Prediction Round 13, 2025: Changes vs North Melbourne

[Astro7]

Anyone think we've got this? It's a sunny Sunday, 19 degrees, no rain, about 11 kmh winds.
If we can take it up to a top 5 side for a good part of the game, we should be able to put away the team above us?

 

[Bender_]

Anyone think we've got this? It's a sunny Sunday, 19 degrees, no rain, about 11 kmh winds.
If we can take it up to a top 5 side for a good part of the game, we should be able to put away the team above us?

Yep, I do for sure - and not just standard blind optimism but I think at our best we are better than North's best.

 

[WCErevival]

We should win but North always find a way to beat us. Something like 50% of their wins over the last 5 years have come against us.

 

[bzparkes]

We should win but North always find a way to beat us. Something like 50% of their wins over the last 5 years have come against us.

They also found a way to lose against us the last 2 games(Hobart & Bunbury).

 

[ziad]

Anyone think we've got this? It's a sunny Sunday, 19 degrees, no rain, about 11 kmh winds.
If we can take it up to a top 5 side for a good part of the game, we should be able to put away the team above us?

Optimistic but realistic about Norths capability which includes weapons.

 

[lmach]

We should win but North always find a way to beat us. Something like 50% of their wins over the last 5 years have come against us.

Well it makes sense – we've both been shit. By the same token 25% of our wins over the last 2 years have come against them.

We've found a way to beat them the last 2 times (if you count the preseason Bunbury game lol) when we probably shouldn't have too.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Anyone think we've got this? It's a sunny Sunday, 19 degrees, no rain, about 11 kmh winds.
If we can take it up to a top 5 side for a good part of the game, we should be able to put away the team above us?

Game is simple to me . Limit Xerri and we win, let him go all Jarrod Witts on us and we lose

A part of taking it up to Geelong for so long is we match up well on them for the most part. North on the other hand not so much. They have our main weaknesses covered in a strong ruck + front running pacey midfielders we may not be able to keep up with

Flynn/Williams just need to be able to compete with Xerri but I lack confidence they do that

 

[NeedForTheReids]

Damn that sucks. Hopefully everything okay with TMac. McQualter mentioned in his press conference today they were aware of this happening and he’d be heading back to VIC

 

[bzparkes]

Game is simple to me . Limit Xerri and we win, let him go all Jarrod Witts on us and we lose

Even when he looks like peak Max Gawn, they lose.

Their main issues their shit KPDs and Larkey calling for it over the back 9/10, instead of leading up.

 

[bzparkes]

View attachment 2334383

Damn that sucks. Hopefully everything okay with TMac. McQualter mentioned in his press conference today they were aware of this happening and he’d be heading back to VIC

McQualter said it's a family commitment they knew of prior to the draft.

Could just be a wedding or something but 'family reasons' makes it sound far more sinister than it probably is.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Even when he looks like peak Max Gawn, they lose.

Their main issues their shit KPDs and Larkey calling for it over the back 9/10, instead of leading up.

We will make him look like better then peak Max Gawn probably

Their main issues are those 2 things for sure but then what happens if we get killed in the clearances? Id suggest those 2 weaknesses become less important.

I just have this as a much of a 50/50 game as you will see this year. Limit Xerri and we win. Get at it I say

 

[NeedForTheReids]

McQualter said it's a family commitment they knew of prior to the draft.

Could just be a wedding or something but 'family reasons' makes it sound far more sinister than it probably is.

I did see that in the presser. Everyone’s selection prediction has now been thrown out of the window

 

[Astro7]

Optimistic but realistic about Norths capability which includes weapons.

Strong ruck is often our nemesis..

 

[WCErevival]

Tom Cole

28

Tom Cole

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

110.3

2star

D

10.5

3star

K

6.3

3star

HB

4.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

110.3

2star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

on hearing the McCarthy news

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

We will make him look like better then peak Max Gawn probably

Their main issues are those 2 things for sure but then what happens if we get killed in the clearances? Id suggest those 2 weaknesses become less important.

I just have this as a much of a 50/50 game as you will see this year. Limit Xerri and we win. Get at it I say

I think this is spot on.

