bing181

Something not right with May I feel. So far off his normal self. Lever rusty but better that term. Petty not really a forward, doesn't have the craft, and with JVR outpointed by someone bigger/stronger/more experienced, forward line is only just functioning.

If McDonald can't hold down a spot with BBB out he must just about be heading for the exit. Not sure of his contract status, 1 year?

Disappointing. One of those days when it just didn't come together. Hopefully they take "learnings" from it and move on, hard to imagine them playing as badly 2 weeks in a row. Missed BBB and Lever (badly ...) but the loss was bigger than just those 2 players out.

Tomlinson being found out against big forwards/rucks, Petty just really down on form/confidence (not to mention, having hardly played back this year), Lever missing and Grundy doesn't really know how to play as a defender. Always going to struggle, need Gawn and Lever badly, maybe Turner in for Petty for a while.

He's injured - doesn't mean he can't do at least some sort of training. Gawn trained as well, but it's the rehab group ... who also train.

One of the results of playing Petty up forward for most of the year?

They're different kinds of players and play different roles. Not really an either/or.

Not surprised by the change, difficult though it is to make changes to a winning team. Pickett in gives us more outside run around the ball, so no surprise that they've kept Sparrow who's more of an insider. Jordan unlucky but will get his chances, we're not going to get through the season without midfield injuries and he's next cab off the rank.

Kozzie for Hibberd (injured), Petty back.

Petty returns to defence, Hibberd for Kozzie. Petty played a handy defensive forward game, necessary given the potency of the McCartin's, not to mention taking the 3rd tall role that Max often plays. Up the other end we got away with only one real KPD, but can't see it being a long-term positional change for Petty. Also wonder whether or not the Petty move wasn't to help get him back into a bit after two pretty torrid weeks as the main man down back with May's absence. But glad it's not me having to make the selections. Apart from Kozzie coming back, Tomlinson and Tom Mac both played well in the two's. And then there's Blake Howes ... 33 possessions and 16 marks today. Knock knock knock.

Perhaps. But gives players like Laurie a full game of footy to stake their case, develop etc. rather than warming the bench for 3+ quarters.

Hidden amongst the major selection calls is that Judd McVee held his place after a rubbish game. Kudos to the coaches for backing him in.

A couple of extra running sessions around the bye is not "loading". It's maintenance at best, as he clarified.

Hard to see him making it back to Full Salem this year - which as others have pointed out, will make it 2 years in a row. Far from ideal, he's a key player for us.

To be specific, clarification on long-term loading IN-SEASON, not just a couple of harder weeks around the mid-season break.

Don't think they'll make more than 3 changes unless forced (injury), Goodwin and co. have always favoured continuity and consistency. May for Thommo plus someone for Max would be 2. Then it's perhaps a tossup between JJ for Harmes and Hibberd for McVie. Tom Mac has indeed been underwhelming, but Max out perhaps throws him a lifeline, at least for a bit. Not the week to be dropping a tall who can pinch-hit.

Not sure where I said any team were favorites.

Going to be tough this year. I actually felt more optimistic last year, at least you knew where you were. Collingwood and Lions both look scary when they click. Going to need everything to go right.

If anyone's interested, here are the current guidelines. Quite specific I would say. Page 10 is probably the one you want (re impact). https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2023/03/01/9c9bdc05-2377-4ffb-a8a0-885835edcaf1/2023-AFL-Tribunal-Guidelines.pdf

Because they upgrade the level based on potential to cause injury. i.e. it's as much about how dangerous a tackle is as the outcome.

Notable absentees: Steven May, Jack Viney, Bayley Fritsch, Christian Salem That's 4 of our top 10 or so players missing, including our key back and forward. May out is massive, our backline is just ordinary without him as the general, and the absences of Viney and Fritsch take the edge off around the ground and up forward. It'll take a miracle to win this, all those outs to key players have turned us into Essendon or something.

Nothing to do with MFCSS, if you take out 3 or 4 of your best players you're just not the same team. So yes, we could easily lose this - through no fault of our own. Disagree on the rest. We would never have won the premiership without Viney and Salem, they both play key roles that no-one else can cover.

Please. By his own admission, JVR couldn't get through a VFL match, yet alone an AFL one. (Not a knock on him either, young player, blah blah blah).

I know that this has become Demonland orthodoxy, but just BS IMV. When you don't have the players, you don't have the players, What people seem to struggle with is the idea that sometimes there just are no solutions, and that not every situation is saveable. The idea that we would have won finals through sending second-rate players like Baker or Dunstan or an underdone Van Royen out to the slaughter is just fanciful.

Wonder if this is also part of a long-term plan to keep Max playing into his thirties - park him down forward to protect him from being knocked from pillar to post each week as full-time ruck. Perhaps noteworthy also that Tom Mac took ruck duties deep in the forward line, once again taking some of the load from Max.