Preview Changes & Pre-match Discussion - Round 5 vs. Essendon - FRI 03/07 7:50pm

[TheGreatGrundy]

He didn't turn the ball over because his longest kick would have been a 20 metre chip to someone in space or a dinky handpass in congestion. Wills tries hard and gives his all but if he is in our best 22 we are going nowhere fast. It reminds me of the days when Mark Beers used to get a game. When he was named I was often tempted to stay home.

He didn't really look like he belonged out there. He seemed a tad awkward.

 

[Quicky]

I'm really happy with the changes.

Shaz for Howe I think is a no brainer, but the type of no brainer the selectors often miss. I thought Madge was going to return. Really happy to see Shaz given a go at saving his career.

Treloar and Varcoe add experience, quality and hardness. It makes the whole team more solid and proven.

 

[doppleganger]

Good changes, our backline still looks pretty strong and well balanced.

Mids with IN Treloar doesn’t really lose anything either.

With the rubbish weather forecast for tonight, hope people take it easy on Cox...his job will be to make a contest and create spillage to let guys smells swoop.

 

[Shade]

Good changes, our backline still looks pretty strong and well balanced.

Mids with IN Treloar doesn’t really lose anything either.

With the rubbish weather forecast for tonight, hope people take it easy on Cox...his job will be to make a contest and create spillage to let guys smells swoop.

If Bucks and Co had a pair he shouldnt even play tonight given the conditions.

 

[anshell]

Could be our last game in Victoria for a long while.Let’s hope a big crowd turns up tonight to support the boys.Oh,wait a minute.....

 

[doppleganger]

If Bucks and Co had a pair he shouldnt even play tonight given the conditions.

Will still play an important role as the long

His job will be to ensure that Hooker and Hurley can’t free wheel and rebound.

Bring the ball to ground and let guys like Elliott, Daicos, Stepho, BrownX2 and DeGoey swoop

 

[cityslick1]

v interesting game tonight... more to see the form of quite a few players, whilst still expecting a dominant display, despite the exclusions.

Will be watching the following players closely...

WHE - due for a good game, and needs to show that he can add more to the team than shown to date this season.
De Goey - due for a big game, needs to kick some goals & prove he is a top tier player in the comp
Elliott - due for a big game, and needs to show that he can still impact the scoreboard, and give oppo backs match-up headaches
Stephenson - needs to build on recent form, which has been v good in glimpses, but fleeting
Treloar - keen to see his form and fitness hold up, for obvious reasons
Shaz - have not seen him for a while, and need to know if he can slot straight straight in to the Howe role. Talk of his new creativity and hopefully more penetration with his kicking will be reviewed from tonight's game.
Varcoe - also havent seen him for a while. Is he an improvement on Noble, or will he go missing again...
Brown's - can they improve on recent games, or slide
Wills - was involved in a lot of scoring last week, but can he dominate a weaker midfield, or prompt more requests for replacement...
Cox - can he score multiple goals against a weaker opposition, or will their backs expose him
Mihocek - valuable for mine, but can he hold up the forward line and keep scoring goals, or not...

 

[LuckyLee]

v interesting game tonight... more to see the form of quite a few players, whilst still expecting a dominant display, despite the exclusions.

Will be watching the following players closely...

WHE - due for a good game, and needs to show that he can add more to the team than shown to date this season.
De Goey - due for a big game, needs to kick some goals & prove he is a top tier player in the comp
Elliott - due for a big game, and needs to show that he can still impact the scoreboard, and give oppo backs match-up headaches
Stephenson - needs to build on recent form, which has been v good in glimpses, but fleeting
Treloar - keen to see his form and fitness hold up, for obvious reasons
Shaz - have not seen him for a while, and need to know if he can slot straight straight in to the Howe role. Talk of his new creativity and hopefully more penetration with his kicking will be reviewed from tonight's game.
Varcoe - also havent seen him for a while. Is he an improvement on Noble, or will he go missing again...
Brown's - can they improve on recent games, or slide
Sier - was involved in a lot of scoring last week, but can he dominate a weaker midfield, or prompt more requests for replacement...
Cox - can he score multiple goals against a weaker opposition, or will their backs expose him
Mihocek - valuable for mine, but can he hold up the forward line and keep scoring goals, or not...

a Freudian slip with the reference to Sier? I presume you mean Wills but gee I'd rather it was Sier in there!

 

[Johno9911]

With the weather like this I'm expecting a pretty contested, tough and slippery game of footy. For this reason I'm glad the selectors have stuck with Wills, anticipate a high amount of stoppages and his ability to impact contest after contest will help out Adams and Grundy a lot, while the wet weather should mean his lack of speed isn't as obvious or able to be exposed too much. He's never going to be the star man but a game like tonight suits his tough/contested style down to a tee, hopefully he can play his role and support someone like Pendles who is the sort of player you want to have the ball in hand with wet weather like this.

