Preview R2: Changes v Port

[Mr_Moogle]

Surely Van Berlo's last game for us barring injuries.

 

[NTRabbit]

Lol, panic move to fix a structural deficiency?!

The midfield is more a performance issue that some of our players need to lift their game. I'd they don't, we have players like knight, cc, etc who will replace them when fully fit.

It wasn't a structural deficiency in any way. It only stopped working when the, albeit marginally, superior Kangaroo midfield finally clicked into gear, and overwhelmed ours, and I struggle to understand how anyone can still believe our midfield problems are merely lack of form, and not the deeper issue of lack of class.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

I'm fine with Van berlo out, but bringing Hartigan in is pretty clearly a panic move. Bolstering the defence when it was our demonstrably weak midfield that caused the loss isn't really a step forward.

We'll be seeing two bottom 10 sides playing off for little more than pride Saturday afternoon.

Hardly panic when the club has been beyond patient

I'm talking about 200 games of patience

 

[Glenno23]

Knighta and CC in next week for MacKay and McGovern? (barring injuries of course)

EXCITING!

 

[NTRabbit]

Hardly panic when the club has been beyond patient

I'm talking about 200 games of patience

You're looking at the wrong player, and misreading what I typed. The panic isn't dropping Van Berlo, the panic is replacing him with Hartigan. Take the bitch tinted glasses off for a moment, ta.

 

[Donkey Magoo]

Wow, how does anyone have a problem with this.

It's like they fixed two birds with one stone

 

[Red mist]

The selection committee wasn't brave enough. But I'll still back them.

 

[Elite Crow]

I think that's an admission

 

[earlsta]

Hartigan is also faster and has better agility than VB, haha I find that funny because he's 10cm taller and about 15kg heavier.

We're going to be super quick once Cc and Knight come back into the side, pace all over the park, on every single line.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

It wasn't a structural deficiency in any way. It only stopped working when the midfield did, and I struggle to understand how anyone can still believe our midfield problems are merely lack of form, and not the deeper issue of lack of class.

Sigh, it was an obvious structural deficiency, because we had 2 kpp defenders who couldn't cover 3 tall forwards in arial contests. Blind freddy could see our backline structure was regularly caught out... Fortunately our selectors realised too!

 

[Geoffa32]

It's not going to change this season no, but I'd rather we spend the year with the right defenders playing the preferred setup and learning it going forward, leaving the midfield to stand on their own, and find out definitively who can, and who can't, instead of rushing to find stopgaps that minimise the impact of the weak midfield on results, knowing full well that the title cannot be won that way.

If we're going to have another losing season, let's at least make sure it's an actual learning experience, and with good draft picks at the end, rather than a press conference "learning experience".

Given Hartigan played most (all) of the trial game, I wonder if last week was the "stop gap" or at least an attempt to expose North by having an extra runner.

This week we revert back to a traditional set up down back and VB is the man out as he was the worst performer.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I think that's an admission

NTRabbit

 

[Elite Crow]

You're looking at the wrong player, and misreading what I typed. The panic isn't dropping Van Berlo, the panic is replacing him with Hartigan. Take the bitch tinted glasses off for a moment, ta.

Wow, someone isn't happy.

 

[The Sloane Ranger]

You're looking at the wrong player. The panic isn't dropping Van Berlo, the panic is replacing him with Hartigan.

Where is the panic

Hartigan finished 2015 in our best 22 and should have started 2016 in our best 22

Pyke has obviously made a structural change that should have been the structure in the first place

 

[Elite Crow]

NTRabbit

Thanks for tagging him, saved me editing my post

 

[Red mist]

It's not going to change this season no, but I'd rather we spend the year with the right defenders playing the preferred setup and learning it going forward, leaving the midfield to stand on their own, and find out definitively who can, and who can't, instead of rushing to find stopgaps that minimise the impact of the weak midfield on results, knowing full well that the title cannot be won that way.

If we're going to have another losing season, let's at least make sure it's an actual learning experience, and with good draft picks at the end, rather than a press conference "learning experience".

Yeah agree, might as well do it now. Our midfield is scarce.

 

[NTRabbit]

But 3 key defenders on 3 key forwards is the right set up, it always has been.

It actually hasn't though? Neither of the two grand finalists played three key defenders

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Crikeys does this mean that the selectors got it wrong and the Bigfooty mob were right?

This is the argument the VB fanbois put forward, he must be best 22 as the last 10 coaches have picked him.

Congrats to The Don in only taking one game to realise VB is past it, something Sando, Phil and Campo failed to do.

Very promising that our new coach can make a tough call where all those before him have failed.

Well Campo did drop Van Berlo.....and brought him back 4 rounds later.

 

[earlsta]

You're looking at the wrong player, and misreading what I typed. The panic isn't dropping Van Berlo, the panic is replacing him with Hartigan. Take the bitch tinted glasses off for a moment, ta.

Hartigan is a solid player who hasn't even played 30 games of AFL football yet, we cannot waste time, need to give him enough games for experience, he plays his role well and is starting to know his limitations.
Seems like a great bloke as well with all the extra charity work he does for the club, maybe he took a leaf outta VB's book about being a good bloke in regards to selection.

 

[Elite Crow]

It actually hasn't though? Neither of the two grand finalists played three key defenders

Did they come up against 3 key forwards?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Will be watching our rebound with interest.

Brown looked like he was trying to be a bit more attacking in the preseason and so did Talia but neither gave us anything last week.

Cheney was predominantly in a defensive role and didn't get much of it. Neither did Lever. Add Hartigan and we've got 5 blokes who don't naturally play an attacking game (Lever will down the track).

Can't leave it all to Smith and Laird.

 

[BrissyCrow]

Our midfield is clearly one of the lesser.

But Red don't you think that our midfield can improve on last weeks performance. Brad should improve, Sloane disappeared last week, Jacobs should win more touches, Douglas should do a lot better. Mcrouch hopefully maintain his form. I see everyone's negative comments about our midfield but to me I believe the guys have only one way to go and that is up.

Pleased that VB has been dropped. It tells me that unless you perform there will be no free rides.

 

[NTRabbit]

NTRabbit

North marked the ball so easily because our water-like midfield put very little pressure on their kicks inside 50.

It's always been about the midfield, playing Hartigan as well as Talia and Lever solves nothing. The structure we went into round 1 with is the correct one going forward, but it requires a better midfield than we have. Going back to a defence that props up the midfield likewise solves nothing, because it's not a premiership winning formula.

 

[BRL121]

Sigh, it was an obvious structural deficiency, because we had 2 kpp defenders who couldn't cover 3 tall forwards in arial contests. Blind freddy could see our backline structure was regularly caught out... Fortunately our selectors realised too!

Agreed, but why didn't the committee realise this before the North game, like we did!

 

[dude316]

Maybe we can make Mackay the sub and give the vest a proper send off. Us fans deserve the chance to say goodbye.