2 hours ago, Deeoldfart said:

Thanks for answering the call @WERRIDEE .

I reckon your selections are solid at this early stage, but I’m interested in your views as to how we might limit the influence of potential match winner NWM.

Serious question, because I have no idea!

I didn’t watch the St.Kilda practice match but he played a lot up forward didn’t he?

I’d like to see Disco go to him but in the midfield I don’t know how to stop him, hopefully Kos, Riv, Duke and Steele will have a bigger influence than the Saints midfield.

8 hours ago, Fat Tony said:

Think we would be much better playing JVR as second ruck than Heath. The new rules are anti-second ruckman (and we shouldnt play a second ruck with Gawn anyway).

Think Steel, Langford, Fritsch and Culley (if he plays) give us another forward marking threat. I also want to see Melksham in the side when he is AFL match fit. The side looks ok on paper but we could do with more pace. Bowey is a loss.

WHAT ???? JVR hit his straps yesterday as a key forward, the LAST thing you want to do is sacrifice him in the ruck🤯 NAR, MOOSE TIME! Must be selected in the team. DO IT !

Most interested to see what we do structurally - with JVR and Mihocek (assuming he's fit) locks, do we go with Heath (assuming Kentfield isn't fit)? If not, are we going to have a forward line with just Mihocek in it when JVR has to ruck for 5-10 minutes a quarter? Are we even going to be able to get away with Gawn rucking 90% of matches when other clubs are going to go with two rucks - including St Kilda, who will have Marshall and TDK.

The fact that most people are including 2-3 of Sharp, Laurie and Tholstrup in their sides for Round 1 is, though, a bit of a disappointing indicator of where we're at right now. A few injuries, but also just the reality of our list. Sharp really shouldn't be playing, Tholstrup hasn't really demanding selection during the pre-season, and Laurie is...well...Laurie. I just can't see him suddenly becoming capable at AFL level after what we've seen across his (albeit limited) appearances to date. Would love to be proven wrong of course.

11 hours ago, SPC said:

Dees look slick. Hopefully we can reset the Saints expectations and turnaround a massive 3/4 time deficit to win with a Windsor kick after the siren

Wouldn't it be a bigger dose of Schaudenfrude if it was Steele to steal the game for us (after a pass from Heath)

best guess at a side...

B: Howes - Petty - Lever
HB: Jiath - Turner - Salem
C: Langford - Steele - Lindsay
HF: Sparrow - Mihocek - Langdon
F: Fritsch - van Rooyen - Chandler
Foll: Gawn - Rivers - Koz Pickett
I/c: Windsor - Tholstrup - McDonald - Heath - Kuz Pickett
Emerg: Laurie - Taylor - Sharp

unavailable (possibly 12): May - Viney - Culley - Bowey - Melksham - Jefferson - McAdam - White - Kentfield - Johnson - Henderson - Moniz-Wakefield

that's a LOT of senior players injured / absent, plus a lot of 'next up' too

if melksham is fit he might make the team ahead of mcdonald, but personally i have my doubts that he'll be right to go in a fortnight with such limited preparation

it might also come down to a choice of only one of mcdonald or heath, with sharp in to add some more legs and zip or they might back culley in for that same reason

it may also depends on whether mihocek is right to play after the concussion and limited preseason

there's a lot of uncertainty as to who is 'right to go'

in terms of the result, i suspect we'll run out of legs having had 6 completed quarters of footy in preparation as opposed to the aints' 8 plus a further 4 of an actual competitive game for four points - the fixture is a complete farce; nothing changes there from the afl

anything can happen tho; i'm hopeful but not optimistic of starting the season with a win

Edited yesterday at 12:531 day by whatwhat say what

Kozzie for us and Wanganeen-Milera for St Kilda clearly hold the keys to their respective team’s victory.

Windhager is obviously going to Kozzie as he tagged him with moderate (rd 20 2025) to raging success (rd 12 2025).

Meanwhile, who is going to take Wanganeen-Milera? The guy is so far a class above the rest of his St Kilda teammates, and the Saints will only go as far as NWM will take them this year.

Edited yesterday at 14:081 day by Bring-Back-Powell

How is Culley tracking?

R2 possibly?

Seriously, who are we going to put on NAS?

