Preview Changes v Saints

[Ghenghis]

Those of you brave enough to anticipate selections for the St Kilda Game, how did you work out your team ?

Team selection kit

 

[D Mitchell]

Team selection kit
View attachment 886997

What I meant was, how do you work out who's in form or are you working off last year's form ?

 

[Northernsoul74]

Libba presses claims for R2 return as Dogs search for 'hunger'

Jack Macrae says Tom Liberatore's return would make the Bulldogs walk taller

www.afl.com.au

 

[weltschmerz]

Interesting about English not training with the main group.

 

[weltschmerz]

What I meant was, how do you work out who's in form or are you working off last year's form ?

Sometimes you read about who's in form, there were a few stories over the off season about how Jong was doing great.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Based on what I saw Round 1 and the article above, I'm gonna go with this side as my guess:

FB: Alex Keath - Zaine Cordy - Easton Wood
HB: Hayden Crozier - Jason Johannisen - Bailey Williams

C: Bailey Smith - Marcus Bontempelli - Ed Richards

HF: Bailey Dale - Josh Bruce - Mitch Wallis
FF: Sam Lloyd - Aaron Naughton - Cody Weightman

Ruck: Tim English - Josh Dunkley - Jack Macrae

Int: Tom Liberatore - Caleb Daniel - Matt Suckling - Pat Lipinski


OUT: Lachie Hunter (suspended), Lewis Young, Ryan Gardner, Ben Cavarra
IN: Ed Richards, Cody Weightman (debut), Pat Lipinski, Tom Liberatore


Rather see Weightman take Cavarra's spot, think he has more to offer right now. I prefer Richards down back, but figure he might be getting the wing spot this week. Leaving Duryea out because the article made it sound like he's not necessarily 100%. If he's fit, he plays.

 

[Packofdogs]

Just a little update -
All the players are in full training!
Everything will be clearer after the up coming scratch match.
Feels Libba may struggle to come up for round two.
Naughty is line ball with a chance, will not be risked!
Hayes is running really well, smashed the time trial!
Gardner may be tried again!OH BOY!
Doesn’t think Weightman will play R2 but impressed by his tricks.
Westy would be the person he would love to have in the fox hole out of the whole list. Just so so hard at the ball! But his field kicking is shite! Only a chance at the moment.
Lachie Young and Vandermeer has been very impressive since the return.
The Lip and Maclean big chances.
But stressed the scratch match will sort things out a fair bit so things will change!

 

[Virgin Dog]

Just a little update -
All the players are in full training!
Everything will be clearer after the up coming scratch match.
Feels Libba may struggle to come up for round two.
Naughty is line ball with a chance, will not be risked!
Hayes is running really well, smashed the time trial!
Gardner may be tried again!OH BOY!
Doesn’t think Weightman will play R2 but impressed by his tricks.
Westy would be the person he would love to have in the fox hole out of the whole list. Just so so hard at the ball! But his field kicking is shite! Only a chance at the moment.
Lachie Young and Vandermeer has been very impressive since the return.
The Lip and Maclean big chances.
But stressed the scratch match will sort things out a fair bit so things will change!

Oh God, Hayes is taking the wing and Gardner is playing Round 2 by the sounds of it

We are gonna need an ambulance on standby for MD when he sees this

 

[dogwatch]

Team selection kit
View attachment 886997

I hope MC are more accurate than our forwards.
Could explain some of the more unexpected selections, I suppose ...

 

[Golden_6]

Naughton in full training without tape on his knee is encouraging at least.

 

[Dazb86]

Get rid of the tall line up and play to our strengths. Our tall brigade are subpar bar a couple.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Get rid of the tall line up and play to our strengths. Our tall brigade are subpar bar a couple.

Agree. Saints are not particularly tall on either end of the ground. Battle was left out of their round 1 side, so we expect the key pillars to be Howard and Carlisle down back, then King and Membrey up forward.

