Preview Rd 10: Changes vs Saints

[Doggy]

I know these are usually the games we tend to lose and they've had the wood on us, but looking at their team its just so...bland. With Marshall out there isn't one spot on the ground that worries me, we really should be beating them despite our injuries. Funnily enough, they are very confident that if they kick straight they will beat us.

Out: R.Smith, Lipinski, Wood
In: English, Hunter, Crozier

Hopefully there's no letdown from last week.

Saints were really good apart from their goal kicking. Could be close if they reproduce that form because we know they will kick everything against us

 

[Generation West]

You can if you have an unusually strong top 12 or so players, which we have at the moment. Have you watched Hannan? I was shocked at how easily the Port players brushed him off and just ran past him as if he was a witches hat.

Haven’t really noticed that about Hannan but will take a closer look.

We have some players that don’t have those traits you mentioned as their one wood (JJ, Lipinski, Hannan) but they have other strong attributes necessary to the team winning.

 

[VitalDread]

Out: Roarke, Wood and Lipinski
in: Hunter, Gardner, Crozier

No rush for English to come back

 

[Cudi]

Hopefully there's no letdown from last week.

Saints were really good apart from their goal kicking. Could be close if they reproduce that form because we know they will kick everything against us

They were alright but so were we. If both teams play at a decent level we are just plain better than them. I'm just not sure where their confidence comes from.

 

[Doggy]

They were alright but so were we. If both teams play at a decent level we are just plain better than them. I'm just not sure where their confidence comes from.

Absolutely.

Same goes the last 3 times though and they got us. 2 times it was easily and the Elimination final was easy until and 4th quarter comeback

 

[glenashley]

Agree. This is the sort of game perfect for a no 1 draft pick debut. Home under lights and a game we should win.

Be a nice game to introduce JUH for sure. Under the roof at Etihad on a Saturday night.

 

[Dog 36]

Out: Roarke, Wood and Lipinski
in: Hunter, Gardner, Crozier

No rush for English to come back

Prefer two rucks vs Saints as Ryder always takes us to the cleaners (Like Grundy).

Without Marshall there is a real opportunity to have Sweet bruise him (Ryder) and English run him around.

I realise no Marshall but Saints won the elimination final on the back of us having only one ruck in English

 

[Pocket Terrace]

They were alright but so were we. If both teams play at a decent level we are just plain better than them. I'm just not sure where their confidence comes from.

My concern comes from their forwards, who have filled up against us in recent years. Butler, Lonie, Membrey especially have a great record of getting over the back of our last line and running downhill into the goal square. It's actually a complete clash of game styles (Bevo v Ratten) and one that we haven't won yet.

The fact that Betts put 5 on us under the lid at Marvel last week doesn't have me brimming with confidence either. Need to smash them around the footy and then all those front-runners become invisible. Ryder also a worry if we can't get first hands on it often enough.

 

[Triple Baileys]

Haven’t really noticed that about Hannan but will take a closer look.

We have some players that don’t have those traits you mentioned as their one wood (JJ, Lipinski, Hannan) but they have other strong attributes necessary to the team winning.

We have all seen JJ lift several gears in the past (like the prelim against GWS in the wet), I've been down on him but have come to accept he is learning to play a new position and has been progressing in the last couple of weeks. I thought Lipinski was one of our better players after half time against the Tiges, he got a number possessions where the heat was on him, so he can do ok when it gets hot - he has the fast hands and good vision. But Hannan bothers me like Schache does, if we are going to win the flag we need 22 players on the park that can handle extreme pressure and in fact turn the burners onto the opposition (we had that in 2016, something that is overlooked by some of critics of our Premiership).

 

[Struggle]

I really hope we don't go with both Gardner and Cordy. Keep the same structure, having 3kpd would really hurt our drive from the backline.

Back Williams/Crozier to cause more damage attacking than the 3rd tall provides the other way

 

[Golden_6]

Marshall out for them is pretty huge. We struggled massively with their height up forward in last years elimination final. Cordy matches up okay size wise against Membrey, leaving Keath to contend with King. No Marshall will allow Williams & Crozier to support more in the air this week.

Battle will likely me floating around too.

 

[hutchy31]

Not sure I would be managing either of our KPFs so JUH can come in. This is our tough stretch of games and I'd be playing the best possible team until at least the bye then they get a rest anyway. I want to see JUH in the ones as much as the next supporter, but there are more than a few opportunities against the lesser teams late in the year (hawks, roos, bombers, suns, crows). My guess is he plays against North, shouldn't really be much danger in having him in for that game.

