Preview Round 20 - Geelong v Essendon, Etihad, Sunday 3:20pm

[Stan The Caddy]

Bews/Cowan is pretty marginal I reckon, but there is no way I would be dropping either of Blicavs or Cockatoo at this stage of the season.
Nor would I be bringing S. Selwood in.

I would take Cowan before Bews because with Ruggles already in the team, Cowan is capable of playing further up the ground and his disposal is better IMO.

I agree with you on Blitz and Cockatoo but I'm interested to know why you wouldn't want to bring SS in? I think that he could really add something to the side even this late in the season.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I would take Cowan before Bews because with Ruggles already in the team, Cowan is capable of playing further up the ground and his disposal is better IMO.

I agree with you on Blitz and Cockatoo but I'm interested to know why you wouldn't want to bring SS in? I think that he could really add something to the side even this late in the season.

Cowan/Bews (and even Ruggles) is far from decided at this stage of the season I reckon. I'd throw Kolodjashnij in that group also.

I'd be hoping Scott Selwood could indeed add something to the side if he got his chance (and he well might), but I have him behind Menegola at this stage purely because I like what Menegola has done in his 2 games so far.

But Kolodjashnij, Bews, Ruggles, Cowan, Menegola and Scott Selwood; I don't think any of these players have really secured their spots at this stage.
Ruggles is probably the closest, and maybe Selwood does deserve a chance to put his case forward.

 

[Rockford]

I'd be hoping Scott Selwood could indeed add something to the side if he got his chance (and he well might), but I have him behind Menegola at this stage purely because I like what Menegola has done in his 2 games so far.

I think we have to get SS his chance soon though with a view to playing him during the Finals. He played in the Eagles QF win last season against the Hawks. And he's got a fair bit of Finals experience in general. If it comes down to him or Menegola with not much between them then we have to go with Scooter given his Finals experience.

 

[nohairandfair]

Expecting the returns of Henderson, Caddy and the debut of SSelwood this week.

Thought Kolo was quite fumbly and Bews aerial work has been ordinary in picking the wrong contest to try and take a grab (rather than spoiling) and putting himself out of position at the fall of the ball so they could be first on the chopping block.

Not sure who else makes way but it's probably out of Cocky, McCarthy, Menegola and Cowan although all of them would be stiff to lose their place

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

It's about time we came out well from the start. Our first quarters have been pretty putrid lately and the last time we managed the first goal in a game was against the Dogs in Round 13. We should be aiming for a 25+ point lead at quarter time and go from there.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

IIRC Essendon challenged us earlier this year, and normally I'd be cautious. However, given how everyone else has been giving them a flogging recently I'll be very disappointed if we "struggle" against them again and only pull of a 20pt win. Given how tight the top 4 is we need %%%%%% and bad. So they have to approach these next few games with that in mind.

Selection remains a conundrum for me, and I expect them to rest a couple in this game. I wonder if we may see Paddy get a rest this week? Going to be an interesting discussion at MC this week.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Patty's had his rest and he'll get another on the eve of the finals.

 

[Footy Smarts]

We need to start playing close to the team likely to feature in the finals and it needs to be a no holds barred approach with a big win of near enough to 100 points... no messing around.

In: Caddy, Selwood, Henderson

Out: Cowan, Blicavs, Cockatoo (all omit)

Sorry but this to me reads like a team picked to win a DT game not to win a premiership. You can't have a midfield of just ball winners without players pressuring the opposition when they win it. You're getting rid of 3 of our best pressure players and replacing them with a key defender, an inside mid who's defensively suspect and an inside mid who can also tag but can't get around the ground like Blicavs. We'd win the contested ball but be absolutely carved up away from the contest.

Those ins are fine but Henderson has to come in for a defender in our structure not Cowan who's played in Murdoch's place as a defensive minded winger the last couple of weeks. I think Bews is the obvious one. And if Caddy and Selwood both come in we have to drop an inside mid. It also can't be Blicavs because his defensive game is superior to any others along with Guthrie. I don't really see how it can be anyone except Menegola unfortunately. The other person dropped could be Cowan and we could shift Guthrie to a more defensive outside mid role. Or we could drop a tall defender and shift Cowan back (or bring back Bews) if match ups work better that way. But whatever the case you can't drop 3 high pressure players and bring in 3 low pressure players and expect us to still defend as well when the opposition has the ball.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

IIRC Essendon challenged us earlier this year, and normally I'd be cautious. However, given how everyone else has been giving them a flogging recently I'll be very disappointed if we "struggle" against them again and only pull of a 20pt win. Given how tight the top 4 is we need %%%%%% and bad. So they have to approach these next few games with that in mind.

Prior to today's game, Essendon had kept its last three opponents to winning margins of 37, 19 and 11 and it wasn't that long ago that the Bombers kept this legendary GWS team to a 27 point win (the margin was two goals in time on of the fourth quarter).

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Since when have Henderson, Scott Selwood and Caddy been in the majority of people's dream teams?

Caddy and Selwood not only apply more pressure than Cowan and Cockatoo but they find more of the ball and are simply better players at this point in time... So no, I'm picking a team to win.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Prior to today's game, Essendon had kept it's last three opponents to winning margins of 37, 19 and 11 and it wasn't that long ago that the Bombers kept this legendary GWS team to a 27 point win (the margin was two goals in time on of the fourth quarter).

