Changes Round 5 vs Hawks

[Doggy]

Pretty sure VDM is injured

 

[Dogs Rule]

If we can go 2-2 in the next four we're in great shape. Big ask, but can be done.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Will we wear our away strip? surely the regular with white shorts will suffice.

 

[BigFloppa]

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Interesting. So we have an almost identical age/experience profile to Essendon. Hawks have a similar one to Geelong and both are miles ahead of us. Then we possibly take out our 28 year old ruck and replace him with a debutant. You'd have to imagine that age/experience deficit will be almost insurmountable given the Hawks are one of the best teams in the comp.

 

[JTCWBFC]

Lobb moves into the number 1 ruck spot.
Buss or Coffield come back in to replace Lobb down back.
Gags in for Ed Richards
And I hate to type it, but VDM in for Arty.

The goals against from turnover would be record breaking

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Will we wear our away strip? surely the regular with white shorts will suffice.

Don't think we've ever worn white (or red) against Hawks.

And if our wearing of blue, rather than white against Adelaide earlier this year (where we've worn the white, ironically, in all of our losses against them over there between the two times we wore blue between 2010 and this year), is any suggestion, we're not that keen on the white clash anyway as we have been since 2010.

 

[RWnBluey]

Lobb moves into the number 1 ruck spot.
Buss or Coffield come back in to replace Lobb down back.
Gags in for Ed Richards
And I hate to type it, but VDM in for Arty.

Why do you hate us so much?

 

[Libbaaaa]

In a weird way I am sort of looking forward to how we line-up with all the forced changes. Even with our top tier ruck/mid line up the Hawks have owned us in recent years both at centre bounce and at stoppage. We already know we will not attempt to tag Newcombe and they will have the advantage in the ruck.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

My biggest concern is relying on a lot of inexperienced players (with Sellwood, Dolan, Jaques, Croft etc already in the lineup).

Might not have much choice of course, and the only way some of these young talls will get a game at the moment is injury anyway. Still, a debutant against Meek etc will be tough.

Yep, the issue is that we simply don't have much choice.

Even if we were to not pick Emmett for the desire to pick for experience, we'd have to pick Smith (older, more years in the system, but still 0 league games).

If we desperately wanted to pick for experience, we don't exactly have it waiting in the sheds.

I suppose Vandermeer (87) games could come straight in if he gets the concussion clearance, but obviously unlikely.

Coffield (64), Gardner (54), Gallagher (25), Cleary (23), Hynes (8), Busslinger (7), were our only AFL listed players to play VFL with previous AFL experience on the weekend. Six players, for only 181 total AFL games experience between them.

Someone like Garcia (39 games, quite a few years in the system) would be handy as an option, which adds to our overall injury woes - especially as our centre bounce rotation will only run 4 deep for a second week in a row, as at least Garcia has the "experience" of having attended a hundred or so AFL centre bounces in his career.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Don't think we've ever worn white (or red) against Hawks.

And if our wearing of blue, rather than white against Adelaide earlier this year (where we've worn the white, ironically, in all of our losses against them over there between the two times we wore blue between 2010 and this year), is any suggestion, we're not that keen on the white clash anyway as we have been since 2010.

I thought considering we aren't wearing a specific gather round kit that we might wear it anyway, hopefully I am wrong. Should only leave @ Freo later this year as the only remaining time we wear it.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I thought considering we aren't wearing a specific gather round kit that we might wear it anyway, hopefully I am wrong. Should only leave @ Freo later this year as the only remaining time we wear it.

I would love to see us wear a variant of the 1979-1980 Escort Cup jumper as a Gather Round uniform (get rid of the garish number panel)





This period of time was tumultuous with the administration of the game, with the "celebration of footy" via having 30+ teams with WAFL, SANFL, VFA, VFL, representative squads from NSW, ACT and QLD only lasting a short while before the VFL sidelined the National Football Council to run its own night series and generally take over administration of the code in general (which came to a head between 1985, when it formed its first commission, and to 2005, when it took over administration of the sport outside Australia). The AFL refuses to acknowledge a lot about how football was run outside of the VFL in those days, like its claims that that the 1986 draft was the first draft, and not the 1981 and 1982 interstate drafts that allowed us to get Andrew Purser.

So this can harken back to the days where Footscray was a good citizen to footy in general, that what Gather Round is meant to celebrate.

Of course, I doubt we're that forward thinking.

 

[dogwatch]

Will we wear our away strip? surely the regular with white shorts will suffice.

Why should we be required to wear an away strip? We play Hawthorn again later in the year at their home ground (MCG) so this should notionally be our home game.

I suppose you could make an argument that Gather Round is neither Home nor Away (try telling that to whoever has to play Port or the Crows this week!) but the fact that Hawthorn can play in their home strip later in the year would still make it fair that we play in our home strip this week.

 

[bobs head soup]

Why should we be required to wear an away strip? We play Hawthorn again later in the year at their home ground (MCG) so this should notionally be our home game.

I suppose you could make an argument that Gather Round is neither Home nor Away (try telling that to whoever has to play Port or the Crows this week!) but the fact that Hawthorn can play in their home strip later in the year would still make it fair that we play in our home strip this week.

Realistically, we'll probably wear a different jumper cos it's an opportunity to make a few merch bucks....

 

[Libbaaaa]

Why should we be required to wear an away strip? We play Hawthorn again later in the year at their home ground (MCG) so this should notionally be our home game.

I suppose you could make an argument that Gather Round is neither Home nor Away (try telling that to whoever has to play Port or the Crows this week!) but the fact that Hawthorn can play in their home strip later in the year would still make it fair that we play in our home strip this week.

We aren't, I'm just saying the AFL could easily ask us to wear the white top considering its a neutral game with no designated home or away team. They could market it as a battle of horrible logo's on guernseys

 

[Anja_Nees]

Yep, the issue is that we simply don't have much choice.

