33 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

It has to be Harmes.  He is our best shut down player.  Even if he gets no stats of his own if he shuts down Papley he will have done his job for the team.

Harmes tagging an opposition player, that’s a novel idea. 
 

Would love to see it but won’t hold my breath based on past games this season. 

18 minutes ago, Hell Bent said:

He's 193cm on MFC website and I'd even question that being correct. Having met him I was surprised of how big a bloke he is. Man is a beast and ridiculously quick for his size. 

Apologies. Google only went to 1 decimal place on his height - that being said the point still stands. May is versatile enough to take him, beat him and still set us up going forward. I remember Dustin Fletcher back in the day would play on talls & smalls - no reason May couldn't do the same. 

1 minute ago, Stevienic23 said:

Apologies. Google only went to 1 decimal place on his height - that being said the point still stands. May is versatile enough to take him, beat him and still set us up going forward. I remember Dustin Fletcher back in the day would play on talls & smalls - no reason May couldn't do the same. 

Seem to remember May playing on Charlie Cameron before, so he can play on smalls when needed, not sure it will be this week though.

Ran in the GF sprint one year too, so does have wheels.

But I thought Vanders makes everyone on our side walk taller and everyone on the opposition walk smaller? How will we cover that omission? 
 

Seriously with the lack of 2s games having to come into the top side would be hard work this year without much other really competitive footy. Good luck to the guys coming in.

I believe they are trying to build consistency with the three talls in defence with May, Lever and Omac come finals time.  We'll need Oscar there. As Gawny mentioned a few months back "Omac was the best last defender, and organised the structures in defence". So I can see why he get's picked tonight. 

I wouldn't be surprised if they put Jones back to go with Papley, allowing Harmsey to play the fwd/wing role. Jonesy is better at HBF than on the wing anyway. But i'm sure they'll rotate a few player on the Pap throughout the night with J.Wags, Smith and Jones. 

Pretty happy with the lineup but I would prefer to keep Kozzie in the predicted greasy conditions. This is bread and butter for light small forwards. 

47 minutes ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

 

Yeah, exactly.  May, Lever and Smith would be just fine down back.    Would O Mac get a game at any other club?

Though we've looked far more solid down back with May/Lever/OMac than when Smith was tried earlier in the year. 

In any case I'll be interested to see how it goes - Smith's asset seems to be his athleticism so perhaps a defensive role a little higher up the ground might be in store. He's surely running out of time to find a home in the best 22.

The changes make sense, although as some have said, Joel Smith is a little bit of a head scratcher.  

I know some of us are worried about Papley, but then many of you were packing yourselves over Butler last week and he had zero influence.  I'm backing in some great team defence to keep him quiet.

53 minutes ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

 

Yeah, exactly.  May, Lever and Smith would be just fine down back.    Would O Mac get a game at any other club?

Would Smith?

29 minutes ago, TheoX said:

Joel Smith? Yuck. He's just not up to AFL standard. Hopefully will be delisted at years end. 

I’m not a huge fan of Smith but he did actually play a decent role on Reiwoldt. I’m ok with him getting a shot at it. 

9 minutes ago, Stevienic23 said:

When we were going alright in 2018 he did. Can't recall too much success of him doing it since

Had a feeling he did a job versus Collingwood couple of weeks back on Maynard. Halved his possessions and kicked a couple himself...

Lockhart should be in.

I look at the bench we have and know why we are no premiership threat. 

I have said before you can replace 6 players with 6 players and you will end up with the same quality side.

Would of been perfect time to trial Hunt down back while Hibberd was out. Hunt plays best in defence. 

51 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Maybe it is a fitness thing.

Jetta's been named as an emergency, but Lockhart hasn't. So if it's not fitness, Lockhart's gone from best 22 to behind Jetta (and Rivers).

I still think it is, IIRC he was out of it after that bump. I can't recall any effort based or massive decision mistakes, that said Jetta fit and firing is 1st 22, just hoping Jetta gets a swansong.

1 hour ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

It would be sickening to see Papley get 6.  He celebrates each goal as if they had won the premiership.  So hope he doesn't get any.

How about 5 LH?  Harmes is a VG lock down player further up the field on someone with similar traits / size to him.  Papley is a small forward who plays the role with aplomb and one of the slipperiest snakes up forward there is.  That's too big an ask for the likes of Harmes who is much more confortable playing on a mid size player (usually not quite as agile as Pap) further up the field, away from the constant danger zone.

This could still be a 5 or 6 goal game with the size of that back line and no Lockhart coming in to shut Papley down.  And then we'll all blame Harmes and say "wow he needs to go, how bad is he this season!?".  If this match up actually comes to pass can we at least not blame Harmes and blame the person who is playing him out of position and who overlooked Lockhart (assuming he isn't carrying an injury that is).

