POSTGAME: Practice Match vs North Melbourne

[1964_2 2,357]

15 minutes ago, sisso said:

Wonder what the strategy is for the Carlton game I assume we’ll go for the best available “full dress rehearsal” plan? 

Make up for the disappointment of winning by less than 100 points, by bouncing back with a 130 point win. 

[binman 43,762]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Because it's Tomlinson's spot to lose, Tomlinson is a better footballer than Smith and if Tomlinson isn't an automatic replacement with Petty out I'd question what his role is in the team.

Why is it Tomo's spot to lose? He is not the incumbent.

And as I have noted before Petty played a different role than Tomlinson. More aggressive. Less man on man. More zoning off and more intercepts

It was noticeable at tbe ground tomo has slimmed down and I think that is so he can better play the role the way petty played.

I very much doubt Goody will allow sentiment to cloud his selection decisions. And nor should he

They both trialled for the Petty position yesterday. 

Smith played better. Moe athletic  more intercepts, more run and more spoils. And with his leap, he has a weapon that tomo doesn't have, or any other defender for that matter.

And it is worth remembering Smith would be a premiership player if not for an ill timed hammy injury, albeit at half back not key defender. So there is no doubt Goody rates him.

 

Edited February 24, 2022 by binman

[Demon4Life 603]

9 hours ago, Demonland said:

* 5 goals

Sorry, I should have been clearer. His 4 goal quarter!

[titan_uranus 25,043]

19 minutes ago, binman said:

Why is it Tomo's spot to lose? He is not the incumbent.

And as I have noted before Petty played a different role than Tomlinson. More aggressive. Less man on man. More zoning off and more intercepts

It was noticeable at tbe ground tomo has slimmed down and I think that is so he can better play the role the way petty played.

I very much doubt Goody will allow sentiment to cloud his selection decisions. And nor should he

They both trialled for the Petty position yesterday. 

Smith played better. Moe athletic  more intercepts, more run and more spoils. And with his leap, he has a weapon that tomo doesn't have, or any other defender for that matter.

And it is worth remembering Smith would be a premiership player if not for an ill timed hammy injury, albeit at half back not key defender. So there is no doubt Goody rates him.

Based on the first 7 rounds last year one could argue that Tomlinson would be a premiership player if not for his ACL.

I think Smith and Tomlinson are both in the category of key defenders. I suspect the FD will be looking to pick whoever is best overall.

I wonder whether Smith's intercepting role yesterday was increased due to Lever's absence? Would he have the same licence if Lever was in the side?

[BDA 22,880]

If Smith can learn the zone off and intercept role then so can Thommo. I would back Thommo to be the better bet given his more natural fell for the game

That said 2 good options have. Our depth is excellent

[binman 43,762]

12 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Based on the first 7 rounds last year one could argue that Tomlinson would be a premiership player if not for his ACL.

I think Smith and Tomlinson are both in the category of key defenders. I suspect the FD will be looking to pick whoever is best overall.

I wonder whether Smith's intercepting role yesterday was increased due to Lever's absence? Would he have the same licence if Lever was in the side?

Agree with the first two paras.

On the last, I think the answer is yes. Or at least as much licence to zone off and intercept as petty has. Which is a fair bit.

[Sydee 4,529]

4 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Based on the first 7 rounds last year one could argue that Tomlinson would be a premiership player if not for his ACL.

I think Smith and Tomlinson are both in the category of key defenders. I suspect the FD will be looking to pick whoever is best overall.

I wonder whether Smith's intercepting role yesterday was increased due to Lever's absence? Would he have the same licence if Lever was in the side?

I have no doubt that it was - his ability to do so means he has a string to his bow that Tomlinson may not

All three (Smith, Petty and Tomlinson) have legitimate claims for a spot in the back 6 it will be very interesting to see what the selectors do when it comes to the real stuff

I am a huge Bowey fan and felt he was a great addition to the team late last year particularly with his excellent disposal - he and Trent Rivers need to be careful with form as there are a few hunting this spot (Jayden Hunt being one). 

