Prediction Changes: Round 6 Vs North Melbourne + Pre-match discussion

[Snuffaluphagus]

Team, with the game day thread only a few hours away and the sensitive nature of the topic, we are going to let this thread discuss all things do to with the game AND accept the fact not discussing politics would be difficult in this situation.

We will be lenient on political talk, however, it does not mean we’ll allow shitty twitter opinion posts from any South American fluffy horse-like creatures and it does not mean you can degrade / be rude to other posters (sarcastic or otherwise).

Now let’s all go enjoy the fact it is a long weekend discriminating variant and we can do essentially whatever we want tonight

Ya mods
Snuffaluphagus, BeinPurplenGreen, Tonga Bob

 

[Dockeroo]

In my (admittedly non-football) sporting experience, getting ahead of yourselves is the rocky road to ruin. OK, Norths are at the bottom but any team on any day can produce the performance of their lives.

I see merit in resting a couple of our players to avoid injury and so keep them fit and firing for our "away" Derby (shudder), but no-one should just assume next week's opponents will be a walkover. Nothing less than sharp footy is required to keep us on a winning climb.

Agree with this we have not earned the right to expect victory in any AFL game

 

[FreoRicci]

You thought Walters played bad today?

He was poor first half. Turned it around. But his mojo of late is off. Something about him. He wants to play midfield but Brayshaw, Serong and Mundy are miles better then he is. He’s our best goal kicker and should be having his twilight years there. His play acting is getting tiredsome if not already.

 

[FreoRicci]

Agree with this we have not earned the right to expect victory in any AFL game

Especially with the gameplan North came out with today. It’ll be a grind.

 

[mightymouse75]

In: Optimism
Out: Defeatism & a

 

[Dockeroo]

Looking forward to getting a closer look at Tom Powell, North's pick 13 from last year.
Looks a gun so far.
We were rumoured to be interviewing a SA player the day before the draft I wonder if it was him?

 

[noise36]

no-one should just assume next week's opponents will be a walkover. Nothing less than sharp footy is required to keep us on a winning climb.

It would be a very Freo thing to drop the game after a good away win.

 

[Deveraux]

Re Walters: This has been bugging me for a while now.
Opposition players are really starting to become aware of his playing for free kicks so are legitimately infringing knowing it won't be paid which is creating a really bad cycle where Michael loses.
FFS this MUST be coming up in his reviews in a negative way, surely, so WTF is happening. I'm racking my brain, surely it's not that coaches aren't wanting to clip him because of his legendary status at the club... maybe he does need a clip back to Peel. He's such an amazing player that I have no doubt that if he sprung up back in to play instead of flopping around he would impact even more and would demonstrate to the umps that his Free's For are actually really there.
He was his usual impacting self in patches today but I would pay the price of a drop to Peel if the result was that he provides that at every one of his contests.

 

[freo_leo29]

Have to keep Treacy in, need that taller forward line experiment against the Eagles backline in a couple week so another week of it versus North will be handy.

Sick to death of intercept markers dominating us, notice that it hasn't happened the past 2 weeks?

 

[Vintage]

Have to keep Treacy in, need that taller forward line experiment against the Eagles backline in a couple week so another week of it versus North will be handy.

Sick to death of intercept markers dominating us, notice that it hasn't happened the past 2 weeks?

Speaking of tall forward lines, it’s a real worry that we won’t have Pearce or Hamling for the eagles game.

and yes, I know this isn’t the thread for it!

 

[Carson Dial]

Out: Hughes
In: Watson

 

[stax on the mull]

Hopefully Logue is ok. Looked like he could kick the ball after he took that mark against Walker that he handballed off to Mundy and it appeared that he was off the ground when Adelaide got the next entry into their forward 50. Was in the circle singing the song but there was no vision to see if he had anything strapped around his leg.

 

[bone2468]

Looking forward to getting a closer look at Tom Powell, North's pick 13 from last year.
Looks a gun so far.
We were rumoured to be interviewing a SA player the day before the draft I wonder if it was him?

