Preview Round 19, 2023 : Richmond v Hawthorn, 1:45pm 22nd July, MCG

[Judd2Sewell]

Why do we do this every week and every week everyone ignores how equally ineffective Meek is around the ground?

Maybe you've just missed it, but if you look again I think you'll find Meek is receiving his fair share of posts questioning his performances.

Lots of people are saying we can't play them both as they both offer nothing around the ground. He certainly still offers more than Reeves, but that doesn't make up for his ruck work, especially in contrast to Reeves.

 

[Dazza the Viking]

I would drop Reeves over Meek, but not much in it though, but neither would get a game at most clubs, the attempted mark in the last quarter in defence where it went straight through his hands was embarrassing did he even touch it, the only asset he has is hit outs, just like to see Meek as the one out Ruckman for 3-4 weeks, to see if there some improvement over that period, Reeves has has been the No. 1 Ruck over the whole season bar 2 games and I haven’t seen any improvement

 

[Alite]

Richmond has a high pressure game style… their strong press around the ball and forward handball method has to be combatted with a counter game.
Reeves, Newc and Nash are going to be pivotal in this game. If Reeves can spike the ball away from the Tigers press around the ball… and we have outriders… it will give us a huge advantage as their mids will be left huddled together while we spread and create.

Getting the ball away from the tigers maul is the key… either by spike, slap, handball or a creative gaelic kick.

When we get possession we need to spread and switch at every opportunity. Make the ground big, have our fwds hold back or spread wide… and then hit the 30 meter pass to 60 out. From there… with fwds spread everywhere… find the hole for the pass.

Fergus Greene

26

Fergus Greene

Age

26

Ht

187cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.8

2star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.0

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.8

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

3.0

5star

G

1.0

4star

being likely out is a loss. He is great at fwd craft to create space for others and find space for himself.

DGB (if he plays from 1st bounce) and Lewis need to have a session on video to co-ordinate the fwd-chaos-leads before the real one comes.

For mine:
If fit, Seamus comes back in. He defends well, runs fast, links up and most importantly, hits targets. Already top ten most important player for the Hawks.

I like Blank in the team but if Frost is on Riewaldt then I do not see a fitting matchup. It is Frost or Blank for me in this game... and frost retains his spot after blanketing Larkey.

McGinness does not play unless he has a job. I’d put him on Dan Rioli. Without Short, Dan is their rebound. Stop Dan and they will be offensively further hindered if not neutered.

Dusty and Bolton are their trumps. I‘d let them Go… at least for a quarter … and see if they need attention. Shut down their source and they will have no energy.

We only win if the game is on the spread.

 

[FB19]

Both rucks are giving us little. Hopefully in time one will stand up and be competitive in rucking and around the ground. Reeves simply has to do better with marking his tap work is good the hit to Nash outstanding.
Meek has to be a much greater physical presence he currently is playing a bit like his surname.
In 2 years only one plays and maybe only one on the list, with ramsden forward ruck and clay tucker looks a prospect to be ready in 3-4 years for some senior footy.

 

[Slainte]

Wtf.

The discussion was about how we could fit Serong into the team to reward his good run of form playing in the back half at BH. Weddle is a first year player who has gotten everyone excited for very good reason. However, first year players can benefit from a break from senior duties and we need to see whether Serong's BH form translates to AFL level. It is not a knock on Weddle - just a team management matter.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

The discussion was about how we could fit Serong into the team to reward his good run of form playing in the back half at BH. Weddle is a first year player who has gotten everyone excited for very good reason. However, first year players can benefit from a break from senior duties and we need to see whether Serong's BH form translates to AFL level. It is not a knock on Weddle - just a team management matter.

But it still doesn’t make much sense.

Weddle is the number 1 running bounce player in our side, he’s top 10 in the comp. We’d lose a heap of run.

 

[dermott]

Weddle is about the last player in the team who needs to be rested. You just don’t manage a player who is playing as well as he is.

 

[TylerDurden]

But it still doesn’t make much sense.

