Prediction R8: Changes vs Saints

[Wally Walpamur]

Don’t melt too hard too soon. I have a funny feeling that Hilly will be a late out and replaced by Rixx.

 

[Dockernut]

Don’t melt too hard too soon. I have a funny feeling that Hilly will be a late out and replaced by Rixx.

FMD we’re tanking if that’s the case.

 

[scon]

Don’t melt too hard too soon. I have a funny feeling that Hilly will be a late out and replaced by Rixx.

Definite possibility.

 

[ydraw]

To be fair it was a single game that was pretty horrendous. You gotta draw the line somewhere in terms of performance regardless of age.

Johnson's last couple of games were equally horrendous. And unlike with Hughes, there's not a lot of benefit to us from pumping games into Johnson at this point, because he will retire at the end of the year. Hughes won't. We have much more to gain by playing Hughes.

 

[nurries]

Johnson's last couple of games were equally horrendous. And unlike with Hughes, there's not a lot of benefit to us from pumping games into Johnson at this point, because he will retire at the end of the year. Hughes won't. We have much more to gain by playing Hughes.

Or Nyhuis who can also play forward

 

[Swiggy]

Would of tried luke strnadica why not take a punt. Look at the swans throwing in McCartin in. I don't see what they have to lose

 

[tacopavlich]

Johnson's last couple of games were equally horrendous. And unlike with Hughes, there's not a lot of benefit to us from pumping games into Johnson at this point, because he will retire at the end of the year. Hughes won't. We have much more to gain by playing Hughes.

Or perhaps Hughes has more to gain from playing in the two's to regain confidence. I'd personally prefer Hughes stay in but it's not earth shattering that he isn't imo.

 

[scon]

 

[Cobbler]

He was terrible. Not sure it is career ending. He ran around the whole preseason with a cast on his wrist.

But he has gone backwards significantly this year. To be honest when he was racking up decent stats in the second half of 2017 we were regularly being pumped.

He certainly needs to pull his finger out or that statement of yours might become true. But I think there are a few in the list changes queue that sit in front of him at present.

He is young, so has that on his side.

When I say career ending, that may sound dramatic. What I'm really saying is when you get a chance you have to fight and scrap and show something. I honestly feel like he showed zero.

With players coming back from injury he starts to slide down the pecking order. It would not at all surprise me if that was his last AFL game.

Then again if someone told me Danyl would play again I'd have lost a small fortune. You feel Hughes needs a solid 4-5 weeks at WAFL level to be a look in and I don't think he's a dominate WAFL type of player. Hard to make a case for Hughes.

 

[Nothing]

After Hughes game, Danyle or Sheridan had to come in. As much as DP would be expecting to not play much (or at all) he's still putting in the effort and competing hard (at Peel). You can't give games for deplorable efforts while others are busting their arse. If we had everyone fit, DP wouldn't be playing - we don't and pretty much everyone else got a go over the last 6 weeks. Most have stayed but Hughes didn't.

 

[Heart Of Purple]

Hughes for Johnson copping a fair bit? Hughes has stated himself in the past (think last year) that he was struggling for confidence and playing for peel helped him sort that out (Actually might be WAFL Finals 2016/17) after a few poor games when first getting demoted. Nothing wrong with letting a young guy like that go and perform at a lesser grade.
Johnson in is a bit questionable though , even if it was always going to happen, we still have 6 defenders without Hughes (same 6 from Dogs game). leads me to think Hill will be a late out for probably Sheridan.

 

[yakamoto]

When you’re a fringe player like Hughes you need a decent run of form leading up to your elevation. He was really set up to fail last week and didn’t disappoint in that respect.
At the moment we have a group of best 22 players out injured with a group of next best who have had no real continuity in there seasons with regard to form and fitness.
DP and MJ are best available for this week. Sensible selections both of them.

 

[scon]

Hughes may have similar issues to Tabs wrt confidence/belief and consistent improvement.
Was set a harsh challenge last week no doubt, however didn't really respond that well.
He's had AFL games where he's looked the goods and others where he certainly didn't.
I don't expect another WAFL game or three is going to be bad for him.
He'll appreciate the opportunity to get himself up to speed again.
He knows Match Committee have him in the cross hairs for selection.

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

I just can't understand the logic of playing Pearce & Johnson again this year. We are literally just wasting games picking them.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Danyle in? Ross must be in a very fragile mental state after the media hammering.

 

[Nolo180]

I'm okay with the selections ATM. Been a week of turmoil so need to steady the ship. Experience and calm heads in the dressing room cant be a bad thing and hopefully it transfers out to the field. The jungle drums about club culture and leadership will only worsen if on field performances start to deteriorate. The media will use everything they can to exaggerate how much influence the off field stuff has had on the playing group.

Lets face it the WA media love nothing more than sinking the boots in to Freo so lets not give them anymore reason to do it this weekend.

