Fair dinkum Vanders is a lumbering liability and still has the skill and decision making deficit of the earlier Goodwin Demons iteration. 

Someone said yesterday the game has passed him by.

I said  the same thing about Jones  after the Finals win at the G in ...( whenever it was;who can tell these days?) against Hawthorn ,but seriously does anyone not think he would be a better inclusion than the frustration  that is Vanders.He can stop any fluid ball movement without even trying 

But Nathan Jones?

A red hot go (firstly as the medical sub), he can kick a goal and he would give it full throttle like no other player on the list to get a shot at the flag in his last game.

It wouldn't even be sentimental  (unless he holds the Cup), just a smart move

 

Edited August 9, 20213 yr by IRW
Correction

Glad your still alive IRW, …..I believe the club was just trying to drag Vandunburg over the Fifty game line, like a service medal type thing.

I think we saw our squad running after the game last night.  Daw, Weiderman, Smith, Viney, Chandler, Hibberd along with the 23 that played and TMac.  Jones will be training his [censored] off to ensure he is ready should he get the call up but with no VFL it really makes it hard.

I'm assuming we are having scratch matches with other AFL clubs like we did last year to keep the players that miss out match fit.

8 minutes ago, bluey said:

Glad your still alive IRW, …..I believe the club was just trying to drag Vandunburg over the Fifty game line, like a service medal type thing.

I believe last night was his 50th

Jones for mine

I’d play Jones before VDB every day of the week 

Neither. Too slow. Our game is built on defensive pressure. I’d have Sparrow ahead of them both. Viney will come straight back in to, so unless we have a lot of injuries I think they are both well down the pecking order.

I think we planned for a very wet night last night, and might have been surprised at how dry the game became in the 2nd quarter. VDB got the nod for the rain, and that reason alone.

Yep, on last night's form AVB is cooked

Jones definitely ahead for me

Depends on the role:

Wing/on ball - Vanders
Half forward/touch of wing - Jones
Sub - Jones (just).

Vanders had some rough moments in the 2nd quarter adjusting to the tempo of the game but he was ok in the second half. 

His size and straight line speed are still assets, both in defending and attacking in straight lines. Unfortunately the wheels have copped horrendous damage over the years and the steering is a struggle.

Also at least one of those free kicks were rubbish. Can't be rewarding guys for sliding in to opponents and getting high free kicks with no contact initiated by the defending player. That's play on.

 

1 hour ago, bluey said:

Glad your still alive IRW, …..I believe the club was just trying to drag Vandunburg over the Fifty game line, like a service medal type thing.

Cmon Bluey do really think that would be selections front of mind for a guy to get to 50 games when there’s a top 4 spot & possibly a flag to be won.

 

Others are ahead of both, but of the 2, Jones easily. Vanders lack of footy IQ is consistently alarming.

I'm a big believer in Smith being our medical sub during the finals.

If a mid goes down they can be better covered than a KPP.

It seems like VDB has lost a lot of his pace and his closing speed when making tackles was a big part of his game. Probably unlikely that he plays a part in our finals campaign and he's coming out of contract - could be at risk of not being offered an extension.

I get the romanticism, but I also can't see Jones as being part of our best combination on the harder faster September grounds; the caveat being that conditions are wet and slippery - then maybe bring him in for extra grunt.

Sadly, Vandenberg looks slow, clumsy and confused out there and simply doesn't have enough 'upside' to justify trying to build some form into him this close to an attack on the premiership.

It's an easier call than Melksham, who at least did the things he was in the team to do (2 goals, 2 goal assists) but he didn't really contribute to the essential forward pressure and those dumb free kicks in the final quarter were momentum-swinging.

Neither are really in our best 22 and I'll be watching for news on Jones' progress intensely because if he can get his gears working smoothly then we want his head and heart on the field for finals.

44 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

I'm a big believer in Smith being our medical sub during the finals.

If a mid goes down they can be better covered than a KPP.

Not a huge fan of Smith as either a starting forward or defender - but as a sub this makes a lot of sense. Offers more flexibility than almost anyone else not in the starting 22. 

I’ll reserve judgment as I think it’s unfair to judge a player subbed into a game.  Very difficult for players to shine under those circumstances.

I don’t believe he’s currently best 22, but he’s certainly best 30 and arguably has more versatility than Jones.  Melksham’s performance last night has made it very difficult for both of them.

If Viney, Jordon and Sparrow are fit and available, they may both sit out September.

 

Even the ultimate reward will be somewhat diminished if Jones is not a part of the team and gets to put his hand on the cup.

Rest him so that he is in prime condition and we can be sure that there will be no-one with more desire and effort on the day, if it comes.

I vote for Jones.

 

2 hours ago, drdrake said:

I think we saw our squad running after the game last night.  Daw, Weiderman, Smith, Viney, Chandler, Hibberd along with the 23 that played and TMac. 

Just curious as to what that was about. Was there a point to it, having all the guys who didn’t play running around after the game? I actually liked it; loved seeing Weids’ big smile. 😊 

If either are playing, it's due to injury. I'm on record with my views on both Jones and Vanders, so I don't feel the need to say anymore.

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Depends on the role:

Wing/on ball - Vanders
Half forward/touch of wing - Jones
Sub - Jones (just).

Vanders had some rough moments in the 2nd quarter adjusting to the tempo of the game but he was ok in the second half. 

His size and straight line speed are still assets, both in defending and attacking in straight lines. Unfortunately the wheels have copped horrendous damage over the years and the steering is a struggle.

Also at least one of those free kicks were rubbish. Can't be rewarding guys for sliding in to opponents and getting high free kicks with no contact initiated by the defending player. That's play on.

 

Gave away a free kick for in the back that he didn't need to tackle as ball was not in dispute and cost us a goal - dumb play

1 minute ago, A F said:

If either are playing, it's due to injury. I'm on record with my views on both Jones and Vanders, so I don't feel the need to say anymore.

Neither are good enough or quick enough - game has past them both

Sadly dont think we will get to see Nathan play in front of Melbourne  supporters crowd again

25 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Just curious as to what that was about. Was there a point to it, having all the guys who didn’t play running around after the game? I actually liked it; loved seeing Weids’ big smile. 😊 

Assume they missed game time this weekend and Burgo just wanted them to have a run. Similar to how unused substitutes in soccer often do some fitness after the game. Uncertain why they were in full kit though. That was the only confusing part aha 

 

I won’t be popular for saying it, but I never thought Jones was that good – he was just in a very poor team. I don’t think he chases nearly hard enough, and that is such a major part of our game.

 

I have always liked VDB but he wasn’t great last night, but given the amount of football he has missed in the last year or so, he was always going to be very rusty. I say, give him another chance because his capacity to stick a tackle and hurt with it is enormously helpful to us.

38 minutes ago, roy11 said:

Assume they missed game time this weekend and Burgo just wanted them to have a run. Similar to how unused substitutes in soccer often do some fitness after the game. Uncertain why they were in full kit though. That was the only confusing part aha 

I thought it was great!  To me, it was kinda like telling these boys that, even though they didn't play, they were still an important part of the team as the travelling emergencies, and so had earned the right to have a run on the ground in their full playing gear, while doing their required extra running.  A  nice touch by whoever thought of it.  (A choppo thing, maybe??)