Preview Pick your team for R1, 2017

Mar 21, 2016
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The Crows were leaking Goals from our Forward line early in 2016 Pyke tweak the game plan part of that was playing Douglas as a defensive forward, with the occasional run in the middle.
Stop it
 

Ramify

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Then please tell me how did we improve on our negative inside-50 differential in the early part of 2016.
there are a few articles about it. Kingy was very vocal on it in May.
Even a few on BF mention the same, Crows did cop a bit of criticism about that,

What do you mean by defensive forward?

Did he play on the opponent's most dangerous defender or sid he play a more Matty Wright type role?
 

70lethal

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Pyke seemed very conservative last year.
If its because the players have gone through heaps in the last few years and it was all about bringing a calmness thats fine.
This year will be interesting. Hes made the finals after losing a brownlow medalist so no job security pressure.
He bloods a heap of guys and finds out whose up to it all bodes well for the future.
If he truly is conservative then it will be super frustrating.

Its amazing how a team considered slow transforms when Van Berlo Thommo McKay Lyon are replaced with the likes of Knight Seedsman Hampton Milera Menzel
 

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What do you mean by defensive forward?

Did he play on the opponent's most dangerous defender or sid he play a more Matty Wright type role?

Move in a position to cut off the round the back movement and switch plays, at times ran with the attacking Liard type player, So it was a mixture of both.
Almost impossible to see on TV because they don't pan out but when watching Live you could see him positioning himself to stop the defensive runners from moving the ball forward. Yea some of them still got the ball but their run was slowed or stopped. It allowed time for our team defence to set up.
He was not the only one to do it he was just better at reading the play and acting than a few of the others and did not get sucked into double teaming as much.
 
Enjoying your contributions Ian Dunross Always like reading some analysis from opposition supporters. Don't let a few touchy idiots keep you from coming back.
 
Then please tell me how did we improve on our negative inside-50 differential in the early part of 2016.
there are a few articles about it. Kingy was very vocal on it in May.
Even a few on BF mention the same, Crows did cop a bit of criticism about that,

We changed our defensive structure to place more players further back.

When we leaked a ton of inside 50s, our defenders and midfielders were aggressively pushing up the field to lock the ball in our 50. This left us very susceptible to fast transition footy and opposition players often got out the back.

Pyke tweaked this by keeping our defenders further back in a slightly larger zone. It worked, we clamped down on over the back inside 50s, and we improved defensively.

It had nothing to do with playing a defensive forward. Douglas played half forward nearly the entire season and didn't play that well. He wasn't clamping down defensively, he just wasn't getting the ball
 

marty36

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Pyke seemed very conservative last year.
If its because the players have gone through heaps in the last few years and it was all about bringing a calmness thats fine.
This year will be interesting. Hes made the finals after losing a brownlow medalist so no job security pressure.
He bloods a heap of guys and finds out whose up to it all bodes well for the future.
If he truly is conservative then it will be super frustrating.

Its amazing how a team considered slow transforms when Van Berlo Thommo McKay Lyon are replaced with the likes of Knight Seedsman Hampton Milera Menzel



I think it's pretty obvious Pyke is a conservative person, he played that way and he certainly comes across that way
 

lunacy

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Otten runs on a treadmill
Cheney is quick
Hartigan is quick and big
Talia, well theres ho way he replaces him
lever see talia

1 on 1 hes good but the cheney spot seems most likely but don't see him being quick enough.
He would replace a talia or hartigan if injured i reckon
I disagree. Gunston humiliated Otten 1 on 1 a couple of years ago. Every defender gets beaten occasionally but that was embarrassing.
 
May 17, 2009
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I disagree. Gunston humiliated Otten 1 on 1 a couple of years ago. Every defender gets beaten occasionally but that was embarrassing.
Hawks really did a number on us that game. They used Roughy as a decoy all night and had him drag Talia away from the contests so they could isolate Gunston 1-1 with Otten. Was very frustrating to watch.
 

Doctor B

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I will be more surprised if MacKay and Douglas are left out of the round 1 team than picked to play in it. I think if they have both have a good pre season with no injuries they will be picked and younger players will need to be in ripping form in the twos to force them out.
 

mistylake

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The Crows were leaking Goals from our Forward line early in 2016 Pyke tweak the game plan part of that was playing Douglas as a defensive forward, with the occasional run in the middle.
Definitely was a thing early in the season,
We got better as the year progressed.
Then another issue raised it's ugly head.
Contested possessions.
2017 back on the ground ball, tackling?????? Their will always be some deficiencies I expect.
 
