Blues vs Bombers--Talls or smalls with speed?

[PeeKay]

It will be interesting to see which way the match committee go in selecting the team to play the "bombers" in a fortnight.
There is no doubt in my mind they will need to try and match the Dons pace & speed. Therefore it will come down to them choosing between the "talls" like Thornton (he will be in) Fisher, Hartlett & Austin. As against adding some smalls with pace like Yarran.
We are also getting to the time of the year when we need to try out the fringe players who haven't managed to get much game time this year.
Hartlett, Bentley, Yarran, Robinson, Johnson (if fit) and Anderson.
The following week after Essendon we go to Fremantle and the MC have already indicated they will go for "experience" when playing interstate. Therefore these fringe players won't get a guensey when the team travels.
There will only be 8 games left after Fremantle and one of them is interstate in Adelaide.
So that leaves only around 7 games to try out a number of players but with a mind we need to keep winning.

 

[Team Mo']

Talls:
Jamo
Bower
Thornton
Setanta
Kreuzer
Hampson
Fevola

Smalls:
Joseph
Betts
Browne
Armfield
Robinson
Murphy
Simpson
Garlett

Bentley won't play.

Hartlett should spend all year in the VFL in order to gain confidence in his ability and body.

Johnson is fit and is still weak under pressure.

Yarran won't be up the speed of the game.

Anderson doesn't look ready either and is still to raw. Could however just be in for the "speed" factor and maybe used to help out Joespeh? No idea on his taggin abilities.

Robinson may come in but not sure who. Houlihan or Bannister would be likely exclusions.

I think Setanta needs to stand up again and will be a key part in the win (if we win). His versatlity will hopefully stretch the dons both up forward and down back.
Maybe play a bit of a roaming role.

Hadley also not to play.

 

[Jeremias]

B: Joseph Jamison Thornton
HB: Scotland Bower Stevens
C: Armfield Gibbs Simpson
HF: Betts O'hAilpin Grigg
F: Garlett Fevola Kreuzer
R: Hampson Murphy Judd
INT: Carrazzo Browne Austin Robinson

That's something like what I'd want to see against Essendon. Plenty of pace, aggression and skill.

Austin may be an unlucky omission in favour of someone like Johnson who can run and use his good skills to penetrate into the forward 50.

We need to get players who have speed and are prepared to run and run and run. For that reason I'd consider dropping Stevens who has none of the above but Ratten loves what he supposedly gives us so he'll be there.

 

[Blue Dimension]

No way Carrazzo will be dropped. Has been playing some bloody good football.

 

[The Cranium]

When's Russell coming back into the side....

 

[Jeremias]

No way Carrazzo will be dropped. Has been playing some bloody good football.

Indeed.

Knew I forgot someone.

Yarran may not play but I'd love him to.

 

[one eyed bluey]

When's Russell coming back into the side....

He said the R word!

 

[Blue Dimension]

He said the R word!

dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Indeed.

Knew I forgot someone.

Yarran may not play but I'd love him to.

As much as there's excitement for Yarran, he hasn't really done anything out of the ordinary to command a spot in the seniors from what has been told. Would like to think he could really work on his game in the 2's and put up some strong performances before we chuck him back into the navy Blue. Having said that, I'm not sure I could say no to having him in the side It's tempting. Luckily I'm not selecting the teams ahaha

 

[deadoralive]

speed first

hitting power a very close second.

put in a team that will hurt them physically, with some huge tackles

 

[Beloved]

We've got to go small and fast. History shows that the Bombers have blazed away from us in the last quarter because we haven't been able to go with then.

As deadoralive said, speed first.

 

[krayfesh]

We're not exactly slow. We just need to protect the corridor. Then we win.

 

[ESKIE]

B: Joseph Jamison Thornton
HB: Scotland Bower Stevens
C: Armfield Gibbs Simpson
HF: Betts O'hAilpin Grigg
F: Garlett Fevola Kreuzer
R: Hampson Murphy Judd
INT: Carrazzo Browne Austin Robinson

That's something like what I'd want to see against Essendon. Plenty of pace, aggression and skill.

Austin may be an unlucky omission in favour of someone like Johnson who can run and use his good skills to penetrate into the forward 50.

