PREGAME: Rd 22 vs Carlton

[brendan 3,430]

Grundy forward just needs to compete and he will be better than max at ground level, max to still ruck 80% Grundy rucks forward 50 so max can play a kick behind play, if game is won some point in last sub max out and Grundy can finish it off 

[Stiff Arm 4,419]

55 minutes ago, layzie said:

Hope Melksham bags a hatful again.

Me too

Really want Joel Smith to keep to improving. Build confidence, take a few big marks, show the wider football community he's more than just a VFL player

Go get em, young man!

[Abyssal 434]

22 minutes ago, binman said:

Um, I think you'll find Grundy WILL be playing predominantly forward (70 - 30?).

Where else do you imagine Grundy playing?

Just coming off the bench?

Possible Left field option, at least for part of the game ?

Both Gawn AND Grundy on the ground at the same time, Max playing a kick behind the play with Grundy rucking.

Max to take the Centre bounces.

IMO Gawn has played some of his best football in this role.

[Jaded No More 67,626]

34 minutes ago, BDA said:

Oliver is not a bad in

Apparently we are better without him 🙄

 

Hibbo has to be the sub. I’m worried their smalls will get off the leash if we aren’t careful. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Jaded No More

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

59 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Smith's selection is interesting

On paper the forward line looks unbalanced but let's see.

Would love to see Petracca kick 6 straight

Assuming that Grundy will play largely as a pinch-hitting ruck I think we are still one tall short.

Petracca going forward helps a lot in the forward line, but I still think May and Lever need someone like Tomlinson in the backline.

Smith is a better forward than defender and ideally as a third forward marking option, not second.

[DubDee 24,326]

weather now saying showers late morning easing in the arvo

fingers crossed

[old55 22,775]

41 minutes ago, Fanatique Demon said:

I was taught never to use a big word when a diminutive alternative would suffice.

Like Fanatique you mean?

[Adam The God 29,327]

I think you'll find Grundy will work, just like he and Max did vs Collingwood. They'll both get looks at goal I reckon and need to nail their shots.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks again.

I think Smith will start back, but if we feel we've got structure behind the ball, I could see them throwing him forward.

I really don't like us playing only two defensive talls and it seems to rarely work, but maybe I need to accept that's the direction the game is going in?

If that's the case going into next year, I think we need to find a good medium interceptor to support them. That's not really Hibbo's go, even if he goes around another year. And I don't rate Smith as a permanent intercepting defender.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Binmans PA

[Jaded No More 67,626]

21 minutes ago, DubDee said:

weather now saying showers late morning easing in the arvo

fingers crossed

It’s changed 10 times in the space of two days. I’ll get to the game, it’ll say 0% chance of rain while hailing. 

[jacey 333]

33 minutes ago, Abyssal said:

Possible Left field option, at least for part of the game ?

Both Gawn AND Grundy on the ground at the same time, Max playing a kick behind the play with Grundy rucking.

Max to take the Centre bounces.

IMO Gawn has played some of his best football in this role.

Goodwin has wanted this since pruess, Jackson, Grundy.

gawn still ruck but agree gawn to occupy more back half and Grundy forward half. 

[Adam The God 29,327]

59 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Lordy no thanks 55.

We'd probably end up either well behind or so far behind, we'd be chasing tail for the most part or kissing the game Goodbye by half time.

Has to be Max for the first 3 quarters or so .....then Grundy, but only with the game well in hand imv.

Grundy spending significant time at CBs (aside from coming on as sub late) = handing the momentum / game to the oppo.

The diff between Max & Grundy is chalk and cheese.

Not sure what's changed that has lead Goody to back flip on the Grundy to VFL decision so soon. 

Yes Petty is out but Grundy hardly demanded a call up based on his two matches at Casey.  You have to ask what was the point of all the 'forward craft' learnings nonsense we heard from the FD here.   There was certainly no learnings that i witnessed.

Did you watch the King's Birthday game? 

They can work together. We just need to bring the ball to ground and create a contest forward of centre, so the likes of Kozzy, Trac, Chandler and even ANB can get on the end of a few.

Grundy's ruckwork is far less predictable to the opposition than Max's and Max's tap work in D50 still leaves a lot to be desired.

I think they're both really good ruckmen though. Gawn's elite because of his around the ground ability, Grundy is elite because of his follow up work.

Different styles of ruckmen, but they can be weapons in the same team too.

Watch this space...

[kev martin 9,469]

53 minutes ago, loges said:

Oliver will be short of match practise so to swap with Tracc 50/50 forward and on ball.

When Oliver is on the field, he will be chasing the footy and in the depths at all stoppages. 

[Roostwo 53]

1 hour ago, DubDee said:

Hibbo stiff as

hopefully is in for finals

I can’t understand Hibbo as sub. I felt our backline was far stronger with Hibberd.  I do get that we need  to give Smith more game time.  

[Chook 14,988]

Just now, Roostwo said:

I can’t understand Hibbo as sub. I felt our backline was far stronger with Hibberd.  I do get that we need  to give Smith more game time.  

I think it's the right call. By default, we're better with a taller backline. If things go pear-shaped we can sub Grundy or Smith out and go smaller, overrunning them in the last quarter. Hibberd is no spring chicken as well, and although his best is still good enough his body is fragile and there's still 2 months left.

