Preview R23: Changes vs. Collingwood

[Trigger13]

Murrays agility seems shot.

Hes turning circle is huge, was this always the case?

I’ve said this a few times on here. His knee is not 100%. And it shows.

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

Tex for Burgess
Dowling for Jones

The good news is that Zac Taylor seems to have cemented his spot. I would keep playing Murray and Bond but their spots are up for grabs.If Peatling is not ready to go then we need to find out if Crouch still has something to offer.

I am a fan of the Nank but he is not demanding to be selected. Same story with Draper and I would rather play with 21 than bring back Cook.

 

[latinoheat]

Out: burgess, jones, peatling
In: Tex , Dowling , Draper

Sub: Berry

Berry just gives us that spark when he comes in as a sub, could be a good tactic for Sat night

 

[pjcrows]

I want Butts back. I think we played better when he was there. Murray is a bit kamikaze and throws out the balance IMO.

 

[BRL121]

Do we even lose anything attacking wise with Butts coming in for Murray? Murray just blind kicks it long most of the time now

I would prefer him to blind kick long, rather than pull a short kick across the ground which gets intercepted for a goal to the oppo.

My biggest concern is that he has the turning circle of the queen mary and is completely at sea if agility is required to get back into the play.

 

[1990crow]

In: Butts, Walker, (Dowling)
Out: Murray, Burgess, (Jones)

 

[Gtowncrow]

Agree the sub role can't be easy, and I hope it's gone in 2026. It definitely ruins careers.

Also agree that making a player sub 5 weeks in a row is poor player management. Chayce likely knows its his way into the side, hence hasn't "kicked up a fuss".

But Chayce's issue isn't from too many games as sub. It's from lack of polish when he gets his chances, and unfortunate lack of weapons in general. He hasn't shown anything in his sub bursts to be able to provide 'spark', or demand a starting spot. With the quality of players below him (starting with Dowling), he should be going back to SANFL.

Jones today had 2 possessions at 0%DE.
That's terrible of Cook and Murphy proportions.

Those three are not selectable in the AFL team again.

Next man up please.

 

[kirky]

Laird was fantastic!

You did see the goals they got from him literally panicking?

 

[FR0GGY]

I want Butts back. I think we played better when he was there. Murray is a bit kamikaze and throws out the balance IMO.

Our best wins were bulldogs suns and Hawthorn which is 2 to Murray and 0.2 to butts.

 

[madstar]

Laird was fantastic!

I accept that he was generally good but didn’t enjoy the two goals he gave them

 

[I_Was_There]

You did see the goals they got from him literally panicking?

I think the good out weighs the bad with Laird, but it seems if there is a free kick to be plucked out in the last 10 minutes 20m out from goal, Laird seems to be the culprit!

---

 

[CharlieCrow]

Graham Cornes has always said you learn more from a loss than a win. Well, we didn't lose but did play the game that we needed to play to give us a check coming into finals. In 2017, we didn't have that check until Grand Final day, and we didn't have a Plan B, nor were we prepared to initiate change and it was a dismal loss.
Over to you coaches and onfield leaders.

 

[MrBarry]

Graham Cornes has always said you learn more from a loss than a win. Well, we didn't lose but did play the game that we needed to play to give us a check coming into finals. In 2017, we didn't have that check until Grand Final day, and we didn't have a Plan B, nor were we prepared to initiate change and it was a dismal loss.
Over to you coaches and onfield leaders.

If Fogarty or god forbid RT go down in finals, I really hope we have learnt that we simply don't need to sick with 3 talls. We made the same **** up with otten in the GF, Milera should have played.

