North Vs Eagles

[gigs]

just like to hear ur thoughts on the upcoming game, as a staunch north supporter i really think this is going to be a great tussle...where will the game be one, is the loss of chad going to have any effect....and
what north player in ur eagle eyes is the biggest threat and why?
cheers, have a good one!
p.s GO ROOS!

 

[Au_Blue#24]

Originally posted by gigs
just like to hear ur thoughts on the upcoming game, as a staunch north supporter i really think this is going to be a great tussle...where will the game be one, is the loss of chad going to have any effect....and
what north player in ur eagle eyes is the biggest threat and why?
cheers, have a good one!
p.s GO ROOS!

I cant see north troubling us at home - but i didnt think we'd struggle against tbe bullies either. One bloke I reckon who may trouble us is that Perrie guy !!

 

[eagleskickass]

Originally posted by gigs
just like to hear ur thoughts on the upcoming game, as a staunch north supporter i really think this is going to be a great tussle...where will the game be one, is the loss of chad going to have any effect....and
what north player in ur eagle eyes is the biggest threat and why?
cheers, have a good one!
p.s GO ROOS!

Welcome. I too agree it should be a cracker of a game, both have decent midfields with a few other good players around the ground. But having said that i honestly believe in this case it will, like most of our games, be won in our midfield. I dont think your good midfield will eb able to match our many options of Cousins, Kerr, Judd, Fletcher, Braun, Adkins, Wooden. Also having said that i always worry about Harvey as he seems to usually have a good game against us, and one can NEVER underestimate David King. One place i am worried about is our backline but if they play anything like they did against Brisbane we'll be fine, and have another avenue for run as our HB line against the Lions was superb but i still think you will go ok down forward, just that IMO we will get more inside 50's and this year we've had a pretty good conversion rate so will win it due to that.

Should be a great game though and i am sure glad its at Subi not in Melbourne.

 

[Z_K]

I can't see us winning.

But...

If anyone was going to give you blokes a push at Subi this year, I reckon we could have the side, but more importantly, it could be at just the right time.

The Eagles will have 2 weeks to sit on a smashing of Brisbane, at the GABBA. You are not going to have trouble beating a side who is 6th, unrated and away from home are you? Only this attitude will see us in with a shot.

Gardiner will do inhumane things to Porter, so Spider has to come up. Watt will take Wilson. Matera always flogs us, and our backline struggles against small crafty blokes. Ralwings could run a full tag on Cousins, and I would bet that Laidley lets Simpson, Grant, Harvey Stevens and Harris go at the game.

Simpson, Harvey and Grant have been as good as any midfield trio in the game for a month, including your blokes. They will get 80 between them no worries.

Brown will start in defence and follow Gardiner around, effectively becoming a 4th onballer, a role that has turned his seaosn. All this will ahve to come off, plus a bit for us to win.

 

[ozzult]

We will lose if we go into the games like we did against Geelong and Bulldogs.


Hopefully the fact that we can actually really belt sides when we want to (Brisbane), will give us the wake up call that we need to really want to win, to be able to win.

Hopefully we really turn it on, and if we do, it could get ugly.

 

[eagleskickass]

Originally posted by NorthBhoy

Gardiner will do inhumane things to Porter

Love It hehe Nah you bring up some good points, and your midfield has been very good of late so will be a GREAT game to watch i reckon. Also the one thing you say giving you a shot, our complacency, is something i doubt we will now have. Having played 2 games with that attitude and being EXTREMELY lucky not to lose both then with the win we just had i think the boys will not just "want to win" but will wanna flog you guys. Not saying we will do that, but the will will be there and so complacency SHOULDNT happen, i hope

 

[wattie]

North bhoy you don't give your team enough credit, I think most people would have to rate the roos by now. Even if your wins have been hard fought and scrappy, they're still wins and they're starting to make a bit of a habit of it.

Interesting to note this will be the first Laidley vs Worsfold match. Think they'll be a bit more fired up than usual?

 

[hilly]

Originally posted by ozzult
We will lose if we go into the games like we did against Geelong and Bulldogs.

Hopefully we really turn it on, and if we do, it could get ugly.

I don't think we'll win and I also doubt we'll get flogged hopefully no one remembers this if we lose by 20 goals Our last trip west was v.ordinary and hopefully the break helps us a bit.

WC by 28

 

[noodle]

Originally posted by NorthBhoy

Matera always flogs us, and our backline struggles against small crafty blokes.

matera probably won't be ready to play. sampi will have to do the job.

 

[Darky]

Could someone please be a good sport and put up a likely squad of 22 in the next few days?