Xerri destroyed Flynn in the pre-season, and we got beaten up around the ball.

North were terrible converting on the score board and terrible defending our entries.

We should have been more alarmed about our midfield going in to round 1 against Suns then we were. The result covered up just how dire we would be in the midfield for the first part of the season.

This is a bit of a test in how far we have come in the last 3 months, particularly our on ballers.

Which is why I think we may go for our two best rucks in Baz and Flynn.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I think this is spot on.

Xerri destroyed Flynn in the pre-season, and we got beaten up around the ball.

North were terrible converting on the score board and terrible defending our entries.

We should have been more alarmed about our midfield going in to round 1 against Suns then we were. The result covered up just how dire we would be in the midfield for the first part of the season.

This is a bit of a test in how far we have come in the last 3 months, particularly our on ballers.

Which is why I think we may go for our two best rucks in Baz and Flynn.

If it was up to me id actually dump Flynn to run with Bailey/J.Williams as a ruck duo. J.Williams will be able to keep up around the ground which Flynn cannot do. Bailey just gets ahead of Flynn as he he can follow and tag Xerri a bit. Just bring in Shannahan to debut against North as its best for his first taste to be against well a weaker defense

 

[Bender_]

If it was up to me id actually dump Flynn to run with Bailey/J.Williams as a ruck duo. J.Williams will be able to keep up around the ground which Flynn cannot do. Bailey just gets ahead of Flynn as he he can follow and tag Xerri a bit. Just bring in Shannahan to debut against North as its best for his first taste to be against well a weaker defense

JWilliams might be late to the game after stopping at both the Pinjarra and Miami bakery.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

If it was up to me id actually dump Flynn to run with Bailey/J.Williams as a ruck duo. J.Williams will be able to keep up around the ground which Flynn cannot do. Bailey just gets ahead of Flynn as he he can follow and tag Xerri a bit. Just bring in Shannahan to debut against North as its best for his first taste to be against well a weaker defense

I think you need wear Xerri down, and I don’t think JW can play genuine 50/50 ruck/forward.

I don’t like this idea personally, and can’t see us debuting Shanahan in Bunbury this week.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I think you need wear Xerri down, and I don’t think JW can play genuine 50/50 ruck/forward.

I don’t like this idea personally, and can’t see us debuting Shanahan in Bunbury this week.

Im in the ""lets tag him" approach though. I dont think JW can play that 50/50 but atleast 80/20. Main job should be for Bailey to tag him

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Im in the ""lets tag him" approach though. I dont think JW can play that 50/50 but atleast 80/20. Main job should be for Bailey to tag him

I agree with the approach, just not the personnel.

I think if you’re going to try and tag him and wear him down, you can’t do it with a guy who doesn’t show physicality in the ruck.

If you’re going to have JW play 80/20 forward/ruck then that isn’t a 2 ruck strategy, it’s a standard 1st ruck/2nd ruck forward set up, just with Baz instead of Flynn as first ruck.

 

[Cuzz09]

Maric is running around his loungeroom high fiving air.

 

[FatPizza]

Maric is running around his loungeroom high fiving air.

And still missing?

J/K, I actually rate Maric a lot.

 

[flyinghi64]

I am thinking Flynn will go a little better against Xerri this time around.
Has Flynn ever even played a full season in his career? At 27 he is yet to play 50 games so that tells me he has struggled to get even 1 full season under his belt so with each game he plays he will be building fitness, experience and continuity with our new midfield set up.
There is a contingent out there and on here that would be happy to see him sent back to the WAFL never to return but as it stands he is really our only true ruck option. We aint making finals but we are actually starting to improve in clearances so something in our ruck work must be improving.
On the weekend we actually won the ruck contest, by 1, and Clearances, by 2, against a pretty good midfield and a ruck more on Flynn's level. Yes center clearances we lost but won stoppage clearances.

 

[Seadog]

I get the feeling selection melts will be at a minimum this week, lift your melt game troops, it's an integral part of my midweek entertainment.

 

[Cuzz09]

I just want more debuts TBH

Shanahan, Malakai a chance to be In squad?

dunno