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PREGAME: Rd 08 vs Gold Coast

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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1 hour ago, The Oracle said:

The most important thing to look at here is the weather report. Last time we headed up north for a game, we felt the heat and had trouble handling the footy. Let’s hope the team gets up there in time to acclimatize and get a decent training run on the surface of the ground.

My Weather Ap forecast for next Saturday is sunny and 23 degrees.

The last time we played there it absolutely bucketed down the night before. It was a beautiful day the day of the match but when I went onto the field after the game the pitch was sopping wet. The ball was very slick that night. No rain forecast between now and the game and mid to low 20s all week. 4:35pm match so conditions should be fine. 

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    No Touk, no Suns

    Dees by plenty

    BB for Schache and i reckon we bring Petty back in for most likely Hibbo (no dangerous small at the Suns for him to blanket so give the old man a rest)

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    Spargo for Jordon.

    Petty for Schache altho would like Schache to get another go.

    • Like 4
     

    If Petty’s right its either forward for Schache (who I would prefer getting another game) or into defence for Hibberd being managed. Unless we have any other players needing to be managed I would be going with the one change to the 22. Our forward set up and extra midfield rotation looks good with both Jordon and Sparrow in the side. It also allows Trac to spend more time at high half forward. Spargo will need to sub or bide his time at Casey. 

    • Like 4

    No changes unless Petty is ready. Not sure Brown, McDonald or Spargo make us any better.

    Schache will get another week.

    JVR may be managed but probably needs a rest anyway.

    In: Petty

    Out: JVR (managed)

    If Hibberd needs a week then you could swap him for Petty but depends on where Petty will be played.

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    • Shocked 1

    Heading up for this one, looking forward to it. A bit of warm weather and an easy victory, sounds good to me.

    • Like 1
    3 minutes ago, praha said:

    No changes unless Petty is ready. Not sure Brown, McDonald or Spargo make us any better.

    Schache will get another week.

    JVR may be managed but probably needs a rest anyway.

    In: Petty

    Out: JVR (managed)

    If Hibberd needs a week then you could swap him for Petty but depends on where Petty will be played.

    Any time you bring in an elite ball user like Spargo it does make you better I think. 

    • Like 7
     

    Everyone seems to want us to play our best 22 (or 23) next week. It’s round 8 into a long season. Last season we came unstuck through fatigue and doing just this, playing what Goodwin thought was our best side every week, whereas Geelong took more of a squad mentality and rested blokes along the way. It’s clear we need to do that, but at what point of the season? Now, or do we want to get to say 8-3 or 9-2 (which we are almost certain to do) and then do it, with the knowledge our fixture in the second half of the season is nowhere near as brutal as last season?
     

    Problem I see with this approach is if a logjam remains at the top of the ladder and there are 5-6 breakaway teams all around the same number of wins (which could well happen), it would be tempting just to revert to last season’s approach. 
     

    It doesn’t matter how high we finish after the H&A season if we’re banged up and buggered when the finals start. We should know that from last season.

     

    • Like 2
    6 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

    Any time you bring in an elite ball user like Spargo it does make you better I think. 

    Yes possibly for JJ but JJ was ok as well.  Tough calls ahead this week.

    More mid field/on ball minutes for Kozzy ups our chances of converting with that last kick inside and general skills / clean looks forward of center as we saw last night.

    With Chin up and about it allows us the luxury of playing Kozzy in this role.

    Makes us a much more dangerous prospect in general.  Nice move from the coach / FD.  Let's hope they keep it going!  Would be crazy to change this set up, injuries aside.

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    The MC will have known all along that the competition for places up forward as a KPF was going to be hot this year

    The acquisition of Schache and Grundy (who is shouldering most of the ruckwork with Gawn up forward) along with Petty used as a tall forward has meant that we've got 5 talls for 2 or 3 spots

    Matching the midfield depth that we now have

    So competion within the ranks answers the questions.  Brown & T-Mac will need to impress in order to come under the selectors eyes.  We'll find a spot for Petty when he becomes available

    And those in the team (Schache & van Rooyen) will both need to do enough (or more than enough) to stay

    And we might want to rotate anyway with a squad mentality as the focus

    If Brown and/or T-Mac impress today we will have a nice problem at the selection table

    Edited by Macca

    • Like 1
    1 hour ago, Dee Zephyr said:

    Any time you bring in an elite ball user like Spargo it does make you better I think. 

    Spargo is an elite kick into 50. But over the first 5 full games he played he averaged 7 kicks. Others have taken their chance and I suggest offered us more flexibility and midfield load share. He should bide his time as sub or at Casey.  