Porthos did a brilliant post a few weeks ago (before the North vs Port game) which was pretty much spot on. Didn't help us though - we still got flogged!

Is there a WAFL round this weekend, or is this the WA vs SA state game weekend? Is there any sort of game which might contribute to the selection process?

I'm not 100% sure about Port Melbourne's next VFL game. I know it's against Tassie, but dunno if it's this weekend or the weekend the AFL resumes. I think it might be the latter. Also not sure if Port Melbourne have a VFL fixture this week to give some desperately un-(match)fit blokes a run if it's allowed.

At this stage, Burton will come in for Porter if fit, and Watson or S.Motlop might be a chance to return at the expense of Firrito. The injuries sustained by Wells and Robbins in the Essendon game are not serious and I believe both have been cleared to play against your mob.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

I imagine the only changes will be:
OUT: Morrison (knee)
IN: Phil Matera

unless Matera doesn't come up by then, in which case it could be anyone of Cox, Carroll, Munro, Read, Humm, plus a few outsiders in Lynch, Collica, Chambers and Seaby.

 

[ozzult]

There is no WAFL this weekend.


I'd say the likely 22 would be something like ...

B: David Wirrpunda, Darren Glass, Michael Braun
HB: Drew Banfield, Trent Carrol, David Haynes
C: Andrew Embley, Ben Cousins, Rowan Jones
HF: Daniel Kerr, Glen Jakovich, Daniel Chick
F: Phil Matera, Troy Wilson, Ashley Sampi
R: Michael Gardiner, Chris Judd, Chad Fletcher

IC: Damien Adkins, Kasey Green, Andrew McDougall, Josh Wooden.


Depending on whether or not Phil Read is fit, he could come in for Josh Wooden. Also, Cox could be a chance, but considering Doogs did alright, who could you drop for him?

So that would be,

IN: Phil Matera Trent Carrol
OUT: Ash McIntosh, Chad Morrison

 

[Darky]

Good stuff Ozzult...

So how would you attack thre three-pronged forward line of Rocca, Petrie and Morrell?

Gaspar on Rocca, Carroll on Petrie and Haynes on Morrell? It becomes the age-old quandary of size vs speed/mobility.

Can McDougall hold down a second ruck spot, allowing Gardiner to push forward, or maybe Cox in (s******, s******)? That would well and truly f*** us. (oh behave!)

Midfield rotation and opponents could go several ways, but if I had to nominate an opponent for each player :
Stevens - Cousins
Simpson - Jones
Rawlings - Fletcher
Wells - Kerr
Harris - Judd
Baird - Embley

 

[Mead]

I'm very worried about Petrie- we just don't have the cattle to handle a forward of his style and calibre. We'll probably end up putting Glass on him and hoping for the best.

Gaspar is out for at least six weeks, so you won't see him. Haynes on Morrell might actually be the way to go.

I think there is no question your forward line will kick a pretty big score, but given the good form of a few of our guys against you (Wilson, Matera) and the coming of age of Sampi, if we get decent run for our midfield, I'd be confident that if this game degenerates into a shoot out we have the firepower to win.

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by Mead
I'm very worried about Petrie- we just don't have the cattle to handle a forward of his style and calibre. We'll probably end up putting Glass on him and hoping for the best.

Gaspar is out for at least six weeks, so you won't see him. Haynes on Morrell might actually be the way to go.

Oops! I meant Glass, not Gaspar.

Funnily enough, I'd also prefer a shoot-out. because when our forward line fires it can kick decent scores... but when the delivery is poor/infrequent or the forwards aren't taking their chances, they are terrible and will struggle to kick 10-12 goals.

Midfields are a worry... I think ours has plenty of attacking flair, and if Wells and Watson play they are two guys that don't waste kicks into F50. But I don't know if we are capable of stopping some of your guys. We have Ben Robbins, who I didn't mention earlier, but there is no specific opponent that really stands out for him.

Who do you think will play on Corey Jones? Daniel Chick maybe?

 

[eagleskickass]

I wouldnt be surprised if Chick got given an unexpected role ie he played on Pavlich in the reo game(well i didnt expect this at least) and towelled him BUT yes i would put chicky on Corey Jones. I truly rate your midfield but really feel that in a shoot out we would see more of the ball due to our midfield, and SHOULD be able to convert that onto the scoreboard. The lions game is a bit of an example, especially the third term. Was goal for goal, but game was already over as wed matched them early.

