This has been a really interesting selection discussion. Now I'm eager to have my curiosity satisfied.

Can someone tell me - is the team announced tonight?

1 hour ago, Sydney_Demon said:

Look back to the GF last year. The Bulldogs had a small forward line and we had the equivalent of the 4 you have listed with May, Petty, Lever & Hibberd playing. I don't think we were too tall. We need the extra tall defender so Lever can zone off a smaller forward to take intercepts. If we drop a defender for Lever we need to keep Brayshaw on the HBF to keep our 7 defenders. He did a great job last week, but with Lever back we don't need him to play that role and he goes back to the wing. Looking slightly longer term Petty comes in for Tommo, Smith probably stays in, and mid-season Salem comes in for Hunt. For the many anti-Smith posters you will remain happy because it will give you a few more weeks to continue to critique his game 😄. 

I agree with LVDV, i don't reckon Hibberd is a tall. Smith can play on talls and smalls.  but not a huge difference overall. Gus has been great in the backline so I wouldn't be in a rush to move him either

May, Lever, Bowey

Hunt, Smith, Rivers

is a good mix imo and would give us more run than keeping tomoo in with them.

2 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

This has been a really interesting selection discussion. Now I'm eager to have my curiosity satisfied.

Can someone tell me - is the team announced tonight?

game tomorrow mate, so YES.

6:20

5 minutes ago, DubDee said:

I agree with LVDV, i don't reckon Hibberd is a tall. Smith can play on talls and smalls.  but not a huge difference overall. Gus has been great in the backline so I wouldn't be in a rush to move him either

May, Lever, Bowey

Hunt, Smith, Rivers

is a good mix imo and would give us more run than keeping tomoo in with them.

I'd have Gus starting and have Hunt or Rivers starting off the bench but that is just being picky.

Posters worried about BBB having to fly need to remember that it's only a short hop (not much more than an hour) from Melbourne to Adelaide, not a long flight to Perth, Darwin or Cairns for example.

5 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

William Shakespeare is giving his selection advice. He tweeted just now:

Not looking good for Tom McDonald.

1 hour ago, Sydney_Demon said:

Your criticism of May is unfair IMV. The reason those goals were kicked on him was largely because there was acres of space for Peter Wright to lead into and insufficient pressure on the kicker. Normally another defender would be filling that space. For whatever reason that didn't happen. 

This was just in front of my seat, 2MP had a clear run, for each mark. So it was a combination of poor defending by other than May, And absolutely no pressure on the kicker on the wing who passed it around at will, until they had the lead on the way.

 

This was the only real time I thought we might not prevail.  Because they did it so easy, there was no pressure up the field, and 2MP can mark tall and kick pretty straight.

 

Go Dees still on track for B2B in 22

4 minutes ago, 640MD said:

This was just in front of my seat, 2MP had a clear run, for each mark. So it was a combination of poor defending by other than May, And absolutely no pressure on the kicker on the wing who passed it around at will, until they had the lead on the way.

 

This was the only real time I thought we might not prevail.  Because they did it so easy, there was no pressure up the field, and 2MP can mark tall and kick pretty straight.

 

Go Dees still on track for B2B in 22

2MP kicked all his goals at 40-50m. His accuracy is pretty darn elite for such a tall bloke. He is also really quick off the mark and is a big unit so not many would want to stand in his way.

Other teams will struggle defending him as well.

You can bet he won't have clear undisturbed paths like he has managed so far, for the rest of the year, especially against back lines like the cats and Brisbane.

2 hours ago, Sydee said:

So let me get this straight - if you are selected as a defender in the team and drop a mark that results in a goal that is a big issue however if you are a ruck/utility and make the same error that's different. I honestly can't work that logic out 

On May if you could ask him directly I'm confident he would say his game was poor - the look on his face after the game said it all for me - he was clearly disappointed. He sets high standards for himself and the rest of the team. I suspect if Joel Smith's direct opponent had of scored 4 goals we wouldn't be discussing excuses for him. May's possession count is irrelevant he is primarily there to stop his opponent kicking goals

     

Sydee, in your initial post you stated 'A worse howler came from Jackson who dropped an absolute sitter uncontested 15 metres out which led to an easy goal - I'm not hearing anyone suggesting he gets dropped or suggesting he made a costly error.' I thought this topic concerned possible selections for Round 4 so why would anyone be posting about costly errors by Jackson or suggesting he get's dropped? Are we going to go through every error of every player and compare it with every error by every other player. No, we are focusing on specific players that potentially could go out because other players could potentially come back from injury/covid protocols. That's why no-one mentioned Jackson, not because we hold him to different standards. But I stand by my initial point. If you're a forward you are more closely judged on your goal-kicking, if you're a back you are more closely judged on your defensive skills. I'm totally fine with you disagreeing with me on this particular point. This has nothing to do with Smith, per se. I like him in the side.