We will unfortunately have a few injuries along the way hopefully nothing serious. I cant remember a time when we have had such strong depth across the field. The only areas that really concern me are ruck and key forward injuries or drop off in form there may have an immediate impact 

[binman 43,762]

3 minutes ago, BDA said:

If Smith can learn the zone off and intercept role then so can Thommo. I would back Thommo to be the better bet given his more natural fell for the game

That said 2 good options have. Our depth is excellent

You're right, I'm sure tomo can play a more aggressive, intercept role.

But in my opinion he is in the same position as last preseason where he is in a battle for the third key defender slot.

Last season the battle was with Petty, and he won it.

This season the battle is with Smith. And he may well win it again. 

But if it was a boxing match,  based on yesterday Smith is ahead on points.

Next weeks game against the blues may well decide the bout.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,297]

32 minutes ago, binman said:

Why is it Tomo's spot to lose? He is not the incumbent.

And as I have noted before Petty played a different role than Tomlinson. More aggressive. Less man on man. More zoning off and more intercepts

It was noticeable at tbe ground tomo has slimmed down and I think that is so he can better play the role the way petty played.

I very much doubt Goody will allow sentiment to cloud his selection decisions. And nor should he

They both trialled for the Petty position yesterday. 

Smith played better. Moe athletic  more intercepts, more run and more spoils. And with his leap, he has a weapon that tomo doesn't have, or any other defender for that matter.

And it is worth remembering Smith would be a premiership player if not for an ill timed hammy injury, albeit at half back not key defender. So there is no doubt Goody rates him.

 

Tomlinson was in the role before injuring his knee last year and had only lost one 1-on-1 contest since being moved to defense in 2020. He is a better footballer than Smith. If Tomlinson is fit and misses out on round 1 behind Smith where does that leave him? What is his position? I don't think the 23 will be picked solely on form in the practice match against the wooden spooners who were missing about 4 first choice players especially considering they were likely playing different roles with Lever out of the side.

We'll see how it plays out but as I said I would be very surprised if Smith is picked ahead of Tomlinson.

[Sydee 4,529]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Tomlinson was in the role before injuring his knee last year and had only lost one 1-on-1 contest since being moved to defense in 2020. He is a better footballer than Smith. If Tomlinson is fit and misses out on round 1 behind Smith where does that leave him? What is his position? I don't think the 23 will be picked solely on form in the practice match against the wooden spooners who were missing about 4 first choice players especially considering they were likely playing different roles with Lever out of the side.

We'll see how it plays out but as I said I would be very surprised if Smith is picked ahead of Tomlinson.

I think the jury is still out on that question - both have a lot to offer imo

Who is better? we may not know for a long time. One may be better than the other for certain matchups 

Personally I think its premature to make that statement but obviously you are entitled to your opinion

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,878]

17 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

I was very surprised our extended interchange guys got so little time on the ground.Why have an extended bench if you are not going to use them? Given the level of opposition today, it seemed to me the perfect time to give good game time to the likes of Hunt, Weid, etc. Maybe the mantra this year is that if you want to play in the 22 you are really going to have to earn it.

I wasn't really that surprised at all.  If you look at how we've approached practice matches under Burgess, the empahsis is on approaching it as if it were a home and away match and not about excessively rotating players to ease them into things.  I forget what the squad numbers are for practice games, but as far as the MFC is concerned, it's almost as if it a squad of 22 players and additional emergencies to avoid risks with niggles and injuries that develop during the game, that you would take during the home and away, but not a practice match for no points.  Players not fit enough to run out the 4 quarters, don't play starting 22 or even make the squad.

While I think there is a desire from our supporters (myself included) to see others given a go at the top level to see where they're at, that's not the priority of our coaching group who are in the mindset and process of fine tuning the team for Rd 1 already.  Absolutely love where we are at in this respects - win Rd 1, get on a roll and set up our season like last year.  No more 0W, 3L or 1W, 4L starts to the season that have us scraping just to make finals from Rd 6 onwards.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[DeeSpencer 26,081]

19 minutes ago, binman said:

You're right, I'm sure tomo can play a more aggressive, intercept role.

But in my opinion he is in the same position as last preseason where he is in a battle for the third key defender slot.

Last season the battle was with Petty, and he won it.

This season the battle is with Smith. And he may well win it again. 

