Preview R21: Changes vs. Hawthorn

[Pugsley]

Appreciate the sentiment but I think your caps lock is stuck…

He was fired up. At least he realised going to bed was a good option.

 

[FR0GGY]

That may be your view. I think you find a lot of people would consider Nanks performances to be levels below Milera, Laird and even Smith - earlier this year. In fact bad enough that he has been moved more forward than defence in recent times - clearly the coaching panel do

That might have to do with our lack of forward options.

 

[Scorpus]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

 

[rabidcrow]

That might have to do with our lack of forward options.

Possibly. But we haven’t seen him again and Smith has been picked in front of him a couple of times
And it may be they just want to teach him more versatility while he is bidding time in Sanfl
But it’s no surprise he hasn’t been picked for this game

 

[PeterSalt]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

FFS .. give it a rest

 

[daniel_4tw]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

5 days coming back from QLD, sure. But this is third week in a row at a home. 6 days is plenty.

 

[Scorpus]

5 days coming back from QLD, sure. But this is third week in a row at a home. 6 days is plenty.

Not saying it will have any impact. It's just a weird coincidence that we've been fixtured this way

 

[jenny61_99]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

Now analyse the big vic teams.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Our defensive forward doesn’t play a tight tag, it is more a case of preventing uncontested possessions to the oppositions key rebounding defender in spots that result in large metres gained. Zac Taylor has had this role in recent weeks but what he does is not obvious. He has however kept some very good rebounding defenders below their usual output.

In the Launceston match we dominated possession in the first half so neither Amon nor Impey were hurting us. In the second half there seemed to be a clear plan to channel the ball through Impey and he slaughtered us. He ended with 28 possessions and 756 metres gained (compared to his season average of 18.5 disposals and 355 metres gained).

I suspect that we will use Zac Taylor on Amon and our other small/medium forwards will play their usual game (Neal-Buller, Keays, Rankine). If Impey takes fire again I just hope that we have a Plan B.

Yeah definitely, point was that if Amon is sat on, Hawthorn tend to run through Impey.

They also like the ball in Scrimshaw, Sicily and Battles hands for ball use out of 50, but from a running perspective it’d be Amon/Impey. One of them tends to be free as it’s hard to lock down on both.

 

[davos44]

I just heard Bickley just saying on SEN he expects Jones to take Max's position.

Thats fine I suppose, he can tackle and you don't want Watson slipping out the back too much.

 

[davos44]

"Liked" for introducing me to the word "gank". How could I live so long and teach Yr. 12 English, without knowing that??

I learned something new today (difficult, for such a cranky old dog), cheers.

Too much World of Warcraft a long time ago now.

 

[davos44]

Don't have to ragdoll them. Just beat them.

But your preference is for ragdolling still?

 

[Ham]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

I feel we would have won that Geelong game had it not been the short break after the hot, humid Suns game. You’d think now days ai could just make the fixture

 

[davos44]

PARDON THE INTRUSION. BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS SMASH THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THOSE ARROGANT HAWTHORN TWATS TOMORROW. ALL THE BEST. THE DOGGIES NEED YOU TO WIN. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY DISLIKE OF THOSE YOUNG ARROGANT ANNOYING TWATS. HOPE THILTHORPE KICKS 10 GOALS!!! OK OFF TO BED NOW.

We're happy to kick any team in the nuts at any time.

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

The key factor is the difference between us and the opposition. If we have a 6 daybreak and the opposition have an 8 day break is that a disadvantage?

The other key factor is playing at home or away. A 6 day break is no big deal imho if we are playing consecutive home games.

I agree with other posters that the clear disadvantage was the Geelong match. Five days versus 6 days for Geelong and returning from what was always going to be draining conditions in Queensland.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

It's pretty weird, if you ask me, that nearly every one of our matches with a top 9 team has been off a six day break

Gold Coast (away) - 6 days
Geelong (home) - 5 days, consecutive
GWS (home) - 9 days
Fremantle (away) - 6 days
Collingwood (away) - 7 days
Brisbane (home) - 6 days
Hawthorn (away) - 7 days
Bulldogs (away) - 6 days
Gold Coast (home) - 8 days
Hawthorn (home) - 6 days, consecutive
Collingwood (home) - 6 days

Seven short breaks, two normal breaks and two long breaks

The short breaks also account for most of our losses.

