Strategy Changes & Pre-match Discussion - Round 24 vs. Essendon, MCG, Fri 25/08, 7:50pm

[Scodog10]

Nice thought , it won’t happen though. Fly is brimming with positives attributes, no doubt, but he has that Chris Fagan type, fatherly, overly nurturing thing. He won’t drop Cameron; he’ll back him in to keep chugging away because his heart’s in the right place.
Tough call would be to cut Cameron now and back Cox in through finals. Cox would 100% embrace it and reward the call, too. Like I said though, our selection panel don’t have the cojones for a call like that. They’ll keep ducking around playing them both and our team balance will be all the worse for it.

We were a completely different mix once Cox was subbed in. Until the reinforcements are available there’s no chance we’ll see Cameron dropped, but we’re no chance with a dual ruck setup. Worrying times…

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

We were a completely different mix once Cox was subbed in. Until the reinforcements are available there’s no chance we’ll see Cameron dropped, but we’re no chance with a dual ruck setup. Worrying times…

Mcstay rucked better than Cameron. Rumours he can’t play a backup role are grossly exaggerated

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Selection has concerned me for the past couple of months and I'm not sure if Fly is going to make the tough decisions that might be required.

Cameron, Howe, Adams and Lipinski's spots in the team all need to be discussed and considered if there are better options. I'd also be very wary of playing Frampton in a final.
Obviously Adams and Howe have massive leadership roles within the group but that shouldn't mean they're an automatic selection.

The answer to the ruck conundrum was very clearly expressed tonight and is something I've been saying even before this year - Cox is easily our best ruck and needs to play. If he needs backup I'd prefer it was Kreuger to Cameron.

I thought AJ's papers might have been stamped for this year but there should still be opportunity for him if he can put in a performance in the VFL.

Roscoe is another who could be considered. I thought he was one of our best in his only game so far this season.

Too late for most of those calls. Dilemma time.

 

[Scodog10]

Mcstay rucked better than Cameron. Rumours he can’t play a backup role are grossly exaggerated

I think they mostly come from people that naively think because he’s the backup he’ll spend half the night v McInerney

Ultimately the second ruck is the least of our worries based on how easily we’ve been opened up defensively the past month, but I genuinely don’t know what the solution is. The problem I have is we’ve stopped winning back half one on ones. Last night we either halved them with spoils or lost them which led to a lot of stagnant ball movement or straight forward opportunities on goal (hence their accuracy). We were way to reactive through large stretches of the contest.

I suspect the hope is finals will tighten that up, but I don’t see it.

 

[TheBaron]

No team has enough depth to cover 3 superstars

Precisely my point. Yet there's been talk about having a "good selection problem" where players were performing at VFL level and "knocking down the door" to be selected. It's not a case of having someone come in and "play that role". The rhetoric glosses over the fact that we can't just pull someone in and expect that the skills, timing and presence wont drop off.

 

[Scodog10]

Precisely my point. Yet there's been talk about having a "good selection problem" where players were performing at VFL level and "knocking down the door" to be selected. It's not a case of having someone come in and "play that role". The rhetoric glosses over the fact that we can't just pull someone in and expect that the skills, timing and presence wont drop off.

When those comments are made no one is thinking the lose a soldier add a soldier approach will need to be applied to Moore, Naicos and JDG. They’re talking Cameron, WHE, Hill, Noble etc. because there’s a certain level of atrophy with any group once the top end is removed. The flow on effects it has on others that would normally go under the radar is where it gets you.

The worry I have with how it played out was that only Hill would have had a tangible impact on the contest, IMO. The biggest issue was that they picked the eyes out of us in transition which none of the big 3 helps with. Without a significant shift in game style or form (neither of which is likely from here) we can’t beat them because they have to much firepower for this current Collingwood group.

 

[FAIRANDBALANCED]

I said hopefully

Damn, i thought you knew something didn't!

 

[barrackers]

Unlikely, but hope we’re brave at selection and drop Cameron for kamikaze Kreuger. Let’s see if Cameron has the hunger to work hard across the ground like Cox did in the twos, plus Kreuger looks our best option to combat Draper’s bash and crash style by giving it back.

 

[Scodog10]

Unlikely, but hope we’re brave at selection and drop Cameron for kamikaze Kreuger. Let’s see if Cameron has the hunger to work hard across the ground like Cox in the twos, plus Kreuger looks our best option to combat Draper’s bash and crash style by giving it back.

Deck chairs on the Titanic…

 

[barrackers]

Deck chairs on the Titanic…

Krueger isn’t going to change a lot, but he won’t die wondering and I worry that Cameron will be bullied by Draper’s physicality. Even when our midfield group has been in much better form Draper has gone a long way to giving the bombers first look.

 

[Didak Wine]

Fk.me now folks are worrying about essendon. Put the cue in the rack 1st or second is all we need

 

[Didak Wine]

The desire to win at all times clouds judgement

 

[Eric Shin]

OUT: Ryan (inj), McCreery (sus), Mitchell

IN: Allan, Hill, De Goey


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Scodog10]

Krueger isn’t going to change a lot, but he won’t die wondering and I worry that Cameron will be bullied by Draper’s physicality. Even when our midfield group has been in much better form Draper has gone a long way to giving the bombers first look.

You can lock Cox in as the primary ruck v Essendon. The question is whether Kreuger or Cameron offers enough forward to bother with them for the 10-15 mins they’re up against Phillips? It’s a no for me, but they’ve stuck with Cameron this long so it’s not like they’re going to do an AJ and make the hard call aye sr36.

