Preview Changes vs North

[Jack is Back]

Will we ever stop playing half fit players and leave exciting young KIDS sitting on the sidelines?

Finally Grigg gets just over a quarter and stars. Who would have possibly predicted this. Well, me for a start. If they finally end the AFL record "rest" for a KID and bring Kerridge in this week, I predict that he will do pretty well.

And didn't we miss Porps .

I realise that Sam Shaw has struggled in recent weeks but he is part of the long term solution. Move Brodie into the midfield and give Sam the last month.

 

[1970crow]

Trouble is he is not the only one as believe have to pay out Jaensch and Martin as well if want to delist.

He seems to be the only with 'not to be used for afl' stamped on his card. Few things go wrong and jaensch and Martin play. Jacobs been woeful all year and yet this guy seems further away now than ever before.

 

[Crowbots are dead]

Out;

Otten
Thommo
Jacobs

In;
Kerridge
Hartigan (or Luke T or Shaw)
Sloane

Im sorry but you must be joking. You would leave the rucking to Smack??

 

[Crowbots are dead]

I'm surprised there's a few wanting to drop McKernan. I know he can be terrible, but Jacobs was horrendous against Goldstein earlier in the year and him getting dragged is probably what helped win the game. I wouldn't be going in with just an out of form Sauce as my only ruck option.

agreed. Even worse are those wanting to drop Jacobs and leave it all to dopey!

 

[Crowbots are dead]

Will we ever stop playing half fit players and leave exciting young KIDS sitting on the sidelines?

Finally Grigg gets just over a quarter and stars. Who would have possibly predicted this. Well, me for a start. If they finally end the AFL record "rest" for a KID and bring Kerridge in this week, I predict that he will do pretty well.

And didn't we miss Porps .

I realise that Sam Shaw has struggled in recent weeks but he is part of the long term solution. Move Brodie into the midfield and give Sam the last month.

Love to Sammy Shaw back!

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Season is now officially cooked - even though most knew it was cooked after the Tigers loss... so any injured players should be rested. Young guys must be given the rest of the season to get games into them.

Thompson out for Kerridge.

Jacobs out - either ruck McKernan for full game or bring in Graham to see if he can actually do anything/worth keeping. He can't be any worse.

Hartigan needs to come in - not fussed if we rest Truck or he comes in for Jacobs & we play 1 of our defenders forward/releave in ruck.

Try CEY for Otten.

Grigg must be given a full game. Make 1 of the experienced players a sub.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

agreed. Even worse are those wanting to drop Jacobs and leave it all to dopey!

So what was impressive about Jacobs? Did you watch him at the game - he could hardly run & I'm not talking about late in the game. He looks stuffed & no point playing him as we are effectively playing 1 short after taps.

At least McKernan looks fit & laid several strong/crunching tackles.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

PS. Interesting that both Jacobs & Porps were added to the leadership group & have struggled with form since. Can they not handle the additional responsibility? Have they been harder to drop because they are in the leadership group.

There needs to be a new leadership group for next year to start afresh. Danger (c), Sloane (vc), Talia & other younger players who have leadership qualities.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Sam Jacobs has had an ankle and hip problem since round 2 or 3 and this has restricted him.

Give him a free preseason and get his body right and I imagine he will be back to his best.

I don't see any reason to play Angus Graham as he didn't display anything at Richmond to suggest he can play AFL and his form as a ruck at Sturt is anything but good.

 

[headache1]

Not all of Big Footy

*Excludes club apologists

 

[Vader]

How's this for being revolutionary:
NO CHANGES

** Assumes Lyons gets over his injury and is passed fit to play. If he fails the fitness test, then replace him with Kerridge.

 

[Elite Crow]

How's this for being revolutionary:
NO CHANGES

** Assumes Lyons gets over his injury and is passed fit to play. If he fails the fitness test, then replace him with Kerridge.

So you are happy to keep playing an injured Thommo with the season shot?

