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PREGAME: Rd 08 vs Geelong

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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I don't know what the deal with Petty is but if he's 100% fit he's way off.

    • Like 3
     
    35 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

    Hey Tom Stewart, want to play on Petty on Laurie? Come on now 

    That’s a little simplistic DS

    • Like 1

    Out

    Petty has to get dropped, can’t stand his body language atm.

    Billings turned the ball over twice with simple kicks for two Richmond goals, that two goals out of five

    Woey very one paced & not a backman maybe sub

    In

    Fullarton - can help Max in the ruck & can’t be any worse than Petty as a forward 

    Hunter- can’t believe I’m saying this

    Laurie- for a full game

    • Like 1
     
    37 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

    I thought Woey was ok, with solid pressure and work rate throughout, the fact that it was Windsor subbed off instead of him, shows he’s progressing. 

    Or shows we’re nursing a younger winger through the seasons and Laurie on, Billings wing is logical, when changing the back 7 mix 3/4’s through a game wouldn’t be 

    • Like 5
    11 minutes ago, Nicko said:

    That’s a little simplistic DS

    But it’s realistic.

    We go with just 2 talls and Fritsch the Cats can play Henry, SDK and Kolo on them.

    Got to at least put out a line up that has a chance in the air. 

    • Like 3

    6 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

    But it’s realistic.

    We go with just 2 talls and Fritsch the Cats can play Henry, SDK and Kolo on them.

    Got to at least put out a line up that has a chance in the air. 

    Fair enough - just thought disco (listed as 1cm taller than JVR!), fritta and JVR could play tallish 

    Laurie off the bench - petty as sub (can play forward and back) 

    Edited by Nicko
    Height

    In the history of the MFC, we've won between 80 and 90 games against seven current teams. We have the opportunity to push Geelong off that list by the end of the year. 

    B: Lever, May, McVee

    HB: Rivers, McDonald, Howes

    C: Windsor, Petracca, Langdon

    HF: Chandler, Turner, Neal-Bullen

    F: Fritsch, van Rooyen, Pickett

    FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

    IC: Petty, Sparrow, Laurie, McAdam

    SUB: Billings

    EMERG: Woewodin, Hore, Fullerton

    • Like 1
     

    No change. McAdam needs a full run and when he comes in it wont be for Billing’s who is rotating the wing spot as well as half forward. Petty’s form will turn and they will persevere with him at AFL level at least another week likely more whilst we win (no matter how) and kick scores. 

    • Like 5

    With Turner and Roo being very mobile forwards, I wonder if Brown will replace Petty. If I was a Geelong defender I’d be more nervous of BBB forward and he compliments the other 2 better. 
    McAdam to come in. Taj to go out. Need to keep Laurie as sub, I like his energy and composure. 
    We have a lot of players down on form. If Viney and Oliver keep this dip of form the next few weeks will be interesting. 
    Still I’m backing us to win next week. 

    • Like 1

    If you flush the first half, the second half involved more of the usual suspects playing the way they should have.  Petty is an interesting watch, so inaccurate in front of goal.  BBB looked like he couldn’t kick over a jam tin at Casey.  TMac was an absolute disaster in the first half, but turned it around in the 2nd.

    Goody said in his presser we were using the longer breaks for increased training (the dreaded “L” word!).

    For the cats game, we need to be cleaner going forward and continue to be absolute misers down back.  Will be a real litmus test for us…

    • Haha 1
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    10 hours ago, chook fowler said:

    In: McAdam Fullerton

    Out: Petty Billings 

    Billings has just played his BEST game and u want to drop him?? Nar no way. Petty was woeful.

    20 minutes ago, SPC said:

    With Turner and Roo being very mobile forwards, I wonder if Brown will replace Petty. If I was a Geelong defender I’d be more nervous of BBB forward and he compliments the other 2 better. 
    McAdam to come in. Taj to go out. Need to keep Laurie as sub, I like his energy and composure. 
    We have a lot of players down on form. If Viney and Oliver keep this dip of form the next few weeks will be interesting. 
    Still I’m backing us to win next week. 

    Oliver was very good last night, what game were you watching?

    • Like 1

    After the the past two ordinary performances, this is the kind of game I see us winning. We'll be the underdogs and I think that plays into our favour.

    Petty was pretty bad last night. His not moving 100% so we flip McDonald and Petty? McDonald to me seems like he's moving really well again and I think having the extra talls such as JVR and Turner will help. 

    It's a big risk because McDonald's form down back has been super lately.

    Woey down back is a concern for me but I also understand they have no one else to bring in. I prefer him as a rotating midfielder similar to how we use to use Jordon and Harmes.

    Too many many times he got caught just ball watching and not going at the man, his intensity at times was lacking. Though, I did like his tackle on Dusty though..

    Maybe Marty Hore comes in for him?

     

    • Like 3

    4 minutes ago, picket fence said:

    Oliver was very good last night, what game were you watching?

    Oliver was average by his standards. Against a very poor midfield 

    • Like 2
    28 minutes ago, Demonland said:

     

    Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. I wasn’t laughing watching it.  Seriously a team switched off and had a very very poor first half.  Steven May was not laughing.  The standards were poor.  Where’s the hunger.  It seems like we won our premiership and now are comfortable.  Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.  

    Edited by spirit of norm smith
    P

    • Like 1

    Marty Hore didn't have a great game at Casey (very few did). The Casey turnovers were on another level of incompetence. Forward delivery was usually high up and unders to packs. BBB was comprehensively beaten one on one.

