Changes v Brisbane

[Testekill]

Its not so much the tag or reluctance to tag in this case. For whatever reasons Libba has been down on form but has looked best given a clear role on a key player from the opposition.
If this is how to get the best from Libba ar this stage, do it

Worked for Wallis in 2014 where he was treading water until instructed to just go head to head with the oppositions best midfielder which worked wonders.

 

[Pugz89]

I feel like Bevo wants to keep an element of unpredictability to our team. So he will not tag every week, will not even tag most weeks imo (Think we should tag whenever is required, even if it is often).

 

[stefoid]

Why is Suckling the whipping boy? Why does everyone keep thinking he'll get dropped when he's played every game for the year? If he wasn't being dropped missing shots 35m out directly in front under no pressure, he's not going to get dropped when he's nailing shots from outside 50 from tighter angles which he's done over the last few weeks.

Plain and simple, he does something that nobody else on our team (or not many in the entire AFL for that matter) can do - consistently kick the darn thing over longer distances. That is inherently a valuable skill. When we set up for kick-ins that involve slicing it straight down the corridor, where an extra 5m can be critical for who kicks the next goal from that kick-in, Suckling has value to the team. When we have the ball on the half-back flank, and we decide to square it up sideways to Suckling, who then wins the ball, runs and carries 10m before bombing it 60m, that has value.

I just don't get it. He's a solid player, but more importantly, he's functioning in a role that nobody else can replicate. I get that he has his weaknesses - nobody over 6 foot tall should be that weak overhead in marking contests - but unless anyone can offer up a player who will play that role better than Suckling, after playing every game this season, he's not getting dropped.

A few things.

First as a primarily outside player he is reliant on his teammates - when we are on top he plays well, when we are under the pump , goes missing. "but what about that one game when..." yeah yeah, I mean in general. We arent Hawthorn in their prime - we need every pair of hands getting dirty when its a struggle. We cant afford to carry anyone. What was the difference between us and Sydney last year? They had a few 'suckling-like' players go missing on the big day and we didnt.

2nd is he is an outside player that doesnt carry the ball - he is a stop and prop kicker with poor evasive ability. Means he needs even more time and space than your average outside player because he cant generate it himself with the ball in hand. Compare to murph or JJ who can burn off or ooze around opponents with ease.

Basically, although his pros are good, they are outweighed by his cons, IMO. Its one thing to have Suckling playing a role that nobody else can play, but its worse if he is on the field and he cant play that role himself.

 

[Golden_6]

A few things.

First as a primarily outside player he is reliant on his teammates - when we are on top he plays well, when we are under the pump , goes missing. "but what about that one game when..." yeah yeah, I mean in general. We arent Hawthorn in their prime - we need every pair of hands getting dirty when its a struggle. We cant afford to carry anyone. What was the difference between us and Sydney last year? They had a few 'suckling-like' players go missing on the big day and we didnt.

2nd is he is an outside player that doesnt carry the ball - he is a stop and prop kicker with poor evasive ability. Means he needs even more time and space than your average outside player because he cant generate it himself with the ball in hand. Compare to murph or JJ who can burn off or ooze around opponents with ease.

Basically, although his pros are good, they are outweighed by his cons, IMO. Its one thing to have Suckling playing a role that nobody else can play, but its worse if he is on the field and he cant play that role himself.

I think Bev likes him in the team largely because of his kick-in ability, and it's an underestimated trait. They're extremely cheap kicks that don't show up on the stat sheet but they're still very important. Basically this way we can get the ball in Sucklings hands 8-10 extra times a game and he can basically put the ball into the exact areas of the ground the Bevo wants them to be.

 

[Mofra]

I think Bev likes him in the team largely because of his kick-in ability, and it's an underestimated trait. They're extremely cheap kicks that don't show up on the stat sheet but they're still very important. Basically this way we can get the ball in Sucklings hands 8-10 extra times a game and he can basically put the ball into the exact areas of the ground the Bevo wants them to be.

We really do seem to look for him a low in space - especially when the opposition set up.
Given oppositions zone to about 50m of the ball carrier, having a bloke who can kick 65m helps us spread and/or pierce the zone.

Given we can carry one of his type in our set-up, I wouldn't be horrified if we picked up McKenzie from Gold Coast fairly cheaply. Wouldn't chase hard but his leg cannon is pretty close to Suckling's.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

The way that the numbers are going soon Suckling will be able to kick 85m

 

[Dembe]

Agree with the sentiments in this thread. No change for me.

How did everyone view Dickson's game against the Bombers? Think he has regained some of his zip and he is so so important to our forward line.

 

[Testekill]

Agree with the sentiments in this thread. No change for me.

How did everyone view Dickson's game against the Bombers? Think he has regained some of his zip and he is so so important to our forward line.

Had a pretty good return outside of that one horrendous spray. Still he offers a facet that we've lacked all year.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I think Bev likes him in the team largely because of his kick-in ability, and it's an underestimated trait. They're extremely cheap kicks that don't show up on the stat sheet but they're still very important. Basically this way we can get the ball in Sucklings hands 8-10 extra times a game and he can basically put the ball into the exact areas of the ground the Bevo wants them to be.

Let's face it, we bemoaned our kick-ins for years. Now they don't seem too bad.

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

Agree with the sentiments in this thread. No change for me.

How did everyone view Dickson's game against the Bombers? Think he has regained some of his zip and he is so so important to our forward line.

He looked something like the Dixon of old, hard running into space and hard leading up to the ball. He can make all the difference for us as he is difficult to match up when in form.

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

Had a pretty good return outside of that one horrendous spray. Still he offers a facet that we've lacked all year.

Hes good outweighs his bad but we just need to get him into space as he is not good under that tacke pressure.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

Murphy, Dickson out
Smith, Redpath in

 

[Doggy]

Murphy dropped and is the travelling emergency. Dickson quad ffs

Red and clay smith in

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Dickson would do more than redpath would way he's been going.

Edit: didn't see the quad

 

[Testekill]

OUT: Dickson (Quad)

Well that didn't last real ****ing long

 

[dergert]

Pumped to see redpath and cloke together

 

[Fossie 32]

Full back S Biggs Z Cordy J Johannisen
Half back E Wood L Young M Suckling
Centreline L Hunter M Wallis B Dale
Half forward T McLean T Cloke L Picken
Full forward M Bontempelli J Redpath L Dahlhaus
Followers J Roughead T Liberatore J Macrae
Interchange C Smith L Webb B Williams
C Daniel
Emergencies R Murphy M Boyd D Hamilton

IN: J. Redpath, C. Smith
OUT: R. Murphy (travelling emergency), T. Dickson (quad)

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

interesting, murph out again....
no time for resting players, its a danger game

 

[Doggies_13]

Surprised with smith coming in haven't liked his form in anyway this year don't think he offers much at all at afl level this season.

If we were ever going to go with Cloke and red this was the week to do it.

Glad Webb got kept in the team

 

[Hard Ball Get]

If Bob is the travelling emergency, I'm assuming he's been dropped?

 

[StringyDog]

Cloke Redpath and Smith in same forward line.....Brisbane half backs would be loving that

 

[Spectre]

Dear footy gods,

Any chance we could have a well performing, settled line up for one sodding game?!

...no? Oh, ok, just thought I'd ask.

 

[Braybrook Son]

Gee, not sure about Redpath and Cloke playing in the same side? Made us look slow in the Geelong game!

 

[Braybrook Son]

If Bob is the travelling emergency, I'm assuming he's been dropped?

Rested I would say

 

[dogwatch]

If Bob is the travelling emergency, I'm assuming he's been dropped?

Managed. But the writing's on the wall.