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PREGAME: Rd 20 vs Richmond

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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On a different selection matter Mathew Nicholls is again selected for our match. That's 3 in a row and 4 times this season. WTF.

I'll allow that he wasn't as bad against us last week but I really hate giving him another opportunity.

    • Like 5
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    • Vomit 1
     
    2 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

    Huge out for them. He’s very handy

    If they don't replace him, they'll be a player short.

    Edited by binman

    • Haha 8
     

    1 hour ago, Demon17 said:

    I sit on the Lachie Hunter wing - as opposed to the southern stand Ed Langdon wing, so watch him close up.  Some sublime disposals last week,  always thinking steps ahead of oppo. Not afraid of approaching tacklers.  Great pick up. 

    Agree with you on Hunter - but I thought they were alternating the wings this year based on their preferred kicking foot?

    • Like 1
    51 minutes ago, binman said:

    If they don't replace him, they'll be short a player

    nice one binman. when Hunty left us last year one could posit we were one Jayden Short.

    • Haha 6
    • Clap 2
     

    One thing I am still confused by with Footy is counting possessions and having the ball more means you play well regardless of what you do with it.  Pretty sure its the only sport in the world that counts the amount of time you get the ball and that equals a good performance. The commentators sometimes keep counting the times a player gets it!

    Dunstan is a classic example, he is not a skillful player, is not quick and can not play anywhere else than pure inside mid. He is a great VFL player but is very limited on an AFL level.  Everyone calling for him to play just watch the couple of AFL games he played last year.  Why is he not selected after multiple 40 touch games?  he is not AFL quality.  Harsh but true. He couldn't even get a game for the Saints when they had a horrible midfield.

    If Viney plus others are out though, he is there for cover.

    • Like 6

    I’m not greedy. Any out for them should help shorten our odds! 

    Edited by OhMyDees

    • Haha 1
    4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

    I would've gone Dunstan as well but given Harmes is on the extended bench he may be the replacement for Sparrow.

    That makes sense yes

    • Like 1
    10 minutes ago, DubDee said:

    If Viney plus others are out though, he is there for cover.

    I don't think many are suggesting he should replace but your last sentance is on the money.

    According to the SC/FD, apparantly he's not there for cover though as he still can't get a gig, even with Sparrow out.

    • Like 1
    1 hour ago, binman said:

    I don't think Harmes will be picked.

    My guess is the interchange bench will be

    Charlie Spargo
    Michael Hibberd
    Harrison Petty
    Judd McVee

    And Smithy will be the sub.

    Two defenders (or three if you count Petty), one small forward and no on-ballers. Interesting suggestions. Can't see it myself.

    • Like 2
    1 hour ago, dworship said:

    On a different selection matter Mathew Nicholls is again selected for our match. That's 3 in a row and 4 times this season. WTF.

    I'll allow that he wasn't as bad against us last week but I really hate giving him another opportunity.

    Hopefully 22 (Williamson?) isn't there. 

    Have a sneaky suspicion someone in his family (mum or aunty) might be a Toiges fanatic.

    • Like 1
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    1 hour ago, Gawndy the Great said:

    Jayden Short out.

     

     

    Good news with Short out. He's the type of bloke that can kick three 50 metre goals in a game while playing half back flank.

    Richmond have a 5 day break into next Friday night so the club may have deemed that the break was too Short to play him on Sunday and the player in question may have been Short of a gallop.

    • Like 3
    • Haha 1
    1 hour ago, binman said:

    I don't think Harmes will be picked.

    My guess is the interchange bench will be

    Charlie Spargo
    Michael Hibberd
    Harrison Petty
    Judd McVee

    And Smithy will be the sub.

    Smith should be best 22 as I believe all subs are named in the outs, unless they are moved into the 22. 

    • Like 2
    4 minutes ago, DubDee said:

    Dunstan is a classic example, he is not a skillful player, is not quick and can not play anywhere else than pure inside mid. He is a great VFL player but is very limited on an AFL level.  Everyone calling for him to play just watch the couple of AFL games he played last year.  Why is he not selected after multiple 40 touch games?  he is not AFL quality.  Harsh but true. 

    For the sake of argument, let's say you are right and he is not AFL standard.

    By that logic Harmes isn't either - or at least based on his performance against Coburg. 

    Even if an AFL listed player doesn't have a great game in the maggos, you can usually see they are above VFL standard.

    I went to the game solo and watched intently.

    I thought Spargo didn't have a huge game, but worked super hard all game with his up and down the ground running (whcih is his role).

    I thought Harmes had just an ok game, and his work rate was was also ok.

    The difference to my eye is that Charlie clearly looked a cut above VFL level.  To be honest, i can't say the same thing of Harmsey. 

    And Dunstan had way more impact in the game than both Spargo and Harmes. And his disposal was generally first class too i thought. 

    I'm no talent scout, but i think Dunstan is def AFL level.

    The problem for Dunstan is that he is a pure inside mid, extractor type.

    Libba and Viney are the two such players that come to mind when thinking of the best in that role. Critical players as they win the hard ball and feed it out the runners.  

