The benchwarmers

[blue shark]

Now that we have seen how we perform without Barlow, Fyfe, do we have enough depth to cover losses?
Are the replacements ready? Or are we kidding ourselves this year, and need our best team to compete
with the top four.
Should another Barlow type been added to the squad? Or can Crozier, Sheredin, Bollard, Sylvia, add
something? Should we have cut deeper after last year, or is the balance right?

 

[slicedndiced]

6'3" clearance machines do not grow on trees.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

Sylvia was meant to be a new one but we underestimated how much he was damaged goods. It's also really hard to replace two of the competition's premier extractors.

 

[freoextra]

Now that we have seen how we perform without Barlow, Fyfe, do we have enough depth to cover losses?
Are the replacements ready? Or are we kidding ourselves this year, and need our best team to compete
with the top four.
Should another Barlow type been added to the squad? Or can Crozier, Sheredin, Bollard, Sylvia, add
something? Should we have cut deeper after last year, or is the balance right?

I think we have the most depth, I have seen at the club. We have finally addressed the key position issue and for the first time have 4 promising key position players (Apeness, Pearce, Smith and Taberner).

We also have good coverage for our mids with Sylvia, Sheridan, Ballard even Ibbo. Injuries are hurting but we do seem inclined to want to shoot ourselves in the foot at the moment. I think it may remain an up and down struggle for a while and then a very strong finish, which is not a bad way to go.

At the end of the year it will be a top up again and I would imagine back to the best available selection rather than best key position. I expect Pav and McPharlin to play on for one more year,

 

[Simmofreo]

6'3" clearance machines do not grow on trees.

Mooooooorrrrrraaaaaabbbbbiiiittttoooo

 

[blue shark]

Do you think we over compensated for key position/flankers, and could of added more genuine mids to the list? Gumbleton, Keplar, Griffen, Vandeleur, Wood, Duffy, Menegola, come to mind, add another 4-5 players on the main list.
We removed Schloithe without playing a game, the list to me doesn't look balanced, and there is an element of luck with players coming back from
injury.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

Colin Sylvia is not quite 6'3" but he will do.

I absolutely cannot understand why he was not selected for the Hawks game.

 

[freoextra]

Colin Sylvia is not quite 6'3" but he will do.

I absolutely cannot understand why he was not selected for the Hawks game.

I would have agreed with you at the time but his subsequent lack of professionalism is probably the answer. Let's get his head right, because he is the most obvious "in" that would benefit the team at the moment from a size point of view and that ability to kick a goal.

He would have to be excited about a potential Derby game, how often has he played to that sort of crowd.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

I would have agreed with you at the time but his subsequent lack of professionalism is probably the answer. Let's get his head right, because he is the most obvious "in" that would benefit the team at the moment from a size point of view and that ability to kick a goal.

That is the paradox. His head was fine before we messed with it.
If he had have played in the Hawks game like he should have, we possibly would not have the problem we now have with him or the team.

What we all need to understand is everyone has an ego of some dimension.... Everyone, and that it is not a bad thing.
The club has all but tarred and feathered Colin to humiliate him and clearly, as he has now demonstrated it is the wrong approach with him.
To me, this is classic cutting off our nose to spite our face and hope that Colin can put aside the club's treatment of him and get onto the field for us against West Coast.

 

[freoextra]

Do you think we over compensated for key position/flankers, and could of added more genuine mids to the list? Gumbleton, Keplar, Griffen, Vandeleur, Wood, Duffy, Menegola, come to mind, add another 4-5 players on the main list.
We removed Schloithe without playing a game, the list to me doesn't look balanced, and there is an element of luck with players coming back from
injury.

Menagola can play as that midfielder or tagging role, has a strong body size as well. Get the impression he was most upset when he did his last knee, might have been close to an upgrade, still might be, if Son Son is put on the long term injury list. He just needs to work on his disposal. Keplar will likely be replaced at the end of the year and that may be an extra to the midfield. Schloithe appeared to be developing nicely but did not appear to have the tank for the RTB game plan. Wood is still a possibility in a number of positions, beautiful skills, great mark but until he has a body who knows.

 

[freoextra]

That is the paradox. His head was fine before we messed with it.
If he had have played in the Hawks game like he should have, we possibly would not have the problem we now have with him or the team.

What we all need to understand is everyone has an ego of some dimension.... Everyone, and that it is not a bad thing.
The club has all but tarred and feathered Colin to humiliate him and clearly, as he has now demonstrated it is the wrong approach with him.
To me, this is classic cutting off our nose to spite our face and hope that Colin can put aside the club's treatment of him and get onto the field for us against West Coast.

Sylvia has certainly been penalised basically from day one, did he deserve it? I have no idea, but we could certainly use "good" Colin at the moment.

 

[E Shed]

That is the paradox. His head was fine before we messed with it.
If he had have played in the Hawks game like he should have, we possibly would not have the problem we now have with him or the team.

