Preview Round 7: Geelong vs Essendon, MCG, Sunday 05/05/19, 3:20 PM aka "The Country Game"

[Dons4days]

I can see the changes being pretty minimal next week with Raz in for Smith if he misses.
Woosh will tease us by putting players like Francis, Clarke & Langford on the extended squad but not actually bring them in.

 

[Darealrath]

I'd be okay with Myers being left out but I'm not sure there is an obvious replacement right now. We could give Parish and Zaharakis more time in the square but do we need more size?

If McKernan were fit we could play Daniher permanently forward and give more midfield time to Stringer, potentially splitting time with Laverde, but that's obviously not going to happen anytime soon.

 

[Ambrosia]

It's weird, it seems like this is our game to lose because I almost have to see the Cats close us down to believe they'll do it (even if I think they should).

Cats are too arrogant about how good they are as an attacking side to try and close the game down.

 

[ghostdog]

Smith might be out so Fantasia returns. I tend to agree with the view that Bags Myers and Brown will be retained again. Our form over the last month doesn't warrant dropping them. In fairness to Bags, he won some seriously tough contests yesterday to complement his 3 goals.
I didn't think Parish was so bad as some do. He put plenty of pressure on the ball and tackled hard. If Myers deserves faith, Parish must stay. His game smashed Myers'.

 

[bombadeer]

I did actually lols

To be fair, the AFL gave Melbourne all of 4 days to recover, so anything is possible.

 

[srobbo]

Gees this is a big game, but a test I’m happy for us to embrace after yesterdays tough loss.

Feel like it’s prob a game that will define our season in terms not only being able to consolidate a top 8 position, but more importantly for our belief that we belong as a contender.

Wouldn’t want to be heading up to Sydney staring down the barrel of a 3 game slide. It’s a huge game!

 

[Snake Charmer]

How far off is Noah Gown? could he replace Brown for a game or two?

Brown was awesome for 2 weeks and had a quiet one yesterday. No way he is dropped for a 19 year old that has look alright in 3 VFL games.

 

[TheGrizz]

Bags just kicked 3 goals, why are people dropping him?
Brown was quiet yesterday but took a couple of good marks and had a ripping 2 weeks before that so would be stiff to miss out.

Myers on the other hand can go for a spell in the VFL for a week or 6 until he learns the meaning proactive movement. The amount of times the ball turned over because he waited for the ball like a glacier instead moving to meet it was ridiculous. Thats an u14s lesson to learn.

Would bring in Fanta for Myers (allow Parish a larger midfield role) and if Smith doesnt get up then i would give Langford or Mynott a run.

 

[anst1ssa]

Myers is important for us in the contest with his body work but as pointed out above - he's very ineffective when the play opens up. Cost us two turnovers late in the game due to being stationary and waiting for the ball.

Langford deserves a call up but I think Myers will stay in the side considering we face another tough midfield unit this week.

 

[boncer34]

Bags just kicked 3 goals, why are people dropping him?

Because the alternative is conceding they were wrong.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Smith to have scans on his knee according to Mitch Cleary

Hopefully it’s just precautionary and not a new injury.

 

[BrunoV]

You can fornicate with any gender, can't you?

fornicate
/ˈfɔːnɪkeɪt/
verb
FORMAL•HUMOROUS

1. have sexual intercourse with someone one is not married to.

Oh, yeah, fornication is one of my 5 or 6.

 

[ghostdog]

Gees this is a big game, but a test I’m happy for us to embrace after yesterdays tough loss.

Feel like it’s prob a game that will define our season in terms not only being able to consolidate a top 8 position, but more importantly for our belief that we belong as a contender.

Wouldn’t want to be heading up to Sydney staring down the barrel of a 3 game slide. It’s a huge game!

