Brown had 3 games to prove himself and despite looking pretty good against the swans, he played poorly against Carlton.

It is completely reasonable to give Weideman more than one game to prove himself. He took a couple of contested marks in the wet on the weekend and looks fit. He deserves a run of games to prove himself

Very difficult to project VFL performances into AFL these days.

Geelong seconds had 30 scoring shots to 13 last night winning 15:15 (105) to 7:6 (48)

Sydney seconds are 2 and 2 with all games against AFL seconds sides so they might give a good match

McDonald sure has given us a good problem with his form and fitness, as has Jacksons improvement and performance.  Brown and Weid are both solidly behind those two IMO. Weid is a way more effective player closer to goal (again IMO) than he is around the ground, and is 4 years (?) younger than Brown, so should be given a chance.  Shame Brown isn't going to get the chance in dry conditions against a less capable defender, but he will get his chance if he does well in the VFL and IF (don't want to become the new George of curses) we get another injury.

3 hours ago, Kent said:

This player hasnt' got  it in him. Plays with absolutely no desire or passion I've never seen a big man get pushed around so easily

Only reason to play him is to improve his perceived value for trade which is pretty low at the moment I would guess

FWIW I agree entirely. He would be hard pressed taking a pack mark among Snow White and the 7 dwarfs.

Fritsch only needs 1 goal to tie his best for a season (22 last year).  I think its a safe bet he will beat that this year.  ?

I cant remember which commentator/journo said a couple of weeks ago that BBB was struggling to get separation from his direct opponent on leads. I think his knee has caused him to lose the pace he needs to get some separation from his opponent. He’s always been a leading forward type. If he can’t get in front on a lead then he’s in trouble.

I feel for him as I think he’s a really good quality person, and he’s had a lot to deal with emotionally over the last year. I hope he can go to the TMac school of agility training and get his body right. His composure ball in hand, and consistent leading at the ball player is exactly what we need in big games. 

15 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

I cant remember which commentator/journo said a couple of weeks ago that BBB was struggling to get separation from his direct opponent on leads. I think his knee has caused him to lose the pace he needs to get some separation from his opponent. He’s always been a leading forward type. If he can’t get in front on a lead then he’s in trouble.

I feel for him as I think he’s a really good quality person, and he’s had a lot to deal with emotionally over the last year. I hope he can go to the TMac school of agility training and get his body right. His composure ball in hand, and consistent leading at the ball player is exactly what we need in big games. 

whole heartedly agree. Not sure who the journo was but I certainly commented on here after the North game that he looked really off the pace and definitely struggled getting separation from his opponent. Relying on his length to mark contested instead of getting more space.

Unless one of the other big three really play poorly I can't see him getting back in the side. Both Jackson, Tmac and Weid are far more effective up the ground and quicker on the burst for leads. I think Brown looked OK against Sydney taking a few contested marks where he outsized the opposition but he's not going to work as a deep forward. Its never been his game. Likes to run into open spaces and the way we're structured with Fritsch being the most effective in that area I don't think there's room for him. Lovely bit of depth though.

It might have always been the case but besides competing well in marking contests and using his decent IQ at times to tap the ball to our advantage I've found his ground work really average and he looks like he's in slow motion when the ball hits the deck.

Would love to be wrong about all of this of course like I was with Tmac ?

 

Edited May 21, 20213 yr by Yung Blood

Weird time for a game of footy – 4:35 (4:05 Adelaide time) on a Saturday avo. Basically a night game after half time as the sun sets at 5.15.

19 hours ago, binman said:

Melksham in?

On what basis? 

Crazy, what could he have possibly learnt from being the med-sub?! Surely the message from being dropped is "go back to the magoos and work on the things we discussed, if you get that right we will consider you for selection". 

4 hours ago, Dees2014 said:

I suggest there will be a few more such experiments in the coming mid year rounds, although after this Saturday we have a month of very difficult games when we will have to be at our best. We will do well to come out of it 2-2. 
 

If we go 2-2 for the month of games after Adelaide, I sincerely hope one of those wins is against Bulldogs or Brisbane who I see as the benchmark this year.

25 minutes ago, tincan said:

Crazy, what could he have possibly learnt from being the med-sub?! Surely the message from being dropped is "go back to the magoos and work on the things we discussed, if you get that right we will consider you for selection". 

I reckon even Demonlanders would learn something sitting on the bench near the coach and watching the positioning etc.  But I expect there is more to it than performing in the VFL, eg matchups, training performance, weaknesses with alternatives to play the role. The coaches know more than us and at 9-0 it is hard to say they are getting things wrong (not that we can't criticise/opine).

1 hour ago, The heart beats true said:

I cant remember which commentator/journo said a couple of weeks ago that BBB was struggling to get separation from his direct opponent on leads. I think his knee has caused him to lose the pace he needs to get some separation from his opponent. He’s always been a leading forward type. If he can’t get in front on a lead then he’s in trouble.

I feel for him as I think he’s a really good quality person, and he’s had a lot to deal with emotionally over the last year. I hope he can go to the TMac school of agility training and get his body right. His composure ball in hand, and consistent leading at the ball player is exactly what we need in big games. 

Might need to go on TMac's diet 

8 hours ago, Kent said:

Have a look at Weidemans' last quarter It was appalling!

Yep and unless he fires big time  tommorrow B B comes back PRONTO. By the way how long is BB Signed up for??