Even if we were to not pick Emmett for the desire to pick for experience, we'd have to pick Smith (older, more years in the system, but still 0 league games).

If we desperately wanted to pick for experience, we don't exactly have it waiting in the sheds.

I suppose Vandermeer (87) games could come straight in if he gets the concussion clearance, but obviously unlikely.

Coffield (64), Gardner (54), Gallagher (25), Cleary (23), Hynes (8), Busslinger (7), were our only AFL listed players to play VFL with previous AFL experience on the weekend. Six players, for only 181 total AFL games experience between them.

Someone like Garcia (39 games, quite a few years in the system) would be handy as an option, which adds to our overall injury woes - especially as our centre bounce rotation will only run 4 deep for a second week in a row, as at least Garcia has the "experience" of having attended a hundred or so AFL centre bounces in his career.

If it’s experience we prioritise, then it’d probably Lobb to the ruck and a key defender coming in.

If we think Buku and JOD can take the main threats then it might work, and Buss might not be as easily exposed by a third tall as Emmett/Smith might be by their ruck division.

It’s a hard call.

 

[bobs head soup]

Injuries always suck, but these next few weeks are really going to be an exciting watch.

The massive plus, of course, is that we are 4-0, so even jagging 1 win and being 5-3 with stars returning and the draw opening up leaves us well placed - 6-2 would be outstanding.

We've got a lot of promising youngsters who'll be given greater opportunities. Will be fascinating to see who's ready to step up.

 

[Anja_Nees]

Injuries always suck, but these next few weeks are really going to be an exciting watch.

The massive plus, of course, is that we are 4-0, so even jagging 1 win and being 5-3 with stars returning and the draw opening up leaves us well placed - 6-2 would be outstanding.

We've got a lot of promising youngsters who'll be given greater opportunities. Will be fascinating to see who's ready to step up.

This is where I’m at with it, but it would be deflating to lose all four (I don’t think we will, but it would again upset our good early work, like last year and 2023 when we got to 7-3 then stuffed it).

 

[_Cerberus_]

I think we bat deep enough to have Darcy handle ruck contests in the forward line, and, Lobb in defence. Just need someone for the middle stuff.

Tempted to bring in Emmett for Croft, and Smith for English. Gives us flexible options. We are going to get smashed in the ruck anyway, and aside from 4-5 hitouts to advantage a game, like how Reeves palmed it down to Newcombe for their game tying goal vs the Cats. Pure hitouts themselves are near useless, and it comes down to midfield positioning, and ability to read it.

That being said, not sure Smith has the athleticism to be bashed between Meek and Reeves all game. So will need some experienced support from either Darcy or Lobb, Emmett could pinch as well. Emmett coming it will allow Darcy to take spells in the middle if needed, without going too short in attack. I'd rather not see Lobb moved out, as defence is still our weak point despite improvements this season.

Newcombe and Weddle always smash us. As well as one of their many forwards getting off the leash.

 

[HK_Bulldog]

I would probably do Darcy as first ruck with Croft playing his normal forward and second ruck role. Will Lewis in for English. Thats why he's on the list so got to back your plan in otherwise why have one.
Gags and Hynes in for Richards/McNeil and Arty.

 

[BrisDog]

I would probably do Darcy as first ruck with Croft playing his normal forward and second ruck role. Will Lewis in for English. Thats why he's on the list so got to back your plan in otherwise why have one.
Gags and Hynes in for Richards/McNeil and Arty.

I wouldn’t play Darcy in the ruck with him having already injured his knee last year. Centre bounces are risky for anyone’s knee, let alone the bright, shining light.

How about we send in L Smith into the ruck and do something different in the guts - play man on man?

 

[Libbaaaa]

I wouldn’t play Darcy in the ruck with him having already injured his knee last year. Centre bounces are risky for anyone’s knee, let alone the bright, shining light.

How about we send in L Smith into the ruck and do something different in the guts - play man on man?

Should should only ruck in the middle against 2nd or 3rd stringers who he doesn't really need to jump up against. Meek and Reeves are not that.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I actually think it'll be Gardner in and Lobb to the ruck. Gardner covers ground well and loves a spoil first mentality. Could also see us bring in Emmett for Croft who has had a slow start to the year.

We'd also then have the option of pushing Lobb back if needed, with Emmett/Gardner to split ruck minutes 50/50.

That's enough to bring my PTSD back

 

[Snarls Barkley]

We've essentially used Croft and Lewis as relief when one of the bigs go off, have had low TOG. Spent very little time as a third tall and we've generally preferred to just keep the two key forwards structure and it's been a success

Not sure it suits either of them. Probably best suited for an athletic ruck like Steene for Collingwood, just come on bring some energy in the ruck and then come off again. Smith isn't really that player, Emmett has some of those traits but it does feel early for him. It wouldn't surprise me, especially while English is out, if Emmett is the one to play the role. Means we can give Lobb a bit more flexibility (I do expect him to be the ruck) because Croft is really only suitable for very short stints in the ruck. He'd be dominated if forced to play a significant period of time against the oppositions top ruck

 

[Mr. Walker]

Off topic but I am a bit confused.
So this Gather around game is a Hawks home game as is our June 5 game against the Hawks at the MCG??????? We play them away twice in the same home and away season? ( or should I say Away and away season?)

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Off topic but I am a bit confused.
So this Gather around game is a Hawks home game as is our June 5 game against the Hawks at the MCG??????? We play them away twice in the same home and away season? ( or should I say Away and away season?)

Gather Round is just a neutral game

Home and away team is just to figure out which jumpers teams wear and which change rooms they enter. In the past it was just a coin toss to decide

It's not a big deal and it has happened in the past