Prediction Round 13: Changes Vs Port Adelaide + Pre-match Discussion

May 13, 2014
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I don't envy the team selectors this week.

I'd like to see out:
Pearce, Lobb, Cox, someone else?
In:
Logue, Darcy, McCarthy, Bennell

Only problem is that leaves Darcy to solo the ruck. I've been pretty underwhelmed by Cox's efforts in a contest so don't think it's worth keeping him in just as a ruck backup. And while we need to change half the team, may as well throw Bennell in and see what he can do
 
Sep 22, 2011
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I'm incredibly dissapointed that all of AP, Tabs and Lobb are injured. However they are all quality, known players who we know will contribute when in the side. I actually feel like this may benefit us in the long run by getting games into Cox, Logue and Darcy that otherwise they wouldn't have had.
Bennell, S Hill. Sandi in a few weeks. We have to battle hard to grind out games. Sometimes having a tall like Lobb even just changes the game by 5%. Tabs and Pearce even more so.
Going to be a long week for Ross. That is if he’s not recovering from the hangover in Melbourne ...
 

Alfonz

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Aug 23, 2005
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Sure, it is good to get games into certain players for the long term. But I think it is far better to make winning a habit, and also to get finals experience. Maybe we can do all of that, but going to be very tough now.
 

Yato

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Mar 27, 2006
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Anyway now is the time for... in: Bennell, Darcy and Logue.... out: AP, Lobb and Bewley (even though he had been good)... we still have a good team with Fyfe, Walters, B.Hill on fire. So let's have a big win against PA.
 

Mr Fonebone

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Sep 10, 2014
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Bugger it..Alex and the Lobbster gone. Time for Harley.

Ryan - Hamling - Dumin
Wilson - Logue - Hughes
HillB - Fyfe - Langdon
Bennell - Cox - Walters
Switkowski - Hogan - Matera

Darcy - Mundy - Blakely

Brayshaw - Conca - Bewley - Cerra
 

Deveraux

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Apr 3, 2015
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If Hill and Bennel can come in with positive returns it may go a way to mend my broken heart.

Can we fit Darcy and Sandi in the same team? Not sure a resting Darcy will offer a great deal at this point.
 

tonygeeks

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Sep 11, 2016
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If Hill and Bennel can come in with positive returns it may go a way to mend my broken heart.

Can we fit Darcy and Sandi in the same team? Not sure a resting Darcy will offer a great deal at this point.

No way you could play Darcy and Sandi , we would look as fragile as Peel do most of the time off a turnover and that has been a strength for us this year
 

Deveraux

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No way you could play Darcy and Sandi , we would look as fragile as Peel do most of the time off a turnover and that has been a strength for us this year
Yes, my first thought. I do remember Ross mentioning wanting to trial this though.. might have pre season? I wonder if he still wants to with how the 6 6 6 has gone though heh.
 

poshman

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Oct 13, 2006
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Nah it'll be 6 to 8 weeks with no complications. If we're lucky he'll only miss 5 or 6 games since the injury occurred leading into a 2 week break.

That would be a dream scenario if Darcy can hold up and play through the next 6 or so - he gets experience and hopefully shows development and we get Lobb back from an enforced rest. Trying to put rose coloured glasses on the issue...

Against Port of all teams though... we will need a massive game from our mids and hogan/cox will have to play very well.
 

Cesoir

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Feb 11, 2019
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That would be a dream scenario if Darcy can hold up and play through the next 6 or so - he gets experience and hopefully shows development and we get Lobb back from an enforced rest. Trying to put rose coloured glasses on the issue...

Against Port of all teams though... we will need a massive game from our mids and hogan/cox will have to play very well.
I'm worried about our defence to be honest. The Sydney v Eagles game showed just how much missing one key defender can impact on defensive structure, and they looked like a rabble without Hurn. Alex has certainly become a "general" down back for us, and while Griffin might have the physical attributes to fill in, he certainly won't bring the same sort of direction that Alex does.

Midfield either stays the same or improves depending on Stephen Hill's availability, and the forward line hasn't fired a shot yet so hopefully they just continue to build.

As far as losing Lobb, I think Scott Jones has demonstrated he is going to be able to fill in OK. He's bigger, stronger and just as agile and quick as Lobb - in fact I think he may even be a slight upgrade.
 

poshman

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I'm worried about our defence to be honest. The Sydney v Eagles game showed just how much missing one key defender can impact on defensive structure, and they looked like a rabble without Hurn. Alex has certainly become a "general" down back for us, and while Griffin might have the physical attributes to fill in, he certainly won't bring the same sort of direction that Alex does.

Midfield either stays the same or improves depending on Stephen Hill's availability, and the forward line hasn't fired a shot yet so hopefully they just continue to build.

As far as losing Lobb, I think Scott Jones has demonstrated he is going to be able to fill in OK. He's bigger, stronger and just as agile and quick as Lobb - in fact I think he may even be a slight upgrade.

With you until the last sentence. Jones is a competitor and will throw his body into contests but he hasn't got the speed or agility Lobb has, not even close. The difference would be similar to Judd vs Rowan Jones in the agility and pace stakes.

All we can hope is that the experience of Hamling/Ryan/Wilson and conca/Blakely guide him with positioning and that Logue builds through the year.
 

Cesoir

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With you until the last sentence. Jones is a competitor and will throw his body into contests but he hasn't got the speed or agility Lobb has, not even close. The difference would be similar to Judd vs Rowan Jones in the agility and pace stakes.

All we can hope is that the experience of Hamling/Ryan/Wilson and conca/Blakely guide him with positioning and that Logue builds through the year.
There may have been an element of embellishment in that last sentence ;)
 

arsesmart

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Hopefully Darcy is ready to go. It's a prime opportunity to shoulder the ruck load and I'd imagine he'll relish it. If it all works out it will be a concentrated burst of 4-6 games before the reinforcements in Sandilands etc arrive, so a short period of almost full ruck time might be just the thing for a developing ruck to sink his teeth into.

Freo will miss Lobb's ability to cover ground and bob up in the right places, so it'll be on other members of the team to step up their run rate too.
 

One_Wing

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Jan 10, 2016
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Lobb has been one of our best in the air all year, we gonna miss that big time. Sandi not very good mark, and i don't know enough about Darcy

Sandilands is an amazing contested mark, admittedly its not as hard for him because he is so much bigger then most people. But given he spends most of his time in the middle of the ground when he plays an entire season you usually see him in the top 10 of most contested marks the league. Which is much better then most ruckman. The idea that he is not a good mark is mostly from West Coast fans and sadly Freo fans have began to believe it.
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