 

[huludicidal]

If Peatling is declared fit:

Out:
Burgess (AFL career over - will be delisted on Day 1 of the offseason and classified in the Adam Richardson files of genuinely good SANFL players who translate to laughably bad AFL key forwards)

Jones (AFL career is now also over - he’s contracted, nobody wants him so he’ll play SANFL until the end of 2026 barring a significant injury crisis, and then have to hope that Tassie want to fill out their 44th roster spot with him. Zero weapons. None. Stop flogging the dead horse and play someone as sub who is actually good at something)

Murray (no longer best 22 for now, which is pretty wild but clearly true in the short term)


In:
Tex, Dowling, Butts

Sub:
Dowling or Cumming (we’ll inevitably choose Dowling for this role, but Cumming should be in the conversation. Perhaps Berry should be too)

Emg:
Smith, Nankervis, Murray


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



If Peatling is ruled out:

Out:
Peatling, Burgess, Jones, Murray

In:
Dowling, Tex, Nankervis, Butts

Sub:
Nank

Emg:
Smith, Murray, Draper



Thin ice at the selection table, besides the guys who will be dropped this week:

1) Cumming. Honestly he’s just not doing enough most weeks, his intensity is poor, and his main weapon (field kicking) has regressed (his ball use against West Coast was absolutely pathetic and everything about it screamed “lazy”). We have other players in form in Dowling and Nankervis who can play this wing role, and would we actually lose anything by making that switch now? I suspect not, BUT I would narrowly hold off on making this change. Isaac is only safe at present because Jones is so bad and Rachele and Michalanney are both out which creates spots for the likes of Pedlar and Bond, and also because Hinge tends to stand out as worse than Cumming most weeks.

2) Bond. Nobody can knock his effort, and if everyone tried as hard as Bond against West Coast, we probably win by 50. He’s just not a natural footballer though, and really struggles to make anything resembling a good decision with ball in hand - seems obsessed with handballing and putting teammates under pressure, and even some of his defensive stuff against West Coast lacked footy IQ. Automatically out once Michalanney returns, like there’s just no universe where they both play in the same side IMO. Will Bond make it to Michalanney’s return before being dropped though? Probably. I suspect he might be saved by Smith’s inability to defend and Edwards’ SANFL form dropping off pretty sharply in the last 2 months. Should get a contract for next year, but not sure that’s on the senior list or if he’s bumped down to a 1 year rookie deal (ie delisted and redrafted in the rookie draft).

3) Hinge. Others continue to overtake him. Poor season overall. Not convinced he’ll be in the side by Rd 1, 2026 personally. His best can be great, but we just aren’t seeing it anymore let’s face it. Longer term I’d prefer Nankervis in this role, but Nank has been recast as a forward, so that’s not going to happen this year at least. Perhaps Edwards enters the conversation here with a really solid preseason performance, but I don’t think we’re seeing him this year based on what he’s now doing at SANFL level. Hinge stays for now, but needs to lift.

4) Pedlar. Yes, he kicked 3 goals against West Coast today and that was important, but gee whiz he has poor hands, is allergic to finding the ball and I just don’t think the whole “he’s super hard at it” thing offsets all of that. His selection over both of Dowling and Nankervis is baffling tbh. Regardless of the selectors preferring him to Dowling and Nank which can only relate to defensive pressure inside 50 which isn’t even a strength of the guy he’s replacing, once Rachele returns (hopefully that occurs in 2025 but that seems 50/50 at best), Pedlar will be an automatic out and perpetual depth player. Pedlar gets a start against the Pies, but that might just about be it if he has a poor one. To his credit, his conversion in front of goal has been very good this year

5) Berry. Been poor 2 weeks in a row. Full time mids can’t be regularly getting under 15 touches, regardless of how defensive their role is. Find it more or you’re out. I don’t want Crouch in at all, and I don’t think that’s the answer, but do I think that Billy Dowling could do as good or a better job than the last two weeks of Sam Berry as a full time mid, even if asked to play a primarily defensive role? Yes, I do. Again, Berry stays in for now, but what if he has 12-15 touches and zero influence against the Pies? Hmmm.



