Game Day Practice Match up in QLD v the reigning premier

[Danger in Texas]

I wouldn't be surprised if Murphy is ahead of Dowling, Taylor and Pedlar if a small forward spot opened up.

Can’t say I’d be surprised either but hopefully not

 

[1970crow]

There's a difference between top 29 players and top 22.

I think you're taking the glass half full approach, which i can understand somewhat.

He's not a chance of playing R1, or he'd have been in the A side last week.

Does that last sentence apply to Nank?

 

[SugarShane]

If Murphy is depth as small forward then what possible reason did they have to play him an entire game as an inside mid last week?

Inb4 Nicksy plays him in every spot on the ground so that he's justifiable depth for every position.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Honestly.... yes.

But also, Peatling, ANB and Draper being added hurts him.

You’re forgetting who our coach is.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Taylor not in emergencies at least is disappointing

 

[George CantStandYa]

I wouldn't be surprised if Murphy is ahead of Dowling, Taylor and Pedlar if a small forward spot opened up.

He clearly is, last years selections proved it, as has this squad.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Taylor not in emergencies at least is disappointing

The fact that Nicks & Co are still after all this time prioritising Murphy over Taylor shows they are not successful coaching material.

 

[kirky]

I wouldn't be surprised if Murphy is ahead of Dowling, Taylor and Pedlar if a small forward spot opened up.

Of course he is, someone has to be a suck to wash the coaches car.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

The fact that Nicks & Co are still after all this time prioritising Murphy over Taylor shows they are not successful coaching material.

Would have had Taylor over Murphy and Pedlar

 

[Danger in Texas]

Taylor not in emergencies at least is disappointing

Gut feel is that if he doesn’t get opportunity, he’s gonna ask to be traded at season’s end, sadly

Some other club will recognise his talent

 

[Hodgy]

Taylor not in emergencies at least is disappointing

Playing devils advocate, keeping Taylor and Schoey here to play a full game in the midfield, might well be better for them than playing limited minutes as forwards. Rotating through the midfield we have Dawson, Soligo, Curtin, Peatling, Crouch, Rankine and Draper. Would be hard to get either of them many minutes through there in a 4 quarter game tbh.

 

[George CantStandYa]

It’s an absolute joke given the experienced talent we’ve brought in and with the natural development of the players that have been regulars over the last couple of years, that Murphy is in a squad ahead of Taylor and taking into account how they’ve performed in the internal and last week.

Murphy is the very definition of a mediocre trier, Taylor has talent and weapons that needs AFL exposure.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Playing devils advocate, keeping Taylor and Schoey here to play a full game in the midfield, might well be better for them than playing limited minutes as forwards. Rotating through the midfield we have Dawson, Soligo, Curtin, Peatling, Crouch, Rankine and Draper. Would be hard to get either of them many minutes through there in a 4 quarter game tbh.

Except at AFL level we are playing Taylor more up forward, giving him midfield minutes in the SANFL means zero when he’s behind the midfielders we have in the AFL.

 

[pjcrows]

The point a lot are missing is that it's still actually a trial game. Taylor or Dowling should be starting, regardless. I wouldn't be playing Walker and perhaps even Dawson either.

 

[George CantStandYa]

The point a lot are missing is that it's still actually a trial game. Taylor or Dowling should be starting, regardless. I wouldn't be playing Walker either.

Yep

 

[cleanhands]

The point a lot are missing is that it's still actually a trial game. Taylor or Dowling should be starting, regardless. I wouldn't be playing Walker and perhaps even Dawson either.

Have they named Nankervis?

 

[George CantStandYa]

Have they named Nankervis?

Yep, Milera is injured

 

[cleanhands]

Yep, Milera is injured

Thanks just scrolled back a couple of pages and found it

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Playing devils advocate, keeping Taylor and Schoey here to play a full game in the midfield, might well be better for them than playing limited minutes as forwards. Rotating through the midfield we have Dawson, Soligo, Curtin, Peatling, Crouch, Rankine and Draper. Would be hard to get either of them many minutes through there in a 4 quarter game tbh.

Fair point

Who are the sanfl crew playing ?

 

[Jeffcrowe]

The point a lot are missing is that it's still actually a trial game. Taylor or Dowling should be starting, regardless. I wouldn't be playing Walker and perhaps even Dawson either.

