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PREGAME: Rd 07 vs North Melbourne

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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If Chandler is not 100% , then Laurie or Melksham should play.Harmes and Dunstan also need to be considered.

 
3 hours ago, rpfc said:

I think we simply have to rotate players the next three weeks. Geelong would do it and still win, we might do it and drop a game but we can’t smash our stars and expect different results to last years fade-outs and then season fade-out.

I'm with rpfc on this. From the outside it's hard to tell who's beat up the most and would benefit from a break, but we do have some fresh players:
*Schache who didn't get to even play VFL this weekend after coming off 4 goals for Casey the weekend before
*Laurie, who as sub, played all of 5 minutes on Monday night after a BOG in the VFL the week before
The VFL team will be coming off a 6-day break so it's not a such a huge "freshener" as we might be thinking, but nonetheless we have Harmes, who was never actually dropped, who has had 2 outstanding games for Casey in the last 2 games, and 2 weeks off w/o actually being injured.

That's before we even think about BBB and McD and others.

It'll be tough on the boys to back up last night with another game in five days but as a supporter I think it's great that we play again so soon. Can't believe that it's round 7 already though. 

 
3 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Out: May Grundy

In: Schache Turner

why Grundy... he's not setting the world alight but he's steadily doing the job and showing glimpses of his skills

    • Like 3

    1 minute ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    why Grundy... he's not setting the world alight but he's steadily doing the job and showing glimpses of his skills

    Totally agree. Grundy stays in.

    • Like 4

    Grundy is ok in the ruck and in front of the ball.  His defensive skills are poor, dropping off the main too easily in the the back half - made Bombers rucks look like gods and did the same in D against tigers. He also doesn’t mark well enough.  I wouldn’t be dropping him, but be getting him to work on the defensive side of his game.

     

    I just hope we get a good crowd. Surely melbourne fans will come. I wonder when Sam McClure will go on about thi to.

    But we need Grundy in to help Max out with Goldy. 

    I just hope we have a really good win and Van Rooyen lighs up the G again 

    I would be limiting resting players. We actually haven’t had much continuity this season and it would be good to keep changes to a minimum. Petty to go back this week, ideally with May, Lever and Hibberd. Brayshaw to play more mid/wing.

    In: BBB, 
    Out: JJ (sub), Laurie(plays VFL) 

    Obviously if anyone is injured or sore we rest them, if May in for Turner, if Chandler Laurie in. Grundy stays in, he and Max need to play together. I think BBB has to play, Schache is the other option but he doesn’t have BBB size and presence up forward. BBB’s preseason and his first two weeks were good and he will take McKay off JVR. We also need Fritta and Pickett to get back to their best after a few lean weeks. Most of all our defense needs to get back to its best and our mids need to start winning clearance and contested ball again. Big chance to reset against a team that despite a good coach and a few gun players is absolutely putrid. 

    • Like 1

    8 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

    I would be limiting resting players. We actually haven’t had much continuity this season and it would be good to keep changes to a minimum. Petty to go back this week, ideally with May, Lever and Hibberd. Brayshaw to play more mid/wing.

    In: BBB, 
    Out: JJ (sub), Laurie(plays VFL) 

    Obviously if anyone is injured or sore we rest them, if May in for Turner, if Chandler Laurie in. Grundy stays in, he and Max need to play together. I think BBB has to play, Schache is the other option but he doesn’t have BBB size and presence up forward. BBB’s preseason and his first two weeks were good and he will take McKay off JVR. We also need Fritta and Pickett to get back to their best after a few lean weeks. Most of all our defense needs to get back to its best and our mids need to start winning clearance and contested ball again. Big chance to reset against a team that despite a good coach and a few gun players is absolutely putrid. 

    We are really only talking about injured/sore players. They played May, Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Lever, Salem, Brown and a couple other less prominent players through Injuries last year and it didn’t end well.

    I say we make do as StK has and as ESS have. Let the remaining stars work it out and get them to play as a team. Continuity is not that important yet. 

    Riv was certainly cramping up and was subbed out

    Larkey was subbed out for North with an ankle maybe he will be missing.

    Harmes and Dunstan have earned a place and the extra run will help on the short break.

    JVR had a great last quarter but I think this was helped by Richmond subbing out a ruck and putting Balta into the ruck instead of minding JVR. That is when he cut loose.

