Unofficial Preview Changes Round 4 v Essendon

[Dalions]

Do you expect Hodge to play 22 games this year even though Fagan and Hodge have said he’ll need to be rested?

Personally, I think it is the perfect week for him to be rested.
With a 5 day turn around after this game. If we want him at his best for Collingwood then it is the perfect week.
Don’t want too many changes in the backline though so I hope Bailey gets up.

 

[M Malice]

Do you expect Hodge to play 22 games this year even though Fagan and Hodge have said he’ll need to be rested?

Looking like it'll be 25 games this year jack.

Personally, I think it is the perfect week for him to be rested.
With a 5 day turn around after this game. If we want him at his best for Collingwood then it is the perfect week.
Don’t want too many changes in the backline though so I hope Bailey gets up.

Agree although unless Bailey's icing of the hamstring was purely precautionary I'd be surprised if he got up for the Bombers. We have some good depth now with the likes of Cutler, Christensen, Taylor and Robertson, all regular first 22 players when fit over the last couple of years.

 

[eth-dog]

Hey fellas, feel free to come over to our board to discuss the game. We're guaranteed two changes already with Mutch out for 10-12 weeks and McKernan out for 6-8. I suspect a third change will happen in Ambrose being dropped, as he stuggles on forards over 195 like McInerney, Hipwood and McStay. I hope it'll end up as:

OUT: Mutch (Inj), McKernan (Inj), Ambrose (unlucky)
IN: Redman, Brown, Hooker

Francis (McStay) - Hooker (McInerney) - Saad (Cameron)
Ridley (Rayner) - Hurley (Hipwood) - McKenna (McCarthy)
Zaharakis - Heppell - Merrett
Fantasia (Cutler) - Brown (Walker) - Walla (Witherden)
Baguley (Rich) - Z Clarke (Andrews) - Stringer (Gardiner)
Bellchambers - Shiel - Parish
McGrath - Smith - Redman - Guelfi

 

[Dylan12]

As far as recent history goes between Essendon and Brisbane, the stats are pretty close and since the draw at the MCG in 2009 (last time the two sides met at the MCG):

- the Lions have won 4 of 10;
- the Lions have won 4 of 6 in Melbourne (all at Docklands); and
- the Lions have lost 0 of 4 games at the Gabba.

Obviously from the stats our record is a lot better in Melbourne than it is in Brisbane.

For completeness, as the Brisbane Lions, the club's have only met at the MCG on 4 occasions with the Lions winning one (01 GF), Bombers two (97 & 98) and one draw (09). Overall, the club's have played on 30 occasions with Brisbane having won 14, lost 15 and 1 draw, so its time we even the ledger. In Melbourne, we've played 16 times, with 8 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw.

 

[M Malice]

Hey fellas, feel free to come over to our board to discuss the game. We're guaranteed two changes already with Mutch out for 10-12 weeks and McKernan out for 6-8. I suspect a third change will happen in Ambrose being dropped, as he stuggles on forards over 195 like McInerney, Hipwood and McStay. I hope it'll end up as:

OUT: Mutch (Inj), McKernan (Inj), Ambrose (unlucky)
IN: Redman, Brown, Hooker

Francis (McStay) - Hooker (McInerney) - Saad (Cameron)
Ridley (Rayner) - Hurley (Hipwood) - McKenna (McCarthy)
Zaharakis - Heppell - Merrett
Fantasia (Cutler) - Brown (Walker) - Walla (Witherden)
Baguley (Rich) - Z Clarke (Andrews) - Stringer (Gardiner)
Bellchambers - Shiel - Parish
McGrath - Smith - Redman - Guelfi

Haven't you got an alternative to Zac Clarke, surprised you have him in your named side ethie, he was horrendous v the Demons, it was amazing you won with him on field and one short on the bench for most of the night.

 

[Dylan12]

Haven't you got an alternative to Zac Clarke, surprised you have him in your named side ethie, he was horrendous v the Demons, it was amazing you won with him on field and one short on the bench for most of the night.

I hope Zac Clarke plays against us...for those stated reasons.

 

[eth-dog]

Haven't you got an alternative to Zac Clarke, surprised you have him in your named side ethie, he was horrendous v the Demons, it was amazing you won with him on field and one short on the bench for most of the night.

I don't want to make 4 changes. Only reason.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

I get the don't change a winning formula to an extent, there are exceptions.
At some stage we need to extend our best 22 , resting players and injuries are going to come.

I thought maybe Rayner could of had a week off , looked inhibited with the cookie , making way possibly for Taylor or Cutler, Cox someone else as an example.
That's of course if Taylor has improved his tackling ability that is.
I would back Rayner in this week having a ripper if fully fit having said that.
This is this week last week was last week.

So maybe Bailey comes out for possibly Cox or Cutler.
Should the door be more open to the reserve players to come in and play roles , if they show form?
But I also agree ,too many changes could mess a winning combination, one or two should not be .

