Strategy Does Cyril Play?

[Bedi]

When up and about, I'm of the opinion that Cyril is our single most important player. However I think he's too underdone to play a full game, but he'd make a pretty bloody handy trump card as a sub!

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

He's important for the freedom he could in turn give Breust, and he can turn a game, but on Sunday's performance I'm not confident he will have an impact on Saturday.

 

[beta_condition]

Too long out of the game to come back into a grandfinal even for Cyril, nothing that happened on Saturday changes my mind about that.

 

[Turly]

Cyril plays.

A player with his freakish ability could be the difference between winning and losing.

Roll the dice.

 

[Back Pocket Rocket]

I got a feeling that it will be McEvoy and Cyril in for Ceglar and Suckling. Simpkin will still be the sub then. The only other one would be Sewell which I'd hate to be making that decision.

 

[HomerJayS]

Cyril plays.

A player with his freakish ability could be the difference between winning and losing.

Roll the dice.

A player with his injury and lack of match practise could be the difference between winning and losing.

Roll the dice.

 

[Charchi]

He plays, we next the x factor in a GF. Must start and no way as sub because if he gets injured coming on as sub you have lost 2 players.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Yes, Rioli does play.

But the question of whether he will play in the grand final is a little harder to answer.

I think he will.

 

[Brishawk]

Forward pressure will be critical to winning this match. Nobody does it better than Rioli.

 

[Hungry Hawk]

There is a risk he leaves us two down as sub.
He looked rustier than tin mans **** on sunday.

I'm in the no camp. Sorry Cyril.

 

[Symons]

I love Cyril, and I love the headache that he causes the opposition - but I'm terrified of us going in with someone who is underdone.

I know he's been through a heap of training, and increased workload...but I was burnt by Hodge going in underdone. I'd rather someone with less talent, but game consistency behind them, to be given the chance.

Although, I am fully prepared to eat my words if he comes out and works the miracles we know he can. I just worry that he'll be a liability rather than an asset.

 

[Turly]

A player with his injury and lack of match practise could be the difference between winning and losing.

Roll the dice.

Smartass much?

Lol

 

[The GOAT]

Too much risk. Pass.

Simpkin has to play anyway, was great on Malceski last time

 

[TazHawk15]

I got a feeling that it will be McEvoy and Cyril in for Ceglar and Suckling. Simpkin will still be the sub then. The only other one would be Sewell which I'd hate to be making that decision.

Dude you can take this to the bank.

Suckling will be playing on Saturday.

 

[Gene Simmons]

As silly as it sounds... We will not know whether playing or not playing Cyril was a good move until after the game.

It will either be classified on Big Footy as a 'Clarko master stroke' or somebody will start a thread 'Is Clarkson's time up?'...

 

[Argy]

Big risk. I answered yes, play him, but now not so sure. Trust the selection committee is all I can say.

 

[AC for PM]

The risk vs reward with most players would simply not be worth it. But this is Cyril... the man capable of turning a game on it's head in a burst of just a couple of minutes. The human highlight reel himself.... he HAS to play.

 

[Brishawk]

The risk vs reward with most players would simply not be worth it. But this is Cyril... the man capable of turning a game on it's head in a burst of just a couple of minutes. The human highlight reel himself.... he HAS to play.

If it were just about anyone else I wouldn't consider it. But he is totally unique and a match winner of the highest order.

 

[Billyc]

The last 5 times we have beaten Sydney Cyril has been out injured so not the end of the world If he does not get up.

Quite remarkable if that is true. He actually has a terrible record against the Swans.

I vote no. I thought he looked miles off the pace on Sunday. He wasn't running full flight, he wasn't pressuring the ball carrier with his usual chase and his touch was poor. That could all have been part of an advanced training run where he eases into it but I can only go on what I saw and I wouldn't play him.

I'd play McEvoy and Sewell for Ceglar and Suckling. But I think it will be McEvoy and Rioli for Ceglar and Simpkin.

 

[Crankyhawk]

No to Cyril. I don't think he can play sub and he didn't do much vs footscray.

 

[MrFujiMoto]

OUT: Ceglar, Spangher
IN: McEvoy, Rioli

Our round 18 side featured a backline of
FB: Litherland, Gibson, Schoenmakers
HB: Hodge, Stratton, Birchall
Int: Suckling

With the above changes plus the current line up from last week we then have
FB: Duryea, Lake, Stratton
HB: Hodge, Gibson, Birchall
Int: Suckling

Lake obviously takes FB and plays on Tippett.

Gibson pushes up to CHB and plays on Buddy.

Litherland probably due to his height and speed played on Buddy for a bit in round 18 and wasn't great at it. Much better suited to a small. Duryea has that spot now and will take a smaller forward like Parker or McGlynn.

Stratton moves into Schoenmakers spot. Between him, Hodge, Birchall and Suckling they'll take care of the rest of the Swans that rotate through their forward line (Reid, Goodes, Parker, McGlynn, etc.).


Heart breaking to drop Spangher but he wasn't too good in the PF and I think the above balance will be good for our back line. It's also the only logical switch that allows us to maintain that balance, keep Simpkin in the super sub role AND bring Rioli in to bolster the forward line and midfield.

For reference that gives us a GF team of
FB: Duryea, Lake, Stratton
HB: Hodge, Gibson, Birchall
C: Smith, Mitchell, Hill
HF: Breust, Roughead, Lewis
FF: Rioli, Hale, Gunston
R: McEvoy, Burgoyne, Shiels
Int: Suckling, Langford, Puopolo
Sub: Simpkin

My only issue with Spangher out is height down back. It allows Sydney a much easier task of isolating our defenders. Spangher is very good at reading the play and leaving his man to impact a contest, he is a poor mans Josh Gibson in the same team. He had a bad game against Port but was matched up on smaller opponents, against the Swans he will be more at home against Reid or Goodes. I hope Goodes brings his tackle intensity of the last month to this game we will waltz out of defense with him and Tippett in their if the ball hits the deck.

Based on that I would not have him out for Cyril. If Cyril is fit then I think he plays deep forward with the odd spurt in the middle if he feels up to it. We have not seen him play for some time but he is dynamic in the middle when he pushes himself in to center square bounces. For mine if he can go 100% in bursts, can chase and tackle and the team can accommodate him in the goal square for 50% of the game then he plays

 

[BloomingHawk]

HFC has managed this well. Campbell Brown was on the radio a few weeks ago talking about the strategy involving Cyril, and he was right, IMO.

- Don't play him in the prelim
- Play him in the GF

The reasoning is that in their first week back players rip the game to shreds, but the second week is often a stinker. He would have blitzed Port Adelaide last week, but been useless this week. Some nice warm-up time in the VFL grand final is perfect. Now it's time for him to go out and:

RIP THOSE STINKING SWANS TO SHREDS!!!!!

 

[apiro]

Cyril will play if he makes it through training this week. I wouldn't take too much from the VFL Grand final. Clearly he was playing to instruction and it was pre-planned to take him off after 3/4 time.

 

[Adebisi]

I can't see Clarkson picking him, just can't see it. Once the team is set I think he would be very hesitant to change it.
I'm not a Simpkin fan at all, but the club seems to be, and he would be the one they would drop.

 

[Hodgey 15]

Based on this statement from Chris Fagan - he's playing I reckon:
"We felt at that point (three-quarter time) he’d done a sufficient amount to warrant selection for this week."
Starting 18 or sub - I don't know.