Prediction Changes v Whoever The **** It Is After The Bye

[avishka5]

Wasn't our forward line Kennedy, Lynch, darling and resting ruck in 2011-12 when we finished 4th-5th?
With Lecras as well.

Lynch played a lot at HFF/wing then, which still helped us keep a a balanced forward line. That forward line also applied a ton of forward pressure and kept the ball locked in. The last 2 years we haven't been implementing the forward press as any where close to what it was.
The only way we can play Darling/petrie/kennedy/resting ruck is to have JD play as HFF/wing but simmo and MC don't seem keen on that idea.

 

[Eagleboy68]

Lynch played a lot at HFF/wing then, which still helped us keep a a balanced forward line. That forward line also applied a ton of forward pressure and kept the ball locked in. The last 2 years we haven't been implementing the forward press as any where close to what it was.
The only way we can play Darling/petrie/kennedy/resting ruck is to have JD play as HFF/wing but simmo and MC don't seem keen on that idea.

It's a pity.
I reckon he does well up the ground and would do well in that role.

 

[Woobla Stainz]

I

I'd give him Duggans role. As average as Gaff has been recently his work is immense. The games i have seen of him live you can see him busting his gut off running from end to end providing an option out of defence and then nek minute linking up through the middle At this stage only one other person has the tank to do it and thats masten. In the long term sure they could replace masto with parto(hope not cause i actually want Parto to be an inside player) but in the short run Masto is a suitable replacement for Gaff. Parto could potentially fill Hutchings role.

I agree with what your saying but i don't want Masten back in the team yet. He was average in the Wafl and has had that many chances over years and has at best been average. Time to switch things up he should only come back in if he truly dominates at Wafl level. He should be told to focus on his decision making, goal kicking and tackling.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Darling and Lecras both compete for a loose ball...

Darling gets there first, throws his head back looking for a free kick then loses his feet against a smaller opponent and goes to ground. Lecras sees this, soccers it out of mid air for goal rather than take possession of the footy and it goes out of bounds on the full.


#jettawhatsthepoint

 

[Brave Sir Robin]

I saw something the other week that Darling had caused the most turnovers in the league by direct pressure acts. Something like 24 in 8 games, to that point.

Which surprised me, actually, but probably explains why he hadn't been dropped or even on the cusp of being dropped (until Saturday, that is) - his work off the ball had been valued along with his 2-3 goals.

However when you don't hit the scoreboard, he becomes an easy target for a guy who is paid to kick goals.

I know this is a lazy response but that stat doesn't pass the sniff test.

Would be very interesting to see footage of those acts though. Agree that it would be surprising if true.

 

[laurie]

Guys sorry for this Q as I live in Sydney when I hear someone played well in the WAFL,compared to the AFL level out of 10 what would the number be? and I wonder if the WAFL is similar standard to NEAFL for Sydney & GWS players so what I really want to know because you played well in the WAFL is that enough to get you a game with the Eagles main team thanks

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Cant Carry 3 tall forwards and 2 ruckmen. Id drop Petrie move Lycett to FF/ruck and have jk chf/ff and Darling as third tall. Vardy to rest at FF as well.

Darling isnt really a standard tall though Vish, and thats why he was so successful as that third taller option, as he had strength in a marking contest and speed when the ball hit the ground (that was before he started throwing his head back for frees). It was how we played when he was first brought into the team and he was very successful then. Its since we've been playing him as the second tall that he's struggled more as he's not a proper second tall.

 

[Keys]

Guys sorry for this Q as I live in Sydney when I hear someone played well in the WAFL,compared to the AFL level out of 10 what would the number be? and I wonder if the WAFL is similar standard to NEAFL for Sydney & GWS players so what I really want to know because you played well in the WAFL is that enough to get you a game with the Eagles main team thanks

If AFL is a 10 then I'd say WAFL is around a 7. Not quite as quick or as congested but the players are still pretty fit and it's not easy for someone to drop back and completely dominate like Tom Mitchell was doing in the NEAFL

In a state game two weeks ago a combined WAFL side beat a combined VFL side by 10 goals in Victoria. It's a solid standard league but there's still a significant step up from WAFL to AFL

 

[avishka5]

Darling isnt really a standard tall though Vish, and thats why he was so successful as that third taller option, as he had strength in a marking contest and speed when the ball hit the ground (that was before he started throwing his head back for frees). It was how we played when he was first brought into the team and he was very successful then. Its since we've been playing him as the second tall that he's struggled more as he's not a proper second tall.

