Changes Round 4 vs Bombers

[dogwatch]

 

[ScottyDogg]

Aside from West. We haven't really played with any natural small forwards in our team this season so far. West hasn't hurt on the scoreboard so far this season, but is still relentless with his off the ball work.

Hopefully Dolan and Jones can help free him up a little at times. Both Dolan and Jones offer a bit of zip up forward as well.

Aside from Libba being out. ThIs might be the best team we have named all season from a structural standpoint.

Aside from Libba being out, this might be the best side we’ve named in a decade. Most balanced, best for the now and best in terms of future development as well.

 

[ManOfClay]

If we play to our potential tomorrow, Bevo will be in front of The Hague by Wednesday

 

[BigFloppa]

Aside from Libba being out, this might be the best side we’ve named in a decade. Most balanced, best for the now and best in terms of future development as well.

Just wait until we add Butters, Weightman and May next year

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Like the changes, agree we look more balanced now with the extra forwards selected and more dangerous / fast also which should help in this modern game style.

When bigfooty is nailing the selection two weeks in advance, things are really changing it seems

I still like the idea of Hynes in theory (accepting his form has been poor last 2 games) because it just adds size and flexibility. When you replace Freijah, Hynes and West's forward and +1 stoppage "strength" - now that Freijah and West will play some more on ball - with Jones and Dolan, we're much smaller ahead of the ball, have fewer marking targets, and have less strength in players to attack contests in.

It won't matter, because it's Essendon, but I genuinely think on paper we just look too small ahead of the ball

 

[bobs head soup]

I still like the idea of Hynes in theory (accepting his form has been poor last 2 games) because it just adds size and flexibility. When you replace Freijah, Hynes and West's forward and +1 stoppage "strength" - now that Freijah and West will play some more on ball - with Jones and Dolan, we're much smaller ahead of the ball, have fewer marking targets, and have less strength in players to attack contests in.

It won't matter, because it's Essendon, but I genuinely think on paper we just look too small ahead of the ball

Looks balanced enough to me.

At any point we should have:

2 talls (2 of Darcy, Naughton, Croft)
2 big bodied Mid/forwards (2 of Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and a little Sanders)
2 smalls (2 of West, Dolan, Jones).

Pretty nice mix for mine.

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

Looks balanced enough to me.

At any point we should have:

2 talls (2 of Darcy, Naughton, Croft)
2 big bodied Mid/forwards (2 of Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and a little Sanders)
2 smalls (2 of West, Dolan, Jones).

Pretty nice mix for mine.

If anything, West plays more like a big bodied mid than Sanders. Could basically swap them in your list. Point still stands

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Looks balanced enough to me.

At any point we should have:

2 talls (2 of Darcy, Naughton, Croft)
2 big bodied Mid/forwards (2 of Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and a little Sanders)
2 smalls (2 of West, Dolan, Jones).

Pretty nice mix for mine.

Sanders isn't big bodied, and at least one and often two of Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and Sanders will be on the bench.

Bramble is well and truly in this forward line rotation and while he's done the Vandermeer role of pressing the opposition's main ball user, he's not exactly a marking target or strength in contests player either.

In fact, Williams has actually played half forward to provide that height/strength given we were benching Hynes for half the game given his form vs Adelaide.

The issue is that Freijah and Hynes could play a role because they were tall enough to be marking targets but strong enough and enough natural midfielders to approach the contest. E.g. If we hack kick a Centre bounce win forward, the can stand up in the marking contest and protect the drop of the ball. But if there's a repeat stoppage at the centre bounce, they're good enough +1 midfielders to be the 4th/5th mid at the repeat stoppage.

If Freijah is on the ball because one of Kennedy/Bont is having a breather on the bench, and one of Williams/Davidson is on the bench too, we are truly lacking a player to play that role - West might but he's better as a deep forward or on the ball, not that in between role to attack the contest off half-forward. Jones and Dolan are too small. Sanders might be one of the 3 kids.

