24 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Think it’s the ongoing impact from the bad rolled ankle recently. The week off before finals will do our players a world of good. Guys like Gawn, Brown, Lever, Clarry, Petty have all missed matches and played under duress in the second half of this year. A week for them to freshen up and heal further should have us in good knick to give finals a red hot crack at closer to full strength. 

Yes yes but when you roll an ankle there is likely a mild strain at the very least, imo this is a pretty big risk because if it isn’t properly healed that can get redamaged quite easily. I trust the medics though.

In: Brown, Harmes

Out: Weideman, Sparrow

31 minutes ago, mo64 said:

That was my take. He was definitive about BBB playing, but said that Harmes is ready to go. I took that to mean that Harmes was available, rather than being in the team. But there's no VFL game for Casey.

If Harmes comes in, I think it will be for ANB.

You’re kidding, no way ANB gets dropped. He is the best inside 50 tackler/pressurer and a good leader. His unrewarded running is also up there with only the like of Langers

Edited August 4, 20223 yr by Deenooos_

6 minutes ago, Nasher said:

In: Brown, Harmes

Out: Weideman, Sparrow

Sparrow would be bloody stiff!

4 minutes ago, Nasher said:

In: Brown, Harmes

Out: Weideman, Sparrow

No way Sparrow gets dropped ahead of ANB. 

Harmes may well be the sub. Lions got caught out last week by having a tall as a sub. 

30 minutes ago, A F said:

Watching Goodwin's press conference, he hesitated when discussing where Harmes will play. He might just not want to give up too much in a press conference, but my read on it is I think Harmes will play VFL this week.

I think Goody is cagey because Harmesy is going to play a negating/tagging role on either N Daicos or DeGoey. The MFC website has already declared “Demon Duo to return for pies clash” with pictures and an article about Brown and Harmes. I’ve never seen our website declare someone would play and then they didn’t. Goody also went to great pains to say that Gus would play any role for the team, that tells me he’s back to half back this week. 
Im sticking with my initial call of 

In: Brown, Harmes

Out: Weid, Hunt

despite the facepalms it received. 
 

Reading between Goody’s lines:

BBB in Weid out only change

Just now, Deenooos_ said:

You’re kidding, no way ANB gets dropped. He is the best inside 50 tackler/pressurer and a good leader. His unrewarded running is also up with only the like of Langers

That's all well and good, but if you are fumbling, not winning the ball, and not a forward threat, then the coaching dept will make a call as to whether his defensive work outweighs his lack of offense.

I like ANB, but wouldn't mind if he spent a couple of weeks at Casey to get his mojo back.

4 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

Harmesy is going to play a negating/tagging role on either N Daicos

I hope this happens. That lil [censored] has played like no one has been on him

5 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Sparrow would be bloody stiff!

Top of the ladder problems I reckon BBO. Rivers and Bowey have both been stiff this year too.

2 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Top of the ladder problems I reckon BBO. Rivers and Bowey have both been stiff this year too.

Yep. Milkshake showing some improved form and playing a role has added to the selection heat.

I think Harmes can only play the Sparrow role. ANB plays a role that releases Petracca and requires him to run up and down the ground.

It’s not a plug and play. I can see Brown for Weid and no other change or Harmes for Sparrow…

Good problems to have.

A couple of takes from Goody's presser.

He mentioned that we've given up 4 goal leads in 7 games. And that we had to be more ruthless. That's a change from his post game presser against the Suns, when he said that we didn't need to score.

Also mentioned that BBB is a goalkicker. Whilst our game is built around defense, I hope that the coaching dept have changed their thinking to a small degree, and realised that we need more avenues to goal. Melksham has added something to our forward line, and I hope he doesn't get dropped.

Edited August 4, 20223 yr by mo64

I think Harmes comes in as medi-sub and Brown in for Weid.

23 minutes ago, Nasher said:

In: Brown, Harmes

Out: Weideman, Sparrow

Spaz isn't going anywhere 🤞🤣

34 minutes ago, A F said:

I don't understand why we don't have Tomlinson as a sub every game. I get the injection of pace like a Chandler or Bedford, but talls are vital to our structure and game style, so having someone that has the capacity to play tall back, forward, wing or ruck seems like the ideal sub.

But you may be right, mate. Harmes could well be sub.

I think we use the sub as much to give the in-form VFL guys a taste and to say "you are really close", as we do for tactical reasons.

While I agree that I would play a tall as a sub given we are missing Tmac and have nobody who can swing back to defend, I can also see the value in Harmes being sub, as he can play a number of different roles. He allows us to also shuffle the mids/forwards and potentially send someone down back if we need a hand there. 

 

Edit: I actually think Smith would be a great sub. 

Edited August 4, 20223 yr by Jaded No More

16 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

I think Goody is cagey because Harmesy is going to play a negating/tagging role on either N Daicos or DeGoey. The MFC website has already declared “Demon Duo to return for pies clash” with pictures and an article about Brown and Harmes. I’ve never seen our website declare someone would play and then they didn’t. Goody also went to great pains to say that Gus would play any role for the team, that tells me he’s back to half back this week. 
Im sticking with my initial call of 

In: Brown, Harmes

Out: Weid, Hunt

despite the facepalms it received. 
 

