Prediction Round 3, 2025: Changes vs Fremantle

[Boohemian]

If Freo drop this one, the jungle drums will start beating hard for Longmuir at 0-3 and a miserable loss to cellar dwellars such as ourselves.

People calling on Cole to be dropped are nuts, btw. He has started the year well, and it's ridiculous to think that Allan is just going to come in and mirror Ginbey's performance down back.

 

[Doashuey]

Availability is going to drive selection this week. Physical game in testing conditions and a long flight home isn’t particularly conducive to an ideal recovery.

Graham (likely) and Waterman (less likely) would both be inclusions if they’re passed fit

Billiams I hope was just severe cramp but the bandaging suggests something more so unfortunately he’d be in some doubt. Archer Reid might struggle to get up as well - can’t imagine sitting on a plane for 5 hours with a cramp is much fun when you’re 204cm tall

For now, I’ll assume Graham comes back but not Waterman and there are no injuries, as unlikely as that probably is

Backs - McGovern, Edwards, Maric, Ginbey, Hough, Allan, Cole

Ruck - Billiams with support from Jilliams

Mids - Kelly, Reid, Baker, Graham, Duggan, Hunt, Dewar

Forwards - Allen, Shanahan, Ryan, Cripps, Owies, Brockman

Sub - Hewett

In: Allan, Jilliams, Graham, Shanahan
Out: Long, AReid, Hall, Petruccelle

Williams for Reid is mainly due to my belief Archer might need a rest but if he recovers fully then no issue with him staying in the side

We rolled the dice replacing Waterman with a small which worked early but ultimately exposed us for a lack of height up forward (two talls going down with cramp didn’t help to be fair). So assuming Snake needs another week then bring in Shanahan as another marking target fresh from 3 goals against Peel. Long makes way as the most ineffective of our small forward group

Graham comes back in for an unlucky Hall who had a more than decent game. If Fridge doesn’t get over his hip injury then Hall stays in

Final change is due to my wanting to get Bo Allan in the side. With Baker moving to midfield, which I liked, it opens up a defensive rotation. Petruccelle makes way for the debutant

Hewett I’ve moved to sub to give him a chance to come into the game when players are fatigued and assist him finding his touch given he’s got a bit of rust to shake off still

Gross and Hall the two most deserving to come in if there’s an as yet undisclosed injury. Johnston maybe as well but not playing this weekend as the traveller works against him

All good suggestions but dropping Hall is a stinker.
The guy had the most contested possessions on the ground, the most clearances for West coast and bagged a roving goal from a F50 stoppage all from 65% TOG.
Not to mention that bringing in a young mid who performs in the midfield and then dropping him the next week for a HFF is a great way to **** their confidence.
Cmon Keys, you can do better.

 

[Keys]

All good suggestions but dropping Hall is a stinker.
The guy had the most contested possessions on the ground, the most clearances for West coast and bagged a roving goal from a F50 stoppage all from 65% TOG.
Not to mention that bringing in a young mid who performs in the midfield and then dropping him the next week for a HFF is a great way to **** their confidence.
Cmon Keys, you can do better.

Posted previously in response to someone else that I might’ve got that one wrong - mainly because I was trying to shoehorn Allan into the side

In reflection, I’d leave Duggan in the backline where he played against Brisbane which keeps Allan out and leaves a midfield spot for Hall

 

[new breed]

Clay Hall is actually taller then Harley , noticed that against Brisbane .

 

[Doashuey]

Posted previously in response to someone else that I might’ve got that one wrong - mainly because I was trying to shoehorn Allan into the side

In reflection, I’d leave Duggan in the backline where he played against Brisbane which keeps Allan out and leaves a midfield spot for Hall

Yeah haha Im catching up from the start of the thread, I see it has been fairly well covered before I stuck my beak in.
I was wrapt with his game yesterday, it triggered me.

 

[Keys]

Yeah haha Im catching up from the start of the thread, I see it has been fairly well covered before I stuck my beak in.
I was wrapt with his game yesterday, it triggered me.

I was also guilty of underrating his game at the time I posted those initial changes

Watching some of the replay he had more impact than I first thought

 

[jdisc]

Assuming no injuries

OUT: Long (omit), Petch (omit)
IN: Graham, BAllan

FB: Hough Edwards Maric
HB: Ginbey McGovern Baker
C: Hunt HReid Dewar
HF: Hewett AReid Owies
FF: Ryan Allen Cripps
FOL: BWilliams Duggan Kelly

IC: Graham Brockman Hall Cole

SUB: BAllan

 

[WCEswift]

Are players allowed IVs during the week? i know some sports its considered doping

 

[WeaponX]

Serong and Tracey, tag them 2 hard and rough them up.

 

[TOA.]

Would be great to give Allan a go. He'll know a quite afew of the Freo boys from his time at Peel so he should be pretty comfortable. Our backline line is looking pretty good so might be a good chance to play him in a more attacking halfback/wing role.

Long just isnt doing enough.

BWill. No idea what is going on there but quite simply if its cramp, its not good enough as it basically shot any chance we had to win. I think it must be more than cramp. Him out for Flynn is fine.

Reid is probably dead from carrying things after BWill left. To be honest he's doing less than JWill was last year anyway so swap them out.

Hunt is on shaky ground but suspect he does unrewarded running that will please the coaches. Or at least I hope so as he doesnt do much else.

