Remove this Banner Ad

Changes - Round 17 vs North Melbourne @ Marvel Stadium

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Norf's 150 year celebration, coming off a hiding, showing good signs before last week's game.. could be a bit in this one.
Libba’s 250th trumps Norf’s 100 years 😊
 
If McNeil plays well, I'll nominate him for the Majak Daw Medal.
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

Understand the changes but don’t really love it. Maybe there is no better alternative to be fair considering we lost two players, both who play wing, causing some chaos. We’ve selected 8 defenders so guessing Williams is back to a wing, with Sanders on the other. Not sure who will be sub, could definitely be Poulter or Garcia but would prefer they get full games coming back into the side.

A little surprised with Duryea back in but I get it. Haven’t got much from our small defenders this season after having good years last year. Bramble was outstanding last week but wasn’t having a good season prior to that. Duryea has been really underwhelming when he has played, must be close to having a line drawn through him, hopefully he has half a season of good footy left in his body, but I’m not convinced. Have wrote him off before and have been wrong.

A little disappointing to see Khamis out. Going with just the two key defenders (which I think is the right move), I like having Buku in the 22 who has been serviceable in that role as a backup should Lobb or JOD go down, or if English gets hurt and Lobb has to move. It’s not a massive deal, he’s not a game changer but I like seeing him in for that little versatility with the smaller setup.
 
Buku can't play back anymore. He's got one role and it's been taken by Darcy unfortunately for him. To me he was a certainty to go out this week.
Poults can play the 3rd tall and is more flexible.
Williams will come up to the wing rotation with duryea and Coffield named.

McNeil will be sub.
 
Given the compulsory outs and performance in the VFL no real melts.

Duryea comes in to allow Truck to go wing. Duryea just needs to keep it simple with his disposal and not be too aggressive. We have enough of those players down back.

Poulter has improved his forward craft and marking under pressure. Whilst his disposal im Darwin was poor he was not the only one. Buku has shown he can play at the level but still gets lost on the ground and his decision to pass to a covered VDM and not take time off the clock shows he still lacks game sense. Understandable to see if Poulter can play that 3rd medium tall better.

Garcia's form has been great and allows for some more wing time for Sanders and Freijah whilst keeping the midfiled rotation strong. Maybe he also runs through the wing.

Sub clearly should be McNeil after last weeks game but we will see
 
My criticism of the selection of Poulter and Gardner earlier in the year was not that they were picked but that both were brought in for difficult matches with no time to adjust to the different pace, and then not given another chance. Immediately dropped.

Gardner we have discussed at length but playing Hawthorn with a high press was always going to expose our defence to the quick break and goal. And so it proved. He's a break-glass defender and probably knows it himself so I have no problem in not recalling him now if we weren't going to give him two successive games back then.

Poulter had an equally tough gig against the Suns in slippery conditions at Marrara TIO. He didn't cover himself with glory but nor was he terrible. He had a lot of mates that night. Not bad players any of them, just struggling with the conditions. Poulter had 17 disposals and 8 marks from the least ToG of any WB player (apart from the sub & subbed player). He did have a pretty terrible 47% DE though.

Anyway I would have thought he was worth another game back then. In a different scenario he would have had a chance to show his wares in an easier game the following week when we beat Essendon by 91. However he was banished back to the twos where he has continued to perform well, much to his credit.

I'm not yet convinced he's a long term proposition (and I suspect that's how he's viewed within the club) but I'm pleased he's getting an opportunity to present his case. He's still only 22 so he might still be able to establish a role for himself like VDM did ... much to our surprise.
 
Sunny just had to play this week. He is needed for finals, or we will know he’s not up to it? Either way we need to know with 8 games left in the home and away season. I really hope he gets a decent chance at it?
 

Remove this Banner Ad

I have a feeling Libba will be a strong candidate for the vest tonight. Just need to put North away early.
The fact its his 250th, not a chance at all.

Can never see Libba starting with the vest, however as he gets on a bit more can see him being subbed off for a bit of a rest
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Remove this Banner Ad

Changes - Round 17 vs North Melbourne @ Marvel Stadium

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top