Unofficial Preview Practice Match: North Melbourne v Collingwood, Mars Stadium, Ballarat, Sunday March 1st, 3:10 PM

[No SPIN]

I assume Adelaide’s Toby Murray is the kid who played a few games in our VFL team in his draft year. He caught the eye with his athleticism and out sprinted Mac Andrews on the day, which surprised.
Looking promising today - just proving again talls take time

 

[IlovethePies]

I think they have a pretty good idea how Big Angus can play but not so much Harry, so it's another chance for him to show he's up to it.

Hey gw, I just watched a video on Pies Footy, and he was waxing sublime about Hayes. Thinks that Hayes is in contention to play opening round. Thought you'd like to know, as I am aware of how much you love this young man!

 

[IlovethePies]

Don't care about the scoreboard, just care about how individuals who might play an important role this year can perform.
Ed Allan will be a major focus of my attention. Also Joel Cochran, Wil Parker, and Oscar.

 

[ANewDawn]

McCarthy and Saxena l understand as they're still very much in the development phase of their bodies and careers.
I'm surprised Howes didn't get a look in against North. I would have liked to have seen him given an opportunity whether that be up forward or in defence...

In the intra club game, I thought these two guys performed better or certainly as well as other new players.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

I assume Adelaide’s Toby Murray is the kid who played a few games in our VFL team in his draft year. He caught the eye with his athleticism and out sprinted Mac Andrews on the day, which surprised.
Looking promising today - just proving again talls take time

He looks really good. Looks to have put on some size since running around in the VFL with us.
If he goes on and turns out to be a handy key forward, that will be the guy we had in our backyard missed out on....

 

[TradeDraft]

Why are we playing a practice match 7 days before a real match? Seems beyond moronic.

Because the AFL wants us to play in RD 0

 

[The Phantom]

We’re clearly resting players.

They’re exhausted at this time of year.

 

[IlovethePies]

We’re clearly resting players.

They’re exhausted at this time of year.

That was really funny. Cheers
( I meant this, absolutely was hilarious. I laughed out loud. No sarcasm whatsoever, in case there are any misunderstandings. Loved this comment)

 

[magpiewarrior]

Rightly or wrongly, I have complete faith in the coaching staff. Mainly because I think that they know far more than me. So whilst some of the selections or non selections may surprise me I believe in our coaching team.

 

[sr36]

Rightly or wrongly, I have complete faith in the coaching staff. Mainly because I think that they know far more than me. So whilst some of the selections or non selections may surprise me I believe in our coaching team.

I do too. But they're also shifting away from their prior preseason MO. It's a theory based untested experiment, which could go well or badly. Hopefully it goes well.

 

[Scodog10]

I do too. But they're also shifting away from their prior preseason MO. It's a theory based untested experiment, which could go well or badly.

On the back of last years season end theory it’s a fair risk given how important a fast start is to our season.

 

[sr36]

On the back of last years season end theory it’s a fair risk given how important a fast start is to our season.

For me, it probably depends on how significantly we're tweaking our system and need to both embed and test the changes. If they're minor tweaks all good, but the 2024 changes didn't look so good early in the season and put us well and truly on the back foot. That's an increased risk if we don't roll them out properly until the real thing starts.

 

[Scodog10]

For me, it probably depends on how significantly we're tweaking our system and need to both embed and test the changes. If they're minor tweaks all good, but the 2024 changes didn't look so good early in the season and put us well and truly on the back foot. That's an increased risk if we don't roll them out properly until the real thing starts.

I share the fear. Increasing speed of ball movement is potentially going to open us up more defensively especially with Moore and Howe missing for the first couple. These early season games are often times a toss of the coin as well with the fittest team usually winning so my main hope is that the benefit of experience in H&A summer footy has us more primed than St Kilda.

I’m also probably taking the bigger picture into account because of how weak our July-August footy has been under Fly. If you broke the season into 1/4’s that 6 week block from the Suns game onward during his tenure has been devilish for us. If we aren’t 10/5 or 9/6 (at least) by that point we’re heading for a WC match at best, IMO.

FWIW it might be a smidge premature as well. By my eye there’s 16 perhaps 17 from the likely OR squad (excluding any injury we pick up) playing tomorrow. Time will tell if it’s enough, but I’d feel more comfortable if a couple of the zero OR chances were missing (Swadling, Prindable and TJ) and replaced by OR certainties.

 

[LuckyLee]

That does it, I'm off to book my September holidays now then.

Smart. Cheaper pricing if you book early.

