- Nov 23, 2015
- 11,862
- 17,576
- AFL Club
- GWS
- Moderator
- #1
Two weeks ago GWS were cautiously optimistic about reaching finals, sitting in sixth place, albeit with an extraordinary number of teams around us. Two consecutive losses, and our worst fears are playing out basically needing to win both of our last two games to make finals. First up, at home, are the Bombers. The Bombers have their own seasonal tale of woe, starting on fire, and sitting in the top 8 for the majority of the season until recently. However, their own recent form is pretty rocky, and they almost lost to the last-placed Eagles a fortnight ago, winning by a single point in the end, while last week scraping past the second-last-placed Kangaroos by just 7 points. And they've played last and second-last twice this season - lucky to be a lowly Melbourne team rather than a Sydney-based team, for friendly fixturing, eh?
Realistically, if we don't win this, all our efforts to win 7-0 and drag ourselves up the ladder will be in vain. Hopefully, that's motivation enough for the players. We hopefully will get back a few good players. Most notably, Binga Daniels and Snooze Bedford adding some speed and pressure up front, will come back from suspension. Hopefully, Angwin missed through illness and will be available. As a few posters noted, I think we missed his run against Port. The big one will be Finn Callaghan. Whilst not overstating his importance, his mix of speed and ball-winning adds a dimension that others don't, so hopeful that his achilles issue is fixed and he's right to go. If he is right, he'll come in surely, and Angwin may be iffy to return; if Finn doesn't make it, I would think Angwin does.
But I also think that Adam Kingsley has some thinking to do about his team selections. Albeit potentially forced by injuries and suspensions, but in my view (and some other posters think similarly, from comments in this forum) he's been playing a few "big names" or "favoured players" out of position, and I think that has hurt us. In my mind, those are Nick Haynes, Isaac Cumming, and Lachie Keeffe. With HH going back, there's really no place for Haynes, and similarly having put Perryman back as the "defensive defender", he's had 3 counter-attacking defenders when there's really only spots for two: Ash, Whitfield and Cumming. In one game when Haynes was out, Cumming and Whitfield seemed to rotate one wing position, but with Haynes in, he's taken some wing time (although at times seems to be "plug a gap somewhere"). I think we just need to simplify players back to their best positions. And, someone for Keeffe please. With Cadman's 8 goals in VFL, he may get a recall. We need to kick more goals, and while Toby Greene always score (well, usually) and Riccardi was good against Port, more firepower (even in the shape of an inexperienced KPF, albeit with his tail up) would be welcome.
What do we do with Toby McMullin? He laid 5 tackles on debut, but limited impact beyond that. Does he get another go - in which case it would be by pushing Dan Lloyd out, given Binga & Snooze returning, or does he drop back to VFL? I have assumed that O'Halloran is still unavailable, otherwise I'd have him straight back in (he should be still fit, being just a finger injury). Apart from that, the midfield needs to lift. They seem to have ebbed and flowed this season - good games for a couple of weeks, then down. They definitely need to be up next week if we want to win.
My preferred changes:
FB: Jack Buckley, Sam Taylor, Harry Perryman,
HB: Lachie Ash, Harry Himmelberg, Lachie Whitfield
C: Josh Kelly, Tom Green, Isaac Cumming
HF: Callum Brown, Jake Riccardi, Brett Daniels
FF: Toby Bedford, Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene
RR: Kieren Briggs, Stephen Coniglio, Finn Callaghan
Interchange: Connor Idun, Daniel Lloyd, Aaron Cadman, Callan Ward.
In: Finn Callaghan, Aaron Cadman, Brent Daniels, Toby Bedford
Out: Nick Haynes, Lachlan Keefe, Josh Fahey, Toby McMullin
I assume that Lloyd will be retained rather than McMullin; also that Cadman would be preferred to return rather than bring in Flynn or Derksen. I'd also guess that Angwin doesn't get back in, unless Callaghan's not OK (although, they are not like-for-like in their role).
What are your thoughts? Who should be bring in, who should we leave out? Do you have any radical suggestions of changes?
Over to you ...
Realistically, if we don't win this, all our efforts to win 7-0 and drag ourselves up the ladder will be in vain. Hopefully, that's motivation enough for the players. We hopefully will get back a few good players. Most notably, Binga Daniels and Snooze Bedford adding some speed and pressure up front, will come back from suspension. Hopefully, Angwin missed through illness and will be available. As a few posters noted, I think we missed his run against Port. The big one will be Finn Callaghan. Whilst not overstating his importance, his mix of speed and ball-winning adds a dimension that others don't, so hopeful that his achilles issue is fixed and he's right to go. If he is right, he'll come in surely, and Angwin may be iffy to return; if Finn doesn't make it, I would think Angwin does.
But I also think that Adam Kingsley has some thinking to do about his team selections. Albeit potentially forced by injuries and suspensions, but in my view (and some other posters think similarly, from comments in this forum) he's been playing a few "big names" or "favoured players" out of position, and I think that has hurt us. In my mind, those are Nick Haynes, Isaac Cumming, and Lachie Keeffe. With HH going back, there's really no place for Haynes, and similarly having put Perryman back as the "defensive defender", he's had 3 counter-attacking defenders when there's really only spots for two: Ash, Whitfield and Cumming. In one game when Haynes was out, Cumming and Whitfield seemed to rotate one wing position, but with Haynes in, he's taken some wing time (although at times seems to be "plug a gap somewhere"). I think we just need to simplify players back to their best positions. And, someone for Keeffe please. With Cadman's 8 goals in VFL, he may get a recall. We need to kick more goals, and while Toby Greene always score (well, usually) and Riccardi was good against Port, more firepower (even in the shape of an inexperienced KPF, albeit with his tail up) would be welcome.
What do we do with Toby McMullin? He laid 5 tackles on debut, but limited impact beyond that. Does he get another go - in which case it would be by pushing Dan Lloyd out, given Binga & Snooze returning, or does he drop back to VFL? I have assumed that O'Halloran is still unavailable, otherwise I'd have him straight back in (he should be still fit, being just a finger injury). Apart from that, the midfield needs to lift. They seem to have ebbed and flowed this season - good games for a couple of weeks, then down. They definitely need to be up next week if we want to win.
My preferred changes:
FB: Jack Buckley, Sam Taylor, Harry Perryman,
HB: Lachie Ash, Harry Himmelberg, Lachie Whitfield
C: Josh Kelly, Tom Green, Isaac Cumming
HF: Callum Brown, Jake Riccardi, Brett Daniels
FF: Toby Bedford, Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene
RR: Kieren Briggs, Stephen Coniglio, Finn Callaghan
Interchange: Connor Idun, Daniel Lloyd, Aaron Cadman, Callan Ward.
In: Finn Callaghan, Aaron Cadman, Brent Daniels, Toby Bedford
Out: Nick Haynes, Lachlan Keefe, Josh Fahey, Toby McMullin
I assume that Lloyd will be retained rather than McMullin; also that Cadman would be preferred to return rather than bring in Flynn or Derksen. I'd also guess that Angwin doesn't get back in, unless Callaghan's not OK (although, they are not like-for-like in their role).
What are your thoughts? Who should be bring in, who should we leave out? Do you have any radical suggestions of changes?
Over to you ...