Re May, I already stated that he was beaten on the night. You are probably right that he was disappointed in his performance and that he sets high standards for himself and the team, although I don't claim to be able to read his mind, unlike your good self 😄. I actually made some points about goals kicked against him which again I stand by. What has this to do with Smith? Pure speculation on your part. I can only talk for myself but I don't hold Smith or May to different standards. Are you seriously suggesting May's possession count is irrelevant? Yes, he is primarily there to stop his opponent but the rest of his game is of course also of importance. IMV this is ridiculous but again I'm happy to agree to disagree.

Ben Brown has been really good in the first two games with his leading patterns and strong up and down the field work. he could have had 4 or more week before last. Weeds was very strong in the air and could not have done much more other than kick a couple more that he should have. Those two should be certainties. T Mac has been very ordinary in three games so if it is down to form... He goes.

Up the other end Lever is an automatic in and we need Hunts Run. Smith has been more or less a Revelation down back so far and he offers so much more than Tomlinson at this piont.

So for me its BB for T. Mac and Lever for Tomlinson.

No one deserves to be dropped but probably Kozzie and TMac are the two players most out of form. 

In his press conf Goodwin said something about Brown being in iso and not being able to see him at the club.  I assume this is to do with measurements and monitoring of players during exercise, recovery etc.  Or if they wanted to work on some tactics for Port.

So the iso may work against him if he wasn't able to do or be monitored for a certain amount of exercise.   And the club won't 'see him' until a few hours before the game.

To be on the safe side, maybe they list him on the bench or as an emergency then assess him when he gets to SA, if he does go over. 

The AFL may need to be a bit flexible on its rules around late changes in the current covid environment. 

Edited April 6, 20223 yr by Lucifers Hero

28 minutes ago, Sydney_Demon said:

Sydee, in your initial post you stated 'A worse howler came from Jackson who dropped an absolute sitter uncontested 15 metres out which led to an easy goal - I'm not hearing anyone suggesting he gets dropped or suggesting he made a costly error.' I thought this topic concerned possible selections for Round 4 so why would anyone be posting about costly errors by Jackson or suggesting he get's dropped? Are we going to go through every error of every player and compare it with every error by every other player. No, we are focusing on specific players that potentially could go out because other players could potentially come back from injury/covid protocols. That's why no-one mentioned Jackson, not because we hold him to different standards. But I stand by my initial point. If you're a forward you are more closely judged on your goal-kicking, if you're a back you are more closely judged on your defensive skills. I'm totally fine with you disagreeing with me on this particular point. This has nothing to do with Smith, per se. I like him in the side.

Re May, I already stated that he was beaten on the night. You are probably right that he was disappointed in his performance and that he sets high standards for himself and the team, although I don't claim to be able to read his mind, unlike your good self 😄. I actually made some points about goals kicked against him which again I stand by. What has this to do with Smith? Pure speculation on your part. I can only talk for myself but I don't hold Smith or May to different standards. Are you seriously suggesting May's possession count is irrelevant? Yes, he is primarily there to stop his opponent but the rest of his game is of course also of importance. IMV this is ridiculous but again I'm happy to agree to disagree.

I'm not taking a stand either for or against May or Smith. But it is relevant to point out that our defence relies on all defenders doing their bit (and the midfielders and the forwards, too). So, if a player kicks a goal on one particular defender, it may have been because another defender wasn't doing his job properly. For example, should Peter Wright have been able to take those leading marks or should another defender have blocked his space to prevent the lead? I realise that the defensive group can't stop every goal, but it's also unfair to say that every goal kicked can be linked to the defender who was nominally on that player at the time.  

5 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

Tmac and Tomlinson both at the airport. I imagine BB will fly In tomorrow morning?

Tom and Tommo both in the traveling party to Adelaide. One makes the side t'other the emergency?  Post-epoch changing premiership some things never change though. Some posters it appears must have their favourite whipping boy of the week. Tom's in the Mix this week with some other handy 'sidekicks' featured in earlier rounds. Joel 'Hold the Ranch' Smith seemed to be running on quicksand rounds 1&2 but matters have firmed somewhat last week, but not all are convinced. But he does have growing support on the boards here. Jaydyn Hunt, 'Curly' to his mates was on a 'hiding to nothing' in the early going but gained some composure in the recent showdown at 'Dodge' City V bomber gang.

Yet another 'Tom' mentioned in post-match deespatches. Young up and coming leading man Tom Sparrow is also in the frame it seems, for spaying his bullets last outing. But deeper into the movie (replay) he did take down resident bad guy Jake 'Johnny Ringo' Stringer. Is there a theme here? Back to the other Tom, "MacDonald" may not be setting the world on fire but he does have the virtue of being an old fashioned experienced utility. Solid down back in the necessary defensive re-shuffle V dogs and providing opportunity for re-introduced gunslinger forward Sam 'Weedo'man with his bullocking 1%'s  taking the heat.  JW's  "I'm here to kick-power [censored] and drink whisky. And pilgrim I'm all out of whisky". Applies.

