Prediction R11: Changes vs Collingwood

[MrDanggazz]

He definitely has. Been disappointing, his already poor kicking has gotten worse.

I personally think he suffers from the Ross Lyon Syndrome, AKA playing players in the wrong position

 

[Kenny_01]

The consensus we’ve all seemed to reach on Bigfooty:

- We are not structurally playing enough tall forwards, and need an extra in there ASAP.

- Blakely and Hill are wasted at half-back, and need to play back in the midfield.

Any... just any chance these could be addressed one day?

I don’t think I agree with some parts of this. As things stand, I don’t see any tall on our list that isn’t injured that I would play right now. I was surprised when we delisted Tanner Smith because despite his shortcomings, he moved well in the forward line and kept our structure in place when we lost a tall to injury.

I think Taberner has improved out of sight and is a genuine key call that is AFL quality. I think there are high hopes for Dixon but needs a couple of years development. Cox has talent but has plenty to work on and is probably a 50/50 proposition. Due to his talent, he could be a superstar but he could also flop and be delisted in 2 years.

But anyway, to your point, I think we only bring in a tall if they are ready and right now we don’t have anyone ready.

Stephen Hill started the season great at HB. I don’t think it’s the position for his drop of form - most likely it’s niggles in his body which subsequently has led to a drop in confidence. Also not sure how much he will offer in the midfield, especially when he isn’t 100% fit. My thinking is give him a month off and get him cherry ripe again, but hbf is fine.

I think Blakely is playing back mainly because other teams were winning too many loose ball gets and hard ball gets in their F50. Not sure if we lost Blakely who would pick up the slack because Wilson and Ryan are natural receivers and distributors but not necessarily ball winners. It’s good having someone who developed as a midfielder in the backline and I think most teams will have 1 or 2.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Heart Of Purple]

I don’t think I agree with some parts of this. As things stand, I don’t see any tall on our list that isn’t injured that I would play right now. I was surprised when we delisted Tanner Smith because despite his shortcomings, he moved well in the forward line and kept our structure in place when we lost a tall to injury.

I think Taberner has improved out of sight and is a genuine key call that is AFL quality. I think there are high hopes for Dixon but needs a couple of years development. Cox has talent but has plenty to work on and is probably a 50/50 proposition. Due to his talent, he could be a superstar but he could also flop and be delisted in 2 years.

But anyway, to your point, I think we only bring in a tall if they are ready and right now we don’t have anyone ready.

Stephen Hill started the season great at HB. I don’t think it’s the position for his drop of form - most likely it’s niggles in his body which subsequently has led to a drop in confidence. Also not sure how much he will offer in the midfield, especially when he isn’t 100% fit. My thinking is give him a month off and get him cherry ripe again, but hbf is fine.

I think Blakely is playing back mainly because other teams were winning too many loose ball gets and hard ball gets in their F50. Not sure if we lost Blakely who would pick up the slack because Wilson and Ryan are natural receivers and distributors but not necessarily ball winners. It’s good having someone who developed as a midfielder in the backline and I think most teams will have 1 or 2.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Only thing with Blakely down there is his ball use. To play half-back, even in that ball winning role, you simply MUST use the ball effectively. But I do agree that mids are important down there (See M.Boyd, L.Hodge, S.Burgouyne) types, he just needs to use the ball a bit safer/more effectively for this move to have any value.

 

[Yato]

I don’t think I agree with some parts of this. As things stand, I don’t see any tall on our list that isn’t injured that I would play right now. I was surprised when we delisted Tanner Smith because despite his shortcomings, he moved well in the forward line and kept our structure in place when we lost a tall to injury.

I think Taberner has improved out of sight and is a genuine key call that is AFL quality. I think there are high hopes for Dixon but needs a couple of years development. Cox has talent but has plenty to work on and is probably a 50/50 proposition. Due to his talent, he could be a superstar but he could also flop and be delisted in 2 years.

But anyway, to your point, I think we only bring in a tall if they are ready and right now we don’t have anyone ready.

Stephen Hill started the season great at HB. I don’t think it’s the position for his drop of form - most likely it’s niggles in his body which subsequently has led to a drop in confidence. Also not sure how much he will offer in the midfield, especially when he isn’t 100% fit. My thinking is give him a month off and get him cherry ripe again, but hbf is fine.

I think Blakely is playing back mainly because other teams were winning too many loose ball gets and hard ball gets in their F50. Not sure if we lost Blakely who would pick up the slack because Wilson and Ryan are natural receivers and distributors but not necessarily ball winners. It’s good having someone who developed as a midfielder in the backline and I think most teams will have 1 or 2.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Definitely agree here. Looking forward to seeing Blakely back in the middle though!! Stephen Hill was firing in the earlier rounds and looked good until his body let him down.

