Prediction Round 2, 2026: Changes vs North Melbourne

[Bleedblueandgold]

View attachment 2555735

My guess is Lindsay, CDT, Allan, Newton & Murdock on the bench.

 

[stallon]

So Edwards replaced Cole
Hopefully Baker replaces Maric

Id be ok with no more changes than that

If Kelly comes in itd be for Newton/Allan/Lindsay - just hopefully not Allan or Lindsay

 

[Keys]

The extended bench - three to miss out

Schoenberg, Maric and ????

Murdock the only certainty to retain his spot

So one of Kelly, Lindsay, CDT or Newton to be an emergency- difficult choice

 

[twce13]

On the bench Murdoch probably the only lock.

I’ll be pissed if Allan is dropped.

 

[Goroyals22]

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

got one more game than he deserved .. bravo for dropping him

 

[kokedoodledoo]

View attachment 2555738

The extended bench - three to miss out

Schoenberg, Maric and ????

Murdock the only certainty to retain his spot

So one of Kelly, Lindsay, CDT or Newton to be an emergency- difficult choice

Finally some team selection difficulty.

 

[lmach]

Looking much better than this time last year.

I think the three that'll miss the cut are Schoenberg, Maric and Newton.

 

[mitchzz]

Personally, I'd be going with a bench of

Murdoch, Maric, Lindsay, Allan, Newton

I would also have picked CDT to play over Archer Reid but as we know, Mini flipping loves Archer

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Hard to see how Kelly pushes his way into the side having not played at all last week.

Kelly and Schoenberg the two most likely to miss, I’m still torn on the third. Probably depends on where they plan to play Baker - if he’s fulltime defence I think Lindsay (maybe Maric) gets squeezed, if he’s going to play defence/mid it’ll be Allan, if he’s going to play forward it’ll be Newton.

Reserves play East Freo on Sunday morning, all three emergencies may play with one or two being on limited minutes.

 

[ballsohard]

My bench of choice would be:
Murdock, Lindsay, Allan, CDT, Kelly I think.
Kelly you could swap for Newton.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

View attachment 2555738

The extended bench - three to miss out

Schoenberg, Maric and ????

Murdock the only certainty to retain his spot

So one of Kelly, Lindsay, CDT or Newton to be an emergency- difficult choice

Would prefer to play Lindsay, maric, Allan, newton, Murdoch.

Then drop Cripps and play Kelly.

Would also play cdt over archer, but they might not want to feed him to xerri at this stage.

 

[WCE777]

I personally think if Schoenberg comes in which seems likely, the outs will be CDT, Newton as Schoenberg/Kelly takes his spot and the final spot is between Maric & Bo.

I would like to see them give Bo a few games to impress on the wing and use A Reid as the 2nd ruck off the bench.
Basically experience replaces younger players and gives more options thru the midfield with Kelly & Schoenberg.

 

[FKASC]

Zac Banch on the interchange where he belongs

 

[jdisc]

View attachment 2555738

The extended bench - three to miss out

Schoenberg, Maric and ????

Murdock the only certainty to retain his spot

So one of Kelly, Lindsay, CDT or Newton to be an emergency- difficult choice

Lindsay was good I thought

Newton didnt do a whole lot other than his 1 goal

CDT was serviceable but could be considered surplus to needs

 

[Altum Volantes]

So, do we think we'll get a true read on how tall Murdock is this week?

or do they drop him to stop us finding out he's shorter than Baker?

 

[ziad]

Murdoch needs to stay on performance - a case for all the others can be made. We now have growing depth so those that miss will be motivated to crack on.

 

[Barrybran]

My bench from that list - Lindsay (DEF), Maric (DEF/MID), Duff-Tytler (RUC), Kelly (MID/FWD), Murdock (FWD).

I'd like to slide Allan in but I've gone with Kelly for balance. Flynn and CDT rotate with one another. Reid starts on the bench and relieves Waterman and Shanahan. Maric and Kelly can cover wing rotations. Newton stiff to miss.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I personally think if Schoenberg comes in which seems likely

Why though? He was poor in the last two preseason hit outs.

 

[sharps24]

Murdock named on the extended bench and Cripps and Graham named on fields as forwards is pretty gross, as is Davis named on the wing and Allan extended bench. Did match committee watch the game?

 

[stallon]

I personally think if Schoenberg comes in which seems likely, the outs will be CDT, Newton as Schoenberg/Kelly takes his spot and the final spot is between Maric & Bo.

I would like to see them give Bo a few games to impress on the wing and use A Reid as the 2nd ruck off the bench.
Basically experience replaces younger players and gives more options thru the midfield with Kelly & Schoenberg.

no way is Schoenberg just in because of his pre-season.
That would be a worse blunder than selecting Cole gain this week

 

[amazingjoshy]

I reckon Maric, Newton and one of Kelly/Schoenberg miss from that bench

Essentially the changes then are Baker for Cole, Edwards for Maric and Kelly/Schoenberg for Newton

 

[UseR2006]

Very, very interesting bench to select.

I think Bo, Maric, Newton and Kelly are the most vulnerable on that extended bench so One of those will get in and 3 will miss.

Can't drop Lindsay and Milan after that last game.
CDT needs the game time and experience, just pump games into him until he needs a rest.
Shoenberg I think plays, was in great touch prior to being suspended and would have been a lock for round 1 had he not been the example for gut punches this year.

Newton didn't do too much outside his one goal.
Allan would have been delisted in the first half and redeemed himself in the second half so on shaky ground.
Maric has the right skillset but isn't brave enough with ball in hand. Too many sideways and backwards kicks at the moment.
TK had a OK pre-season but I don't think has pushed any of the mids out just yet.

I think Maric will get the nod but wouldn't be mad if TK got a run either.

 

[stallon]

Murdock named on the extended bench and Cripps and Graham named on fields as forwards is pretty gross, as is Davis named on the wing and Allan extended bench. Did match committee watch the game?

Yeah its bloody crazy, North have named Caleb Daniel to play on Shanahan too, like WTF makes 0 sense

Obviously where theyre named on the team sheet is EXACTLY where theyre going to play/start on gameday

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Very rare that a club names its best player (Murdock) on the extended bench.

 

[WCE777]

no way is Schoenberg just in because of his pre-season.
That would be a worse blunder than selecting Cole gain this week

OK OK, getting a bit of feedback on Schoenberg over others.
I was actually looking for a SF/HF who can actually put pressure on and kick goals and thought he was decent.

I prefer Kelly who can rotate through the middle and Newton in the side in the forward line but I don't see WC omitting Cripps for this to happen.