Preview Melbourne vs St Kilda - Prematch discussion

[Wonaeamirri33]

vs

THE GAME: MCG, Saturday August 11, 1.45pm

HEAD TO HEAD:

Overall: Played 203, Melbourne 118 wins, St Kilda 84, 1 draw
Since 2000: Melbourne 9 wins, St Kilda 9
At MCG: Melbourne 58 wins, St Kilda 32

LAST TIME: St Kilda 12.12 (84) def Melbourne 10.6 (66), Round 5 2012 at the MCG

St Kilda managed to do just enough to defeat a gallant Melbourne by 18 points in a hard-fought clash at the MCG on that Saturday night.

The result came down to a touch of Lenny Hayes brilliance, as the Saints triumphed 12.12 (84) to 10.6 (66).

The contest was alive with eight minutes remaining with the Saints leading by five points until Hayes stepped forward. He grabbed the ball, eluded two opponents and kicked a goal to put the game out of a passionate Melbourne's grasp.

The game had come down to a last quarter scramble where every possession was under pressure and tackling was fierce. But the Saints just kept their nose in front.

Melbourne took plenty from their best performance for the season while St Kilda were happy to leave a sodden MCG with the four points.

"It probably really highlights to me again the importance of where the competition's at now, if you get behind in contested possession and you drop your guard two, three, four per cent, you're going to be punished," said Saints coach Scott Watters.

It was obvious to Watters early that the contest was going to be tight and winning was not going to be as easy as outsiders had expected.

"I thought early in the game, the effort that Melbourne brought to the contest, particularly when it got greasy, some of their strong-bodied, inside mids were really desperate," said Watters. "They threw down a real serious challenge to us as a group."

The battle at stoppages was fierce. Mark Jamar was very good in the ruck, dominating the hit-outs and giving Mebourne an edge at the clearances.

The Demons had locked down the Saints' superstars, tackling fiercely and giving them no space. Jordie McKenzie frustrated Brendon Goddard (who had just six touches to half-time) while Nathan Jones and Brent Moloney were working well against Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna.

They were also matching the Saints in the possession count, a problem for the Demons in the first four rounds. In many indicators Melbourne were ahead.

"I think that we are getting to a stage in the last two games where the effort of the players has been terrific," said Melbourne coach Mark Neeld. "I was walking down the steps of the coaches box and thinking how were we 18 points behind?"

The reason, as Neeld admitted, was that the Saints had the class and experience to do what needed to be done when it mattered.

"Throughout the quarters there were patches where the Saints, to their credit, were able to turn some of their possessions chains into quality inside 50s," said Neeld. "The stats will indicate that we touched the ball enough in comparison to the Saints but we weren't turning those possession chains into quality inside 50s."

One highlight was the performance of Tom McDonald, playing just his sixth game, who battled hard on Nick Riewoldt, restricting him to two goals. His performance was stoic, given Melbourne had lost James Frawley before the game to a calf injury.

Neeld said McDonald's performance was one of the positives to take from the game. "He is a competitive young man," said Neeld.

However the Saints had more class up forward. Stephen Milne became the fifth small forward to kick 500 career goals, while makeshift forward Beau Wilkes, playing his first game since round 14, 2010 and making his debut for the Saints, kicked three goals to take his career tally to four.

To the surprise of many, Wilkes was subbed off mid-way through the third quarter but he had done enough to tip the scales St Kilda's way.

MEDIA

TV: 7 (Victoria, Tasmania, NT- 90 min delay), Fox Footy (live)

RADIO: 3AW, Triple M (Vic), Heart FM (Tas)

SUMMARY:

This season has produced very little for Melbourne supporters to smile about as the club has been hit by disasters off the field and pushed from pillar to post on it. The calamities that have affected the Demons have certainly been well documented and little of it has been funny.

This is why it was somewhat puzzling to see the three talking heads on On The Couch giggling away with amusement after showing a film clip of our Chairman that selectively focused on part of the comments he made to members at a lunch before last week's game against the Gold Coast Suns concerning the controversy initiated by an interview on the programme with former player Brock McLean.

Of course, they would not be laughing if they had to respond to the substantive matters McLardy discussed and about which On The Couch omitted to mention; namely the issues surrounding list management that are a fundamental to our game and which affect most clubs from time to time.