Jun 7, 2011
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I will be more surprised if MacKay and Douglas are left out of the round 1 team than picked to play in it. I think if they have both have a good pre season with no injuries they will be picked and younger players will need to be in ripping form in the twos to force them out.

I think Dougie is 100% selected with more stoppage midfield time a certainty. Mackay is 0% IMO, unless there's at least a couple of injuries to players ahead of him. His 140th-165th games had him 22nd in the b&f after his best year since 2009 that had his fans foaming at the mouth. He's the definition of the player that needs to go if a team is to take a step forward. He's done.
 

Doctor B

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I think Dougie is 100% selected with more stoppage midfield time a certainty. Mackay is 0% IMO, unless there's at least a couple of injuries to players ahead of him. His 140th-165th games had him 22nd in the b&f after his best year since 2009 that had his fans foaming at the mouth. He's the definition of the player that needs to go if a team is to take a step forward. He's done.

100% agree with you, I'm not sure the club do. DMacK seems to be a favourite at selection.
 
If we breakdown the selection into the 3 different areas. Firstly the backline.

The 7 from last season probably pick themselves.
Talia
Hartigan
Lever
Cheney
Smith
Brown
Laird

Expect we will see Smith again play sometimes on the wing & would also good to see Laird with spurts on ball, with other players rotating through hbf. Could we also use Brown as a cooler if an opposition mid starts influencing a game too much?

The issue may be whether we have enough good dangerous kicks coming out of the backline if Smith is shutdown. If Seedsman is in the side, then we have options.

Expect Cheney or Brown may be in the gun if we become too defensive.

Hopefully Doedee gets a go this year, along with others as we utilise our depth.

Now at least not as susceptible without Talia.... though wouldn't want to miss him for long.
 
Forward line.

With Lyons leaving, there is at least 1 vacancy & hopefully Douglas plays mostly as a midfielder or not at all.

So the givens are:
Walker
Jenkins (when not covering sauce)
Lynch
Betts
McGovern

Who takes the other 2 spots?
My tip is Menzel & will take 1.
Then midfielders will rotate through the other, including Cameron, so will count him.

Would like to see the Gov given small spurts in the midfield or even down back at times.

Hopefully the likes of Dear get their chance when we have injured talls, particularly of they have a buggared ankle!
 

marty36

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If we breakdown the selection into the 3 different areas. Firstly the backline.

The 7 from last season probably pick themselves.
Talia
Hartigan
Lever
Cheney
Smith
Brown
Laird

Expect we will see Smith again play sometimes on the wing & would also good to see Laird with spurts on ball, with other players rotating through hbf. Could we also use Brown as a cooler if an opposition mid starts influencing a game too much?

The issue may be whether we have enough good dangerous kicks coming out of the backline if Smith is shutdown. If Seedsman is in the side, then we have options.

Expect Cheney or Brown may be in the gun if we become too defensive.

Hopefully Doedee gets a go this year, along with others as we utilise our depth.

Now at least not as susceptible without Talia.... though wouldn't want to miss him for long.


Options a plenty for players that could step straight into the back line if required

Talia
hartigan
Ottens
Lever
Brown
Laird
Cheney
smith
Seedsman
Hampton
Kelly
Wigg
Doedee
Mackay could also much to everyone's crys



Without counting any first year draftees who probably could also

No wonder they let Hendo walk
 
The midfield gets trickier & hopefully we take the approach of deeper rotations during the game & resting players during the season utilising our depth... so we are fresh come finals time. Thommo will be a handy reliever to the main group.

4 starting in the middle pick themselves:
Jacobs
Sloane
B Crouch
M Crouch

Then it becomes more difficult.
Knight imo will become 1st choice in 22, which will include playing hff. Could rotate him & CC.
Atkins has upped his fitness, which is good to see as the main issue I had is he goes missing too much, so should see more of his talent.
Douglas I expect will be the only one of our experienced 3 to play regular games, but he would need to improve on 2016 form.

The last spot could well come down to pre-season form as I have changed my mind.
Milera if he has bulked up & finding more of the ball.
Hampton if he has found his mojo.
Seedsman if he has found consistency.
CEY if he has found confidence.
Greenwood demands an upgrade.
Wing's kicking is irresistible.
... or could we get a bolter from 1 of our latest draft picks?

Going to be fun to watch who really wants it.
 
Jun 7, 2011
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Then please tell me how did we improve on our negative inside-50 differential in the early part of 2016.
there are a few articles about it. Kingy was very vocal on it in May.
Even a few on BF mention the same, Crows did cop a bit of criticism about that,

I'll admit that I have a limited view from the TV, but could our improvement be adequately explained by having played a bunch of top teams in the first 6 rounds and then our draw getting much easier. Or it could be Dougie in isolation.
 
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