Preview Changes vs WCE

[BACCS]

Has anyone ever got 10 goals on Tom Barrass, if he plays nobody usually gets a bag on him no matter how bad they're going? Surely he'd go to Tex?

Barrass isn’t back this week, sounds like after the bye for him

 

[crowholder]

Barrass isn’t back this week, sounds like after the bye for him

As long as Tex gets the 1st goal of the game to help with the goal kicking comp Also would be nice for him to get the last goal of the game too, and of course for us to be way way in front when he does the latter

 

[BACCS]

As long as Tex gets the 1st goal of the game to help with the goal kicking comp Also would be nice for him to get the last goal of the game too, and of course for us to be way way in front when he does the latter

I would be surprised if Tex is kicking less than 5 this week. Good chance for Fog to get his first 6+ too.

 

[crowholder]

I would be surprised if Tex is kicking less than 5 this week. Good chance for Fog to get his first 6+ too.

Fog has a good record against the Eagles

 

[BACCS]

Fog has a good record against the Eagles

And that’s when Barrass has played too. With basically no recognized key defenders this week it’s his time to go big.

 

[Shuestar13]

My Shuey highlight.
September 2017, Shuey kicked a goal after the siren against Port Adelaide to win the first elimination final. I was standing in Rome waiting to get into the Colosseum and met a Crow supporter. We watched that goal on his phone. You should have heard the scream from both of us.

One of the greatest nights on here (Big Footy)

 

[Shuestar13]

And that’s when Barrass has played too. With basically no recognized key defenders this week it’s his time to go big.

This is the frightening thing… Our defence is absolutely decimated. Against your forward line… Oh dear

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Ben's "personally preferred role" is to be given a job by Nicks, several of which he has done well. He said as much in a presser not long ago, adding that he's prepared to play wherever the team needs him.
He can't do any more than that.
Keays doesn't decide where he plays. Nicks does.
Both Coaches thought Keays was our best player last week. The GBU thread Poll votes suggest same.

Even when he plays well, Keays cops crap in here week after week.
Either he's garbage, or hindering the development of "our younger mids" (none of whom have got his tank and two-way running power).
He busts his gut, every week, and our young mids could learn a lot from him about fitness and effort.
I have wished again and again that Ben Keays had a right foot and showed more composure when NOT under pressure, but I have nothing but admiration for him.

Keays or Pedlar in the middle?

Or c) Deflect

 

[Kraven]

Darling? Where did you read that? I don't think he was expected back before the bye and nothing on the Eagles board about it.

This is from the Eagles official Facebook page.

West Coast Eagles skipper Luke Shuey, star forward Jack Darling, young midfielder Luke Edwards and utility Samo Petrevski-Seton are all in the mix to return from injury against Adelaide on Saturday.

Darling fractured his arm in round nine against Gold Coast and is on the cusp of being a welcome addition to the forward line.

 

[CrowBloke]

Keays or Pedlar in the middle?

Or c) Deflect

Or d) Discuss. <<the wily old bear walks around the trap>>

Right now, Keays is given a job by Nicks, loves to be given a job by Nicks and does it well, more often than not. Another poster pointed out that Keays had 61% Centre-time vs Collingwood, which coincided --- not by accident --- with the amount of time Daicos had in the middle.
Keays Superglued himself to Daicos and reduced his effectiveness.

If Keays and Pedlar had the same tank and two-way gut-running, I'd play Pedlar in the middle. He's more creative, makes things happen and has more composure than Ben.
I hope Pedlar will be a star mid for us, for years to come.
Meanwhile, put Keays to work wherever he can be most effective, given his limitations.
Wherever that is, we know he'll do his absolute best.

 

[Dangarman]

Pardon my ignorance, but is 'given a job' a euphemism for told to tag player X?

I thought when I first heard Nicks use the term that it could be anything that could be summed up in ten words or less so he could understand it - e.g. 'don't let their kick ins go wide to the outer'

 

[CrowBloke]

Fog has a good record against the Eagles

From memory, he runs through and over them, like Jonah Lomu.

 

[WetCrow1991]

Maybe try lightening up a bit and you'd be more interested? The Crows haven't played either of the bottom teams yet this year, and have shown plenty of signs of genuine improvement against tougher opposition. If you're right and it ends up being a one-sided stomp, it will at least be well deserved as evidence of improvement of the side. And hey, as a bonus it's also in a milestone game for a club icon. Walker probably isn't going to play 300 so this will be it, you'd think.

On the other hand maybe the team shits the bed and loses to a bottom side at home, in which case there will be plenty to complain about on this board. It's win/win.

250 is a lame milestone, they should carry Tex to 300.

 

[Betts are off]

Wouldn't mind seeing Brayden Cook up in the 22 again.

Feel like he's ready for another look at AFL level.

 

[Betts are off]

250 is a lame milestone, they should carry Tex to 300.

