Round 1, 2021

Virgin Dog

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West has to play Round 1. Cav did his chances no harm in the reserves game, although probably fighting with West for that spot so likely misses.

Already picked Cordy to miss Round 1, and am even more confident in that choice now. Him and Young will start the year in reserves, and Young will be lucky to be called up unless he seriously improves.

McNeil a distant possibility to debut early. Think he comes out for Treloar, but wouldn't rule him out just yet. Richards should play
 

Bulldogs85

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West has to play Round 1. Cav did his chances no harm in the reserves game, although probably fighting with West for that spot so likely misses.

Already picked Cordy to miss Round 1, and am even more confident in that choice now. Him and Young will start the year in reserves, and Young will be lucky to be called up unless he seriously improves.

McNeil a distant possibility to debut early. Think he comes out for Treloar, but wouldn't rule him out just yet. Richards should play
Cordy to play round one thanks
 
Aug 24, 2012
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FB: Williams - Keath - Cordy
HB: Daniel - Gardner - Crozier
C: Vandermeer - Bontempelli - Hunter
HF: Hannan/Jong - Naughton - B. Smith
FF: Wallis - Bruce - Martin

R: English - Treloar - Macrae

I: Wood/Duryea - Dunkley - Liberatore - Johannisen
OUT: Wood/Duryea, Hannan/Jong
IN: West, Weightman/McNeil/Dale

FB: Williams - Keath - Crozier
HB: Johannisen - Gardner - Daniel

C: Hunter - Bontempelli - Smith

HF: West - Bruce - Vandermeer
FF: Wallis - Naughton - English

R: Martin - Treloar* - Macrae

I: Dunkley Liberatore Cordy Cavarra/Weightman/McNeil/Dale

After seeing how English is being used as a floater I'm not sure Cordy should be played in addition to Keath/Gardner, but I wasn't overly enamoured with the alternative smalls yesterday. I've left him in for now, see how the next game goes.
 
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Aug 24, 2012
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Obviously it was a practice game but I was a little disappointed at the output of our fringe players vying for roles in the side.

Jong was poor; involved yet incredibly sloppy in his characteristic way. He's just not a wingman. Dale was...fine, but just hasn't found any ways to get more involved. Lipinski was just Lipinski, clean and racking them up with no concern for his man or for defence whatsoever. Cavarra played like Cavarra - to be honest I would actually have him in the team, but he did nothing differently to when he was overlooked repeatedly last year. Richards was underwhelming in the 2nds in a stacked part of the ground. Young did nothing to reverse my thoughts on him. Cordy was underwhelming in the 2nds. Duryea mediocre.

The only fringe players that really made me stand up and think, "Okay, there's something here," were Schache, Weightman, West and McNeil. Hopefully the next practice game is more telling as yesterday didn't really clarify the state of the 18-25 players on our list.
 
Oct 19, 2012
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Thus far I have.

FB:Williams, Keath, Crozier
HB: Daniel, Cordy, JJ
C: Smith, Bont, Hunter
HF: Dale, Naughton, Cavarra
FF: Wallis, Bruce, English
R: Martin, Macrae, Treloar
Int: Dunkley, Liberatore, VDM, West
Emg: Jong, McNeil, Gardiner, Lipinski

Cordy was poor yesterday but at his best he still is the best 2nd KPD we have. Certainly in that patch of games last season when we conceeded less than 40 points (3-4 games in a row), him and Keath were the combination. Cordy also did injure his ankle in that QF so that may be a reason for the slow start.

Martin massively helped and with Naughton's return English can push behind play more to help protect the defence.

Cavarra imo is the best finisher out of the genuine small forwards (and plays like a small forward) so he gets in (We have plenty of marking types up there (Naughton, English, Bruce, Wallis) so we need a genuine crumber.
 

Dale4captain

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Gardner is below average. Cordy is sh*t. There's the difference and the reason I advocate for Gardner over Cordy
Cordy's off-field work and application away from the track to improve his body was severely lacking last year hence his slow start and on the small dose we've had of him this year, looks to be exactly the same story. You can have a body like Jeremy McGovern if you play like Jeremy McGovern. Not if you play like Zane.
 

The City Boyz

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Obviously it was a practice game but I was a little disappointed at the output of our fringe players vying for roles in the side.

Jong was poor; involved yet incredibly sloppy in his characteristic way. He's just not a wingman. Dale was...fine, but just hasn't found any ways to get more involved. Lipinski was just Lipinski, clean and racking them up with no concern for his man or for defence whatsoever. Cavarra played like Cavarra - to be honest I would actually have him in the team, but he did nothing differently to when he was overlooked repeatedly last year. Richards was underwhelming in the 2nds in a stacked part of the ground. Young did nothing to reverse my thoughts on him. Cordy was underwhelming in the 2nds. Duryea mediocre.