Read my last reply to eagleboy. Darling doesn't have the agility or ability to compete at ground level to justify us having so many talls. The only way it's possible is having darling playing as hff/wingmen and pushing up the ground but MC and simmo are very conservative about it. I remember him doing very well in a nab game last year when he was allowed to roam around the ground.

 

[avishka5]

Guys sorry for this Q as I live in Sydney when I hear someone played well in the WAFL,compared to the AFL level out of 10 what would the number be? and I wonder if the WAFL is similar standard to NEAFL for Sydney & GWS players so what I really want to know because you played well in the WAFL is that enough to get you a game with the Eagles main team thanks

Half this board would get a game for a neafl side

 

[RookiePick]

Some of my very first posts here stressed that Darling was a much better player facing the goals. I still think that is the case.

Kennedy
Vardy
Darling
Lycett
Naitanui
McGovern
Barrass

7 talls, is it too many? With our current midfield group and dearth of crumbing smalls I would say yes. If we can get a bit more pace in the midfield and some better ground level players around the feet of our tall perhaps not.

Vardy to play true CHF and Darling 3rd tall. Would need Darling to shed a little bulk to ensure he is mobile enough to run the HFF-wing when there is a resting ruckman forward. Vardy should be able to play as a very mobile CHF with a year of rucking building his tank.

B: Sheppard Barrass Hurn
HB: Nelson McGovern Yeo
C: Jetta Sheed Gaff
HF: Mutimer Vardy Darling
FF: Cripps JJK Rioli
R: Naitanui Shuey Mitchell

I: Lycett, Duggan, Wellingham, Partington/Magikarp/Venables

Depth: Hill, Hutchings, Cole, Schofield, Redden, McInnes

Mutimer, Nelson, Yeo and Cripps all able to run through the middle and three of them hopefully at the coalface. Even 2-3 minutes a quarter from these guys would make a massive difference to the workload of the core midfielders.

Probably the wrong thread but I've written now

 

[sey666]

Half this board would get a game for an nearly side

What is an nearly side?

 

[avishka5]

What is an nearly side?

Phone autocorrected neafle.

 

[jesterwester]

I know this is a lazy response but that stat doesn't pass the sniff test.

Would be very interesting to see footage of those acts though. Agree that it would be surprising if true.

6pr reported it and Mark Robinson commented on it on twitter.. So not the greatest of sources, for sure.

However, if the stat is true- it is good to see him impacting on games when he doesn't have the ball.

Personally, I don't think we kick to him well. Too may high balls which are easy kills for the defenders. We the. try to use him for a high outlet kick off HB at times and he just doesn't have the size to take those big contested marks.

I was heartened by his mark in the 1st quarter on the weekend, he hit the contest well to take a good overhead mark..
but that was really it- he got hands to plenty but they just didn't stick.

 

[Brave Sir Robin]

That mark early on did look like a good sign, it was a shame it didn't set him up for a good game.

Would've been OK if the rest of his attempts just didn't stick - from memory half of them ended up spilled straight into a Sun's hands!

 

[Eagleboy68]

at 191cm 95kgs Darlings isn't a midsize player at all. Mid size forward is a hill/lecras/dickson(WBD)/steve j. Darling is on the lower specrum of a key position forward and when he was in form he would trouble bigger opponents than him. Trouble is that Darlings best form is short lived and recently he has just been average. Thats said, you can't play kennedy/petrie/darling and a resting ruck when you have no crumbers because opposition defenders will walk the ball out when the sherrin hits the floor.

Chris Judd 189cm
Steve Johnson 189 cm

Darling only 2 cm taller than either.

Josh Kennedy 196 cm.

