Strategy Changes Round 14 North Melbourne vs. Fremantle

[dockerfemme]

I think horses for courses refers to Voss more than anyone.

He was fantastic against GC but if his form drops and we´re not winning we won´t be going with Amiss, Treacy, Voss, Jackson and Darcy. It´s too tall if we´re not winning and Voss is the easy one to drop if our forward pressure drops away.

I wasn’t happy with the number of talls we went in with on Saturday, but on the day it worked. Voss is performing better than Amiss at the moment and applies a heap of pressure. He seems to be improving almost weekly in terms of footy skills and reining in the stupidity. If we seem too tall there will be a tough decision.

 

[estibador]

Freddy has 17 goals to be running second in our goal kicking. Last year kicked 23 goals for the year, to me he appears to have made an improvement.

Yeah everyone always says they just want forwards who kick goals, well Freddy is that dangerous cream-on-top player who keeps bobbing up to kick goals.

But then people change their tune and want him dropped anyway because he doesn't rack up touches or burrow in like Serong.

He's had 3 bags of 3 already this year, and two of them were against top 8 teams. I don't get the criticism he cops tbh.

Forwards are a bit like top 6 batsmen imo. They're never all going to fire every game, but if you have a spread of them who can fire in any given week you're always going to be dangerous. He's one of a number of weapons we have that the oppo really have to pay attention to.

 

[dominguez]

The main reason it worked yesterday is because the opposition also selected two rucks and it was a stoppage-heavy wet slog. On a dry Optus deck against a solo ruck I have to assume we will change it up and return to the previous setup. Like you say horses for courses.

Also, and I don't love it, when Fyfe is fit enough he will almost certainly replace Erasmus. Ditto Walters with Dudley. Banfield is safe as houses for now and rightly so.

It worked last year in Alice Springs on a sunny day against arguably the greatest ruckman ever in Gawn when we won by about 90 points.

The discussion for me isn´t if it can work. It´s if Darcy´s knee is ok.

If Darcy stays fit and we have a good run with injuries in general we´re playing in a prelim this year.

 

[worsemim]

I wasn’t happy with the number of talls we went in with on Saturday, but on the day it worked. Voss is performing better than Amiss at the moment and applies a heap of pressure. He seems to be improving almost weekly in terms of footy skills and reigning in the stupidity. If we seem too tall there will be a tough decision.

Saturday's weather was about as clearcut "do not play a lot of talls" conditions as we're likely to see for the rest of the year. (Small sample size, of course.) If Darcy as a ruck, Dogga as a mid/ruck, JT + Amiss + Voss forward worked in bucketing rain, I'm very excited about what the combo produces in the dry.

 

[dominguez]

Maybe - let’s see. JOM is a jlo fave and leadership group. Fyfe came straight in no peel same as Darcy so who knows.

Personally I would prefer Erasmus and Johnson to play the year out for experience and also because the mix is really good now and I find JOM unbalances things when he’s in the guts. Don’t mind him as the high half forward. Driz can play wing maybe.

Good problems to have!

If you´re West Coast then by all means go with the young guys but surely you pick the 23 that´s most likely to win. We lost games against Melbourne and Sydney by going too young.

If JOM, Walters, etc are ready to play they should. Fyfe showed on the weekend what a difference a cool head makes in tight games.

 

[dominguez]

This is the way I see it. Jacko wants to be the main man, if he isn’t able to be that guy here, he will leave….

He´ll leave because he´s not the top dog to go to Melbourne to be number 2 behind Gawn for the next couple of years? Doesn´t make sense.

 

[The Round House Drunk]

i think we could carry Darcy at around 50% TOG this week partly because Dudley wasn’t playing.

With Darcy and Dudley both in the 23, it would start to impact our TOG for other players a bit.

 

[go_the_dockers]

i think we could carry Darcy at around 50% TOG this week partly because Dudley wasn’t playing.

With Darcy and Dudley both in the 23, it would start to impact our TOG for other players a bit.

Erasmus is the 3rd, who normally plays low TOG

 

[Cesoir]

So we’re just gonna carry Darcy at 50% TOG every week? It worked this once, it’s not sustainable… Jackson is playing too well as the main guy to lower his ruck time anymore than he currently is at.

Weird hill to die on Swanny. Maybe just see how it plays out for the rest of the season?

 

[swanny1234]

i think we could carry Darcy at around 50% TOG this week partly because Dudley wasn’t playing.

With Darcy and Dudley both in the 23, it would start to impact our TOG for other players a bit.

Yep so it comes down to a choice between the extra small or the extra tall…

 

[swanny1234]

If I need to break it down for you I will
More games Darcy plays the fitter he gets.
The fitter he gets he will play more ruck time
The more ruck time Darcy gets Jackson plays more midfield
Jackson plays more midfield and around the ball he is happy
Jackson happy = us happy

Does anyone else not think Jackson is such a weapon in the ruck that you don’t want his ruck time to go down? It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul… I don’t mind Jacko in the mids, but the squeeze is on… When young comes back can you still play Jacko on ball?