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    1 hour ago, praha said:

    No changes unless Petty is ready. Not sure Brown, McDonald or Spargo make us any better.

    Schache will get another week.

    JVR may be managed but probably needs a rest anyway.

    In: Petty

    Out: JVR (managed)

    If Hibberd needs a week then you could swap him for Petty but depends on where Petty will be played.

    Let’s see how they go in the Casey game today. With the exception of Petty ( I thought concussed players were auto out for two weeks?) I would not change the side and it gives BB a chance to regain form. 


    5 minutes ago, YearOfTheDees said:

    Petty and Spargo come straight back in if they are ok. Not sure who goes out. 

    Spargo has been average this year why straight back in? Play him at Casey. 

    17 minutes ago, Macca said:

    The MC will have known all along that the competion for places up forward as a KPF was going to be hot this year

    The acquisition of Schache and Grundy (who is shouldering most of the ruckwork with Gawn up forward) along with Petty used as a tall forward has meant that we've got 5 talls for 2 or 3 spots

    Matching the midfield depth that we now have

    So competion within the ranks answers the questions.  Brown & T-Mac will need to impress in order to come under the selectors eyes.  We'll find a spot for Petty when he becomes available

    And those in the team (Schache & van Rooyen) will both need to do enough (or more than enough) to stay

    And we might want to rotate anyway with a squad mentality as the focus

    If Brown and/or T-Mac impress today we will have a nice problem at the selection table

    Agree 100% Macca.

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    13 minutes ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

    Spargo is an elite kick into 50

    And that’s what we’ve been lamenting for years, the lack of. I didn’t suggest bringing him in straight away, he does make us better in the forward half though. He plays the hardest position on the ground and he makes the most of his limited touches. 

    1 minute ago, Dee Zephyr said:

    And that’s what we’ve been lamenting for years, the lack of. I didn’t suggest bringing him in straight away, he does make us better in the forward half though. He plays the hardest position on the ground and he makes the most of his limited touches. 

    He plays the hardest position on the ground but currently Pickett, Chandler and ANB are doing it better. I think we look better with the 3 and an extra mid or three tall forwards rather than all 4 and losing one of the other. 

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    5 minutes ago, layzie said:

    Tough call but maybe Spargo back in as the sub this week. 

    Casey for me.

    Edited by old dee

    37 minutes ago, Macca said:

    The MC will have known all along that the competition for places up forward as a KPF was going to be hot this year

    The acquisition of Schache and Grundy (who is shouldering most of the ruckwork with Gawn up forward) along with Petty used as a tall forward has meant that we've got 5 talls for 2 or 3 spots

    Matching the midfield depth that we now have

    So competion within the ranks answers the questions.  Brown & T-Mac will need to impress in order to come under the selectors eyes.  We'll find a spot for Petty when he becomes available

    And those in the team (Schache & van Rooyen) will both need to do enough (or more than enough) to stay

    And we might want to rotate anyway with a squad mentality as the focus

    If Brown and/or T-Mac impress today we will have a nice problem at the selection table

    If selection isn't difficult every week from now on then we aren't doing our job right!

    • Clap 1
    Just now, layzie said:

    If selection isn't difficult every week from now on then we aren't doing our job right!

    It's a far cry from yesteryear when we wanted more than a dozen replaced when the cupboard was bare

    And as good as the Northey and Daniher teams were, our depth is quite something these days

    A concerted plan to have at least 30 AFL standard players with at least half that number being B+ or better. 

    The management has been first class

    I like it, I like it a lot (can you supply the gif layz?!!)

     
    1 minute ago, Macca said:

    It's a far cry from yesteryear when we wanted more than a dozen replaced when the cupboard was bare

    And as good as the Northey and Daniher teams were, our depth is quite something these days

    A concerted plan to have at least 30 AFL standard players with at least half that number being B+ or better. 

    The management has been first class

    I like it, I like it a lot (can you supply the gif layz?!!)

    dumb and dumber GIF

     

    Will this do Macca? 😁

    • Haha 1
    22 minutes ago, old dee said:

    Let’s see how they go in the Casey game today. With the exception of Petty ( I thought concussed players were auto out for two weeks?) I would not change the side and it gives BB a chance to regain form. 

    No, it's 12 days automatic for concussion but the player also needs to go through the protocols. If there are any ongoing symptoms the player stays out which I assume was the case for Spargo. Goody said Petty was progressing well and will come back but I would have thought he'd still be out under the 12-day rule (or he's right on the cusp).

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