Preview Round 18 vs Fremantle at Optus Stadium

[Wolfgang West]

Hoping for at least a couple of changes. Amartey has to come in, whether this is his ideal time to debut or not, we need someone to play in the ruck so Aliir can go back. Aliir would lose the hitouts substantially to Darcy/Lobb anyway and his clearances are hit and miss against skilled ruckmen, so we may as well have him down back where he's been so good this year.

Then I'd be getting rid of at least two of Hayward, Jack and Ronke. We just can't afford so little out of our smaller forwards. Quite possibly all three. I'd love to give Hayward a run somewhere else on the ground to free him up in seniors but I don't know he can fit anywhere else for now. It's got to be hard when you're not tall or that small but not big enough to get a lot of ball kicked to you like him. I'd send him back to reserves and tell him to just go out and ominate and enjoy himself for a few weeks. It all looks a bit of a dirge for him atm.

So I'd go Amartey in the ruck, Aliir down back. With Aliir down back, you don't need Dawson in defence so he moves up the field to a HF flank and drop Ronke. The other thing I'd love to see is Stoddart get rewarded for a consistent year and play at HB. With that Cunningham shifts up to a wing/HF and you drop Jack. Then Menzel comes in for Hayward. That requires a lot of change to the side, but we'd be a significantly better side than what were yesterday with that imo.

That is his Lot. He is not going to get Taller or Smaller now and he has made it on to an AFL List with those physical attributes and shown he is a mid range marking half forward who has some really good opportunistic skills about him. He has shown he can play at the level and hold a spot in our best 22 but at the moment he is way off the boil in finding the ball with any regularity and when giving himself an opportunity to have an impact by hitting the scoreboard he butchers it. How do you free him up ? Let him run around on the wing and be unsighted for 4 qtrs or chuck him on the ball where at AFL Level he wouldn't have a clue ? You send him back to the reserves play him in the role that will be his at Senior Level and keep working at it until he has the impact required for a player playing the role he does and with that hopefully get some confidence back and return to the Best 22 for which even at its strongest he is apart of.

 

[Wolfgang West]

Jack, Ronke and Melican out all three were dreadful.
That can be Kizzas farewell he’s tarnishing his career at present.
Melican was patheitc imo and Ronke just no confidence.

Don't want to keep putting the boots into him but Pathetic, Horrible, Terrible take your pick. Just can't believe this is the same kid from a couple of years ago. Even back then looked a bit robotic but looked strong man on man and even though a bit dour still a good solid defender. Just seems clueless while trying his heart out atm.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Don't want to keep putting the boots into him but Pathetic, Horrible, Terrible take your pick. Just can't believe this is the same kid from a couple of years ago. Even back then looked a bit robotic but looked strong man on man and even though a bit dour still a good solid defender. Just seems clueless while trying his heart out atm.

He was poor on Saturday. Thought his form had slowly improved. He is a long way short of his good ordinary player form of 2017. Close to a * have you considered where you would like to play next* conversation.

 

[The King!]

Melican will be good for his partner if they need space, he sure gives a lot

 

[The King!]

Golly, our vets have collectively hit the wall.

Most of them in 2017/18, just stayed on

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Most of them in 2017/18, just stayed on

Plus we prematurely aged Hanners.

 

[Cadsky]

What's the line this week? If we lose by less than 30 we've done well imo but I'm bracing for a spanking

 

[The King!]

What's the line this week? If we lose by less than 30 we've done well imo but I'm bracing for a spanking

it is freo

i predict 55-42

 

[Edmund hunt]

not looking forward to this game tbh.

 

[Cadsky]

it is freo

i predict 55-42

Freo can kick a score. I predict we will play them back into form

 

[The King!]

Freo can kick a score. I predict we will play them back into form

will they crack the ton?

 

[Swansujelly]

Stoddart a monty this week

 

[DST]

Stoddart a monty this week

Yep in the wide open spaces its his time to play based on his NEAFL form.

Clarke will also be recalled based on his reserves form, running capacity and ability to tag one of the Hills on the wings.

 

[SSwans2011]

Rose should be back in but that would require Horse and the coaches to admit they were wrong, so virtually no chance of it actually happening.

 

[caesar88]

Rose should be back in but that would require Horse and the coaches to admit they were wrong, so virtually no chance of it actually happening.

It still astounds me that Horse looked at recent weeks and actually thought Ronke had done better than Rose.

 

[TheMase]

Cunningham listed as out for 2-3 weeks - groin

 

[Tedeski]

Knoll to play IMO.

 

[caesar88]

This season is such a piss-take in terms of injuries.

Dawson & Cunningham both coming out may mean Horse opts not to make any unforced changes. But IMO there needs to be, I'd just go the full axe-swing after the Blues game and have four changes.. Amartey, Stoddart, Rose and Clarke in for Dawson, Cunningham, Ronke and Jack.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Cunningham listed as out for 2-3 weeks - groin

Just watch this mean Jack won’t get dropped...

Need his “experience” right Horse...

 

[TheMase]

This season is such a piss-take in terms of injuries.

Dawson & Cunningham both coming out may mean Horse opts not to make any unforced changes. But IMO there needs to be, I'd just go the full axe-swing after the Blues game and have four changes.. Amartey, Stoddart, Rose and Clarke in for Dawson, Cunningham, Ronke and Jack.

I wonder if Fox might come in to relieve the ruck duties with Amartey (or Knoll) to allow Reid to stay forward (and Aliir back)?

 

[caesar88]

I wonder if Fox might come in to relieve the ruck duties with Amartey (or Knoll) to allow Reid to stay forward?

One of half a dozen possibilities. It's also just entirely possible that he again decides to go with Aliir and Reid purely on the fact that it's Sandilands and to expect a ruck to debut against that behemoth would be asking a lot. Even Fox there's no point bringing him in if it's to ruck. He's giving away 25 centimetres to Sandilands and would have absolutely zero impact.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

My outs would be Jack, O'Riordan, Dawson (assuming he's suspended) & Ronke.

I only listened to the game on the radio but I got the impression C.O’R was one of our better players on Saturday.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Dawson gone

Bang goes the Charlie.

 

[Mick Oxlong]

Cunningham listed as out for 2-3 weeks - groin

Gotta love have they play them straight away post injury!

 

[Mick Oxlong]

Just watch this mean Jack won’t get dropped...

Need his “experience” right Horse...

He can’t get around the square on the SCG, how the hell is he going to run around Optus?