We need to get players who have speed and are prepared to run and run and run. For that reason I'd consider dropping Stevens who has none of the above but Ratten loves what he supposedly gives us so he'll be there.

No no no no Johnson....bad under pressure.

Out Austin, Garlett]
In: Thornton, Fisher

 

[jj1978]

Felcher is back for the Bombers, so we need at least 3 tall forwards playing so Felcher is not used to double team Fev.

Fevola, Setanta, Hampson/Kreuzer should be playing forward, and maybe Fisher to come in.

My big fear is the usual of getting Llyod and Lucas back into some form, lucky Bower, Jamison are in good form ATM and Thornton should be back.

The last few times we've played Essendon it's been fast, attacking footy, no defensiveness, playing right into their game plan.

We need to play some accountable footy and not get sucked in.

Out: Armfield
In: Thornton

 

[blueboy25]

I don't see the need for many changes this week, we played well last week and I bet st kilda, geelong and the doggies dont make a heap of changes according to how quick the opposition are. I know we are not up to geelong or st kilda standards at the moment.

We need to play our game and pressure them like st kilda did and they fall apart.

I bet ratts will have the boys super pumped up for this one, if we lose this one it will wipe out all the good work of the last few weeks.

In: Thornton
Out: Bannister

 

[blues_gibbzy]

Skills, that is what they must pick. Would you pick Barham from Collingwood cause he is quick, no.

 

[parrot]

Our starting 22 is actually faster than the Dons. The reason the media are obsessed with Essendon's supposed leg-speed is that there's nothing else worthy of note in their list i.e. a shocking defence, no midfield, and an aging KP forward setup with a token Captain who's constantly fighting to justify his selection each week. We lost last game because they simply wanted the ball more. If we kicked accurately and showed a little more intensity in the first 1/4 we could have finished the game before the first break. The Blues play their best footy against quality opposition, but struggle to get motivated when playing against poor quality teams. It's an area we need to work on.

 

[blues_gibbzy]

Let me rephrase that 'skills under pressure'

 

[jonoman89]

The most important thing playing the Dons is defensive pressure. Our gameplan finds it hard against purely corridor attacking sides.

Our mids will need high tackle counts, and our forwards need to inclose the ball in our attacking 50 at all costs.

Talls and smalls don't matter - we can't allow a shootout again. It clearly doesn't work for us against them.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

The most important thing playing the Dons is defensive pressure. Our gameplan finds it hard against purely corridor attacking sides.

Very, very good call

 

[gbatman]

F#$& em, lets play our own game and let them work around us.

 

[thylacine60]

F#$& em, lets play our own game and let them work around us.

More of this please...

 

[Stig O'Hara]

More of this please...

Sunshine, that aint gonna work,
we showed them that last time, 15 minutes ago,
in Round 3.

 

[thylacine60]

Crappola, MoonMan. We have the talent to wipe this pack of wannabes. Who's gonna stop us? Fletcher? Great player but if he plays on Fev he'll kick 10. Lovett? He'll find the going a little tougher carrying an 80kg penalty called Joseph into the final straight. Lloyd? Give him 4, big deal. Watson? Please. Don't make me go on - we are so far superior in virtually all areas I'm thinking the only thing that will beat us is a world record shit coaching effort by our group. Confident like Phil Hughes taking 2 centres to Freddie and the Dreamers.

 

[Sam The Doc]

we couldnt lose to them again could we?

gotta stop them from playing their corridor game!

and no more putting a finger nail on davey which ends up being a free kick....

 

[Jezza U Beauty]

I'll second that and a double f*#k em
We have the talent to challenge any side.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Let's back ourselves and I'll bet we'll win a lot more than we'll lose.

Canvas some of our losses this year and we will see that the minute we got cute or started slowing down the play, we lose.

Just look at last week. The minute we took on the "let's roll the dice approach" we play better.
Take away some of the tentative early moments which cost us 5 goals, we would have won.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see our approach next week

I third that.

We have a better side than the Bombers - let them worry about how to match up on us.

There should be 1 change max this week, and only if Thornton comes up. IMO, it'd be Armfied making way - Austin's game against the Saints was better than Armo's. His decision-making is better, and I don't reckon he's much slower than Armo at all. Has anyone noticed that Austin is a 190-odd cm lightning bolt ?