On 24/02/2025 at 09:06, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

I haven't been following the pre-season train threads or really watched the match sim Vs North, but is Billings form good enough for a starting spot on the wing?

No he's not good enough.  He was poor last year and I actually think his career is close to being done.

I don't read replies or reactions 

 

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Edited February 25Feb 25 by ManDee
See below

18 minutes ago, greenwaves said:

No he's not good enough.  He was poor last year and I actually think his career is close to being done.

I don't read replies or reactions 

 

W⚓️

22 hours ago, M_9 said:

Agree. No way will Goody leave TMac out.

He runs all day, offers ruck relief and can move forward if the need arises.

Want a bet? None of those traits matter if we’ve got 3 better tall defenders to pick 

Assuming everyone gets through this weekend unscathed I'm going with:

B:       Bowey               May                Lever

HB:     Salem                Petty              Windsor

C:       Langdon            Viney              Sharp

HF:     Petracca           Turner             Sparrow

F:        Chandler           van Rooyen     Fritsch

R:        Gawn                 Oliver               Rivers

Int:       Langford          Woewodin        Billings          Johnson

Sub:     Lindsay

Woewodin to play half back until McVee is back and Billings to drop to sub once Koz is back.

I'm going Johnson as our R/F to allow JVR to focus solely on being a forward.

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Assuming everyone gets through this weekend unscathed I'm going with:

B:       Bowey               May                Lever

HB:     Salem                Petty              Windsor

C:       Langdon            Viney              Sharp

HF:     Petracca           Turner             Sparrow

F:        Chandler           van Rooyen     Fritsch

R:        Gawn                 Oliver               Rivers

Int:       Langford          Woewodin        Billings          Johnson

Sub:     Lindsay

Woewodin to play half back until McVee is back and Billings to drop to sub once Koz is back.

I'm going Johnson as our R/F to allow JVR to focus solely on being a forward.

I like it, very solid team

Still light on fwd pressure/small fwds so I would replace Billings with Brown/Laurie/Henderson whoever puts the best pressure on and is quickest

Can't believe T Mac doesn't make the 22 but hard to find a spot

Just now, DubDee said:

I like it, very solid team

Still light on fwd pressure/small fwds so I would replace Billings with Brown/Laurie/Henderson whoever puts the best pressure on and is quickest

Can't believe T Mac doesn't make the 22 but hard to find a spot

I don't mind swapping out Billings for a high pressure forward, though my thoughts were that Sparrow & Sharp would both run through there to provide some of that forward pressure along with Chandler.

Yeah unlucky for TMac, I just don't want Petty or JVR rucking anymore so Petty plays 2nd tall defender and Johnson is the one who can come in and throw his body around in the ruck and then spend time up forward.

Club, and most Importantly Goody wrapped in Jeffo, and  accordingly, will play round 1. 

Edited February 25Feb 25 by picket fence

3 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Club, and most Importantly Goody wrapped in Jeffo, and  accordingly, will play round 1. 

Where was this listed PF? I really like Jeffo and think he will be a serious player, just not sure if it is 2025....

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Woewodin to play half back until McVee is back and Billings to drop to sub once Koz is back.

Howes will be the 7th defender, I get why he’s unpopular but he has a lot of scope. Every team wants guys with key tall height with flanker movement.

Woey was ordinary down back last year, he’s been training wing all summer and is right in the competition with Lindsay and Billings. 2 of those guys play round 1 on the wings. The other is a genuine chance of sub.

Langdon is playing midfield. We’ll see it against Freo. Sharp - as we saw against North is playing forward. Both of those guys probably cover some wing rotations but that’s about it.

Wing ball was fun. Long live 2021. But we’re putting our talent in the corridor now.

1 hour ago, greenwaves said:

No he's not good enough.  He was poor last year and I actually think his career is close to being done.

