On 6/26/2021 at 10:51 PM, deanox said:

@JadedI agree with this, but what if Weid kicks 3 from 10 marks tomorrow and Brown is ordinary? Would Weid get the call up for you?

We've got 99 problems and this aint one

49 minutes ago, DeePressed said:

We seem to have had a better forward structure when Jones and or Melksham were playing, I'm assuming they were playing a role

I think we've been tactically beaten last 4-5 weeks. Forcing us to go long and rush, causing ANB, Spargo and Pickett to be crowded with little impact.  Having a Melksham or Jones who can slot it from 50-55 could mix things 

Brown must come in, Fritsch to float, TMac to get higher.

Yep thats close to my take as well

Easy answers     hard question perhaps,

If BBB is going to play finals, he must come in to get a run or three under his belt and see how see play with that structure.

If he is not to play then no need to change make it Mitch instead,   no idea.

5 hours ago, Left Foot Snap said:

I have a slightly different view on Ben Brown and what his inclusion will provide. Now that he is getting some fitness back and his work rate up and back the ground he will demand attention from good defenders and they will not be able to zone off so safely. That in itself provides a variation of pressure. Attention on him will free up others with a lesser defender and can help disrupt the opposition defensive zone which will allow the smaller defensive forwards to create more havoc as there is less support for their defence. If the opposition try to push more numbers back to rebalance this we get an outnumber around the middle. I think the structure will be better. Everyone will still have to apply manic effort and application for it to work as always, but I think it will work quite well, especially once it's settled after a few games. At the moment I don't feel the opposition defence is too unsettled, Tmac roams, they hold Fritta and we have to scrap for the rest of the goals. It may be working enough but it is not optimal. Ben Brown can change the dynamic and help others get into the game. He is also an accurate kick, which would be very welcome.

Watching BB at Casey, he still does not have the ground skills and is relatively slow (still) despite having a mini season. He may have had them when he was 15 but he just doesnt seem to be able to bend down or deviate or baulk away from the opposition. If however the other players are prepared to up their ground skills to make up for BB's lack of, his goal kicking will more than makeup for what he will never have. Come on Goody, play him.

If picking players on form and knocking the door down then Jones in for Sparrow ,jones may lack pace theses days but makes up for it with nouse.Was not really impressed with Brown on weekend but sure tried enough ,we need a key forward and has to be him ,no point him playing the 2s must find form and prove his worth in 1s

9News reporting that Steven May was hurt at training today. Vision of him hobbling. Club claims he had his foot stepped on. He looked in more pain than that. Watch this space I guess

I have no idea what we should do, but I would have thought replacing Fritsch with B Brown doesn't solve the problem of needing more marking targets in the forward line. If Brown comes in, I think it needs to be for a smaller player than Fritsch.

1 hour ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

9News reporting that Steven May was hurt at training today. Vision of him hobbling. Club claims he had his foot stepped on. He looked in more pain than that. Watch this space I guess

He completed the training session so can't be too bad.

where is the storey on may

Just now, drysdale demon said:

He completed the training session so can't be too bad.

that sounds good

2 hours ago, D Rev said:

We've got 99 problems and this aint one

List them please this is the real one if you have been watching properly!

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

I think you were. IMO he was clearly in our best 3 for Casey.

Unless you’re dropping LJ he is not playing a roaming role as a an undersized ruck or high CHF in the AFL. When in 50 he dropped marks and missed the changes he got (bar one). 

One of the reasons I want Brown in the side is we will kick the ball into 50 deeper and more central. One of the reasons I think we have poor set shot accuracy is the shots inside 50 are wide or shallow. Brown will assist that. 

Jones played a great VFL game in a role he wont play at AFL. Sparrow had significant impact in his 50% game time offensively and defensively. 

Pickett is not offensively kicking goals but I believe he had double the amount of repeat sprints than the next player. 

The only option I see to trial Brown is Fritsch who has been ok but not great in the last month. I would prefer a dynamic of true talls and true smalls than tweeners. 

Its Brown in for Fritsch for mine but I reckon they will go Sparrow if they  make the move. 

I'd like to see Nathan Jones do his best to work up peak fitness and form in time for finals. Give himself the best chance of potentially playing in a Granny. 

Had a cracking game for Casey on weekend. The guy is leaving no stone unturned. Good on him.

2 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I have no idea what we should do, but I would have thought replacing Fritsch with B Brown doesn't solve the problem of needing more marking targets in the forward line. If Brown comes in, I think it needs to be for a smaller player than Fritsch.

Fritsch should be good for us against GWS, provided the team looks for him on leads out from the deeper forward areas and thus, being chased by a likely defender that will open space and decrease opposition focus for/on BBB. Melksham endured the unexpected last week; he would be handy, as well with his more serious game skills. That leaves a few to step up, scout, rove, crumb and allow TMac to do his thing - on delay, to zones, peripheral forward movement.

2 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I have no idea what we should do, but I would have thought replacing Fritsch with B Brown doesn't solve the problem of needing more marking targets in the forward line. If Brown comes in, I think it needs to be for a smaller player than Fritsch.

But that hurts our ability to run to defend and hurts our defensive abilty inside 50.

Brown for Fritsch increases our contested marking capability inside 50 (Fritsch has 6 total for the season) and doesn't reduce our defensive capability.

Sparrow was good against Essendon.

Fritsch is our best goal kicker. 

Say no to drugs.

11 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Fritsch is our best goal kicker. 

Say no to drugs.