What we all need to understand is everyone has an ego of some dimension.... Everyone, and that it is not a bad thing.
The club has all but tarred and feathered Colin to humiliate him and clearly, as he has now demonstrated it is the wrong approach with him.
To me, this is classic cutting off our nose to spite our face and hope that Colin can put aside the club's treatment of him and get onto the field for us against West Coast.

I feel a bit that way too. same with Simpson. If he had been picked to play against Sydney we wouldn't be in the situation we are now of not being able to select him at all and we might have scored a few more goals.
I mean I sort of get that the club is bigger than the individual and we can't let ourselves be held to ransom by big egos but honestly I'd rather see Simpson and Sylvia doing crazy skilful s**t than Deboer doing ostensibly nothing for 3 hours but being told that this is what the coach wants him to do, that he is playing a role.
But I guess if I got my wish I'd have Harvey's old Dockers back and not the reliable RossLyon model.
perhaps there is something in between?

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

If Sylvia hadn't have gotten off on the wrong foot from the outset by saying to the coaches when he'd be joining preseason, instead of the other way around, he'd probably be playing.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

If Sylvia hadn't have gotten off on the wrong foot from the outset by saying to the coaches when he'd be joining preseason, instead of the other way around, he'd probably be playing.

Did you specifically hear him say that ?

Nobody has, and it is scuttlebutt that has grown legs.
We are good at it. We did a job on Jack Anthony which was disgraceful.

Until Chris Bond or Ross Lyon come out and say specifically Colin is not playing because he told us to stuff our early start to training, it is just a vicious rumour.

All I have ever seen him do is bloody run laps, 100's of them. Of course that is in between periods of injuries.

Incomprehensible that he is not being given a run in the absence of Barlow let alone when Fyfe was also out as well.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

Did you specifically hear him say that ?

Nobody has, and it is scuttlebutt that has grown legs.
We are good at it. We did a job on Jack Anthony which was disgraceful.

Until Chris Bond or Ross Lyon come out and say specifically Colin is not playing because he told us to stuff our early start to training, it is just a vicious rumour.

All I have ever seen him do is bloody run laps, 100's of them. Of course that is in between periods of injuries.

Incomprehensible that he is not being given a run in the absence of Barlow let alone when Fyfe was also out as well.

No, but it's not hard to figure out that he's been held at arms length. We obviously didn't rush into including him into the seniors for a reason. Nobody wants Sylvia to end up being a mistake, but I don't think the club is going to mortgage our long term culture for any temporary gains we may make in the short term just because there's a bit of pressure on our depth. If he was right to go, then we would have included him, but obviously there was a problem. Then he got a bit frustrated and dropped a bloke behind play and now he's out for two weeks. The ball's in his court.

Jack Anthony tried hard but his lack of talent was found out in the end. The only position he might have done OK in was as a third defensive tall.

 

[free at last]

Mooooooorrrrrraaaaaabbbbbiiiittttoooo

Well he's the wild card in the pack IMO

 

[StingBitten]

So we've got the biggest injury list in the AFL (as per usual), if you took out 1 defender, 3 key midfielders and 1 key forward from Hawthorn would they still be at the top of their game?

 

[Spoken4]

So we've got the biggest injury list in the AFL (as per usual), if you took out 1 defender, 3 key midfielders and 1 key forward from Hawthorn would they still be at the top of their game?

Yes, I think they would. Missed Lake, Stratton, Hodge, McEnvoy and Sewell when they played Freo and still obliterated us.

 

[Spoken4]

Well he's the wild card in the pack IMO

I'd love him to play but are his skills really up to AFL standards? Appreciate the views from people that have closely watched Peel played. From the televised games I've watched, his skills still seem to rusty.

 

[pokerspiv]

We have a big injury list but we stil have plenty of guys in the 2's who are good replacements. The problem is that Lyon continually refuses to play them for reasons known only to himself.

 

[Spoken4]

We have a big injury list but we stil have plenty of guys in the 2's who are good replacements. The problem is that Lyon continually refuses to play them for reasons known only to himself.

So if Ballas misses, who would you bring into replace him (and Walters) in the forward line who can bring scoreboard pressure along with aggressive defense to implement our forward press?

 

[theGav56]

Pretty happy for selection to be based on needs and performance (either in games or at training) rather than reputation or ego.

 

[theGav56]

So if Ballas misses, who would you bring into replace him (and Walters) in the forward line who can bring scoreboard pressure along with aggressive defense to implement our forward press?

Crozier is the obvious.

 

[pokerspiv]

So if Ballas misses, who would you bring into replace him (and Walters) in the forward line who can bring scoreboard pressure along with aggressive defense to implement our forward press?

Crozier, Sheridan, Simpson.

 

[Spoken4]

Crozier, Sheridan, Simpson.

Sheridan does not provide the forward pressure or goal kicking capacity of Walters or Ballantyne so he is not a replacement. Simpson has shown some potential but could not be described as a "good replacement". Crozier is flashy and can take big marks and kick goals but lacks the polish of Walters and Ballas.