I'd guess English in at least this week, not sure who else goes out. It's probably Hannan but I feel like he might be important come the pointy end of the season. That mid-sized forward that can take a mark but still be mobile and occasionally kicks 3-4 would be incredibly valuable, I think he can be that player but he'll need to start showing it soon.

 

[compact72]

THE WESTERN Bulldogs are set to regain premiership midfielder Lachie Hunter for Saturday night's clash with St Kilda, with ruckman Tim English also expected to be available.

Big Dogs back for Saints clash

Bulldogs Tim English and Lachie Hunter are set to return from injury

www.afl.com.au

 

[bobs head soup]

Be a nice game to introduce JUH for sure. Under the roof at Etihad on a Saturday night.

He's underdone to begin withand has played less than a half in 3 weeks. Not for mine.

 

[bobs head soup]

I Bet he will make his debut in indigenous round

If the timing is such that he is ready at that point then great. If that is a long term plan, I don't like it.

 

[Boristown]

Marshall out for them is pretty huge. We struggled massively with their height up forward in last years elimination final. Cordy matches up okay size wise against Membrey, leaving Keath to contend with King. No Marshall will allow Williams & Crozier to support more in the air this week.

Battle will likely me floating around too.

Marshall is the one player Saints could not afford to lose. He's their talisman.

 

[SharkMeister4]

I've noticed this too. It appears that Bev is preempting or mitigating the criticism the player would normally receive after playing an ordinary game or a run of ordinary games. In assessing a player's contribution he obviously sees things that we observers can't see or is he just being ornery?

i think he just values things that happen off screen more than we do. its really telling this forums opinion on mcneil pre and post the tigers game. we wanted blood from him but after we say what a lack of pressure does to a team, and also how a high pressure team can utterly dismantle us we've all collectively decided that mcneil is the goods

 

[dogwatch]

I Bet he will make his debut in indigenous round

While it'd be a great headline grabber that's just going to redouble the attention he'll get from the media (which is going to be significant whenever he debuts) and the public pressure on him. Haven't we been trying to play that down?

Anyway if Indigenous Round is when the club reckons he's ready and in form to make the step up, so be it. I would be surprised if they picked him this week for a debut though. Not straight after recovering from a concussion. At least one more game in the ressies I'd say.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I'm intrigued to see what happens this week. Wood is obviously out, and Lipinski likely is as well, but if we're bringing all of Croz, English and Hunter in we need at least one more out.

I was really disappointed with Hannan and would omit him, but it seems that Bev was a fan of his output. Roarke is the obvious one, but he built into the game and provided some great defensive actions as the game wore on. He could be a good shout for a defensive wing role against Melbourne in a couple of weeks, so I wonder if Bev is going to err on the side of keeping him in with a specific role in mind.

I think there's a possibility of an omission that we wouldn't necessarily expect this week.

 

[X_box_X]

Is it purely coincidental that we gained control of the EF last year when the Saints were reduced to only one ruckman?

 

[CarnTheScray]

Is it purely coincidental that we gained control of the EF last year when the Saints were reduced to only one ruckman?

Like I've said before, we win that final by 4 goals if we had 2021 Sweet or Martin on the day.

They were a ruck down and we finally showed up in the last quarter.

28 points to 7 in the last quarter.

 

[Merlins Revenge]

We will win this in a canter. Call it arrogant, but I just don’t rate the Saints with just one of Ryder/Marshall.

They seem to lose all semblance of structure. They are talking about bringing in Shaun McKernan. I mean, really? That says it all. Zak Jones also out, which was their point of difference (Speed) against our midfield.

 

[Jezdog]

#dropJJ

 

[Jezdog]

Practically won the game for us with two clutch goals. Unlikely

 

[mcgleereturns]

I'd guess English in at least this week, not sure who else goes out. It's probably Hannan but I feel like he might be important come the pointy end of the season. That mid-sized forward that can take a mark but still be mobile and occasionally kicks 3-4 would be incredibly valuable, I think he can be that player but he'll need to start showing it soon.

It’s a lot of expectation on a kid but Weightman showed more aerial prowess than Hannan on Saturday and actually kicked 3. Can’t expect that every week but at least he’s done it. Reintroduce the 3 headed monster with Cody, JJ, McNeil hanging around them. Hunter switch between wing/half forward on return. Crozier stays in for Wood with Marshall out but Gardner comes in for Melbourne talls after a weeks warmup in the VFL.


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