We were talking to the SA boy Adelaide took with there first pick

 

[Crimboy]

I would go unchanged, (unless like me, they want Walters dropped for a players who is hungry for the ball and not for the Selwood-Shuey medal) except Crowden as the starting in for Cerra (if rules dictate missing a week with sub rule) with Blakely or Banfield with the way he played at HF/high mid as the med sub, or even the Valente, the yeti, who was serviceable in the WAFL game with some nice grabs and decent tackles.
Sturt needs another week with tour forward line the way it is, only drop Treacy if he needs a rest at the AFL level, looked a bit cooked late in the 3rd and 4th quarter, hes dragging people away from Darcy and Taberner and Lobb for actual 1 on 1's. Finally!
Hamling might be off the injury for the LH match, but I would get him to run half stock in the WAFL to test match fitness for at least 1 week.
Logue looks like he got nutted, he looks ok, dont think it was a pulled groin.

 

[Crimboy]

Speaking of tall forward lines, it’s a real worry that we won’t have Pearce or Hamling for the eagles game.

and yes, I know this isn’t the thread for it!

Hamling should be good by the 30th at this stage, but prob wont be given a run unless desperation calls for the derby. Watson might get a run in favour of hughes to prep him for the beagles game.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Not much, but he’ll be better for the run, and he’s clearly best 22.

younger doesn’t always equal better.

I said the same early. Agree.

 

[Taylor]

Do you think an opposition coach would leave Walters with a mid to low level defender if they are planning their defense against us?

Just like Treacy and Lobb draw a tall away from Tabs most of the time so he can be one on one inside fifty, Walters just standing in the forward line pulls an opponent away from the stoppage to guard him.

He is too talented.

 

[Taylor]

Why are North playing two away games in a row?

They played two home games in a row before the Geelong game. Their Good Friday fixture forced the double up each way.

 

[theGav56]

We were talking to the SA boy Adelaide took with there first pick

Thilthorpe? Would love him, but never getting to our pick. SA are churning out decent prospects at the moment. Probably the work of Chris25

 

[Dockeroo]

Thilthorpe? Would love him, but never getting to our pick. SA are churning out decent prospects at the moment. Probably the work of Chris25

Think bone2468 means Luke Pedlar, an SA inside mid taken at pick 11

 

[theGav56]

Think bone2468 means Luke Pedlar, an SA inside mid taken at pick 11

Makes more sense. Thilthorpe well outside our range. Redoing that draft and Chapman would be comfortably in the top 10.

 

[Cobbler]

Agree with this we have not earned the right to expect victory in any AFL game

Honestly, have you seen North this season? They’re so bad and missing some good players.

I will get ahead of myself.

Freo by 50 minimum. The only reason they lost by 30 yesterday was that they ran into a deplorable Geelong. Geelong should’ve won by 10 goals.

 

[Joao]

As long as Treacy is fit, he stays in. There is a reason that Tabs got bulk 1v1s - defenders can't leave Lobb or Treacy alone.

Sturt probably doesn't get a KPD, so I don't think he is like for like. Obviously I want him in somehow though.

 

[malpaso]

Honestly, have you seen North this season? They’re so bad and missing some good players.

I will get ahead of myself.

Freo by 50 minimum. The only reason they lost by 30 yesterday was that they ran into a deplorable Geelong. Geelong should’ve won by 10 goals.

Yeah that game just emphasized how bad Geelong are this year, lost to Adelaide, two 1 point wins (should have lost one) and beat North. An arrogant bunch that isn't going to play finals. Their head recruiter just parachuted out of the plane..

 

[freodog]

Yeah that game just emphasized how bad Geelong are this year, lost to Adelaide, two 1 point wins (should have lost one) and beat North. An arrogant bunch that isn't going to play finals. Their head recruiter just parachuted out of the plane..

Geelong seems to have had an obsession of getting older mature players but they have sacrificed youthful speed and future success. They paid way too much for Cameron. Cameron is a good player but they would have been in a much better position in the future with3 first round draft picks.

They seem to have gone ‘all chips in’ while Selwood, Dangerfield & Hawkins are still there

 

[Joao]

Geelong seems to have had an obsession of getting older mature players but they have sacrificed youthful speed and future success. They paid way too much for Cameron. Cameron is a good player but they would have been in a much better position in the future with3 first round draft picks.

They seem to have gone ‘all chips in’ while Selwood, Dangerfield & Hawkins are still there

To be honest, they might as well. The cliff is massive for them either way so I think it makes sense to go again when they were so close last year. If they don't win this year it's probably years of tears, but it was going to be anyway I suspect.

They've avoided the cliff for so long, but they are going over just like the Hawks, North and Sydney did.

If the Cats get **** and the Hawks stay **** then we might finally be on a winner getting sent to Tassie and KP every year.