Preview Changes vs. Hawks

[hey shorty]

Neither. You just don't rest players like that against the Premiers, in such a big, important game, unless they are not right to go. I'm sure if they are a little sore then they'll be able to get up for a game like this.

Tex is Tex. He can change a game off his own boot. You don't rest players like that unless they REALLY need it.
Thommo may be a dinosaur but he's been in ripping form.

Again I agree and with Lake missing more than likely its a good opportunity for that to happen. Thommo only misses if he isn't close to 100% fit. Its one thing to not play your best players, its another to play guys who arent fully fit.

We seem to want to run Danger into the floor, cant do it with anyone else

 

[SloaneysDanger]

Again I agree and with Lake missing more than likely its a good opportunity for that to happen. Thommo only misses if he isn't close to 100% fit. Its one thing to not play your best players, its another to play guys who arent fully fit.

We seem to want to run Danger into the floor, cant do it with anyone else

Danger has been injured most of the season but we cannot afford to rest him.

 

[Owen_AFC97]

Going to have to be at our absolutely best to beat Hawthorn. Can not recall them losing two matches in a row for a while.

 

[huludicidal]

Out:
Rutten (inj), S Thompson (inj), Dangerfield (inj)

In:
L Thompson, M Crouch, Grigg

Sub: Grigg

Talia will be lucky to get up. Hip pointers are tough at the best of times but on a 6 day break will be touch and go. I'll back him in to play at this stage though.

Obviously Rutten is 50/50, but given the 6 day break it seems unlikely to me that he'd fail a concussion test today and pass one on Thursday.

Thommo is a certain out for mine. You don't risk blokes with sore / tight / strained hammies. It's that simple.

I think Dangerfield will miss. A medial strain in his own words. Needs a week off (bare minimum) if that's the case. Stayed on out of necessity today as the docs clearly didn't think it would get worse. Once it cools down he'll struggle to move though I can assure you, from personal experience.


There's two silver linings from the casualties today:

1) There doesn't appear to be any injuries that will take more than 3 weeks to heal

2) We get to see the Crouch brothers in action together for the very first time on a Friday night at AO

 

[huludicidal]

Danger has been injured most of the season but we cannot afford to rest him.

It's not a 'rest' when you've strained your medial ligament. He's injured. He's out.

 

[kirky]

We do understand that we don't play the following week - it is a split round so the boys get a week rest before playing Collingwood. If they need a rest, they get it the following week. We need to beat Hawthorn, no ifs, no buts.

 

[Carmo]

goin by sandos press conference he reckons all our injured players will come up.

Sewell out for hawthorn for next 3-4 wks.

 

[SloaneysDanger]

It's not a 'rest' when you've strained your medial ligament. He's injured. He's out.

He played the rest of the game and even said he'll play next week..

 

[hey shorty]

To be fair he would say he's playing even if he busted his knee.

 

[huludicidal]

He played the rest of the game and even said he'll play next week..

What Dangerfield says means nothing. He doesn't make the decision.

He has a medial strain. The docs didn't think it could get any worse by staying on. ONCE IT COOLS DOWN, he won't be able to play football. These are the facts. This is why you never hear "{insert player here} has been cleared to play after missing no games with a medial strain". It just doesn't happen.

 

[Wood_Duck]

To be fair he would say he's playing even if he busted his knee.

He played this week after dying in a fatal car crash during the week.

 

[huludicidal]

goin by sandos press conference he reckons all our injured players will come up.

Sewell out for hawthorn for next 3-4 wks.

Yeah, you'll learn soon enough to never 'go by' anything Sando says in a presser. Remember that one a month ago where he said Walker was a certainty to be rested in the coming weeks? How's that going?

It was absolutely stupid playing Tex today and he was comfortably our worst player as a direct result of this stupidity. On that note, are we certain Tex will actually be in any state to take on the Hawks? Looks cooked to me.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Injuries threatening to derail us…Talia, Danger, Thompson among our top 5 most important players.

So it's either LT/Hartigan for Rutten (if not cleared, who comes in depends on match-ups…at least Cyril not there to make a fool of Luke)

M Crouch, Lyons and Grigg on standby in that order for the mids.

Laird on very thin ice…didn't do a lot except a couple nice marks.

 

[hey shorty]

Injuries threatening to derail us…Talia, Danger, Thompson among our top 5 most important players.

So it's either LT/Hartigan for Rutten (if not cleared, who comes in depends on match-ups…at least Cyril not there to make a fool of Luke)

M Crouch, Lyons and Grigg on standby in that order for the mids.

Laird on very thin ice…didn't do a lot except a couple nice marks.

Its a game not many would expect us to win. The Showdown win means this is kinda a 'free hit' situation. Win and we are the real deal, lose and its not the end of the world. They will be hit by injuries and suspension too.

 

[WeeBlake]

Danger pretty proppy at the airport just now...

 

[King Elvis]

Talia on Roughy.

Luke T on Gunston.

Otten on resting ruck?

Brown on Breust?

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Talia on Roughy.

Luke T on Gunston.

Otten on resting ruck?

Brown on Breust?

Talia, Brown match-ups are locks.

The others could go Otten-Gunston, Hartigan-Hale

 

[King Elvis]

Gunston too mobile for Otten I think.

Hartigan on Hale would work - would like to see Otten drop out if that's the case (or drop Pods and use Otten as the swinger).

 

[1970crow]

He played this week after dying in a fatal car crash during the week.

Did slow him down a bit though. Certainly not his best game.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Gunston too mobile for Otten I think.

Hartigan on Hale would work - would like to see Otten drop out if that's the case (or drop Pods and use Otten as the swinger).

It's a tough one because Otten has done his best work on taller blokes lately.

Conversely Gunston, while slippery, isn't fast.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Hopefully no changes.

If rutten doesn't recover would go for the more solid hartigan as likely to have roughy & hale to cover with Talia with Otten to task gunston.

Would bring Lyons in if thommo doesn't come up - but Sando will bring in m crouch which is not a bad option given his form.

 

[1970crow]

Gunston too mobile for Otten I think.

Hartigan on Hale would work - would like to see Otten drop out if that's the case (or drop Pods and use Otten as the swinger).

Can't see pods getting dropped. I think we're married to the 3 genuine tall fwd structure. Well, at least while pods is fit to play anyway.

 

[TheLeftFist8]

Can't see pods getting dropped. I think we're married to the 3 genuine tall fwd structure. Well, at least while pods is fit to play anyway.

I think the forward structure is working quite well, it's just that Tex isn't near his best.

 

[huludicidal]

Rutten (concussion) makes way for LT. Here's how the defense shapes up for mine:

Talia ---> Roughead (obvious)
Otten ---> whoever is up there out of Hale (likely opponent for most of the game), Schoenmakers (think he'll play in defense), Ceglar (think he'll get dropped) or Mcevoy (should come in and ruck for most of the game)
LT ---> Gunston (a big ask, but he's the right height and has speed. Back him in)
Brown ---> Breust (an absolute must)
Jaensch ---> Puopolo (or Laird)

Henderson could spend some time on Gunston or Breust too, but we should be doing everything possible to get one of Smith or Hendo as a loose man. Podsiadly can drop back to cover Hale / Mcevoy if Otten's lack of height is exposed.

Would like to see Laird used in a defensive role further up the ground, perhaps on Birchall.

 

[1970crow]

I think the forward structure is working quite well, it's just that Tex isn't near his best.

Maybe our forward structure could work really well with 2 genuine talls and lynch as a medium. We're married to it because of pods, if he's injured it will be straight out the window. He was basically passable again today. But that's about all we get from him.