 

[azza77]

Andy Otten is a really confusing prospect and frustrating me atm. He can go forward and have an impact, but his goal kicking is as bad as anyone that ive seen. I also think that our biggest problem is that we are WAAAAYY TOO slow playing both Truck and Otten in the same backline. They are both big, lumbering players who are good over head, but are extremely limited in the impact they can provide other than shutting down their opponents/simple switch kicks across the back 50.

I think our backline would perform much better if we were to play Rutten/Otten + Talia + Hartigan. At least this would provide us with a bit more flexibility when mismatches occur throughout the game. With Rutten playing on for another year now, its hard to see what to do with Otten, as with Hartigan + Siggins we could potentially trade him, however that would be risky.

I would like to see Rutten dropped for the year, Andy Otten moved into Rutten's position and throw in Hartigan. Otten is just simply not athletic enough to perform the 3rd tall role as effectively as we would like. It baffles me that he was drafted as a midfielder

Get CEY in also! would love to see him in the team. Sando said at some point this year he should play some games, so why not now. Push Smith up the field abit and chuck CEY down back. Hes a very good athlete, strong, agile, quick. He would make our backline a lot more versatile.

Would also like to see Thompson rested for the year with Kerridge in

Sloane is a chance to play this week apparently. He could come in for Lyons. Lyons seems to really be struggling. This could be due to injury / fitness, however I also think he is not very effective as a half forward flanker. He is brilliant around the contests and through the middle of the ground, however up forward he just doesnt seem to have the pace or right game sense to be playing this small forward/high half forward that we have seen him playing lately. If hes fit, throw him right inot the guts and give him so valuable time before the season is up.

Dont know what to do with our rucks. Dont care either do whatever

 

[Elite Crow]

Drop Rutten for Otten? Are you on drugs? Why don't we just drop Otten?

 

[1970crow]

Drop Rutten for Otten? Are you on drugs? Why don't we just drop Otten?

got me too. really good analysis leading to the bleeding obvious and then went in the exact opposite direction that I expected.

 

[King Elvis]

I've been saying our backline is unbalanced and too slow most of the year, yet Otten been alright so didn't 'deserve' to be dropped; so most people wanted him kept in.

It's the kind of soft, accepting mindset that is a cancer within the Crows.

Truck had 19 touches... Otten had 13.

One is our best KPP (and arguably the best in the League) one is a third tall who we recruited as a midfielder.

Seem like a problem?

Im sorry but you must be joking. You would leave the rucking to Smack??

Damn right I would.

He's shown good signs the last few weeks - put it all on him and make him the main man.

Sink or swim time.

If graham isn't going to play last couple with Jacobs out then he never will. I've no problem with that as long as we have the balls to pay him out and delist him. Sal cap is not an issue and he's got to be a waste of a spot.

They'll probably feel sorry for him and make him assistant ruck coach. Now that'd be a dream team.

It still blows my mind that we actually went after Graham - he is terrible; and the fact that Jacobs has been dismal and we still haven't brought Graham in says it all (and also makes me think whether it was Sando's decision to recruit him or not).

 

[Mattrox]

I've been saying our backline is unbalanced and too slow most of the year, yet Otten been alright so didn't 'deserve' to be dropped; so most people wanted him kept in.

It's the kind of soft, accepting mindset that is a cancer within the Crows.

Truck had 19 touches... Otten had 13.

One is our best KPP (and arguably the best in the League) one is a third tall who we recruited as a midfielder.

Seem like a problem?



Damn right I would.

He's shown good signs the last few weeks - put it all on him and make him the main man.

Sink or swim time.




It still blows my mind that we actually went after Graham - he is terrible; and the fact that Jacobs has been dismal and we still haven't brought Graham in says it all (and also makes me think whether it was Sando's decision to recruit him or not).

Maybe Sturt needed a new ruck...... We did them a favour?

 

[azza77]

Drop Rutten for Otten? Are you on drugs? Why don't we just drop Otten?

Sorry i dont think you quite understood what i was trying to get at.

