Changes for Showdown

[King Elvis]

Truck isn't the problem, the lazy/slack midfield and poorly structured side is.

He's always been slow, the issue is the crap efforts up the field mean we're constantly getting opened up and our defenders put under immense pressure with quick/clean delivery to the opposition forwards.

 

[BobaFett]

Does anyone else think it's madness to play Lynch, the Crouch bros, or Hendo....how can any of those players possibly keep up with the fitness of Port for 4 quarters?

How will any of the port defenders keep up with lynchs fitness/workrate?

 

[Hank93]

Are we locking this now Drugs Are Bad Mackay?

 

[Schulzycrow]

Was at the game on Saturday night and from high up on the wing it was plain for all to see. Truck was led to the ball all night long. He couldn't get close to anyone in broken play, got run around at least twice. The midfield can take some of the blame sure, but when you are two metres behind your player it doesn't matter. Sando needs to make the hard call on a couple of players now.
When we get thumped on Sunday he won't have any excuses left.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Usually lock them Thursday after the team is announced then steer people to the Face Off thread

 

[NTRabbit]

Usually lock them Thursday after the team is announced then steer people to the Face Off thread

You'd better leave this one open, the precious cupcakes have made the Face Off thread off limits to outside opinion

 

[TooFar]

Was at the game on Saturday night and from high up on the wing it was plain for all to see. Truck was led to the ball all night long. He couldn't get close to anyone in broken play, got run around at least twice. The midfield can take some of the blame sure, but when you are two metres behind your player it doesn't matter. Sando needs to make the hard call on a couple of players now.
When we get thumped on Sunday he won't have any excuses left.

The only time Truck was led up the ground was when his opponent was taking marks on the wing. When the ball was in our defensive zone, Truck more than held his own. He was out marked probably only once or twice, yet extracted the ball successfully on numerous occasions. He was one of our better players.

There is way to much unjustified hate for the Truck on this site.

 

[BobaFett]

Was at the game on Saturday night and from high up on the wing it was plain for all to see. Truck was led to the ball all night long. He couldn't get close to anyone in broken play, got run around at least twice. The midfield can take some of the blame sure, but when you are two metres behind your player it doesn't matter. Sando needs to make the hard call on a couple of players now.
When we get thumped on Sunday he won't have any excuses left.

What hard calls need to be made?

Pods, Truck, Reilly are a part of our future, and we don't have better players waiting to come in with the likes of lynch, hartigan and henderson

 

[NTRabbit]

Hartigan is unproven, and hasn't displayed the necessary size or strength to take the opponents Rutten is getting every week, mostly the resting ruckman

 

[jackster83]

Yeah it's Truck's fault that Essendon won 10 of the first 11 clearances.

It's Truck's fault that Dangerfield and Thompson consider accountability to be beneath them.

It's Truck's fault that Jacobs showed the physicality of a 10 year old schoolgirl in the first quarter.

It's Truck's fault that we tagged the wrong player.

It's Truck's fault that we kicked 2.6 to their 7.0.

 

[King Elvis]

Truck/Talia
Hendo/Smith
Laird/Brown

Truck being slow isn't the problem; Reilly/Otten being so godamned slow is the problem.

 

[footy4ever]

Two of our best?!

Pods wasn't seen the whole game. Kicked two goals courtesy of essendon turnovers, offers nothing besides standing in the goal square. Hooker and Hurley destroyed our forwards bar a few occasions

Reilly is a waste of time, he kicks of one step, whereas henderson can run and carry and a longer kick

But lets just keep playing these older guys, good work crows

Seriously, if you really think that, you really don't know football.

 

[Paladin]

Truck/Talia
Hendo/Smith
Laird/Brown

Truck being slow isn't the problem; Reilly/Otten being so godamned slow is the problem.

Yep and now Reilly played a half decent game we are screwed. Sando wont drop him and Ports pacy forwards will cut us up. Smith must have very sore shoulders.

 

[BACCS]

Kicking the goals he's been missing - especially the easier set shots - would be a big part of that 10%. If he was nailing them this conversation wouldn't exist.

Compare his efforts to Jenkins who has been nothing short of downright lazy in big patches of every game the last three weeks. The goals in this game gloss over that to an extent, but the guy shouldn't need a rocket up his ass sometime every friggin' week before he pulls his finger out.

