Round 3 team - welcome back Croft

Dry Rot

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Thread starter #1
Croft earns recall
6:53:54 PM Thu 10 April, 2003
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au


The Western Bulldogs have added key defender Matthew Croft to its line-up for the clash against Melbourne at Telstra Dome on Sunday. The 168-game veteran has yet to play a senior game for the Bulldogs this season after injuring his ankle, but has played with Werribee in the VFL last weekend.
Croft has been named at centre half-back and will be a strong contender to line-up on Melbourne skipper David Neitz, who was held to just one goal last week, after a miserly effort was performed by Essendon full-back Dustin Fletcher in round two.
Young tall Wayde Skipper has also been named on the interchange bench in the squad of 25 – which will be trimmed on Friday night – and he will make his AFL debut if he is included in the final 22.
The 20-year-old was drafted from West Perth at No.70 in the 2000 National AFL Draft, but he has been restricted with injuries in his first two seasons with the Bulldogs.
Daniel Cross – who played four games in his debut season in 2002 – has also been named on the bench in the squad of 25.

PLAYERS
Backs:_ S._Bassett S._Kretiuk M._Robbins
Half Backs:_ R._Smith M._Croft S._Power
Centre:_ M._Alvey S._West R._Murphy
Half Forwards:_ P._Bowden D._Bandy D._Giansiracusa
Forwards:_ P._Wiggins N._Brown N._Eagleton
Followers:_ L._Darcy, M._Hahn, B._Johnson
Interchange:_ R._Hargrave, P._Dimattina, J._McMahon, D._Cross, S._Garlick, W._Skipper, B._Harris
 

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#3
Id probably have the same bench as you doctor but probably put crossy in there instead of dimma he has played well the last two weeks for werribee so i think he deserves a go.

Go Crossy
 

Gridlock'd

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#5
Yeah i like the look of that bench but i cant really see Garlick being dropped! Maybe Power will miss out this week!
 

mel 40

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#7
I proberly shouoldnt put this here but i didnt want to start a new thread, but darc is on the footy show, and he doesnt sound to good, soounds like he has a cold, hope hes better by sunday.
 

mel 40

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#8
Originally posted by mel 40
I proberly shouoldnt put this here but i didnt want to start a new thread, but darc is on the footy show, and he doesnt sound to good, soounds like he has a cold, hope hes better by sunday.
Ah he doesnt have a cold, he just had an operation on his vocal cords,so he sounds like demps.
 

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Dry Rot

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Thread starter #12
Originally posted by Doggiesrule1020
hey dry rot i dont think power will get dropped as he is named on the half back flank.

Welcome back Crofty
These days, I'm not sure that being named in a particular position, or named in the team rather than on the bench really means anything.

Happy to stand corrected on this point.

When I have time one day, I'll post a great selection coup I achieved on the eve of the last final when Brisbane knocked us out (2000?). This involved faxing one of the assistant coaches demanding a particular selection which I got up. :)

So sure enough, my selection was named in a particualr position, and several journalists at the time said it made sense.

Of course, when the team took the field, it was quite different from that selected.

And we lost. But if they'd listened to me...
 

Mr. Walker

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#14
Originally posted by The Doctor
my bench would be McMahon, Hargrave, Dimma, Skipper

apologies to Harris
Harris out after one game? This is based more on hope than anything else but I would like to see him given time to prove himself. We will just repeat the mistakes of the past if we drop the young tall players after only one appearance.

Also, is Hargrave moving into the untouchable class among posters on this board? He looks a likely type but talk of his dropping seems to be taboo while others have a quite period and the calls for there dropping reach a crescendo (progress towards a climax - I can use words like that now that PC is gone)
 

Chops

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#16
Dropping Harris would only be for team balance. Having Croft, Wiggins and Bwoden on the ground then Skipper, Hargrave and Harris on the bench. Seems like we would be too top heavy especially against Melbourne who are lacking height. Then again Rohdes may like this?
 

SCRAY72

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#17
Originally posted by Mr. Walker
Harris out after one game? This is based more on hope than anything else but I would like to see him given time to prove himself. We will just repeat the mistakes of the past if we drop the young tall players after only one appearance.

Also, is Hargrave moving into the untouchable class among posters on this board? He looks a likely type but talk of his dropping seems to be taboo while others have a quite period and the calls for there dropping reach a crescendo (progress towards a climax - I can use words like that now that PC is gone)
Ryan Hargrave is one of the very few versatile players we have.
He is in our best team. If it came down to a choice between him and Garlick I would pick Hargrave any day.
Garlick just doesn't get the ball often enough and when he is in the team should never play midfield.
I don't care what the interchange bench is as long as Wayde Skipper gets a chance.
 

stefoid

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#18
Agreed, if we had of picked Skipper last week, who knows how it would have went? Bandy did jack all day, whether to injuries or bad form, but we didnt have anyone to replace him. Surely we wont make that mistake twice?
 
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#19
Harris isn't up to it at the moment. He would be better off playing CHB for Werribee for about 5 games for experience and confidence. Once he starts getting the ball and standing out for Werribee then give him a game. He is not ready yet and only played last week due to injures. Skipper is the better option at this stage.
 

Mr. Walker

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#21
With regard to Harris my understanding is that he played well in Round 22 last year and was quiet last week. i seem to remeber a former coach copping some flack on these boards for dropping tall players after one quiet performance. Now some people are suggesting the same should happen to Harris.

My view is to retain Harris while waiting for Skipper to string some outstanding performances together in the VFL. ( if pressed I would actually drop Bowden but reports are he had a good first half last week) My only change would be Croft for Eagleton.

My comment about Hargrave was not that he is not in our best 22. IMO his progress has stalled since last year but no one wants to seem to discuss it. I think he has been a bit lazy in picking up his man lately and needs a reminder that his place in the side is not certain.
 

SCRAY72

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#22
Originally posted by Mr. Walker
With regard to Harris my understanding is that he played well in Round 22 last year and was quiet last week. i seem to remeber a former coach copping some flack on these boards for dropping tall players after one quiet performance. Now some people are suggesting the same should happen to Harris.

My view is to retain Harris while waiting for Skipper to string some outstanding performances together in the VFL. ( if pressed I would actually drop Bowden but reports are he had a good first half last week) My only change would be Croft for Eagleton.

My comment about Hargrave was not that he is not in our best 22. IMO his progress has stalled since last year but no one wants to seem to discuss it. I think he has been a bit lazy in picking up his man lately and needs a reminder that his place in the side is not certain.
I agree he needs to tighten up but the focus should be on the forwards and midfielders because if we concede 60 inside 50's per game the defenders are going to crack.
In round 1 there was a glimpse of the accountability that Rohde keeps spruiking but in round 2 they went back to some bad habits.
 

dogboy23

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#25
Originally posted by Mr. Walker
Harris out after one game? This is based more on hope than anything else but I would like to see him given time to prove himself. We will just repeat the mistakes of the past if we drop the young tall players after only one appearance.

Also, is Hargrave moving into the untouchable class among posters on this board? He looks a likely type but talk of his dropping seems to be taboo while others have a quite period and the calls for there dropping reach a crescendo (progress towards a climax - I can use words like that now that PC is gone)
I thought Hargy was good on the weekend.Rarely beaten and gave us a bit of run out of defence aswell.Hes not a midfielder so we have to judge him differently to others.At this stage I reckon Hargy needs to have a couple of games on the trot where he has absolutely no impact before he will be omitted.He was a lot better than the golden boys like Guido on the weekend.
 
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