Changes V Melbourne Round 19

[Nunez]

Come on 3KZ and Nunez... That's not a great idea. The big Moose simply isn't good enough to play senior AFL and Leppa obviously agrees. Otherwise we would have seen him.

People said the same about Martin did they not?

Point is if there was a time to give a fringe player one last chance it would be this week. As I said mate, this isn't gospel but my simple opinion. Moose may or may not be good enough for AFL level football, but sometimes taking a chance and giving the feller one last chance can be very revealing like we've seen with Martin.

 

[radiotron]

Looks alright. I might have to check it out. Did you have a meal?

Best pub is North Melbourne is the townhall http://townhallhotelnorthmelbourne.com.au/
they might put the game on the 30cm crt in the corner
no plasma tv's is a thing of beauty

 

[dlanod]

People said the same about Martin did they not?

Point is if there was a time to give a fringe player one last chance it would be this week. As I said mate, this isn't gospel but my simple opinion. Moose may or may not be good enough for AFL level football, but sometimes taking a chance and giving the feller one last chance can be very revealing like we've seen with Martin.

People also said the same thing about Sheldon...

 

[3KZ is Football]

People also said the same thing about Sheldon...

Not this little black duck.

 

[Tairy Greene]

Best pub is North Melbourne is the townhall http://townhallhotelnorthmelbourne.com.au/
they might put the game on the 30cm crt in the corner
no plasma tv's is a thing of beauty

Love getting behind the bar to go through their album collection. Awesome burgers too!

 

[The Flying Belgian]

People also said the same thing about Sheldon...

Not this little black duck.

And Hawksley.

 

[James North]

People said the same about Martin did they not?

Point is if there was a time to give a fringe player one last chance it would be this week. As I said mate, this isn't gospel but my simple opinion. Moose may or may not be good enough for AFL level football, but sometimes taking a chance and giving the feller one last chance can be very revealing like we've seen with Martin.

I think Jordy has had more chances than Martin had, particularly in Lions' colours. In fact, it was already known that Martin was a pretty solid first ruck from Melbourne.

I fear Lisle's AFL career is over, and I think it might be a similar story to Ace's in that his downfall may all be above the shoulders.

 

[3KZ is Football]

And Hawksley.

The Hawksley comparison is more accurate.

 

[dlanod]

And Hawksley.

I was going for the example where people were saying the same thing about Lisle as they were about a particular player... and they were right (albeit way over the top about it).

 

[cotter101]

I'd be giving Lisle one last year. Deserves a chance as the main target.

 

[ooby]

Merrett has been asked to fill a role he is not suited for and is being pilloried for it. He won't be dropped for doing the team thing.

One other observation.. it seems that our forward line is functioning much better since the return of McGrath. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[Skoob]

FWIW: While I don't support Lisle replacing Merrett in the senior team, I also am not advocating his delisting.
He is a good depth player who can come in to fill a hole, either forward or back, should one appear.

 

[jackess]

Merrett has been asked to fill he role he is not suited for and is being pilloried for it. He won't be dropped for doing the team thing.

One other observation.. it seems that our forward line is functioning much better since the return of McGrath. Coincidence? I think not.

Has it? Apart from last week where we had double the inside 50s has our forward line been working that well?

 

[ooby]

Has it? Apart from last week where we had double the inside 50s has our forward line been working that well?

Fair enough. Can't manufacture without raw material. It's just a gut feel.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I'm all for giving players a final chance given we are not in finals contention, but realistically if Lisle couldn't take his chance this year with no Brown and Leuenberger for most of the season and Close just learning the trade, it's difficult to see him making it next year. If you assume West, McGuane and Staker all return from injury, add Paine and Freeman and presuming we take a KPF with our first pick and possibly also Hammelman and one of Jackson or Andrews, there just isn't room for another fringe tall is there? I don't consider him a backman so I'm not factoring in our KPD needs here.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I'd be giving Lisle one last year. Deserves a chance as the main target.

Can't ever see him being the main target though.

 

[a mayes ing]

He didn't have brown in the reserves games for the season and hasn't been great. Only the last 2 games it seems he has been good.

 

[cotter101]

Can't ever see him being the main target though.