Often after a loss you hear apologists say we would have learned a lot from it, and it becomes a pretty shallow cliche. The intensity of yesterday's game though, plus the crowd, the venue and the oppo actually gives that game as an important learning experience total legitimacy. Next game against Geelong should be put to the boys in a similar context; if the Collingwood game was like a final, the Geelong game should also require a finals intensity as though it's Week 2. We need to back it up and use the experience to learn how to win in close, tough circumstances. So glad we got that game into Ridley, Redman, Parish, McGrath, Saad etc. They'll be all the better for it.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Raz in for Smith if his knee is rooted.

Baguley kicked three and got to good positions. Proved me wrong. Will keep him in based on that.

 

[BrunoV]

Because the alternative is conceding they were wrong.

Give me some credit, if I though Laverde kicking 6 wasn't worthy of mention was I going to be impressed by Baguley being fed 3 goals when he could hardly get near the ball in ground level play?

This obsession with every shit small forward we have gets in the way of people's judgment.

If it was the GWS game last year, for example, that would be the "yeah he proved us wrong" game.

Congratulating Baguley on his performance yesterday is basically just congratulating him for being on the field. If that's the level at which we appreciate performance it seems that a lot of us didn't get the memo for the other 43 players on the list.

What is it with these guys? Do you people see them as making AFL accessible to your meager talents? I say that being a shit player myself that could not even imagine what it would be like to be good enough.

If a ruckman sized player performed at the equivalent level he'd be despised. No one would be saying "but he got 20 tap outs".

Just look at some of the comments about Stewart above. Imagine if he too played in a functioning team when he was struggling? Could he not have "found a good spot"?

Edit: Daniher is another example of someone who despite being a gun cops an inordinate amount of shit just as Carlisle and Ryder did before him.

 

[ghostdog]

ANZAC Day result hurts. But we need to move on.

This is another very big game in the context of our season. Another loss puts us behind on the win/loss ledger.

Our form at the MCG has been good this year (2-1) & our form against Geelong has been very good over the last couple of seasons with convincing victories at the MCG. But they look an improved unit this year so it will be another challenging game.

PROS

• Form at the MCG this year.
• Form against Geelong over the last two seasons.
• Midfield functioning well to combat their own very good onball division.
• Daniher has returned and has two matches under his belt and impressed in both.
• Defence looking stable with Hurley, Hooker & Ambrose.
• Likely return of Orazio Fantasia.
• Strong performing VFL team (playing Collingwood on Saturday @ Windy Hill) with plenty of options available.
• An extra 3 days break over Geelong, who have a tough game on Sunday at home against the reigning premiers. It's the first time in a few years we have had a longer break after an ANZAC Day game.

CONS

• Just how are we going to respond after the emotional letdown of an ANZAC Day loss?
• The "brave" loss syndrome. Any chance we can avoid the club being happy with themselves in just losing a big game and put their anger and energy into rebounding strongly?
• Devon Smith - severity of his injury?
• A loss here will really put us deep in the pack of teams around the middle section of the ladder.
• Geelong midfield really firing so far this year.
• The likes of Hawkins & Gary Rohan could cause us headaches in their forward half.

A really interesting fixture and an important one. Thoughts?

The 'brave loss' syndrome is interesting to me. It needs to be accompanied by an assertion that it's not acceptable and that persistent intensity is important. Myers should have moved to the ball. Shiel should nail those goals. Parish needs to nail the pass. I've got no doubt after yesterday that we have what it takes to go deep. The players need to believe they are among the best teams and make shit happen.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Geelong
Swans
Fremantle

Winning the next 3 will really set up our season.

6-3 heading into Dreamtime

 

[yodellinhank]

The 'brave loss' syndrome is interesting to me. It needs to be accompanied by an assertion that it's not acceptable and that persistent intensity is important. Myers should have moved to the ball. Shiel should nail those goals. Parish needs to nail the pass. I've got no doubt after yesterday that we have what it takes to go deep. The players need to believe they are among the best teams and make shit happen.

ANZAC showed we are (again) pretenders IMO. Collingwod should've put the game to bed in the first half. And when the game was up for grabs in the last our players were all sucked into the contest and abandoned structure.

