Changes Round 5 vs Hawks

[TylerDurden]

Dawks have a full list other than Will Day who is always injured. Sicily and Gunston are fine, and Amon and McKenzie will likely be fit.

They really have no excuses

We wont take any risks with Gunston off a 5 day break.

 

[bigbulldog67]

Your opinion he is a plodder does not make it a fact.

Far from a plodder at VFL level.

Biography from AFL .com from last season

Biography​

Another fantastic season of growth for the bullocking ruckman and an AFL debut shouldn’t be too far away. Played all 21 matches for Footscray and lifted his averages to 14.4 disposals, 33.9 hit-outs, 4.7 clearances and 4.6 tackles and put in a terrific shift in the VFL Grand Final to contribute 15 touches, 35 hit-outs and seven clearances. Ran riot in the qualifying final against Frankston with 22 possessions (16 contested), four marks, 39 hit-outs, seven clearances, six entries and a goal. Only signed a one-year contract but looks the goods.

Unfortunately for Smith he hasn’t started the season in as good form as he finished, probably due to missing a large chunk of preseason. Also obviously the rule change works against him, but realistically it wouldn’t be too hard to have Lobb, Darcy or Croft take the majority of CBAs and then Smith take over.

I really don’t know which way to go, there’s pros & cons to all. But he’s definitely an option and may just be able to take his opportunity

 

[Optimistic Dog]

I think Arty and Ed are our quickest players and we not only miss their talent but will really miss their leg speed against the hawks, cats and swans.

 

[The 4th Horseman]

The key is to not disrupt structure. Use Lobb to ruck in defence as a chop out, use Darcy to ruck in the forward line as a chop out. Emmett has form to debut, but do we keep Croft in the middle as we did when English went off?

Our midfield has been hit but we still have Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and Sanders. Do we use West for minutes, possibly even Williams and Dale?

 

[Doggy]

We wont take any risks with Gunston off a 5 day break.

100% will play. Has been declared already

 

[doggiesin08]

One of those four Chol goals was from McNeil kicking 40m backwards to Gardner inside D50

That's still my biggest WTF moment in nearly 30 years of watching footy

Bigger than than Gowers switch?

 

[Libbaaaa]

The key is to not disrupt structure. Use Lobb to ruck in defence as a chop out, use Darcy to ruck in the forward line as a chop out. Emmett has form to debut, but do we keep Croft in the middle as we did when English went off?

Our midfield has been hit but we still have Bont, Kennedy, Freijah and Sanders. Do we use West for minutes, possibly even Williams and Dale?

Good shout on West, could help his confidence getting a bit of the footy.

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

One of those four Chol goals was from McNeil kicking 40m backwards to Gardner inside D50

That's still my biggest WTF moment in nearly 30 years of watching footy

Nothing will ever beat Gowers attempts to lose the game in his last (was it?) ever game

 

[Anja_Nees]

Nothing will ever beat Gowers attempts to lose the game in his last (was it?) ever game

He played one more.

This was the AFL’s post at the end of that infamous switch game.

 

[Astro_]

Like most games against Hawthorn, can we expect Newcombe to have the 3 votes wrapped up by half time?

 

[Boristown]

Like most games against Hawthorn, can we expect Newcombe to have the 3 votes wrapped up by half time?

Fingers crossed for the Dogs that he continues with his 4th quarter form. The bloke absolutely shit the bed half a dozen times and almost cost them the game.

 

[TiAn_]

It’s a free hit at the stumps with English, Richards, Libba, Treloar and Wightman all unavailable. No pressure on us here. Scratching out a win would be a bonus. We’ve set ourselves up in the first 4 weeks to be able to weather a few losses which may come during this ill timed spate of injuries.

 

[zucvv]

Williams in peak form, the right age, and is primed to take bigger responsibility in the team, time to move him to the midfield.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

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

View attachment 2575107View attachment 2575108

This is supposed to be our home game, same as it was against Geelong last year, and we get the double up as an away team both times. I fixturing for us is a joke.

