26 minutes ago, Canplay said:

Bowey in to replace one of the pressure forwards - Spago or ANB -  we need his kicking skills into the forward line and both lads out of form - particularly ANB.

 

Agree. Bowey gets more of the ball than Spargo and is a like for like. Is fend offs a stat. Harmes did 37 today for Casey, but would add grunt. Weidemann was very good today. Spargo my only out, was poor mostly last night.

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

We would then have 2 non chasing talls and often a ruck.

Worked ok last year...

  

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

At afl level he doesn’t have the tank, speed or clunking hands to get out on the lead at CHF.

Would that matter at all with how we go forward?

  

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Not sure why we have such desire to change the Brown, Melk, Fritsch and rucks combo. Scoring really hasn’t been the problem since Melk came in to the side.

Not sure I agree with this. Our inside 50 efficiency seems pretty poor atm. Milkshake saved us last night by playing one out of the box, but I wouldn't be relying on that happening every week.

 

3 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

We would then have 2 non chasing talls and often a ruck. Plus Weid was all big body work on small opponents today. At afl level he doesn’t have the tank, speed or clunking hands to get out on the lead at CHF. He’d be a sitting duck for a good key defender. He doesn’t kick it well enough to be a weapon with the ball either.

Not sure why we have such desire to change the Brown, Melk, Fritsch and rucks combo. Scoring really hasn’t been the problem since Melk came in to the side.

 

Agree with everything except that scoring has been a problem. Our scoring should be comparable with our inside 50 numbers. In that respect we have been inefficient for quite some time, and it's cost us games.

Spargo has been a failure as a relief wingman, and isn't contributing as a crumbing forward, so has to go. Bowey in for him.

4 minutes ago, mo64 said:

Agree with everything except that scoring has been a problem. Our scoring should be comparable with our inside 50 numbers. In that respect we have been inefficient for quite some time, and it's cost us games.

Spargo has been a failure as a relief wingman, and isn't contributing as a crumbing forward, so has to go. Bowey in for him.

Just on this - Spargo is the number 1 player in the AFL for kicks retained inside 50, and is MILES ahead of any other Demon.

If you want to improve our scoring efficiency get him the ball more rather than drop him.

5 minutes ago, mo64 said:

Agree with everything except that scoring has been a problem. Our scoring should be comparable with our inside 50 numbers. In that respect we have been inefficient for quite some time, and it's cost us games.

Spargo has been a failure as a relief wingman, and isn't contributing as a crumbing forward, so has to go. Bowey in for him.

Spargo played all of 5 minutes on the wing because Brayshaw was needed on Cripps. Sure, give me Bowey for those 5 minutes.

For the rest of the game Spargo, Bedford and Chandler are all ahead of a massive dice role on Bowey.
 

Spargo was good against Freo, very good against Port. He’s had a couple of tough weeks against good sides in really tough conditions, that’s the life of a small forward. 

11 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Worked ok last year...

  

Would that matter at all with how we go forward?

  

Not sure I agree with this. Our inside 50 efficiency seems pretty poor atm. Milkshake saved us last night by playing one out of the box, but I wouldn't be relying on that happening every week.

 

McDonald chased and covered the ground far better than Brown and Weid do.

If Weid is going to play as a lead up CHF he needs afl abilities to do so. If he’s going to be stand and deliver under high balls we’ve all see enough of that this year.

Our first halves in the 5 games since Melk has come in have produced scoring. And in total it’s been 83, 100, 85, 89, 79. All could’ve been winning scores.

The lack of efficiency is partly the leading patterns, partly Brown and the rucks being no good, a good chunk due to our midfield and backline lack of skills and change of direction and partly due to Melk being 187cm not 195.

Weid in only fixes 1 of those issues and hurts all the rest.

3 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

McDonald chased and covered the ground far better than Brown and Weid do.

If Weid is going to play as a lead up CHF he needs afl abilities to do so. If he’s going to be stand and deliver under high balls we’ve all see enough of that this year.

Our first halves in the 5 games since Melk has come in have produced scoring. And in total it’s been 83, 100, 85, 89, 79. All could’ve been winning scores.

The lack of efficiency is partly the leading patterns, partly Brown and the rucks being no good, a good chunk due to our midfield and backline lack of skills and change of direction and partly due to Melk being 187cm not 195.

Weid in only fixes 1 of those issues and hurts all the rest.