Bit harsh, according to this Reddit post less the 2% of all AFL players up until 2017 had reached that mark.

If you're in the 98th percentile for anything its a impressive achievement, let alone an Elite sports league!

 

[footy4ever]

I want this to be a downhill ski.

I want it to be an annihilation.

I want the Crows to gain a shitload of percentage.

I want it to be a one-sided obliteration, evisceration, massacre.



This is one game where I won't just accept any W. One point, two points,... I'd take that for every other match against every side except Eagles and North, but this one has to be a total decimation of the opposition.

We win by only 4-5 goals and I'm setting fire to Westlakes. We lose, and I'm microwaving my membership card, setting fire to Westlakes and barracking for Port Power. Yes, For the Power. That's how catastrophically diabolical a loss would be.


Doedee out, clearly. - Worrell in.

McHenry out - cook in (sub)

Murphy out - McAdam in

We need to get McAdam in and getting up to speed. This is the perfect opportunity. He's easily best 22 and has equally the most x-factor of any player on our list. He'd be a far bigger headache to the opposition than Murphy, even though I love aspects of Murphs' game.

 

[Interloperer]

Pardon my ignorance, but is 'given a job' a euphemism for told to tag player X?

I thought when I first heard Nicks use the term that it could be anything that could be summed up in ten words or less so he could understand it - e.g. 'don't let their kick ins go wide to the outer'

Generally yes

I have heard it used for other weirdly specific instructions. but 99% of the time it means tag or shut down defensive role

 

[WetCrow1991]

Bit harsh, according to this Reddit post less the 2% of all AFL players up until 2017 had reached that mark.

If you're in the 98th percentile for anything its a impressive achievement, let alone an Elite sports league!

Yeah, that's why it is milestone to be celebrated.

 

[Dangarman]

WCE are only half the side that lined up against us in R21 last year. Literally. I count at least 13 of their players missing from that game.

NicNat, JK, Darling, Barrass, Duggan, Rioli, Ryan, Shuey, Redden and Cripps head the list of outs.
Allen, Witherden, Sheed and Yeo are the notable ins, many of the rest are newish.

Hurn and Gaff will be their only 200 game players on Saturday. The team they fielded last week had over 1000 games less experience compared to the R21 match last year.

Unless our players think this is their bye round, it should be a solid win. One of those games where it will be nearly impossible to exceed expectations, but potential for gut wrenching disappointment is massive.

Our likely changes from that game are the additions of Max, Rank, Sloane, Sholl, Pedlar, TT and Rachele; displacing Berry, Davis, Hamill, EH, McAdam, Parnell and Schoenberg. IMO quite a bit stronger.

 

[jackster83]

It would be nice if we could hand out a debut for Dowling or Nankervis or even bring Cook back, but we traditionally use these games to pad the stats of our senior guys.

 

[Dangarman]

Yeah, that's why it is milestone to be celebrated.

Only 22 current players have achieved it. Tex currently sits 277th for all time games played.

His would be the most significant milestone for the round if it wasn't for Buddy.

Over 100 players have reached 300 games now.

 

[DJ75]

It would be nice if we could hand out a debut for Dowling or Nankervis or even bring Cook back, but we traditionally use these games to pad the stats of our senior guys.

Doedee out - Worrell in

Sloane out - Dowling in (we would bring Schoenberg in, but I'd like to see Dowling get a game)

 

[Betts are off]

WCE are only half the side that lined up against us in R21 last year. Literally. I count at least 13 of their players missing from that game.

NicNat, JK, Darling, Barrass, Duggan, Rioli, Ryan, Shuey, Redden and Cripps head the list of outs.
Allen, Witherden, Sheed and Yeo are the notable ins, many of the rest are newish.

Hurn and Gaff will be their only 200 game players on Saturday. The team they fielded last week had over 1000 games less experience compared to the R21 match last year.

Unless our players think this is their bye round, it should be a solid win. One of those games where it will be nearly impossible to exceed expectations, but potential for gut wrenching disappointment is massive.

Our likely changes from that game are the additions of Max, Rank, Sloane, Sholl, Pedlar, TT and Rachele; displacing Berry, Davis, Hamill, EH, McAdam, Parnell and Schoenberg. IMO quite a bit stronger.

I think Bunga bunged his hammy on the weekend didn't he? Pretty sure he's out!

Also Darling and Schuey could both be playing from the report I was reading earlier this week.

 

[CrowToon]

Wherever that is, we know he'll do his absolute best.

A nice sentiment but the same could he said for Ned. The problem is not in the effort for players like them, it is in ability. Keays is a liability by foot.

 

[ftmch]

I'd be really disappointed if we wasted our home match against the worst team in the competition by sticking to an experienced midfield over youth

There is literally no better opportunity in our fixture, especially with the bye straight after. Sloane should be sub and Keays should be playing back pocket or something

Really good point. If not now, when?