 

[a mayes ing]

Have you been watching us at all? Now look we still have a long way to go. We beat the reigning prems and 2 teams widely tipped for the 8. We should fear no one now. Respect is another thing. Collingwood is a damn good team. But we have beaten damn good teams.

I am really happy with our team but l am being realistic. We aren't premiership contenders, they are and for a reason. There midfield is probably the best in the AFL (not sure what happened against WC). Hoping we beat them but everyoine will be tipping the Pies.

 

[jonnobackpocket]

What has Cox done that is making everyone want to get him into the team? Is yet to have a good performance in the AFL.


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[Jivlain]

What has Cox done that is making everyone want to get him into the team? Is yet to have a good performance in the AFL.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Keeps stringing together good performances in the NEAFL. Developing well.

 

[a mayes ing]

What has Cox done that is making everyone want to get him into the team? Is yet to have a good performance in the AFL.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Got 3 or 4 goals in the NEAFL and provided plenty of run. He has done quite a bit of nice stuff in the reserves, thats why people are wanting him in the team - not to mention the fact he is a great runner and is fantastically skilled on both legs. We need him in our team. Defensively he has done really well too

 

[lionsrules]

happy to rest hodge. The turn around from the bombers game to magpies is 5 days. He can play against the magpies. This is a game where we can afford to bring in depth (thats good depth) like Bundy, Cutler for a hodge. If Bailey misses due to injury we have 2 players waiting. Then we can look at the collingwood game and add hodge and bailey back. I am not saying we take Essendon lightly.

There comes a point we need other players to gel with the game plan and adding 2 players into a team with sky high confidence isn't a bad idea. We need rotation and if we can have 5 players in ressies that can come in any time and gel straight in thats good.

I think 3 changes could be a bit too much but 2 might be enough not to rock the boat too much.

 

[25 years on]

Personally, I think it is the perfect week for him to be rested.
With a 5 day turn around after this game. If we want him at his best for Collingwood then it is the perfect week.
Don’t want too many changes in the backline though so I hope Bailey gets up.

We should do our best to win the game in front of us, I would prefer to win one of the next two than lose both because we try to manage players.

 

[25 years on]

happy to rest hodge. The turn around from the bombers game to magpies is 5 days. He can play against the magpies. This is a game where we can afford to bring in depth (thats good depth) like Bundy, Cutler for a hodge. If Bailey misses due to injury we have 2 players waiting. Then we can look at the collingwood game and add hodge and bailey back. I am not saying we take Essendon lightly.

There comes a point we need other players to gel with the game plan and adding 2 players into a team with sky high confidence isn't a bad idea. We need rotation and if we can have 5 players in ressies that can come in any time and gel straight in thats good.

I think 3 changes could be a bit too much but 2 might be enough not to rock the boat too much.

The coach says it’s week by week, so we should put our best team out this week, worry about next week after we beat Essendon.

 

[jackess]

We should do our best to win the game in front of us, I would prefer to win one of the next two than lose both because we try to manage players.

So we keep playing him until he's absolutely exhausted and he ends up missing more games than he would have if we managed him correctly? Sounds smart.

 

[jackess]

The coach says it’s week by week, so we should put our best team out this week, worry about next week after we beat Essendon.

He also said he only expects Hodge to play about 15 games this year and it's up to the fitness guys to manage the players workload and they have to look further ahead than 1 week.

 

[25 years on]

So we keep playing him until he's absolutely exhausted and he ends up missing more games than he would have if we managed him correctly? Sounds smart.

Correctly, in who’s eyes?

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

If we are going to strategically rest Hodge, this game would make sense. He may still travel as a quasi-coach. Other obvious options for resting him would be round 8 v the Dogs in Ballarat, round 10 v Feo in Perth and round 17 against Port in Adelaide. Or vs the Giants in Syd in round 16. Much will depend on how he is travelling, how the team is going and other injuries to our back six.

 

[jackess]

Correctly, in who’s eyes?

The fitness staff. It's about managing so he plays the most amount of games. Not running him into the ground.

 

[Nunez]

This would be Hodgies last ever game at the Game would it not?

 

[Dalions]

We should do our best to win the game in front of us, I would prefer to win one of the next two than lose both because we try to manage players.

If we are relying on 1 person
(ie: Hodge) that much that we can’t win without them then things aren’t looking as good as it may appear. We need to be able to win without him or any other 1 single player.

 

[jackess]

This would be Hodgies last ever game at the Game would it not?

We play there in round 23 and then at least once during the finals.

 

[Dalions]

We play there in round 23 and then at least once during the finals.

One final Finals game at the MCG (for Hodgey) after 2 home finals at the Gabba

 

[Ironmonger]

A few vaguely interesting things about this matchup. Apologies if I'm repeating anyone:

* Eight of the last ten games between Essendon and Brisbane have been won by the away team. The one before that was a draw.

* That draw was also the last time we played Essendon at the MCG. That was in 2009; the last season we played finals.

* Brisbane's last win at the MCG against any opposition was in 2014. But hey, we somehow play our best whenever there's some sort of losing streak to break.