Preview Changes v Saints

[Northernsoul74]

Wasn't Jong being looked at for a spot on the wing pre season? Anyone know how he is tracking injury wise?
Could be a Smokey for the spot

He’s certainly training.

 

[BEaston]

Relative to some of the other softcocks we have in the middle

Macrae is tough relative to anyone in the league.

Not in the fake tough-guy mould of Jack Viney or someone, but he'll never shirk a contest and will put himself in hard spots to win the ball consistently.

 

[D Mitchell]

Macrae is tough relative to anyone in the league.

Not in the fake tough-guy mould of Jack Viney or someone, but he'll never shirk a contest and will put himself in hard spots to win the ball consistently.

Resilient rather than tough. Martin, perhaps Libber are tough. Better examples are Rucciuto or Voss, blokes who can cop it but really hurt, too.

 

[perro_loco]

He’s certainly training.

That is good news that Jong is training. Hope he makes. unlucky person with lot of injuries and good strong heart. MD will melt. sorry mate.

 

[TMoney22]

JJ on the wing full time while Hunter is out. Suckling, Crozier and Duryea are more than capable to deliver the ball from the back line. And JJ will still get back there but I like his speed all over the ground rather than only half.

Play him on the same wing as Hill so there is no tag on him. I reckon JJ could do more damage.
And if they tag him they have to put a midfielder on him taking them away from Bont or Dunkley. At half back, saints can put any scrub playing forward to tag him.

 

[Proffessor]

The main thing I want to see with our Rnd 2 team is the absence of speculative project selections., and a genuine attempt to pick our strongest 22.

If we just pick the best performed players who are definitely fit, we will give ourselves a chance in any match.

The confidence of so many supporters was riding high going into the season, but took a dent straight away with the debacle of our first team selection, the match result was sadly fairly predictable from that point.

I don't want to see Gardner or Cavarra named in the side. Sweet should be the only debutant under consideration due to our thin ruck stocks.
And if we have enough fit key position players to avoid selecting Young after his Rnd 1 performance, we should do so. If Naughton isn't right, don't risk it and leave him out. if Libba, McLean, Wallis, Dickson and Bailey Williams are fully fit they should all be locked in. We needs guys who want the footy regardless of the external circumstances.

Some positive sports psychology treatment for English before the match wouldn't go astray but perhaps selecting Sweet as a 2nd ruck option might have the same effect.

 

[BEaston]

Resilient rather than tough. Martin, perhaps Libber are tough. Better examples are Rucciuto or Voss, blokes who can cop it but really hurt, too.

To me those guys are just bigger and hence can do more damage. Don't think those guys go in any harder or tougher than Jacko does.

Tough to me is a mental thing... putting yourself in situations where you can get hurt with no regard. Not so much about doing any damage to other people.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Resilient rather than tough. Martin, perhaps Libber are tough. Better examples are Rucciuto or Voss, blokes who can cop it but really hurt, too.

I wouldn’t say Martin’s tough. Strong and he looks tough, but you don’t see him go back with flight or throw himself headfirst in to a contest.

 

[BEaston]

I wouldn’t say Martin’s tough. Strong and he looks tough, but you don’t see him go back with flight or throw himself headfirst in to a contest.

Agreed, Martin an odd name to throw up to me.

 

[bobs head soup]

JJ on the wing full time while Hunter is out. Suckling, Crozier and Duryea are more than capable to deliver the ball from the back line. And JJ will still get back there but I like his speed all over the ground rather than only half.

Play him on the same wing as Hill so there is no tag on him. I reckon JJ could do more damage.
And if they tag him they have to put a midfielder on him taking them away from Bont or Dunkley. At half back, saints can put any scrub playing forward to tag him.

I think JJ is best placed behind the ball, where he can use his best asset, that explosive turn of pace, to cut a swathe through the opposing lines a handful of times a quarter .

Modern day wingers are required to run 12 kns+ per match, which for mine would only blunt JJs great asset and make him less of a weapon.

 

[Jeff 1975]

The main thing I want to see with our Rnd 2 team is the absence of speculative project selections., and a genuine attempt to pick our strongest 22.

If we just pick the best performed players who are definitely fit, we will give ourselves a chance in any match.

The confidence of so many supporters was riding high going into the season, but took a dent straight away with the debacle of our first team selection, the match result was sadly fairly predictable from that point.

I don't want to see Gardner or Cavarra named in the side. Sweet should be the only debutant under consideration due to our thin ruck stocks.
And if we have enough fit key position players to avoid selecting Young after his Rnd 1 performance, we should do so. If Naughton isn't right, don't risk it and leave him out. if Libba, McLean, Wallis, Dickson and Bailey Williams are fully fit they should all be locked in. We needs guys who want the footy regardless of the external circumstances.

