Preview R2: Changes v Port

[Rory Walkerfield]

VB dropped, Mackay on the bench.

It's nearly here.

Yeah, I can't be too displeased with this. We are moving forward and that is the main thing.

It's gonna be bloody tough selecting the side next week if Milera and McGovern play alright (assuming Mackay is average again) but we also have Knight, CC, Menzel and even Hendo perform well again in the SANFL.

It has been years since I've struggled to see easy candidates for change. Of course Atkins and Seedsman will want to have decent games too.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

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

Lake, frawley, Gibson.

Weagles talls were mostly injured!

 

[TheLeftFist8]

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.

Exactly.

Imagine this side with Menzel, Cameron, Knight, Hampton/Henderson back in!!

As long as the inside mids hold their own we will have a great side.

If the mids fail to win the contest then changes must be made but hopefully they can come back hard this week.

 

[Rory Walkerfield]

Thank God!
But don't forget VB will make his way back.
He's class
/sarcasm

Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk

I actually expect him to do well at SANFL level. The pace of afl has passed him by but he should be too good for SANFL. The challenge will be for our selectors to ignore him going forward.

 

[NTRabbit]

Lake, frawley, Gibson.

Weagles talls were mostly injured!

Gibson is not a key defender. He never has been, never will be, and I wish people would stop perpetuating that ridiculous notion. He has always been a running third tall defender who could play tall in a pinch, like Cheney but vastly better.

 

[Red mist]

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.

Yeah we can improve from last week and even have belters. League wise we are entrenched in fair to middling.

 

[VSTone]

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!

only cost 4 pts...

 

[1970crow]

Nothing because I've already won it!!!!

Now @Krtistof I think we made peace after the weekend but NTRabbit what do you think of VB out Hartigan in? Didn't you think I was a lunatic last week?

NTRabbit said the same to me. I was an idiot because I mentioned Cheney, Otto (if mobility back), Shaw and VB fighting for a spot. I couldn't have been more wrong and now Hartigan replacing VB instead of Gore, Grigg type. Rabbit will still be right though, he always is.

 

[Schulzycrow]

Sanity prevailed. Cheney can play VB's possie. We clean up our discipline kick the sodas we can flog the PAPs

 

[earlsta]

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

Lake Frawley Gibson?
Hmm

 

[Red mist]

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

I see something forming inspired by cult classics.

 

[Stiffy_18]

I hope neither VB or Cheney are expected to go near Grey. He'll destroy them.

I wouldn't be surprised of Laird goes to R. Grey and follows him everywhere he goes (even midfield). He did a similar thing with Harvey last season in round 1.

Brown on Wingard is the obvious match up.

 

[Geoffa32]

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.

I hope Seedsman and Smith can make use of the long ball out of defence and get over the back of their set up.

Saint Kilda did it well, it only fell down once their kicking started letting them down and they became predictable getting it out of HB in the last quarter. The last quarter every exit from the backline from them was to the Members side. Got no idea why they kept doing this. Port set up for this and put it back into their forward line.

 

[Red mist]

Sanity prevailed. Cheney can play VB's possie. We clean up our discipline kick the sodas we can flog the PAPs

True, but it was tentative. Would you like to see Menzal and Knight?

 

[TheLeftFist8]

It's a far more solid defensive unit this week.

Does need more run in the future (Hampton/Shaw/Milera/Seedsman) but at least we don't have a passenger this week.

Hope Cheney has his pointing finger ready though, gonna need to step up!!

 

[NTRabbit]

Lake Frawley Gibson?
Hmm

Gibson is not a key defender. He never has been, never will be, and I wish people would stop perpetuating that ridiculous notion. He has always been a running third tall defender who could play tall in a pinch, like Cheney but vastly better.

 

[BRL121]

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.

Whereas, if he had replaced him with a midfielder???????

 

[radiojake]

Question regarding last week's game

Did Brad and Matt Crouch ever start in the centre square after a re-start together?

I looked for it but didn't notice it happen - Though I could've missed it if it happened

 

[BACCS]

My thoughts are with Baccs who is curled up in a ball somewhere, rocking back and forwards.

"the selectors were wr....... wr......... wr....... wro....... wro....... wroooooonnnnnnngggggg"

Man you are a tosser, glad I'm going overseas for 3 weeks. I wanted VB dropped, I didn't want him there round one either. Surprised Hartigan replaced him and I still don't think that cost us the game last week, but Port's 3 talls are probably better than North's so can see why the decision has been made.

I mean really, because I have a different opinion to you I'm somehow wrong? Isn't that what all of you have a go at me for every week?

 

[NTRabbit]

Whereas, if he had replaced him with a midfielder???????

We'd still be seeing two bottom 10 sides playing off for little more than pride Saturday afternoon, but I'd be a little more confident about the staff and their plans for getting us into a position to contend in 2018/2019

 

[Elite Crow]

Man you are a tosser, glad I'm going overseas for 3 weeks. I wanted VB dropped, I didn't want him there round one either. Surprised Hartigan replaced him and I still don't think that cost us the game last week, but Port's 3 talls are probably better than North's so can see why the decision has been made.

I mean really, because I have a different opinion to you I'm somehow wrong? Isn't that what all of you have a go at me for every week?

But you still do it every week!!!! And it's not even your opinion, "I support the selectors you guys are idiots" doesn't count

 

[BRL121]

Rocket surgery?

He's suffering from a case of mixed metaphors and has gone to the wrong doctor.

 

[1970crow]

Better than being stubborn!!!

Agree with that, but surely the risk/reward of the structure working based on VB's selection wasn't worth it. When you think about it, I hope we haven't shelved something of value because it was trialled with VB in it. Might be junking a premiership winning structure.

 

[BACCS]

Lake, frawley, Gibson.

Weagles talls were mostly injured!

Isn't Gibson the same height (or similar) to Cheney?

 

[TheLeftFist8]

I'm a Hartigan and Cheney fan but for 'team defence' in the back half, as well as allowing Smith to go to the midfield (which I think we all agree isn't the deepest and most dynamic going around) then my back 7 would be:

Talia, Lever, Shaw
2 of Milera, Seedsman, Hampton
Laird, Brown