Preview R23: Changes vs. Collingwood

[DJ75]

He doesn’t even do that.

He's manic. He throws himself around and does his absolute best.
Unfortunately, it's just entirely ineffective.

 

[FR0GGY]

It's mind boggling isn't it?
Murphy must be absolutely elite at all that 'pressure' and 'positioning' because he offers nothing at the actual football level.

I'm really looking forward to the moment(s) in the game where we bomb long into the F50, where Thilthorpe, Tex, Fog and ROB all stand under the ball, only for the 5 foot 5 Murphy to leap into the pack in an attempt to take mark of the year.

So elite no one can see it, his stats don’t reflect it and neither does the teams results.

 

[Thrillthorpe7]

You don't think Murphy doing absolutely nothing in the 4th quarter of the Gold Coast game impacted us losing by a solitary point?

No, this isn’t basketball with 5 players on the court. There’s 17 other players on a field. We also had a chance to win that game and it was denied by an umpiring decision.

I think people misinterpret me being happy with the Murphy selection, I’m not. I just think the 23rd player selected in a team isn’t having a material impact on the result of any game. Our stars firing and putting the squeeze on Collingwood defensively is where the game will be won, whether the worst player in the team has an impact or not is irrelevant. Collingwood not selecting a Norm Smith medalist this week and losing Howe has a far larger impact on this game than us selecting Murphy.

It also helps that we sit a game clear on top and one or both of Pedlar and Rachele should be fit by that first final. If Murphy was an automatic best 22 player still then I would have more concerns, but he clearly isn’t anymore.

 

[FR0GGY]

No, this isn’t basketball with 5 players on the court. There’s 17 other players on a field. We also had a chance to win that game and it was denied by an umpiring decision.

I think people misinterpret me being happy with the Murphy selection, I’m not. I just think the 23rd player selected in a team isn’t having a material impact on the result of any game. Our stars firing and putting the squeeze on Collingwood defensively is where the game will be won, whether the worst player in the team has an impact or not is irrelevant. Collingwood not selecting a Norm Smith medalist this week and losing Howe has a far larger impact on this game than us selecting Murphy.

It also helps that we sit a game clear on top and one or both of Pedlar and Rachele should be fit by that first final. If Murphy was an automatic best 22 player still then I would have more concerns, but he clearly isn’t anymore.

Hes not the 23rd player, he’s not the sub.

 

[MsTopG]

Murphy needs to be delisted eoy so that it takes the temptation away from Nicks next season.

 

[OccamsRazorRay]

I’m normally one to back the coaches as they often have roles and structure in mind when selecting the team. But I just don’t get it with Murphy.

In his last game he was a net negative. 2 turnovers in 3 touches and nearly injured 2 of his team mates flying for marks as a 175cm player.

His games before that were massively underwhelming at best.

Burgess was bad last week, but he wasn’t a net negative. Murphy has shown repeatedly now that he’s not the answer, no matter the question.

Yeah I used to be on the 'structural reasons' bandwagon, but even i've fallen off

 

[PCORF]

Murphy needs to be delisted eoy so that it takes the temptation away from Nicks next season.

Yeah right!

How I wish.

 

[hippyhippy]

Anyone else think hill is going to be a late inclusion?

 

[cleanhands]

How we do we always manage to go backwards? We just can't help ourselves.
Just when it seemed we had finally overcome our habit of ridiculous selections, we go all in on one of the dumbest selection weeks in a long time.
Round 23 of the 2025 season, sitting top of the ladder and gearing up for a finals stint and we select 3 blokes that will (or should) be near the top of the delist pile at seasons end. Throw in Tex, who is playing good footy, but could easily retire and it is 4 ins that might not be at the club next season.

Tex is obviously justifiable. Had to come in.
Smith is almost justifiable, especially given we waisted opportunities earlier in the season to select and try some new players.
Schoenberg? Why? One last chance? Is that the justification?
Murphy? WTActualF? We know what he brings. We know there is no upside. It is what it is now, and we know it's not up to the level required. Why on Earth would his name even come under consideration? Dowling would offer more. Draper would offer more. Nankervis would offer more. A bootlace would offer more.MY 89YR MOTHER would offer more

And they wonder why Crows supporters are pessimists...

 

[Corvidae]

completely agree, but with Rash and Pedlar injured, we dont have many other options without changing up our structures we probably don't want to be doing leading into finals. Ranks already been spending more time fwd.

Maintaining structure with Burgess worked a treat last week.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Maintaining structure with Burgess worked a treat last week.

Exactly

Quality beats structure, within reason

Draper, Nankervis, Dowling were all better choices in that high half forward role.

Heck, Schoenberg too.

