We backed up beautifully after a 5 day break. the older players will be banged up. it’s the week after a short break i reckon you need to be managed

Gawn, Hibbo, Viney should be assessed if they a rest. 

Schache should be dropped. plenty of quality waiting to come in

It’s bad management to drop Schache after one game

I’d bring in Spargo for Jordan

Petty for Hibberd

Rinse and repeat

1 minute ago, layzie said:

Will this do Macca? 😁

But here's the thing

Every game we need to bring our best and be suitably switched on

And the match-day plan has to be spot on every time.  We cannot be outcoached in the match-ups (e.g. the ruck situation vs Bombers)

Complacency brings the wake-up call and we've had 2 instances this season ... yet here we are sitting on top of the ladder with an excellent percentage and a half-decent schedule

37 minutes ago, YearOfTheDees said:

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

Petty is probably week after next earliest given concussion protocols.

Spargo's a beauty but even he might need to work his way back in given the state of play at the moment.

At this point the only spot that seems up for grabs is which tall forward gets the gig alongside JVR, assuming he maintains reasonable or better form.

Petty (or even Disco subject to Casey form) as an extra tall down back at times when needed, depending on the oppo's forward line up.

4 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Petty is probably week after next earliest given concussion protocols.

 

Game day is 12 days post concussion if you don’t count the actual day the concussion was sustained. That means he will be free to play if he feels ok. 
Goody confirmed he’s straight back in next week and that it looks like he will pass the protocol without issues. 

In. Petty 

out. Hibbo (if injury worry) or Schache 

Aside from Salem and potentially either BBB/Tmcd, we are looking like a best 22 outfit 

2 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Hibbo might be a good player to lock down Jack Loquacious- his kicking can be damaging 

We need someone on Loquacious to shut him up

1 hour ago, Glorious Day said:

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.

 

I think the problem last year was we needed to rest players earlier in the season before it became imperative that we win late-Season games. I also believe late season injuries to key players was an issue. Our position was very different to Geelong's. They had/have an old list where players need to be managed. I think that generally isn't an issue for Melbourne. Hibberd is the exception but my view is that he is definitely in our best 22.

46 minutes ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

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.  

I think posters are being tough on Charlie. For me he was an automatic inclusion before the concussom. The difficulty is that it's hard to see who goes out with other small forwards all firing.

30 minutes 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. 

Agree entirely.

14 minutes ago, layzie said:

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

I think it depends a bit on injuries. But it's great that we now have depth. 

12 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

i still really like the notion of the tall defensive premiership trio of may-lever-petty being back together, but it's hard to see how unless pig is sore and misses with his achilles, in which schache may hold his spot forward unless sideshow bald or plugger mac turn it on in the vfl

Why do people use nicknames so often?  Some people may not know who you're talking about

Edited April 30, 20231 yr by Orion

15 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Game day is 12 days post concussion if you don’t count the actual day the concussion was sustained. That means he will be free to play if he feels ok. 
Goody confirmed he’s straight back in next week and that it looks like he will pass the protocol without issues. 

AFL Concussion Protocol: the earliest that a player can return to play after a concussion is on the 12th day after the day on which the concussion was sustained and provided that the player has safely progressed through each phase of the 11-step return-to-play program.

So you do count the day of concussion but you can return on the 12th day. 24/4 + 12 = 6/5 which is the day of the Gold Coast Match. Excellent!

Edited April 30, 20231 yr by Sydney_Demon
Typo

16 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

In. Petty 

out. Hibbo (if injury worry) or Schache 

Aside from Salem and potentially either BBB/Tmcd, we are looking like a best 22 outfit 

Our best 22 at season end could be quite different given the vagaries of form, and of course injuries will need to be taken into account. So you reckon JVR is already in our best 22. And Spargo isn't? Who would you drop to bring Salem in?

It's hard to imagine too many changes given how the team went last night but i'd guess Spargo and Petty walk back in and 

Schache and Jordan probably make way 

 

11 hours ago, Smokey said:

I’d rather JJ over spargo when kade is playing the way he is

I have been impressed with JJ - the thought of him linking to the very valuable Chandler seems imminently possible in the creation of an improved forward line. Some more time in the role, please, before the Casey guillotine drops.  

In: Petty, Spargo

Out: Schache, Jordon, Harmes

Sub: Jordon

I’m loving how JVR is playing up the ground a bit, as a link player for offensive transition. I can’t see a forward line with both JVR and T Mac in it as I think they’re too similar. I’d like to see more of BBB, JVR and Fritta as I think this is the best blend of differing offensive skills.

I would not be at all surprised if JVR has a rest next week. Petty for JVR and Spargo for JJ.

15 hours ago, Nascent said:

Ideally I'd have.

In: Brown, Petty

Out: Schache, Hibberd

Petty to play back. Hibberd rested.

I'd prefer Laurie to Harmes but much of a muchness when it comes to the sub.

Pretty moot until Casey's game tomorrow though.

 

Essential that we keep Hibbo ticking over and ripe for a genuine finals assault.

No risk policy.

16 hours ago, Nascent said:

Ideally I'd have.

In: Brown, Petty

Out: Schache, Hibberd

Petty to play back. Hibberd rested.

I'd prefer Laurie to Harmes but much of a muchness when it comes to the sub.

Pretty moot until Casey's game tomorrow though.

 

Why would you prefer Laurie to Harmes?

Just watched the last quarter of the Casey game. Melksham was a cut above everyone else and according to the commentators, had been all game. Kicked 5. Brown did little; Tom McDonald a little more (although keep in mind I only saw the last quarter). Melksham in that form is a better option than Schache, assuming all other players who played last night are fit and available.

6 hours ago, Roost it far said:

It’s bad management to drop Schache after one game

I’d bring in Spargo for Jordan

Petty for Hibberd

Rinse and repeat

Couldn’t agree more.  Big step up from VFL to AFL these days and I actually liked quite a bit of his work.  He was also on the wrong end of some eyebrow raising decisions against him in the last quarter.  Definitely think he deserves another go to get up to speed.  Where that leaves Petty I’m not sure.

Suns are easily beating Tigers they might not be the easy beats a lot are expecting. 

8 hours ago, Roost it far said:

It’s bad management to drop Schache after one game

I’d bring in Spargo for Jordan

Petty for Hibberd

Rinse and repeat

You know what, I don't mind the cut of your selection jib!

In: Joel Smith/ Turner

Out: Van Rooyen/ Sach

Got nothing to lose, throw at the stumps.

Both outs have been a liability in my reckoning.

2 minutes ago, bluey said:

In: Joel Smith/ Turner

Out: Van Rooyen/ Sach

Got nothing to lose

Except the game….

 

Smith has been injured for 900 years. He won’t just waltz into the seniors after one game. And if you’re dropping two tall forwards for a utility and a defender, who is playing forward? 

7 minutes ago, bluey said:

In: Joel Smith/ Turner

Out: Van Rooyen/ Sach

Got nothing to lose, throw at the stumps.

Both outs have been a liability in my reckoning.