Another reason why I think we will drop 1 of the Hawks & Pies games.

 

[GreyCrow]

I agree with other posters that the clear disadvantage was the Geelong match. Five days versus 6 days for Geelong and returning from what was always going to be draining conditions in Queensland.

Its not like the draw was released in the week before the games

The coaches and fitness staff knew the schedule yet still refused heat protocols and player management

The breaks arent the issue the management is

Now if you want to argue Gold Coast into Geelong makes it tough then go for it - but I think we thought we had GCs measure and decided to roll the dice

 

[skam85]

Lovely to see that the Cartel members are up and about. It’s been a very tough couple of months for the guys.

I attend all the games in Adelaide (and an occasional one interstate) and watch the other games live on “tellie”. I watch footy with passion but also try to understand not only what has happened but also why. I always rewatch every match during the week to pick up the tactics, match ups, changes to game plan etc.

You may consider this a waste of time just like I consider making 100 Bigfooty posts a week about how shit Nicks and Murphy are might also not be the most productive way to use your time (general comment, not necessarily directed at you).

I too went to the Tassie game and spent most of half time in the line for a hot chocolate which was about 15x the length of the beer line. The hot choccy and accompanying jam donut was far and away the highlight, meaning that took most of my mental energy instead of internally raging at Lachlan Murphy (and others') ineffectiveness.

 

[skam85]

Was Murphy on Amartey when he kicked 9?

I vividly remember him on Buddy in the 2007 EF.

 

[AFC979810]

The short breaks also account for most of our losses.

Another reason why I think we will drop 1 of the Hawks & Pies games.

But those short breaks accompanied travel - which they dont for this match.

 

[pjcrows]

PARDON THE INTRUSION. BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS SMASH THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF THOSE ARROGANT HAWTHORN TWATS TOMORROW. ALL THE BEST. THE DOGGIES NEED YOU TO WIN. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY DISLIKE OF THOSE YOUNG ARROGANT ANNOYING TWATS. HOPE THILTHORPE KICKS 10 GOALS!!! OK OFF TO BED NOW.

 

[SLOWNE]

He's getting the traditional crows fringe player treatment. The Jones/Dowling/Taylor/Schoenberg/Cook etc special.

You're not a forward, and you're young, so you just get into the fringes of the 22 with good SANFL performances, so we park you in the forward line in an unfamiliar position where the ball isn't and then yo-yo you in and out of the team.

Pedlar looked great for bursts through the middle in 2023. If I recall correctly, he had a very high % rate of centre clearances gained from his limited opportunities. Can also find the goals. He is one who will most benefit from continuity as he is versatile and has speed and burst strength.

Smith has played well every time he has been called upon

If your measure of good performance is kick-ins and long kicks down the line to contest with little defensive pressure, then sure.
With Cumming able to slide to half back, we have so many more appealing options to bring into the team even if you don't want to debut Edwards.

List management needs to rip the safety blanket from Nicks, he has shown time and time again he will fall back to experience to the detriment of the team.

 

[Cromulant]

Pedlar gets a lot of rope here, the reality is his performances havent been upto scratch at any stage this year when called upon.

Dont have any issues with Smith coming in for a week.

 

[Coopers]

I vividly remember him on Buddy in the 2007 EF.

I saw him on the grassy knoll

 

[Coopers]

Pedlar gets a lot of rope here, the reality is his performances havent been upto scratch at any stage this year when called upon.

Dont have any issues with Smith coming in for a week.

Well, we're scratching around for some blokes who are in those last 2-3 slots in the 23 to really fulfill their potential.

We have a really solid best 22, but 2-3 injuries and we're looking for someone to step up. Need a few of them, cos there will always be a few blokes rested/sore/injured.


Cook, looking at you. Now is the time.