Changes vs saints

[Crusty Demon]

It sucks knowing that you can already tell how we’ll lose to the Saints, really hope I’m wrong and we can pull something out of a hat and win, but I feel like I’ve already seen this loss before.

Bring in Gawn, not sure what other changes will actually help us.

Yep. So predictable.

 

[Tulip]

Personally think selection has been ok this year, but really don't get why Rivers keeps being dropped and Harmes has a guaranteed spot in the 22.

 

[CWaffles]

Saints will expose our slow midfield next week.

 

[Crusty Demon]

Saints will expose our slow midfield next week.

Yep. We'll get smashed i reckon. 5 goal plus loss..

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Definite flogging incoming. If we keep it to under two goals it’ll be a relief.

 

[Blackas87]

We’ll flog the Saints

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

I don't think I've seen Dean Kent miss a set shot this year. We should try and recruit players like that.

 

[space_cowboy]

In: Rivers, Bedford, Bennell, Jordan, Jetta, Gawn
Out: Salem, Fritsch, Spargo, AVB, Swallow, Preuss

Salem was nowhere near his best, too content to dish off ineffectual handballs instead of taking the game on and hitting targets by foot, and Goodwin should let the players know that no one is guaranteed their spot.

Bedford and Jordan will add some spark and Bennell and Kozzie play better when they're both in the team.

Harmes needs to stop f*king around in defence and do what he does best, getting up inside Steele's jumper for the entire game.

Fritsch reads the play and gets his hands on it, but if he can't convert then what's the point. 50% isn't good enough. Let someone else have a go.

Is that too many changes?... nah... f*k it.

 

[Johnny Karate]

I don't think I've seen Dean Kent miss a set shot this year. We should try and recruit players like that.

No way. It’s clear we’re Crouch x2 away from contending.

 

[Jibroni]

Saints will expose us for the tactically inept team we are.

If we swapped coaches for this game it would make the difference.

 

[Demon bhoy]

In: Rivers, Bedford, Bennell, Jordan, Jetta, Gawn
Out: Salem, Fritsch, Spargo, AVB, Swallow, Preuss

Salem was nowhere near his best, too content to dish off ineffectual handballs instead of taking the game on and hitting targets by foot, and Goodwin should let the players know that no one is guaranteed their spot.

Bedford and Jordan will add some spark and Bennell and Kozzie play better when they're both in the team.

Harmes needs to stop f*king around in defence and do what he does best, getting up inside Steele's jumper for the entire game.

Fritsch reads the play and gets his hands on it, but if he can't convert then what's the point. 50% isn't good enough. Let someone else have a go.

Is that too many changes?... nah... f*k it.

Fritsch is in the top 20 in the league for marks and goals, he took 10 grabs yesterday, his kicking for goal needs to improve but I’m not sure he’s the problem

 

[Johnny Karate]

A bit like deck chairs on the Titanic but anyway;

In: Bennell, Brown, Gawn, Jordon, Rivers

Out: Hannan, Harmes, T McDonald, Preuss, Sparrow

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

If James Jordon doesn’t have the greatest debut since Jordan Gysberts what’s the point

 

[Dory_77]

Saints will expose our slow midfield next week.

They were pantsed by Geelong a fortnight back and they're hardly quick. Freo and Norf even managed to do them after a headstart.

We need to, ugh I hate this, but play our 'brand' and make the game a scrap.
Gawn back for Preuss. Bennell for Sparrow. Rivers for Harmes. Hannan for Wagner (lol, but he got 2 snags in the praccy! Need someone to drop off one game next week too!)

 

[Topkent]

I agree and I'm not really advocating Fristch to defence, but more making the point that if players like Harmes are un-droppable then we might be better off swapping him around for someone like Fristch who is struggling to hit the scoreboard anyway, mix it up.

Really I'd like to see Harmes out and Rivers in, but we know that won't happen.

Wut, he's top 20 in the Coleman and leading our goal kicking (though weid has a much better avg)

We don't really need another poor one on one defender in the back half and Harmes won't be better up forward then Fritsch

 

[demondavey]

If we can get within 4 points of Brisbane surely you have to say we are a really good chance against the Saints. We can clearly deliver when we don’t have brain fades. We switched off for 10 minutes in the third and that cost us. We need to hit the Saints hard, and we need to look closely at what Brisbane did. Being smart with our handball game would be a start, using the ground and not just disposing of it willy nilly.

If we want to play finals then we have to find something and win.

 

[Demon bhoy]

If we can get within 4 points of Brisbane surely you have to say we are a really good chance against the Saints. We can clearly deliver when we don’t have brain fades. We switched off for 10 minutes in the third and that cost us. We need to hit the Saints hard, and we need to look closely at what Brisbane did. Being smart with our handball game would be a start, using the ground and not just disposing of it willy nilly.

If we want to play finals then we have to find something and win.

I admire your optimism but we got out scored in 3 out of 4 quarters and were comprehensively outplayed from the word go, lucky to finish as close as we did, if only it was a bad 10 mins that let us down.