Weddle is the number 1 running bounce player in our side, he’s top 10 in the comp. We’d lose a heap of run.

He's ranked #8 after only 11 games. Elite.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Don't care about the win or loss, just hope we don't bend over, something we have been known to do over the yrs vs richmond (even when we were good and they were trash)

 

[Yardie]

What are you even trying to argue here?

You concede we don't have better options, SYL and everyone else defending the selection of Reeves wouldn't do so in the presence of better options. They're just saying that talking of dropping Reeves is stupid considering he is the best we've got, and his strengths coincide with a part of the game that is actually going well for us this year.

Everyone complaining about Reeves - what's the alternative? Conjure some as yet unknown ruck out of nowhere and use a non-existent rule to add him on to the list for the Richmond game?

We could always go back to the Nash/Kosi combo we ran with last year while Reeves/Meek work on their craft........

 

[Brishawk]

We could always go back to the Nash/Kosi combo we ran with last year while Reeves/Meek work on their craft........

 

[Brishawk]

He's ranked #8 after only 11 games. Elite.

But how big are his hands?

 

[WWSD]

On a number of occasions this year, Weddle has taken a mark around 50-60 meters out. Each time he’s looked for the pass option. Why is he reluctant to have a shot? He’s a long kick. I want to see him back himself in more often going for goal.

 

[KermitJagger]

On a number of occasions this year, Weddle has taken a mark around 50-60 meters out. Each time he’s looked for the pass option. Why is he reluctant to have a shot? He’s a long kick. I want to see him back himself in more often going for goal.

A team sharing the ball the most is generally a very reliable predictor of success, recently only the Bulldogs in 2016 and Melbourne in 2021 have been outside the top couple of teams in Goal Assist differential. Going by how we overuse the ball going inside 50, I think Sam is really pushing unselfish behaviour in that part of the ground - that way when our forward line improves we get far better looks and the thought process of finding an option in a better spot is already programmed in.

 

[bigmaxi]

On a number of occasions this year, Weddle has taken a mark around 50-60 meters out. Each time he’s looked for the pass option. Why is he reluctant to have a shot? He’s a long kick. I want to see him back himself in more often going for goal.

Yes Please, Amon's goal last week was superb just need more of them. If Weddle could snaffle a few along with S Mitchell when he takes a run WOW. A few goals from wing and half back would be great. Plus it would keep some defenders higher up the ground so Lewis and Co are battling a smaller crowd.

 

[Gene Simmons]

But how big are his hands?

You know what they say about big hands... he must have big gloves

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Nankervis out for the Tigers is a big loss for them, he has bullied our rucks the last couple of years.

As always game will be won or lost in the middle.

At least this year we have some powerful units in Newk, Nash, Worps and Day that should be able to match it physically with the Richmond mids.

The Tigers are just going at the moment we really should be a solid chance

 

[parsons nose]

Part of the puzzle over the Reeves selection is the midfielder’s capacity to rove to the opposing ruckman. Carlton demonstrated this a few weeks back when the conceded the tap outs but dominated the clearances. If our midfielders can replicate that, Reeves becomes redundant. It might be worth a try. We also have Tucker who might be worth a look at given our rucks are just going. If Tucker offers us more around the ground than both Meek and Reeves (a low bar), and our midfield group can maintain ascendancy around the ball, it’s definitely worth a shot.

Mitchell to come back in this week at the expense of Greene. And Long to come in for either Finn or one of the ruckmen. I would like to see our mids to go head to head with theirs.

 

[Yardie]

Part of the puzzle over the Reeves selection is the midfielder’s capacity to rove to the opposing ruckman. Carlton demonstrated this a few weeks back when the conceded the tap outs but dominated the clearances. If our midfielders can replicate that, Reeves becomes redundant. It might be worth a try. We also have Tucker who might be worth a look at given our rucks are just going. If Tucker offers us more around the ground than both Meek and Reeves (a low bar), and our midfield group can maintain ascendancy around the ball, it’s definitely worth a shot.

Mitchell to come back in this week at the expense of Greene. And Long to come in for either Finn or one of the ruckmen. I would like to see our mids to go head to head with theirs.