And we all know that Melbourne has not been alone in tanking, that there are at least seven other clubs equally culpable, although the panel was apparently collectively inflicted by amnesia about how McLean's current club rorted the system so that they forgot to ask him why, if he held such high principles, did he move on to the Blues of all clubs after leaving the Demons?

What McLardy said was reported in the Age:

"The issues surrounding list management are well documented . . . it is complex but it is a fundamental of our game, and every club is faced with difficult decisions every year, " he said.

"During the time in question, our club was a developing side. At any time in the competition there are clubs poised to make the finals and there are teams trying to build sides capable of making the finals. We clearly sat in the latter category.

"Were we focused on getting game experience into young players? Yes we were. Were we trying to develop our players by experimenting with different positions? Yes we were. Did we select young players sometimes ahead of experienced players to see what they were made of? Yes we did. Like many other sides, we are doing exactly the same thing today. We are managing our list in context to where we are in the competition."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-resign-key-players-schwab-20120805-23nfg.html

I understand how three people with a megaphone and an agenda can misrepresent the club's position and ignore the thrust of what McLardy said but it wasn't funny and it reflected poorly on the presenters of On The Couch. As Marx would say:

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."

Not Karl.

Unfortunately for them, Melbourne produced some winning form last weekend. Sure, it wasn't a flashy or convincing win but the margin was 42 points. One might think a win of that size would mean the club could avoid criticism from the usual suspects but a few decided the win was "shameful"; the winning margin should have been double that and Melbourne's effort is therefore deemed a "failure" and indicative of a "poor culture".

Never mind that the opposition's recent form hasn't been all that bad. On 8 July, they lost to Geelong by 14 points, a week later they beat Richmond by 2 points and after that lost to the Lions by 11 points. Their only recent thumping was at the hands of ladder leaders Sydney.

The media circus continues with another one-sided stab against Melbourne in the Age concerning the retirement of Brad Green who has been a great servant of the club and yesterday announced he was leaving at the end of the season. The press conference was conducted with great professionalism and in the style of the club champion the 251 gamer conducted himself throughout his illustrious career.

In the circumstances, it was disappointing for the Age to immediately jump in and focus on whether Melbourne had somehow been disloyal to Green, suggesting it should have kept him on irrespective of form or the player's drive to continue on further. It will be a matter of much amusement to see whether such an approach will be taken in the case of other impending retirements at clubs like the Western Bulldogs in the weeks to come.

To the media gurus who think they know everything, I say you're not funny but you certainly are a joke.

And now, on to the MCG and the Saints who are starting at the ridiculous odds of $1.06 to win. Now that's funny.

WALKING WOUNDED:

Melbourne:

Cale Morton (shoulder) and Jordie McKenzie (knee) are the two Demons to have come out of Saturday's win over Gold Coast with injuries. Morton was injured in a contest in the second quarter and had to be subbed straight away, meaning his involvement versus St Kilda seems unlikely. McKenzie returns this week, while Jack Watts (ankle) remains sidelined.

And our mystery injury of the week is... (drumroll)... James Frawley, with a foot injury. Marvellous it is.

St Kilda:

Adam Schneider and Rhys Stanley both faced tests on their injured hamstrings this week but failed to pass. Stanley has not played since St Kilda's loss to North Melbourne in Round 14, while Schneider only missed last week's defeat to Collingwood. And Saturday was too early for Jason Blake (ankle).

FORM:

Demons' Past Five:

Round 19: Win, 16.12 (108) - 9.12 (66) v Franchise One, MCG
Round 18: Loss, 11.7 (73) - 19.13 (127) v North Melbourne, Etihad Stadium
Round 17: Loss, 8.8 (56) - 12.12 (84) v Port Adelaide, TIO Stadium
Round 16: Loss, 12.11 (83) - 18.9 (117) v Fremantle, Etihad Stadium
Round 15: Loss, 11.12 (78) - 13.23 (101) v Richmond, MCG

St Kilda's Past Five:

Round 19: Loss, 13.7 (85) - 12.19 (91) v Collingwood, MCG
Round 18: Win, 16.22 (118) - 6.6 (42) v Western Bulldogs, Etihad Stadium
Round 17: Loss, 10.16 (76) - 15.15 (105) v Sydney, SCG
Round 16: Win, 16.9 (105) - 14.8 (92) v Brisbane Lions, Gabba
Round 15: Win, 21.7 (133) - 8.14 (62) v Essendon, Etihad Stadium

WHO'S HOT:

Colin Sylvia – The 26-year-old has had to work hard to impress Neeld, but Melbourne's coach should have been thrilled with Sylvia on Saturday. Sylvia had 24 disposals and kicked two goals to take best-on-ground honours.