The only fringe players that really made me stand up and think, "Okay, there's something here," were Schache, Weightman, West and McNeil. Hopefully the next practice game is more telling as yesterday didn't really clarify the state of the 18-25 players on our list.
Fair way off the pace, but I loved Bedendo's game yesterday too
 

Al dente

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Cordy's off-field work and application away from the track to improve his body was severely lacking last year hence his slow start and on the small dose we've had of him this year, looks to be exactly the same story. You can have a body like Jeremy McGovern if you play like Jeremy McGovern. Not if you play like Zane.
Yeah, why has Cordy retained the same body shape year on year? is it to not bulk up too much and retain speed, or is it just not working hard enough?
 
Obviously it was a practice game but I was a little disappointed at the output of our fringe players vying for roles in the side.

Jong was poor; involved yet incredibly sloppy in his characteristic way. He's just not a wingman. Dale was...fine, but just hasn't found any ways to get more involved. Lipinski was just Lipinski, clean and racking them up with no concern for his man or for defence whatsoever. Cavarra played like Cavarra - to be honest I would actually have him in the team, but he did nothing differently to when he was overlooked repeatedly last year. Richards was underwhelming in the 2nds in a stacked part of the ground. Young did nothing to reverse my thoughts on him. Cordy was underwhelming in the 2nds. Duryea mediocre.

The only fringe players that really made me stand up and think, "Okay, there's something here," were Schache, Weightman, West and McNeil. Hopefully the next practice game is more telling as yesterday didn't really clarify the state of the 18-25 players on our list.
I agree with most of that,but I thought Duryea was class above his opponents as a small negating defender. Just got the ball a few times by reading it better than anyone else.

Based on yesterday's games I'm not sure we actually lose anything if we swapped Richards and JJ in the senior team.

McNeill was the story of the day, but damn I'd love to find a way to get West into the team.
 
Yeah, why has Cordy retained the same body shape year on year? is it to not bulk up too much and retain speed, or is it just not working hard enough?
Just the same as always? Maybe they don’t want him to change shape or he can’t
 
Aug 24, 2012
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I agree with most of that,but I thought Duryea was class above his opponents as a small negating defender. Just got the ball a few times by reading it better than anyone else.

Based on yesterday's games I'm not sure we actually lose anything if we swapped Richards and JJ in the senior team.

McNeill was the story of the day, but damn I'd love to find a way to get West into the team.
I do agree that Duryea was a class above but in comparison to those in his position in the firsts, I didn't see anything that made me feel any great need to get him in the side.
 
I do agree that Duryea was a class above but in comparison to those in his position in the firsts, I didn't see anything that made me feel any great need to get him in the side.
Anthony Scott is no small negating defender. Straight swap there for mine.

Unless your name rhymes with Grengrove, we tend to target mature players for a specific role and play them in the seniors.
I expect Hannan would be best 22 if fit for the same reason.
 
Aug 24, 2012
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Anthony Scott is no small negating defender. Straight swap there for mine.

Unless your name rhymes with Grengrove, we tend to target mature players for a specific role and play them in the seniors.
I expect Hannan would be best 22 if fit for the same reason.
We played more than 22 players and were without Naughton, Macrae, Treloar, and Hannan. I don't see Scott as an option for Duryea to replace as I don't see him being in the 22, but then again, I'm way out of touch with how Bev sees this team and have been for years.
 
We played more than 22 players and were without Naughton, Macrae, Treloar, and Hannan. I don't see Scott as an option for Duryea to replace as I don't see him being in the 22, but then again, I'm way out of touch with how Bev sees this team and have been for years.
We played 5 on the bench didn't we? So a few replacements and one out.

I'd expect we play two KPDs to replicate the defensive style we rolled out yesterday (which probably leaves Cordy out of round 1) with Crozier as that interceptor and perhaps Wood comes in when fit as he is rated highly internally. That puts Williams and Daniel as the two other defenders starting on the ground, rotating with Duryea as the defensive bench option.

I think Lippi misses out for Macrae, I'm not convinced by Bailey Dale so he's out for Naughton, and McNeill was good but may have to wait (especially if Treloar is fit). Hannan won't be ready for the start of the season and it seems JJ will play a utility role and if Richards is being developed as a back (where he plays his best footy) he gets squeezed out too.
To be honest I'm not sold on Jong either but the MC will probably play him. He has real ticker but his disposal scares me.

That puts our round 1 side as being:

B: Williams Keath Wood
HB: Daniel Gardner Crozier
C: Hunter Macrae Treloar
Foll: Martin Bont Libba
HF: VDM Naughton Dunkley
F: Wallis Bruce English
Int: JJ, Smith, (two spots up for grabs - Jong and West perhaps?)

That's not set in stone, just how I think the MC will look at round 1.
 
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