 

[demondavey]

I admire your optimism but we got out scored in 3 out of 4 quarters and were comprehensively outplayed from the word go, lucky to finish as close as we did, if only it was a bad 10 mins that let us down.

Well they kicked 5-6 straight then held on. I mean, we were up at half time. There’s clearly issues, not denying it, but if you think we can’t beat the Saints you’re kidding yourself. They’re good, I know they are, but if we tighten up where we need and look to get outside run we are a huge chance.

It honestly comes back to using the pill better in the guts, we are too cute with the over the head handball or look away pass. We aren’t a team of Steve Johnson’s. This comes back to midfield coaching, whoever is responsible for that. You don’t need to have burning pace to play outside, you can be sharp about where you put yourself. Of the midfielders we play it should be Brayshaw staying out with Salem and Langdon pushing up also. If you look at footage you’ll see so much congestion in close, we just need to be a handball and two out of the contest.

If we generate enough forward entry we will put their defence under pressure.

 

[bird_man]

I think this will be a close one.

We are struggling with our midfield depth at the moment with Gresham, Hannebery and Dunstan all out.

Important game for both sides, we are still a decent chance to miss finals with our run home.

Should be a cracker!

 

[Topkent]

I think this will be a close one.

We are struggling with our midfield depth at the moment with Gresham, Hannebery and Dunstan all out.

Important game for both sides, we are still a decent chance to miss finals with our run home.

Should be a cracker!

10 goal loss incoming for us.

 

[demondavey]

I think this will be a close one.

We are struggling with our midfield depth at the moment with Gresham, Hannebery and Dunstan all out.

Important game for both sides, we are still a decent chance to miss finals with our run home.

Should be a cracker!

Hannebery has been out for a while hasn’t he? Has he had much impact when fit for you? He seemed to have just got injured at Sydney and then fallen off a cliff.

 

[demondavey]

10 goal loss incoming for us.

So if that happens it’s evident we can’t beat mid rung teams similar to us. So you then have to start asking questions again; is the coach and coaches going to take us to a flag?

Sydney
Fremantle
GWS
Essendon

Post St Kilda, if we lose, I’d say we would want to be beating that block of teams to finish our year. I honestly think it’s the only way Goodwin survives. If we miss finals by dropping one of those 4 then I have no confidence the guy can deliver for us. I’d accept a 4-1 finish to the year as a pass and that loss being a narrow one to the Saints. The other games we should be winning by 25-35 points.

If we can’t beat those remaining sides then I don’t see how the club goes forward with Simon. The Saints changed coaches last year and look where they are. It’s phenomenal and obvious it isn’t the future if 2020 is a finals miss.

 

[Demon bhoy]

Well they kicked 5-6 straight then held on. I mean, we were up at half time. There’s clearly issues, not denying it, but if you think we can’t beat the Saints you’re kidding yourself. They’re good, I know they are, but if we tighten up where we need and look to get outside run we are a huge chance.

It honestly comes back to using the pill better in the guts, we are too cute with the over the head handball or look away pass. We aren’t a team of Steve Johnson’s. This comes back to midfield coaching, whoever is responsible for that. You don’t need to have burning pace to play outside, you can be sharp about where you put yourself. Of the midfielders we play it should be Brayshaw staying out with Salem and Langdon pushing up also. If you look at footage you’ll see so much congestion in close, we just need to be a handball and two out of the contest.

If we generate enough forward entry we will put their defence under pressure.

Never said we couldn’t beat the saints just that we got toyed with last Saturday, have as much talent as most teams the problem is we also have a horrible coach and that’s reflected in the clubs record against teams above us or on a similar level the last 4 years.

I’ve got no faith Goodwin will see the light this week in terms of selection or game style, fairly sure he watched yesterday and has decided we need more inside grunt

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

If Gawn comes back and we win I never want to see this ‘better off without him’ nonsense again - at least not without some amount of nuance.

If he comes back and we lose he should be delisted.

 

[demondavey]

Never said we couldn’t beat the saints just that we got toyed with last Saturday, have as much talent as most teams the problem is we also have a horrible coach and that’s reflected in the clubs record against teams above us or on a similar level the last 4 years.

I’ve got no faith Goodwin will see the light this week in terms of selection or game style, fairly sure he watched yesterday and has decided we need more inside grunt

But the thing is, it’s not about selection is it? It’s about coaching what we have. It’s the midfield that is hurting us. I saw it first hand on the weekend. It’s not about pace or burning away all the time, we are lacking smarts. Who is looking after the midfield? Why do we see 4 Melbourne midfielders converge on 1 Bulldogs player who then fires a lateral handball to a target that can run? That target already has 5 paces on the Demons who all turn look and collectively scratch their heads.

We just aren’t playing smart footy. It’s a case of see ball get ball kick immediately. Case in point, JJ. How much loose ball did he just grab from errant forward entries? It was the same last year in round 2 when Tom Stewart had about 30 uncontested touches.

We haven’t taught our players how to play midfield. We’ve said ‘see ball get ball kick ball’. You don’t need to be fast to be an outside player. You just need to know where to go. Anyone can kick not under pressure. We are just not thinking. How can our midfield coaches not see this?