Jenkins still kicked 4 and nearly won us the game mate, he's going just fine.

 

[Schulzycrow]

Yeah it's Truck's fault that Essendon won 10 of the first 11 clearances.

It's Truck's fault that Dangerfield and Thompson consider accountability to be beneath them.

It's Truck's fault that Jacobs showed the physicality of a 10 year old schoolgirl in the first quarter.

It's Truck's fault that we tagged the wrong player.

It's Truck's fault that we kicked 2.6 to their 7.0.

Nope you're right none of that was Truck's fault....

I'm not laying the blame for our loss at his large feet, but he has to take some of it.

We were absolutely crapola for the first quarter, our backline apart from Talia don't seem to be able to get in the right positions to contest, never seem to come over the top and crash the pack to spoil.

Yep line him up against resting rucks, but its the other tall mobile forwards that are the problem. Daniher marks outside fifty Truck two metres behind swing around and bombs it to the square where there is a mark and goal. Dixon for the Suns, Patton for GWS are all the types Truck now struggles on.

If Port have any brains they will stick Westhoff on Truck and run him all over the fifty and up into the middle or isolate him so they can get behind him and run into open goals all day long. We have to look long term as he won't be in the back 50 next year, we need a replacement with games under their belt and its either Hartigan, Shaw, L Thompson or Siggins or ????

 

[Schulzycrow]

Jenkins still kicked 4 and nearly won us the game mate, he's going just fine.

Doesn't chase nearly hard enough for someone with pace.

 

[footy4ever]

Pods is undroppable? He is a complete liability in the forward half, he cannot chase someone to save himself. He is playing as a key forward and only averaging just over a goal a game, which is terrible. Not to mention he is getting in texs way which results in tex getting touches on the half back flank. Pods then gets moved to the back line as a loose man because he rarely sees it up forward, and thats where he beefs up his stats to get his ten touches..

Maaaaate. Quit while you're behind. Pods has contributed heaps, is footy smart, has the 5th highest contested mark stat in the AFL this year, is great for team structure, has taken game saving defensive marks at crucial times, and has kicked clutch goals at very needy times - particularly from exotic angles.

 

[NTRabbit]

If Port have any brains they will stick Westhoff on Truck

You're a cast iron moron if you think that Port get to dictate which defender goes to what player - Rutten has never played on Westhoff. Never has, never will. Talia has had him every recent game when he's been played forward, and Westhoff has torn him up.

 

[Elite Crow]

You're a cast iron moron if you think that Port get to dictate which defender goes to what player - Rutten has never played on Westhoff. Never has, never will. Talia has had him every recent game when he's been played forward, and Westhoff has torn him up.

Thought Talia did well against Westhoff last game. Schulz beat Truck though.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

We match up poorly with their forward line in general. Wingard and Gray vs Brown and Laird... eep.

Westhoff covers more territory than Talia likes. Schulz is more a lead and jump forward rather than the body on body bohemoth Truck covets.

 

[Kraven]

What I want.

IN: B Crouch, M Crouch, Lynch, Hartigan
OUT: Martin, Lyons, Dangerfield, Truck

What will probably happen.

IN: M Crouch, Lynch
OUT: Lyons, Lyons, and Lyons again just to be safe.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

You're a cast iron moron if you think that Port get to dictate which defender goes to what player - Rutten has never played on Westhoff. Never has, never will. Talia has had him every recent game when he's been played forward, and Westhoff has torn him up.

Otten has the best recent record on Westoff - should follow him everywhere!

Talia to Schultz.

Rest Truck as he isn't 100%.

Play the extra mid/small defender - which will give our defence more pace to cope with Ports' smalls.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Thought Talia did well against Westhoff last game. Schulz beat Truck though.

Yep, so Otten to Hoff as done the job before & Talia to Schultz.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

We match up poorly with their forward line in general. Wingard and Gray vs Brown and Laird... eep.

Westhoff covers more territory than Talia likes. Schulz is more a lead and jump forward rather than the body on body bohemoth Truck covets.

I think Laird needs to go with Gray - everywhere like he did with Harvey.

Brown is probably our only option for Wingard - this matchup worries me the most.

Kerridge to Boak - as he usually has a big influence on Showdowns.

Mackay or Smith with Polec.

 

[Schulzycrow]

Smither to Polec wowee that'll be fun.