Sparrow out for Melksham? Sparrow can atleast turn and chase

I'd love to know how Jack Bowey is tracking. Speed and precise kicking may mean he takes the place of Sparrow at some point....yes, maybe not next week.

Melksham was the medical sub tonight. Hard to see him getting a game after he spent the week on the bench and coming back from injury. His fitness will be lacking. 

19 minutes ago, 640MD said:

Was that just before he got lined up and clobbered by those hawthorn thugs .

 

never the same after that ?

Brent Guerra tackled him into the ground. Incident ruined Bruce's collarbone. It was from the Rnd 4 game against the Saints in that 2005 season.

Incident is at 17th minute mark of video at this link 

 

Edited April 4, 20214 yr by wheaters31

17 minutes ago, big_red_fire_engine said:

Agree with Sparrow but Jones frustrates me no end. Refuses to chase, refuses to take first option, refuses to play team footy. 

Totally agree. After Greene’s second goal, they showed the overhead vision. The GWS player that ran past for a handball and delivered long to Greene was being “chased” by Jones at a half-hearted jog. He does it all the time. Can anyone imagine him sprinting to intercept? - as Kossi did on that kick-in?

21 minutes ago, 640MD said:

Was that just before he got lined up and clobbered by those hawthorn thugs .

 

never the same after that ?

It was St.kilda from memory i think.

Dom Barry, Paul Puopolo, and Jackson Callow combined for 7.5 for Norwood on the weekend. 

31 minutes ago, 640MD said:

Three games.  Three wins. Reward the winners.     NO CHANGE.   How long has that been. 3 wins in a row or 3   No changes in a row.  I don’t think that’s happened for ?    Guessing 1987. 

They aren't playing well enough. We've played what look to be teams 15, 16 and 17 on the ladder.

We must find a way to get better and we have plenty of talent on the sidelines.

Pulling the right lever at team selection is going to be crucial. Jones and Jetta are just going and are probably the ones to make way, particularly if Hibberd is ready to go.

Melksham may get a run but I hope they use him somewhere other than forward. Despite his great finishing skills, I feel like he's detrimental to our balance down there.

Jetta for Hibberd.

Tmac is a conundrum, do you keep the faith or drop him for Majak or even Petty?

All players should know if they are not performing there is chance they get dropped, the look on Toms face after the game, he definitely realised this type performance will see him playing for Casey..  

You don't often change a winning team but they are probably the only two i would consider.

Sparrow runs very hard defensively, and although he did not do much offensively, should retain his spot.

12 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

Can anyone imagine him sprinting to intercept? - as Kossi did on that kick-in?

Not disputing a perceived lack of effort at times but this comparison is ridiculous.

You absolutely have to play within your means. Sprinting to intercept balls is not Jones' go unless it's a gimme.

If he tried that, he'd end up in no man's land and create an overlap for the opposition.

Not every player is going to have the speed to chase down players and as good as it is to see the effort, if you don't have the pace to effect the play, wasting the energy is foolish.

That said, this is not a defence of Jones and I probably don't see him holding his spot for too much longer.

Edited April 4, 20214 yr by Cheesy D. Pun

6 minutes ago, NeveroddoreveN said:

Tmac is a conundrum, do you keep the faith or drop him for Majak or even Petty?

Tonight's game style was congested ala 2019/2020 - Leon Cameron showed no faith in his players and got numbers back at every opportunity, even before injury struck.

This type of congested game style probably doesn't suit TMac, but I'd certainly be backing him in as his round 1 and 2 performances showed enough to suggest he can contribute.

I would be seriously contemplating putting the weed or Brown straight back in the side if they are in full training instead of TMAC. His effort tonite was dreadful. I know sparrow did not play well but to replace him with Melksham is lunacy. Jones and jetta have had it and should be replaced but I suppose the 300 is near for jones and so he should play and then retire. I have great admiration for him.

3 minutes ago, Cheesy D. Pun said:

Tonight's game style was congested ala 2019/2020 - Leon Cameron showed no faith in his players and got numbers back at every opportunity, even before injury struck.

This type of congested game style probably doesn't suit TMac, but I'd certainly be backing him in as his round 1 and 2 performances showed enough to suggest he can contribute.

I’d give him another chance too but it was disappointing to see him in really poor habits - not jumping, going with 1 or no hands and then shirking one late. He had chances after half time without Davis on to kick a few. 
 

Too many fend offs and never turning left as well. He has to work on his smarts with the ball to distribute to team mates which will get his confidence up on quiet marking days. 

I would take Sparrow ahead of Melksham, pretty much every day of the week.