But if it was a boxing match,  based on yesterday Smith is ahead on points.

Next weeks game against the blues may well decide the bout.

I’m a big Smith fan and not always big on Tomlinson but I don’t see them in a head to head battle.

We’ve seen Lever at his best with a 2nd genuine tall and wth Petty out that’s Tomlinson.

But it’s not all bad news for Smith. One thing Tommo provides over Petty is more uncontested ball and rebounding skills. Which then changes the balance of the backline and raises the chances of Smith over Hibberd, Riv or Bowey. Similarly with Smith in the side May can take a less defensive role and provide more kicking and run. 

[RedLegs23 940]

That's it I've seen enough!

Clarry to take home charlie 

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,229]

29 minutes ago, Sydee said:

I think the jury is still out on that question - both have a lot to offer imo

Who is better? we may not know for a long time. One may be better than the other for certain matchups 

Personally I think its premature to make that statement but obviously you are entitled to your opinion

I don't think the jury is out on that one. Tomlinson has shown to be a solid AFL player for many years and has played 160 games, while Joel Smith has so far managed 21.

I think May, Lever and Tommo will all be in the round 1 side, given Petty likely won't be available. Joel Smith will be probably competing with Rivers and Hibberd.

[dazzledavey36 55,347]

1 hour ago, binman said:

Why is it Tomo's spot to lose? He is not the incumbent.

And as I have noted before Petty played a different role than Tomlinson. More aggressive. Less man on man. More zoning off and more intercepts

It was noticeable at tbe ground tomo has slimmed down and I think that is so he can better play the role the way petty played.

I very much doubt Goody will allow sentiment to cloud his selection decisions. And nor should he

They both trialled for the Petty position yesterday. 

Smith played better. Moe athletic  more intercepts, more run and more spoils. And with his leap, he has a weapon that tomo doesn't have, or any other defender for that matter.

And it is worth remembering Smith would be a premiership player if not for an ill timed hammy injury, albeit at half back not key defender. So there is no doubt Goody rates him.

 

I think Smith completely shutting down Zurhaar yesterday puts him right in the frame for round 1.

It's obvious the coaches rate Smith very highly and like his versatility and speed.

I've been critical of Smith in the past but I am lead to believe this is the first pre season he's completed without any injury niggles. It showed yesterday as I thought he was pretty impressive.

I think the club has a difficult decision to make come round 1. There is one element that Tomlinson could play the lockdown role on the number 1 forward like Naughton which sets a domino effect with May taking the 2nd or 3rd best forward and Lever being able to take the more smaller forward but utilise his intercept marking ability. 

The other element is that Smith can play tall and small with his mix of speed, power and leap. Smith could take someone like Cody Weightman or even Jamarra Ugle Hagan if he plays.

Hard choice for me. Lucky that's the coaches headache and not mine.

Edited February 24, 2022 by dazzledavey36

[binman 43,762]

3 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I think Smith completely shutting down Zurhaar yesterday puts him right in the frame for round 1.

It's obvious the coaches rate Smith very highly and like his versatility and speed.

I've been critical of Smith in the past but I am lead to believe this is the first pre season he's completed without any injury niggles. It showed yesterday as I thought he was pretty impressive.

I think the club has a difficult decision to make come round 1. There is one element that Tomlinson could play the lockdown role on the number 1 forward like Naughton which sets a domino effect with May taking the 2nd or 3rd best forward and Lever being able to take the more smaller forward but utilise his intercept marking ability. 

The other element is that Smith can play tall and small with his mix of speed, power and leap. Smith could take someone like Cody Weightman or even Jamarra Ugle Hagan if he plays.

Hard choice for me. Lucky that's the coaches headache and not mine.

Agree on all of the above.

But leaving aside whether Smith or Tom comes in for Petty, i reckon Petty will come straight back into the side when fit and available (perhaps after one or tow games at Casey). 

Who knows how that might factor into the decision about who comes in round one for Petty.

But the advantage Smith has over Tommo is that he can also play Hibberd's and River's role. 

 

[dazzledavey36 55,347]

Just now, binman said:

Agree on all of the above.

But leaving aside whether Smith or Tom comes in for Petty, i reckon Petty will come straight back into the side when fit and available (perhaps after one or tow games at Casey). 

