PREGAME: Rd 10 vs West Coast

[SthSea22 637]

Disco and JVR all confirmed out

McAdam will get his chance

If Fullerton is unavailable, then Schache comes in. BBB cannot ruck

[rpfc 28,769]

6 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

Disco and JVR all confirmed out

McAdam will get his chance

If Fullerton is unavailable, then Schache comes in. BBB cannot ruck

Petty can go in there.

[DistrACTION Jackson 9,225]

I think it will be in Brown and Verrall.

Out JVR and Turner.

[jnrmac 20,185]

18 hours ago, DeeZee said:

They might give Salem one more week too , rather than risk a long flight.

I see this all the time.  Really? It's a 4 hour flight not an overnight flight in Economy with Air India via Delhi, Denpasar & Calcutta

Maybe for a big guy like Max but Hunter? Salem? its not an issue.

[Little Goffy 14,639]

I just watched the Match Review footage of Darling's collision and while Darling isn't my favourite player (perhaps still just because of the 'mystery tent incident' the Eagles used to nudge him down the draft) it is notable that his instincts as the collision approached was to stall his momentum, turn his hips away from the opponent use his hands as a shock absorber and then immediately show concern. None of it was a major action or sudden convulsion, but also none of it created a focal point of impact.

I guess I'm just saying that if it had been Brayden Maynard in Darling's postion, Bytel would be in hospital today.

With this in mind, I will suspend habitual hatred and will not be hoping to '186' the Eagles this weekend and will settle for a professional 50 point win that plays a couple of our forwards into form.

That said, this is a single-game exemption only and I will be out for annihilation again by round 17.

[Cranky Franky 2,091]

29 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

Disco and JVR all confirmed out

McAdam will get his chance

If Fullerton is unavailable, then Schache comes in. BBB cannot ruck

Do posters actually ever inform themselves of the facts ??? Stop posting innacuate, dumb stuff.

Schache is injured,  didn't play the last game & is not available.

Posters still calling for McAdams inclusion despite Goodwin & the Club insisting he needed to play several games at Casey.

[Young Angus 802]

I hate the Eagles, hope we pump them

[deelusions from afar 1,861]

27 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Do posters actually ever inform themselves of the facts ??? Stop posting innacuate, dumb stuff.

Schache is injured,  didn't play the last game & is not available.

Posters still calling for McAdams inclusion despite Goodwin & the Club insisting he needed to play several games at Casey.

I wonder whether Tholstrup will be given another go this week.  He's a WA boy and had a tough debut (not his fault) against a rampaging Brisbane when we were flat / off.

I wonder what his focus is for the VFL - ie what he has been told to work on to make it back into the team.

[M_9 2,091]

1 hour ago, deelusions from afar said:

I wonder whether Tholstrup will be given another go this week.  He's a WA boy and had a tough debut (not his fault) against a rampaging Brisbane when we were flat / off.

I wonder what his focus is for the VFL - ie what he has been told to work on to make it back into the team.

I can’t see Tholstrup getting a call up. We’ve got two tall forwards missing, one who is our back up ruck.

Tholstrup isn’t a tall forward let alone a back up ruck. TMac going nicely in the backline so I hope the FD keep him there (with no ruck duties). 
BBB in you’d think but NFI who fills the other spot.

[Dee*ceiving 1,690]

Agree with @DistrACTION Jackson

In: Verrall, BBB 

Out: Turner, JVR

Max needs help and we won't get a better chance to debut a ruckman. We need to find out at some stage what he can offer and by the reports I've read he is ahead of Jefferson and Fullarton in terms of output. 

BBB had 8 scoring shots last week and we need a tall forward, nuff said. 

Suggest we'd need a runner as sub though. Would love if Max could get through with <70% game time.  

[Demonland 73,140]

The good ones always return for our games.

 

[Jaded No More 68,973]

3 minutes ago, Demonland said:

The good ones always return for our games.

 

If we can't beat the Eagles, even with Waterman playing, we have BIG problems.

Oscar Allan is still not playing is he?

So May will take Waterman and Tmac will take Darling.

 

[Diamond_Jim 12,627]

Determined to take this game lightly.

Hell we have enough hard ones.

Dees by 42 or more

[jnrmac 20,185]

Bailey J Williams from WCE won 16 hitouts last week  Jack Williams, a 198 cm 7 gamer, had 3 hitouts. Against Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox

Their other key ruck Matt Flynn has been out injured.

I dont think we'll have trouble with their rucks

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

Waterman was always returning this weekend. I wonder if May or T Mac takes him.

Hopefully Yeo misses again this week.

[deelusions from afar 1,861]

3 hours ago, M_9 said:

I can’t see Tholstrup getting a call up. We’ve got two tall forwards missing, one who is our back up ruck.

Tholstrup isn’t a tall forward let alone a back up ruck. TMac going nicely in the backline so I hope the FD keep him there (with no ruck duties). 
BBB in you’d think but NFI who fills the other spot.

Fair enough.  Given BBB doesn't ruck and I haven't seen Verral being touted as a forward option at this stage you're probably right.

However, if all players were uninjured (including not coming back from injury) then I suspect McAdam (who's a medium) might have come in for Turner.  I'm not convinced they would operate a forwardline (including bench space) of Petty, JVR, Turner, Fritsch and McAdam - i don't think we'd have enough forward pressure (noting that McAdam can kind of do it all).  So if that's the case, then we wouldn't necessarily bring in like for like.

I think it'll be a Verral debut  and a likely BBB recall.  If not BBB potentially they could look to throw Max forward more for a rest and if Petracca also goes forward then Tholstrup or more likely Laurie may get some midfield minutes.

