Preview Changes: Round 17 v Melbourne

[King Elvis]

This bloke gives me diarrhea. Cant stand looking at him and listening to his analysis.......and we "manage" a bloke that was contributing and a 10x better option than Thommosaurus and now conveniently they want an inform squad .......oh Clarke F##K OFF!

The inconsistently of the message just reinforces the lack of a plan.

 

[King Elvis]

Clarke doesn't make selection decisions. Thompson won't play. Only if Pyke is overruled will he play. Luke Hodge retired graciously and said he didn't want to take the position on the field from a young developing player. Only wish Thompson put the team first and retired a couple of seasons ago when his form warranted it or the club had the guts to do what's best for the future.

I had the same thought.

Hodge has sacrificed his own game for the team for years - and they're better for it.

What Hodge did against us - that is
Leadership; and it helped win them the game.

Contrast that to Thommo on the weekend - and the people who claim he was playing a leadership role.

One who puts team first; one is selfishly trying to prolong a career that is clearly over.

It's clear who the leader is.

 

[John Who]

In Thommo's defense, maybe he didn't think or know for sure if he can still play the game of AFL? Reality hurts, but sometimes a player won't realise the reality until he tries out. Calling him selfish is a bit of an overkill, considering his SANFL form had him 1st for disposals, tackles and clearances in the past 1 month!

 

[King Elvis]

In Thommo's defense, maybe he didn't think or know for sure if he can still play the game of AFL? Reality hurts, but sometimes a player won't realise the reality until he tries out. Calling him selfish is a bit of an overkill, considering his SANFL form had him 1st for disposals, tackles and clearances in the past 1 month!

He was a liability last year - we carried him because he was a champion of the Club; but, like Mackay, his SANFL form should've been irrelevant.

 

[Jars458]

He was a liability last year - we carried him because he was a champion of the Club; but, like Mackay, his SANFL form should've been irrelevant.

IS a champion of the club who nevertheless should not play again.

 

[FR0GGY]

In Thommo's defense, maybe he didn't think or know for sure if he can still play the game of AFL? Reality hurts, but sometimes a player won't realise the reality until he tries out. Calling him selfish is a bit of an overkill, considering his SANFL form had him 1st for disposals, tackles and clearances in the past 1 month!

Who is he battling against, our 8-12 placed midfielders.

 

[John Who]

Who is he battling against, our 8-12 placed midfielders.

The emphasis regarding Thommo's stats isn't regarding why he should be picked for AFL, but the point that the other SANFL players aren't playing better than Thommo.
Our young guns in SANFL may have more upward potential, but the potential needs to match consistent quality output for them to play regular AFL games.

 

[King Elvis]

The emphasis regarding Thommo's stats isn't regarding why he should be picked for AFL, but the point that the other SANFL players aren't playing better than Thommo.
Our young guns in SANFL may have more upward potential, but the potential needs to match consistent quality output for them to play regular AFL games.

Shame that doesn't apply to senior players, and, when the young guys do - they still get ignored.

 

[Red mist]

The emphasis regarding Thommo's stats isn't regarding why he should be picked for AFL, but the point that the other SANFL players aren't playing better than Thommo.
Our young guns in SANFL may have more upward potential, but the potential needs to match consistent quality output for them to play regular AFL games.

Who says they aren't playing better?
The great statistics that grimlock provides in the SANFL thread regularly features our young first and second yr recruits in the best players.
This is 18 to 20 yr olds playing against players much older for the first time. Not a player with Thompson experience that should be running rings around them.

 

[Vader]

Sending out Clarke to do these press conferences is akin to us running a closed training session

Are any of our other coaches more informative?

 

[Kraven]

Its amusing how many people on the Facebook pages still want Thommo. Apparently possessions aren't everything. He was constantly putting on blocks for our other midfielders. They had so much room to move because of Thommo.

 

[Jack is Back]

Its amusing how many people on the Facebook pages still want Thommo. Apparently possessions aren't everything. He was constantly putting on blocks for our other midfielders. They had so much room to move because of Thommo.

Absolutely and that is why we smacked the Bulldogs at the stoppages.

Oh wait a minute, Friday night was the worst thrashing we have received at clearances in living memory. Thank God Thommo was there or we would have set a world record in clearance differential .

 

[dogs105]

Absolutely and that is why we smacked the Bulldogs at the stoppages.

Oh wait a minute, Friday night was the worst thrashing we have received at clearances in living memory. Thank God Thommo was there or we would have set a world record in clearance differential .

I believe we actually did...

 

[Jack is Back]

I believe we actually did...

I checked and it was certainly our worst performance this year.

I don't know if we have performed worst in the past but I suspect that there is a least one clueless team that have had a worst clearance differential.