Who knows how that might factor into the decision about who comes in round one for Petty.

But the advantage Smith has over Tommo is that he can also play Hibberd's and River's role. 

 

Agree as well. Petty comes in straight away is a no brainer for me.

I rate him extremely highly and think he's a huge loss so far.

If Smith can keep his game simple and stay focus then there's no doubt he could play an important role for us. 

My concern with Smith is his lack of footy smarts during games. Yesterday was a good little step forward.

[waynewussell 6,237]

I am tiring of the under-estimation of what Hibberd brings through comparison to dissimilar types.

Hibberd is a Bull

Hibberd wins one-on-ones

Hibberd is quick

Hibberd is a raking left-footer

Hibberd runs and carries

[binman 43,762]

6 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

I am tiring of the under-estimation of what Hibberd brings through comparison to dissimilar types.

Hibberd is a Bull

Hibberd wins one-on-ones

Hibberd is quick

Hibberd is a raking left-footer

Hibberd runs and carries

Hello hibbo

[Vipercrunch 2,827]

13 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

I am tiring of the under-estimation of what Hibberd brings through comparison to dissimilar types.

Hibberd is a Bull

Hibberd wins one-on-ones

Hibberd is quick

Hibberd is a raking left-footer

Hibberd runs and carries

You are obviously a big Hibbo fan, but until Smith was injured on the training track before the PF, our selectors had Smith ahead of Hibbo.  Both bring strengths and weaknesses.  Tough to be a selector, and very tough for whichever defenders miss out playing round 1.

[Sydee 4,529]

42 minutes ago, Action Jackson said:

I don't think the jury is out on that one. Tomlinson has shown to be a solid AFL player for many years and has played 160 games, while Joel Smith has so far managed 21.

I think May, Lever and Tommo will all be in the round 1 side, given Petty likely won't be available. Joel Smith will be probably competing with Rivers and Hibberd.

That's ok AJ I respect your opinion however simply comparing the number of games played is a pretty superficial analysis particularly when you consider the horror run Joel Smith has had with injury over several seasons 

I can remember plenty of games that Tomlinson has played where his contribution was not imo at the level we now demand

We are lucky to be able to have such a discussion 

I do agree that the only real locks at this early stage in the back 6 are May and Lever, and perhaps Petty if fit - the others all need to keep their form at a very high level to retain a spot

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

37 minutes ago, binman said:

Agree on all of the above.

But leaving aside whether Smith or Tom comes in for Petty, i reckon Petty will come straight back into the side when fit and available (perhaps after one or tow games at Casey). 

Who knows how that might factor into the decision about who comes in round one for Petty.

But the advantage Smith has over Tommo is that he can also play Hibberd's and River's role. 

 

I have had two concerns with Smith in the past. The first was the way he seemed to launch into a pack at every opportunity, even if we already had other tall defenders in the contest. That often left his man free on the ground. Secondly, when he had the ball, he often seemed like a deer in the headlights uncertain what to do with it.

Does he appear to have fixed up those two parts of his game? Because if he has, I could see him having a successful career from hereon. It may not be with us, though. He's the sort of player who may well be sought after by other clubs if he struggles to break into our side.

[Docs Demons 1,792]

For those that were at the ground was there a sort of game after the main one as I thought I heard whistles go in back ground during Tomlinson's or Browns interview. Maybe the excess players had some sort of praccy game??

[Fork 'em 6,991]

27 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

I am tiring of the under-estimation of what Hibberd brings through comparison to dissimilar types.

Hibberd is a Bull

Hibberd wins one-on-ones

Hibberd is quick

Hibberd is a raking left-footer

Hibberd runs and carries

Hibbo gives 100% every week.
Love the Pig.

[Cranky Franky 2,091]

28 minutes ago, waynewussell said:

I am tiring of the under-estimation of what Hibberd brings through comparison to dissimilar types.

Hibberd is a Bull

Hibberd wins one-on-ones

Hibberd is quick

Hibberd is a raking left-footer

Hibberd runs and carries

Hibberd was very good yesterday. If he continues like that he will hold his spot. Has a touch of aggro & desperation that we all love.