22 fit players needed

[bigman]

We have paid the price for playing i/2 fit players.

They are trying hard but you cannot win at this level if the players are not up to the fitness standards of the opposition.

it is obvious that Torney, Edwards, Burton, Shirley, Welsh, Goodwin etc are not fully fit and they are a liability through no fault of their own. We are hanging on by a thread at the moment and the tears are getting wider with each game.

We may be better putting a few games into more young boys like Collingwood have done this year.

Lets put Pfeiffer into the squad and give him his chance and give Burton a week or two's rest.

Lets change the structure of the side that is too top heavy up forward and slow, and slow to react. But its not as easy to change as one would think. There is no obvious candidate.

Bock needs to go to back and get some form. Lets put him back at CHB or start him on the spine. He is just not holding his marks.

Kenny may need to come back in and play at FF and give us some height up forward. He could come in for weekends who after a reasonable start to the game fell away again or he was not played.

The problem though is up forward - who can be a crumber to get the ball. I cannot think if anyone except for Bode. i never thought I would say this but for heaven's sake Bodey get well soon. Macca is the best outside Bode but he is giving us such good drive from the back line will be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Knighter may be an option but he is playing such good football at the moment in other roles that we may lose his creativity. Christ though we need to do something different.

 

[bus24]

we can't replace them. There's nothing left. If we could we would.

 

[bigman]

we can't replace them. There's nothing left. If we could we would.

Pfeiffer - he may give us some run.

Kenny - he might give us a better contest down forward.

A long shot - Campbell - do we need some more run with players.

 

[Dandy_GO]

Pfeiffer - he may give us some run.

Kenny - he might give us a better contest down forward.

A long shot - Campbell - do we need some more run with players.

All three of these players have just come back from injuries themselves. They've played 4 SANFL games this year between them. Kenny and Campbell in particular are unlikely to be any more fit than the blokes you mentioned.

 

[jenny61_99]

Id settle for HALF a fit team!

 

[bigman]

All three of these players have just come back from injuries themselves. They've played 4 SANFL games this year between them. Kenny and Campbell in particular are unlikely to be any more fit than the blokes you mentioned.

They have to be fitter than some of the boys I saw out there tonight.

 

[Drummond]

All three of these players have just come back from injuries themselves. They've played 4 SANFL games this year between them. Kenny and Campbell in particular are unlikely to be any more fit than the blokes you mentioned.

Let’s get the record straight, Pfeiffer is 100% fit. He was training most weeks even when he was out with his fractured cheekbone. He played last week for Norwood in the pouring rain and was one of the hardest working players in the last quarter. He put in a huge second half. His fitness cannot be queried.

 

[bigman]

Let’s get the record straight, Pfeiffer is 100% fit. He was training most weeks even when he was out with his fractured cheekbone. He played last week for Norwood in the pouring rain and was one of the hardest working players in the last quarter. He put in a huge second half. His fitness cannot be queried.

I think we just need to give some of our guys who are playing hurt a rest.

 

[Dandy_GO]

Let’s get the record straight, Pfeiffer is 100% fit. He was training most weeks even when he was out with his fractured cheekbone. He played last week for Norwood in the pouring rain and was one of the hardest working players in the last quarter. He put in a huge second half. His fitness cannot be queried.

That is why I pointed out Kenny and Campbell in particular, and not Pfeiffer.

 

[Drummond]

I think we just need to give some of our guys who are playing hurt a rest.

Torney and Burton, both should not have played as they were unbelievably slow out there tonight. Torney probably had the worst game of his career, whereas Burton’s effort challenged that of last week.

Pfeiffer should have played instead of Torney, and Tippett should’ve played up forward replacing Burton. And yet in his press conference, Craig implied that Burton will be fine and will play next week. A 50% fit Burton is giving us NOTHING!!!

 

[Dandy_GO]

I think we just need to give some of our guys who are playing hurt a rest.

For the record, I agree with you. It's just that we don't have any options at the moment. Everyone who didn't play is either injured or returning from injury. Luke Jericho and Tippett are the only two players outside of the first team that I can think of who have played all year without being injured, and both had very limited preseasons due to injuries or operations..

 

[kimirocks]

Craig should burn for this, it is unforgivable, don't rest on, we don't have the cattle, we are shooting ourselves in the foot about this. Burton and Goodwin are obviously injured, bring in Tippet, even Jericho to replace Burton. Especially up in Brisbane next week, we can do no harm by playing them.

 

[crowsRno1!]

The problem though is up forward - who can be a crumber to get the ball. I cannot think if anyone except for Bode. i never thought I would say this but for heaven's sake Bodey get well soon. Macca is the best outside Bode but he is giving us such good drive from the back line will be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Knighter may be an option but he is playing such good football at the moment in other roles that we may lose his creativity. Christ though we need to do something different.

anyone think Douglas?

