Changes v Hawks

[Squizz89]

Our bogey team with us going in in poor form. Lucky us!

Jerry comes back. Oscar? Who knows.

We probably can’t really afford it against the Hawks in particular, so Noah gets a reprieve but that was really bad today. I’d look to give McKenna a full game and maybe drop Kai back to the reserves to get some touches. McKenna then can help the defense out if their smalls get on top.

Cal has been down on form the past month so could maybe move him back to the sub role or give Levi the vest to manage his game time a bit after a big couple of months to start his career.

 

[M Malice]

Outs- Darcy Fort

32

Darcy Fort

Age

31

Ht

204cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.6

2star

K

5.8

2star

HB

2.9

3star

CL

2.9

4star

HO

17.8

5star

D

9.2

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

3.2

2star

CL

3.6

4star

HO

21.2

5star

D

7.6

2star

K

5.4

2star

HB

2.2

2star

CL

2.2

4star

HO

15.6

5star

, Conor McKenna.

Ins- Oscar McInerney

46

Oscar Mcinerney

Age

30

Ht

205cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.1

2star

K

4.1

2star

HB

3.9

3star

CL

1.4

4star

HO

14.3

5star

D

6.9

1star

K

4.1

2star

HB

2.7

2star

CL

1.9

4star

HO

16.4

5star

D

7.6

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.6

3star

CL

0.4

3star

HO

11.2

5star

, Jarrod Berry

7

Jarrod Berry

Age

27

Ht

193cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.4

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

8.9

5star

M

3.9

4star

T

4.2

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

17.0

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.6

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.1

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

4.4

2star

HB

6.2

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.8

3star

.

I would bring in Gallop for Gardiner but no way Fages will do that after he kicked 4 today, Kai looks like he needs a rest or a training block but unlikely to happen as well.

Got me flummoxed who will be the sub though.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Rest everyone.

If we're gonna look glass half full and say that we're still right up to our eyeballs in premiership contention (we're 2nd on the ladder so we might as well right?), this is how your mid-season taper can look after a good start. Ideally games 1-9 you come out hard, 10-18 you tread water, ideally winning as many as you lose, and then coming home strong with your 19-27.

We've perhaps started our taper a little earlier than ideal (ie last week), but 7.5-2.5 is still a position we'd have taken before opening round.

So as we enter this "treading water" phase, it's more important we pick out the higher probability wins, and go all chips in on those ones.

We have 2 games in our next 11 days. I'm putting all our chips in on the Essendon game next Thursday night, and anyone who's a bit worse off than "a bit sore", I'm wrapping them in cotton wool and rolling them out a bit fresher for Essendon.

Our bye is still 5 games off, and we have 5 very tough games against top 8 and premiership contenders in that time, 3 on the road. If we can be 9.5-5.5 at the bye, I think that will be a very good outcome based on what we saw today.

So wholesale changes for Saturday, bring back the big guns next Thursday. It's hard to see us winning both of our next 2 with a 6 day break followed by a 5 day break, but it's imperative we win at least one of them.

 

[Paul Mac]

Rest everyone.

If we're gonna look glass half full and say that we're still right up to our eyeballs in premiership contention (we're 2nd on the ladder so we might as well right?), this is how your mid-season taper can look after a good start. Ideally games 1-9 you come out hard, 10-18 you tread water, ideally winning as many as you lose, and then coming home strong with your 19-27.

We've perhaps started our taper a little earlier than ideal (ie last week), but 7.5-2.5 is still a position we'd have taken before opening round.

So as we enter this "treading water" phase, it's more important we pick out the higher probability wins, and go all chips in on those ones.

We have 2 games in our next 11 days. I'm putting all our chips in on the Essendon game next Thursday night, and anyone who's a bit worse off than "a bit sore", I'm wrapping them in cotton wool and rolling them out a bit fresher for Essendon.

Our bye is still 5 games off, and we have 5 very tough games against top 8 and premiership contenders in that time, 3 on the road. If we can be 9.5-5.5 at the bye, I think that will be a very good outcome based on what we saw today.

So wholesale changes for Saturday, bring back the big guns next Thursday. It's hard to see us winning both of our next 2 with a 6 day break followed by a 5 day break, but it's imperative we win at least one of them.

Surely we should beat Essendon with half our regular team on the field. They are hit with with Injuries.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Surely we should beat Essendon with half our regular team on the field. They are hit with with Injuries.

Yeah well we "should have" won our last 2 games as well.