Edited May 14 by deelusions from afar
missing word

[M_9 2,091]

34 minutes ago, deelusions from afar said:

…  So if that's the case, then we wouldn't necessarily bring in like for like.

I think it'll be a Verral debut  and a likely BBB recall.  If not BBB potentially they could look to throw Max forward more for a rest and if Petracca also goes forward then Tholstrup or more likely Laurie may get some midfield minutes.

Whilst I agree with most of what you’ve said (BBB and Verrall) I do think it has to be like for like, especially as far as a back-up ruckman.
There’s no guarantee we’ll have both Max and JvR for every one of the remaining (17?) games. 
We need to find a third ruckman, whether it be Verrall, Fullarton, or, heaven forbid, Schache.

Furthermore, don’t think you can ‘rest’ a player (Max) on the ground the way the game is played today. Too many attacks start from the backline. All forwards need to play defence at some stage of the game. You can’t chase and tackle if you’re ‘having a break’.

Edited May 14 by M_9

[deelusions from afar 1,861]

2 minutes ago, M_9 said:

Whilst I agree with most of what you’ve said (BBB and Verrall) I do think it has to be like for like, especially as far as a back-up ruckman.
There’s no guarantee we’ll have both Max and JvR for every one of the remaining (17?) games. 

I don’t think you can ‘rest’ a player on the ground the way the game is played today. Too many attacks start from the backline. All forwards need to play defence at some stage of the game. You can’t chase and tackle if you’re ‘having a break’.

Agree with that - which is why Verral, BBB and Gawn in the one team makes me nervous.  BBB can't play ruck and Verral can't (as far as I know) play forward (curently).  The idea of Gawn and BBB in the same forward line will make it easy for any defence to rebound / switch the ball.  So essentially we will need one of the 3 on the bench at all times.

[adonski 12,427]

IN: Salem, BBB
OUT: Disco, JVR

Go smaller, Petty to take JVR's ruck mins. Salem back into the midfield mix or Rivers for something different.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

On 13/05/2024 at 16:07, Dannyz said:

Hearing its a Tom Fullarton debut that is on the cards. 

All things considered, he's the ideal foil for JVR (at least on paper) and has performed (serviceable without setting the world on fire) over consecutive weeks now at Casey.

Not the best in the ruck but he does win a few to advantage while at other times being soundly beaten (mostly against genuine ruck oppo which we are surely not expecting Fullo to become... just require him to compete and commit to the contest).  I guess not dissimilar to JVR in this regard.

If he doesn't get a call up this week against a bottom 4 opponent then he probably wouldn't for the remainder of the season (once JVR returns anyway) imv.

Then you'd have to ask why was he recruited in the first place.

Whether he brings something to the table or not, who knows.  But surely this is the ideal week to take a look.

The other option is we trial Verral as a back up ruck who might offer more in the ruck contests in general but who, imho, isn't as well versed in the forward stakes (from what i've witnessed at Casey) when playing as a resting ruck.

Edited May 14 by Demon Dynasty

[Dee Zephyr 19,268]

Turner is listed as 3-4 with the calf. Salo a chance this week.

[old55 23,687]

On 13/05/2024 at 13:03, 640MD said:

There have been 10 rounds less the bye

36 quarters of football.

in 19 of those we have scored less than 3 goals. 
Four with zero goals

five with 1 goals

five with two

and five with 3 goals 

and every game has had one quarter where our scoring has failed for a number of reasons   Not all in the forwards.

of course that leaves 17 that are acceptable.   About 50% players.

But that is not the consistency of scoring for a successful finals team.  No its Melbourne for the past two seasons.

i totally accept that we have been more successful in the past few years than ever before. But we are nowhere good enough to trouble the top 4 sides. 

Perhaps the winning ratio of the last couple of years means I do not want to tolerate mediocrity.

Have you got the similar figures for goals against across those 36 quarters? Are you even more embarrassed for our opposition when they can't score against us?

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,809]

Verrall has been easily outrucked by such ordinary opponents as Tom Downie. He is still too light, and needs another pre-season or two to build strength.

His skills are good, though he hasn't taken many contested marks.

I'd give Fullarton a go. He can play forward, and has some AFL ruck experience. Max needs some rest from doing all the ruckwork.

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,865]

I really don't get the angst some posters have with JVR being unavailable and BBB, Will V, Fullerton or Loveshack stepping up. I suggest that it's about time Max was challenged by the coaching group. It's time he lifted, got the hard ball and played the game on his own.

Send him to the middle at the beginning of the game. Tell him he'd better start dominating the ruck contests. Then he needs to sprint down to the back line, intercepting a high ball—his 6'10" frame awkwardly ducking a collision with the goal post, looking like a giraffe on roller skates.

Next, he's in the midfield, where instead of hand balling, he starts using his ruck taps to direct the ball to himself, confusing the opposition and the umpires alike. By the time he hits the forward line, he's taking speckies over the oppo, apologising as he goes up. "Sorry mate, force of habit!"

As the game progresses, and he's feeling like an interchange break, you can see him trying to negotiate with Goody via hand signals from the fat side of the ground, pantomiming a drink or perhaps a quick rub down—only to end up jogging to the next position he’s supposed to cover.

By the end of the match, Max has covered more ground than a tarpaulin on the Simpson desert. The crowd is loving every minute of it, cheering every time he awkwardly gallops into the next position. The game ends with Gawn kicking a goal from fullback, shrugging as if to say, "Well, I guess I really can do it all!"

Edited May 14 by Queanbeyan Demon
Typo

[Demonland 73,140]