2 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Seriously, who are we going to put on NAS?

Howes is the only one that comes to mind. But it’s a gulf in talent and physical attributes

52 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Seriously, who are we going to put on NAS?

Sparrow ??

He should have the tank to remain goalside of NAS and keep a close check.

44 minutes ago, dees189227 said:

Seriously, who are we going to put on NAS?

Beat everyone around him? Whoever teams put on him is going to be pulled all over the park so they have to be able to beat him around the ball and stop him as a defender. He is lightning quick and his spatial IQ is through the roof so you’re probably better off assuming he’s going to win his position and concentrate on stuff around him as I just can’t see anyone being able to negate him. He looks f’ing unbelievable haha

Rivers is the only player I can think of that can play mid and defence, is as tall as NAS, is reasonably quick and has enough experience. Best of luck Riv, haha

HB: Howes Petty Salem

B: Jiath Turner Lindsey

C: Langdon Rivers Langford

HF: Chandler JVR L.Pickett

F: Fritsch Mihocek K.Pickett

R: Gawn Steele Windsor

I/C Sparrow Lever Kolt Culley/Laurie Kentfield/Heath

Can Langdon tag NAS? Has the tank.

1 hour ago, dees189227 said:

Seriously, who are we going to put on NAS?

One of these for NAS.

Who are the Saints going to put on their ex-captain? He will do a demolition job and it will be the biggest talking point in football

2 hours ago, dees189227 said:

Seriously, who are we going to put on NAS?

We don't know what King's philosophy is on taggers or run withs. I think Steele or Sparrow take him at stoppage. When he goes forward I would give Disco the job if not Jiath (though this comes with risk). I have not seen any side put him under physical pressure yet and I hope we are the first.

3 hours ago, SPC said:

Howes is the only one that comes to mind. But it’s a gulf in talent and physical attributes

Nup, Howes would be destroyed, outa left field what about Sharp!

I have always noticed that when two corridor teams play each other scores are often low due to turnovers and crowding of the corridor.

Under Goodwin we remained a boundary team. It will be interesting to see if under the new coach we become a diagonal team a la Collingwood or a corridor team such as Adelaide.

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Nup, Howes would be destroyed, outa left field what about Sharp!

Only you could dismiss Howe and then offer up Sharp. Sharp isn’t best 23.

1 hour ago, Roost it far said:

Only you could dismiss Howe and then offer up Sharp. Sharp isn’t best 23.

Sharp has Pace

3 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Sharp has Pace

So does Pickett.

Should we put Pickett on him?

3 hours ago, Mouseymoo said:

So does Pickett.

Should we put Pickett on him?

Aw pffurg off [censored]!

May has announced retirement on Instagram

So he is out

22 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Most interested to see what we do structurally - with JVR and Mihocek (assuming he's fit) locks, do we go with Heath (assuming Kentfield isn't fit)? If not, are we going to have a forward line with just Mihocek in it when JVR has to ruck for 5-10 minutes a quarter? Are we even going to be able to get away with Gawn rucking 90% of matches when other clubs are going to go with two rucks - including St Kilda, who will have Marshall and TDK.

The fact that most people are including 2-3 of Sharp, Laurie and Tholstrup in their sides for Round 1 is, though, a bit of a disappointing indicator of where we're at right now. A few injuries, but also just the reality of our list. Sharp really shouldn't be playing, Tholstrup hasn't really demanding selection during the pre-season, and Laurie is...well...Laurie. I just can't see him suddenly becoming capable at AFL level after what we've seen across his (albeit limited) appearances to date. Would love to be proven wrong of course.

Let’s give Laurie an actual extended run of games which he’s never gotten and then judge him

Sharp has the tank and speed to go with Nas all day, but not the IQ. He'll get caught out. Sparrow similar minus the pace.

It probably decides the game ...I do not expect Koz to be able to get away from Windhager.

I agree with the poster who suggested we be the first to go after Nas physically. Would love it if we got totally unsociable on him!!! Windhager does it to Kozzie....

56 minutes ago, Flagdees said:

Let’s give Laurie an actual extended run of games which he’s never gotten and then judge him

Let's not "gift games" to anyone. On the other hand give him [BL16] games, but only if he deserves it.