 

[stormskye]

For me, it probably depends on how significantly we're tweaking our system and need to both embed and test the changes. If they're minor tweaks all good, but the 2024 changes didn't look so good early in the season and put us well and truly on the back foot. That's an increased risk if we don't roll them out properly until the real thing starts.

There’s a tiny bit of the coaches being dammed either way. If we are slow starters against the saints everyone will criticise not playing the seniors this week.

However should players like Nick, degoey, Elliot etc play tomorrow and get injured people would be on here asking why they played a practice game 7 days before the real stuff.

I’m more in the camp that if the first few weeks of footy hinge on one practice game tomorrow we weren’t prepared anyway.

Watching saints fans sweating on Wilkie who copped a knock to his leg today does give me some comfort knowing most of our better players aren’t playing tomorrow

 

[sr36]

There’s a tiny bit of the coaches being dammed either way. If we are slow starters against the saints everyone will criticise not playing the seniors this week.

However should players like Nick, degoey, Elliot etc play tomorrow and get injured people would be ok here asking why they played a practice game 7 days before the real stuff.

Yeah. There's always risk. Are you risking your game plan's functionality or your talent?

 

[granniewolf]

Hey gw, I just watched a video on Pies Footy, and he was waxing sublime about Hayes. Thinks that Hayes is in contention to play opening round. Thought you'd like to know, as I am aware of how much you love this young man!

Thank you, will have to go look it up, I hope he's right.

 

[stormskye]

Yeah. There's always risk. Are you risking your game plan's functionality or your talent?

I just don’t think one game can impact it that much. Given our ageing list I’m completely fine with a no risk policy.

That said on that basis I’d prefer Cameron didn’t play…

We will all find out coming opening round i guess

 

[robertg22]

I just don’t think one game can impact it that much. Given our ageing list I’m completely fine with a no risk policy.

That said on that basis I’d prefer Cameron didn’t play…

We will all find out coming opening round i guess

I'm cool with DC playing. Don't reckon it'd be great for Steene's confidence to go head to head with Xerri for the majority of the game, plus gives us an opportunity to work out the best combo for next week, whether it's DC/Steene or Buller.

Love the named team tbh, excited to see how a lot of the younger guys go.

 

[Piesinmyeyes]

No Anderson is interesting.
Primed for round zero debut or not ready?
Niggle?
Await with interest.

 

[LuckyLee]

I would reckon all the senior players available play then bring it up to 26 with the hopefuls that are the front of the queue.
With 26 you can manage players but you want the senior team to have a hit out together before the 1st game. Too many kids also drops the standard. That was for last week, this should be closer to a full dress rehersal

Stop talking so much common sense!

 

[LuckyLee]

Half agree, but I think we'll get smacked and I won't enjoy that if it happens. Does indicate that we'll be looking to push up our kids this year more than we previously have.

North would want to win this by 10+ goals, given they’ve essentially named a full-strength side.

I’m not sure we can learn much today about our youngsters if the side collectively struggles from start to finish.

Then again, in the 2018 pre-season, I saw us field a near full-strength side in pre-season against GWS at Manuka Oval and get blown off the park. Not a single Pies’ player won his position that day and I went home feeling a bit depressed about our prospects. We went on to lose the GF that year by just 5 points.

 

[sr36]

I just don’t think one game can impact it that much. Given our ageing list I’m completely fine with a no risk policy.

That said on that basis I’d prefer Cameron didn’t play…

We will all find out coming opening round i guess

And the beauty of playing opening round is that it's only one game. We go into Adelaide better prepared than them having played a real game whilst they haven't.

 

[Jen2310]

No Anderson is interesting.
Primed for round zero debut or not ready?
Niggle?
Await with interest.

Niggle I think. Not playing vfl this morning and he was absent from training friday

 

[cityslick1]

There’s a tiny bit of the coaches being dammed either way. If we are slow starters against the saints everyone will criticise not playing the seniors this week.

However should players like Nick, degoey, Elliot etc play tomorrow and get injured people would be on here asking why they played a practice game 7 days before the real stuff.

I’m more in the camp that if the first few weeks of footy hinge on one practice game tomorrow we weren’t prepared anyway.

Watching saints fans sweating on Wilkie who copped a knock to his leg today does give me some comfort knowing most of our better players aren’t playing tomorrow

Agree. I like the team selection. Past preseasons have brought excitement at the first glimpse of the regulars in action, only then to lament what the point was in players A & B doing hamstrings or getting knocks in games that mean nothing.

I’m tipping Nick to come out of the gates like an F1 car against the saints.

Whilst Cochran and the young mids should get great exposure out of today’s game.

Watch for Swadling to take the game on, and Prindable to show signs. And I think Buller will want to make a statement today, after being quiet vs GWS last week