    But unlike say 4 years ago, clubs can only run with one pure an inside extractor type, with a back up player to give them a chop out, because outside run has become so important. Previously you might have 2 or 3 such players, but teams can't carry more than one such player, partic if a bit slow. 

    We have Viney, with Sparrow as back up. So really Dunstan is back up for Viney. 

    Every club needs an inside extractor now. So i think there is def an AFL spot somewhere for him. 

    In fact i reckon he is exactly the sort of player a club like Freo needs as they are rubbish at winning the hard, contested ball at clearances.   

    • Like 9
    15 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

    Brown being dropped 5 weeks prior to finals is not a good sign for him. I'm disappointed - I really hoped he could get himself going and be the key forward we really need. 

    Either Petty or Smith gets his spot, presumably Petty. IMO, Petty has to make it as a forward because Tomlinson deserves to hold his spot over Petty in the backline.

    I'm also disappointed that Dunstan can't get a game over Harmes. I feel like we've seen enough of Harmes in 2023 and we had moved past what he had to offer. I hope he proves me wrong, and I can understand the FD being reluctant to bring in Dunstan who hasn't played all year, but I just feel this isn't the right move.

    I'm not so sure it's curtains for BB, nor is it the worst thing to be dropped at this stage.

    I think they could just as easily be thinking, 'right, his body is not going to hold up for another 8 or 9 weeks, but he could be up and about for 4 or 5. Let's manage him in the lead up to finals, play him in Round 23 and 24, and then he gets the week off before finals, and he plays all the finals.'

    Lots of water to pass under the bridge just yet.

    • Like 9
    20 minutes ago, MrFreeze said:

    Smith should be best 22 as I believe all subs are named in the outs, unless they are moved into the 22. 

    Think this is only true for Friday and Saturday games where the 22 are named with emergencies.

    Sunday we have an extended bench where the sub and emergencies will come from and Smith is a part of that.

    Edited by Nascent

    • Like 2

    id give brown the next month off and play with the other tall forward, whoever that might be. 
    He should then be cherry ripe for finals with a game or in the VFL first... but we'll see

    • Like 1
    18 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

    Two defenders (or three if you count Petty), one small forward and no on-ballers. Interesting suggestions. Can't see it myself.

    Well, i can't see Mcvee getting dropped. 

    And they seemingly have announced Petty (i think) - and i'm assuming he is playing forward.

    Spargo is best 22. so he comes in.

    But you're right, Hibbo is perhaps surplus to requirements - though they could put him on Dusty and free up Mcvee to be more offensive and rotate with bowey, salo and rivers (and perhaps also small bursts on the wing to give Hunter or langers a chop out). 

    I guess part of my thinking is i wasn't impressed with Harmes' game against Coburg, but he a logical replacement for Sparrow. 

    If harmes does come in it would have to be at either hibbo or spargo's expense (or maybe mvee if they want to manage him).

    • Like 1

    I might be out of step.  But I would not play Petty again this year, in my view , he has been playing injured and gets sore each game.   He will be with us next year. 

    Tomlinson should play finals with us on the back line   Next year with north and perhaps the two after.  With. Big pay day for playing every game with them. 
     

    he deserves finals football and his payday 

    go Dees.  Just my opinion.

    • Like 1
     
    1 hour ago, DubDee said:

    One thing I am still confused by with Footy is counting possessions and having the ball more means you play well regardless of what you do with it.  Pretty sure its the only sport in the world that counts the amount of time you get the ball and that equals a good performance. The commentators sometimes keep counting the times a player gets it!

    Dunstan is a classic example, he is not a skillful player, is not quick and can not play anywhere else than pure inside mid. He is a great VFL player but is very limited on an AFL level.  Everyone calling for him to play just watch the couple of AFL games he played last year.  Why is he not selected after multiple 40 touch games?  he is not AFL quality.  Harsh but true. He couldn't even get a game for the Saints when they had a horrible midfield.

    If Viney plus others are out though, he is there for cover.

    Dunstan aside, this is very true.

    Team passes A the ball, A turns it over, team is worse off by A's input: but he is credited with a possession. Better stat really would be effective possessions minus ineffective.

    • Thanks 1

    I think if Petty comes in its forward, Tomlinson has been far better back recently. But it brings into question the whole winning spots by merit argument, we have an AA ruckman doing an apprenticeship in a position he is likely to spend less than 30% game time in and demonstrating ok form.
     

    When has Petty done his forward VFL apprenticeship? He has looked decent as a forward once this year, against a undermanned Hawthorn defence for a half before being injured. I’d have brought Harrison back via the VFL as a forward and had Grundy in. Gawn and Grundy can be a genuine strength, Grundy would offer us a lot more all over the ground than Brown last week and we’d be at an advantage against the second ruck rather than disadvantage with JVR and JVR could spend more time forward when Max rests and Grundy is in the ruck.
     

    I could go for the Grundy forward training when it was for the inclusion of a genuine forward, not a back man who’s had some ok forward cameos, let’s get a big advantage in the ruck and rely on Trac, Melksham, Chandler, JVR and a resting ruck to get the job done forward.

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