Round 18: Geelong vs Collingwood

[Joel]

Cloke in, very good.

 

[you_idiot]

Re: Teams

Originally posted by ScouseCat
GEELONG
B: Milburn, Scarlett, Sanderson
HB: Wojcinski, Graham, Rooke
C: S.Johnson, Enright, Spriggs
HF: Moloney, Playfair, Chapman
F: Ablett, Mooney, Kelly
FOLL: Street, Corey, Ling
I/C: Rahilly, Bartel, Chambers, McCarthy
EMG: Gardiner, Clarke, Lord
IN: McCarthy
OUT: Lord

I'll say this very briefly, because I'm flat-out on deadline for the Ballarat Courier right now (the very busy time of the season for us, in fact, with previews and features coinciding with one another)-- but I am quite disappointed with Mark Thompson's selection here.

Surely he could have used the opportunity to recall an untested player or two from the ressies in the VFL?

Phatandphreaky mentioned Shannon Byrnes on another thread, and I'd like to see him get a shot. Same goes for Tim Callan, who some on this forum have said is ready to have a run at AFL level.

Bomber, lift your game. Time's running out, if you're going to test these players in a practical situation, and as long as the team's going nowhere-- eg., no finals nor a wooden spoon-- outside of playing for draft position, how else are they going to show what they can do?

You can't expect them to show signs of true potential for next season in the VFL. They've already been doing that this season, and for quite some time.

Hopefully against Melbourne next Friday, we'll get a glimpse of Callan, Byrnes, and maybe one or two others, in the hopes that they'll follow in the footprints of what promise Brent Moloney has shown this season.

 

[ecleftic]

We can't play all the kids they do need some protection against the big bad maggies and the VFL is very different to playing seniors. We want the magpies to have to earn a win not be given it on a plate and with Kingy, Ricco and Harley out it is already looking daunting for us. Hasn't Byrnes been struggling with a shoulder injury for the last couple of weeks? Wouldn't want to throw him in injured now would we.

 

[you_idiot]

Originally posted by ecleftic
We can't play all the kids they do need some protection against the big bad maggies and the VFL is very different to playing seniors. We want the magpies to have to earn a win not be given it on a plate and with Kingy, Ricco and Harley out it is already looking daunting for us. Hasn't Byrnes been struggling with a shoulder injury for the last couple of weeks? Wouldn't want to throw him in injured now would we.

Point well taken-- but provided that these players are healthy and rarin' to go, you're going to have to throw them to the wolves eventually.

They are not going to be deemed ready and fit for the rigours of AFL footy if you treat them with kid gloves.

If they're ready, they'll prove it regardless of who they play against.

 

[you_idiot]

Thought I'd do something different, just to see how this works out... I've devoted a new thread for during- and post-game matters. Basically self-explanatory by title, "Round 18: Geelong v Collingwood, in-game and post-game thread".

It's in this forum, but the direct link is here: http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77515

Since I have that relative thread now activated, I'm going to lock this thread. Makes no sense having this one open for the similar purpose.

I welcome feedback on this idea, whether it's good, bad or indifferent-- let Darren and I know if this is something we could do in the future for selected games. PM me or Darren with your compliments, comments and/or critiques as you so desire...