 

[pistol17]

Sandilands and Hill officially ruled out. You'd have to argue Pearce in serious doubt and question marks on Johnson and Ballas although they may get a reprieve simply due to experience.

Sandi out is the big one. May see some interesting moves. For me the aggressive move would be Apeness and Strnadica both in. Obvious would be Jones and Apeness. Stupid would be just Jones or Apeness and support from Cox.

Pearce wasn't bad against the roos, was a rare game he applied some defensive pressure and his disposal efficiency was up at 92% which is rare for him, with Hill out there is no way he gets omitted this week.

 

[aussieviking]

I would like to try Cox back and Pearce/Hamling given a try in forward line. Bring Hughs in so Blakely can move back to mid field.
Time to experiment a little.

 

[Wizard]

I would like to try Cox back and Pearce/Hamling given a try in forward line. Bring Hughs in so Blakely can move back to mid field.
Time to experiment a little.

I agree with this.
I think Blakely is a liability down back some times becuase his kicking can be absolutely dreadful.

 

[TheLastCall]

So out Sandi and Hill
Replaced with Apeness and Giro
That's a drop of 454 games of experience.

Drop DP and Johnson
For Strnadica and Duman
Thanks another 493 games

Drop Ballas for North another 161.

Sandi -> Apeness
Ballas -> Strnadica
Johnson -> Duman
DP -> North
Hill -> Giro

1108 games drop in experience.

Let's do it.

(Won't happen, but worth a thought)

 

[G Mus]

Ross on 6PR last night said Apeness wasn't a forward

Not for the first time either, Ross says he is too tall to be a forward

 

[rgauci]

Not for the first time either, Ross says he is too tall to be a forward

Not too tall, too immobile.

 

[nurries]

He also said that Apeness prefers playing ruck to forward

 

[Son of a Wizard]

Not for the first time either, Ross says he is too tall to be a forward

Same height as Ben Brown


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Heart Of Purple]

Probably planned on having him as a 'slow-forward' initially, but since injury curses have hit he's surely lost a little bit of mobility, probably puts him in a position where he's now too slow to play as a permanent forward. Having said that, he could still be a forward-ruck in the Lycett mould, a ruckmen that goes forward.

 

[Square Peg]

Ross on 6PR last night said Apeness wasn't a forward

That is funny, because I remember him being drafted as one. With our first pick no less.
So then they find out he isn't what we drafted him for, and discover he is a ruck, but go ahead and draft two other ruckmen in the last draft anyway!!!
We have so much wrong in the back rooms of this club. People focus on Ross but seriously, we have bigger problems than Lyon at the club.

 

[G Mus]

Not too tall, too immobile.

I think he was being polite at the time

 

[Unique Name]

I really hope they mean ruck/fwd.
Darcy is a ruck
Meek is a ruck
Jones is a ruck
Sandi is a ruck
Strndica is a ruck/fwd.
Apeness is a ruck??

With only Sandi due for retirement this seems like a massive imbalance that needs sorting out this offseason.

 

[Rion]

I really hope they mean ruck/fwd.
Darcy is a ruck
Meek is a ruck
Jones is a ruck
Sandi is a ruck
Strndica is a ruck/fwd.
Apeness is a ruck??

With only Sandi due for retirement this seems like a massive imbalance that needs sorting out this offseason.

Crazy that we've picked up 4 rucks in 2 years when at a guess most clubs in the comp wouldn't even have that many on their list total.

 

[TheLastCall]

Crazy that we've picked up 4 rucks in 2 years when at a guess most clubs in the comp wouldn't even have that many on their list total.

Definitely picked one too many.

 

[tonygeeks]

Our best ' looking ' forward set up has been Sandi deep forward w/2 smalls at his feet and Cmac / Cerra / Mundy working the up and back role bringing the ball > 50 so I think a 2 ruckman strategy is best for us so hopefully we can keep one of them as deepest fwd and cox can present up ground , it will be clunky due to the lack of experience but it's better to be bad trying something that has some chance of working than be bad doing something that never will

In - Apeness , Str????nica , Giro and Duman / Hughes

Out - Ballas ( sorry champ you've been a fave of mine )
Sandi
Jono
Shill - injured but I think he needs to be actually dropped
for performance as soon as the circumstances allow it
his acceptable performance % is plummeting

Danyle old mate , I couldn't believe they had you playing on Cunnington at the stops last week and thought that would be a disaster but you somehow managed to nullify him a bit and by not getting as much of the ball as usual even though you still probably hit your 25% turnover ratio it didn't hurt us to much as they were in close not out in the open to the groans of the crowd

You can stay in ( how about that hey ! )



On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Wizard]

Crazy that we've picked up 4 rucks in 2 years when at a guess most clubs in the comp wouldn't even have that many on their list total.