He's best 22, but not for a full game anymore just due to age.

[Adam The God 29,327]

1 hour ago, Macca said:

Here's how I see the team lining up throughout the match

With this team there are no players listed on the interchange as the use of the '/' is more appropriate. 

As we know, all the players often spend at least 80% of the game on the ground

Feel free to critique as my line-up is more of a guess

FB   Bowey       May      McVee/Smith

HB   Rivers       Lever     Salem

C     Hunter      Brayshaw/Sparrow  Langdon

HF   Petracca    JVR      Chandler/ANB

FF    Melksham  Grundy   Pickett

R      Gawn         Oliver     Viney/Jordon

Of course, all players spend time on the bench so the '/' used could be used anywhere

And Smith, Gawn, Grundy & JVR could all be used at CHF or FF (rotating?)

Grundy & Gawn could also spend time in the backline (Grundy to ruck as well)

Hibberd to be the sub again to provide fresh legs in the backline?

And surely Trac plays midfield minutes at some point, otherwise, I agree with all of this.

[bandicoot 1,395]

1 hour ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Lordy no thanks 55.

We'd probably end up either well behind or so far behind, we'd be chasing tail for the most part or kissing the game Goodbye by half time.

Has to be Max for the first 3 quarters or so .....then Grundy, but only with the game well in hand imv.

Grundy spending significant time at CBs (aside from coming on as sub late) = handing the momentum / game to the oppo.

The diff between Max & Grundy is chalk and cheese.

Not sure what's changed that has lead Goody to back flip on the Grundy to VFL decision so soon. 

Yes Petty is out but Grundy hardly demanded a call up based on his two matches at Casey.  You have to ask what was the point of all the 'forward craft' learnings nonsense we heard from the FD here.   There was certainly no learnings that i witnessed.

You do realise that Grundy would be the starting ruck in most afl teams? 

[Adam The God 29,327]

59 minutes ago, Abyssal said:

Possible Left field option, at least for part of the game ?

Both Gawn AND Grundy on the ground at the same time, Max playing a kick behind the play with Grundy rucking.

Max to take the Centre bounces.

IMO Gawn has played some of his best football in this role.

This is your best post ever. Agree completely. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Binmans PA

[Adam The God 29,327]

56 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Assuming that Grundy will play largely as a pinch-hitting ruck I think we are still one tall short.

Petracca going forward helps a lot in the forward line, but I still think May and Lever need someone like Tomlinson in the backline.

Smith is a better forward than defender and ideally as a third forward marking option, not second.

I agree, although Melksham will basically play tall, because he'll almost certainly spend a large portion of the night on Weitering.

That'll free up Grundy/Gawn and give JVR a lesser opponent like Marchbank.

[Sigil 1,001]

Grundy forward is all about patterns and if he can do that all good IMO. Goals aren't as important from him.

If he can do that and make it hard for the defenders with Roo being the other competing mobile tall I think that might be what the coaches have been trying instead of....

"Grundy was just made a forward in the medjah and no one talked to him and now he's cooked as a Demon", which never happened but El' Floggo Barrett for some reason has kept saying it.

I'm expecting Max to float back more over the next few games.

And we'll see if I'm wrong, but I think that's been the plan the whole year, but Goodwin has not given away our finals plan, he's just been focussed on getting there so we can't be cut apart like we were last season.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Sigil
forgot words

[Macca 16,603]

12 minutes ago, Binmans PA said:

And surely Trac plays midfield minutes at some point, otherwise, I agree with all of this.

And Kozzie as well (midfield minutes) ANB also for stoppages other than centre bounces.  And Rivers sometimes has a run through the middle/stoppages

Doing the exercise of naming all the 22 players on the ground does your head in a bit, AF

At match committee level, they'd have it all worked out (who comes off and on and when, how & why) so you can understand the rigid nature of rotations

And then of course all the rotations of the mids ... counting ANB, Petracca and Kozzie as part of the midfield rotations, there's a total of at least 10 mids if we count both ruckman

And they (the MC) can't make it up as they go along ... most of it has to be pre-planned (With a bit of leeway for break glass in an emergency)

And of most of the talls, most are swingmen, ruck or utility types (May & Lever tend to stay put)

[DubDee 24,326]

The time change for the game has really thrown my whole plan off. 

 

[monoccular 17,313]

2 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I believe we always pick a ruckman as an emergency. Usually the breakdown of the emergencies is one forward, one defender, one midfielder (non-ruckman) and one ruckman.

As I see it, Schache is an emergency because he's the next ruckman in line after Gawn and Grundy. 

But maybe with Gawn and Brundy in the team the bench would be in less need of a ruck or ruck capable tall - a hybrid or even a mid in these circumstances.  

[Sigil 1,001]

Haha, what is the "Binmans PA" about?

[Adam The God 29,327]

3 minutes ago, Sigil said:

Haha, what is the "Binmans PA" about?

Ask Stevie Wonder.

[Macca 16,603]

1 minute ago, Sigil said:

Haha, what is the "Binmans PA" about?

It's a bit like when Nutbean was accused of waffling on too much so he changed his avatar to a picture of some waffles

Haven't seen Nutbean here for an age.  Hope he's ok