I'm not advocating for Weid to come in, I'm just saying our efficiency is currently poor, we pretty much blast over CHF so don't think it matter who's there atm, and our forward line is not working that well currently - Our inside 50 efficiency is terrible and we're 18th for opponent rebound 50s.

23 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Just on this - Spargo is the number 1 player in the AFL for kicks retained inside 50, and is MILES ahead of any other Demon.

If you want to improve our scoring efficiency get him the ball more rather than drop him.

I saw that stat and it's based on percentages, not volume. If he only has 2 inside 50's a game, that stat becomes irrelevant. And how exactly do you get Spargo the ball more often? The game is all about contests. It's up to him to find the ball. And his weak effort on the boundary line which cost us a goal, does him no favours.

1 minute ago, mo64 said:

I saw that stat and it's based on percentages, not volume. If he only has 2 inside 50's a game, that stat becomes irrelevant. And how exactly do you get Spargo the ball more often? The game is all about contests. It's up to him to find the ball. And his weak effort on the boundary line which cost us a goal, does him no favours.

Does SparGoat get more of the pill if we replaced ANB with JVR for example?

Always found it odd that Spargo, having such high footy IQ, cannot find the footy more than he does

1 minute ago, mo64 said:

I saw that stat and it's based on percentages, not volume. If he only has 2 inside 50's a game, that stat becomes irrelevant. And how exactly do you get Spargo the ball more often? The game is all about contests. It's up to him to find the ball. And his weak effort on the boundary line which cost us a goal, does him no favours.

Silly to judge a player on one piece of play.

We can get him the ball more by getting rid of the habit we have of blasting over half forward. Start using players like Spargo, Harmes, ANB, Langdon etc around half forward and utilizing more directed short kicks.

Spargo isn't a 'crumbing forward', and he's not an inside mid, so it's not just his job to go and win clearances. One of the main factors in our skill issues this year is bypassing our outside players IMO.

5 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Silly to judge a player on one piece of play.

We can get him the ball more by getting rid of the habit we have of blasting over half forward. Start using players like Spargo, Harmes, ANB, Langdon etc around half forward and utilizing more directed short kicks.

Spargo isn't a 'crumbing forward', and he's not an inside mid, so it's not just his job to go and win clearances. One of the main factors in our skill issues this year is bypassing our outside players IMO.

But isn't that the issue? Spargo doesn't suit our game style, so either we change it, or find players who can play the role.

8 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

I'm not advocating for Weid to come in, I'm just saying our efficiency is currently poor, we pretty much blast over CHF so don't think it matter who's there atm, and our forward line is not working that well currently - Our inside 50 efficiency is terrible and we're 18th for opponent rebound 50s.

Efficiency and pressure both poor, but pure scoring ok. The method of getting it in and how predictable it is to defend are both things we can massively upgrade with form, fitness, focus. The forward personnel I really don’t think we can do much about. 

3 minutes ago, mo64 said:

But isn't that the issue? Spargo doesn't suit our game style, so either we change it, or find players who can play the role.

Rubbish. He suited it perfectly fine when we won a flag. What have we completely changed about our game style this year that suddenly now renders him obsolete? Do you think our game style this year is humming along perfectly? No tweaks needed? Reckon Goody talking about 'forward connection' is just to get his face in the paper?

Nonsensical to suggest getting rid of him when his strength is what we desperately need.

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Efficiency and pressure both poor, but pure scoring ok. The method of getting it in and how predictable it is to defend are both things we can massively upgrade with form, fitness, focus. The forward personnel I really don’t think we can do much about. 

'Pure scoring' sure, but you know there's more nuance to it than that, and the lack of pressure and the ease of rebound 50s is causing us to still lose games despite our score being reasonably high.

Improve the forward 50 efficiency and we improve those things by having more marks, allowing us to setup behind the ball, and have more goals, allowing us to use our centre clearance strengths.

14 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

'Pure scoring' sure, but you know there's more nuance to it than that, and the lack of pressure and the ease of rebound 50s is causing us to still lose games despite our score being reasonably high.

Improve the forward 50 efficiency and we improve those things by having more marks, allowing us to setup behind the ball, and have more goals, allowing us to use our centre clearance strengths.

Not sure where you think I said we didn’t need to improve those things? My replies are all in the suggestions to change the forwards. Given this is the changes thread.