I don't expect him to become a genuine elite forward. But he's generally done alright at senior level as the main target. I'd be giving him a 1 year contract and telling him it's his last chance. Let him and Close play the rest of the year as the two forward targets. We don't really have anything to lose. But I feel he does need a string of games as the main guy before we get rid of him.

 

[Panthera]

I don't expect him to become a genuine elite forward. But he's generally done alright at senior level as the main target. I'd be giving him a 1 year contract and telling him it's his last chance. Let him and Close play the rest of the year as the two forward targets. We don't really have anything to lose. But I feel he does need a string of games as the main guy before we get rid of him.

His time is up; we can't afford to have so many 'project' tall forwards on our list that aren't playing seniors regularly:

When you consider we'll have McGuane & Staker back (hopefully), adding Lisle to Close, Freeman, Paine is a bit of a stretch

If we get both Hammelmann and Wright, he'd be highly unlikely to get a new contract.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I don't expect him to become a genuine elite forward. But he's generally done alright at senior level as the main target. I'd be giving him a 1 year contract and telling him it's his last chance. Let him and Close play the rest of the year as the two forward targets. We don't really have anything to lose. But I feel he does need a string of games as the main guy before we get rid of him.

Fair enough points. I think where we probably disagree is that I think he has had his chances and hasn't really measured up. He would have had a string of games if he had performed when it counts - much like Ace.

 

[Lionheart182]

For the people saying Lisle deserves one last chance, I would argue he got that chance early this season in defence and was pretty poor IMO. He is well and truly down the pecking order.

 

[PTizzle]

People said the same about Martin did they not?

Point is if there was a time to give a fringe player one last chance it would be this week. As I said mate, this isn't gospel but my simple opinion. Moose may or may not be good enough for AFL level football, but sometimes taking a chance and giving the feller one last chance can be very revealing like we've seen with Martin.

I'd like to see Lisle get one more crack as the main target, just to see if it spurs him to actually be physical and attack, but I'd also argue this weekend is exactly the weekend we don't want to do it. Had a fantastic win last weekend and this is the most 'winnable' game left this year. Leave it as is and try things out in the last couple of games which we're realistically no chance in imo.

 

[Quigley]

On Lisle I think the glut of not good enough forwards we have in the reserves is inhibiting the development of some of the younger players who might end up good enough if they got some more experience as the main target in the reserves. Personally I think Michael has sufferred from having to play a different role every week. I would have liked to have seen him play the KPF/second ruck for an extended period in the reserves and see what he could do with it. As it is though he has not got that chance with the likes of Lisle playing that role. Things will be even worse next year unless we clear some of the detris and Lisle would be one who I would let go.

 

[carnthemlions]

On Lisle I think the glut of not good enough forwards we have in the reserves is inhibiting the development of some of the younger players who might end up good enough if they got some more experience as the main target in the reserves. Personally I think Michael has sufferred from having to play a different role every week. I would have liked to have seen him play the KPF/second ruck for an extended period in the reserves and see what he could do with it. As it is though he has not got that chance with the likes of Lisle playing that role. Things will be even worse next year unless we clear some of the detris and Lisle would be one who I would let go.

We don't really want to be moving Freeman and Hammelmann around next year to accommodate Lilse. We know what he can do at NEAFL level.

 

[Fatcat08]

On Lisle I think the glut of not good enough forwards we have in the reserves is inhibiting the development of some of the younger players who might end up good enough if they got some more experience as the main target in the reserves. Personally I think Michael has sufferred from having to play a different role every week. I would have liked to have seen him play the KPF/second ruck for an extended period in the reserves and see what he could do with it. As it is though he has not got that chance with the likes of Lisle playing that role. Things will be even worse next year unless we clear some of the detris and Lisle would be one who I would let go.

I asked Leppa about this issue at the AGM question time last year and whether there would be an issue getting guys games in their long term positions. It just felt to me that we were a bit tall in some areas and had too many options to try to shoehorn into our reserves side especially which would come at the expense of player development for some guys. He wasn't too worried and thought our list makeup was pretty reasonable but I still tend to think we've got a few too many average talls and perhaps not enough midfield depth at the moment still. I guess if Goose ends up retiring in the next 2 years and maybe Merrett then its a different story. Although to be fair my analysis was done thinking that McStay and Gardiner were only KPD which probably isn't really accurate.