The whole point of playing them together is so that they learn to operate as a group. We are effectively 16 games into a midfield rebuild and everyone wants to throw it all out for what exactly? Roving opposition rucks? FMD

 

[Mitchell Madness]

The whole point of playing them together is so that they learn to operate as a group. We are effectively 16 games into a midfield rebuild and everyone wants to throw it all out for what exactly? Roving opposition rucks? FMD

Not only that, it completely ignores that our midfielders aren't roving our rucks, so rather than developing a weapon, people want to go defensive because it then justifies their lack of love towards certain ruckmen

 

[parsons nose]

The whole point of playing them together is so that they learn to operate as a group. We are effectively 16 games into a midfield rebuild and everyone wants to throw it all out for what exactly? Roving opposition rucks? FMD

If you can’t answer the question you posed, you haven’t been paying attention.

 

[Yardie]

If you can’t answer the question you posed, you haven’t been paying attention.

You specifically want to give up on playing Reeves & Meek so that we can play an 18 year old rookie Tucker and rove the opposition ruckmen. And when you get called out on this foolishness you come back with "yOu'Re nOt pAyInG aTtEntion". Feel free to try again, with maybe an actual witty comeback.

 

[stevehawkington]

Richmond has a high pressure game style… their strong press around the ball and forward handball method has to be combatted with a counter game.
Reeves, Newc and Nash are going to be pivotal in this game. If Reeves can spike the ball away from the Tigers press around the ball… and we have outriders… it will give us a huge advantage as their mids will be left huddled together while we spread and create.

Getting the ball away from the tigers maul is the key… either by spike, slap, handball or a creative gaelic kick.

When we get possession we need to spread and switch at every opportunity. Make the ground big, have our fwds hold back or spread wide… and then hit the 30 meter pass to 60 out. From there… with fwds spread everywhere… find the hole for the pass.

Fergus Greene being likely out is a loss. He is great at fwd craft to create space for others and find space for himself.

DGB (if he plays from 1st bounce) and Lewis need to have a session on video to co-ordinate the fwd-chaos-leads before the real one comes.

For mine:
If fit, Seamus comes back in. He defends well, runs fast, links up and most importantly, hits targets. Already top ten most important player for the Hawks.

I like Blank in the team but if Frost is on Riewaldt then I do not see a fitting matchup. It is Frost or Blank for me in this game... and frost retains his spot after blanketing Larkey.

McGinness does not play unless he has a job. I’d put him on Dan Rioli. Without Short, Dan is their rebound. Stop Dan and they will be offensively further hindered if not neutered.

Dusty and Bolton are their trumps. I‘d let them Go… at least for a quarter … and see if they need attention. Shut down their source and they will have no energy.

We only win if the game is on the spread.

oof what you're saying is the handball chain out of defence won't work - I havent seen enough richmond games to know how good this pressure is. It'll be an interesting game good to see how we're progressing.

Taranto is their hot player atm i think Nash will go to him
Dimma/guinness will go to bolton

It really sucks that CJ is out due to more injuries, but I think we match up ok against them especially without lynch

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

u motherfukers complained for years that BB and Ceglar didn't give our mids first use

 

[parsons nose]

You specifically want to give up on playing Reeves & Meek so that we can play an 18 year old rookie Tucker and rove the opposition ruckmen. And when you get called out on this foolishness you come back with "yOu'Re nOt pAyInG aTtEntion". Feel free to try again, with maybe an actual witty comeback.

Firstly, I wasn’t attempting wit- one can only guess why you’d bring that up. Secondly, the simple point I was making, which somehow eluded you, was that sometimes you have to make a trade off. Most discerning supporters might see the merit in sacrificing a bit at centre bounces to gain more in general play, when selecting a ruckman. And whilst Reeves has proven his worth as a tap ruckman, it hasn’t translated much into forward 50 entries, goals or games won. Having a bloke who can drop back to influence a contest deep in defence, move forward to do the same or involve himself between the arcs might be seen as the greater of the two assets. FMD.