PREGAME: Rd 04 vs West Coast

[Jaded No More 68,974]

17 minutes ago, DubDee said:

T Mac and Kozzi   IN

Brown and Hibbo  OUT

Didn’t sound like TMac will come in. I reckon they want to keep Petty forward for a bit longer. 
 

[Fat Tony 5,270]

19 hours ago, binman said:

There is ZERO chance Spargo and Nibbler won't be in the starting 22 (unless injured of course).

I'm not having a shot at you, but i honestly don't get how any dees fan who is passionate enough about the club to post on Demonland, and therefore i assume watch us play regularly, could fail to understand how important Spargo and ANB are and how incredibly unlikely it is either will be dropped or made sub.

Even if someone doesn't understand how important Spargo and ANB are, surely the fact that the last time either was dropped from the ones was 2020 should be enough evidence they are both absolutely best 22 locks and are going nowhere (maybe ANB was dropped once last year? If so, that is the only game he has missed in two and a bit seasons).

 

Firstly, I don't think we should consider being the sub as being dropped, more rested/freshened up.

I hope we give Spargo and ANB a turn as sub at some point this year. IMO we should be using the sub role (during the season) to give all our lesser players a rest and then subbing off some of our top end stars off if the scoreboard is lopsided. (Oliver won't like it but premiership > Brownlow.)

Last year we generally played 3 speed forwards (Pickett, ANB and Spargo), one tall (Ben Brown), one defensive tall (TMac or Melksham), a mid size (Fritsch) and a midfielder/forward (Sparrow). This year Chandler has come in and has shown he can be an AFL quality player, so I can see our system still working well without Spargo and ANB.

Note: ANB missed with injury against Hawthorn last year.

[Fat Tony 5,270]

7 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Didn’t sound like TMac will come in. I reckon they want to keep Petty forward for a bit longer. 
 

I got the impression that Goodwin wants to persist with 3 key forwards (including Petty) and so TMac would probably come in if Brown is unfit.

[Colm 2,187]

35 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Didn’t sound like TMac will come in. I reckon they want to keep Petty forward for a bit longer. 
 

I thought the complete opposite. Think Goody let it slip that Tmac is back. He’s said Tmac got himself back into selection. Then had a smirk and corrected himself. Also mentioned that we need to give Grundy a chop out with ruck duties. 

[Demonsterative 3,020]

33 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

I got the impression that Goodwin wants to persist with 3 key forwards (including Petty) and so TMac would probably come in if Brown is unfit.

On paper I like Petty, JVR and TMac as our preferred forward structure. It brings aerial and ground ball contest and 3 mobile forwards able to rotate moving up the ground and back. But, BBB has been kicking goals. 
 

I liked Petty’s game last week. He competed in the air, on the ground and always looked dangerous. The goals will come. Loved how he brought some mongrel in the forward line. Inferred pressure is important and creates turn over. 

[DubDee 26,123]

1 hour ago, Jaded No More said:

Didn’t sound like TMac will come in. I reckon they want to keep Petty forward for a bit longer. 
 

Cheers for that

but who comes in for Brown then? 

[mo64 5,881]

21 hours ago, binman said:

There is ZERO chance Spargo and Nibbler won't be in the starting 22 (unless injured of course).

I'm not having a shot at you, but i honestly don't get how any dees fan who is passionate enough about the club to post on Demonland, and therefore i assume watch us play regularly, could fail to understand how important Spargo and ANB are and how incredibly unlikely it is either will be dropped or made sub.

Even if someone doesn't understand how important Spargo and ANB are, surely the fact that the last time either was dropped from the ones was 2020 should be enough evidence they are both absolutely best 22 locks and are going nowhere (maybe ANB was dropped once last year? If so, that is the only game he has missed in two and a bit seasons).

 

ANB was told to look elsewhere after 2020, and had no takers. He was woeful at times last year, but the selectors stuck fat. 

And I'm sure you said the exact words about TMac last week, and how important he was to the side. And you also said that JVR was not ready to fill his role. The match committee disagreed.

If you think that Spargo's 2022 output of 12 goals from 25 games is satisfactory for a small forward, then fine. He started well last week then went missing when the Swans got back in the game. Chandler on the other hand kicked a crucial goal that swung the tide.

Goody has stated that things needed to change with our forward set-up. Kozzie and Fritsch were are only impact forwards last year. Adding Chandler and JVR gives us a couple more.

