Autopsy Roast & Toast vs Melbourne Rnd 6 2019 & changes for Western Bulldogs

best players vs Melbourne

  • Nathan Broad

    Votes: 16 6.3%
  • David Astbury

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • Dylan Grimes

    Votes: 79 31.0%
  • Nick Vlastuin

    Votes: 238 93.3%
  • Shane Edwards

    Votes: 7 2.7%
  • Bachar Houli

    Votes: 158 62.0%
  • Brandon Ellis

    Votes: 102 40.0%
  • Dion Prestia

    Votes: 85 33.3%
  • Kamdyn McIntosh

    Votes: 23 9.0%
  • Daniel Rioli

    Votes: 2 0.8%
  • Jack Ross

    Votes: 68 26.7%
  • Jason Castagna

    Votes: 48 18.8%
  • Jack Riewoldt

    Votes: 19 7.5%
  • Tom Lynch

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dustin Martin

    Votes: 3 1.2%
  • Toby Nankervis

    Votes: 17 6.7%
  • Josh Caddy

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Kane Lambert

    Votes: 69 27.1%
  • Noah Balta

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Liam Baker

    Votes: 121 47.5%
  • Jack Higgins

    Votes: 3 1.2%
  • Sydney Stack

    Votes: 127 49.8%

  • Total voters
    255
  • This poll will close: .
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Fancy picking a #1 pick who lacks the smarts to play midfield.
The very definition of a man child who dominated at junior level against the smaller bodies but has no upside when the pressure is on in the firsts...
The very definition of a fat slow sheet truck...that has to be hidden up full forward...
 

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Pre Game was very moving. Dim the lights, watch the flame and respect the fallen. The NZ National Anthem was incredible. The pre game under lights is so much better than at 3 pm during the day. Glad we have the Anzac Eve for sure.

I think that the 4 day turn around hurt this game, and if Gil and his muppets want this to be a spectacle for TV etc etc, it needs to be at least a 5 day turnaround. The standard, along with the rule changes made it a horrible game to watch.

Being at the game, the first 3 quarters was more a case of tolerating the Demon's defensive gameplan. If Demetriou wants to whinge about how boring Sydney played, Gil will want to watch the tape of this mess. These new rules are really working well with high scoring and free flowing football. The game looks so much worse than last year. Thankfully, after being dragged down to the Demon's level for 3 quarters, it was only a matter of time before they broke. Last quarter was great - moving into 3rd gear after losing Jack and Astbury on one leg. One part of the game that we can improve on is set shots. We were a 10-15 goal better team with those inside 50's.

One battle I watched with interest was the Gawn VS Nank. Not every ball in, but most, Gawn likes to push into his opponent from behind in a forwards movement, and as the ball is at it's peak, he holds out his arms so his opponent cannot back into him. To the rules of the game, that's a push in the back in a marking contest, so why is he allowed to get away with it during a ball in ?

Our Fab 5 continue to improve - Baker, Ross, Balta, Stack and Higgins. Stack and Ross won their positions and both play like 100 games players. Stack's last quarter, especially a passage in the back pocket - reading the play, leaving his man, and working through traffic by hands with the vision of the great Maurice Rioli was sublime. The Mark, the bump and the torp were great. But that passage was just superb.

Whipping boys including Ellis, Macintosh and Castagna were again, excellent role players. Those asking for Castagna to be dropped. I'll repeat - it will never happen. His forward pressure and tackling are elite. Kicking goals is the cream for George. Rioli looks like he is playing sore.

So Jack will be out again with a "PCL Type" injury. Just more bad luck, but as we have seen this year, injuries create opportunities. Bolton, Moore or Townsend are waiting in the wings. Lynch needs more time to settle. Leading appeared to be mistimed, and it didn't help when he was not paid 3 marks that were definitely marks for any other tall in any other team (Cox would have had 50M paid as well as the mark).. Houli, Edwards, Grimes and Vlas are superstars. Dusty is almost always quiet against the Demons. Lambert and Prestia stepped up on the inside and I though we broke even with their "star studded inside mids". Oliver will have a stellar career with the Glodetrotters post AFL.

