CHANGES: Rd 23 vs Geelong

[Superunknown 4,210]

42 minutes ago, Crompton's the man said:

As a precautionary May should play in a gridiron helmet in case the one on the right gets unlucky again - the crystal ball fired up last night 

Is there someone (Jack viney made me cry) who can go over to Selwood and Hawkins before the game and say keep it clean, if stuff like that happens we will Put you down and you won’t get up. Geez they’re rancid 

[binman 42,629]

11 hours ago, A F said:

I thought Smith found himself constantly out of position. Outside of a few aggressive intercept marks early, I thought he undermined our defensive structure repeatedly. 

I disagree on both these points A F.

Faded in the second half, but I thought he was our best defender in the first half.

And i don't recall being out of position or undermining our defensive structure  (certainly not repeatedly) being an issue at all.

From a structural perspective we missed  May, but Smith wasn't playing his role really. No one was. So that no doubt created some structural challenges for the defence. 

We will need to replace Hunt's overlap run and carry and i I think they took the opportunity to give Smith a run with view to assessing if he might be a good replacement for Hunt.

And he played accordingly, meaning he was zoning off, providing a link option for handballs, provising some run and carry overlap, using his pace to impact marking contests and getting up the ground.

For me Smith is chance of coming into the side at the expense of Hibberd. Hibbo is the incumbent and deservedly so.  And in all likelihood keeps Smith out. But he is slower than Smith and Smith can impact aerial contests better, so Smith is definitely in the frame for a finals gig. 

It might end up being be horses for courses a bit. Hibbo's best games this year have been going one one one with gun strong mid sized forwards - like Papley and Martin.

Hibbo will get selected this week and likely go to Dangerfield when he goes forward. Looking at the other top 5 teams, Port has Robbie Gray we would need to Hibbo to lock down, but the dogs and lions don't really have an equivalent player. So maybe Smith comes in if we play one of those two teams.

 

[binman 42,629]

45 minutes ago, Damo said:

Sorry if this has been answered. Are crowds allowed at GMHBA this Saturday?

Only inside both teams 50 metre arc.

[leave it to deever 17,511]

39 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

No.

Will help a lot.

I also reckon we would have been a little tired against the crows after travelling up north and then west.

Bringing in some fresh players will help against the cats.

Minor premiership on the line.

[Damo 3,344]

4 minutes ago, binman said:

Only inside both teams 50 metre arc.

Not that I can get there legally but are MFC members allocated an end?

[binman 42,629]

5 minutes ago, Damo said:

Not that I can get there legally but are MFC members allocated an end?

You could try doing what that fella did in the England v India test - come onto the ground in a full playing kit.

Park yourself at full forward, Barwon river end.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

12 hours ago, Nelo said:

Rest Petracca, Oliver and lever. We won’t be playing at the mcg for finals anyway. 

Like all of us, players have egos. How would Petracca or Oliver feel about the possibility of the club denying them a chance to win the Brownlow because they missed this game? I know it's a team game, but it would be hard for them to swallow. So, would resting them (unless they're genuinely injured/sore) be counter-productive to our finals chances if Oliver and Petracca are disappointed at missing a game?

[Damo 3,344]

So all Geelong in the stands behind 50 metre lines? Serious question. Anyone know?

[Jjrogan 1,417]

11 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Like all of us, players have egos. How would Petracca or Oliver feel about the possibility of the club denying them a chance to win the Brownlow because they missed this game? I know it's a team game, but it would be hard for them to swallow. So, would resting them (unless they're genuinely injured/sore) be counter-productive to our finals chances if Oliver and Petracca are disappointed at missing a game?

Agree. 

Btw, I think we have been the lowest users of the sub interchange all year but if we are not using and abusing this loophole during the finals series, we are kdding ourselves.  If the doggies win, and we are not activating the sub at some stage in the third quarter, id be disappointed.  

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

42 minutes ago, Jjrogan said:

Agree. 

Btw, I think we have been the lowest users of the sub interchange all year but if we are not using and abusing this loophole during the finals series, we are kdding ourselves.  If the doggies win, and we are not activating the sub at some stage in the third quarter, id be disappointed.  

If we make the Grand Final, I absolutely hope we use the medi-sub whether we need it or not. That player needs to be able to share the joy of winning (or feel the despair of losing) along with the other 22 players. Imagine being given a Premiership Medal without actually having run on to the grass at all.

[Adam The God 30,120]

1 hour ago, binman said:

I disagree on both these points A F.

Faded in the second half, but I thought he was our best defender in the first half.

And i don't recall being out of position or undermining our defensive structure  (certainly not repeatedly) being an issue at all.

From a structural perspective we missed  May, but Smith wasn't playing his role really. No one was. So that no doubt created some structural challenges for the defence. 

We will need to replace Hunt's overlap run and carry and i I think they took the opportunity to give Smith a run with view to assessing if he might be a good replacement for Hunt.

And he played accordingly, meaning he was zoning off, providing a link option for handballs, provising some run and carry overlap, using his pace to impact marking contests and getting up the ground.

For me Smith is chance of coming into the side at the expense of Hibberd. Hibbo is the incumbent and deservedly so.  And in all likelihood keeps Smith out. But he is slower than Smith and Smith can impact aerial contests better, so Smith is definitely in the frame for a finals gig. 

It might end up being be horses for courses a bit. Hibbo's best games this year have been going one one one with gun strong mid sized forwards - like Papley and Martin.

Hibbo will get selected this week and likely go to Dangerfield when he goes forward. Looking at the other top 5 teams, Port has Robbie Gray we would need to Hibbo to lock down, but the dogs and lions don't really have an equivalent player. So maybe Smith comes in if we play one of those two teams.

