Mega Thread Best 22/2013 Predictions and all that

[Silvagnis]

Boring.

 

[Sydney Blue]

Laidler, Jameson, Yarran
Lucas, Henderson, Duigan
Judd, McLean, Simpson
Armfield, Casboult, Gibbs
Betts, Hampson, Walker
Followers: Kreuzer, Murphy, Carrazzo
I/C: Robinson, Bell, Garlett, Touhy

Em: Watson, Warnock, White, Curnow

Duigan/Lucas/Touhy/Garlett to make way for Scotland (based on performance/injuries)
Casboult/Hampson/Walker/Garlett to make way for Waite

Watson plays for those teams that play tall (e.g. WCE). Again someone unlucky.

Hopefully performance and injuries let the team settle.
Mick's defensive style sounds good, to limit opposition scores from turnovers, but we mustn't loose our ability to run and spread (our greatest weapon when we do it well).

 

[BM123]

A couple of thoughts come straight up when I read this. 1) big men take longer to progress in this game. 2) Hampson did not play AFL as a junior.
Now I can see that your point about his marking however IMO he is still developing as a forward. Lets give him a season under Mick before we sakc him.

Big men take longer to develop but Kreuzer and Warnock playing at their best have shown a fair bit more then Hampson. If our midfielders kick the ball to Hampson 10 times and he only marks once while the other nine times the ball becomes impossible for our forwards to crumb then his role as a forward is detrimental to the team. We are better off giving Casboult and Rowe time in the forward line instead of trying to tinker around with Hampson who really struggles to even bring the ball to ground. This is my just my opinion of what I've seen from him over the last couple of years but I admit he may come out and surprise me this year. Until then though I can only really see Hampson struggling against any team with reasonable defense to the point that he becomes a liability.

 

[Wickzki]

Do not want to take Kane Lucas out of the lineup this year whatsoever unless he is injured or on rock bottom in terms of confidence. The young lad needs a steady stream of games this year if he is going to take the next step in realizing his potential which in my opinion is game winning caliber. My fear if he doesn't get this game time into him this year then he'll stagnate worse than he already has and that come trading period we'll only ever get unders for him. Time to place some faith in him and let him come good - he has the goods.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Come on TG, the utensil?????

Put the wondermont away, my friend.

 

[Sam The Doc]

Why didn't Bell get much of a gig this preseason? Can only assume MM rates others before him?

 

[King of Ruin]

Why didn't Bell get much of a gig this preseason? Can only assume MM rates others before him?

Time will tell, hope to see him out there against Bitchmond.

 

[Jeremias]

Bell has hardly featured in our preseason campaign and as such I would think it is extremely unlikely we will see him in the senior side come round 1.

I don't think he's in MM's immediate plans. No doubt he'll get games as the season progresses but I think he'll have to put his hand up for senior selection with solid performances on the track and at VFL level to start the year.

I'm somewhat disappointed that he didn't get more of a go but this is what happens when you start building some serious depth - good players miss out on a weekly basis.

 

[etsal1]

Although it is highly unlikely Bell will play Round 1 due to his absence in the NAB Cup, the fact he was elevated as Andy McInnes' replacement (instead of a senior regular like Curnow) means he is in Mick's plans at some point this season.

 

[Sin City]

My slight hope is that Mick had seen enough from Bell and will name him as the sub so was happy to give him full games in the VFL and have a look at other possibles in the NAB cup.

 

[I bleed Blue]

My slight hope is that Mick had seen enough from Bell and will name him as the sub so was happy to give him full games in the VFL and have a look at other possibles in the NAB cup.

This is another possiblity. Mick did say he played blokes he wanted to have a look. Maybe Bell has already shown enough. Would have thought he still would have wanted more of a look though.

Guess we will see soon enough.

 

[HereComesJuddy]

Lucas must never leave this team in 2013! If his game in the GF was anything to go by, this kid has what we have been holding out for. Skills do need some improvement, but thats nothing another season or 2 cannot fix, along with hard work.

I have put Walker in the backline as I believe he is best utilised there and have really gone with a hard running team. Warnock makes my team base on the fact I believe he is better than Hampson and think we will need 2 ruckman to battle Maric.

After seeing how we lost in the clearances on the weekend, feel that Bell must come in. Yes we can always throw Judd in there if need be, but would prefer not too. Though, with his limited preseason can see him being used on the ball to get involved and early possessions.

Here's my R1 team:

Laidler, Jamison, Duigan
Walker, Henderson, Yarran
Judd, McLean, Simpson
Lucas, Kruezer, Gibbs
Betts, Casboult, Garlett
Followers: Warnock, Murphy, Carrazzo
I/C: Robinson, Bell, Armfield, Touhy

 

[Sin City]

This is another possiblity. Mick did say he played blokes he wanted to have a look. Maybe Bell has already shown enough. Would have thought he still would have wanted more of a look though.