You could be right, but I'd be staggered if Gus isn't in the midfield this week. This is one of the aces up our sleeve we've been holding back. I reckon he'll play midfield. If Harmes does come in it will be at the expense of a forward or half forward/mid rotation - see Melksham or Sparrow.

As for captain Jack Sparrow, I reckon his game against Freo has been bizarrely overrated. I thought he was dreadful in the first half, before working his way back into it during the second half.

If they want to bring Harmes in, I'd suggest it's mostly likely Sparrow.

I can definitely see Gus starting at the centre bounce again and Harmes HFF. I don't want to see Sparrow dropped but wouldn't be totally surprised if it happened. 

3 minutes ago, A F said:

You could be right, but I'd be staggered if Gus isn't in the midfield this week. This is one of the aces up our sleeve we've been holding back. I reckon he'll play midfield. If Harmes does come in it will be at the expense of a forward or half forward/mid rotation - see Melksham or Sparrow.

As for captain Jack Sparrow, I reckon his game against Freo has been bizarrely overrated. I thought he was dreadful in the first half, before working his way back into it during the second half.

If they want to bring Harmes in, I'd suggest it's mostly likely Sparrow.

I'm a big fan of Sparrow I think his aggressiveness and physicality around the contest allow guys like Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Langdon et al to surge the ball forward.

Agree on Brayshaw also, would hate to see him moved from the midfield - I want him there for the rest of the year, gives us an extra weapon in there that has been missing.

Edited August 4, 20223 yr by Dr. Gonzo

9 minutes ago, mo64 said:

A couple of takes from Goody's presser.

He mentioned that we've given up 4 goal leads in 7 games. And that we had to be more ruthless. That's a change from his post game presser against the Suns, when he said that we didn't need to score.

Also mentioned that BBB is a goalkicker. Whilst our game is built around defense, I hope that the coaching dept have changed their thinking to small degree, and realised that we need more avenues to goal. Melksham had added something to our forward line, and I hope he doesn't get dropped.

I think you're misinterpreting Goodwin's earlier remarks personally. I think he meant we didn't need to score (as much) if we gave the opposition little.

Of course they want to be able to score heavily, but that comes off the back of strong defence and getting the forward mix right.

2 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I'm a big fan of Sparrow I think his aggressiveness and physicality around the contest allow guys like Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Langdon et al to surge the ball forward.

Agree on Brayshaw also, would hate to see him moved from the midfield - I want him there for the rest of the year, gives us an extra weapon in there that has been missing.

I like Sparrow too, but he's still a young guy and works through really inconsistent patches. The same with JJ.

I could see both losing their spots come finals if the competition for spots was tight. I think JJs wing is safe now though that they're intent on playing Gus through the midfield.

In response to a comment from MrFreeze that JVR could play Melk's defensive forward role, i just posted this in the training thread, but it probably fits here better:

That's exactly what I thought.

It would be the perfect role for him at this stage in career as his focus would be on sticking with an opposition interceptor (Moore?) and making sure they don't mark anything coming into our 50.

Which given his desire to compete he would relish. 

Anything else would be a bonus.

But to be honest melksham has done well enough in that role to keep his spot. And is obviously more experienced and probably physically stronger too.

A couple of questions come to mind:

If bb comes in, Melksham stays in, and weed goes out, who would go out for jvr if he is selected?

Can bb, Melksham, Fritter AND JVR all fit into our forward line?

19 minutes ago, A F said:

I think you're misinterpreting Goodwin's earlier remarks personally. I think he meant we didn't need to score (as much) if we gave the opposition little.

Of course they want to be able to score heavily, but that comes off the back of strong defence and getting the forward mix right.

That was my take also, but it's allowed the opposition to get a sniff, and we haven't been able to change the momentum shift.

Just now, mo64 said:

That was my take also, but it's allowed the opposition to get a sniff, and we haven't been able to change the momentum shift.

I don't think it's any different to most games in 2021...

4 minutes ago, binman said:

In response to a comment from MrFreeze that JVR could play Melk's defensive forward role, i just posted this in the training thread, but it probably fits here better:

That's exactly what I thought.

It would be the perfect role for him at this stage in career as his focus would be on sticking with an opposition interceptor (Moore?) and making sure they don't mark anything coming into our 50.

Which given his desire to compete he would relish. 

Anything else would be a bonus.

But to be honest melksham has done well enough in that role to keep his spot. And is obviously more experienced and probably physically stronger too.

A couple of questions come to mind:

If bb comes in, Melksham stays in, and weed goes out, who would go out for jvr if he is selected?

Can bb, Melksham, Fritter AND JVR all fit into our forward line?

I'd send him to Maynard or Howe. Moore will surely go to Brown.