    McAdam showed glimpses but obviously needs more match fitness.

    Fullarton and Verral had passable games but their ruckwork was non existent. Funnily enough we were quite good at sharking the Richmond hit out but would often just fumble or handball to an opposition player who would clear the ball.

    In short I have no idea who you can bring in

    • Like 1
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    10 hours ago, Dee Zephyr said:

    Petty will not get dropped, are we friggin serious?

    Petty was rushed back from injury, was still in trial mode as a forward and is now totally devoid of confidence - both with his kicking and his play and he's never been a quick mover of the ball in transition. His only contribution in five games now has been going back against Port when we lost May and Lever and making a couple of nice spoils and marks.

    But both May and Lever are healthy again and in great form and T-Mac has adequately filled his spot down back.

    We've now had five weeks of trying to run Petty into form as a forward and it's not working - he needs to find confidence at a lower level - games against De Koning and Weitering aren't going to be the answer.

    By dropping him, nobody is saying he can't play - what it is saying is that he needs to have the pressure taken off him, get a few easy marks down back at VFL level before a recall when one of our tall defenders is injured or T-Mac loses his way. 

    You only had to look at his last couple of plays in the game against Richmond to see where his head is at presently.

    • Like 6
    • Clap 1
    1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. I wasn’t laughing watching it.  Seriously a team switched off and had a very very poor first half.  Steven May was not laughing.  The standards were poor.  Where’s the hunger.  It seems like we won our premiership and now are comfortable.  Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.  

    I don’t think any of this is right. Last night wasn’t a case of being switched off or lacking hunger. It was simply a case of us committing terrible turnovers by foot. 

    • Like 6

    30 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

    Petty was rushed back from injury, was still in trial mode as a forward and is now totally devoid of confidence - both with his kicking and his play and he's never been a quick mover of the ball in transition. His only contribution in five games now has been going back against Port when we lost May and Lever and making a couple of nice spoils and marks.

    But both May and Lever are healthy again and in great form and T-Mac has adequately filled his spot down back.

    We've now had five weeks of trying to run Petty into form as a forward and it's not working - he needs to find confidence at a lower level - games against De Koning and Weitering aren't going to be the answer.

    By dropping him, nobody is saying he can't play - what it is saying is that he needs to have the pressure taken off him, get a few easy marks down back at VFL level before a recall when one of our tall defenders is injured or T-Mac loses his way. 

    You only had to look at his last couple of plays in the game against Richmond to see where his head is at presently.

    I’m not dropping him, he’s competing well imo. Club thinks so too, he’s vital up there.

    Reward will come, not sure taking him back to Casey will help. 
    I saw him lead well numerous times and made space out the back and was either ignored or ball landed at his bootlaces. Some better delivery will help.

    Edited by Dee Zephyr

    • Like 6

    I just hope the match panel learn from what happened when we went with virtually the same 22 in games against Port and Adelaide with a five-day break followed by an embarrassing loss to Brissy.

    The Cats and Blues games with five days between them should be viewed together and plans made to overcome the fatigue that such a schedule entails.

    To me that means having Fullarton playing at least one of the two games with the hope that Gawny can have a bit of a rest in one.

    That also means clever use of the sub in both games to ensure at least one prime mover (Trac, Olly and Viney) isn't too sore from backing up.

    The thing is the Cats are a physical, intense team, but apart from Holmes they aren't especially quick, so we need tough bodies for this one.

    Then against the Blues we will need more pace because they have outside runners like Hollands boys, Cottrell, Saad (if fit) plus quick small forwards - Owies, Fantasia.

    There were only two players who on form come out of the game against Tigers - Petty and Woey. Chandler had a howler, but has been great for five weeks, Howes and Billings both looked more comfortable but are still on my watch list, Sparrow was poor but is well-suited to take on the Cats where his bodywork on Danger and Bruhn will be key or if we decide to use him in a negating role on Miers.

    Some will say Hore should replace Joey, but we need run from down back and while Bowey is getting close, I suspect he will need one more week - he's an ideal inclusion for the Blues game I reckon if fit by then.

    To me, I'd be thinking about match-ups v the Cats - McVee on Stengel, May on Hawkins, T-Mac further up field on Cameron, Lever on O.Henry, Howes on Close and Rivers on the spare and then the decision on who to play on Miers is crucial. He's their most dangerous player at the moment and must be tagged/played tight - part of me says send Sparrow back, part of me says select Hunter for the job because as we saw last year, he's mega disciplined and hard and smart. He's not mega quick, but neither is Miers, so he won't get exposed for pace, like whoever plays on Holmes or Close will.

    If Sparrow is chosen for the job on Miers, then I'd take the risk and name McAdam as the sub. 

    So I'd go:

    Out: Petty, Woey

    In: Fullarton, Hunter

    If he's not the sub, then I'd also have plans to just play McAdam for half or three quarters of the VFL game on Saturday, so that he comes straight in the following week with Bowey.

     

    • Like 1
     

    What’s the answer for Blicavs and especially Cameron on the wings?

    Rivers and Howes following them and Windsor or Langdon to half back?

    I like Goody, but we’ve got a coach who tries about nothing against a coach who usually the 9 easy beat games they get at Goombha to flick around all his magnets.

    How about Petty and/or Disco - both good movers at ground level - doing stints on the wing when Cameron does?

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