Guess we will see soon enough.

Seeing him run Laidler in the VFL so he could have a look at White, Duigan, Tuohy and BOOOOTS gave me a little bit of hope.

 

[I bleed Blue]

Seeing him run Laidler in the VFL so he could have a look at White, Duigan, Tuohy and BOOOOTS gave me a little bit of hope.

Same with me. We know Laidler is a definate lock.

Really like what Bell has to offer, just hoping Mick sees the same thing.

 

[King of Ruin]

Who knows with Mick, loves the mind games.

 

[The_Wookie]

Great post, Hampson is an absolute liability as you suggest for that exact reason. He's been on our list for six non performing years. It baffles me why people would want him in our team for round one and amazes me how people think his seventh year will provide any more than his previous six. You give young players up to four possibly five years in extenuating cicumstances to show their stuff. After six years, history is by far the greater guide as to what a player will offer in the future. In his case some flashy stuff here and there but overall will offer SFA to club, teammates and supporters.

You like every other member of the Hampson-hate brigande simply refuse to see whats in front of you.

 

[pepalenko]

What are people's thoughts on a positional swap between Walker and Yarran?

 

[HereComesJuddy]

What are people's thoughts on a positional swap between Walker and Yarran?

Not sure I would want Yaz back into the forwardline. Think he sets up a lot of our play from the backend.
Wouldn't mind seeing Tuohy going forward though.

 

[pepalenko]

Not for me.

Can't see us playing our back 6 together for the best part of the pre-season just to dismantle it on the back of an ordinary NAB Cup game.

Maybe North should throw the towel in after losing to a side that hadn't have won a pre-season match until the weekend.

Fair point. I guess I was thinking along the lines of Walker responding to the extra discipline required and conversely, Yarran having that extra bit of freedom in the forward line. But I guess it might not be addressing the team's needs.

 

[The Bunyip]

My thoughts to date based on the Freo & Bris games I've seen so far.
(1) If Yazz gets tagged & we lose drive down back. If he's on a dangerous forward he's dragged to the goalsquare where he's all at sea when the ball comes in quickly. Scotto's return will help though.
(2) Hammer is still not a forward. I love the guy but he's a ruckman through & through.
(3) Sorry but I'm still not sold on Lucas. Game time will help but a couple of times against Freo he just threw the ball on the boot when others around him were making better decisions under much more pressure. He did it again on Friday night. Racking up touches is useless if he's disposal is poor.
(4) McLean may be a ball magnet but gets exposed against quicker sides like Brisbane, ditto Ed Curnow.
(5) Walker needs to do better or risk being dropped. Can't see Mick taking much of what he dished out Friday night before axing.
(6) Jeff Garlett is worth his weight in gold if Eddie & Walks aren't getting into the game. Sorely missed Friday night.
(7) Nick Duigan looks slow. Will be interesting to see how his seasons pans out.
(8) We need to persist with Rowey. Have a look at the You Tube video the club released of him in the SANFL when they drafted him if you need convincing. The guy can seriously play.
(9) Casboult needs to win more one-on-ones. Got monstered by a VG defender who continually punched the ball over the boundary line (because Mick's game plan is to head wide).
(10) Juddy looked seriously underdone, Simmo looks flat & offered little run in either match I've seen. Plus he appears to have lost some penetration in his kicking.
(11) If Hendo can stay fit for the season he could be in All-Australian contention.
(12) Bryce Gibbs has definately shown he's a midfielder & will be an asset in the middle.
(13) We're looking good given the boys have had a whole new game plan to digest over the summer.

 

[Silvagnis]

Seeing him run Laidler in the VFL so he could have a look at White, Duigan, Tuohy and BOOOOTS gave me a little bit of hope.

Don't think you can read too much into that game after we left two stoppers in Curnow and Joseph off the ground. We could have thrown them onto Rich and Zorko, but we didn't really any decisive moves. We just let them play without putting one of our best runners in Curnow on Rich.

 

[Sin City]

Don't think you can read too much into that game after we left two stoppers in Curnow and Joseph off the ground. We could have thrown them onto Rich and Zorko, but we didn't really any decisive moves. We just let them play without putting one of our best runners in Curnow on Rich.

All true, but what's that got to do with my post?

 

[Silvagnis]

It's related to the non-selection of Bell and Laidler. Mick said that the interchange cap did restrict us from giving us a look at or selecting a player. Better to give them a full game in the seconds than playing them in fits and spurts.

 

[Jock]

You like every other member of the Hampson-hate brigande simply refuse to see whats in front of you.

Take away the emotion and have a look at the facts of a player that's in his seven season and what return we have from an enormous investment. Extremely disappointing. You are basing your view on potential alone surely.

 

[JustaBattler]

Lets not forget - Hampson was cluncking and kicking them last year- before he got injured - patience is a virtue, especialy when all that has been on display so far is bits and pieces of Malthouses jig saw puzzle.