 

[dogwatch]

Sam Darcy plays his 50th against Hawthorn this week.
He's also one shy of 100 goals.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Like most games against Hawthorn, can we expect Newcombe to have the 3 votes wrapped up by half time?

Somehow he already has 4 clearances.

 

[0utsider]

I’d like to see us experiment a bit this week with the ruck situation. With the midfield outs we’re unlikely to win anyway, I’d try Lewis in to play Croft’s role, Lobb as main ruck and Croft down back.
Khamis takes Chol, Croft on Lewis, JOD on Gunston. Give it a go for at least the first quarter and adapt if needed, plenty of flexibility if we need to move Lobb back to defence and throw some combination of Croft, Lewis, Darcy or Naughton in to ruck.

 

[LondonBulldog]

Injuries create opportunities. All premiership teams go through some sort of adversity throughout the season. It builds character and keeps everyone on their toes. Unfortunate yet look forward to the challenge. Better now than finals, when you really do need majority available. Anyone remember 2016, shocking injuries and adversity through the year yet it galvanised the team when it mattered most.

Bring on Friday night!

 

[cleveland]

Williams in peak form, the right age, and is primed to take bigger responsibility in the team, time to move him to the midfield.

Agree

 

[stefoid]

Your opinion he is a plodder does not make it a fact.

Far from a plodder at VFL level.

Biography from AFL .com from last season

Biography​

Another fantastic season of growth for the bullocking ruckman and an AFL debut shouldn’t be too far away. Played all 21 matches for Footscray and lifted his averages to 14.4 disposals, 33.9 hit-outs, 4.7 clearances and 4.6 tackles and put in a terrific shift in the VFL Grand Final to contribute 15 touches, 35 hit-outs and seven clearances. Ran riot in the qualifying final against Frankston with 22 possessions (16 contested), four marks, 39 hit-outs, seven clearances, six entries and a goal. Only signed a one-year contract but looks the goods.

yeah, I guess if we arent going to play Smith now, when are we going to play him?

I wouldnt move Williams from the wing, he is settling in and dangerous there, and they are important positions.

Time for Sanders and Frij to stand up and play well on the ball, thats all there is to it.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Sadly I can't go to Adelaide this weekend - I have a handful of tickets to some of the games, including ours, so DM me if you're keen.

 

[Deadly Darcy]

Could be exciting for Sanders. He’s played all his junior footy as an extractor. I’d be taking the opportunity to give him a lot of mid exposure to see how he steps up.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Yeah, I agree this gives opportunity to others on the list to take up some responsibility, it also presents as an unknown player/s to the opposition.

Plenty of times we have seen kids come in to replace injured players and dominate.

We still have a deadly forward line and the Bont, Dale, West to find some form. Some players who didn’t play well, who don’t play two bad games in a row, I.e. Freija. I give Libba an outside chance, he has been out for two weeks, and they said between 2-4 weeks.

At least with the Hawks, their midfield is not their strength, and we sharked the oppositions ruck when we lost our ruck before, expect we do that again.

 

[Doggy]

Yeah, I agree this gives opportunity to others on the list to take up some responsibility, it also presents as an unknown player/s to the opposition.

Plenty of times we have seen kids come in to replace injured players and dominate.

We still have a deadly forward line and the Bont, Dale, West to find some form. Some players who didn’t play well, who don’t play two bad games in a row, I.e. Freija. I give Libba an outside chance, he has been out for two weeks, and they said between 2-4 weeks.

At least with the Hawks, their midfield is not their strength, and we sharked the oppositions ruck when we lost our ruck before, expect we do that again.

Libba is out for another few weeks

 

[doggiesin08]

This is supposed to be our home game, same as it was against Geelong last year, and we get the double up as an away team both times. I fixturing for us is a joke.

So overall agreed the fixture is a joke but that’s not how Gather Round actually works. There is no designated home team insofar as it then determines the home/away of a second game between those two teams.

For us last year and this year it has turned out that way, but if you look at 2023 Richmond was the “home” team in Gather Round against Sydney and then hosted them again at the MCG later in the year.