Hibb was the other obvious lock down on Papley.  We probably still win but we make life hard for ourselves not going in with Lockhart imo and instead bringing in another tall (poor in defence so far) in Smith.

Edited September 2, 20204 yr by Rusty Nails

5 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

How about 5 LH?  Harmes is a VG lock down player further up the field on someone with similar traits / size to him.  Papley is a small forward who plays the role with aplomb and one of the slipperiest snakes up forward there is.  That's too big an ask for the likes of Harmes who is much more confortable playing on a mid size player (usually not quite as agile as Pap) further up the field, away from the constant danger zone.

This could still be a 5 or 6 goal game with the size of that back line and no Lockhart coming in to shut Papley down.  And then we'll all blame Harmes and say "wow he needs to go, how bad is he this season!?".  If this match up actually comes to pass can we at least not blame Harmes and blame the person who is playing him out of position and who overlooked Lockhart (assuming he isn't carrying an injury that is).

Hibb was the other obvious lock down on Papley.  We probably still win but we make life hard for ourselves not going in with Lockhart imo and instead bringing in another tall (poor in defence so far) in Smith.

Smith is not a tall and will take Papley

1 hour ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

 

Yeah, exactly.  May, Lever and Smith would be just fine down back.    Would O Mac get a game at any other club?

More the point who will be play on? 

There is no natural match up for him

At the end of last weeks game, Goody was all smiles with Omac. Must have done the job that the coaches asked of him. 

I thought Lockhart looked sore a few games back. Perhaps carrying the niggles.

I like Smith, if we get him right he can do the spectacular, hoping for consistency and no stupidity.

Great that Max and Nathan are physically healthy. 

Viney to hit back hard after a bad one.

Good that ANB comes straight back in. The scratch matches must have helped.

Edited September 2, 20204 yr by kev martin

Like a few of us I'm over Smith but if he plays, ruck him and rest Maxie..

I'd be "managing" Jones (bring Lockhart back if fit).

 

1 hour ago, CHF said:

No problem from me with any of the outs.

Giving Smith another run might work but it is not the way I would have gone. Would have brought in Lockhart instead.

Harmes I will be watching closely a I think he has been playing well blow his best form and with a lack of confidence. I hope he turns it around in this game.

Good to see Omac and Wagner retain their spots.

No its not, O Mac should be selling footy records outside the ground!! Garbage Gawd so Slow!

Edited September 2, 20204 yr by picket fence

3 minutes ago, picket fence said:

No its not, O Mac should be selling footy records outside the ground!! Garbage!!

Insightful.

Is it fair to say Jayden Hunt will never play a league game again? I dont get it.

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Mate, I know you hate OMac, but you're stretching the truth a fair bit there.

Paraphrasing here:

'When Oscar comes in the side it definitely relieves me of having to play on that 2nd or 1st tall...'

'Don't want to have to keep Oscar out there for me to play well...'

'I definitely enjoy when Oscar is in the side, but don't want to have to rely on that to play well...'

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/804633/media-conference-jake-lever?videoId=804633&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1598855500001

I don't 'hate' Oscar.. I don't hate any of our players. I've been blunt on some of his performance this year but I've also given him praise when it was there. I t said at the start of the week that while Oscar made poor errors on the weekend it wasn't a bad performance as some made out. Though I had him as an omission this weekend due to Sydney running with only 2 key forwards and imo i simply didn't see a match up for him. Goody and the coaching staff obviously do and I'll back them in.

Regards to the question I felt the reporter was trying to justify Levers good performance down to Oscar McDonald being in the side. I thought Lever answered well by saying that 'Don't want to have to keep Oscar out there for me to play well...' to me that says that while it's handy having Oscar there, both May and Lever have performed just as well without him. 

It seems like they're now wanting to build some chemistry between Lever, May, Omac for the next few weeks.

I prefer Tomlinson as the 3rd tall and going off Tom Morris recent article it seems like coaching staff do for the future.

Edited September 2, 20204 yr by dazzledavey36

1 hour ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

 

Yeah, exactly.  May, Lever and Smith would be just fine down back.    Would O Mac get a game at any other club?

No, Absolutely not. May, Lever, Smith, the latter rotating for a few games with Harmes on the forward line. CHB is a position we must recruit it seems, with some urgency, becoming the 2nd tall to May (1st tall) with Lever as the 3rd tall. 

6 minutes ago, Jibroni said:

Is it fair to say Jayden Hunt will never play a league game again? I dont get it.

Wouldn't be surprised if he's been told that he won't be offered a contract.

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Personally I would have gone with Lockhart, but out of the selected team my guess is it will be a mix of Rivers and Smith.

Lockhart is a quality player and I would like to see him in. 

That aside, Im very happy with the changes. 

Hoping someone can shut Papley down who can be very dangerous.

Only one more sleep.

Edited September 2, 20204 yr by leave it to deever