    We are susceptible to teams that bring the ball forward low. Maybe it is time to bring in Turner, there is a spot waiting for Salem when he is ready

    Spargo is still not right and won't play and Melksham didn't play in the VFL so assume he is in cured.

    It will be a light week on the track with minimal change

     

    • Like 3
    3 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Some decisions to weigh up.

    Do we rest someone like May? He looks completely off and proppy. Could bring in a Turner and move Petty back to take Larkey.

    Spargo will obviously come in. I think Jordon will unfortunately have to miss.

    Does Schache come in as the extra tall forward? Was the carry over emergency and form alone in the VFL is so far superior to what Tmac and Brown dished up on Sunday.

    Then you have Harmes and Dunstan who could come in fresh legs, but again it'll be a matter of who's sore off a 5 day break.

    Scrap that just saw in Goodwins presser that Spargo will be put for another week.

    In: Brown

    Out: Hibbo (managed)

    Petty to defence 

    • Like 2

    Would love to see Laurie get a full game, poor guy got all of 5 minutes on the ground last night. Funnily enough he picked up 4 disposals in this time which is what he had in his full debut game.


    Hibberd had ice in his Achilles once again. Could be another who's managed potentially. 

    28 minutes ago, rpfc said:

    We are really only talking about injured/sore players. They played May, Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Lever, Salem, Brown and a couple other less prominent players through Injuries last year and it didn’t end well.

    I say we make do as StK has and as ESS have. Let the remaining stars work it out and get them to play as a team. Continuity is not that important yet. 

    I agree if they’re injured. But last year we were 7-0 playing a VFL West Coast side and 8-0 playing the Roos and we didn’t rest sore players, that’s when we should’ve. Right now we’re 4-2, not in very good form and have a chance to play close to our full strength lineup. If players are injured, sure, rest them. But if they’re just a bit sore but capable of playing we need to get our best team on the park, in the right positions and find some form. Let’s get to 5-2 and 6-2 and then think about resting players with niggles, right now I’d like to see us play. 

    9 minutes ago, adonski said:

    In: Brown

    Out: Hibbo (managed)

    Petty to defence 

    Happy with this, if Petty doesn't go back then I think we should bring Turner in. We look far better with three tall defenders imo.

    • Like 5
    16 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

    Scrap that just saw in Goodwins presser that Spargo will be put for another week.

    How did you see Goodwin’s full presser? I can only get the clipped 3.50 version that cuts out early on the AFL app and our MFC version. 

    6 minutes ago, deejammin' said:

    How did you see Goodwin’s full presser? I can only get the clipped 3.50 version that cuts out early on the AFL app and our MFC version. 

    The mfc app has the full version.

    Edit: at least I thought it did. Just checked now and it says 3.50 run time. Swear I watched it last night and it went for near 7 minutes.

    Edited by Nascent

    • Thanks 1

    8 minutes ago, Nascent said:

    The mfc app has the full version.

    Edit: at least I thought it did. Just checked now and it says 3.50 run time. Swear I watched it last night and it went for near 7 minutes.

    Found it on YouTube through Fox footy. Both the AFL and MFC app have the weird cut 3.50 version but because you told me it existed I was able to find it. The version on the apps is weird. Even shorter than where channel 7 left it one the broadcast. Oh well. 

    • Like 2

    No wholesale changes. North is a competitive unit, treat them lightly at your peril. 

    Couple of rotations with guys playing through the pain barrier but dropping Grundy and Hunter is nonsensical.

    • Like 3

    If Spargo is still not right play the same team that beat Richmond.

    • Like 2
     

    No doubt Clarko will rise up for this challenge. He’s had a terrific record against us over the years, including in 2021 when he somehow got a draw out of us. 

    A 5 day break sniffs of a danger game for me. I know North only have a 6 day trip from the GC, but after what we dished up against Essendon I’m still a bit worried. 

    I really feel it’s an opportunity to bring in Schache and put Petty back. He’s probably the ideal match up for Larkey.

    • Like 2
    6 hours ago, rpfc said:

    I think we simply have to rotate players the next three weeks. Geelong would do it and still win, we might do it and drop a game but we can’t smash our stars and expect different results to last years fade-outs and then season fade-out.

    But cue the nuffies who will jump on here and talk about ‘of course we didn’t play well Melksham/Dunstan/Harmes/TMac/Schache/BBB/insert name here played!1!1!1!’

    if we had multiple players over 30 we would do that but we are not the Cats

    we need cohesion and to get a fwd set up happening 

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