Melksham was amazing in 2018, but he hasn't had the same impact since IMO. He also drove me up the wall in 2020 with his non-chases. Won't have that problem with Sparrow.

Sparrow for Melksham

Jetta for Hibberd

31 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Melksham was the medical sub tonight. Hard to see him getting a game after he spent the week on the bench and coming back from injury. His fitness will be lacking. 

He’s played 2 or 3 practice games and he only twanged a hammy and was back running in a few days. Both general fitness and match fitness can’t be excuses. He would’ve played tonight if they thought he was best 22.

Leo coached like a man who had his job on the line tonight , he might be a good assistant going forward but his time as a Head Coach is coming to a devastating end.

out- Jetta

in- Hibberd

 

3 minutes ago, Cheesy D. Pun said:

Tonight's game style was congested ala 2019/2020 - Leon Cameron showed no faith in his players and got numbers back at every opportunity, even before injury struck.

This type of congested game style probably doesn't suit TMac, but I'd certainly be backing him in as his round 1 and 2 performances showed enough to suggest he can contribute.

He showed enough in rounds 1 and 2.

He needs to get on his bike more, he took few marks working up towards half forward/attacking side of wing, but then just sat back 30-40 metres from goal for 2nd half and seemed to want it kicked on his head far too often.   He needs to lead at the player with the ball, or just be a decoy and run his man away from the contest creating room for Gawn or Fitsch.

Give him another week i guess and pray he shows a lot more than today.  

46 minutes ago, MurDoc516 said:

Sparrow out for Melksham? Sparrow can atleast turn and chase

Work rate has to be the main reason Sparrow continues to get a game, although he’s ok when he actually gets the ball. Looking at the Tracker stats, he’s our leading player in the first three weeks for average speed in both attack and defence. 

Stats for tonight have him down as 5 contested possessions but 4 disposals. 4 intercept possessions, 1 goal assist and 3 score involvements. Not bad for a quiet game.

1 hour ago, ProperDee said:

Out: Sparrow, Jetta

In: Hibberd, Melksham

These are the two changes that are on. This week? Maybe not, but they are the hard calls.

Geelong may be slow enough that Jetta (and Jones) stay safe. Sparrow didn't do enough, and as one of the last picked that always places him on shakey ground.

Spargo wasn't as good tonight as the first 2 rounds, but I think he did enough to hold his spot for now.

TMac is on thin ice when Brown or Weid are ready.

Sparrow adds midfield depth, so I’d take him ahead of Melksham at this stage.

Hibberd for Jetta only if the matchup is right, but Jetta was excellent round 1 and blanketed Lonie last week.

I know we're 3-0 but tonight we had, IMO, four strugglers: TMac, Jetta, Jones, Sparrow.

If Brown or Weideman were fit I'd make that change for TMac, but as it stands I don't think Petty/Daw are good enough replacements. I'd back TMac in on the G, at least one more game, before we make any pre-Brown or pre-Weideman changes.

Jetta was good last week but terrible today. Is Hibberd a replacement for him? That's a change I'd consider.

Jones and Sparrow are just going right now. Sparrow only had four touches all game, but did lay four tackles which I'm sure is part of his role. Jones has 15 but just one tackle. He also reverted to early-career Jones, taking too many players on and not releasing when he had options.

His 300th is due to be played on ANZAC Eve. It will happen, barring injury. It's possible they move him to the sub, though, but then they risk there not being a spot to bring him back for the 300th and they simply cannot make him the sub on his 300th. So I suspect Jones stays for the next three, but then risks being shifted to the sub and then out of the side.

So I'd probably consider Hibberd for Jetta. Melksham needs a run, having sat on the bench all day today, so I'm not sure he gets Sparrow's spot.

I'm just going to contribute a quick observation on Tom McDonald.

At the end of the game, with the camera lingering on him for what seemed like eternity, he looked seriously unhappy with his effort.  That made perfect sense after the number of times he just didn't get it right tonight.

BUT

Many have cited that in the last couple of years we have been seriously deficient for tackles inside 50 and it was a key reason we we so keen on Pickett.

Tom McDonald is the current AFL leader for tackles inside 50 after picking up 4 tonight.

He made a contribution tonight even if he had a bad game.  Most importantly he didn't drop his head and he kept working and working.

You don't drop a player for one bad game when their attitude is still intact and team-first.  Especially when they've shown some signs of regaining their better form in the previous couple of weeks.

25 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

I’d give him another chance too but it was disappointing to see him in really poor habits - not jumping, going with 1 or no hands and then shirking one late

Yeah, that effort coming back towards goal was horrendous. The worst part was, if there was traffic coming the other way, he would have been steamrolled because by shirking, he left himself wide open.