Preview R11: Changes vs Eagles

[BigBoSS_Riot]

I’d love to be a fly on Nicks' head during Laird’s video review.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Strachan is just ROB with less hitouts and looks less unco but is equally useless

So keep ROB?

 

[NSolis]

I’d love to be a fly on the wall during Laird’s video review. He was absolutely horrendous in all 4 quarters but it would be fun to hear the bullshit justifications for inexplicably keeping him around to infest the midfield with incompetent decision making, horrendous skills and an uncanny knack for trailing his man to the ball.

Laird and Crouch have both been pretty low in ToG% for the whole season, ever since Soligo took over a lot of midfield time. This seems like a really bad solution to balancing midfield loads to me as neither of them are much good in other roles, but Crouch is just a far better midfielder at this point. Today it was Laird 68% and Crouch 65% with a fairly even 5 way split in CBAs. This the lowest in the side aside from Cook and the subs. Crouch had 35 touches, 7 score involvements and 5 clearances, Laird had 22 touches, 4 score involvements and 3 clearances

Meanwhile Rankine is at 93% and picking up a soft tissue injury and Dawson at 88%, because they are useful elsewhere on the field.

Surely we can bring Crouch's game time up, omit Laird, and find the extra rotations if needed from other fringe midfield options like Rachele or Pedlar. And probably marginally increase Rankine's bench time if needed, given he has a history.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Can we look to the future now? Let’s see what Dowling and Taylor can do. Jones, Ned, Smith, and Laird are adding very little value.. stop rewarding them.

 

[Anzacpaul]

In: Berry, Schoenberg, Strachan, Curtin, Dowling, +1
Out: Rankine, Laird, Crouch, Jones, ROB, Smith

Start preparing for 2025 now.

 

[GreyCrow]

We do have an opportunity to rest some players and reset - bring some of those players who are close to selection and see how they go

But we will put our most experienced side out there and win by 100 points - that will show the AFL we dont tank for draft position

 

[huludicidal]

The club will continue to go nowhere while the following players are routinely playing:

Smith
Laird
McHenry
Jones

Finding a better ruckman would be nice too, but the fact is that rucks don’t influence results anymore as much as most other players do.

Smith at half back is just not getting it done. Shanks his kicks, and even when he doesn’t, he routinely kicks to 1 on 2s. Also can’t defend. Replace with Ryan or Curtin depending on matchups.

Laird - where do i start. Slow. Can’t kick. Makes horrendous decisions by hand and foot. Trails his man to the ball. Racks up absolutely useless touches. Cannot co-exist with Crouch. Crouch has cleaner hands and makes far better decisions. Bye. Replace with Berry or Taylor.

McHenry is just awful at football. Nobody could possibly counter that argument so I won’t bother expanding. Replace with Taylor or Pedlar (once Pedlar fit).

Jones - fk me dead. Horrible decision maker. Great tackler. Just doesn’t have any other points of difference. Playing him on a wing is mind boggling. Has zero traits that you’d want in a wingman. Creates virtually no scores. Back pocket or out of the team. Replace with Dowling.



Make those changes and blind Freddy can see we’d be better off now, in the near future and in the long run. But they won’t. And that’s why we lose close games.

 

[GreyCrow]

Surely we can bring Crouch's game time up, omit Laird, and find the extra rotations if needed from other fringe midfield options like Rachele or Pedlar. And probably marginally increase Rankine's bench time if needed, given he has a history.

I posted similar a few weeks ago

Though I did have Laird rotating to HB as an option

Or start Laird and have as the last 5 minute option

 

[thebirdman 24]

There needs to be a "man conversion " with RoB.

He barely trains at the moment with his study load, it is showing on game day.


His future is medicine. Time to make a decision.


He used to be a reliable mark of the ball, and albeit a bit "gumby", he was good in traffic as a link up player. Similar with field kicking.


Now struggles around the ground and his tapwork has dropped off in quality as well.




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I'm sorry, he hardly trains?

He can GTFO if true.