He’s our highest goal kicker. He’s also the player who, if he comes out for Ben Brown will leave us to break even in defensive pressure. 
Fritsch plays as a tall. But isn’t a tall. He’s opportunistic and he’s great at finding marks on a lead. But he’s taken as many contested marks inside 50 this year as Spargo. 
We need to be able to take more contested marks inside 50, and to neutralize more aerial contests so we can spend more time with the ball inside our forwardline. We are a team that wants to play a forward half game, but at the moment because we lack marking power up forward we are seeing far too much reliance on our defense repelling opposition scoring. As May said post game, it’s unsustainable to keep defending the way we have been. 
Fritsch is the one player who I think we can replace with Brown that doesn’t change our forward set up too drastically. 

fritsch is our leading goalkicker, he plays as a tall but isn't a tall, he's great on the lead but not contested marks, and he runs his socks off every week to power up and down the ground

for all that...he's the logical 'out' for sideshow bob...but i can't see it happening

23 minutes ago, Jaded said:

He’s our highest goal kicker. He’s also the player who, if he comes out for Ben Brown will leave us to break even in defensive pressure. 
Fritsch plays as a tall. But isn’t a tall. He’s opportunistic and he’s great at finding marks on a lead. But he’s taken as many contested marks inside 50 this year as Spargo. 
We need to be able to take more contested marks inside 50, and to neutralize more aerial contests so we can spend more time with the ball inside our forwardline. We are a team that wants to play a forward half game, but at the moment because we lack marking power up forward we are seeing far too much reliance on our defense repelling opposition scoring. As May said post game, it’s unsustainable to keep defending the way we have been. 
Fritsch is the one player who I think we can replace with Brown that doesn’t change our forward set up too drastically. 

Fritsch averages 11.9 pressure acts this year. He is almost on target for a 50 goal regular season.

Ben Brown averages 5.3 pressure acts for his career. 

Brown is a better player for the 5 instances in a game when the ball is kicked to his advantage. The rest of the game (99%) he is not. 

Brown won’t come in this week. He needs to play another game or two in the VFL, and smash it. No change for me. Tipping TMac, Fritter and Koz to hit the scoreboard big time this week. Jones to be sub again, but he is building to be a potential X factor at the business end of the year

cant understand the dislike of fritter ,he is what he is a lot of teams would love  player like him ,plays tall and small and kicks goals thats all you can ask of a forward

1 minute ago, forever demons said:

cant understand the dislike of fritter ,he is what he is a lot of teams would love  player like him ,plays tall and small and kicks goals thats all you can ask of a forward

It's not dislike of Fritsch at all, he's a talented player who has been important in wins this year. 

But if you want Brown in someone has to give and I think Brown for Fritsch and retain Sparrow is the preferable outcome.

It's really Fritsch vs Sparrow.  I think we need the midfield and forward pressure.

Injury aside, I cannot envisage any scenario where Fritsch gats dropped 

14 minutes ago, forever demons said:

cant understand the dislike of fritter ,he is what he is a lot of teams would love  player like him ,plays tall and small and kicks goals thats all you can ask of a forward

It’s not though. 

We are literally where we are because we ask our forwards, and specifically our small or ‘speed’ forwards as Stafford puts it (FWDS coach), to pressure and chase and tackle and our tall forwards to cause a contest and link up play.

Fritsch is a point of difference but he is as defensively minded and impactful as TMac which is not the trade off we want for someone who can’t contest 1-1 on a regular basis and is outmatched against the 2nd tall defender of most teams.

I can also see Spargo making way for Brown if they want to keep Sparrow as he isn’t setting the world alight with his pressure, but as a forward and a former forwards coach and head coach - Fritschs’ 2 goals a game doesn’t impress me enough to consider him a core member of this forward line.

I think we are not tall enough with TMac and Jackson/Gawn but I also think our pressure will suffer if we go with TMac, Jackson/Gawn, Brown and Fritsch.

I would put the acid on Bayley to step up and play smaller and get out of the 50 on slow play and work hard forward on quick play and he can get his dinky goals over the top.

38 minutes ago, rpfc said:

It’s not though. 

We are literally where we are because we ask our forwards, and specifically our small or ‘speed’ forwards as Stafford puts it (FWDS coach), to pressure and chase and tackle and our tall forwards to cause a contest and link up play.

Fritsch is a point of difference but he is as defensively minded and impactful as TMac which is not the trade off we want for someone who can’t contest 1-1 on a regular basis and is outmatched against the 2nd tall defender of most teams.

I can also see Spargo making way for Brown if they want to keep Sparrow as he isn’t setting the world alight with his pressure, but as a forward and a former forwards coach and head coach - Fritschs’ 2 goals a game doesn’t impress me enough to consider him a core member of this forward line.

I think we are not tall enough with TMac and Jackson/Gawn but I also think our pressure will suffer if we go with TMac, Jackson/Gawn, Brown and Fritsch.

I would put the acid on Bayley to step up and play smaller and get out of the 50 on slow play and work hard forward on quick play and he can get his dinky goals over the top.

If we dropped Spargo it would be the most dysfunctional decision Melbourne could make. His forward pressure and delivery to a moving forward inside 50 has been outstanding.

I would actually like Sparrow to play more time forward as a target. He has a good size body and his conversion rate from outside 50 for goal is high. If we made him a bit more of a target leading up to the ball I think we might have a little gem in Sparrow.

Fritta, Tmac, Kosi, Spargo, LJ are all a lock, who can make the last spot their own.