I don't read replies or reactions 

 

Yeah, fair enough.  Bet your school reports always come back with the same comments about attitude: "doesn't play well with others".

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Want a bet? None of those traits matter if we’ve got 3 better tall defenders to pick 

Petty given a touch up by Larkey (3 goals). I know May would have done a better job but it showed Petty doesn't have the strength to compete with a power forward.

Freo forwards levels above North - Treacy, Sturt, Voss, Amiss, Jackson plus a couple of newbies >197cm.

BTW in our two matches v Freo last season they kicked a total of 39 goals. Their big blokes (mentioned above) kicked 21 between them.

Unless we can contain their fwd 50 entries we'll get smashed 

17 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Howes will be the 7th defender, I get why he’s unpopular but he has a lot of scope. Every team wants guys with key tall height with flanker movement.

Woey was ordinary down back last year, he’s been training wing all summer and is right in the competition with Lindsay and Billings. 2 of those guys play round 1 on the wings. The other is a genuine chance of sub.

Langdon is playing midfield. We’ll see it against Freo. Sharp - as we saw against North is playing forward. Both of those guys probably cover some wing rotations but that’s about it.

Wing ball was fun. Long live 2021. But we’re putting our talent in the corridor now.

I thought Woewodin showed good signs on the weekend, so was thinking he could play a wing/HB role.

You may be right and Howes could be the one, I don't know what is is I'm still not sold on him though.

On 23/02/2025 at 18:38, jnrmac said:

Windsor is underdone. Don't want the situation we had last year with Bowey in Rd 1

It was Spargo wasn’t it ? 

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Wing ball was fun. Long live 2021. But we’re putting our talent in the corridor now.

Agree

Boundary line and then into the right forward pocket has to end.

 

1 hour ago, M_9 said:

Petty given a touch up by Larkey (3 goals). I know May would have done a better job but it showed Petty doesn't have the strength to compete with a power forward.

Freo forwards levels above North - Treacy, Sturt, Voss, Amiss, Jackson plus a couple of newbies >197cm.

BTW in our two matches v Freo last season they kicked a total of 39 goals. Their big blokes (mentioned above) kicked 21 between them.

Unless we can contain their fwd 50 entries we'll get smashed 

Larkey isn’t really a power forward but he’s a great free kick machine. Wasn’t Petty’s best outing but with May behind him he’ll be back to his preferred spot.

It’s unfortunate for Tom and if Petty doesn’t produce we might be forced to make the swap. But we’ve spent all summer getting Petty settled back in. He’s the best contested mark aside from Max in the side and a great mover, he’s what we need at CHB to match with mobile CHF’s like Treacy.

Freo completely smashed us in the ruck and the midfield and more than anything ran all over us with superior work rate.

We need to reestablish a midfield with a good clearance game and proper 2 way running power. If Treacy is legit and Amiss goes up a level then yes their key forwards are a problem but I’m far more interested in our mids getting a good test this weekend.

I don't get Windsor and Rivers swapping places, makes little sense. Both should be in the mids bar injuries.

How's Melksham looking? If fit he should be best 22. 

Need Billings out of best 22. Hope he proves me/us wrong though. 

Agree with those that say we need Johnson/Campbell in side.

Backline looks a bit out of balance ATM. 3 talls. May and Lever next to each other. Bit of a concern when ball hits the deck.

Bowey and Salem both need to lift this year. 

Windsor I always imagined we drafted as a winger.

Rotation of players through the mids is critical due to lack of depth.

Forwards can't get any worse than last year.

Chandler not a pocket player, gotta be half forward. Keep Trac a mid only this year.

Get Lindsay in best 22 asap. 

Prefer max of 2 talls in fwrd line

Just my rambling thoughts...

51 minutes ago, 58er said:

It was Spargo wasn’t it ? 

Correct, an Achilles injury

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1598038/injury-update-spargo-sidelined-for-season

 

I thought we also copped a collar bone / dislocated shoulder injury that game 0 Rd Vs Sydney that couldn't be put down to conditioning.