Some positive sports psychology treatment for English before the match wouldn't go astray but perhaps selecting Sweet as a 2nd ruck option might have the same effect.

Agree strongest 22

I would probably stick with Young as the Saints look tall

A second ruck defiantly

Schache in

It was a long-shot to play Naughton in round 1 seeing his not right now

All these career ending injures are a problem

I wonder if kennel is jarring up the players, just a thought

 

[Dogsman16]

2/3 of English, Trengrove, Sweet should play every game.

with shorter quarters and the possibility of 6 interchange players, 2 rucks are an absolute must.

This might be a bit of an issue for Schache. English should spend more time forward as a result. Schaches main strength is his tank which becomes less of a factor with less game time and more rotations.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

2/3 of English, Trengrove, Sweet should play every game.

with shorter quarters and the possibility of 6 interchange players, 2 rucks are an absolute must.

This might be a bit of an issue for Schache. English should spend more time forward as a result. Schaches main strength is his tank which becomes less of a factor with less game time and more rotations.

It’s pretty much been confirmed that the interchange will remain at 4.

Imo Shorter quarters mean less chance of playing two rucks. Especially for us considering we’ve been a one ruck team for a while.
What’s your thinking behind the need for two with shorter qtrs?

 

[Northernsoul74]

2/3 of English, Trengrove, Sweet should play every game.

with shorter quarters and the possibility of 6 interchange players, 2 rucks are an absolute must.

This might be a bit of an issue for Schache. English should spend more time forward as a result. Schaches main strength is his tank which becomes less of a factor with less game time and more rotations.

I agree, my concern with Sweet is he doesn’t look to offer much else apart from pure ruck. That’s why I prefer Trengove as you can make an argument for him to be playing defence in his own right as well as a genuine ruck option.

 

[Northernsoul74]

The main thing I want to see with our Rnd 2 team is the absence of speculative project selections., and a genuine attempt to pick our strongest 22.

If we just pick the best performed players who are definitely fit, we will give ourselves a chance in any match.

The confidence of so many supporters was riding high going into the season, but took a dent straight away with the debacle of our first team selection, the match result was sadly fairly predictable from that point.

I don't want to see Gardner or Cavarra named in the side. Sweet should be the only debutant under consideration due to our thin ruck stocks.
And if we have enough fit key position players to avoid selecting Young after his Rnd 1 performance, we should do so. If Naughton isn't right, don't risk it and leave him out. if Libba, McLean, Wallis, Dickson and Bailey Williams are fully fit they should all be locked in. We needs guys who want the footy regardless of the external circumstances.

Some positive sports psychology treatment for English before the match wouldn't go astray but perhaps selecting Sweet as a 2nd ruck option might have the same effect.

Agree, no idea why each season we veer away from what worked the previous year. Feels like the past 2 years we’ve started very poorly by doing this until we eventually return to a similar structure that works for us. That structure tends to be playing a bit shorter.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Agree, no idea why each season we veer away from what worked the previous year. Feels like the past 2 years we’ve started very poorly by doing this until we eventually return to a similar structure that works for us. That structure tends to be playing a bit shorter.

Agree. Imagine pulling out Gardner and Young in round 1, and putting in Richards and McLean who were both fit.

Add in a now fit Duryea and Libba. So much more intensity

 

[Proffessor]

Agree strongest 22

I would probably stick with Young as the Saints look tall

A second ruck defiantly

Schache in

It was a long-shot to play Naughton in round 1 seeing his not right now

All these career ending injures are a problem

I wonder if kennel is jarring up the players, just a thought

Regardless of how tall the Saints go, I wouldn't select Young unless one of Cordy, Keath or Wood is hurt, and Trengove, Sweet, Schache, and Naughton are all unavailable.

I maintain some hope that Young will make a solid performer, but I think this year is critical for him and he needs to be managed well or it could all be over for him very quickly.

Like a number of his young team mates he seems to go missing when things start going wrong in a game, at least at AFL level. Confidence can be elusive for young athletes when times are tough, but he really needs to find a way to stand up under pressure and fast. He also needs to recognise that his recent performances are simply not acceptable in a team striving for consistent success. He has played 15 games of AFL across 4 seasons and I would suggest that he has performed quite poorly in ~2/3rds of those games. That is a traditional recipe for a short AFL career, which would normally be expected to finish up at the end of this season.

