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Recent renovations at Mineral Resources Park




After what had been a relatively injury free run this season up until a week ago, the date on our injury free credit card suddenly expired. Six game day injuries were followed up by two training mishaps that left the match committee scrambling for answers

The good news, unlike last year, is we do have a number of players performing well in the WAFL who get their chance after being a touch on the unlucky side to have missed selection previously

The bad news is we take a vastly less experienced team into a contest against a Melbourne team that’s humming along very nicely with arguably the competition’s most dangerous midfield

A Parallel Universe

There’s something to ponder though when you look at the names who’ll be sitting in the stands this Sunday:

Naitanui
Shuey
McGovern
Cripps

There has been plenty of discussion that the Eagles have too many old players and that we should have cut deeper at the end of 2022 and/or shouldn’t be extending contracts at the end of this year. That’s half of the 8 players who already are, or turn, 30 this year - Hurn, Gaff, Darling and Yeo (in for his first game) are the others who are in the side

So we get a good look at what our side would effectively be like had those cuts been made. And it’ll be an extended look because aside from perhaps Shuey, those players are out for months not weeks

Of the other players unavailable only Ryan and Sheed would be considered automatic selections, and on current form Sheed had seen many wanting him dropped

Witherden is fringe, as is Jamieson, HEdwards would have only played to cover Gov, and Chesser was in the side for development moreso than form

The other two unavailables, J Williams and Baker, are walking definitions of development players

The team we’ve named is pretty close to a best 22 sans some of our oldies



It remains to be seen who survives the cut from the extended bench but I feel O’Neill, Edwards and Foley will miss out

There is also the fear that Williams, who has reportedly pulled up very sore from the derby, won’t come up meaning one of that trio would like be used as the sub

What can we expect

Backline

Main issue is a lack of height with Barrass the only recognised KPD. You’d think Rotham plays to help Hurn take on the Melbourne marking targets. Fortunately, Melbourne don’t have a big, strong forward line with second gamer Van Rooyen spearheading their attack in the absence of Brown and Gawn. McDonald probably plays in their place

Pickett returns from a too short suspension and he along with the Hitler youth lookalike (Fritsch) will pose plenty of problems. We don’t have great matchups for either

Melbourne have averaged 17 goals from their 3 games. We’ll be doing well to hold them to that, especially if their mids get on top

Forwardline

We retain our two talls, Allen and Darling, but our small forwards depth is being tested with Cripps and Ryan both out

May and Lever are one of the best defensive combinations going round so it’s hard to imagine Darling and Allen doing better than the combined 6 they kicked against Freo. In fact, I’d take 6 in a heartbeat if it was offered

Means the likes of SPS, Petch and the impressive but inexperienced Long are going to have to have big games. I won’t be surprised to see Jones sent forward to help out

Midfield

Grundy feeding Oliver, Petracca and Viney with the outside run of Langdon and Hunter is the making of a horror movie

Even if Williams plays we can expect a touch up in the ruck. If he doesn’t then Rotham, yes Rotham, becomes our first ruck (there’s a word that rhymes with that which sums up my thoughts)

Kelly, Gaff and the underdone Yeo will be the backbone of our midfield.

We then get a look at our future with the likes of Ginbey, Hough, Culley and Hewett (pending final selections) all likely to spend time through the middle. The prospect of Ginbey running with Oliver is an exciting one - regardless of how it probably ends it’ll be a great learning experience for our young star

Clark and West will provide some mature bodied assistance and I’m actually looking forward to seeing what Clark can do after a great preseason

Conclusion

It’s a huge challenge going into this match against an inform side on the back of 7 changes that will massively reduce our average age and experience

Expecting a win is folly

But we should anticipate the sort of fight we showed in the derby, in particular after half time.

I hope that we persist with the more attacking game plan we’ve been trying to implement with some success so far (R1 excluded) and don’t go back into our shells

So effort, a good look at some of our youngsters and no ****ing injuries.

We’ll push them early but eventually get overwhelmed

Dees by 45

Go Eagles, do us proud