The team I would pick for Week 1 of the 2025 Finals:

B: Michalanney* - Butts* - Worrell
HB: Laird - Keane - Milera
C: Dowling* - Peatling - Curtin
HF: Rankine - Walker* - Keays
F: Neal-Bullen - Thilthorpe - Fogarty
R: O’Brien - Dawson - Soligo
Int: Taylor - Cumming - Hinge - Berry
Sub: Nankervis*

Emg (from):
Smith, Cook, N Murray, Pedlar, Draper, Bond, McAndrew, Crouch

 

[CharlieCrow]

Have to have someone to sit on Jamie Elliot. Always plays well against us. In a perfect world that player is Max, but it's slim pickings for this week. Not Bond or Smith, perhaps Nankervis or Hinge - but both are a stretch.

 

[Shaunbkk]

Laird was fantastic!

yet gave them an early goal or 2 he does do that remember .

 

[Shaunbkk]

If Peatling is declared fit:

Out:
Burgess (AFL career over - will be delisted on Day 1 of the offseason and classified in the Adam Richardson files of genuinely good SANFL players who translate to laughably bad AFL key forwards)

Jones (AFL career is now also over - he’s contracted, nobody wants him so he’ll play SANFL until the end of 2026 barring a significant injury crisis, and then have to hope that Tassie want to fill out their 44th roster spot with him. Zero weapons. None. Stop flogging the dead horse and play someone as sub who is actually good at something)

Murray (no longer best 22 for now, which is pretty wild but clearly true in the short term)


In:
Tex, Dowling, Butts

Sub:
Dowling or Cumming (we’ll inevitably choose Dowling for this role, but Cumming should be in the conversation. Perhaps Berry should be too)

Emg:
Smith, Nankervis, Murray


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



If Peatling is ruled out:

Out:
Peatling, Burgess, Jones, Murray

In:
Dowling, Tex, Nankervis, Butts

Sub:
Nank

Emg:
Smith, Murray, Draper



Thin ice at the selection table, besides the guys who will be dropped this week:

1) Cumming. Honestly he’s just not doing enough most weeks, his intensity is poor, and his main weapon (field kicking) has regressed (his ball use against West Coast was absolutely pathetic and everything about it screamed “lazy”). We have other players in form in Dowling and Nankervis who can play this wing role, and would we actually lose anything by making that switch now? I suspect not, BUT I would narrowly hold off on making this change. Isaac is only safe at present because Jones is so bad and Rachele and Michalanney are both out which creates spots for the likes of Pedlar and Bond, and also because Hinge tends to stand out as worse than Cumming most weeks.

2) Bond. Nobody can knock his effort, and if everyone tried as hard as Bond against West Coast, we probably win by 50. He’s just not a natural footballer though, and really struggles to make anything resembling a good decision with ball in hand - seems obsessed with handballing and putting teammates under pressure, and even some of his defensive stuff against West Coast lacked footy IQ. Automatically out once Michalanney returns, like there’s just no universe where they both play in the same side IMO. Will Bond make it to Michalanney’s return before being dropped though? Probably. I suspect he might be saved by Smith’s inability to defend and Edwards’ SANFL form dropping off pretty sharply in the last 2 months. Should get a contract for next year, but not sure that’s on the senior list or if he’s bumped down to a 1 year rookie deal (ie delisted and redrafted in the rookie draft).

3) Hinge. Others continue to overtake him. Poor season overall. Not convinced he’ll be in the side by Rd 1, 2026 personally. His best can be great, but we just aren’t seeing it anymore let’s face it. Longer term I’d prefer Nankervis in this role, but Nank has been recast as a forward, so that’s not going to happen this year at least. Perhaps Edwards enters the conversation here with a really solid preseason performance, but I don’t think we’re seeing him this year based on what he’s now doing at SANFL level. Hinge stays for now, but needs to lift.