 

Each to their own mate. They may well go with Smith, but I think he could cost us a final, I think his footy IQ is that low...

[Fat Tony 5,217]

9 minutes ago, A F said:

Each to their own mate. They may well go with Smith, but I think he could cost us a final, I think his footy IQ is that low...

Smith has played just 19 AFL games and only ever 8 games in a season. IQ and inexperience are different.

The main issues with Smith are skill related. He is so elite with athleticism that he has the ability to recover from being out of position.

Your love child Oliver could cost us a final with his poor goal kicking.

[DubDee 25,590]

26 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

If we make the Grand Final, I absolutely hope we use the medi-sub whether we need it or not. That player needs to be able to share the joy of winning (or feel the despair of losing) along with the other 22 players. Imagine being given a Premiership Medal without actually having run on to the grass at all.

the issue is that they would get a medal for not playing a game. We should not worry about the 23rd player being subbed in unless it helps us win the game

[Salems Lot 2,493]

1 hour ago, Damo said:

So all Geelong in the stands behind 50 metre lines? Serious question. Anyone know?

Pretty sure there will be no crowds of any persuasion matey

[BigFez 1,440]

2 hours ago, Damo said:

So all Geelong in the stands behind 50 metre lines? Serious question. Anyone know?

Saw it confirmed on the Kardinia Park official twitter, no crowds allowed.

[Adam The God 30,120]

49 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Smith has played just 19 AFL games and only ever 8 games in a season. IQ and inexperience are different.

The main issues with Smith are skill related. He is so elite with athleticism that he has the ability to recover from being out of position.

Your love child Oliver could cost us a final with his poor goal kicking.

I certainly wouldn't want Clarry kicking for goal for my life, but his go is winning important clearances and ground balls. Smith's is defending and I disagree that his issues are skill. His issues IMV are reading the play. You either have that at the elite level or you don't.

[monoccular 17,413]

4 hours ago, Crompton's the man said:

As a precautionary May should play in a gridiron helmet in case the one on the right gets unlucky again - the crystal ball fired up last night 

The week off was to secretly have titanium plates fitted under the skin to break Hawkins' arm when he inevitably "accidentally" hits him in the face.

1 hour ago, A F said:

Each to their own mate. They may well go with Smith, but I think he could cost us a final, I think his footy IQ is that low...

Harmes??

[titan_uranus 24,970]

2 hours ago, Fat Tony said:

Smith has played just 19 AFL games and only ever 8 games in a season. IQ and inexperience are different.

The main issues with Smith are skill related. He is so elite with athleticism that he has the ability to recover from being out of position.

Your love child Oliver could cost us a final with his poor goal kicking.

Hyperbole all round.

"So elite with athleticism". He's athletic, sure, but you're making him sound like some super-human. He's not, and no amount of athleticism fixes his repeated instances of being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Our backline works because we have reliability between May, Petty and Lever. Smith still doesn't look to have curtailed his desire to leap and run, and whilst it didn't hurt us too badly against Adelaide, from here on out we're only playing seriously good sides and it's a risk I'd rather we don't take.

Ridiculous, too, is the argument that Oliver is as likely to "cost us a final" as Smith. There is no reasonable basis to equate the two. 

In saying that, I don't agree with @A F going that strongly on Smith. I don't think he's best 22, but it's not all that bad. 

[Acrossplanet 13]

Oliver and Gawn both need to improve their set shots for goal procedure. Oliver could have scored at least 5 goals in the last three rounds. He seems to rush his shots and not correct if he's missing to one side.  Gawn always runs out to the right and hooks his kick even when he's 30 metres out rather than running in and kicking straight over the man on the mark. If they could work on this they would be even better players. I  think Smith is just a backup for the finals . He just needs to play consistent footy next year and trial him in the forward line again where his leap and pace could worry opposition defenders.

Edited August 17, 2021 by Acrossplanet

[dazzledavey36 54,236]

Just watched the injury report and seems McDonald and May only need to get through tomorrow main training session to play on the weekend.

[Fat Tony 5,217]

2 hours ago, A F said:

I certainly wouldn't want Clarry kicking for goal for my life, but his go is winning important clearances and ground balls. Smith's is defending and I disagree that his issues are skill. His issues IMV are reading the play. You either have that at the elite level or you don't.

Smith is probably not going to feature in the finals and he will never read the play like Lever, but that does not mean he cannot improve in that area. Mal Michael, Alex Rance, Trent Croad and Liam Jones are all examples of athletes first who later developed their ability to position themselves as defenders.

[demon3165 2,711]

38 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

Smith is probably not going to feature in the finals and he will never read the play like Lever, but that does not mean he cannot improve in that area. Mal Michael, Alex Rance, Trent Croad and Liam Jones are all examples of athletes first who later developed their ability to position themselves as defenders.

And some people said the same thing about  Petty when he came in!!

[stinga 556]

Not sure whether smith or hibbo for May.   Hibbo tends to fumble and seemed to get in everyones way.  Smith had a good first half but then went missing after hibbo took him out.  Hibbo will struggle if he gets matched up on a quick opponent, but would have bulk for Danger.

 

[PaulRB 6,342]

Hope we play full strength and intent to take the minor premiership, as we've earnt it...

 

... and, statistically speaking, we more often win the actual premiership from 1st spot than any other position on the ladder...

 

true. 😉

[leave it to deever 17,511]

1 hour ago, demon3165 said:

And some people said the same thing about  Petty when he came in!!

Gee he has been great. Your right you just never really know.