Preview Changes vs Cats (Rnd4)-In: Melksham, Out: Sparrow(omitted)

[Bluelegs]

It's more the vibe, or mabo. The place gives me the creeps.

Have you seen some of our older supporters? Death walks the vomitoriums of the MCC.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

When was the last time we genuinely played really well there? 2018?

 

[Bluelegs]

When was the last time we genuinely played really well there? 2018?

Semi Final for sure.

 

[Dory_77]

It’s an oddly large ground. I remember smith smacked 80 off 50 balls there in a t20 a few years ago when everyone thought he wasn’t a power hitter

It always has a very bat friendly cricket wicket which helps. ODIs usually get around 330 there that I've seen; t20s often nudge 200.

But anyway, it is a big ground.

 

[Jamurp]

Geelong terrifies me, our record against them over recent years is just horrible, even after our shite years, we just can’t seem to get it done, all between the ears

Load up on the Cats at 1-39, happy to have egg on my face if we do win, but I can’t see it happening.

 

[LeverPuller]

I think the kicker for me and why I think we will get up is Geelong aren’t exactly score-heavy. They’re doing just enough but not able to put on 100+. Meanwhile we are proving to be pretty dour with the highest score against being the Saints’ 73.

 

[mrmonkey]

Geelong terrifies me, our record against them over recent years is just horrible, even after our sh*te years, we just can’t seem to get it done, all between the ears

Load up on the Cats at 1-39, happy to have egg on my face if we do win, but I can’t see it happening.

You can't see us winning at all?

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Semi Final for sure.

That was the last time we played well anywhere to be fair

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

That was the last time we played well anywhere to be fair

I have a ridiculous amount of confidence when we are on the road funnily enough. Especially at Adelaide Oval.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Not saying play them, hope they are developing well but we have a Bowey and Laurie in the bank to debut some time in the next 12 months! Normally they would have played by round three being such high picks.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Collingwood at the GABBA last year probably the last game I think I was truly satisfied with how played.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Not saying play them, hope they are developing well but we have a Bowey and Laurie in the bank to debut some time in the next 12 months! Normally they would have played by round three being such high picks.

Both will debut before mid year I reckon. Injury gods have been very kind in game so far. Just a matter of time.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Both will debut before mid year I reckon. Injury gods have been very kind in game so far. Just a matter of time.

And how good is it that they don’t have that pressure, develop and own VFL level and come into a decent side. Very unmelbourne like.

 

[adonski]

And how good is it that they don’t have that pressure, develop and own VFL level and come into a decent side. Very unmelbourne like.

Very keen for the VFL to start up to see how the two & Rosman go.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Very few Victorian draftees have played yet. Even the ‘ready made’ Will Phillips only played this week, and struggled a bit too

 

[Meds]

Very few Victorian draftees have played yet. Even the ‘ready made’ Will Phillips only played this week, and struggled a bit too

Lack of footy last year, short preseason and interchange cap at 75 makes it really tough for any first year mids.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Lack of footy last year, short preseason and interchange cap at 75 makes it really tough for any first year mids.

Yah. There’s no special reason our draftees haven’t played yet, they’re just underdone like most others. It’s not necessarily better than Oliver or Kossie being ‘forced’ to play R1 after being drafted (and both playing quite well, incidentally)

 

[CTHORANGE]

Unchanged. As long as we're winning, then barring injuries or someone goes a couple of bad games on the trot then no changes. When inevitably someone comes in for injury or bad form, that player is going to fight so hard to stay in. Not having a revolving door of 2-3 changes every week sounds very un-Melbournelike and that's why we should do it.

 

[Tulip]

Geelong terrifies me, our record against them over recent years is just horrible, even after our sh*te years, we just can’t seem to get it done, all between the ears

Load up on the Cats at 1-39, happy to have egg on my face if we do win, but I can’t see it happening.

 

[schmuttt]

Game against Geelong will be all about the start. We come out breathing fire applying pressure or we come out flat and they punish us.

 

[JP2]

Geelong looked like trash today, but they just seem to know what they need to do to win. They were very good at making sure the game was played on their terms (until the last quarter) and know their limitations. But their style is very slow and predictable. Keep is short and slow, picking through the holes in the defence, then look for Hawkins on the lead. If our defence holds up (and surely the slow build-up is nothing but good news for May and Lever) and can get our running game going then that's our best shot of winning. If we don't beat them this week then we're pretenders, because I don't think Geelong are a very threatening team.

 

[Topkent]

It's an interesting dilemma about Sparrow. I get the forward pressure argument and he definitely plays with an intensity. On the other hand winning doesn't mean all 22 blokes are on fire. Had we lost everyone wants Sparrow dropped. 4 disposals in modern footy?

You can either keep up the pressure and leg speed and go with Chandler or Bedford, or hope someone can produce more skills with Melk

Also yeah Gus had a good game in general, he's just a terrible tackler.
Him and Jayden Hunt

5

Jayden Hunt

Age

29

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

5.3

1star

K

3.3

1star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.7

2star

T

2.3

4star

MG

78.7

1star

D

5.3

1star

K

3.3

1star

HB

2.0

1star

M

1.7

2star

T

2.3

3star

MG

78.7

1star

D

5.3

2star

K

3.3

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.7

2star

T

2.3

4star

MG

78.7

2star

can't move off the tracks.

 

[JP2]

I think Sparrow has to go for Melk or Bedford. Geelong's backline is pretty slow and top-heavy, so Bedford and Pickett in the same lineup might cause them some problems. On the other hand, Melksham provides a target inside 50 and is probably the safer bet to kick 2 or 3 goals. Sparrow out would probably mean ANB and Kozzie having to spend a bit more time through the midfield.

 

[Grimesy87]

Sparrow was ordinary with the ball, but pretty good without the ball. He was pretty solid the past 2 weeks, I don't think you can drop him off the back of one poor game. That almost applies to Jetta as well, who was fantastic last week taking Gresham out of the game.

I'd be fine with Hibberd coming in. I just don't like the idea of taking out any of the younger, hungrier players who are the ones really ramping up our pressure off the ball. It's been a pet hate of mine for years, and I'm sure most others, how inconsistent our pressure is(especially front half/inside 50).

Reckon Mcdonald is very lucky there are no replacements, but it would have been near impossible to find space in our forward 50 Sunday night.

 

[Topkent]

Sparrow was ordinary with the ball, but pretty good without the ball. He was pretty solid the past 2 weeks, I don't think you can drop him off the back of one poor game. That almost applies to Jetta as well, who was fantastic last week taking Gresham out of the game.

I'd be fine with Hibberd coming in. I just don't like the idea of taking out any of the younger, hungrier players who are the ones really ramping up our pressure off the ball. It's been a pet hate of mine for years, and I'm sure most others, how inconsistent our pressure is(especially front half/inside 50).

Reckon Mcdonald is very lucky there are no replacements, but it would have been near impossible to find space in our forward 50 Sunday night.

Sparrows averaging 9 disposals this season.