I'm happy we gritted this game until the end. Four day break was not ideal, so hopefully they can have a rest and assess the injuries.

Out - Jack (injured)
In - Bolton/Moore/Townsend/Graham
 
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Reading some suggesting Moore come in for Jack. We have for quite a while been operating on a 1 tall
forward line, including a couple of games ago. So I doubt Moore will come in. I don't think he has even been listed as an emergency this year??
The VFL game will give an opportunity for one forward to put his hand up. If Butler finally rips it up, he probably will get the recall. Of course Bolton might be ahead of him already.
Butler/Bolton, Rioli, George and Baker is a dynamic forward line around Lynch/Caddy and Dusty.
 
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My thoughts after watching the replay:

- I was nervous about this game. Think it’s the first week that the Dee’s were seriously forensically analysed in the wider football public. Generally teams respond to that the following game. Thought they’d do exactly what they did; flood players back and over-possess the footy. Make it more of a territory battle than anything else. I was concerned knowing we would have five teenagers all under 10 games coming off a 5 day break, two players coming off knee injuries and a player who had a significant Corked thigh the previous game. Melbourne played not to lose as opposed to trying to win. We kept our style and overcame them in the end. Think it’s a better win than we are giving credit for.
- Structurally thought we were better again than last week and moving in the right direction. Still a few issues and allowed the corridor and/ or the switch a few more times than we’d like, but thankfully our pressure and the Dees flooding players back and not really have the slingshot type players forward of the ball meant it didn’t hurt us too much of at all. In comparison, see Castagna’s 2nd goal. Six players breaking the 50m arc with 10+ meters on their opponent to create a scoring opportunity.
- Thought Ross was solid. Got Oliver for large chunks of the game. Great learning opportunity on two of the best players in the comp in creating time and space within the contest (Oliver and Kennedy) through body positioning and body work. Either way, not the game you’d expect from a third gamer. Hopefully a Rising Star Nomination comes his way.
- Thought Balta was handy too. Gave away four frees, two of which you take because of intent, another (against Brayshaw in third) was a smart free kick (not sure if he meant it) as it was on a switch and allowed us to re-set on the fat side defensively. His first 50 games will be a bit of a dogs breakfast but his intent is right and he impacts the game enough. Thing his tank is slowly increasing as well just by a few multiple defensive efforts deep into the fourth.
- Isn’t Baker a find. Great energy, tough nut type and puts pressure on. Sublime use inside forward 50. His kick to Jack in Q3 and the one to Nank in Q4 were almost the disposals of the day. Going to keep Butler out at this stage.
- Castagna deserves credit too. I had him as the one to go for Jack’s inclusion, but he worked his ass off. Rightfully rewarded with 3 goals. His second goal (briefly mentioned above) is what he brings and what will keep him in the side.
- Lynch and Jack are still finding their feet at the moment in terms of when to go and where. Got in each other’s road a few times. Also probably put Lynch’s timing out of whack. Only way to solve this is to get minutes in games together. Unfortunately looks like we will be robbed of that again.
- Vlastuin. Amazing. No other words required.
- Grimes. Amazing. No other words required.
- Broad; has he taken over Grimes’ moniker as the most underrated player in the comp? Got a ton of it in the JLT, but his defensive work since round 1 and the loss of Rance has been first class. Some would say... Grimes like?
- Brandon ‘Double Cobra’ Ellis. Take a bow. We all rightly applauded for his game against Port but with him there’s always the asterisk that he never debacle it up. Not a perfect showing, but being a wing that is the outlet guy (not just running up and back for uncontested possessions) has been a revelation. His second goal in the fourth was pointed. At the contest then just ran hard (as did Prestia) as Higgo skied it. Who were the two players that were pivotal to set up that goal? Brando and Prestia.
- On Higgo; a new role and he’s starting to get a feel for it. Felt he didn’t seem as rushed as he was against the Swans. His role unfortunately takes away some of the flair and creativity that we love about him, but the benefits are greater IMO. Will make us a better more dynamic side come the pointy end of the year.
- A few questions on Martin. No issue for mine. Wasn’t in the hot and heavy owing to Higgo, Ross, Prestia and Lambo. Played large chunks in a finding-their-feet forward line that was dysfunctional at times. Impacted in the big moments.
- Sydney Stack has put together the best first four games of a first year player in modern AFL history. It’s not the 12 possessions at 100%, or even the poise and composure. It’s not the bump. It’s all the 1%ers. The shepherds, the subtle knocks when it’s a 2v1, it’s putting his body in the line, it’s taking on the ball carrier without question, it’s not taking a backward step, it’s not shirking one contest. I have never seen that from a first year player. I haven’t seen that from too many players that haven’t played 100 games. Then you add the poise the composure and the speed and oh my.