 

[more_of_bito]

Respecting Selection process, averaging 30+ possessions a game you deserve a game. Just because you’re 19 doesn’t mean you deserve “a shot”. Gifting games isn’t going to drive a competitive mindset. D Pearce and Johnson are the best 22. Young players need to know the level of performance required... not just being young.

My point is young players getting games when they aren’t up to AFL level is just as wasteful as older proven 150+ Game AFL players. These young players are just as unlikely not to be there in 2 years if they can’t perform at WAFL. Cerra, Brayshaw, crowden, Banfield, Duman all have demonstrated their value Andy anymore than 5 will see what happened last week.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

I'm okay with the selections ATM. Been a week of turmoil so need to steady the ship. Experience and calm heads in the dressing room cant be a bad thing and hopefully it transfers out to the field. The jungle drums about club culture and leadership will only worsen if on field performances start to deteriorate. The media will use everything they can to exaggerate how much influence the off field stuff has had on the playing group.

Lets face it the WA media love nothing more than sinking the boots in to Freo so lets not give them anymore reason to do it this weekend.

That would be a reasonable position to hold if Danyle and MJ had shown any evidence of a capable on field performance this year.

 

[Freomaniac]

I just can't understand the logic of playing Pearce & Johnson again this year. We are literally just wasting games picking them.

I could understand why Johnson should be playing.

I said this way back in the start of 2016 many times. I posted this many times. Once McPharlin retired, That meant Johnson and Dawson were the 2 main key defenders. Then the 3rd defender was a young tall like a Tom Vandeluer, Alex Pearce and Sam Collins that was rotating for that 3rd tall defender spot and getting games.

Then Injuries happened in 2016. Then Freo were down to the Bare Bones in KPDs in Zac Dawson and Sam Collins, who we arguably the worst to key defenders on our list at the time. A lot can happen unexpectedly in one season. To be Brutally honest I didn't think we wouldn't of got Joel Hamling fresh after winning a flag at the Western Bulldogs... Well... Not cheaply anyway.

Last year the back line worked out well in some games.

It was unexpected to a degree that Michael Johnson played all 22 games last year considering in 2016 he only played a handful of games. I would of expected him to play 15-17 games last year and given 5-7 games to guys like cox, which happened anyway.

I wasn't surprised with Hamling playing all 22 games last year as he is in the prime of his career and isn't injury riddled unlike some players on our list.

I didn't mind on how last year panned out: Johnson and Hamling both played 22 games each as experienced talls while Collins, logue and cox got games but Alex Pearce was still injured. Collins is now delisted.

This year, Johnson is managed, Hamling is best 22 So Is Alex Pearce. Cox cant get a spot in our back 6 so that means he plays up forward. That shows you Freos current KPD depth at the moment which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Nolo180]

Well on a brighter note I'm pretty happy with the umpiring group in Mollison, Gianfagna & Hay. No Fisher or Margetts & Dagliesh for that matter so shouldn't notice the umpiring too much which will be a pleasant change.

 

[Heart Of Purple]

That would be a reasonable position to hold if Danyle and MJ had shown any evidence of a capable on field performance this year.

Johnson hasn’t been too bad. Bit slow and makes some mistakes but in reality he’s done alright, played quite well against Essendon in particular I thought. He uses his body quite well to limit his direct opponents pace and run around a contest, but is just dropping off offensively. Part of that drop off will simply be the movement of Hill back and Wilson’s inclusion mean he moves down the pecking order in terms of creating offense, part is clearly his age.

 

[Freomaniac]

Managed. I'd do it this week since he started sore last week.

I think anyone before the season started would of taken 18-20 games from him this year.

Agreed. Hell I would of been happy if he got 10-12 games at the start of this season. Yes I was worried about Alex Pearces injury when he broke his leg. I was fearing he was going to have a bennell or Apness type injury run.

 

[BartBart]

In case anyone is still going to buy tickets & not aware of this...

 

[Nolo180]

That would be a reasonable position to hold if Danyle and MJ had shown any evidence of a capable on field performance this year.

I feel ur pain Reg but DP has been averaging 31 disposals a game for PEEL this year. Sherro has found some footy the last couple of weeks too. No one else is knocking the door down. We all know MJ is cooked. But like previously stated I think the team is reaching its tipping point experience wise.

 

[Nolo180]

Johnson hasn’t been too bad. Bit slow and makes some mistakes but in reality he’s done alright, played quite well against Essendon in particular I thought. He uses his body quite well to limit his direct opponents pace and run around a contest, but is just dropping off offensively. Part of that drop off will simply be the movement of Hill back and Wilson’s inclusion mean he moves down the pecking order in terms of creating offense, part is clearly his age.

Yeah and without Wilson this week they may want to use Johnno as he provides another option getting the ball out of the backline. Hopefully he doesnt hurt us with any bad turnovers when he looks to go inside. He needs to be spot on this week that's for sure.