Say our midfield 5 is Williams/Baker wing, and Bont/Sanders/Richards on ball (Kennedy/Freijah bench). You can even replace Sanders/Richards/Bont if they go to the bench with Kennedy/Freijah

Say our forward 6 is West/Dolan/Bramble/Darcy/Naughton/Davidson (Jones, Croft bench)

That front 6 is clearly lacking the role of the tall, big-bodied forward who will push up to the stoppage itself.

Occasionally, our 5 man midfielder rotation will only have 1 on the bench - 4 on the field, but that's not for the entire game.

I agree it's not a big deal, but I don't like it. It's putting alot of responsibility on Sanders, West and Davidson to play more important roles than their for through 3 games suggests. I don't want to have to rely on those 3. Hynes, even when he's been playing poor, sort of acts like a link between different roles to allow other players to flourish in roles suited to them - does Freijah play as well against Adelaide if not for Hynes playing a similar role on the opposite flank (even accepting Hynes played poorly?)

 

[doggiesin08]

I still like the idea of Hynes in theory (accepting his form has been poor last 2 games) because it just adds size and flexibility. When you replace Freijah, Hynes and West's forward and +1 stoppage "strength" - now that Freijah and West will play some more on ball - with Jones and Dolan, we're much smaller ahead of the ball, have fewer marking targets, and have less strength in players to attack contests in.

It won't matter, because it's Essendon, but I genuinely think on paper we just look too small ahead of the ball

I don’t think Hynes is really a marking target despite being 190cm. I’d say Arthur Jones offers quite a bit more aerially despite being 10cm shorter, and has really good leading patterns as well.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I don’t think Hynes is really a marking target despite being 190cm. I’d say Arthur Jones offers quite a bit more aerially despite being 10cm shorter, and has really good leading patterns as well.

For example, if Hynes is standing under the ball after a hack kick forward from a centre bounce, where neither attacker or defender is really going to mark it, I trust Hynes far more to protect the drop of the ball, shepard for a teammate when it does, etc.

It's more the general strength and reach than actual overhead marking skill imo

I just feel we're a little short and lacking in strength in contests ahead of the ball

 

[BigFloppa]

I don't see it with Hynes. I don't think he makes it at AFL level

 

[Norm De Guerre]

It's going to be interesting seeing how we go with two genuine small forwards. Instead of what we went with last year with McNeil and VDM who are really 2nd tier mids being shoehorned into a position that they weren't naturally adept at. Sure, we've played West and Weightman in the same side but for mine they're more the modern hybrid forwards who are as much of a threat in the air as they are on the ground because they play taller than they actually are.

 

[Dazb86]

I don't see it with Hynes. I don't think he makes it at AFL level

I see it. That turnover last week has cost him for sure but he's normally pretty good wirh his decision making.

 

[doggiesin08]

I see it. That turnover last week has cost him for sure but he's normally pretty good wirh his decision making.

He’s a bit too lackadaisical at the moment for my liking. Think he needs to improve that last 10% effort contesting the ball.

 

[perro_loco]

Does anyone know if Weightman is fit to play at all this year? Sounds like a more horror injury than most. Any news?

 

[JTCWBFC]

Does anyone know if Weightman is fit to play at all this year? Sounds like a more horror injury than most. Any news?

Bevo said the aim is for him to play vfl in the next month or so in his press conference this week

 

[TiAn_]

I don't see it with Hynes. I don't think he makes it at AFL level

I think the ceiling for him would be a poor man’s Matt Kennedy. Kennedy was much better at the same age.

Reid, Hannaford and Oliver going in the three picks before Hynes was brutal for us.

 

[BrisDog]

It won't matter, because it's Essendon, but I genuinely think on paper we just look too small ahead of the ball

We have 3 blokes over 200cm in the forward line. I am willing to bet the club has never had such assets forward of the ball. Taking Hynes away from the forward line does not change anything structurally in terms of size. I have not seen anything from Hynes that suggests his size helps him. He has quick hands, maybe.

We actually have 5 blokes in the team over 200cms. I remember when the only target we had up front were the likes of Brad Johnson, Matty Robbins and Scott Welsh.

 

[Philthy1]

He’s a bit too lackadaisical at the moment for my liking. Think he needs to improve that last 10% effort contesting the ball.

