Preview R14 v Essendon

[Stan_Darsh72]

Out gilbert, Ray
In Fisher, Billings

Maybe find a spot for Acres and Sinclair too

 

[The Punter]

I think Acres got hurt playing for Sandy.

If there were extenuating circumstances regarding Gilbert's performance, the club will know about that and act accordingly. Two games isn't much of a go, but Delaney was solid, was solid against Essendon last time, and someone needs to go out for Fisher if Fisher is ready to go.

Billings and Sinclair should come back in if available, but after Minchington, who would also be suffering as two games isn't much of a go, the next one to be dropped would be reasonably stiff. Savage has been ineffectual the last couple (except for one beautiful long kick early on Saturday night) and Ray is Ray. Ross was really last bloke in, and was sub on the weekend.

And I'd like to get McKenzie back in at some stage.

As I've said many times, depth is not our problem.

 

[Plugger35]

Gilbert's position in the side would have to come under scrutiny after his terrible kicking cost us a few bad turnover goals, however he also did some good things with his marking and spoiling so it wouldn't surprise me if they stuck with him.

He still looks a little rusty with it being only his 2nd game back at AFL level after a long layoff so he should hopefully improve with more games under his belt, however if he keeps butchering the ball as badly as he did against the Dogs we can't afford to have him in our side.

Hopefully we get back Billings this week, probably a straight swap for Minchington who didn't do enough to keep his spot, maybe Sinclair/McKenzie in for Ross and Fisher in for Delaney/Gilbert.

I'm confident we'll win this game if we bring the same intensity and pressure we did against the Dogs and improve the goal conversion from our inside 50s.

 

[Sir Skid]

Thought Ross was great when he came on this week.
Turnover kings OUT
Skills and poise under pressure IN.

Yes, enough leadership but not too much that we hold back the development of gun kids.
Bring back Sinks!

 

[Persevering Saint]

Can we please stop calling Gilbert rusty. He's not rusty. That's his stainless steal disposal and pace, the best he's got. After 5 years, it ain't going to get better. Let him go.

He SHOULD be the first out. He won't be. He could have got no possessions and given away all ten goals (instead of just three), he'd still be picked. Inexplicable, but that's the way it is.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Also, looking forward to a bit more of this:

 

[gringo2011]

Thought Ross was great when he came on this week.
Turnover kings OUT
Skills and poise under pressure IN.

Yes, enough leadership but not too much that we hold back the development of gun kids.
Bring back Sinks!

Ross kicked two straight into the hands of Dogs players in defence. I like him too but he turned the ball over under pressure also. It was pretty chaotic in there and even Dempster and Ray only just cleared players a couple of times going long that nearly cost us dearly. I think Gilbert's were pretty bad looking but over stated. He did a couple of really strong contested marks last week and looked back in form and then did a couple of stuff ups. Shenton, Dempster, Webster and Delaney have all been turning the ball over this year as we have a few structural problems clearing the ball from defence. Gwilt was doing it last year and is better this year. I think that shows its probably not as black and white as it looks.

 

[gringo2011]

Also, looking forward to a bit more of this:

Me too, he is a very clean player and does the kick into the forward line that sets up a lot of our better forward entries. Schneider and him are actually a pretty handy combo. Does anyone know what's going on with him? I heard shin soreness so does that mean he has shin splints in English?

 

[aussierulesrules]

Can we please stop calling Gilbert rusty. He's not rusty. That's his stainless steal disposal and pace, the best he's got. After 5 years, it ain't going to get better. Let him go.

He SHOULD be the first out. He won't be. He could have got no possessions and given away all ten goals (instead of just three), he'd still be picked. Inexplicable, but that's the way it is.

Yeah, nah. Plenty incorrect there IMO and it's a clearly emotional post. He would well and truly be rusty at the level I expect, especially if he was genuinely crook on the weekend and his kicking and especially kicking consistency improved considerably under Scott Watters (in what may have been Watters last year with us, from memory). Clint Jones kicking was also much improved that season, so something they were both doing worked then and it can work again for Gilbo now.

The reason for at least one of his turnovers on the weekend (the tumble punt that landed in Grant's arms 20m out) was simple. He tried to kick it way too hard and that's why he mis-kicked it. I was right in line with the kick and it was clear as mud that he tried to kick the leather off it and it's the same reason the likes of Geary and Weller also shank plenty of kicks, as I said earlier in the year (after a couple of Gears really poor turnovers when he tried to kick the ball into next week really pissed me off).

If they all leave their "kick it as hard as I possibly can" kicks in the bag permanently then the shanks will become much, much more rare and their confidence should also consequently improve, resulting in their better kicks also becoming better. You don't see the likes of Dal Santo, Pendlebury, Billings, Sinclair and co. trying to kick it as hard as they can, so if it's good enough for them to refrain from doing so it sure as shit ought to be for those who are far less skilled and confident.