Our midfield and half backs are responsible for those issues as much as the forwards. We’ve tried to improve all 3 lines with the change of Hunt in, Brayshaw on ball, Petracca forward. It’s helped marginally. Harmes didn’t look like the answer from his Casey form today. Not sure we’ve got anyone who is the answer.

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Not sure where you think I said we didn’t need to improve those things? My replies are all in the suggestions to change the forwards. Given this is the changes thread.

Didn't mean to imply you did, apologies if that's how it came across, wasn't intended.

4 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Our midfield and half backs are responsible for those issues as much as the forwards. We’ve tried to improve all 3 lines with the change of Hunt in, Brayshaw on ball, Petracca forward. It’s helped marginally. Harmes didn’t look like the answer from his Casey form today. Not sure we’ve got anyone who is the answer.

Agree, it may not be a personnel issue hey? Not sure how we flick the switch for this stuff or even if we can at this stage. I do remember in mid-late 2020 (I think it was about then) that Viney managed to dramatically turn around his inside 50 use almost instantly and the team followed, maybe that's the kind of thing it takes?

Just now, Lord Nev said:

Didn't mean to imply you did, apologies if that's how it came across, wasn't intended.

Agree, it may not be a personnel issue hey? Not sure how we flick the switch for this stuff or even if we can at this stage. I do remember in mid-late 2020 (I think it was about then) that Viney managed to dramatically turn around his inside 50 use almost instantly and the team followed, maybe that's the kind of thing it takes?

...and maybe getting the monkey off the back and winning a hard fought, close game will give us a further lift.

1 hour ago, The heart beats true said:

Any idea why Chandler and Bedford didn’t play?

One poster suggested covid but it was not confirmed. Moniz Wakefield was also out but that apparently was due to a groin strain or similar IIRC

I could copy my changes from last week.

Harmes for Sparrow should be a given. Sparrow is offering nothing at the moment and Harmes should come in to tag Neale.

Van Rooyen / Weideman for Spargo. I don't care how good Spargo's disposal supposedly is, he had 4 touches at 50% efficiency last night, he's kicked goals in 3 of the last 12 games and his opponents are running off him and having a field day every single week. At least another tall keeps the defence honest and will ease the pressure on Brown.

Our two wings are a major concern. I don't like Petracca spending so much time forward either. Therefore Brayshaw back to the wing, Petracca into the middle and Jordon on notice.

Interested in Demonlanders opinion on Lever's form at the moment. From my eyes, he's in horrid touch, almost looks as though he needs glasses at times given his reading of the ball in flight. At ground level he regularly gets wrong-footed and is giving away some awkward free kicks. When he does get boot or hand to ball it seems to be one shank after another. Is a change warranted and who for?

Heard Max on the radio saying how important ANB is to Kozzie - they work in tandem and Nibbler is basically his on-field coach. He is highly rated by the Club and I can’t see him being dropped in the foreseeable future.

i don't understand the obsession on here of wanting to change our structure - the only time that will happen will be if plugger mac is available again

harmes for sparrow remains the move i'd make but i won't be surprised when it's 'no changes' vs the bears

15 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

Agree, it may not be a personnel issue hey? Not sure how we flick the switch for this stuff or even if we can at this stage. I do remember in mid-late 2020 (I think it was about then) that Viney managed to dramatically turn around his inside 50 use almost instantly and the team followed, maybe that's the kind of thing it takes?

Running, sharing the ball and intensity at the contest to win the ball and to force errors from the opposition is the key to our best football. Tracc and Clarry have been waiting for finals all year I think. Whether they’ve got another gear or not we’ll soon find out. 

Otherwise we drafted Laurie, Bowey, Howes and JVR all for a reason and they’ll get their chances in coming years. Everyone knows what the team needs, the kids just can’t get a game over 19 premiership players even if our style and skills are a bit off

13 minutes ago, Boots and all said:

Interested in Demonlanders opinion on Lever's form at the moment. From my eyes, he's in horrid touch, almost looks as though he needs glasses at times given his reading of the ball in flight. At ground level he regularly gets wrong-footed and is giving away some awkward free kicks. When he does get boot or hand to ball it seems to be one shank after another. Is a change warranted and who for?

It’s crap but we aren’t dropping him for the Lions unless he’s further injured. He had the guts and smarts to kick to the corridor to set up the winning goal though, so it’s not all bad 

No change

need a settled side