 

[Corvidae]

Burgess, Jones and Murphy. Three players who should never pull on a Crows jumper again. It’s not that complicated.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Yeah I used to be on the 'structural reasons' bandwagon, but even i've fallen off

At this point you'd struggle to find anyone that could justify his selection. I get that a structure may fall down when one player doesn't know where they should be moving and positioning themselves.

But structure also falls down when one player continually makes poor decisions and skill errors whenever they're near the ball, resulting in turnovers.

 

[cmndstab]

At the end of the day, the issue here isn't that Murphy was selected. It's that other players weren't.

We already know that Nicks and co see some value in Murphy that rest of us don't. Hence him being continually brought back into the side.

What I would like to know is what aspect of Dowling's game does Nicks want to see before he will select him? He's played in multiple positions in the SANFL, at your request, and thrived in each of them. Does he need to get 50 touches and 3 goals? What's the benchmark to earn selection?

Is there any scenario in which Draper gets another match this year, short of every other player being injured? Is there anything he could do at SANFL level that would get him a spot back in the side in 2025?

Does SANFL form actually count for anything?

 

[nummy217]

Murphy needs to be delisted eoy so that it takes the temptation away from Nicks next season.

Watch him get 1 disposal after half time and be resigned for 3 more years.

 

[FR0GGY]

At the end of the day, the issue here isn't that Murphy was selected. It's that other players weren't.

I don’t agree, it’s the exact problem, you could put someone in with significant deficiencies and we’d get just as much out of them.
What the are seeing in him is the problem.
We’ve got someone scoring goals and getting 40 and they still can’t unseat him.

 

[Bovo]

Murphy needs to be delisted eoy so that it takes the temptation away from Nicks next season.

Destroy an AFL career just so fans can be happy you reckon?

 

[MatthewB]

Anyone else think hill is going to be a late inclusion?

he did travel over with the team

 

[FR0GGY]

Destroy an AFL career just so fans can be happy you reckon?

So we can win more and help other players careers

 

[FR0GGY]

he did travel over with the team

He said he wanted to go and be around the team even if he wasn’t playing

 

[GreyCrow]

No, this isn’t basketball with 5 players on the court. There’s 17 other players on a field. We also had a chance to win that game and it was denied by an umpiring decision.

I think people misinterpret me being happy with the Murphy selection, I’m not. I just think the 23rd player selected in a team isn’t having a material impact on the result of any game.

Funnily enough this is why most of us think a Dowling or Edwards or Draper should be chosen

And knowing you agree makes me sleep better

It also helps that we sit a game clear on top and one or both of Pedlar and Rachele should be fit by that first final. If Murphy was an automatic best 22 player still then I would have more concerns, but he clearly isn’t anymore.

He abso-****ing-lutely is a first choice - he is the first choice when someone goes out

 

[Betts are off]

I just saw the forecast is likely cold and wet. I don't know who that suits TBH

 

[FR0GGY]

I just saw the forecast is likely cold and wet. I don't know who that suits TBH

Helps their game more imo

 

[cmndstab]

I don’t agree, it’s the exact problem, you could put someone in with significant deficiencies and we’d get just as much out of them.
What the are seeing in him is the problem.
We’ve got someone scoring goals and getting 40 and they still can’t unseat him.

I mean, realistically, Murphy being selected, and no other players being selected instead, are the identical problem. It's more a question of framing.

Asking Nicks why he would select Murphy is pointless. He's just going to trot out the same old tired cliches as usual - stuff you don't see at the ground, experienced body, senior player, leadership, best form of his career, etc. But that's not really the question we need answered. At the end of the day, what the club thinks of Murphy in a vacuum is irrelevant. What matters is how they view him in comparison to the other depth options on our list.

The question we need answered is "why do you not value what Dowling or Draper are doing ahead of what Murphy is doing?" Is it as simple as Nicks doesn't view those players as even being in the conversation to replace Pedlar due to the positions they play? Or does he genuinely think they offer less to the team right now, in 2025?

What is it that Dowling isn't doing that sees the club value Murphy's inclusion higher than his?

 

[FR0GGY]

I mean, realistically, Murphy being selected, and no other players being selected instead, are the identical problem. It's more a question of framing.

Asking Nicks why he would select Murphy is pointless. He's just going to trot out the same old tired cliches as usual - stuff you don't see at the ground, experienced body, senior player, leadership, best form of his career, etc. But that's not really the question we need answered. At the end of the day, what the club thinks of Murphy in a vacuum is irrelevant. What matters is how they view him in comparison to the other depth options on our list.

The question we need answered is "why do you not value what Dowling or Draper are doing ahead of what Murphy is doing?" Is it as simple as Nicks doesn't view those players as even being in the conversation to replace Pedlar due to the positions they play? Or does he genuinely think they offer less to the team right now, in 2025?

What is it that Dowling isn't doing that sees the club value Murphy's inclusion higher than his?

I think we are splitting hairs but to me it’s what he seems in Murphy that’s the issue.