And Jones in particular looks to be an absolute waste of a pick.

 

[Joao]

And Jones in particular looks to be an absolute waste of a pick.

Yeah agree it was a weird one.

Hopefully there are no absolute jets in the rookie draft making us look foolish on that one.

 

[Superkoops]

Yeah agree it was a weird one.

Hopefully there are no absolute jets in the rookie draft making us look foolish on that one.

B. Banfield, S. Giro... oh that’s right

It does seem a strange decision to pick both Meek (pick 69) and Jones (pick 77) late in the ND and that was considering the thought that they had Apeness earmarked as a fwd/ruck.

I read Ross’ comments about Apeness and it was one of the more perplexing things I have read/heard from Freo this season.

I tend to agree with the conclusion they have drawn but why has it taken so long and why draft so many ruckmen. Perhaps they could have instead picked up a more mature aged ex -AFL player like (Jarrod Garlett - pick 78 Carlton), Jonathan Marsh (East Frem/Collingwood) or Angus Litherland (Subiaco/Hawthorn) at 77 and gone for just one of Meek/Jones at 69.

Or maybe I’m just being picky.

 

[Joao]

B. Banfield, S. Giro... oh that’s right

It does seem a strange decision to pick both Meek (pick 69) and Jones (pick 77) late in the ND and that was considering the thought that they had Apeness earmarked as a fwd/ruck.

I read Ross’ comments about Apeness and it was one of the more perplexing things I have read/heard from Freo this season.

I tend to agree with the conclusion they have drawn but why has it taken so long and why draft so many ruckmen. Perhaps they could have instead picked up a more mature aged ex -AFL player like (Jarrod Garlett - pick 78 Carlton), Jonathan Marsh (East Frem/Collingwood) or Angus Litherland (Subiaco/Hawthorn) at 77 and gone for just one of Meek/Jones at 69.

Or maybe I’m just being picky.

The only justification I can come up with is because we don't have that gun no1 KPF we maybe thought if we just scattergun bulk tall players maybe 1 might become gun? I can't see it being a ruck thing because Darcy looks as good as any ruck at 19.

Not worried we missed Marsh or Litherland but would have preferred Garlett or Narrier over Jones for that high risk, high reward type.

 

[mattis117]

I would love to see Ross be true to his word in “doubling down” on the youth

Out: D.Pearce (Omitted), Johnson (Omitted), Ballantyne (Omitted), S.Hill (Quad), Sandilands (Concussion)

In: Hughes, Duman, Giro, Bennell, Apeness

Shift Blakely into the midfield and play Fyfe forwardand to give the young guys more time in the midfield to aid their development.

I also thought Banfield showed promise as a pressure forward and I’d rather see that than us playing with a negative mindset in the midfield

It couldn’t hurt to bring Bennell in on reduced minutes and get more game time into the young guys either.

Duman Hamling Hughes
Wilson A.Pearce Ryan
Langdon Blakely Tucker
Walters Fyfe McCarthy
Banfield Cox Matera

Apeness Mundy Neale

Bennell Brayshaw Cerra Giro

That may actually be a better side than last week despite the forced changes and extensive injury list

If Fyfe played forward he would finish the game with 5 touches. You don't play the best player in the comp in the forward line. We will lose every single clearance if he is not there.

 

[mattis117]

Still have to be careful to get the balance right between youth and experience, what annoys me is that the guys who
We should be getting games into, Hughes, Nyhius, Duman, even Kersten don't get continuity.
Yet we surround them with Balla, Johnson, D Pearce, who are all finished after this year.
This and their best position? Blakey has plateaued, Crowden is not a small forward.
Playing the youth card only works for so long, didn't work for Neesham, Harvey, it is a result driven industrial.

Mate, what? This post is actually embarrassing.

A few things to note:

1. Please read up on how Hughes has been going this season before commenting such rubbish.
2. Duman needed a rest, his output was dropping off.
3. Blakely has plateaued... I don't even. Like what? He had a bloody stinker, his worst game for the season last week vs. North, but he has had near BoG games this season as well. If the team were doing better he would look a million bucks because you wouldn't be seeing his under pressure kicks coming out of D50.
4. Crowden is a first year player. He plays where he is told to play.