 

[Nige_Bix]

Originally Posted by bigman

The problem though is up forward - who can be a crumber to get the ball. I cannot think if anyone except for Bode. i never thought I would say this but for heaven's sake Bodey get well soon. Macca is the best outside Bode but he is giving us such good drive from the back line will be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Knighter may be an option but he is playing such good football at the moment in other roles that we may lose his creativity. Christ though we need to do something different.

anyone think Douglas?

That has been a sore point with me ages - we do not recruit that sort of player - and what from I see are never likely to!!

 

[Scott Van Persett]

After playing in Freo last week then facing up to Collingwood on a 10 day break, we now have to travel to Brisbane next week ( I wonder if any other team has been asked to do similarly).

We always seem to have trouble winning in Brisbane and , frankly, I don't think we will next week.

Thus I think we should take the opportunity to rest some obviously injured players as we have to fly up there on Friday and fly back Sunday and the plane trip would not be beneficial to injured players.

It's obvious that Burton is carrying an injury and Welsh looked the same to me. Hinge has a hammy and Hudson a knee injury.

I think we have to bypass the Brisbane game to make sure we have as fit a team as possible to proceed with the rest of the season. Pfeiffer, Kenny and even Jericho could replace any half-fit player to give them a week's rest. Maric may be ok to play as well.

Scott

 

[portly]

Craig should burn for this, it is unforgivable,

And I bet you bag Rucci when he bags Craig!

FWIW IMHO Neil Craig has an excellent game plan, even if it is one-dimensional. It takes a very talented and brave side to break it down. But no team can sustain any game plan when a number of the players are out with injuries and many others still have to play carrying injuries. For instance, Brett Burton could barely run last week against Freo, and here he is backing up the next week, and some of you are really bagging him! Hudson is in difficulties and unfortunately your young ruckmen are still getting over injuries. et cetera

Injuries happen, notwithstanding your state-of-the-art medical rooms. It will probably be an up-and-down year. I still most certainly haven't written you off for the top 8.

But why should Craig "burn"?

 

[CoZi36]

I feel your pain guys, hang in there alright, stick by your team in the good and bad times.

Personally, I suggest that Craig gives players with injury problems a week or two off and start blooding some youngsters. It may not help with your short-term premiership aspirations but it sure will help in the long-term chances. This is mainly due to the fact that players will have senior experience before their time. Blooding young players V. Brisbane would be ideal as they will bond more as you are playing on the road and learn how playing away from AAMI is like.

The Lions have shown the above in 2005 and 2006, we could hardly field a team in a few rounds last year as well. But no one would be thought that the Lions would make the NAB Cup Grand Final, that we should have won but travelling the whole pre season didn't help nor be 3-2 before the Fremantle game.

The kids are your future, enjoy the ride and all the best. Cheers!

 

[fightingdreamer88]

I feel your pain guys, hang in there alright, stick by your team in the good and bad times.

Personally, I suggest that Craig gives players with injury problems a week or two off and start blooding some youngsters. It may not help with your short-term premiership aspirations but it sure will help in the long-term chances. This is mainly due to the fact that players will have senior experience before their time. Blooding young players V. Brisbane would be ideal as they will bond more as you are playing on the road and learn how playing away from AAMI is like.

The Lions have shown the above in 2005 and 2006, we could hardly field a team in a few rounds last year as well. But no one would be thought that the Lions would make the NAB Cup Grand Final, that we should have won but travelling the whole pre season didn't help nor be 3-2 before the Fremantle game.

The kids are your future, enjoy the ride and all the best. Cheers!

Indeed, the pain we experience now will hold us in good stead for the future. And if everyone can get on the park for the second half of the season we're not without a chance of doing something special. In addition, all of a sudden we'll have a bag of kids with experience come 2008 (when a few older guys will no doubt move on).

 

[Stiffy_18]

And I bet you bag Rucci when he bags Craig!

FWIW IMHO Neil Craig has an excellent game plan, even if it is one-dimensional. It takes a very talented and brave side to break it down. But no team can sustain any game plan when a number of the players are out with injuries and many others still have to play carrying injuries. For instance, Brett Burton could barely run last week against Freo, and here he is backing up the next week, and some of you are really bagging him! Hudson is in difficulties and unfortunately your young ruckmen are still getting over injuries. et cetera

Injuries happen, notwithstanding your state-of-the-art medical rooms. It will probably be an up-and-down year. I still most certainly haven't written you off for the top 8.

But why should Craig "burn"?

Quality post

 

[Alex99]

If Brett Burton and Scott Welsh play next week in Brisbane, we are not being fair dinkum in every effort to win the game.

Brett Burton is obviously injured and struggling at the moment so he should have a week or 2 or and get his knees right.

 

[Crow Envy]

Time to introduce the bye!

Seriously someone wrote Hudson has a sore knee, whats the story?

 

[Alex99]

Time to introduce the bye!

Seriously someone wrote Hudson has a sore knee, whats the story?

Corked thigh from last week’s game.