Fly was scathing in a Fly way on our defense last night and rightly so because kicking 125 points against that quality of opposition isn’t an option for us. With that in mind I think our team selection will be determined by Murphy’s availability. If he gets up Howe stays forward and we can use McStay through the ruck. If not Howe will swing back and we’ll need that forward option. I’d go AJ myself over Kreuger because I think he’s more likely to kick 2 or 3 than Kreuger or Cameron.

Basically as it stands unless we can get our groove back on defense we’re in big trouble. The other worry is our pressure in the contest was good the problem was that for the life of us we couldn’t stop them when they had time and space to deliver. With how things are shaping up Essendon will get us and comfortably I might add. There’s so much broken about how we’re playing at the moment…

 

[pz5151]

VFL pending again of course... and injury report pending unfortunately with Murphy.... And MRP pending with Mccreery!

Mccreery probably gets a week, let's be honest.

JDG back into the side if he's fit and ready to go, otherwise what's another week?

Hopefully Hill is ready to go.

Josh Daicos game 100. Start making babies pls

Any chance the matchmakers can hook up the Daicos boys with Darcy’s sisters and vice versa if there’s any available ones? Imagine those kids. 2m elite runners with Nick’s kicking and Darcy’s marking. Would make Buddy Franklin look like a hack.

 

[stormskye]

You can lock Cox in as the primary ruck v Essendon. The question is whether Kreuger or Cameron offers enough forward to bother with them for the 10-15 mins they’re up against Phillips? It’s a no for me, but they’ve stuck with Cameron this long so it’s not like they’re going to do an AJ and make the hard call aye sr36.

Fly was scathing in a Fly way on our defense last night and rightly so because kicking 125 points against that quality of opposition isn’t an option for us. With that in mind I think our team selection will be determined by Murphy’s availability. If he gets up Howe stays forward and we can use McStay through the ruck. If not Howe will swing back and we’ll need that forward option. I’d go AJ myself over Kreuger because I think he’s more likely to kick 2 or 3 than Kreuger or Cameron.

Basically as it stands unless we can get our groove back on defense we’re in big trouble. The other worry is our pressure in the contest was good for the life of us we couldn’t stop them when they had time and space to deliver. With how things are shaping up Essendon will get us and comfortably I might add. There’s so much broken about how we’re playing at the moment…

Teams transition out of our forward line is my biggest concern. Fly did address it in his presser, but it’s def my top issue with us. Not sure what’s happening there, we are just allowing teams to move it far to freely. We addressed it last week against geel.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Mcstay rucked better than Cameron. Rumours he can’t play a backup role are grossly exaggerated

That’s an exceptionally low bar to assess against if we’re talking Cameron yesterday

 

[Thinking Magpie]

Sounds like bruising.........glute/coccyx

Yes, wouldn't the Bris player get charged with tunnelling causing the injury...?

 

[manicpie]

Yes, wouldn't the Bris player get charged with tunnelling causing the injury...?

He might get a fine but that's about it

 

[Vicky Park]

His mum is probably better than Cripps’ lawyer

No she’s not. He’s very good, terrifying to see him in full flight.

 

[sr36]

You can lock Cox in as the primary ruck v Essendon. The question is whether Kreuger or Cameron offers enough forward to bother with them for the 10-15 mins they’re up against Phillips? It’s a no for me, but they’ve stuck with Cameron this long so it’s not like they’re going to do an AJ and make the hard call aye sr36.

I think a ruck as sub works. Reduces the amount of time that McStay is out of the forward line. And means that you don't need a ruck to play as a forward. It's what I'd do.

 

[sr36]

Yes, wouldn't the Bris player get charged with tunnelling causing the injury...?

Careful what you wish for. Murphy did the same resulting in an injury also.

 

[Scodog10]

Teams transition out of our forward line is my biggest concern. Fly did address it in his presser, but it’s def my top issue with us. Not sure what’s happening there, we are just allowing teams to move it far to freely. We addressed it last week against geel.

I think Brisbane are fitter and better than Geelong so they were able to move around our system enough to continue picking it apart.

There’s going to be an element on here that fobs our trend off as us being “locked” in to a top 2 spot so our minds are on finals, but what I’m asking myself is are the numbers wrong or are we in big trouble? The reason being the numbers right now are suggesting we’ll go out in straight sets. We’re playing whack a mole as well. Eight weeks ago we couldn’t score, our pressure then fell away, we’re then dominated at the contest and now we can’t defend transition. Contested and ground ball is probably the key, right now we’re shit in those areas (we lost both last night easily) and there’s no switch to flick to correct it.

IMO, we’re a little better than middle of the road team that had enough 50/50 results go our way to get an edge on the competition in a close season… Aside from a 10 minute stretch in the third quarter how many complete performances like that one from Brisbane have we put up? I’d say two v GC and Port.

 

[Scodog10]

I think a ruck as sub works. Reduces the amount of time that McStay is out of the forward line. And means that you don't need a ruck to play as a forward. It's what I'd do.

Worked well last night…

 

[JLC]

Lipinski should be the first out. Never seen a weaker player.

Cameron next. Also weak when it matters.

Agree - Cameron seems to escape scrutiny. You put the number 46 on his back and he would be torched.

I am inclined to play Cox as the main ruckman with Ash as the more mobile option.

We need to get JDG fit and primed for the first final.

I know it won't happen but I would love to see Moore used up the ground more. Let him play with freedom and play to his strengths. Would be a tough match up.

Would love to see Krueger get a game. He has some proper cnut in him and that's what this team lacks.

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