Preview Changes v Port Adelaide

[King Elvis]

Every few weeks I've had the feeling that we're doing it. We're building our next premiership side. Really exciting changes which seem slowly constructed and obvious, but if you take a step back, you see how different everything is. This is the first time since Walsh's passing I've had that feeling. And boy it hurts

It does look like we were playing the long game; first half of the season to test the players we viewed as first 22; the second half to make changes based on that.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

The new Rat pack - Atkins, Knight, Lever, Kelly. 2015 debutants.

The Rat, the Snake, and the Bull... Knight needs an animal nickname

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Tambling was actually offered a spot on our rookie list similar to what happened to Jonas at port but Tambling declined.
Don't blame him. He goes down as one of the worst managed players to have ever played footy. Feel sorry for him cos if he had been taken at pick 45+ he would have been loved at Richmond and been a solid player for us.

The problem is he was an absolute gun at U18 national level

 

[Jeffcrowe]

The Rat, the Snake, and the Bull... Knight needs an animal nickname

Knight will be fine when batman Sloane returns

 

[Thinker]

Wright or Martin sub you reckon?

Rat will be sub

 

[Red mist]

The Rat, the Snake, and the Bull... Knight needs an animal nickname

The Blue Heeler?

 

[FR0GGY]

A

The Rat, the Snake, and the Bull... Knight needs an animal nickname

the knight owl?

 

[Thinker]

imo 99.4% chance that martin will be sub, 0.5% wright and 0.1% Atkins. Almost can't be anyone other than martin, hasn't play a game in 2 weeks

and I can't understand why some are advocating playing pods as a 4th tall

It's because he hasn't played in 2 weeks that Martin won't be sub....

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

It's because he hasn't played in 2 weeks that Martin won't be sub....

that actually makes no sense, if he starts in the 21 then a possible lack of match fitness may mean he will tire by the end of the game, otherwise why not play CEY? I assumed the reasoning behind not playing CEY is because they don't him to the sub again.

 

[Crowstar]

The Rat, the Snake, and the Bull... Knight needs an animal nickname

The owl haha

 

[King Elvis]

Rat will be sub

Godamnit.

 

[hey shorty]

I dont have an issue with Atkins being sub. It's something a fair few teams do with debutants and young players. Bit of x factor off the bench in the last 40 minutes or so would be a good thing as the opposition tire.

Reality is that the choice of sub is long odds to make a difference to whether we win or lose.

 

[King Elvis]

I hate a player being sub on debut; it'd have to suck a bit of excitement out of the occasion.

 

[hey shorty]

From that perspective yeah it would suck but its a good way to ease a guy in. Only a few more weeks to go and we need not worry about who the sub will be.

 

[King Elvis]

'Easing a guy into it' is soft.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Surely he won't be sub?

There continues to be a MASSIVE handbrake on the club.

We are scared, scared, scared.

 

[SpeciousArgument]

Knight -> Horse?

 

[SpeciousArgument]

NO WAIT!!

Knight -> OWL

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Knight......first game......rookie.....rook.......crow

 

[Thinker]

that actually makes no sense, if he starts in the 21 then a possible lack of match fitness may mean he will tire by the end of the game, otherwise why not play CEY? I assumed the reasoning behind not playing CEY is because they don't him to the sub again.

I agree. Would've thought he'd come back through SANFL. When he tires, they'll bring Rat on. Yep, I think CEY is in SANFL for that reason... As well as his form dropping off a bit.

 

[Thinker]

Godamnit.

I agree. The concern is his 2 way running. Perhaps they believe he'll have more impact in one quarter than 3? However, this goes against the debut of Kelly, Lever and Knight. I don't think any of them started as sub.

 

[Thinker]

My understanding is that Martin was a late inclusion on the chartered flight for families to Perth. One of the players was apparently ill. But came up ok on game day. Sucks for Martin as he didn't play at all through no fault of his own.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Surely he won't be sub?

There continues to be a MASSIVE handbrake on the club.

We are scared, scared, scared.

So true, we are ridiculously conservative and never, ever trust youth unless forced into it. You often hear it when Bickley speaks about selections on AA.

We continue to trust B grade plodders and continue to be a B grade team.

 

[Elite Crow]

So true, we are ridiculously conservative and never, ever trust youth unless forced into it. You often hear it when Bickley speaks about selections on AA.

We continue to trust B grade plodders and continue to be a B grade team.

It's like when VB was stinking it up, they would state but who are you going to bring in? So we just leave someone horribly out of form because we don't want to give someone else a go.

And it's not like VB was one of our better players when in form, he's just an average footballer

 

[Jeffcrowe]

So true, we are ridiculously conservative and never, ever trust youth unless forced into it. You often hear it when Bickley speaks about selections on AA.

We continue to trust B grade plodders and continue to be a B grade team.

We have just got knight ans Atkins into the side at the same time , have a bit of faith !

Pretty sure policy is debutants don't play as sub
Martin with his lack of match minutes likely sub and the right sort for the role