 

[yakamoto]

Freddy has good stats for the podition he plays. Above average in goals, marks and TACKLES.

 

[Roy Chook]

Who comes in after the bye or do we go in with no changes? I would like to see Nod back in the team.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

In: Horses

Out: Courses

 

[Alfonz]

Does anyone else not think Jackson is such a weapon in the ruck that you don’t want his ruck time to go down? It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul… I don’t mind Jacko in the mids, but the squeeze is on… When young comes back can you still play Jacko on ball?

With Young's hamstring issues, I'd be looking at having him spend more time as a back/forward. Young to the midfield has obviously been a stellar move, but if we have NOD, Jackson, Johnson, Erasmus, Bolton ... and they were mostly a non-factor when the Young move was instigated ... then we can afford to have less minutes from Young in the midfield.

 

[dominguez]

i think we could carry Darcy at around 50% TOG this week partly because Dudley wasn’t playing.

With Darcy and Dudley both in the 23, it would start to impact our TOG for other players a bit.

When fit and in form Darcy is a strong mark and a very good kick for goal. Hopefully in a months time he'll be able to play something like 50% ruck + 20% forward (while Treacy/Amiss/Voss are on the bench) + 30% bench. That's only 5 or 6 minutes a quarter forward.

 

[E Shed]

I think when the team produces what it has in the last 3 weeks you have to reward them to maintain integrity.
There isn’t one player out there who didn’t put their body on the line when it was their turn to go. Including Sharp & Draper.
I can understand people being critical of the numbers Sharp is putting up but if what he’s doing is critical to structural integrity then keep him in.
I really don’t see what Drapes did wrong. He played his part in a well drilled back 6.
Having said that obviously Pearce takes his spot.
Anyone else, barring injury make them earn it.
You have to reward players who do what they did on Saturday.
Erasmus particularly as he’s really had to earn it.

 

[yakamoto]

Some Tracker stats for those interested.
Distance covered: Sharpe 16.4K, Serong 15.5K no. 2 and 3 on ground.
Maximum Speed : Bolton 33.1K/hr, Reid 32.4 K/ hr Ranked 1 and 3.
Sprints: Frederick 23, Sharpe 23. Ranked equal 3rd on ground
Repeat sprints: Frederick 6.Equal 1st with Rioli an Noble
Barely any difference in total distance covered Suns 290Km, Freo 288Km and in total sprints 275 Suns 268 Freo.

 

[StingBitten]

Yeah it's gotta be Pearce for Draper of he's fit.

Noddy probably needs to break into the team again through exposure form/opportunity. No one else is being dropped right now.

 

[Flour bag punter]

If we replace Erasmus and Dudley with Fyfe and Walter’s we would have rocks in our head. Walters and Fyfe are incredible servants of the club and will play their part over the season but swinging them in over young players who bring so much more in terms of two way running is crazy.
Erasmus and Dudley have more upside as they continue to build with game time.

 

[Righteo]

It worked last year in Alice Springs on a sunny day against arguably the greatest ruckman ever in Gawn when we won by about 90 points.

The discussion for me isn´t if it can work. It´s if Darcy´s knee is ok.

If Darcy stays fit and we have a good run with injuries in general we´re playing in a prelim this year.

Except that Voss didn't play in that game and Jackson played predominantly forward.

 

[theGav56]

When fit and in form Darcy is a strong mark and a very good kick for goal. Hopefully in a months time he'll be able to play something like 50% ruck + 20% forward (while Treacy/Amiss/Voss are on the bench) + 30% bench. That's only 5 or 6 minutes a quarter forward.

Could also sub Darcy out for the 4th. Jackson to ruck, Fyfe midfield.

 

[StingBitten]

If we replace Erasmus and Dudley with Fyfe and Walter’s we would have rocks in our head. Walters and Fyfe are incredible servants of the club and will play their part over the season but swinging them in over young players who bring so much more in terms of two way running is crazy.
Erasmus and Dudley have more upside as they continue to build with game time.

I agree that's the long term strategy - but Freo have put themselves in that weird position again mid-season whereby the sniff of Top 4 wafts in like a pie cooling on the window sill. The stench of finishing 13th also lingers like a fart in a car.

Bottom line is finals are a possibility then it makes sense to inject some maturity and experience in the side, as long as it doesn't hinder us.

I am against O'Meara coming back in though - our midfield looks much more dynamic and agile.

 

[DeanS]

Could also sub Darcy out for the 4th. Jackson to ruck, Fyfe midfield.

That's based on the hope that there hasn't been an injury earlier in the game (like in the first 10 minutes) that requires us to bring the sub in. It's a dangerous strategy.

 

[Doctor J]

Yep so it comes down to a choice between the extra small or the extra tall…

I think the fact that Treacy and Voss put on so much pressure, they're not playing like traditional talls, so it's like we have 1 less tall in the team.