Brendon Goddard – After a tough season where Goddard's commitment has been questioned and he has been linked with a move to GW$, the St Kilda utility was key to his side's comeback against Collingwood. Goddard had 26 touches of which 11 were contested. The 27-year-old also made five clearances and six inside-50s in one of his best games of the year.

___________________________________________

Round 20 teams

Melbourne

B: Joel Macdonald, James Sellar, Tom McDonald
HB: Lynden Dunn, Jared Rivers, Colin Garland
C: Jack Trengove, Brent Moloney, Sam Blease
HF: Neville Jetta, Matthew Bate, Rohan Bail
F: Jeremy Howe, Brad Green, Colin Sylvia
FOLL: Jake Spencer, Jack Grimes, Nathan Jones

I/C: Jordie McKenzie, James Strauss, Luke Tapscott, James Magner
EMG: Jordan Gysberts, James Frawley, Michael Evans

IN: Jordie McKenzie, Neville Jetta
OUT: Cale Morton (shoulder), Jordan Gysberts, James Frawley (foot)

St Kilda

B: Jarryn Geary, James Gwilt, Tom Simpkin
HB: Sean Dempster, Sam Fisher, Sam Gilbert
C: Farren Ray, Lenny Hayes, Brendon Goddard
HF: Ahmed Saad, Nick Riewoldt, Nick Dal Santo
F: Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke, Sam Dunell
FOLL: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Leigh Montagna

I/C: Jason Gram, Clinton Jones, Jack Steven, Beau Wilkes
EMG: Jamie Cripps, Tom Ledger, Dean Polo

IN: Beau Wilkes
OUT: Dean Polo

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

Quotes from Jack Trengove:

“I’ve probably overanalyzed things at times and I’ve gone ahead and put pressure on myself. That’s probably reflected on some of my performances. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from the coaching staff and my teammates. I’m trying to get that free-flowing part of my game back into me. At times that’s come out in the past few weeks, but I just have to make it more consistent.

“I was a bit better offensively. I’ve still been battling away trying to find that happy medium behind the defensive side of the game. I’ve been working on a lot of things and I don’t take too much out of it - as long as we win I’m happy, and as long as I contributed a bit. I feel that I did, so it’s a positive result.

“It’s been a challenging year, but we’ve learned a lot and improved a lot as well. But it was just good to get that winning feeling back. It’s more the fact that we can actually do it. We saw in patches of play that we can actually do it and we are more than capable of taking it to teams. On paper we were more experienced, but you’ve still got to go out there and do it.

“In the first quarter, we wanted to play with a sense of urgency and get the jump. Throughout the season, there have been teams that have done that to us. We’re trying to counteract that or at least match them or go above them. It doesn’t always show on the scoreboard, but it felt like we did that against the Suns, which was a positive.

“A lot of teams in our position could say ‘there are only four games to go’ and we’ll start again next year, but it’s really important that we try to snap up a few wins. We want to take them into the pre-season and it would be a great confidence booster. We want to improve and go into the pre-season raring to go.”


Quotes from Mark Neeld:

“Every now and then we need to take stock and realise that Jack (Trengove) is an under 50-game player. And his output is great.

"Howe's work rate and basic things on the footy field were good today. And Blease is a likeable kid… [a] very, very excitable individual, Sammy, with a lot of talent. "He'll get there.

"We're fully aware of where we are at, but it was pleasing to come along and have a win.

“The form that Brad’s going to leave the game in - he’s certainly been one of our best performed players over the last few weeks and no doubt that will continue. He has outstanding character and the way that he goes about things is very selfless … he’s going to leave a very strong legacy behind and it’s one of work ethic and integrity.

“It’s also really important to remember Brad Green the player. We all have our own little memories of that. My first game that I coached Brad in … was on the Gold Coast this year. The first thing that he did was go back with the flight of the ball. He’s a very courageous person as well as having all the skill in the world.

"I think Brad has called it really well. He has got some energy left in the tank no doubt, and Brad has come to a decision that it is probably not full enough to get through a 14th year.