Thanks, I hadn't looked back. I think given it's nearly the end of the year for the bombers if we can dominate them early they'll probably roll over fairly easily as they did with Adelaide today. They have nothing to play for except finishing last, so I don't think they'll fight us to death this round.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Thanks, I hadn't looked back. I think given it's nearly the end of the year for the bombers if we can dominate them early they'll probably roll over fairly easily as they did with Adelaide today. They have nothing to play for except finishing last, so I don't think they'll fight us to death this round.

A lot of them are playing for their future... They won't roll over and die easily.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Since when have Henderson, Scott Selwood and Caddy been in the majority of people's dream teams?

Caddy and Selwood not only apply more pressure than Cowan and Cockatoo but they find more of the ball and are simply better players at this point in time... So no, I'm picking a team to win.

I think we need Cockatoos pace, but Cowan won't be playing in our finals team I'm pretty sure.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

A lot of them are playing for their future... They won't roll over and die easily.

When their expecting a group of players to return from suspension, I think a number of this years Essendons squad realise they'll probably end up back in the 2's next year, while the top ups will be done as most of them only had a 1 yr contract. This line of yours might've applied in previous years, but not so much this year. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I think we need Cockatoos pace, but Cowan won't be playing in our finals team I'm pretty sure.

I watched Cockatoo closely on Friday night and he was fighting a losing battle. He needs another pre-season or two before hell become consistently effective.

Depending on who we play I can still see a role this year for Cockatoo but I prefer the bigger bodied midfielders against Sydney, etc. they killed us in this area last time around.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

I watched Cockatoo closely on Friday night and he was fighting a losing battle. He needs another pre-season or two before hell become consistently effective.

Depending on who we play I can still see a role this year for Cockatoo but I prefer the bigger bodied midfielders against Sydney, etc. they killed us in this area last time around.

I don't disagree, we've missed Caddy and to be honest I'm dying to see what Scooter can bring to the table. There's a few players who are currently getting a game who most likely won't be in the finals team. Cowan, Bews.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I think we have to get SS his chance soon though with a view to playing him during the Finals. He played in the Eagles QF win last season against the Hawks. And he's got a fair bit of Finals experience in general. If it comes down to him or Menegola with not much between them then we have to go with Scooter given his Finals experience.

I watched that game; Selwood wasn't bad - Eagles lost.
If Menegola is playing good football in the seniors then he needn't necessarily lose his spot - who knows; both may end up playing at the expense of someone else ..

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Thanks, I hadn't looked back. I think given it's nearly the end of the year for the bombers if we can dominate them early they'll probably roll over fairly easily as they did with Adelaide today. They have nothing to play for except finishing last, so I don't think they'll fight us to death this round.

I agree. It's high time we bolted out of the blocks against a non-finals opponent.

How's this for a stat? Our first quarters against current non-top eight opposition (eight games) in 2016:

Gee: 19.29.143 v Opponents: 30.21.201

That's staggering. Even in a 20 goal win against the Suns, we only held a 14 point advantage at quarter time. We led Essendon by one point last time the teams met. Our one excellent first quarter against poor opposition this year was against Brisbane, way back in Round 3 (6.2 to 1.5).

I'm not sure what you can put that down to besides just going through the motions and consistently failing to match lesser opponents' endeavour from the first bounce (along with woeful accuracy, of course).

 

[Footy Smarts]

Since when have Henderson, Scott Selwood and Caddy been in the majority of people's dream teams?

Caddy and Selwood not only apply more pressure than Cowan and Cockatoo but they find more of the ball and are simply better players at this point in time... So no, I'm picking a team to win.

It reads to me like you're keeping a guy like Menegola because he gets lots of the ball ahead of a guy like Cockatoo who doesn't. And there's no way in the world that Caddy or S Selwood would apply defensive pressure once the opposition have the ball away from the inside like Cockatoo or Cowan. That's basically the only reason those 2 are currently being selected.

 

[Nickoo]

Patty's had his rest and he'll get another on the eve of the finals.

Nakia hates the idea of Paddy getting a rest. [emoji3] you ticked me off earlier in the season when I wondered same. I'm coming around to this. This week is almost a bye round with 9 days.


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[Nickoo]

I watched Cockatoo closely on Friday night and he was fighting a losing battle. He needs another pre-season or two before hell become consistently effective.

Depending on who we play I can still see a role this year for Cockatoo but I prefer the bigger bodied midfielders against Sydney, etc. they killed us in this area last time around.

Yeah but they killed us rather than just beating us because we were missing a third hard inside mid that night and it was too easy to get the ball out to advantage. Had they debuted Sam that night it would have been a closer game. We would have still lost; we weren't up.


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[RegHickeyStand]

Well he is a Geelong player

He isn't playing well enough for him to be suspended for that. They save that shit for our BOG in semi finals.

 

[supahoops]

I think we have to get SS his chance soon though with a view to playing him during the Finals. He played in the Eagles QF win last season against the Hawks. And he's got a fair bit of Finals experience in general. If it comes down to him or Menegola with not much between them then we have to go with Scooter given his Finals experience.

Happy to have scooter in the VFL another week. Everyone will look like a champ v Bombers. Give him the job on Dustin Martin the following week. Then Rich. Then Jones. He can have a week off after that.

 

[Nickoo]

Rest Menzel and bring kersten back so he can practise as lead up target in the fwd line and get more confidence.


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[supahoops]

Any chance Kelly and Stokes might sign off this week?