Its not something I would suggest normally but our season is finished we know that now. Otten just seem too big and slow, a very similar build to Rutten. Rutten probably has 1 maybe 2 more years left in him I would think. Now that the season is done, I was suggesting maybe play Otten in Trucks position and leave truck out for the year. this would do a few things for us....

1. Give Otten 4 games to show if he actually has a role in the team that he can play out successfully. I think that one player of Truck/Ottens build is enough and playing both in the same side is limiting us significantly. Truck seems to be able to perform his role brilliantly without the need for much pace or agility. Otten has neither of these, so why not look to the future and see if Otten can potentially fills trucks shoes one day? its worth a shot.
2. by moving truck out, this would also give us the opportunity to play Hartigan or someone like CEY for the rest of the year and see if they can perform better as a 3rd tall for us, cos to be honest, Otten is really not doing it for me imo.
3. Give Talia and the younger blokes the opportunity to step up in terms of leadership with Rutten out and marshall the troops.

Obviously come round 1 of next year, Id be throwing Rutten back at FB in the blink of an eye in our starting 22. I dont think Truck deserves to be dropped or anything like that. I just think that if we want to build a successful team, then Otten isnt exactly our best option as a 3rd tall or swingman (like i said his set shot kicking is pretty bad). Just trying to think ahead and move players around to see if they could perform better in different roles.

 

[Tex200]

Out Johnston (rest), Grigg (rest), Jacobs (omitted)

I'd like to see us give Smack the 1 st ruck and give him some responsibility.

Dont ask about the chop out, havent thought that far ahead

 

[JP Sauce]

Out Johnston (rest), Grigg (rest), Jacobs (omitted)

I'd like to see us give Smack the 1 st ruck and give him some responsibility.

Dont ask about the chop out, havent thought that far ahead

Looks good, but surely Brown, Crouch and Laird need rests too.

 

[TFloyd]

In: Kerridge, Hartigan
Out: Thommo, Otten
Sub: Lyons.

Think with petrie, black, resting ruck, our back line will be stretched with otten as the third tall.
Hartigan takes black while rutten takes resting ruck, talia takes petrie.
No resting ruck, rutten takes petrie, talia takes black, hartigan third man up. Also gives us some flexibility if they swing Hansen forward, which given how small our forward line is looking is more than likely

 

[Skippy231]

Ben Dowdell (Central): Six kicks, four handballs, 20 hit outs, six clearances

Any chance of playing a game or 2 to see if he is worth persisting with. Also compared to our other ruckman from Richmond:

Angus Graham (Sturt): Three kicks, three handballs, 13 hit outs

 

[Saintly31]

In: Kerridge, Hartigan
Out: Thommo, Otten
Sub: Lyons.

Think with petrie, black, resting ruck, our back line will be stretched with otten as the third tall.
Hartigan takes black while rutten takes resting ruck, talia takes petrie.
No resting ruck, rutten takes petrie, talia takes black, hartigan third man up. Also gives us some flexibility if they swing Hansen forward, which given how small our forward line is looking is more than likely

Sorry to intrude, but I suspect that is highly unlikely. Our structure at the moment is Petrie, Black and Tarrant, so three talls already. Hansen has been in excellent form in defense either picking up a tall or playing as the spare, doubt we would change that.

Anyway, who knows what will happen and looking at our poor form away from Etihad over recent years, think it could be another close game.

 

[Wood_Duck]

So you are happy to keep playing an injured Thommo with the season shot?

I was actually hoping he would lose it and knock someone on their arse on Sunday. Would be happy to not see him again til pre season training.

 

[Crowbots are dead]

So what was impressive about Jacobs? Did you watch him at the game - he could hardly run & I'm not talking about late in the game. He looks stuffed & no point playing him as we are effectively playing 1 short after taps.

At least McKernan looks fit & laid several strong/crunching tackles.

I see your piont. We have a maasive issue here. The bloke we picked up less than 12 months ago to relieve him is a dud (and everyone knew it) and Smack has stagnated. Its back to the drawing board really. Anyone whatch Dowell much to see if he has what it takes and if so when we could realistically see him in the team?