All in all, a great win against a team that made it a rugby match, that only focused on the defensive side of the game. We grinded it out with a younger side and injuries sustained throughout the game. We took steps in the right direction defensively with our pressure, attack on the ball carrier and structure. These last five weeks (yes, including the Pies and Giants games) have re-tuned our dynamism and reiterated what we need to do to win games of football. That will be a threat for opposition teams come Finals.

Out: Riewoldt (inj)
In: Bolton.
 
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It is probably the end of Butler and Castagna playing together.
Unless Butler has sensational outlier form in the VFL.
Short will struggle for struggle for selection too.
Castagna has added muscle strength, more solidly built, can help win ground level ball.
Baker, Ross, Stack should be automatic inclusions.
I was impressed when they played Baker as a half forward in JLT.
Little fellow has great goal and positioning sense. Brilliant player.
Full credit to B-Ellis and Web-Kam.
Riewoldt out (inj) four-six weeks, Bolton in.
 
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Midfield has looked so good with Jack Ross in there.

Dusty looks disinterested? But in saying that he takes a lot of heat and if it helps the development of Higgins Ross Baker when they run through the middle then his 16 disposal games don't matter so much .

I was not really sold on baker thought he wastes a lot of opportunity but tonight had a good look at him and the kid moves like a jet. Very quick in terms of thinking ahead and also pace. Hard to see Butler getting his way back in.

I know big Toms last 2 games haven't resulted in much in terms of the scoreboard but tonight it showed it can free Jack up when they play together but it also allows Caddy more time in the mid and we will rarely get out marked in a contest. Ball will come to ground more often than not playing into our smalls hands.

Jack out and Bolton straight back in and if Astbury is sore and misses I would play Balta down back against the dogs with short spells in ruck and bring in Menadue who wasn't to bad against port.

Jack Graham needs a good spell in the twos, issues with him are pace and disposal.
 
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Stack getting lots of praise & rightly so , been sensational! But Jack Ross 28 touches , how good is this boy going as well ! Surely rising star nod this week


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Averaging 23 possessions and 3 tackles, after his first three games. As Sir Trents replacement. Is nice.
 
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Have had the replay on in the background and it's always handy to watch bits again without being so emotionally invested.

We really started turning the screw around halfway into the second quarter but we were so wasteful going inside 50.

Higgins more involved than I remember, seems to be involved a lot with harassing and keeping the ball live. Baker is like the energizer bunny, seems to be every where and just keeps going. Grimes is so unassuming the way he carries himself but he's a genuine gun.
The game changer was we turned the contested ball numbers around.

Dees were on top of us early by winning contested ball.

Once we got that back on our terms we were all over them.

Such a shame we didn't convert more opportunities.
 

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Midfield has looked so good with Jack Ross in there.

Dusty looks disinterested? ]
Agree with Ross. He's been huge for us.

Disagree about Dusty. Thought he turned the corner last night and played a real team first game. Gave the ball off first time to players in space and put on some nice defensive plays. Tackle on Viney etc.
 
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