I'm just going on what I'm seeing, not on what I "should be" seeing

 

[3KZ is Football]

Out: Answerth, Lohmann, Fort and Payne
In: Berry, McInerney, Robertson and Doedee

We can afford to go a little smaller in defence against Hawthorn if and despite the glazing that goes on in terms of Payne, both he and Andrews are out of form. Lester is our most committed and effective of the taller defenders this year.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I think our biggest problems today were in defence and midfield. The midfield change is simple, bring Berry back in if he's fit, and get our first-choice midfield to work harder defending. I'd omit Kai to bring Berry in because he just doesn't look right in his body at the moment. And Big O back in for Fort if he's fit again.

The backline is trickier. I reckon the right change would be Doedee in if he's fit. Some questioned whether Kiddy would break into this year's side, but today he showed us what we were missing without him. Doedee can do the same. He's more underrated here because he's not played much in Lions colours, but he was a top player at Adelaide and can fix some of our issues. Answerth was garbage today and needs to be held accountable for his performance, so he's the one I'd drop.

In - Big O, Berry, Doedee
Out - Fort, Kai, Answerth

 

[Paul Mac]

Yeah well we "should have" won our last 2 games as well.

I'm just going on what I'm seeing, not on what I "should be" seeing

North Melbourne and Melbourne have no where near the injury list Essendon have, thats where i was coming from thats all.

 

[martinson]

Rest everyone.

If we're gonna look glass half full and say that we're still right up to our eyeballs in premiership contention (we're 2nd on the ladder so we might as well right?), this is how your mid-season taper can look after a good start. Ideally games 1-9 you come out hard, 10-18 you tread water, ideally winning as many as you lose, and then coming home strong with your 19-27.

We've perhaps started our taper a little earlier than ideal (ie last week), but 7.5-2.5 is still a position we'd have taken before opening round.

So as we enter this "treading water" phase, it's more important we pick out the higher probability wins, and go all chips in on those ones.

We have 2 games in our next 11 days. I'm putting all our chips in on the Essendon game next Thursday night, and anyone who's a bit worse off than "a bit sore", I'm wrapping them in cotton wool and rolling them out a bit fresher for Essendon.

Our bye is still 5 games off, and we have 5 very tough games against top 8 and premiership contenders in that time, 3 on the road. If we can be 9.5-5.5 at the bye, I think that will be a very good outcome based on what we saw today.

So wholesale changes for Saturday, bring back the big guns next Thursday. It's hard to see us winning both of our next 2 with a 6 day break followed by a 5 day break, but it's imperative we win at least one of them.

I hate not going full throttle against the Hawks because it's a game I'd love to win but the short breaks are killing us and our guys just don't looked switched on at present so I can see your logic.

 

[Grasshopper17]

I hate not going full throttle against the Hawks because it's a game I'd love to win but the short breaks are killing us and our guys just don't looked switched on at present so I can see your logic.

Trust me, I'm in the same boat. I'm flying down next week for the game and I'm sick of losing to Hawthorn and the last thing I want to see is a half-ar5ed performance.

But if we're going to put in a half-ar5ed performance anyway, let's put in one, not two.

 

[Sproj]

We never beat these guys, rest anyone who could use a break.

 

[martinson]

Trust me, I'm in the same boat. I'm flying down next week for the game and I'm sick of losing to Hawthorn and the last thing I want to see is a half-ar5ed performance.

But if we're going to put in a half-ar5ed performance anyway, let's put in one, not two.

Just extending those thoughts we saw what happened last year when we were forced to bring in some new blood so if we're going to do it it may as well be in a match where the odds are we're going to struggle.

Beecken deserves a slot.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Can’t remember the last time we’ve beaten the Hawks - crap game at Docklands last year and the year before at the G. Hawks a much better side this year. Time to get the monkey off the back. Did it a number of years ago when we had never been the Pies at the G. Big game. Hope us Lions supporters are out in force Saturday arvo.

Truth be told, Hawthorn aren't going nearly as well right now as they were late last year, or as well as I thought they'd be going right now. On Thursday night I saw a lot of rubbish ball movement from them, which I hadn't seen from them for years. Dump kicks inside 50 to an undersized forward line were a feature for much of the game.

On current season form alone I have them mid-table, not too far ahead of us, with so far one of the easiest draws in the comp.

I'm certainly not resiling from my recommendation that we rest whatever number of players for Saturday is needed, but I still think they are very beatable on current form, regardless of who we trot out. Particularly if resting players X, Y and Z just coincidentally happens to mean we go in with an overall shorter and quicker team, better suited to matching up on our opposition on the day.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Thing about bringing in Doedee is: why was he rested last week?

 

[mpal6]

We need Charlie out of forward line and need to play Zorko in there. Pressure will go up in forward line rightaway.

