If we have a couple of players who need a rest to freshen up for the Geelong game now is the time to rest them. Bowey coming in did not weaken us, another one or two should not make a huge difference. I expect our players to come out firing after getting beaten by Adelaide last time. This will be in Melbourne away from the Adelaide/Umpire/crowd, so it should be a very different game. We could have injuries during the finals so nice to try a couple of other players to see how well our reserves slot in.

6 hours ago, DeezNuts said:

One thing I’ve noticed is that we tend to have a diverse range of contributors across the board, some are up one week, some are down the next. We know that a team should always strive for consistency, but I actually think it’s ok for a spargo, Kozzie, heck even a Salem or tracc to be quiet here and there. The challenge with Salem at the moment (and I think I saw a graph of it on Kayo on Monday night) is that there’s a consistent trend which looks to be more than a drop in form but maybe a serious injury. If there was a game where we could potentially rest him for a week, it’s gotta be this weekend right?

Very true. It seems every week someone different puts their hand up for the votes.

The upside lately is players like Rivers, nibbler and Jacko have returned to prime.

Just need Fritta, Langdon and Sparticus to do the same moving into finals and the planets will align. 

Edited August 11, 20214 yr by leave it to deever

8 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Has Hunt been officially ruled out? Or, at least, has the club publicly stated he's unlikely to play? It seems to be a foregone conclusion here, but I've not seen any news from the club that confirms this.

My rumour was that he had surgery today and is out for 4-6 weeks. 

13 minutes ago, Older demon said:

My rumour was that he had surgery today and is out for 4-6 weeks. 

Now confirmed on mfc website.  Expected 4 weeks in the sideline.

Good Intel btw

Crap. Not good news. Finals start in 3 weeks. 

Out - Hunt, Vanders, Sparrow, Jordon.

In - TMac , Jones, Hibberd, Chandler 

19 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

Out - Hunt, Vanders, Sparrow, Jordon.

In - TMac , Jones, Hibberd, Chandler 

Jordan, really? Why? Has done everything that could be asked of him?

33 minutes ago, Left Foot Snap said:

Jordan, really? Why? Has done everything that could be asked of him?

Been very quiet the last month

1 hour ago, DeeZee said:

Out - Hunt, Vanders, Sparrow, Jordon.

In - TMac , Jones, Hibberd, Chandler 

In Jones and hibberd, might as well bring in Wells and Healy.

20 minutes ago, demon3165 said:

In Jones and hibberd, might as well bring in Wells and Healy.

You mean H.G. Wells, of course.

1 hour ago, Left Foot Snap said:

Jordan, really? Why? Has done everything that could be asked of him?

Agre Jordan is good to go

53 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

Been very quiet the last month

No problems, I think he needed a rest but has had it, and his TOG is being managed. I would be amazed if he missed much more. 

I love his versatility.  Even if that is playing a role and releasing someone else to do something different.

3 hours ago, demon3165 said:

In Jones and hibberd, might as well bring in Wells and Healy.

I guess you are saying they are finished but Hibberd is a superb lock down back and has done the job on some pretty big names like Dusty and Danger, also if you’ve looked at Jonesys form in the last couple of games, he was very good, and  as a warrior of the club, deserves a go even as a sub.

 

on the presumption that t mac is a definite out...

OUT: hunt (inj), avb
IN: hibberd, weideman

i think we want to go with the structure of two tall forwards plus the ruckman rotating forward; the wet weather over west made it necessary to stick with a small, more mobile set-up, but back at the g we want to set up the way we want to play, and have been playing save for last week

there was one of those fluffy trade reports in the herald-sun and it talked about how the dees believe weed is still a required player, and it said that if the weather had been fine he would've been in for plugger out with his bung back

i actually thought jordon did really well in the rotating defender role, but hibb deserves first crack at resuming defensive duties

1 hour ago, DeeZee said:

I guess you are saying they are finished but Hibberd is a superb lock down back and has done the job on some pretty big names like Dusty and Danger, also if you’ve looked at Jonesys form in the last couple of games, he was very good, and  as a warrior of the club, deserves a go even as a sub.

