Preview Changes vs ST KILDA. Elimination final preview (GABBA- Sat 3rd October). Happy now??

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Aug 24, 2012
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In no world is dropping Crozier an option. Absolutely none. If you're running with the above theory, Duryea goes before Croz.
Croz is the one being pushed forward with more regularity, however, which is why I picked him. But as above the theory is more related to dropping a defender than dropping a specific player.
 
Oct 19, 2012
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In no world is dropping Crozier an option. Absolutely none. If you're running with the above theory, Duryea goes before Croz.

Do we need 3 KPD's anyway?

Marshall, King, Membrey vs Cordy, Keath, Wood. Seems fine.

Wouldn't be shocked if Cordy swings back and forward this week and helps Bruce as the chop out ruck.

Talk of Crozier being in consideration to be dropped is crazy talk.

I don't want to lose any more speed so Richards hangs on (hes the most deserving to be dropped) and unfortunately VDM replaces the unlucky Lipinski. Rourke Smiths best game for the club was against Freo.

Lipinski's lack of intensity at times and the fact that St Kilda opened us up like swiss cheese in round 2 has to be a major consideration.

The conditions will be absolutely ideal and most of the game will have been played before the dew has set in. 6 talls is the preferred number so Gardiner survives and Cordy can play forward/back and wherever required.
 

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I think you mean all teams paper over cracks. Which is essentially true however not all cracks are created equal. Some are barely able to be seen with a naked eye whilst others are chasms. Ours is closer to the latter than former.
Must be a Grand Canyon for the teams who missed the finals
 

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Does anyone else not think we have too many defenders in the team, especially medium defenders. JJ is not a forward, they tried Crozier there, did not work, the team looks unbalanced to me on the last few games. Another natural, specialist forward is needed not the make shift ones they have been trying. It's all very well to say bloke deserve a game because he has been playing ok but what is best for the team to win? If St Kilda aren't as tall with Battle out, does that mean we need both Gardner and Cordy? Rourke Smith has been serviceable but is he in the best 22, same with Richards?

Having said all that, Beveridge normally doesn't care about a mix of defenders/forwards/mids and picks who has trained the best......
Yeah well I would hope all our good players train well it would be some way to being a great team
 

Jeff 1975

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Was that the game Ryan Hargrave got done for htb when he kicked it 10 metres?



Yes sadly – resulted in a goal too

Nick Riewoldt late goal was touched

Akermanis kicked the ball 50 meters, bounce 3 or 4 times in all directions and was called deliberate – resulted in a goal

That’s just off the top of my head as there were many more

We only lost by 7 points – raw nerve that one

That game IMO was the main reason we rolled them in the night granny at the start of the following year

We weren't going to lose that one – just like this Saturday :bulldogs:
 

perro_loco

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Lets be honest we have a premiership midfield, an elimination final backline and a bottom four forwardline.
If we win this week it'll be our midfield that papers over the cracks.
This sounds a bit deja vu. In 2016, our forward line was not given much credit. Who knows in finals it might just click, hopefully.
 

perro_loco

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Not sure there’s room for Vanders in the side. We’ve been playing better without him in the side. Our fwd line has functioned better without him. His lack of height is a liability against taller opponents. Plus, when he tries his goose step he ends up getting caught holding the ball and the opposition punishes us.

Might be time for a Is Laitham Vandermeer a Liability in our Fwd Line thread...
I agree with you to a certain extent. I think VDM has to be traded.
 

perro_loco

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Yes sadly – resulted in a goal too

Nick Riewoldt late goal was touched

Akermanis kicked the ball 50 meters, bounce 3 or 4 times in all directions and was called deliberate – resulted in a goal

That’s just off the top of my head as there were many more

We only lost by 7 points – raw nerve that one

That game IMO was the main reason we rolled them in the night granny at the start of the following year

We weren't going to lose that one – just like this Saturday :bulldogs:
Please promise me not to write this again. Having gone through that still gives me nightmares. Please not again, please!!!
 
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I agree with you to a certain extent. I think VDM has to be traded.

I think that you and Charlie Buckett have been watching the wrong player. VDM has had a great 'first' year and was unlucky not to get a RS nomination. He is tough, kicks goals, quick and useful on the inside. Plays before Richards, Lippi and Roarke if fit. Traded ... no comment is best I think.
 

ScottyDogg

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Unlike the confident Saint supporters on the main board and their preview thread, there is not much being said here about what we expect to happen on Saturday.

I assume that’s because we have been so ridiculously inconsistent that it’s nearly impossible to guess what we will bring to the table.

