Changes vs North Melbourne

[Rors]

Good to see we have fixed our clearance issues with those ins

^^^ this... So true!

We are gonna get smashed in the centre clearances again

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

Anyone know how far off he is ,didn't realise how much we miss his football brain

VFL this weekend i think stkildathunda said

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

IN: Armitage, Ferguson, Wright, Saunders
OUT: Hayes, Siposs, Ray, Maister

Would take us in with just Hickey + Riewoldt as our tall forwards but Jones i think needs to stay and play a normal inside role ridiculous how we didn't bring in any other inside midfielders.

Siposs always goes missing, Maister hasn't looked good either. Would love to see all those players named as ins, Look to send someone like Gwilt forward like Geelong do with Taylor and stuff. OR if they just play Black & Petrie as forwards send Rhys forward.

 

[Armo #20]

I though that this might be the week Ledger was promoted. Fair to say he's a sitting duck now. And to think he showed so much promise in his first pre season and then never really improved.

 

[CHBench]

We are gonna get smashed in the centre clearances again

Clearance issues coincide with McEvoy's last 2 weeks. We were +1 for centre clearances vs our opponents after the Carlton game, since then he's put in putrid games and we've been absolutely smashed by inferior midfields to those we broke even with/beat in the centre clearances earlier in the season. Armo, Wright, Saunders should give us a little more run in the midfield, which is my biggest concern.

Either McEvoy needs to pull his finger out, or Hickey plays number 1 for us to have any sort of chance on Sunday.

 

[Strahany]

IN: Armitage, Ferguson, Wright, Saunders
OUT: Hayes, Siposs, Ray, Maister

Would take us in with just Hickey + Riewoldt as our tall forwards but Jones i think needs to stay and play a normal inside role ridiculous how we didn't bring in any other inside midfielders.

Siposs always goes missing, Maister hasn't looked good either. Would love to see all those players named as ins, Look to send someone like Gwilt forward like Geelong do with Taylor and stuff. OR if they just play Black & Petrie as forwards send Rhys forward.

Hickey hasn't shown enough to be even considered as a 3rd forward, let alone a second forward, and one who will often be the only forward in the 50 metre arc due to Riewoldt's marking on the wings.

We need Gwilt's drive off the half-back line, especially if we are going to lose Fisher and/or Dempster (keep in mind we're already lacking Gilbert, as well).

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

Hickey hasn't shown enough to be even considered as a 3rd forward, let alone a second forward, and one who will often be the only forward in the 50 metre arc due to Riewoldt's marking on the wings.

We need Gwilt's drive off the half-back line, especially if we are going to lose Fisher and/or Dempster (keep in mind we're already lacking Gilbert, as well).

Our forward line worked well when we played Hickey, Riewoldt as our all real talls against Carlton. Only way he'll improve in the forward/ruck role is to continue playing him in that role.

 

[Strahany]

Clearance issues coincide with McEvoy's last 2 weeks. We were +1 for centre clearances vs our opponents after the Carlton game, since then he's put in putrid games and we've been absolutely smashed by inferior midfields to those we broke even with/beat in the centre clearances earlier in the season. Armo, Wright, Saunders should give us a little more run in the midfield, which is my biggest concern.

Armo should obviously come in for Hayes, and I'd say Ray was only in the side for as long as Wright was out, so he'll go. I'd like to see us lose one of our tall forwards for Saunders to come in; as you said, we seriously need more run. Hickey needs to stay in due to no other second ruck option (Stanley can go through there, but should be used very sparingly, if at all), so it's just a matter of who is better for our structures and for matching up to North, out of Siposs and Maister.

 

[Strahany]

Our forward line worked well when we played Hickey, Riewoldt as our all real talls against Carlton. Only way he'll improve in the forward/ruck role is to continue playing him in that role.

But we also had Siposs who, whilst not a big target, works as a target nonetheless.

 

[SaintLex]

Love that we've given Ferg a chance (hope he's not the sub - should be obvious but the way we've been selecting lately...)

However, the one thing I wanted more than anything else was at least 1 more inside mid/clearance specialist and we haven't addressed this at all, unless Wright plays in the guts and wins a few for us.

Yes, we don't have a whole lot to work with given the state of our list and yes, Ledger might not have been the saviour but ffs, we have to try something new.