 

I agree with you regards Hibberd,  far from finished and I think he will have an important finals series. I have also been bullish on Jones as the sub, as I think it suits a mature player.; but, I'm not sure how well he is recovering from his calf injury currently.

15 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

I sniff only one source of danger in this game. Now that both Walker and O'Brien are out the Crows may decide to go all-out with smalls scrambling and grubbing it along. That doesn't favour our defensive method and won't give us the intercept marks we like to counter-attack from.

Of course they might go with a Fogarty-Himmelberg-Thilthorpe tall forward line and rotate 'someone' through the ruck. In which case we'll likely just bite their heads off and spit them into a pile.

Worth noting that if we can hit their percentage enough, it will be Adelaide vs North for the spoon in the final round.

All the Adelaide 2021 season needs now is a tanking scandal and it would be complete.

I reckon they did this a few years ago against West Coast over there playing the 'dirty ball'. They kicked grubbers inside 50 to negate WCE's interceptors and they got up from memory 

 

Edit - my apologies it was Port Adelaide (https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.nine.com.au/article/4fc3accf-8f66-4616-8dfc-842c0ac6e6c8). 

Edited August 11, 20214 yr by Stevienic23

9 hours ago, DeeZee said:

I guess you are saying they are finished but Hibberd is a superb lock down back and has done the job on some pretty big names like Dusty and Danger, also if you’ve looked at Jonesys form in the last couple of games, he was very good, and  as a warrior of the club, deserves a go even as a sub.

 

First on Jones a great warrior for the club without doubt but time has gone bye to slow now and if played as a sub its just a waste, yes he played well in the VFL but so he should.

Hibberd yes I agree he did play well against those players but Dusty spends a little more time forward than Danger does, but it looks like he won't be there and Hibberd he has not been playing well but the up side Petty and Bowey have slotted in the backline without a hiccup the youth sure helps Lever and May out.

The other player that must come out is AVB just like Jones to slow and a shocking decision maker the days of the bull in the China shop way of playing has gone for now that is why AVB, Jones and Viney will always struggle in today's game.

 

Edited August 11, 20214 yr by demon3165

22 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

 

@binman @george_on_the_outer

He was our for one week just prior to that photo.

Landed awkwardly.

Now 4-5.

18 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

all the makings of a good forward so that's always handy

I reckon too, deever. He was showing very good signs up forward in 2019. Will be our next back to forward conversion, à la David Neitz. And Tmac of course. 

In Weid, Hibbo

Out AvB, Hunt

Jones sub

Side point, what is the club doing to give match practice without the VFL? We used to hear about the scratch matches being played last year but doesn’t seem to be the case this year. 

Just a sneaky wonder if Joel Smith might get the Hunt gig. If Tmac doesn’t get up, and Weid is played for Sunday’s drier day, who comes out? Melksham? Not likely. Sparrow? 

4 minutes ago, Webber said:

Just a sneaky wonder if Joel Smith might get the Hunt gig. If Tmac doesn’t get up, and Weid is played for Sunday’s drier day, who comes out? Melksham? Not likely. Sparrow? 

Smith was one of the players who flew to Perth, so it would not be that big a surprise.

24 minutes ago, binman said:

He was our for one week just prior to that photo.

Landed awkwardly.

Now 4-5.

I blame Dave Misson

11 minutes ago, Webber said:

Just a sneaky wonder if Joel Smith might get the Hunt gig. If Tmac doesn’t get up, and Weid is played for Sunday’s drier day, who comes out? Melksham? Not likely. Sparrow? 

5 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Smith was one of the players who flew to Perth, so it would not be that big a surprise.

Yes but Hibberd also flew to Perth, so it's not as if he's far away from the 22 either.

14 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Yes but Hibberd also flew to Perth, so it's not as if he's far away from the 22 either.

I think everyone would agree that Hibberd is the most likely to come back in. He was playing decent footy before getting dropped. As much as Hunt's injury is a bummer, we do have decent depth.