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[NSolis]

I posted similar a few weeks ago

Though I did have Laird rotating to HB as an option

Or start Laird and have as the last 5 minute option

I just think Laird would be fairly bad across half back these days. Not sure he's going to be good in a lockdown role on half-forwards and if we want a rebounding type I think you're going for quick, penetrating ball movement to drive our attack off half-back. Which is what we want Smith, Hinge, Hamill/Milera and possibly Ryan/Curtin for. Or whoever really - I don't think it's Laird.

Laird for me is a backup to Crouch at this point. Can't see the point of him being in the side if he's taking sub-60% CBAs and spending a third of the game on the bench. In that role I'd rather have Schoenberg, if we do want a 5 player midfield rotation.

 

[GreyCrow]

I'm sorry, he hardly trains?

He can GTFO if true.

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Yeah just ask Nicksy for time off and yeah go for it

Senior players have been doing it for a few years

 

[GreyCrow]

I just think Laird would be fairly bad across half back these days. Not sure he's going to be good in a lockdown role on half-forwards and if we want a rebounding type I think you're going for quick, penetrating ball movement to drive our attack off half-back. Which is what we want Smith, Hinge, Hamill/Milera and possibly Ryan/Curtin for. Or whoever really - I don't think it's Laird.

Laird for me is a backup to Crouch at this point. Can't see the point of him being in the side if he's taking sub-60% CBAs and spending a third of the game on the bench. In that role I'd rather have Schoenberg, if we do want a 5 player midfield rotation.

Oh I agree

Thats what a good club would do but he is a senior on contract for 2 more years

He isnt getting dropped

 

[1990crow]

I don't care. Seasons finished.

 

[SellarStardom]

Should be

Rankine out inj. - dowling in

Laird out cause he’s a fxxkn hack who’s barely sanfl standard - shoey in

ROB out cause he’s a fxxkn hack who’s barely sanfl standard - give strawnie a run

Smith out cooked - Ryan in

What it will be…

Rankine out inj.. hopefully dowling in..

Perfect selection, but it won't be.

I would give Murphy the arse as well and play Taylor

 

[huludicidal]

We're playing West Coast at home

Should be a debutant minimum plus Curtin straight back in

Nekminnit:

Out:
Rankine

In:
Berry (plus McHenry elevated into the 22)

Sub:
Cook


You know it’s coming. Just laugh and hope we lose to bring this shitshow coaching regime closer to the end.

 

[STrAng3C1oUdZ]

Really think we should rest Tex this week and the next couple, need to see Fog be the Number 1 man see what he can produce

 

[SellarStardom]

Western Bulldogs drop senior players to improve, we don't

End

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Strachan is just ROB with less hitouts and looks less unco but is equally useless

Strachan is a far better kick!

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I'm sorry, he hardly trains?

He can GTFO if true.

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Can't he study on weekends too?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Really think we should rest Tex this week and the next couple, need to see Fog be the Number 1 man see what he can produce

Or we could look to sub him off if we are in control of the game

 

[Pugsley]

Can't he study on weekends too?

He may as well because he is only out there in body.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

In: Berry, Schoenberg, Strachan, Curtin, Dowling, +1
Out: Rankine, Laird, Crouch, Jones, ROB, Smith

Start preparing for 2025 now.

Same ins, but I'm taking out Murphy & McHenry instead of Crouch & Laird.

B: Michaelanny, Butts, Hamill
HB: Laird, Keane, Hinge
C: Sholl, Soligo, Nankervis
HF: Rachele, Walker, Keays
F: Cook, Himmelberg, Fogarty
R: Strachan, Dawson, Schoenberg
I: Ryan, Crouch, Curtin, Dowling
Sub: Berry

 

[Moonwatcher]

Finding a better ruckman would be nice too, but the fact is that rucks don’t influence results anymore as much as most other players do.

We don't lose any of our < 1 goal matches this season with NicNat

 

[MsTopG]

Out
Nicks

 

[thebirdman 24]

This game is a chance for Smith and Laird to downhill ski their way to guaranteed selection for the rest of the year.


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