What Pivotal for Norths chances? Well West Coast are very strong at the start, and are very strong at the end, its what happens in the middle that CAN be worrying. Therefore it is IMPERITIVE that you guys are up with us at 1/4 time and have a lead at 3/4 time IMO for you guys to win, anything less than that and we should get the victory. Wont be an easy game but i think by games end we will have out run you guys and will win by 26-36 points

 

[eagleskickass]

Also i want to sincerely thank the north supporters. This is one of the first games where the pre-game talk has been a) of this calibre and b) civil. Makes for very good discussion when both teams can talk honest and frankly bout the sides chances rather than the usual my **** is bigger than yours arguments that start nowhere and go nowhere.

 

[Z_K]

It is inevitable that it will be high scoring. For all the things we have done really well this year, we don't seem capable of really putting the clamps on the opposition with it's tail up. Freo and Port got away from us in a quarter, and West Coast are playing better footy ATM, than those two were.

With the massive player turn over recently, we have evolved into a running footy side, able to stretch most on the break or by use of the footy through the wings and pockets.

Petrie has to have a big one. Digby is struggling, and Sav is barely going, so Drew has to pull another huge one out. JOnes has been sensational as a forward target, Harding will kick 3, but the midfielders, namely Grant and Harvey, will need to get 4 between them I reckon.

I would consider running a near tag on Wirrapunda, as the bloke is carving everyone, and really gets it going. Wells could go with him across the turf running backwards, but we will need him playing attacking footy.

 

[eagleskickass]

Would be very strange(and a major comment to Wirra!) seeing a player playing in the backline...being tagged

 

[jod23]

We should win but then again, we should have beat the Dogs so no game is a given. It seems that every game is won in the midfield nowadays and at the end of the day, if North's midfield can break even with ours then it will turn into a tight game much like the Geelong and Bulldogs game.

But if Gardy, Cuz and co get on top we should romp home. The guys Im worried about are Harvey, he always seems to play well against us, Sinclair, he is very good form and creates a lot of run out of defence for the Roos. Also wary of Simpson, think a tag could be thrown his way, perhaps Wooden.

 

[GoEagles]

Should be a good match!

If any Victorian side will test us at home, it will be the Kangaroos. Their midfield has been one of the best this year with Simpson, Grant, Stevens, Sinclair & Harvey all being really impressive.

One bloke who has looked the goods is Petrie. Seems to be taking over Rocca's position of Full Forward. Will probably see Glass go onto Petrie and maybe Tommy Carroll or even Quinten Lynch come in to take on Rocca/Morrell.

 

[Geonet]

Originally posted by wattie

Interesting to note this will be the first Laidley vs Worsfold match. Think they'll be a bit more fired up than usual?

Good point ! I was thinking the same. They are both part of the new generation of coaches and I sense stronger rivalries among coaches who have just started.

 

[myee8]

North's record at Subi ain't too bad, so hopefully it will be a good game and North will not get flogged like earlier in the season. Hopefully Sav and Diggers will play, meaning that it leaves secondary defenders on the likes of Petrie and Jones. Embley is the one i am also worried about. Not much else to add as everyone else had said it all!

 

[Shagga#6]

Going on last years game in Canberra we need to seriously respect Kerr. He tore us apart in that game.

Glad to have Watt instead of Mick for the match up on Wilson.

It should be a cracker of a game, but our midfield will need to be winning the ball out of the middle to be copeditive. If Garnier, Cousins, Judd, Kerr and co. get going, will be hard to stop.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Always a difficult game to predict after the two week break. I remember years ago that Carlton were given no chance against the Eagles in Perth, but their experienced players played a blinder to get them over the line. North has some similar experienced players who will probably appreciate the break and it will be hard for us to mentally come up after such a crushing victory at the Gabba.

Having said that, we've shown that we generally play to the same game plan with confidence and you'd have to tip a shoot-out. I did watch the very entertaining Kangaroos v Bulldogs game (which I think was the week before we played the Bulldogs) and it was a similar game to ours. That was a classic example of a team getting a run-on to change the result. North were gone deep in the 3rd, but Digby started to take some marks, then kick some goals and all of a sudden they were right back in it.

Hopefully we'll get more run-ins than North and win, but it could certainly go either way.

We will have to replace Morrison (knee) and McIntosh (hamstring) and you wouldn't expect many changes after such a win. Carroll would be the likely replacement for McIntosh (and we need another tall defender against your big 3 - pity Milli's out because he would take Sav - you might even see Jako back on Sav at some point). Morrison's a more difficult one to pick and partly depends on injuries as both Collica and Read would have claims if fit. Humm might get another chance, or we go tall with either Cox or Lynch (who has had good but not outstanding WAFL form and can play front or back). Obviously I hope Matera is fit, but I can't see it.