“I’m not saying Jack (Watts) is going to turn into Brendon Goddard, but Brendon still doesn’t really have a set position. He plays some back, some forward and some midfield, and he’s highly talented and works really hard.

“Jack would be someone who I see in that mould. That’s the stuff that he brings. Jack is 196 cm tall, but he has some terrific agility. He’s very quick, and he’s a 50 game player. He’s still in the developmental stages.

“I don’t know when the appropriate time would be to settle Jack into a particular role. By his own admission, he’s not quite physically big enough yet to hold down a key position at either end of the ground. So, we’ll wait and see.

“We’re hoping that Liam will play a little bit of game time for Casey this weekend, so that’s a great thing for everybody. Liam will make his comeback to footy - all things being equal and he makes certain he gets through training, fingers crossed. Then he’s good to go, the young fella.”


Quotes from Mitch Clark:

"I'll follow my program. Without any interruptions I should be fine for round one. I was feeling a bit guilty just laying in bed for a month or so, so I'm glad to be back amongst it.

"I was shattered when doc told me I would have to have surgery. I was pretty gutted. It sort of did not sink in for a few days that my season was over until I was probably sitting at the hospital waiting to go in [for surgery].

"I've tried to stay positive about the whole thing and not let it get to me. "I reckon I've had one or two days where it has got me down a fair bit but other than that I have been pretty positive.

"Hopefully this [injury] won't hold me back too much. [It's] disappointing not to be out there for the rest of the season and finish off the year with the boys but I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead of getting back up for next year and getting amongst it again with the lads in pre-season and getting the team back to where we need to be.

"It is what it is, so no use sulking about it. All I want to do is keep reaching the goals the medical staff set me."


Quotes from Jack Grimes:

“With guys like Greeny, you just assume that they’re going to play on forever. It’s great that he’s playing out the year, and it’ll be a privilege to play the last few games with Greeny. And he’d love nothing more than to finish off the last four games strongly.

“You definitely want to send off a player like that, and finish off the year well and play some good footy for him, because that’s what he deserves. Hopefully we can do that.

“Like Neeldy (Mark Neeld) said in the press conference and he summed it up well - Greeny is more than just the footballer. He’s played over 250 games and has achieved some great accolades at Melbourne.

“Everyone will remember him as a great football around the club, but we’ll remember him more as a great bloke. He’s an all-round great person to have around the place. He’s got so much experience, and he is so selfless and all he wants is for the Melbourne footy club to do well. He talked about us getting better, and it wasn’t about him. It was more about the Melbourne footy club, which he put his heart and soul into.

“When I first came to the club, I was a pretty nervous, shy kid and I was pretty star struck when I walked in, especially with guys like Brad Green. I’d grown up watching him and admiring the way he went about it, so training and playing alongside him was a bit surreal.

“Even in my first year, the way he spoke to me and the way he does now - he’s no different. And he doesn’t treat anyone differently. He’s a 250-game champion of the club, and he’ll speak to a rookie who hasn’t played a game through to a 250-game champion of the club. He’s that sort of guy. He makes everyone feel so welcome and I still remember that pretty fondly.

“He’ll be sadly missed when he’s not playing, but I’m sure we’ll still see a lot more of him, and hopefully he’ll stay involved in the club.

“It’s good to get to 50 games. It’s taken a little while, but hopefully it’s the start of a few more.

“I won’t be going into the game with a different mindset or anything like that, but it’s definitely good to get there. For everyone else [like my family and friends] it will be a big deal. For a while there, it looked as though it was going to take me 20 years!

“When I first started pre-season, I was still coming off my foot injury, and I remember when I was assessing my goals for this year - that was my number one goal, to play more games than I had. I wanted to play as much as I could, and so far it’s been pretty good and that’s been pleasing.

“I’m building belief that I can handle the stress of AFL footy and I’m feeling really good and the body is feeling good, so I still feel like I could keep playing. It’s great to have confidence in my body and string a few games together. It’s something I knew I needed to work on a bit.

“Touch wood, I’ve been out on the park a bit more this year than other years and playing more games - it’s harder to keep being consistent, but that’s been a focus week to week. I don’t necessarily go out there to be best player every week, but [I just want] to be consistent, week in week out.