Between Keath, Cordy and Wood, we can handle their tall forwards. No reason to jam Young and Gardner into the side, especially when Schache may not even end up playing. If Naughton pulls out, then one of Schache or Young should play. We need the likes of Richards, Libba and McLean in the side

 

[Dazb86]

Richards is only best 22 if playing down back. He becomes a liability up forward, and we can't carry guys like him if we're making a serious push for finals. Even McLean is better up forward than Richards..

I'm convinced half forward is a terrible position to play in our set up. So many of our guys with talent end up making no impact while played there

 

[Virgin Dog]

I'm convinced half forward is a terrible position to play in our set up. So many of our guys with talent end up making no impact while played there

It's been an issue for a few years now. Can't think of a single impactful half forward we've had since Stringer left and Clay Smith retired (if you count Smith as a half forward role).

I know we've been linked to Caldwell the last couple of years, and he really looks like a Clay Smith 2.0 - would love to see what he could do in our setup and whether he could make the difference.

 

[Del165892]

Based on what I saw Round 1 and the article above, I'm gonna go with this side as my guess:

FB: Alex Keath - Zaine Cordy - Easton Wood
HB: Hayden Crozier - Jason Johannisen - Bailey Williams

C: Bailey Smith - Marcus Bontempelli - Ed Richards

HF: Bailey Dale - Josh Bruce - Mitch Wallis
FF: Sam Lloyd - Aaron Naughton - Cody Weightman

Ruck: Tim English - Josh Dunkley - Jack Macrae

Int: Tom Liberatore - Caleb Daniel - Matt Suckling - Pat Lipinski


OUT: Lachie Hunter (suspended), Lewis Young, Ryan Gardner, Ben Cavarra
IN: Ed Richards, Cody Weightman (debut), Pat Lipinski, Tom Liberatore


Rather see Weightman take Cavarra's spot, think he has more to offer right now. I prefer Richards down back, but figure he might be getting the wing spot this week. Leaving Duryea out because the article made it sound like he's not necessarily 100%. If he's fit, he plays.

Move English to a wing, put Cordy into the ruck and this is perfect

 

[Northernsoul74]

Interesting about English not training with the main group.

He was out there in match simulation later on.

 

[Virgin Dog]

He was out there in match simulation later on.

Did you watch all the match simulation? Any standouts / anything of note?

 

[Northernsoul74]

Did you watch all the match simulation? Any standouts / anything of note?

Ha no just seen the club pics on Facebook!

 

[Virgin Dog]

Ha no just seen the club pics on Facebook!

Ah damn

One thing I noticed with the pics from match simulation, and am probably reading into it too much, but all the guys shown in pics are obvious best 22 players. Except then there's Cal Porter randomly in there. Wonder if maybe he's in the frame for a debut? Could use his hard edge, especially after the pitiful display we saw in the midfield against the Pies. If Libba is fit I doubt Cal has much chance, but would be nice!

 

[Sentinel]

Naughton in full training without tape on his knee is encouraging at least.

Yeah he can't be too restricted to be doing this kind of thing

 

[Boyd oh Boyd]

Yeah he can't be too restricted to be doing this kind of thing

I hope so

I remember when Bruce talked about how our training was very skilled based and St Kilda's was very endurance based. Sounds great but does that mean a player like Naughton looks fine because he can do that two or three times in training even when he's actually not ready for an AFL match? Somehow nobody at the club noticed how incredibly underdone he was for round 1.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

It's been an issue for a few years now. Can't think of a single impactful half forward we've had since Stringer left and Clay Smith retired (if you count Smith as a half forward role).

I know we've been linked to Caldwell the last couple of years, and he really looks like a Clay Smith 2.0 - would love to see what he could do in our setup and whether he could make the difference.

And let’s face it, for different reasons, both Stringer and Smith struggled to make an impact towards the end of their Bulldog careers.

 

[dergert]

McLean would be ideal as an inside mid. We cannot let this blue chip prospect linger on the forward flank or in the vfl.

 

[dergert]

I wonder if Cavarra gets a run again

 

[Virgin Dog]

I wonder if Cavarra gets a run again

His first game was forgettable, but that was some of the worst supply we've given our forwards in years. Could do with another crack before being dropped but who knows what happens