 

Edited April 6, 20223 yr by Tarax Club
Uncensored "Hi-ho Silver"

2 hours ago, DubDee said:

I agree with LVDV, i don't reckon Hibberd is a tall. Smith can play on talls and smalls.  but not a huge difference overall. Gus has been great in the backline so I wouldn't be in a rush to move him either

May, Lever, Bowey

Hunt, Smith, Rivers

is a good mix imo and would give us more run than keeping tomoo in with them.

The Smithy lovers are saying he can play tall or small.

That is just their opinion to justify him staying in the team ie his versitility.

BUT NO ONE has offered any proof by example of the SMALL player he  has  beaten since returning last year .

IMO he was an embarrassment vs Charlie Cameron in the QUAL Final and that is the best sample that is recent to take notice of.  
 

Compare  that with Hibbo's two Finals  games on Geelongs small forwards and the Dogs in the GF. 

No comparison as I think it's Hibbo that can also play tall/ mids of heavy weight due to his body positioning spoiling deceptive pace. 

We all know that Hibbo is probably in his final year so it's wise to develop other options for our defence. 

Hunty played well vs Dogs but is not a one on one expert really.

Lets see if either Smith or Hunt can mind the smaller quick  forwards and put pressure on them. To be fair we also have Riv  Salo and Bowser who are good half backs who are adept at defence and attack in their games. 

Interesting position as Tommo and Petty are much better vs the talls along with May and Lever (most times ). 

Remember it's the pressure over all that we put on forwards via our defence mids or even forwards that breaks down our opponents mostly to allow our gdd as me to flourish and us to score. 
 

4 minutes ago, 58er said:

The Smithy lovers are saying he can play tall or small.

That is just their opinion to justify him staying in the team ie his versitility.

BUT NO ONE has offered any proof by example of the SMALL player he  has  beaten since returning last year .

IMO he was an embarrassment vs Charlie Cameron in the QUAL Final and that is the best sample that is recent to take notice of.  
 

Compare  that with Hibbo's two Finals  games on Geelongs small forwards and the Dogs in the GF. 

No comparison as I think it's Hibbo that can also play tall/ mids of heavy weight due to his body positioning spoiling deceptive pace. 

We all know that Hibbo is probably in his final year so it's wise to develop other options for our defence. 

Hunty played well vs Dogs but is not a one on one expert really.

Lets see if either Smith or Hunt can mind the smaller quick  forwards and put pressure on them. To be fair we also have Riv  Salo and Bowser who are good half backs who are adept at defence and attack in their games. 

Interesting position as Tommo and Petty are much better vs the talls along with May and Lever (most times ). 

Remember it's the pressure over all that we put on forwards via our defence mids or even forwards that breaks down our opponents mostly to allow our gdd as me to flourish and us to score. 
 

"Our Game to flourish "

According to Tom Brown on channel 7 Brown is not playing. 

17 minutes ago, 58er said:

The Smithy lovers are saying he can play tall or small.

That is just their opinion to justify him staying in the team ie his versitility.

BUT NO ONE has offered any proof by example of the SMALL player he  has  beaten since returning last year .

IMO he was an embarrassment vs Charlie Cameron in the QUAL Final and that is the best sample that is recent to take notice of.  
 

Compare  that with Hibbo's two Finals  games on Geelongs small forwards and the Dogs in the GF. 

No comparison as I think it's Hibbo that can also play tall/ mids of heavy weight due to his body positioning spoiling deceptive pace. 

We all know that Hibbo is probably in his final year so it's wise to develop other options for our defence. 

Hunty played well vs Dogs but is not a one on one expert really.

Lets see if either Smith or Hunt can mind the smaller quick  forwards and put pressure on them. To be fair we also have Riv  Salo and Bowser who are good half backs who are adept at defence and attack in their games. 

Interesting position as Tommo and Petty are much better vs the talls along with May and Lever (most times ). 

Remember it's the pressure over all that we put on forwards via our defence mids or even forwards that breaks down our opponents mostly to allow our gdd as me to flourish and us to score. 
 

Smoke and Mirrors 

Smith out Covid 

lever in 

Just now, Jaded No More said:

According to Tom Brown on channel 7 Brown is not playing. 

Then that is not what I or many here would want to hear. T Mac would want to deliver BIG TIME

14 minutes ago, 58er said:

"Our Game to flourish "

A bit like Robbie Grey:  not been out of iso long enough.

Just now, brendan said:

Smith out Covid 

lever in 

SERIOUS??

Just now, picket fence said:

SERIOUS??

Yep and Bedford out aswell 

Howes listed as an emergency.