“I’ve moved from half-back to midfield and I really enjoy that role. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I just want to finish the year off strongly and take that into the pre-season and into next year, because it’s so important.

“Whenever you win, everyone is that little bit happier and things are a little bit easier, like the ice baths aren’t as cold - so it was a really good feeling.

“Coming off a good win, we’re going in pretty positive. The boys have had a lighter week on the track. Their confidence is up, and last time we played the Saints, it was a really good game. They got us in the end, so we’ll be hoping we can put up another performance like we did last week and play four quarters - and hopefully get the points.”


Quotes from Brad Green:

“Hopefully I’m not lost to the game. I love the game. I’m a passionate man about AFL footy, and I think I’ll be in the industry and I’m certainly passionate about a career in the coaching department - certainly down that pathway. I’ve got some business interests as well, so I’ll keep busy.

“I remember walking into Junction Oval as a confident, but shy kid, who played finals and a grand final in my first year. Thirteen years later, I haven’t played in another grand final and I haven’t played finals for six years - that hurts. It’s what we play for - success - and we as a footy team haven’t had much of it lately.

“I do know one thing about Neeldy, and that is that he’s going to take this club somewhere where it’s going to be great. He’s setting standards that the club needs to meet.

“The one thing that these three coaches have taught me is that they have empathy for their players. I know where this group needs to go and for them to move forward I need to step aside and let this emerging talent grow. I never wanted to overstay my welcome and take a young guy's spot.

"I wish nothing more than to see these boys succeed, but it takes hard work and a buy-in from everyone. Gone are the days when you can be happy just to be on an AFL list. This club has to stand up and buy into where Neeldy wants to take it. That is going to take time and that time is probably going to go past me.

"I see a bright future. I will be the first bloke through the gates to cheer you guys on when you play finals again. Things can turn quickly in this game but you have to have everyone buy in. You have to move on in life.

"I'm a confident person and I'm a happy person and I love life. There is more to life than football sometimes. I am looking forward to the future and what it holds."


Quotes from Tom McDonald:

“At the outset I'd hoped to play eight to 12 games this year. To play all but two is exciting. I got an opportunity when there was an injury, and I haven’t looked back. I’m thankful of the chance, but I feel as though I worked pretty hard over the pre-season to deserve that. And I’ve been able to string some games together, which is very exciting.

“I was a bit fumbly, especially later in the game. I’m not sure why. I thought defensively, I pulled out a few times on the lead and it’s frustrating when the ball doesn’t want to stick in your hands. It wasn’t our best game in terms of our overall performance.

“It was good to get a win, but there are still places we can improve. There were some things we did well, so there were some good and bad things.

“It was good to get a win and give a bit of excitement for the supporters. We were able to do what other teams have done to us at times this year. Our quarter time lead was just about the winning margin in the end, so it set us up.”

“Although it was disappointing to miss (round 15), I was able to have a bit of a rest and I feel quite good now. I’ve had sore ribs or chest before, so I was actually a bit surprised that I was able to play. I thought I’d miss two or three [weeks], but the doctors said that if I was confident enough to play I could.

“I went out and played, and played all right, and then it was no problem at all - I was just excited to be out there playing again. It has been a long year, even if I feel better this year after a good pre-season. But it does get tough towards the end, especially for the younger boys.

“I’m looking forward to playing St Kilda again. Last time we went down by three goals and they’re in really good form at the moment - they gave their all and pushed Collingwood on the weekend. Obviously we can’t make finals, and this year has been disappointing overall.

“But the more momentum we can build now, the more we can take into the pre-season. It’s very important - and Neeldy has said it a lot - that we don’t just lay down in the last few games. We’ve got to push and prove and strive to get better for 2013 - that’s what we’re working on.”

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

ANALYSIS:

After yet another torrid week in a difficult year for the Melbourne Football Club, the Demons stocks climbed and eventually hit the roof. It started before the game when it was announced that leadership group member Nathan Jones, a certainty to be club champion this year and high flying Jeremy Howe had both signed on for the next three years.

Then, when the team ran out onto the ground, the newly signed duo set the example for their team mates and they blew their opponents off the field. It was mostly upward and positive after their club had received a whacking in the media, most of it undeserved and some of it based on sheer malevolence from persons with an agenda against the club, its board and its officialdom.