Was it a masterstroke by THE MAESTRO to deliberately let them win the clearances (hence selecting Thommo and "resting" TMT)? We really need to improve in this area if we are to be competitive in September. Our stoppage work is O.K. but as I mentioned a few weeks ago, our centre clearances are terrible. My solution would be to have TMT in as many centre clearances as possible and to use Dougie as little as possible.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

TMT in as many centre clearances as possible and to use Dougie as little as possible.

At the very least TMT should be in the centre at the beginning of each quarter to get us off to a good start: he can then rest forward if he starts to fatigue.

 

[DD#23]

At the very least TMT should be in the centre at the beginning of each quarter to get us off to a good start: he can then rest forward if he starts to fatigue.

the "fatigue" line is bullshit, total smokescreen.

 

[MRB37]

the "fatigue" line is bullshit, total smokescreen.

Reminds me of the few games we played CEY last year. Campo didn't want him anywhere near the middle and especially in the West Coast game he spent a lot of his time in the forward line.

I had the same thought.

Hodge has sacrificed his own game for the team for years - and they're better for it.

What Hodge did against us - that is
Leadership; and it helped win them the game.

Contrast that to Thommo on the weekend - and the people who claim he was playing a leadership role.

One who puts team first; one is selfishly trying to prolong a career that is clearly over.

It's clear who the leader is.

Pods did that for us. Told the coaches to play Kelly in 2015 instead of him.

 

[GameofSloanes]

Momentum building for Milera out, Greenwood in. Thommo stays.
Get ready for the melts

 

[earlsta]

If Thommo stays in then he better be prepared for some tough questions in his retirement presser about why he continued on for another year.

It's gonna get embarrassing for him if he continues and he's at risk of jeapordising his status at the AFC.

 

[Crom]

Momentum building for Milera out, Greenwood in. Thommo stays.

wut

 

[VictorianCrow85]

In: Greenwood, Seedsman
Out: Thompson, Milera

 

[Betts are off]

I'd like to really step up the strategic resting players regime, freshening up of certain players over the next tough month without sacrificing how the team play.

This week Thompson/Douglas out, Greenwood/Seedsman in.

Barring injury Next week Milera out / Lynch in.

Barring injury Week following Jacobs/ Mackay out OBrien or Dear/Milera or Douglas in

Barring Injury week following Jacobs in Second ruck out.

So by week 21 we would have freshened up Greenwood, Douglas, Milera, Mackay, and Jacobs. With injury/form induced stints on the sidelines for Gov, Jenkins, Lynch, Brown, Tex, Charlie, Lever, Hartigan, Otten, Knight.

Leaving us with 3 games to potentially rest anyone else who is playing through something before finals. I'd imagine we'd be in substantially better shape week 1 of finals if we could manage that.

 

[fabs33]

The emphasis regarding Thommo's stats isn't regarding why he should be picked for AFL, but the point that the other SANFL players aren't playing better than Thommo.
Our young guns in SANFL may have more upward potential, but the potential needs to match consistent quality output for them to play regular AFL games.

I disagree, I think it's a poor policy to go looking for the biggest SANFL stats whenever you're looking to promote someone to the AFL. It's a different game the SANFL, one played at a slower pace, a pace that suits Thompson very well.

If we're looking to our SANFL team for a replacement, we need to look at a whole range of factors. If our coaches made the decision to bring in Thompson last week purely on his SANFL stats then they're a bunch of idiots, and in all honesty I don't believe that was the case.

In my opinion there were other reasons behind his selection and I'm hoping the biggest was to give Pyke the opportunity to put a permanent line through his name without any objections, before we get to the business end of the season.

 

[footy4ever]

Thommo. Champ. It's over mate. Call it now.

Give Gallootch your plane ticket so he can experience the away travel and camaraderie. Not for him to play necessarily, because the mighty Thor will take your spot and play this week instead, but just for more experience in the 'away' routine.

Oh, this doesn't mean it's over between you and me. Would still date.

 

[fabs33]

I'd like to really step up the strategic resting players regime, freshening up of certain players over the next tough month without sacrificing how the team play.

This week Thompson/Douglas out, Greenwood/Seedsman in.

Barring injury Next week Milera out / Lynch in.

Barring injury Week following Jacobs/ Mackay out OBrien or Dear/Milera or Douglas in

Barring Injury week following Jacobs in Second ruck out.

So by week 21 we would have freshened up Greenwood, Douglas, Milera, Mackay, and Jacobs. With injury/form induced stints on the sidelines for Gov, Jenkins, Lynch, Brown, Tex, Charlie, Lever, Hartigan, Otten, Knight.

Leaving us with 3 games to potentially rest anyone else who is playing through something before finals. I'd imagine we'd be in substantially better shape week 1 of finals if we could manage that.

I like the idea of resting, not necessarily as you've planned it here, but the idea in general. Rested players play better, get injured less often, and have longer careers. I think a bit of this kind of management would help in preparation for September.