I agree with the idea of not bringing half done players back for this game in 5 day turnaround. So Oscar misses out and Fort gets one more game. Same with Berry.

We kept raving about our depth this year so let's see what we've got.

 

[Elixuh]

In big O and Berry.

Need to change the structure of the forward line. Biggest issue for us imo outside of any attitude stuff.

 

[Rouge 9917]

Out: Answerth, Lohmann, Fort and Payne
In: Berry, McInerney, Robertson and Doedee

We can afford to go a little smaller in defence against Hawthorn if and despite the glazing that goes on in terms of Payne, both he and Andrews are out of form. Lester is our most committed and effective of the taller defenders this year.

Pretty sure payne has got coaches votes and or named in best players in five or six of his nine games tHis year, so one mediocre game does not mean he or Harris are in a form slump. Who is athletic enough to go wth Chol, who is big enough to go wth Thilthorpe and Hogan in a few weeks.
A few days ago you were calling for dizzy to be dropped and with four goals was one of our best, yesterday. Kai is no doubt injured might be time to give him time to get ankle right.

 

[Bucking Beads]

We need more speed in our backline for this game.

 

[M Malice]

We need more speed in our backline for this game.

Who goes out for Luke Beecken?

 

[Bucking Beads]

Who goes out for Luke Beecken?

I don't know the answer to any of those questions but I do know we are too slow to handle the speed of the Hawks Forward line. If we don't smash them out of the middle our defence won't hold them.

 

[mpal6]

We need more speed in our backline for this game.

We need to bring more pressure across all lines to be honest. Need a game like the Gold Coast suns one to show the players can tune in when needed. But this is our bogey team and last 2 games have tempered my expectations. We need more time to sort this out but unfortunately having to manage it during a tough run of games.

 

[mpal6]

Who goes out for Luke Beecken?

I'd give Charlie a break and play Zorko forward. Then we can fit in either McKenna or Beecken in defense.

Between McKenna and Zorko we also get the flexibility to switch them between both ends.

 

[braddsey]

We need Charlie out of forward line and need to play Zorko in there. Pressure will go up in forward line rightaway.

I agree with the idea of not bringing half done players back for this game in 5 day turnaround. So Oscar misses out and Fort gets one more game. Same with Berry.

We kept raving about our depth this year so let's see what we've got.

I think Zorko to HF makes a lot of sense. He knows how to kick goals, but also our F50 entries were quite awful in the 2nd half. If Kiddy has a drop off in his 2nd game back we can sub him and put Zorko back instead.

I’m aligned on Berry having the extra week. I’m ultra cautious on concussion given what we’ve seen.
I wouldn’t be playing Oscar in both Hawks and Bombers games, so see how he feels after a week off. Meek will be the bigger test than Goldie. We may be better served with giving Oscar the extra 5 days break and avoiding a flight to Melbourne.

If Kai’s down performance the last 2 weeks is injury then give him the week off too.

We’ve seen Hawthorn and Collingwood rest players on travel. We have wins on the board so we have the flexibility this year to do the same. We don’t want to concede the match against Hawthorn, but resting some key players could set us up for a run at Essendon, Adelaide, GWS.

 

[KissKiss]

I think the changes are:

• Oscar in for Fort. Probably Hipwood to stay as second ruck option
• Berry is straight in. I'd probably drop Lohman as he looks like he needs some confidence and fitness.
  • Other options could be Ah Chee, just looks off at the moment, or maybe rest Levi or Will. Not a slight just they are young and we need Berry back in the side
• I also wouldnt be against McKenna for a full game in the defensive forward role instead of Ah Chee / Charlie / Lohman. We need someone to really lock down more
• I also wouldnt be against Dev or Beeckon as sub. Need fresh energy or hunger in the team. Those guys need to show that you cant coast through the year as plenty of "lesser" talents might want it more

Another thought is we really need to be ready for how the Hawks play. They are the best team at milking frees through dropping heads or taking dives. Training needs to focus on that.

Also they play arrogant. You can definitely get in the heads of Watson and Sicily but also cant let them get in our heads. Zorko needs to be smart in this game and not lose focus.

 

[knaf]

Out - Complacency
In - 100% commitment for 100 minutes

Not sure 100% is in the seconds.

Player look off both physically and psychologically. understandable given what they have put in for the last two years. Two short preseasons taking a toll.

When in doubt look to the kids for enthusiasm. Need to shake the team up.

Charlie and/or Kai could be rested. Zorko forward. Beecken deserves a chance (though I worry about his one on one defence), Marshall as sub. I would like to see Gallop get a run but maybe not this week. Oscar and Berry get an extra week.