Freo have a tall forward line and ours lacked pressure and aerial presence. 4 day break and essentially had a 4 day break into the Sydney game with the travel. I would be making mass changes to freshen up the team. Would also rest our prime mids in the forwardline:

Out: Jones, Brayshaw (inj), Wagner, Smith, Brown, Melksham, Spargo, Rivers, Viney (managed)

In: Jetta, Hibberd, Lockhart, TMac, Bennell, Hannan, Vandenberg, Baker, Dunkley

Lever    OMac    Jetta

Hibberd May    Lockhart

Langdon Harmes Tomlinson

Oliver     TMac      Petracca

ANB       Weid       Fritch

Gawn   Salem   Bennell

Hannan   Vandenberg  Baker  Dunkley

12 minutes ago, Biffen said:

Smith wasn't too bad if you watched closely.

The problems came from the entry into forward fifty and lack of forward pressure.

Tackling was WAP from the get go.

Lots of falling over, lots of bad disposal.

Weakest I've seen for some time. They just ran through us.

11 minutes ago, DemonBlack said:

Hows this for a line up..

FB: Hibberd  May  Lever
HB: Salem Tomlinson Lockart
C; Langdon Oliver Bedford
HF: Harmes Weideman Melksham 
FF: Pickett Preuss Viney
Foll: Gawn Petracca Brayshaw
Int: Hannan Spargo Rivers Bennell

The injury report indicates Hibberd is out for 2 weeks.

8 minutes ago, Biffen said:

Chasing tail makes it look worse but he tackled well.

Never chased tail yourself Biffen?

Just now, Bitter but optimistic said:

Weakest I've seen for some time. They just ran through us.

Like an off Curry.

Just now, Bitter but optimistic said:

Never chased tail yourself Biffen?

My technique was fairly blunt.

I believe it was adopted by a rather ugly, rather wealthy Hollywood producer to varying degrees of success.

Please no Tmac, no AVB, drop Harmes, ANB, Smith, Omac, Jones

Bring in Lockhart, Bedford, Pickett, hibberd and Chandler

Lockhart May Lever

Rivers Tomlinson Hibberd

Langdon Petracca Baker

Melksham Brown Pickett

Fritsch Weiderman Bedford

Gawn Oliver Brayshaw

Viney, Wagner, Chandler, Salem

6 minutes ago, Biffen said:

Like an off Curry.

Nup - off prawn. It clearly stank but was eaten regardless

1 hour ago, Billy said:

Nup

who cares, can’t do this much longer

born in June 64 

been a member since 85 & are tired so very tired 

Ok I’ll stop winging 

Well at least you have lived through 1 flag, and3 GFs. ?

13 minutes ago, monoccular said:

Well at least you have lived through 1 flag, and3 GFs. ?

I was born in 55 so I have lived through 6 flags and 9 GFs but I don’t feel any better as I was too young. 

Dear MFC selection team, please consider speed as a good attribute for this team.

Outs

Jones - most have been able to see for weeks that he's no longer up to it, but it seems now an injury will be the final axe. Thanks for the service Jonesy but it's time.

Smith - do not understand his selection at all.

ANB - not up to it.

Wagner - another questionable player

Melksham - not going to happen I'm sure but would be nice

Ins

Pickett - hopefully bring some spark

Baker - please give him a run for the rest of the season to see if he will make it

Hibberd - hope he's right to go

Lockhart - much better defender than Smith or Wagner

Bedford - another who should get a crack

 

If one of Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw or Trac needs a rest then play Harmes midfield and bring in Bedford.

2 hours ago, Billy said:

born in June 64 

Hey me too Billy!

I think it's time to get Harley back. 

Well we can’t rely on our opposition to fly 2hrs up on game day to make them a bit battle weary. Freo did the smart thing and flew up there today (4 days ahead of Monday’s game). 

Would prefer Hunt on the HB line than Smith any day. 

in Hibberd, Pickett, Bennell, baker

out McDonald, anb, Wagner, Smith

Goodwin seriously needs to get it in his head that not every player has to be a body on the line head over the ball, we need skilful players to who can spot and hit targets, while it would be good if players could be both we need to make some compromises and fine a balance

What's the point. Just get Ronald Mcdonald in for all I care. 

Oh we already have one, two for that matter.

I really don't care anymore. I'd rather just start the rebuild now. Trade Gawn Brayshaw, and Viney. Delist Jones, Oscar, TMac, Melksham, Spargo, ANB, Joel Smith, Wagner, Dunkley, Baker, M.Brown.

oh and sack Goodwin who only thought about shifting May forward 15 weeks into a season. 

Edited September 3, 20204 yr by Dr.D

Hold their spots:

Rivers May XX

salem Tomlinson Lever

Langdon Clarry xx

xx  brown xx

spargo xx xx

Gawn, Trac (past glories), xx

Fill in the blanks :

Lockhart, Baker, VDB, Bennell, Weidemann, Pickett, Viney.

Or, invite the local old folks home to run a team out.  Couldn’t do worse than that crapola they dished up tonight

 

seasons over.. play the kids

3 hours ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

Weideman 2 kicks, 0 marks, 0 score

I guess he will get another go but that is abysmal stuff

and zero imagination from the coach. Put him in the ruck, drop gawn up forward. anything. 

I want Preuss in to help Gawn.

 

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Wagner did his job last week and did his job this week. He's frustrating because he always makes a few head scratching mistakes but overall he's solid enough.

Smith kept Papley very quiet. Did a few bad things and has to get more involved in the game but when Smith was on him Papley had 1 behind which was a top from 55.

If you said Papley was held to 2 behinds you'd be pretty happy.

No Wagner takes too long to make a decision and then gets caught and tackled or makes the wrong call and turns it over. Must be dropped along with Oscar and Jones.

Edited September 3, 20204 yr by Coq au vin

Get rid of half a dozen wastes of time and bring in half a dozen wastes of time. One wonders what it will achieve.

The two absolute non-negotiables IMO are that OMac and Jones go out. If Jones isn't injured, he gets dropped.

Neither of them should play next week and if either does, something is even more wrong than I want to believe.

Smith seems to be the opposite of Lever. Lever plays well for two months but gets criticised by a select group weekly. Smith is hopeless but continues to get defended by a select group. Personally, I thought the entire backline was too focused on Papley and let the rest get off the hook. I thought Smith was too loose. Papley could have kicked a few on him but didn't, which I put down more to luck than Smith. Smith also had just 4 disposals, took zero marks and laid two tackles, so he wasn't giving us anything else. I wouldn't hesitate at all to drop him. Failed experiment, IMO.

Then there's the forward line. I'd absolutely keep Weideman in unless he needs to be rested. He's kicked multiple goals every game until today. He has credits and doesn't get chopped after one bad game. Fritsch has some credits, but fewer.

The same cannot be said for Melksham, ANB or Spargo. Melksham should have been dropped multiple times this year. We cannot carry him and Fritsch. Both too lazy, both too selfish, neither defend, both go missing, neither learn from previous mistakes (Fritsch with poor leads and missed set shots, Melksham with ill-discipline).

I'd get Pickett straight back, I'd play Harmes down there rotating forward (he looked significantly better late in the game when he was forward/midfield), I'd give Bedford a game, and I'd drop at least two of Melksham, ANB, Spargo and Fritsch to make that happen.

Brown is mediocre but TMac's not in any better form. Not sure which option is worse. At least Brown's set shots are OK.

The midfield needs to lift. We have to ask questions about Viney's medium/long term future but for now, get him rotating forward more and make sure we get a better balance of minutes through the middle.