Usually key forwards are 195cm plus.

Darling is by no means a key forward and possibly why we haven't seen the best of him since being used as a key forward.

 

[porttoport]

Would be surprised to see Lecras play for EP. Absolutely hates them he would probably rather retire.

I doubt your doubt , he is a true pro and will do as he has to. If it's the West Perth v East Perth dislike that has dissipated much with the alignment . True Royals players in league and reserves are very scarce and with this the dislike of others clubs.

Guessing he is on close to $450K , so even if he "hates them " for pure financial reasons why would he forsake the balance of a very lucrative contract in his closing years of the big earns


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[porttoport]

at 191cm 95kgs Darlings isn't a midsize player at all. Mid size forward is a hill/lecras/dickson(WBD)/steve j. Darling is on the lower specrum of a key position forward and when he was in form he would trouble bigger opponents than him. Trouble is that Darlings best form is short lived and recently he has just been average. Thats said, you can't play kennedy/petrie/darling and a resting ruck when you have no crumbers because opposition defenders will walk the ball out when the sherrin hits the floor.

He is a medium because he is not a tall and not a small. I'm sure there are no definitive cm measurements for this but mediums would be the biggest catch net . Yours might be termed small mediums if we were looking for further definition . What is clear is he is not a tall .

I would also say he plays small for his size that meaning he does not use height body as well as he could


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[WCErevival]

Looks like Parti will definitely debut. Article on him on the Eagles site. But for who will be the question.

 

[EastPete]

When Kennedy is back and Lycett is it an option to play Kennedy at FF, Petrie at CHF, darling the third tall with Lecras and hill small forwards?
This would release gov back to defence.
The only issue is then that Vardy and Lycett word need to rest on the bench or rotate forward with Petrie.

Is this too tall. I don't think so as i see darling as a medium third tall forward like many others.

I like it

 

[EastPete]

Lynch played a lot at HFF/wing then, which still helped us keep a a balanced forward line. That forward line also applied a ton of forward pressure and kept the ball locked in. The last 2 years we haven't been implementing the forward press as any where close to what it was.
The only way we can play Darling/petrie/kennedy/resting ruck is to have JD play as HFF/wing but simmo and MC don't seem keen on that idea.

They need to listen to you

 

[flyinghi64]

Rather than seeing many personnel changes I would rather see a few structural ones.
I think Emac did ok and deserves to hold his spot.
With Hawkins out this is a great opportunity to try Gov as CHF and Darling on a flank for more than 5 minutes.
Petrie, who was a standout last week mind you showing more fight and passion for a jumper he only wore once before than most others in the team, and Vardy to FF/Ruck.

Parto sounds like he deserves a call up and after a 3 goal haul (I think) he could be a good replacement for Lecca. Have the MC got enough balls to do this though? It would be another little statement on the back of the Masto/Redden one, who both by the way need to do more to get a recall.

Lycett needs another hit-out for EP I believe.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Read my last reply to eagleboy. Darling doesn't have the agility or ability to compete at ground level to justify us having so many talls. The only way it's possible is having darling playing as hff/wingmen and pushing up the ground but MC and simmo are very conservative about it. I remember him doing very well in a nab game last year when he was allowed to roam around the ground.

And read my reply to your reply, he's already been successful as the 3rd tall when we had Lynch playing as the CHF and Kennedy at FF. He's taller than your standard non tall in the forward line, so he's usually hard to match up on and can take marks better without a true 2nd KPD on him. We're gonna have to agree to disagree.

 

[Jiggyman]

Looks like Parti will definitely debut. Article on him on the Eagles site. But for who will be the question.

Think he comes in for Hutchings. If MC want to be ballsy Priddis goes for Redden, but we all know that won't happen.

 

[FKASC]

Think he comes in for Hutchings. If MC want to be ballsy Priddis goes for Redden, but we all know that won't happen.

Redden stinks. Let's not play this game where we pretend Priddis is magically turning players into spuds by virtue of him standing next to them

It is extremely unlikely that Redden suddenly becomes a gun through dropping Priddis.