In the early moments of the game we saw Howe, who is better known for his hangers, setting the example by shepherding perfectly for a team mate (he would keep the best of his highflying exploits for later in the game). Jones was burrowing into packs and laying tackles with as much, if not more, impact than his more celebrated chrome down counterpart from the opposition. Their example and the effect of their efforts told on the scoreboard as the team snuffed out the young Gold Coast Suns with six unanswered first quarter goals to take an unassailable forty point lead into the first break. It was a smashing of a first quarter and even the unlikely Jake Spencer joined in the festivities with his first ever AFL goal (in his first ever winning match after almost four seasons), albeit after a fifty metre penalty!

It's true that, after that first quarter, the opposition, largely thanks to Ablett and Harley Bennell on fire, managed to limit Melbourne's ascendency. But it was still a big win for the good guys, even if we couldn't shut up the critics in the media, who made no concession whatsoever for the depleted nature of a team that went into the weekend with more than a third of its list, 16 players, unavailable.

Despite that fact, if we'd lost this match, it's very certain those baying for blood last week would have been on automatic pilot droning on inanely and stupidly, ad nauseum, about the club's supposed "culture".

This wasn't exactly an epic contest, but it was good to see us lead from wire to wire for once. Brad Green shrugged off his horror start to the season and demonstrated that he had not lost his ability to snag the goals and Lynden Dunn played a sterling game in defence, proving that forwards can move back without raising suspicious eyebrows. Colin Sylvia is also returning to the sort of form expected of him, and his strong marking and contribution to the goal tally were welcome after some of his earlier disappointments. The skippers are also raising their own personal bars with every week and I expect that the real benefits of the brave decision to give such young men the responsibility of leadership will bring its own dividends in the years to come.

In the end, it was Howe again who soared over a pack and took his latest mark of the day for the highlight reel.

PREDICTION:

St Kilda have lost all four matches they have played this year that have finished with a margin of less than 10 points. With four rounds to go in 2012 and sitting eight points outside the top eight, the Saints' finals hopes hang by a thread. If they do miss out on the finals this year, it is their inability to win close games that will have been the difference.

However, the Saints are unlikely to have to worry too much about that statistic against Melbourne. Watters' side can expect to have plenty of the ball on Saturday at the MCG, with a substantial difference between St Kilda and us in disposal efficiency and general share of possession - especially uncontested ball, owing to our continued problems with run and spread and overall ball-use.

The midfield battle will be all-important. And our midfield is our most obvious weakness, of course.

St Kilda cannot afford to lose again this season if they are to play in September. Even four wins in a row may not be enough for Watters and his men but as far as this game goes, we're well up against it, and that's putting it mildly.

St Kilda by 30.

 

[Demon JP]

Had a sneaky feeling this would happen, chance to play this weekend.

 

[maxmustard]

Had a sneaky feeling this would happen, chance to play this weekend.

The forgotten rookie eh, did alright last year from what i can remember.

 

[stkildathunda]

StKilda
In: Beau Wilkes
Out: Dean Polo

Emg: Jamie Cripps, Dean Polo, Tom Ledger

Melbourne
IN: McKenzie, Jetta
OUT: Morton, Gysberts

 

[tasmanlvr]

Evans not playing this weekend.

Melbourne

B: Joel Macdonald, James Sellar, Tom McDonald
HB: Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Colin Garland
C: Jack Trengove, Brent Moloney, Sam Blease
HF: Neville Jetta, Jared Rivers, Rohan Bail
F: Jeremy Howe, Brad Green, Colin Sylvia
Foll: Jake Spencer, Jack Grimes, Nathan Jones
I/C: James Strauss, Jordie McKenzie, Luke Tapscott, James Magner
Emg: Matthew Bate, Jordan Gysberts, Michael Evans

McKenzie, Jetta in for Gysberts, Morton.

And just as I suspected, Wilkes comes in for St Kilda so we'll have to be wary of him as he threatened to tear us a new one before mistakenly getting subbed out of the game. (I expect he will be sub this time though)

I'd seriously rather have McKenzie tagging Hayes. I think Hayes has the capability to be more damaging than BJ, especially as BJ has been struggling a bit this year. I thought Dunn would be perfect to tag Goddard but he'll probably play a defensive role.

Would expect Magner to be the sub again.

 

[maxmustard]

I know Gysberts did nothing, but seeing as it was his first match this year I'd have preferred us to let him play the season out.