ANB has been good this year, but JJ showed some real X factor as well as grunt. It would be criminal if he was dropped or made sub. Spargo goes missing for long periods of the game. The likes of Spargo and ANB are expendable.

Edited April 6, 2023 by mo64

[mo64 5,881]

Did anyone else get a club alert on their phone saying that one of the mids is out? 

As for TMac, I didn't get the impression from Goody's presser that he's a lock this week. He may come in if BBB is out.

[adonski 12,436]

4 minutes ago, mo64 said:

Did anyone else get a club alert on their phone saying that one of the mids is out? 

As for TMac, I didn't get the impression from Goody's presser that he's a lock this week. He may come in if BBB is out.

Probably Harmes again? Goody confirmed he'd miss

[In Harmes Way 7,823]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/kysaiah-pickett-will-play-in-demons-midfield-in-return-from-suspension/news-story/98bb527fd0b27f8d2bb33764c4f3ed60

I concur - sounds to me like TMac, Kossie are ins. BBB stays home.

I'd say on the basis it's a midfielder dropped for Kossie, that Milkshake out and JJ/Tom Sparrow to tactical sub.

[hardtack 10,627]

4 hours ago, old dee said:

Me too. But I expect 36.

As long as we don’t go into the game expecting it to be easy and this putting in a half-arsed performance , we should be able to win by a very large margin. 

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

1 hour ago, Fat Tony said:

Firstly, I don't think we should consider being the sub as being dropped, more rested/freshened up.

I hope we give Spargo and ANB a turn as sub at some point this year. IMO we should be using the sub role (during the season) to give all our lesser players a rest and then subbing off some of our top end stars off if the scoreboard is lopsided. (Oliver won't like it but premiership > Brownlow.)

Last year we generally played 3 speed forwards (Pickett, ANB and Spargo), one tall (Ben Brown), one defensive tall (TMac or Melksham), a mid size (Fritsch) and a midfielder/forward (Sparrow). This year Chandler has come in and has shown he can be an AFL quality player, so I can see our system still working well without Spargo and ANB.

Note: ANB missed with injury against Hawthorn last year.

Lot of sense in that approach.  Traditionally the sub of old was young fresh legs.

Would not surprise me if we see Gawn and Grundy sharing the sub role between them as the season grinds on post bye

[mo64 5,881]

20 minutes ago, In Harmes Way said:

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/kysaiah-pickett-will-play-in-demons-midfield-in-return-from-suspension/news-story/98bb527fd0b27f8d2bb33764c4f3ed60

I concur - sounds to me like TMac, Kossie are ins. BBB stays home.

I'd say on the basis it's a midfielder dropped for Kossie, that Milkshake out and JJ/Tom Sparrow to tactical sub.

It won't be JJ. Goody made special mention of how brilliant he was last week.

[titan_uranus 25,045]

3 hours ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

A lot gets said about how we never play WC in Melbourne but we gave up home advantage to play them in the NT in 2015 and 2019 so that's on us. 

No it's not.

We've been given two home games against West Coast since Round 2, 2014. There was no requirement in our NT contract that West Coast had to be the side we played in Darwin or Alice Springs, so the AFL had that choice. 

It's utterly ridiculous that we are going to hit 10 years without playing West Coast in Melbourne. 

Also remember that we have drawn West Coast away in every season since 2012, other than 2015 (i.e. in 2019 we had a return game against West Coast in Perth). 

[picket fence 17,522]

1 hour ago, Colm said:

I thought the complete opposite. Think Goody let it slip that Tmac is back. He’s said Tmac got himself back into selection. Then had a smirk and corrected himself. Also mentioned that we need to give Grundy a chop out with ruck duties. 

If the TITANIC comes back in I would be disappionted particulary if BBB is passed Fit. Benny 4th on goalkicking so unless injured he MUST Play!

[roy11 3,893]

I've been avoiding WCE game this season, but still not sure I am ready to see Hunty in another jumper. 

[Slartibartfast 17,631]

2 hours ago, DubDee said:

T Mac and Kozzi   IN

Brown and Hibbo  OUT

Who goes back Dub?

[jumbo returns 6,741]

15 minutes ago, roy11 said:

I've been avoiding WCE game this season, but still not sure I am ready to see Hunty in another jumper. 

Who?

[deejammin' 2,373]

2 hours ago, Fat Tony said:

Firstly, I don't think we should consider being the sub as being dropped, more rested/freshened up.