Edited May 21, 20213 yr by picket fence

2 hours ago, Yung Blood said:

whole heartedly agree. Not sure who the journo was but I certainly commented on here after the North game that he looked really off the pace and definitely struggled getting separation from his opponent. Relying on his length to mark contested instead of getting more space.

Unless one of the other big three really play poorly I can't see him getting back in the side. Both Jackson, Tmac and Weid are far more effective up the ground and quicker on the burst for leads. I think Brown looked OK against Sydney taking a few contested marks where he outsized the opposition but he's not going to work as a deep forward. Its never been his game. Likes to run into open spaces and the way we're structured with Fritsch being the most effective in that area I don't think there's room for him. Lovely bit of depth though.

It might have always been the case but besides competing well in marking contests and using his decent IQ at times to tap the ball to our advantage I've found his ground work really average and he looks like he's in slow motion when the ball hits the deck.

Would love to be wrong about all of this of course like I was with Tmac ?

 

 

2 hours ago, DemonWheels said:

Weird time for a game of footy – 4:35 (4:05 Adelaide time) on a Saturday avo. Basically a night game after half time as the sun sets at 5.15.

It's called twilight and it means the time in between the day game and night game. Even Finals  can be played in this time slot so you better be aware of this possibility.!

10 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Yep and unless he fites big time  tommorrow B B comes back PRONTO. By the way how long is BB Signed up for??

It's the whole games effort that counts overall and picking and choosing quarters is not a criteria for selection.

I thought given the conditions in the third quarter and his effort it was a lot better than BBB's.

Weid  took some field marks and was involved in general play that was successful. Admittedly he missed that sofa if a mark in the last but I wasn't one who was lashing him after the game. 
 

Marking out if 10 I would give him 5/6 snd BBB 2/3. No comparison IMO.

Given the culture of team-based selflessness permeating through the joint, I suspect that there has been high class communication between coaches and all of Brown, Weideman and TMac. Brown would not have been dropped out of the blue and I'm sure everyone is on the same page in terms of it being a long season (+ finals season) and that we are attempting to build something so immense that there will be bucketloads of success to go around for years to come. Everybody will get a pail to carry home.

A while back, Mark Williams was very effusive about Sam, comparing him with Warren Tredrea. Was curious from that point to see what Mark could see in Weid, and when it would be evident to the rest of us.

Hoping he was spot on, and Sam makes his move and flourishs over the coming weeks and months. Didn’t mind his first game, and with TMac, Jackson, Fritch and Gawn lurking should get opportunities to shine.

We will have a fearsome forward line when it clicks.

Edited May 21, 20213 yr by PaulRB

Is Melksham back because its better for the team against the crows, did he smash it at casey or just cos bbb wasnt great?

Edited May 21, 20213 yr by leave it to deever

3 hours ago, tincan said:

Crazy, what could he have possibly learnt from being the med-sub?! Surely the message from being dropped is "go back to the magoos and work on the things we discussed, if you get that right we will consider you for selection". 

It begs the question why was he dropped?

20 hours ago, ProperDee said:

Well young Sam, here is your chance son!  I want to see him hold a handful of marks, lay some strong tackles, crash a few packs and kick at least a couple of sausage rolls. Step right up to the plate and give those fans that believe in you something to get excited about. I reckon you owe it to them.

 

Yep interesting times for a man in his fifth season.

I think that dropping Brown is an acknowledgment that they got the selection wrong last week. We just seemed to have had too many tall forwards tying to get some space in our forward 50. 

Brown was the unlucky one as I am sure that the selectors wanted to give Weideman a couple more games to get a settled look at him. 

Same thoughts on the dropping of Chandler and reinstating of Melksham. Chandler was unlucky not to get at least another run in the senior team but his inclusion last week with all the talls looked to unbalance the structures and positioning for the forwards. Melksham will give us a bit more flexibility in linking between the back half of the ground and the forward half.

I really like the look of this team and think we will play to our strengths against Adelaide and run out comfortable winners.

There is no nervousness apparent in this team.

5 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Is Melksham back because its better for the team against the crows, did he smash it at casey or just cos bbb wasnt great?

Melksham didn’t “smash it at casey” because I don’t think they had a game. Wasn’t he the medical sub? Hard to do well, or poorly, if not used. 

4 hours ago, CHF said:

I think that dropping Brown is an acknowledgment that they got the selection wrong last week. We just seemed to have had too many tall forwards tying to get some space in our forward 50. 

Brown was the unlucky one as I am sure that the selectors wanted to give Weideman a couple more games to get a settled look at him. 

Same thoughts on the dropping of Chandler and reinstating of Melksham. Chandler was unlucky not to get at least another run in the senior team but his inclusion last week with all the talls looked to unbalance the structures and positioning for the forwards. Melksham will give us a bit more flexibility in linking between the back half of the ground and the forward half.

I really like the look of this team and think we will play to our strengths against Adelaide and run out comfortable winners.

There is no nervousness apparent in this team.

Well, we have the same number of tall forwards this week

44 minutes ago, binman said:

Well, we have the same number of tall forwards this week

That depends on the definition of tall forewords. Not so much the definition of the tall part, more the definition of the forward part.

Brown for Jackson is not really like for like and I would expect Jackson to spend very limited time in the forward 50. Weid and Tmac to spend a lot more time than Jackson at the pointy end. 

Forward roles will be defined a bit differently this week.

53 minutes ago, binman said:

Well, we have the same number of tall forwards this week

Jacko is a midfielder first