However, he is lucky that he started at such a young age and at an understanding club which still very much needs a player of his type in the senior side. If he learns from his recent experience, he still has a golden opportunity to come back quickly, and hopefully with the confidence and resolve to make himself a fixture in the team going forward. The MC have seemingly mismanaged this guy in the past by keeping him in the side and hoping he will just come good but it simply hasn't worked, hurting both the team and Lewis in the process. That's why I think he needs to get dropped again, because if he doesn't learn his lesson soon then perhaps he never will.

 

[Mattdougie]

That is good news that Jong is training. Hope he makes. unlucky person with lot of injuries and good strong heart. MD will melt. sorry mate.

Get a game before Hayes imo

I don’t think the shortened season and way things have happened are any good for us at all. Many won’t be surprised but I just can’t see us being much this year in the circumstances.

So let Jongy have a fun in what surely must be his last year on the list

 

[perro_loco]

Get a game before Hayes imo

I don’t think the shortened season and way things have happened are any good for us at all. Many won’t be surprised but I just can’t see us being much this year in the circumstances.

So let Jongy have a fun in what surely must be his last year on the list

You are evil MD, pure EVIL...

 

[TMoney22]

I think JJ is best placed behind the ball, where he can use his best asset, that explosive turn of pace, to cut a swathe through the opposing lines a handful of times a quarter .

Modern day wingers are required to run 12 kns+ per match, which for mine would only blunt JJs great asset and make him less of a weapon.

That's a good point to discuss. JJ should be one of our best players and he is probably paid like that since the contract negotiations after the GF. But overall his impact since has been terrible.

For a top line player, in his prime, he should be running all day. And if we want to be any good he has to do that. But like your eluding too, that probably isn't him and never will be.

I think your right but I'm very disappointed he can't move on to a wing and show his speed going forward and back. Imagine how valuable that would be.

Imo he escapes accountability while we criticise lesser players.

Wings are so important these days.

 

[cecil]

I think this year it's going to be hard doing well unless you have an experienced team. There will be simply too much disruption and short weeks for a young team to do well. Could see Geelong, Richmond, West Coast etc fighting it out. We've got some handy depth, but we can't be expecting younger guys like Richards/Naughton/Smith to be playing a few 6 days games in a row after they've just missed a chunk of proper training.

 

[Virgin Dog]

I think this year it's going to be hard doing well unless you have an experienced team. There will be simply too much disruption and short weeks for a young team to do well. Could see Geelong, Richmond, West Coast etc fighting it out. We've got some handy depth, but we can't be expecting younger guys like Richards/Naughton/Smith to be playing a few 6 days games in a row after they've just missed a chunk of proper training.

West Coast will be ****ed this year thanks to the travel situation. First 4 weeks in QLD, then will remain there a few more weeks to go in and out of Vic. Won't be playing home games for the first couple of months which could destroy their season.

Richmond and Geelong I expect to dominate this year. North could over perform given how experienced their side is

 

[bobs head soup]

I think this year it's going to be hard doing well unless you have an experienced team. There will be simply too much disruption and short weeks for a young team to do well. Could see Geelong, Richmond, West Coast etc fighting it out. We've got some handy depth, but we can't be expecting younger guys like Richards/Naughton/Smith to be playing a few 6 days games in a row after they've just missed a chunk of proper training.

I think it will be just as hard for the older guys to back up physically week after week, especially with reduced conditioning staff etc., a team like Geelong with a lot of key players 30+ will need a lot of luck. Whoever is standing at the end of the year will have done well

 

[Dogs 13]

West Coast will be f’ed this year thanks to the travel situation. First 4 weeks in QLD, then will remain there a few more weeks to go in and out of Vic. Won't be playing home games for the first couple of months which could destroy their season.

Richmond and Geelong I expect to dominate this year. North could over perform given how experienced their side is

No "noise of affirmation" either. That'll make for some interesting analysis.

 

[Spiritof82]

That's a good point to discuss. JJ should be one of our best players and he is probably paid like that since the contract negotiations after the GF. But overall his impact since has been terrible.

For a top line player, in his prime, he should be running all day. And if we want to be any good he has to do that. But like your eluding too, that probably isn't him and never will be.

I think your right but I'm very disappointed he can't move on to a wing and show his speed going forward and back. Imagine how valuable that would be.

Imo he escapes accountability while we criticise lesser players.

Wings are so important these days.

Agree, in the backline he looks classy when the game is going our way and there's no pressure on him but when things get tough down the backline he goes missing too often than not, scared of any physical contact. Move him to the wing where there's less pressure and more room for him to run around.