Opinion Round 5 Changes vs. North Melbourne

[TheMcManusNose]

Glad to see North are resting Preuss, now both teams are playing one true ruckman.

Strange decision by them. Thought that was their only clear path to beating us; Goldy/Preuss, Brown and Wood stretching us up forward. Rested no less.

 

[freo for life]

Glad to see North are resting Pruess, now both teams are playing one true ruckman.

It's a smart move by north not playing him , but playing Wood only after three quarters in the vfl is a huge risk.
Hamling will destroy him.

 

[StingBitten]

Balic played out the entire game just fine last week - and unless something major happened at training today I'd say he's just generally sore as opposed to spending a long-term stint on the sideline. He'll back in a week or so.

Tucker in is awesome - two great weeks and he gets another shot.

We're well in this game.

 

[Carnthedockers]

Balic played out the entire game just fine last week - and unless something major happened at training today I'd say he's just generally sore as opposed to spending a long-term stint on the sideline. He'll back in a week or so.

Tucker in is awesome - two great weeks and he gets another shot.

We're well in this game.

Balic was in that big contest before the Mcarthy goal. Could have been then?

 

[salim malik]

Balic played out the entire game just fine last week - and unless something major happened at training today I'd say he's just generally sore as opposed to spending a long-term stint on the sideline. He'll back in a week or so.

Tucker in is awesome - two great weeks and he gets another shot.

We're well in this game.

Balic hasn't trained this week.

 

[wayToGo_]

Tucker and not DPearce in is great! Changing of the guard really has happened!

 

[Tbonefreo]

Honestly cant wait to see some of the delistings at the end of the season.

 

[Walshy1]

Honestly cant wait to see some of the delistings at the end of the season.

So long, fair well.

 

[PapaJ]

Must have been tempting for the selection committee to go to DPearce for Balic. Tucker in is a good call though and, right now, an upgrade really. So in theory, (Walter's niggle aside) we go in with probably a stronger side than we've had in recent weeks.

Nth have made a good changes too and are a better team than Owen suggests - interesting night coming up. Hopefully we continue to put on a good show.

 

[Righteo]

for some reason i thought North were much taller up forward. im thinking we'll see a lot of end-to-end action on Saturday.

Hope like hell that Balic isn't sidelined for too long.

 

[DannyTheDoorman]

Balic played out the entire game just fine last week - and unless something major happened at training today I'd say he's just generally sore as opposed to spending a long-term stint on the sideline. He'll back in a week or so.

Tucker in is awesome - two great weeks and he gets another shot.

We're well in this game.

Harley Balic didnt appear out on the track at all on Tuesday and today he was in the gym forecourt area for most of the main session with the rehab guys. He came out onto the track with the rehab guys once the main session had finished and didn't seem troubled in is movement in the initial stretching session so I don't think he has a major injury.

 

[Docker82]

for some reason i thought North were much taller up forward. im thinking we'll see a lot of end-to-end action on Saturday.

Hope like hell that Balic isn't sidelined for too long.

This. People were worried about the big blokes but really it was just the two rucks and Ben Brown. Now it's Goldstein, Ben Brown and Mason Wood who is a gun but also more of a third tall and underdone in theory.

We've made the right call IMO. Dawson and AP are the only two that can really match Ben Brown's height and one is rightly out of favour, the other injured. Hindering the quality and quantity of supply from the midfield and good use of the spare man like always will be far more important.

 

[Rob]

Agree that it's a weird decision for them to rest Preuss. He's been the most impressive player for North this year, and was my biggest concern with him floating forward because we have no matchup for him.

Not a problem now.

 

[Lach72]

Agree that it's a weird decision for them to rest Preuss. He's been the most impressive player for North this year, and was my biggest concern with him floating forward because we have no matchup for him.

Not a problem now.

North have looked a little pedestrian midfield.

We're putting together quite the running machine. Maybe they felt they would get exposed for pace?

 

[ydraw]

By the time we get a decent ruck/forward, the trend will change again and we will be back at square 1.

The trend has never really changed though. You've always wanted 1 dedicated ruckman and 1 key forward who can chop out the ruckman for 5-10 minutes per quarter. It's been the same for at least 50 years.

The only thing that's really changed is that ruckmen have gotten taller and taller, which has meant it's become a lot harder to find a player who is both a good key forward and a competitive ruckman. Which is why players like Tippett are so valuable.

 

[beetz]

Big worry is Goldy, who runs with him? Sandi won't keep up.

 

[Logue]

Was Balic a muscle or hit?

 

[mike91]

Thought Norfs forward line was much taller, genuinely surprised.

 

[heavho]

Balic out is a bummer. Looked to of had a bit more confidence last week. Balic for tucker hasn't effected the structure of the team this week so it's still the solid one that has been the goods the last two weeks. Still not sold on mj in the ruck as sandi back up .Anyone else can think of a better solution with the current 22 that could take mjs spot?

 

[PapaJ]

May have been discussed earlier, but did I notice DPearce isn't even listed as an emergency this week. I assume this means he's going to get a run with Peel? Any confirmation on this?

 

[WeaselWJ]

May have been discussed earlier, but did I notice DPearce isn't even listed as an emergency this week. I assume this means he's going to get a run with Peel? Any confirmation on this?

Peel have a bye this week.

 

[PapaJ]

Peel have a bye this week.

Yeah, cheers, what a dill I am. Was just coming back to edit my post after checking the WAFL site.

 

[schnoods]

I think North are worried about mobility with our current running game. With their current slump it's worth rolling the dice and seeing a more mobile setup and a forward line that can deliver a score, as that was their only issue last week against the dogs. Interesting game, it definitely going to be a slugfest and tightly fought

 

[TheMcManusNose]

North have looked a little pedestrian midfield.

We're putting together quite the running machine. Maybe they felt they would get exposed for pace?

There are a few others they should probably drop if they're worried about pace. But yeah you'd think that could be the rationale.

 

[rgauci]

Is it going to rain? May have affected the decision to go smaller.