I don’t know about everyone else but I feel like our quarters of football this year can be pretty neatly sorted into us completely on top of teams or head scratchingly bad. Not a lot of in between quarters, where it’s a close game going back and forth etc. And I am not really talking about the scoreboard but who’s in control of the game. Sometimes those two things are the same, but with us not always.



Never showed up for a single quarter against Collingwood.

In the Saints game we were all over them in the first quarter but did no score board damage. Then just fell to pieces.

Against Richmond, didn’t show up for the first two quarters at all and were too far back to really care too much after halftime.

Smashed Port all over the park in the first half but then disappeared in the third.

Brisbane was maybe the one game where the first two quarters were actually competitive, where we weren’t in complete control or being pantsed. But again totally and utterly disappeared in the third.

Abused Geelong in the first quarter, then took most of the rest of the night off.

We’re asleep for the first quarter against West Coast and then dominated them for the rest without any score board pressure.

I back us in to show up and do some scary things. St Kilda won’t roll over like we have so many times but they won’t be able to match it with our top liners.
 

Libba39

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Unlike the confident Saint supporters on the main board and their preview thread, there is not much being said here about what we expect to happen on Saturday.

I assume that’s because we have been so ridiculously inconsistent that it’s nearly impossible to guess what we will bring to the table.

I don’t know about everyone else but I feel like our quarters of football this year can be pretty neatly sorted into us completely on top of teams or head scratchingly bad. Not a lot of in between quarters, where it’s a close game going back and forth etc. And I am not really talking about the scoreboard but who’s in control of the game. Sometimes those two things are the same, but with us not always.



Never showed up for a single quarter against Collingwood.

In the Saints game we were all over them in the first quarter but did no score board damage. Then just fell to pieces.

Against Richmond, didn’t show up for the first two quarters at all and were too far back to really care too much after halftime.

Smashed Port all over the park in the first half but then disappeared in the third.

Brisbane was maybe the one game where the first two quarters were actually competitive, where we weren’t in complete control or being pantsed. But again totally and utterly disappeared in the third.

Abused Geelong in the first quarter, then took most of the rest of the night off.

We’re asleep for the first quarter against West Coast and then dominated them for the rest without any score board pressure.

I back us in to show up and do some scary things. St Kilda won’t roll over like we have so many times but they won’t be able to match it with our top liners.

This game is pretty much a clean slate for mine to be honest. What has gone before doesn't matter. Its a 50/50 game (as are the other finals).

A huge amount rests on the shoulders of Tim English. In the games we've lost badly the common theme was being beaten in ruck, leading to loss of centre clearances. If Timmy is getting beaten and the Saints get a lot of outside ball then it could go badly for us. If we break even in the ruck our weight of midfield numbers will hopefully be too much for the opposition.

Battle being out is an interesting one and maybe a bigger loss than many realise. He is their version of Cordy, a 193cm defender and utility player. Because of this I expect Bont to go forward early to exploit this, especially if we are winning the clearances.

I've been undecided about any changes to the side. It would be an absolute tradegy for Roarke Smith if he was to get dropped after very solid game. He did some great things against Freo, and the "oh no Roarke!" moments seem to be becoming less and less. Lipinski looked right at home too, and showed some real composure inside. He looked like its finally clicked after some time in the twos. Ed Richards? Love his pace and I've been a supporter of his this year. Can go missing though.

I was so impressed with Vandermeer this year. Made some mistakes but has great hands, adds speed, and knows how to kick a goal. Has an agressive side and if fit, I want him in the side.

Verdict: In: Vandermeer Out: Richards

Richards just has ability to go missing, while Lipinski can add to our midfield dominance and can hit the scoreboard too.

Dogs by 21 points
 
Pressure goes up in finals. We got caught out by it last year. I like Lipinski, but pressure is not his strong suit. Vandermeer brings it in spades. Richards too.

IN Vandermeer (if fit)
OUT Lipinski
Based on one finals game where everyone played crap??
 
Dec 21, 2005
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Pressure goes up in finals. We got caught out by it last year. I like Lipinski, but pressure is not his strong suit. Vandermeer brings it in spades. Richards too.

IN Vandermeer (if fit)
OUT Lipinski
Listened to a podcast during the week about this. On average there are about 5 more tackles per game (aboutan extra tackle a quarter) and the pressure gauge rises ever so slightly. Most of the extra pressure is just that it is the best teams playing and the bigger crowd. Given there is no real massive crowd, stats would indicate this isn't too big a deal.
 

Whoyagot

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I have a feeling bevo will look to completely change our gameplan for this final.

Rewatching parts of the freo game I noticed Williams and Duryea took pretty much all the kickouts. I think we're going to prioritise longer kicks for territory and rely on quick players like Richards, JJ and (hopefully) Vandermeer to push hard forward and get front and centre to Bruce and Naughty.
 
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