These issues should be easy enough to understand:
- Cripps is playing because he is our captain, best player, and whatever physical injury he is probably both unlikely to get worse and manageable for now. He draws a tag and attention every week which means the opposition has to change its game plan to account for him.
-Doc is playing as the loose defender because he reads the game as well as anyone we have and is dangerous in that role to the point most teams rage him. He made a single mistake vs GWS in the last quarter but seriously - he played that role brilliantly all game?
- SPS is playing in defence because he is arguably our best option for balance and he played that role well last year. He hasn’t been tried elsewhere despite lack of form likely due to reduced training loads. We almost certainly won’t have a proper training between games this week and given the complexity of midfield and forward patterns you can’t exactly just throw a 22 into the middle full time and hope he knows what to do?
- Docherty takes our kick ins because he’s our captain and best decision maker, and because Williamson is a 21 who prior to this year hadn’t played AFL footy in 2 years?
- our midfield, like most teams, has shifted to playing contested ball winners inside and runners outside. Walsh is playing the fat side wing role, arguably the most important position in modern football because of the constant decision making it requires. We have consistently rotated Martin and Cuningham through the middle - I assume Fisher lacks the fitness at the moment.
- Simpson has been fine. Casboult is out of touch and looks to be playing injured but is at least ready to go in contests and can backup ruck. Who replaces him that is better? Betts - also having a bit of a goal drought but generates chances for himself and other, and again, who plays his role better
- McGovern is an auto inclusion because of his flexibility. With Charlie our he is the flex guy And he adds a lot of versatility and options - he can lead up the wing or play deep. Fast enough for us to play him in a big forward line with McKay/Casboult and a ruck pushing forward. Good enough in the air if we want a fast forward line with him as the second tall. When he is around defenders have to put body on him in the air which allows him to create space for others. Had good leading patterns and creates space rather than congestion. Good blocker. It would be nice if he got more disposals and kicked more goals but he plays the 6th forward role better than anyone in the league imo.
- On the assistants we are hardly going to change that on a 4 day break while in a Golf Coast hub. To the specifics - I’m not sure on Barker but he seems a good motivator and that’s important with a young team who lose more than they win. Cameron Bruce was an assistant at Hawthorn for 3 premierships so probably knows a bit about winning.
To be honest, Teague has impressed me considerably. His match day coaching is exquisite at times, considering the pretty ordinary list he has to work with. We have controlled every game this season for at least a patch and haven’t really had a blowout loss - it bad for a team of oldies and youngies whose second best midfielder is Ed Curnow!
He’s generally put guys in positions to succeed, reintegrated guys coming off injuries (Doch/Williamson) well, and we are winning more than before into the bargain.