 

[tasmanlvr]

I know Gysberts did nothing, but seeing as it was his first match this year I'd have preferred us to let him play the season out.

Maybe he didn't pull up as well as they would have liked him to. After all he hasn't played at AFL level for a while. I wouldn't be too surprised.

 

[LBJ6]

facepalm.jpg @ Gysberts being dropped.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Still no Watts.... What. The. Fornicate.

 

[rhaz]

Grrr. Why drop Gysberts? Unless they thought he was literally not fit enough for the AFL... give him a second game.

 

[Samsara]

Watts has been out for what...6 weeks? **** this season.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Grimes' 50th this week lads.

 

[rhaz]

Grimes' 50th this week lads.

Captain Grimes... crazy stuff...

 

[mrmonkey]

I'd love to see us take a big scalp and put the saints out of finals contention (but not likely). So I hope Essendon don't make the finals knowing we DID beat them.

 

[tasmanlvr]

So I hope Essendon don't make the finals knowing we DID beat them.

It's funny, a few weeks back many were talking of the Melbourne loss costing them top four. Now it could cost them finals altogether.

Back on topic... a few more things I think I'll like:

-As I said in another thread, I think we should play Strauss on Milne, and we should also play Macdonald on Saad. I believe these will be the likely matchups, or it could be a reverse. Still I like the idea of both matchups occurring.
-Our half forward line looks pretty quick. Hopefully one of Jetta/Bail can trouble Gilbert. I imagine Dempster will go to Bail.
-If Brad Green isn't on Sam Fisher I would consider that a success. Gwilt's a good player and I respect that but Fisher would be more likely to take Green out of the game and reduce his impact. If we're to be any chance Brad must kick four or more.
-Part of the difficulty of the team this week is taking Goddard. I thought Dunn would be the man but he'll probably take the same role as last week. McKenzie will probably take him but I'd rather him have Hayes as I said above.
-Trengove/Moloney need to be on top of their defensive games. Last week I think both of them shared responsibility on Bennell and he ran riot with his 38/4. They cannot afford to do that with blokes such as Goddard, Hayes, Montagna, Dal Santo who can play in the midfield and dominate games.
-Clint Jones will take Nathan Jones. I have little doubt on that one.
-Where James Sellar fits in the defensive structure is tricky, given that I expect Wilkes to be the sub. St Kilda, apart from Riewoldt/Kosi have a pretty small forward line and this could trouble us. I would like Tom Mc to take Riewoldt, and Frawley to take Kosi. If Wilkes starts the defensive structure will be fine.
-Tappy has to be a wrecking ball again. I'd like to see him take Gram this week and hopefully reduce his effectiveness with that booming foot of his.
-Sylvia and Blease should swap I reckon. I'd prefer Bleasey play a forward pocket and Sylvia on the wing. Sylvia I think is one of Melbourne's best when he has a good game and I thought he's shown some good signs the past couple of weeks.

 

[Spirit of 39]

Jack Viney named at Casey this week. May head out to Cranbourne this Sunday arvo to have a look.

 

[Marlowe]

WANTED​

DEAD ALIVE​

Jetta in doesn't inspire confidence, McKenzie,however, is a sound move.

Hoping for an upset, will settle for another well contested match like last time - Saints by 27.

 

[Tulip]

Jetta over Gysberts?

Are they giving Neville one last shot?

 

[Eth]

Jetta over Gysberts?

Are they giving Neville one last shot?

Tanking.

 

[Demon 16]

Odd selction this week.

Why upgrade Evans before youre going to pick him?

And only giving Gysberts 1 run in the seniors is a mistake as well imo. Particularly bringing in Jetta to replace him.. wtf!??

 

[d33my]

Will be watching (and by watching I mean getting live updates from here/AFL site) from work this week.

Can't see us getting over St Kilda. Do hope that McKenzie does another good job on Goddard though.

Saints by 30.

 

[rhaz]

Evans promoted to senior list (for Clark). Named as an emergency this week, i guess maybe Neeld wants to see him play before making a decision on next year?

 

[tasmanlvr]

Evans promoted to senior list (for Clark). Named as an emergency this week, i guess maybe Neeld wants to see him play before making a decision on next year?

I think he's worthy of a game to be tried out. He can get the ball (we learned that from last season) but I think his DE needs to improve.

Hopefully he can take any chance he gets, a la Nicho.