Don’t agree with this really , teams that went shit the year before need to treat these one off games before the season pretty seriously so they hit round 1 ready to go , last weeks game wasn’t the same pressure as this one will be

We weren’t ready last year so we need to get everything right

 

[cleanhands]

Taylor should be before Murphy every day of the week and there’s not one person on this board could argue differently

 

[Mutineer]

Fair point

Who are the sanfl crew playing ?

2025 Hostplus SANFL League Trial Match Series​

WEEK 1
Friday February 28
Adelaide v Woodville-West Torrens at West Lakes from 5.30pm

WEEK 2
Friday March 7
Sturt v Glenelg at the Summit, Mount Barker from 7.40pm
Saturday March 8
Central District v Norwood at X Convenience Oval from 2.10pm
West Adelaide v North Adelaide at Hisense Stadium from 2.10pm
South Adelaide v Woodville-West Torrens at Magain Stadium from 2.10pm

WEEK 3
Friday March 14
Sturt v North Adelaide at the Summit, Mount Barker from 7.50pm
Saturday March 15
Central District v Glenelg at X Convenience Oval from 2.10pm
West Adelaide v Woodville-West Torrens at Hisense Stadium from 12.40pm
Sunday March 16
South Adelaide v Adelaide at Alberton Oval from 9am
Port Adelaide v Norwood at Alberton Oval from 2.20pm

 

[crows dude]

A lot of size.

Borlase has more smarts, but Butts needed against gorillas.

Height yes. Size no. Borlase has massive shoulders

 

[SellarStardom]

Murphy was absolute dogsh*t last week, kicking to Port players or scrubbers across the ground. Now in top 30.

I don't want to see Schoey as a small forward, Taylor is a midfielder, same with Berry.

BUT Murphy over Dowling after last season and last week is a joke. Billy played mainly as a wing and sometimes forward. Remember Murphy is there to kick goals

2024 stats
Dowling Avg Kicks -10
Murphy Avg Kicks - 5.7

Dowling Avg HB - 6.4
Murphy Avg HB - 5.7

Dowling Avg Goals - 0.44
Murphy Avg Goals - 0.41

 

[Scorpus]

Playing devils advocate, keeping Taylor and Schoey here to play a full game in the midfield, might well be better for them than playing limited minutes as forwards. Rotating through the midfield we have Dawson, Soligo, Curtin, Peatling, Crouch, Rankine and Draper. Would be hard to get either of them many minutes through there in a 4 quarter game tbh.

This is nice in theory but trial selection under Nicks is always highly indicative of the pecking order

Last year we played this squad against West Coast

Spoiler

Hamill, McHenry and Soligo sat out the first half. Soligo was sub, Hamill and McHenry didn't make the round 1 team.

Beyond that we had Strachan (first backup ruck), Gollant (backup to Burgess in the forward line), Nankervis and Cook on the bench

This was very close to the pecking order. And the order in which we played these guys throughout the year:

Soligo (sub round 1)
McHenry (played round 2, 10 games)
Hamill (played round 5, 7 games)
Nankervis (played round 4, 20 games)
Cook (played round 3, 15 games)
Gollant played fewer games than Burgess as a backup. Gollant was an emergency and Burgess on the bench

We also had guys like Pedlar, Milera, Murphy and Berry in the team or on the bench. All of those guys played round 1.

If you weren't in this squad, you had to wait much longer to play generally speaking

Curtin (round 8, 7 games)
Himmelberg (round 7, 9 games)
Parnell (round 4, 1 game)
Schoenberg (round 12, 4 games)
Dowling (round 14, 9 games)
Taylor (round 17, 9 games)
Bond (round 19, 7 games)
Edwards (never played)
Ryan (never played)
Keane played round 2 as cover for Borlase then retained his spot

The basic rules are that if you make the emergency list or don't play the first half of the trial, you are not best 22 but are the next men up and will probably play early. If you don't make the squad at all, you are far off getting a game and probably won't play until the second half of the year (if that)

It's nice to believe that Schoenberg and Taylor are just being given a chance to play their preferred positions. But the reality is their non-selection in the trial squad means they aren't close to AFL selection