4) Pedlar. Yes, he kicked 3 goals against West Coast today and that was important, but gee whiz he has poor hands, is allergic to finding the ball and I just don’t think the whole “he’s super hard at it” thing offsets all of that. His selection over both of Dowling and Nankervis is baffling tbh. Regardless of the selectors preferring him to Dowling and Nank which can only relate to defensive pressure inside 50 which isn’t even a strength of the guy he’s replacing, once Rachele returns (hopefully that occurs in 2025 but that seems 50/50 at best), Pedlar will be an automatic out and perpetual depth player. Pedlar gets a start against the Pies, but that might just about be it if he has a poor one. To his credit, his conversion in front of goal has been very good this year

5) Berry. Been poor 2 weeks in a row. Full time mids can’t be regularly getting under 15 touches, regardless of how defensive their role is. Find it more or you’re out. I don’t want Crouch in at all, and I don’t think that’s the answer, but do I think that Billy Dowling could do as good or a better job than the last two weeks of Sam Berry as a full time mid, even if asked to play a primarily defensive role? Yes, I do. Again, Berry stays in for now, but what if he has 12-15 touches and zero influence against the Pies? Hmmm.



The team I would pick for Week 1 of the 2025 Finals:

B: Michalanney* - Butts* - Worrell
HB: Laird - Keane - Milera
C: Dowling* - Peatling - Curtin
HF: Rankine - Walker* - Keays
F: Neal-Bullen - Thilthorpe - Fogarty
R: O’Brien - Dawson - Soligo
Int: Taylor - Cumming - Hinge - Berry
Sub: Nankervis*

Emg (from):
Smith, Cook, N Murray, Pedlar, Draper, Bond, McAndrew, Crouch

Easily best post So right about Hinge and Dowling is a far better player than Pedlar who has a few moments then looks like he's in a war and not winning it most the rest of the time

 

[GameofSloanes]

I am sure the same people pitching Crouch will be the same people saying " we were stronger in clearances but they transitioned through our midfield so easily"

Not sure anyone is pitching him
But I could definitely see us doing it. It's the wrong move but I could see it

 

[Captain Furious]

Hats off to Berry this year for establishing himself in the side when it looked like he wasn’t up to it but he’s averaged 15 touches over the past 6 weeks - that isn’t enough for a full time midfielder, especially when he’s neither damaging when he gets it nor shutting down an oppo star. When the alt option was Crouch slowing us down, then pause is fair but Dowling and/or Taylor (who showed a lot when thrown in there today) could well be a plus up. We did also see a return of the fumbles today that held his game back so much in previous years.

He was outstanding as sub early in the year - maybe he could be that weapon in finals. But I don’t think he’s a 1st 22 mid in our full strength team.

Cumming has been our most disappointing player this year, especially because you can see the talent. Just doesn’t play with the same intensity as the rest of the team, maybe he still doesn’t trust his body. Could also be a sub option in finals.

 

[AFC979810]

Outs: Peatling (Inj), Jones, Burgess, Hinge (rest)

Ins: Draper, Dowling, Walker, Nankervis.

 

[Bearded Clam]

Tex, Dowling and Draper in

Burgess, Peatling and Jones out

Rest Peatling.. no risks as we need him at 100% for the finals.

Draper sub

Dowling simply has to play a full game.. he’s more than earnt a spot.

But you know safety sally Matthew N will want to bring Crouch in for Peatling..

 

[119others]

Pies paying 3.45 - 1 for the win under 40 points. Looks like good value considering:

• 3 days extra rest
• Crows playing in tight game on hard ground in Perth looked fatigued
• Game means more to Pies than us
• They have the wood over us and enjoy playing at AO

 

[Milo Cyrus]

Tex, Dowling and Draper in

Burgess, Peatling and Jones out

Rest Peatling.. no risks as we need him at 100% for the finals.

Draper sub

Dowling simply has to play a full game.. he’s more than earnt a spot.

But you know safety sally Matthew N will want to bring Crouch in for Peatling..

I'd consider Butts for Murray too.

 

[Milo Cyrus]

The head wobble crept in and has almost upset the apple cart... 10 hrs to a premiership if we do it right.
We have the right Captain. No regrets. No Golden tickets.

 

[pjcrows]

Graham Cornes has always said you learn more from a loss than a win. Well, we didn't lose but did play the game that we needed to play to give us a check coming into finals. In 2017, we didn't have that check until Grand Final day, and we didn't have a Plan B, nor were we prepared to initiate change and it was a dismal loss.
Over to you coaches and onfield leaders.

We lost our last two minor round games in 2017