Additionally I'd have De Goey, Stevo and Elliot as the deepest forwards tonight. Won't be a lot of clean entries inside-50, so you suspect it will come down to 1v1 contests and those three guys have the ability to beat their opponents. Cox has an important role tonight when playing inside 50 making sure at the very least he's halving contests and letting our smalls get to work.

 

[dewah07]

Do you guys reckon Phillips goes back to his wing like last year now with no sidey?

 

[jathanas]

With Treloar in we would be full strength today if bad luck and stupidity had not conspired against us to take Howe and Sidebum.

The changes are reasonable. Shaz is given his chance to shine, and Varcoe gets a career saving opportunity.

The quality of the team we are fielding is undeniable but the question is, will our forward line function well or are we looking at another 1.7 final quarter?

 

[Big Bryza]

Not very keen to call anyone playing AFL footy a potato, but I’d have to disagree. He has been very serviceable from what I’ve seen and can also go forward and clunk a mark. I expect Grundy to have the ascendancy but we would want to do more with the advantage than we did last week

He's at his 3rd AFL club. If he were any good he would have nailed a number 1 ruck spot at either GWS or Carlton. As it turns out he's ended up at Essendon who had the worst number 1 ruckman (Bellcho) in the AFL, hence why Phillips has been given a game.

It's purely on Grundy and our midfield to start taking the advantage of his dominance. It's clear teams set up to nullify our clearance damage but it's time we became more proactive at the stoppages. Round 1 we towelled up the Dogs and some of Grundy and his fellow mids connection was as elite as it gets. Let's see some of that domination tonight.

 

[Big Bryza]

Because he is a better player the Sier on form.

Sier is soft and lazy.

Lets all ease up on the Sier criticism. What concrete evidence do you have to suggest he's soft and lazy? I'll bet he works his way back into the side this year. Became such an integral player in 2018 and I'd love to see him return to that standard.

 

[Big Bryza]

JT listed as an emergency so those crowing about his demise might be going a bit early. He’ll be back into the seniors at some stage.

Wouldn't rule out a late change tonight with all this rain, could be a Cox out, JT in scenario if we want more mobility up forward.

 

[Robroy22]

Wouldn't rule out a late change tonight with all this rain, could be a Cox out, JT in scenario if we want more mobility up forward.

Could be Treloar out in this freezing weather. Perfect temp for a soft tissue injury tonight.

 

[jathanas]

Could be Treloar out in this freezing weather. Perfect temp for a soft tissue injury tonight.

You just tempted the injury gods!

 

[Anzacday]

2012 AD Game on Fox now.
Another went and slippery game.
Last 1/4 we are two goals up - hope we can hang on...

 

[mike123]

Do you guys reckon Phillips goes back to his wing like last year now with no sidey?

Probably not, Sidey has spent more time on the ball or at hff.

 

[jathanas]

I will risk sounding soppy but in this clusterf**k of a year, every C'wood game I get to watch is a gift.

 

[Jen2310]

Lets all ease up on the Sier criticism. What concrete evidence do you have to suggest he's soft and lazy? I'll bet he works his way back into the side this year. Became such an integral player in 2018 and I'd love to see him return to that standard.

That's some confidence you have there. I hope he does, I really do. But there is yet no real signs it will happen. He needs to dominate and push someone out.

 

[sr36]

He didn't really look like he belonged out there. He seemed a tad awkward.

Don't mind him because of his size, effort and aggression. But he certainly looks like a country footballer out there. Everything's just a bit slower and clumsier with him than with the rest of the players.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Don't mind him because of his size, effort and aggression. But he certainly looks like a country footballer out there. Everything's just a bit slower and clumsier with him than with the rest of the players.

At least relative to 5 or 6 other players, he is certainly playing well enough to hold his place in the side. I remember watching him closely in training drillings at the Holden Center a year ago when players were split in groups of 3. I was very impressed by his size and strength. For some reason he now looks a slighter build on the footy field, though obviously he is not. Like it or not, we need some grunt other than Adams in the midfield, and if Sier is going to continue to refuse to take the next step, then Wills will hold his spot.

 

[Ulahoopski]

He didn't really look like he belonged out there. He seemed a tad awkward.

Don't let looks deceive you. I don't know why I love the Rupe... he's one of those players who is making the best of what he's got. A hard nut who plays the important role of pressuring the opposition with rugby like tackles and feeding the classier players from stoppages. Has great core strength and the ability to stand up in tackles. I like barracking for the battlers.

 

[Ulahoopski]

And isn't it amazing how one straight kick can change your perception? That elusive straight kick in the last quarter against GWS would have had me sitting here in a world of confidence about the season. Now I'm nervous as all hell hoping we get the win tonight to restore faith. C' mon Pies, DEEE STROYY!

 

[iGNITER]

Wills to have a McGough-esque game tonight in the wet.