3 hours ago, M_9 said:

Petty given a touch up by Larkey (3 goals). I know May would have done a better job but it showed Petty doesn't have the strength to compete with a power forward.

Freo forwards levels above North - Treacy, Sturt, Voss, Amiss, Jackson plus a couple of newbies >197cm.

BTW in our two matches v Freo last season they kicked a total of 39 goals. Their big blokes (mentioned above) kicked 21 between them.

Unless we can contain their fwd 50 entries we'll get smashed 

Not sure it says a great deal for the quality of their forwardline. Freo smashed us in the midfield both times. No defence can deal with that sort of assault and most forwards are just going to feast on that service. Even our forwardline looked amazing when we bullied West Coast in round 17.

Edited February 25Feb 25 by KozzyCan

1 hour ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Correct, an Achilles injury

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1598038/injury-update-spargo-sidelined-for-season

 

I thought we also copped a collar bone / dislocated shoulder injury that game 0 Rd Vs Sydney that couldn't be put down to conditioning.

Bowey did his shoulder that game

1 hour ago, kurtneverdied said:

I don't get Windsor and Rivers swapping places, makes little sense. Both should be in the mids bar injuries.

How's Melksham looking? If fit he should be best 22. 

Need Billings out of best 22. Hope he proves me/us wrong though. 

Agree with those that say we need Johnson/Campbell in side.

Backline looks a bit out of balance ATM. 3 talls. May and Lever next to each other. Bit of a concern when ball hits the deck.

Bowey and Salem both need to lift this year. 

Windsor I always imagined we drafted as a winger.

Rotation of players through the mids is critical due to lack of depth.

Forwards can't get any worse than last year.

Chandler not a pocket player, gotta be half forward. Keep Trac a mid only this year.

Get Lindsay in best 22 asap. 

Prefer max of 2 talls in fwrd line

Just my rambling thoughts...

Windsor - pure speed, backline lets him attack and break lines.
Rivers - strong body, built his tank, ready to play midfield

Melk - injured. Sub or finals is really Melk's go this year
Billings - he's fitter, stronger and set for a permanent wing spot. I'm not sold but there's reasons for optimism

Ruck - we don't need a 2nd every week, AJ will be handy when the weather starts to cool down
Backline - Petty as a competent ground ball player is a key component to balance out May and Lever. Agree it's a big year for Salem and Bowey

Plenty of midfield rotations available this years, especially if the kids and new SPP guys are up for it.

Tracc's going to play a lot forward, got to nurse him along.

Lindsay's a good prospect but didn't have the perfect summer, could be ready, could take a while, we'll know more this weekend.

We have really dangerous medium forwards in Fritsch, Tracc and even Langford. (Unfortunately McAdam isn't on the list too). If we can move the ball at pace and in to space more people will convert to the 2 tall set up!

36 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Bowey did his shoulder that game

Short preperperation for Rd 0 after final, playing away in Sydney in stifling humidity, poor umpiring - lets face it, it was a rubbish set of circumstances to start our season.  AFL probably had a predetermined agenda for a Sydney win as well (Northern states code promotion etc.)

At least this year, we are on out home turf at the G and will be at least well acclimatised to the conditions in front of our home crowd.  Let's hope we get a better rub of the green on all fronts.

Edited February 25Feb 25 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

6 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Want a bet? None of those traits matter if we’ve got 3 better tall defenders to pick 

Not on form you haven't 

8 hours ago, greenwaves said:

No he's not good enough.  He was poor last year and I actually think his career is close to being done.

I don't read replies or reactions 

 

I bet you do

 

🤣

9 hours ago, greenwaves said:

No he's not good enough.  He was poor last year and I actually think his career is close to being done.

I don't read replies or reactions 

 

Groan

I don’t read posts or books, and I feel things upside down but never back to front.