I didnt mind Hall as he has a crack but in reality i think Allan could play that role better already (appreciate he's been playing mostly off halfback).

Petch is just a list clogger and we should prioritise games into our young players where we can.

My changes:

OUT: BWill, Reid, Long, Petch (sub)
IN: Flynn, JWill, Allan, Graham, Allen (sub) (play him abit of wing time and then use Dewar off half forward abit more than wing at times)

 

[The Dodger]

Are players allowed IVs during the week? i know some sports its considered doping

Yeah it seems WADA has banned it because regular IV's help mask detection of PED's. I think you can apply for them but not sure how willing WADA are to let them happpen.

 

[squashface]

Pending injury (hopefully Bailey comes up) but Archer goes out and we can probably only play 2 max of Cripps/Owies/Long. As much as I rate Long and do not rate Owies, Long is probably the guy who goes out to find some form.

In: J. Williams, Graham
Out: A. Reid, Long

Allan and Gross must be close to a debut

B: Hough, Edwards, Maric
HB: Ginbey, McGovern, Baker
C: Duggan, Reid, Dewar
HF: Graham, J. Williams, Brockman
F: Ryan, Allen, Cripps

R: B. Williams, Hall, Kelly

I/C: Hewett, Owies, Hunt, Cole

S: Petruccelle

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Making Hall the sub after the game he just had is criminal. The guy had 14 contested and 7 clearances. No way should graham be pushing him out.

Switch him with Hewett then, or Graham.

 

[WCE777]

Assuming no injuries

OUT: Long (omit), Petch (omit)
IN: Graham, BAllan

FB: Hough Edwards Maric
HB: Ginbey McGovern Baker
C: Hunt HReid Dewar
HF: Hewett AReid Owies
FF: Ryan Allen Cripps
FOL: BWilliams Duggan Kelly

IC: Graham Brockman Hall Cole

SUB: BAllan

Out Long, in Graham

 

[braddalzielleoursaviour]

OUT - Long, Archer
IN - Graham, Jwill

 

[squashface]

Petch out and Long to sub would also be ok

 

[Keys]

We need an extra tall

Leaving it to Allen and Reid (or J Williams) as the only two tall targets is a risk as we saw on Sunday - Williams cramping up caused a domino effect that left us having to throw Ginbey into the ruck

If Billiams plays how confident would we be he runs out the game after a taxing game vs Brisbane.

Or if Flynn plays and gets beaten by Jackson meaning we need to use our backup more than we’d like ala the Suns game, then what

Need to play one of Reid or Jilliams plus one of Waterman (if fit) or Shanahan (if not) alongside Allen

Don’t want to play both Jilliams and Reid as that would make us too tall/immobile

 

[DanWCE]

We need an extra tall

Leaving it to Allen and Reid (or J Williams) as the only two tall targets is a risk as we saw on Sunday - Williams cramping up caused a domino effect that left us having to throw Ginbey into the ruck

If Billiams plays how confident would we be he runs out the game after a taxing game vs Brisbane.

Or if Flynn plays and gets beaten by Jackson meaning we need to use our backup more than we’d like ala the Suns game, then what

Need to play one of Reid or Jilliams plus one of Waterman (if fit) or Shanahan (if not) alongside Allen

Don’t want to play both Jilliams and Reid as that would make us too tall/immobile

Would be stoked if Jobe gets the call up. Is that his first proper look up forward after playing and training all preseason in the back half?

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Funny that after so many years of being too tall (stretching back to Woosha), we're now too short

 

[Keys]

Would be stoked if Jobe gets the call up. Is that his first proper look up forward after playing and training all preseason in the back half?

He trained with the forwards pre Christmas then switched to the backline when they returned. Possibly because Edwards and Bazzo were still recovering from their respective foot injuries and Brock hadn’t yet shown if he was worthy of a spot

Most (all) of the matchsim stuff he played in defence so the Peel match would’ve been his first semi-serious hitout as a forward - pretty sure he played in defence against West Perth but aren’t certain of that

 

[RanaNaved]

I wasn't impressed with Hunt on the weekend, bit of a momentum killer for us

 

[DanWCE]

He trained with the forwards pre Christmas then switched to the backline when they returned. Possibly because Edwards and Bazzo were still recovering from their respective foot injuries and Brock hadn’t yet shown if he was worthy of a spot

Most (all) of the matchsim stuff he played in defence so the Peel match would’ve been his first semi-serious hitout as a forward - pretty sure he played in defence against West Perth but aren’t certain of that

Makes it all the more impressive. Was worried he'd be stuck in the backline while we took a look at Reid playing forward but after that showing on the weekend they should give him a good run at it up forwards.

 

[THE A5]

Petch out and Long to sub would also be ok

Nah I actually want Long back in the team asapbut I want him to go find a bit of the pill at WAFL level

 

[Grahame]

Petch is just a list clogger and we should prioritise games into our young players where we can.

Agree completely. Given our youth I’d say if he’s not good enough for starting 23 and playing a full game then it’s WAFL for him. The sub role is an ideal way to blood youth so it’s wasted on an 89 game irregular.

 

[Grahame]

I wasn't impressed with Hunt on the weekend, bit of a momentum killer for us

Yep. I think he could be a candidate for a WAFL mentoring role. But probably gets a pass until we bed down the game plan more. Also we don’t want too many complete newbies all at once.