We "almost" stole it. We're the most dangerous side outside the top 8. We got it together at the end of the year. We'll be better for the experience.

We haven't learnt a thing.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

ANZAC showed we are (again) pretenders IMO. Collingwod should've put the game to bed in the first half. And when the game was up for grabs in the last our players were all sucked into the contest and abandoned structure.

We "almost" stole it. We're the most dangerous side outside the top 8. We got it together at the end of the year. We'll be better for the experience.

We haven't learnt a thing.

We take positives but the loss shouldn't be accepted players should be fuming and doing everything in their preparation to belt the Cats next week.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

ANZAC showed we are (again) pretenders IMO. Collingwod should've put the game to bed in the first half. And when the game was up for grabs in the last our players were all sucked into the contest and abandoned structure.

We "almost" stole it. We're the most dangerous side outside the top 8. We got it together at the end of the year. We'll be better for the experience.

We haven't learnt a thing.

Pretenders? Are you serious? Daniher’s second game back, guys like Ridley and Redman first big game, Raz our, playing possibly best team in comp. Outscored then by 5 goals last two and a half quarters.

 

[TheGrizz]

Give me some credit, if I though Laverde kicking 6 wasn't worthy of mention was I going to be impressed by Baguley being fed 3 goals when he could hardly get near the ball in ground level play?

This obsession with every shit small forward we have gets in the way of people's judgment.

If it was the GWS game last year, for example, that would be the "yeah he proved us wrong" game.

Congratulating Baguley on his performance yesterday is basically just congratulating him for being on the field. If that's the level at which we appreciate performance it seems that a lot of us didn't get the memo for the other 43 players on the list.

What is it with these guys? Do you people see them as making AFL accessible to your meager talents? I say that being a shit player myself that could not even imagine what it would be like to be good enough.

If a ruckman sized player performed at the equivalent level he'd be despised. No one would be saying "but he got 20 tap outs".

Just look at some of the comments about Stewart above. Imagine if he too played in a functioning team when he was struggling? Could he not have "found a good spot"?

Edit: Daniher is another example of someone who despite being a gun cops an inordinate amount of shit just as Carlisle and Ryder did before him.

Mate, your not even trying anymore.

Comparing a small forward kicking 3 of his teams 9 goals in a match with a ruckman getting 20 hitouts and deeming them comparable performances would be funny if it wasnt so deluded.

 

[yodellinhank]

Pretenders? Are you serious? Daniher’s second game back, guys like Ridley and Redman first big game, Raz our, playing possibly best team in comp. Outscored then by 5 goals last two and a half quarters.

Pretenders gunna pretend. If we'd have got done by 10 goals the label wouldn't fit. Coulda, shoulda and woulda when it counts: textbook.

 

[BrunoV]

Mate, your not even trying anymore.

Comparing a small forward kicking 3 of his teams 9 goals in a match with a ruckman getting 20 hitouts and deeming them comparable performances would be funny if it wasnt so deluded.

But the standard is literally doing the bare minimum if you could even call it that.

That's what is mean by "he got to good spots" isnt it?

We need to find one thing to hang out hats on because we watched the first half and it was deplorable and there was no pressure evident so this week it's "he got to good spots".

Well Hartley routinely effects about two to three times the number of spoils as goals conceded and rucks get their hit outs. Hurley spends half his game trying to hold back a flood.

Tall forwards get double and triple teamed and ravaged by modern ball movement.

What is their version of "got to the right spot"?

You like consistency so you explain it to me.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Pretenders gunna pretend. If we'd have got done by 10 goals the label wouldn't fit. Coulda, shoulda and woulda when it counts: textbook.

Game we should have won too many players butchering the ball in crucial moments

 

[DapperJong]

Pretenders gunna pretend. If we'd have got done by 10 goals the label wouldn't fit. Coulda, shoulda and woulda when it counts: textbook.

Shit troll