I hope we give Spargo and ANB a turn as sub at some point this year. IMO we should be using the sub role (during the season) to give all our lesser players a rest and then subbing off some of our top end stars off if the scoreboard is lopsided. (Oliver won't like it but premiership > Brownlow.)

Last year we generally played 3 speed forwards (Pickett, ANB and Spargo), one tall (Ben Brown), one defensive tall (TMac or Melksham), a mid size (Fritsch) and a midfielder/forward (Sparrow). This year Chandler has come in and has shown he can be an AFL quality player, so I can see our system still working well without Spargo and ANB.

Note: ANB missed with injury against Hawthorn last year.

COVID not injury right? 

 

41 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Lot of sense in that approach.  Traditionally the sub of old was young fresh legs.

Would not surprise me if we see Gawn and Grundy sharing the sub role between them as the season grinds on post bye

I don’t think we’ll see rucks as the sub. It’s too risky if you lose a mid or a small. They’ll manage Gawn and Grundy’s ruck time through the games and maybe if we can get ahead enough they’ll each get a rest in the second half of the season. The added run of a mid sized sub is huge in a game with no injuries, as we saw this week. I think we’ll keep the sub mid size players like Melksham, Tomlinson, Sparrow, JJ even Salem this season so they can fill a hole almost anywhere. If Trac or Clarry (heaven forbid) go down early in a game the last thing you want to be bringing on is a ruck. 

[Fat Tony 5,270]

Just now, deejammin' said:

COVID not injury right? 

 

I don’t think we’ll see rucks as the sub. It’s too risky if you lose a mid or a small. They’ll manage Gawn and Grundy’s ruck time through the games and maybe if we can get ahead enough they’ll each get a rest in the second half of the season. The added run of a mid sized sub is huge in a game with no injuries, as we saw this week. I think we’ll keep the sub mid size players like Melksham, Tomlinson, Sparrow, JJ even Salem this season so they can fill a hole almost anywhere. If Trac or Clarry (heaven forbid) go down early in a game the last thing you want to be bringing on is a ruck. 

Yes ANB had Covid I think 

[jnrmac 20,189]

1 hour ago, mo64 said:

If you think that Spargo's 2022 output of 12 goals from 25 games is satisfactory for a small forward, then fine. He started well last week then went missing when the Swans got back in the game. Chandler on the other hand kicked a crucial goal that swung the tide.

If you are measuring Spargo's worth to the team on the number of goals he kicks you really don't understand football.

[Rab D Nesbitt 8,496]

57 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

No it's not.

We've been given two home games against West Coast since Round 2, 2014. There was no requirement in our NT contract that West Coast had to be the side we played in Darwin or Alice Springs, so the AFL had that choice. 

It's utterly ridiculous that we are going to hit 10 years without playing West Coast in Melbourne. 

Also remember that we have drawn West Coast away in every season since 2012, other than 2015 (i.e. in 2019 we had a return game against West Coast in Perth). 

Hi TU. The vast majority of our NT games have been against interstate sides (mostly from SA and WA) so it’s not unreasonable to come to the conclusion that this was our preference. 
 

It kinda reminds me of all the times we used to play Fitzroy at VFL Park instead of the Junction Oval when it was their home game. I think I only ever saw us play there once. The year that Wayne Gordon collapsed in the early reserves game. 

[layzie 34,013]

Little concerned about Harmes. Not available for selection again, hope he's doing ok.

[mo64 5,881]

17 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

If you are measuring Spargo's worth to the team on the number of goals he kicks you really don't understand football.

I expect players to impact the game. Spargo's impact on games is negligible. Low possession numbers and goals, and disappears for long periods during the game. His fanboys hang their hats on his 25 metre centring passes once or twice a game. He's a one trick pony. 

As for his defensive side, I don't see him running down or pressuring opponents like other small forwards.

Chandler has far more strings to his bow, and both he and Bedford should have been given more opportunities ahead of Spargo last year.

Spargo's highest finish in the BnF is 13th, and I'm supposed to believe that he's critical to the team.

I just don't get the Spargo hype on here.

 

[Colm 2,187]

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

If the TITANIC comes back in I would be disappionted particulary if BBB is passed Fit. Benny 4th on goalkicking so unless injured he MUST Play!

Don’t think it matters where he sits on the goal kicking. If he’s not 100% he shouldn’t  play. He will be managed this year to make to give him the best chance to be on fully fit come finals.