We got smashed by a midfield that isn't rated as highly as NM's midfield and we've decided to go in virtually the same this week (albeit a small change, Armo for Lenny, that almost cancels each other out)

I mean, I don't even know what to say anymore

 

[stkildathunda]

VFL this weekend i think stkildathunda said

Who did I say was playing VFL? Schneids still at least week away, but Tommy Simpkin back playing VFL this week

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

Who did I say was playing VFL? Schneids still at least week away, but Tommy Simpkin back playing VFL this week

Yeah was talking about Adam, Thought you said on twitter earlier in week he was a chance to play VFL.

 

[stkildathunda]

Yeah was talking about Adam, Thought you said on twitter earlier in week he was a chance to play VFL.

Yea was chance, had pass fitness test

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

Yea was chance, had pass fitness test

Hopefully next week.

 

[hayes]

We had Lenny and Jones in last week and we still got smashed in the middle. It's not the midfield that's the problem, it's almost irrelevant who we put in there.

Would love to see both Wright and Saunders come in. One tall needs to go.

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

We had Lenny and Jones in last week and we still got smashed in the middle. It's not the midfield that's the problem, it's almost irrelevant who we put in there.

Would love to see both Wright and Saunders come in. One tall needs to go.

My point sort of, Maister/Hickey out along with Siposs. Siposs needs to work on running out games always missing and three talls up forward ain't working so only one of Maister/Hickey, I think Hickey will probably stay though.

 

[hayes]

My point sort of, Maister/Hickey out along with Siposs. Siposs needs to work on running out games always missing and three talls up forward ain't working so only one of Maister/Hickey, I think Hickey will probably stay though.

Probably isn't fair on Maister but we did look a lot better with Hickey as the other key forward, and Siposs needs to stay in IMO. Young guys are going to have their up and downs, we need to persist with them if they're ever going to be good AFL players.

 

[stkildathunda]

Now this is how you do a preview!! http://bitly.com/149yJKj

 

[Q TRAIN]

dont know what we really expected from Maister? He was just an average player at the Weagles.
And has just been an average player for us. Had half a good year in the WAFL but thats a world away from AFL standard .
I always thought he was just drafted for depth. But with Stanleys injury woes from a yr or so ago and Siposs not coming on as quickly as we expected, Maister probably got played more than expected. He did the right thing by us and seemed to get himself really fit this pre season but sadly it hasnt helped him much.
Agree with people about Siposs, he has a body like a Commodore but an engine like a Hyundai Getz.
Somebody get that kid fit for gods sake.

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

Jon Ralph ‏@RalphyHeraldSun 7s
Nick Riewoldt in big doubt for North clash given his head knock with Picken. Hardly did anything all week

 

[Plugger35]

Can't believe Ledger still can't get a look in when he's the type of pacy clearance midfielder we need and has apparently been playing well in the VFL.

The majority of our younger players we've brought in are similar half forward/half back types rather than genuine clearance mids that we're lacking in. Doesn't make much sense.

 

[Rors]

Clearance issues coincide with McEvoy's last 2 weeks. We were +1 for centre clearances vs our opponents after the Carlton game, since then he's put in putrid games and we've been absolutely smashed by inferior midfields to those we broke even with/beat in the centre clearances earlier in the season. Armo, Wright, Saunders should give us a little more run in the midfield, which is my biggest concern.

Either McEvoy needs to pull his finger out, or Hickey plays number 1 for us to have any sort of chance on Sunday.

Yes, but I still worry that we average the 2nd lowest amount of clearances a game & the lowest amount of centre clearances.... I put this down to not having the cattle to rotate through the midfield throughout the game to ensure our premium mids aren't completely wrecked by the last quarter. The final quarter clearance & centre clearance stats have been diabolical in recent weeks: a huge indication that our players are too fatigued by the last quarter. Another inside mid is what we need to get more rotations through the bench & forward line

 

[Plugger35]

Jon Ralph ‏@RalphyHeraldSun 7s
Nick Riewoldt in big doubt for North clash given his head knock with Picken. Hardly did anything all week

Great.

Yet that wasn't a free kick or looked at by the MRP.

 

[Armo #20]

Now this is how you do a preview!! http://bitly.com/149yJKj

Wow!

 

[stkildathunda]

Wow!

I've said it before, north are hands down best in business. Have look around their website at other articles previewing this weeks game! Wish Saints could do half as they do!