last para.  And this is one of my bug bears with this club.  Has been for a while.  Ideally you would need to be at ground level to fully know this so i'm just speculating.  But with this season's iso games and lack of crowds.  There isn't alot of noise about and you can often hear the players voices on the field.   Im not saying we are more or less vocal as there's no way of truly measuring.

    However, i wonder, do we have 'enough' vocal leaders who get up and about 'in game' in an attempt to rally the boys when the opp's on a roll on the scoreboard?  Or do we, in the main, tend to have a few too many introverted types that tend to go into their shell a little too much when up against it?

    Again this is one of the reasons i would love to see May as VC or even joint Capt at some stage.  The bloke seems to HATE losing and he loves to direct and/or occasionally dish it out where he feels it's warranted.  We need this given the 'general quietness' that seems apparent within this group when under the pump and to rally them before they come out after half time etc, knowing the opp is going to come at us.   Try and prep/steel the boys, particularly the younger blokes, mentally and set them for a big 3rd & 4th quarter effort.

    I reckon this last part is lacking somewhat within our group.  I recall watching us re-enter Metricon after half time last week and look, there's probably very little to this but...

    There were one or two blokes joking a little and having a bit of a giggle about something in the race (i recall Tracc was one of them) just as they were about to run back on and i thought to myself (probably just MFCSS) "wow i hope these blokes don't take the Dogs lightly here or we are on trouble".

    Probably means nothing but i always like to see game face on well before the start of each quarter.  I'm certainly no expert in such matters.  Who knows, relaxed might be better and i could be barking up the wrong tree!

    Edited by Rusty Nails

    • Like 1

    Sounds like vanders and Jones might be the names in line to take Sparrow's rotation, and a chance we go with 2 rucks.

     


    1 hour ago, Pollyanna said:

    It's a line in the sand game - if you can't see that then you need a visit to the optometrist.  There was absolutely no way Max was not going to play.  No players are at "100%" at this time in the season - all are carrying some sort of niggle.

    Melbourne does not do line in the sand games.

    • Haha 1
    1 hour ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

     

    Hmmm Jones.

    We should be dropping AVB then or we will get run off our feet.

    AVB is one of the first names on the sheet for me.  We need intensity and hardness from the first bounce

    others can offer the speed. Saints are quick but they are tough too. 

     
    1 hour ago, Pollyanna said:

    It's a line in the sand game - if you can't see that then you need a visit to the optometrist.  There was absolutely no way Max was not going to play.  No players are at "100%" at this time in the season - all are carrying some sort of niggle.

    We have had so many line in the sand games in the last few years that they start to blur into one another.

    But that does not change the fact this yet another one. 

    And perhaps unlike other since Goody came on board more is on the line for the team and in particular him than any other game.

    The Chariman has made it publicly clear making finals is the minimum expectation from the board. Our good run with injury takes any excuse of the table. The COVID situation is one all clubs have to deal with so that's off the table too.

    Lose this game and finals are close to impossible.

    Lose and goody's future comes into sharp focus.

    Lose and there will be a tsunami of fugazi, to stretch the Japanese imagery as the media will be all over goody's future.

    • Like 3
    12 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Sounds like vanders and Jones might be the names in line to take Sparrow's rotation, and a chance we go with 2 rucks.

     

     

    12 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

    Ratten has said King will be playing, so they'll be going in with the 3 talls plus Marshall and Ryder (unless they rest either Membrey or Battle). 

    Sounds like Pruess, T-Mac and Maxy are likely to be all named then.


    12 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Sounds like vanders and Jones might be the names in line to take Sparrow's rotation, and a chance we go with 2 rucks.

     

    2 rucks would be interesting.  Perhaps if Gawn not 100% Pruess will take 50% ruck duties and Gawn will sit at HB or FF for 50%

    14 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

    Ratten has said King will be playing, so they'll be going in with the 3 talls plus Marshall and Ryder (unless they rest either Membrey or Battle). 

    So channel 7 news are full of crap. They revealed that King would be rested yesterday.

    1 hour ago, whatwhatsaywhat said:

    i think the denigration of membrey is ill-founded

    he's a pretty good forward, and would be starting 22 for most sides - certainly ours

    People are bagging him? Wow!

    He destroys us every time and I can't stand his over the top celebrating after his "Joe the goose" goals from 1 metre out.

    Needs to be stopped tomorrow.

    7 minutes ago, DubDee said:

    2 rucks would be interesting.  Perhaps if Gawn not 100% Pruess will take 50% ruck duties and Gawn will sit at HB or FF for 50%

    I really hope Preuss doesn't play given that Gawn is back.

    Feels like we're a man down as he has no forward craft whatsoever when resting forward and barely takes a mark around the ground.

    Plus we need more pace and run if we're any hope of matching the Saints. Having 2 giants won't help in this area.


    3 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

    Injured or dropped? Surely injured.

    That's a shame as we lose an option up forward.

    Dropped for being late to training 

    Edited by Nelo

    1 minute ago, Nelo said:

    Dropped for being late for training 

    Where'd you see that mate?

    2 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

    Where'd you see that mate?

    SEN broke the news. 


    Just now, Nelo said:

    SEN broke the news. 

    Geez, that's unbelievable. All the players are literally in the same hotel. How does this even happen?

    Make Milkshake our no. 1 target.  time for him to pull the finger out

    5 minutes ago, Nelo said:

    Dropped for being late to training 

    pet crocodile GIF

    Seriously!  Surely Fritta was just following standard modes of N.T. transport to training!?

    • Like 1
     
    Just now, Rusty Nails said:

    pet crocodile GIF

    Seriously!  Surely Fritta was just following standard modes of N.T. transport to training!?

    Is that a childhood pic of Bindy?

    • Haha 1

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