Prediction Round 2, 2026: Changes vs North Melbourne

[squashface]

Mini sees this as a winnable game so has opted for experience over getting games into youth.
We did this last year against richmond when we bought in TK & Petch for Long & Hewett.
Hopefully the result goes a bit differently this time!

Yeah if history has shown us anything with this squad, it’s that our senior players are the ones most likely to win us games

 

[kaiserchief13]

Having bagged Simpson and called for his head since the moment he took the job, you’ve now been bagging McQualter and calling for his head since the moment he took the job.

I guess at least that shows it’s nothing personal.

Hes made the call to keep senior spuds and dropping promising youngsters. He lives and dies by the results

 

[KERRPOW]

Im keen to see how kelly goes with dev, harley & yeo in the guts.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

No lindsay who is unquestionably our best kick... is a choice.

McQualter doesn't rate skills. He rates scrappers like Baker and blokes that can't kick like Archer

 

[Matera92]

We clearly hit too many targets last week so Mini is trying to rectify that.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Hes made the call to keep senior spuds and dropping promising youngsters. He lives and dies by the results

As you’ve been pointing out since Round 2 2025.

 

[sharps24]

Fan of: Kelly in. And retaining the triplicate ruck setup. In the spirit of surprised but not surprising I'll point out that CDT can ruck but is not a ruck. Looking after him as well we should.

I like Maric but agree he has no known position, 23rd man.

Lindsey a bit stiff but much happier with him as the out than Allan.

Baker into defence is diabolical. Replace Cripps in the half forward like like we all know needs to happen and lo and behold Lindsey can retain his spot one more week until Starce arrives.

 

[Astro7]

I'm fine with the Maric/Lindsay exclusion and the Kelly inclusion. Someone has to go and whoever it is they're all on notice now that they have to earn their spot with our improved depth. Horses for courses. Glad Coles gone. Might be harder for him to get back in.
Have to keep Duggan the random bomber.
Also coach gone for experience and Kelly has plenty of that. Cole has plenty of experience too, but arguably not the right kind of experience? Kelly might surprise some and is needed around the mid.
But I like the shape of the announced team against a team like Roos, especially the forward line options.
(coach has also made it known he has to balance youth with seniors and its important to protect or ease youth in, not throw them to the wolves, to develop them incrementally)

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Someone had to make way for Edwards. Maric isn't exactly a like-for-like replacement, but he's a third-tall of sorts so probably close enough. It's not like they were going to drop Ginbey.

I feel like Cole being dropped is a big statement. Despite his status as a Bigfooty whipping boy, he's pretty well-respected within the playing group, and he's a former premiership player with plenty of experience. Good to see some standards being set.

 

[Mighty Eagles]

A lot of people are reacting to Lindsay's omission.

He's clearly a talent of the future. I hope he plays a key role in our next dynasty. But we have plenty of medium & small defeners, most of whom are experienced and simply ahead of him in the pecking order. For now. Had Baker not had been suspended on Sunday, he probably wouldn't have played R1.

If he keeps working hard, his opportunities will come.

 

[Keys]

Average age and experience for selected R2 sides per Footywire, from oldest to youngest:

26yr 7mth - Hawthorn (118.7 games)
26yr 6mth - Sydney (115.4 games)
26yr 4mth - Adelaide (107.4 games)
26yr 2mth - GWS (112.3 games)

25yr 11mth - Richmond (97.2 games)
25yr 10mth - Bulldogs (96.3 games)
25yr 8mth - Melbourne (99.0 games)
25yr 5mth - North (102.2 games)
25yr 5mth - Gold Coast (102.0 games)
25yr 5mth - St Kilda (95.9 games)
25yr 4mth - Port (83.3 games)

24yr 11mth - Fremantle (79.1 games)
24yr 10mth - West Coast (73.8 games)
24yr 6mth - Essendon (81.6 games)

The additions of Kelly, Baker and Edwards has increased our average for age by 8 months and experience by 9 games. Still 7 months and 28 games behind the team selected for North

It does move us up one spot to the second youngest side, but remain the least experienced

Fremantle remain deceptively young given they’re expected to be challenging for top 4.

Meanwhile the “baby tigers” are fielding the 5th oldest team this week albeit that at least 3 of the 4 bye teams would be older if they were playing

 

[flyinghi64]

Like.......um.......WOW
WoweeeeWowWOW.
??
Oh well, Guess they know what they are doing, I guess.

 

[Matele]

Lindsay is going to make his way into the best 22 with time, so I'm not totally adverse with him being dropped ATM. We need to be playing Allan at every opportunity so he can embed himself in the team, and with A.Reid still in the side I would like to see him swung into Marics spot with Baker going forward given our dearth of small forward options ATM.

 

[flyinghi64]

Like most, I thought one of Lyndsay or Maric would go but not both.
Like a few mentioned already Kelly will let McCarthy go back and be the line runner again.
Early days so probably still experimenting a little with preferred personnel.

 

[stallon]

Lindsay is a first year player, its fine he doesnt play every game. Its a shame but its not weird/bad

We are still playing Duursma and CDT as first years, plus Allan who barely played last year, so is basically a first year.

 

[Alesana]

Multiple posters have already stolen my thunder; Lindsay will get plenty of opportunity. We still have so much youth in the team.

 

[kaiserchief13]

As you’ve been pointing out since Round 2 2025.

I guess if they win hes made the right call, but another loss? Digging his own grave if theres 0 improvement by mid season and hes still playing senior spuds

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

I would say that McQualter probably realises the importance of getting a couple of early wins is for the mindset of the group and to keep them up psychologically for the year. It's probably fair to say that a defeatist mindset has infected the club in prior seasons where the players didn't really believe they could win after strings of losses. Some some of the older blokes are getting the nod in the lineball calls at this stage to try and get that early win. But that might change in the second half of the year and the younger players might win the lineball decisions.

 

[jdisc]

Lindsay's insane accuracy is being used to navigate ships through the strait of hormuz, he's unavailable for selection

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Duggan keeping Starc’s spot warm

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Hes made the call to keep senior spuds and dropping promising youngsters. He lives and dies by the results

Have you got an open mind to this issue?

If so, know that all sporting sides need a blend of three primary age groups: youth, primetime and veterans. Few sides in any league of any sport achieve success without a balance of the three. In Round 1 we went in with 11 of our 23 being first to third year players at the highest level. This is an alarmingly high number.

We all believe Lindsay will (hopefully) be a superstar for us. But had Baker have been eligible to play, I doubt he would've debuted on Sunday. It's nothing personal. Lindsay has done nothing wrong. There is simply more seasoned experienced campaigners who are more capable to play that role than he is - for now. Fear not, he will get his opportunities. But simply playing 23 kids isn't good for the club and its certainly not good for the youngsters themselves.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

I guess if they win hes made the right call, but another loss? Digging his own grave if theres 0 improvement by mid season and hes still playing senior spuds

You’re either not getting my point or you’re studiously avoiding it, but never mind.

 

[Neale4brownlow]

Lindsay's insane accuracy is being used to navigate ships through the strait of hormuz, he's unavailable for selection

So they sent Maric to Iran to help them then?

 

[Boohemian]

Yeah coach has these changes wrong. What a doofus.

Was wondering where you had got to.

 

[FKASC]

Lindsay's insane accuracy is being used to navigate ships through the strait of hormuz, he's unavailable for selection