He's played 11 games. He will get better as he finds his feet, but he did need to be dropped.

 

[Mofra]

I'm shocked Treloar wasn't named

Did you watch him?
He didn't get near top speed once during the game.

 

[Mofra]

I think the ceiling for him would be a poor man’s Matt Kennedy. Kennedy was much better at the same age.

Reid, Hannaford and Oliver going in the three picks before Hynes was brutal for us.

Hynes has elite hands but needs a spell to get his hands on the ball a bit more, and actually kick it. His kick/handball ratio just isn't right for the way we play.

I think he'll make it but he's far from ready right now.

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

Sanders isn't big bodied, and at least one and often two of Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and Sanders will be on the bench.

Bramble is well and truly in this forward line rotation and while he's done the Vandermeer role of pressing the opposition's main ball user, he's not exactly a marking target or strength in contests player either.

In fact, Williams has actually played half forward to provide that height/strength given we were benching Hynes for half the game given his form vs Adelaide.

The issue is that Freijah and Hynes could play a role because they were tall enough to be marking targets but strong enough and enough natural midfielders to approach the contest. E.g. If we hack kick a Centre bounce win forward, the can stand up in the marking contest and protect the drop of the ball. But if there's a repeat stoppage at the centre bounce, they're good enough +1 midfielders to be the 4th/5th mid at the repeat stoppage.

If Freijah is on the ball because one of Kennedy/Bont is having a breather on the bench, and one of Williams/Davidson is on the bench too, we are truly lacking a player to play that role - West might but he's better as a deep forward or on the ball, not that in between role to attack the contest off half-forward. Jones and Dolan are too small. Sanders might be one of the 3 kids.

Say our midfield 5 is Williams/Baker wing, and Bont/Sanders/Richards on ball (Kennedy/Freijah bench). You can even replace Sanders/Richards/Bont if they go to the bench with Kennedy/Freijah

Say our forward 6 is West/Dolan/Bramble/Darcy/Naughton/Davidson (Jones, Croft bench)

That front 6 is clearly lacking the role of the tall, big-bodied forward who will push up to the stoppage itself.

Occasionally, our 5 man midfielder rotation will only have 1 on the bench - 4 on the field, but that's not for the entire game.

I agree it's not a big deal, but I don't like it. It's putting alot of responsibility on Sanders, West and Davidson to play more important roles than their for through 3 games suggests. I don't want to have to rely on those 3. Hynes, even when he's been playing poor, sort of acts like a link between different roles to allow other players to flourish in roles suited to them - does Freijah play as well against Adelaide if not for Hynes playing a similar role on the opposite flank (even accepting Hynes played poorly?)

Hynes has only taken a single mark inside 50 in his 3 games this year. As far as forward targets go, we’re not losing much by replacing him with Dolan. I’m happy to see Hynes go build some form in the VFL because I think we’ll be better for it later in the season

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

I think the ceiling for him would be a poor man’s Matt Kennedy. Kennedy was much better at the same age.

Reid, Hannaford and Oliver going in the three picks before Hynes was brutal for us.

I remember watching that draft - those were literally the 3 players, in order, that I wanted us to recruit. Feel like we’ve had that happen a few times recently where our pick lands pretty much exactly where the talent begins dropping off. Happened with the Busslinger year too

 

[TiAn_]

I remember watching that draft - those were literally the 3 players, in order, that I wanted us to recruit. Feel like we’ve had that happen a few times recently where our pick lands pretty much exactly where the talent begins dropping off. Happened with the Busslinger year too

Yeah, once they all went I wanted us to trade back or take the North offer. Would have netted us pick 8 last year. Sam Grlj, Jacob Farrow or Xavier Taylor would look nice on our list.

The Busslinger year Josh Weddle was right there. But I’ve gone on about that one enough.

I think with the way Hynes plays it’ll take time for him to add the size to be a big body at AFL level. Hopefully he can do that without sacrificing his agility. If he makes it he’ll be a slow burn.

 

[wian]

Did you watch him?
He didn't get near top speed once during the game.

I watched it.. I just thought against essendon it would be an ideal game for him to come back to ramp it up