Aside from that, it's way too early to tell if Gilbo is going to get back to his best sort of footy and we're only going to find that out if/when he gets to play a decent stretch of games in a row, which may or may not happen.

At anywhere near his best he is still well and truly our best 3rd tall option IMO and his intercept marking and spoiling would be a God-send for the likes of Delaney and Fisher. His ferocious rugby-style tackling and speed to pressure would also be a real asset back there.

Richo also absolutely loves versatility and he of course gets to see them all at training as well and Gilbo is probably clearly ahead of the next option there, hence him being picked in the team when he's fit and available.

What's going on here is no different to the bagging of Schneider after his missed shots late v Essendon, but he has gone on to prove that he was well and truly worth having in the team (he's probably top 6 or 8 in the B&F, despite having missed two games) and if Sam gets to play a big chunk of games in a row and settles into the rhythm of the game again I don't see any reason why the same won't be case with him.

He could still have 3-4 good years in him so we owe it to both him and ourselves to see if he's still go it. He was one of our best in finals (he was of course the one Malthouse said he was most concerned about/most keen to shut down in the 2010 GF replay) and with Fisher and Dempster a possibility to both be gone when we're next playing finals footy we could do worse than have someone with Gilbo's finals experience back there and helping out the likes of Goddard.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Except it's not like with Schneider. I have been saying I just don't think Gilbert is a good option for five years. As I said earlier in this thread, I may well prove out to be wrong, but he didn't prove me wrong on Saturday night.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Except it's not like with Schneider. I have been saying I just don't think Gilbert is a good option for five years. As I said earlier in this thread, I may well prove out to be wrong, but he didn't prove me wrong on Saturday night.

Really, Gilbo wasn't a good option 5 years ago, in 2010, when he came 3rd in our B&F in a year we drew a GF, when he was one of the youngest in the team, at just 23/24yo and was mighty stiff to not make the AA team?

 

[#gosaintas]

Schneider was hopeless on Sat night. Missed goals...again, missed tackles,clanger kicks and couldn't even hit targets with handballs.

 

[BRUUUUCE]

Ross will play he was enormous in that last qtr
Minch out for billings just not afl standard
Members out for paddy i think paddy is quicker smarter and a better mark

Del or gilbo out for lee or goddard both can't kick lee and goddard can

 

[Lord_Bumfluff]

Ross will play he was enormous in that last qtr
Minch out for billings just not afl standard
Members out for paddy i think paddy is quicker smarter and a better mark

Del or gilbo out for lee or goddard both can't kick lee and goddard can

Don't think Membrey will get dropped he played his best game for the Saints on the weekend

 

[sauce_head]

Don't think Membrey will get dropped he played his best game for the Saints on the weekend

Yeah he was presenting well and marking at the top of his jump. He'd be unlucky despite Paddy's good match.

 

[AuntieBarrels]

Surely it's illegal to own something that big.

Look at the size of that leg. I'm going to call it, he has bigger legs than Fyfe.

 

[Lord_Bumfluff]

Yeah he was presenting well and marking at the top of his jump. He'd be unlucky despite Paddy's good match.

Hope he kicks a bag against the druggos, I'm happy with Paddy playing in the VFL

 

[Sir Skid]

View attachment 148006

Surely it's illegal to own something that big.

Look at the size of that leg. I'm going to call it, he has bigger legs than Fyfe.

Our own Brad Hardie in the making you reckon AuntieBarrels
Huge for his age for sure.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

Reading the Essendon board and some of them are very apprehensive about their team winning this week.

We need to see this as a winnable game and Richo hopefully will get them up for it.

 

[Monika72]

Ross did such a good job as sub that he will be sub again this week.

 

[BRUUUUCE]

Don't think Membrey will get dropped he played his best game for the Saints on the weekend

True i just think he would be better at the third fwd atm

 

[TheLastEmperor]

Fisher won't play.

In: Billings, Sinclair (RU) and McKenzie
Out: Minch, Ray and Gilbert

 

[Curunir]

Out
Gilbert, Minch, Delaney
In
Fisher, Billings, Sinclair

Send Savage down back to improve kicking out of the back 50

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

how does Sinclair come back in?
doesnt there have to be a long term injury again for him to be upgraded?

 

[Axcellence]

Out: minch
In: billings

Not tempted to make too many changes.

Gilbert to stay in... Despite it being fashionable to drop him to squeeze fisher in.

If Sinclair comes in, it'll be for Schneider.

An afterthought can be McKenzie for Savage / Ray - but that sounds more wishful than anything else.