Preview Round 5 2018: Sydney Swans v Adelaide Crows

[Mick Oxlong]

Yes, and since 2016 Aliir should have played at least another 15 games with the idea of him being able to replace Grundy one day. Instead, despite playing well in 2016 Longmire has kept Aliir out of the side, stagnating his progress as a player.

No, that’s rubbish! Aliir was injured end of ‘16 and into the preseason, finally got back in only to sleep in and subsequently disciplined. Back to the 2’s where he was injured and played sore at the back end of ‘17. Injured this preseason and finally got a game when clearly underdone. Back in 2’s now to get some match fitness...he’ll be back (all things being equal)!

 

[SSwans2011]

You watched reserves last season?

Aliir wasn't that great in the reserves before 2016 either. Nobody picked him to come into the side and do a good job.

Seems to play his best football at the top level. I suspect a lot of players with his kind of x-factor do.

 

[melbournehammer]

Are you people crazy ?

AA was not played as a defender in Melbourne. He was an attacker. Sure if he is better than rohan he plays. If he isn't he doesn't. Its not that hard.

Marsh has come in to be the defender and has done so on the back of good form (as I understand it).

AA may be the second coming according to some of you - which is fine but only if the position that is open is the messiah, not the chief pharisee.

I've said previously I wouldn't have dropped AA back in 2016 because i feel that our defence these days is very stagnant and kick mark and he gave us a point of difference. I suspect that Ling and Stoddart are the future for these roles - as sam murray may also have been. But AA is not playing as that shortish defender whose job is to zone off as soon as the ball hits the deck. And neither does Marsh who plays the tight defender role well.

Its like for like and Im OK with that.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

I am happy for Marsh to be playing and he deserves the opportunity because he hasn't done much wrong whenever he has played and probably should have been first cab off the rank last week. Secondly, Yes he played last week but could not get into a groove because he started in a forward line that was getting atrocious delivery and then got thrown up the ground and eventually into defence. Then he gets dropped straight away instead of Longmire persevering with him for a couple of weeks where he might be suited to see if he recapture the form he has shown previously. Do you think the cameo last week was a fair enough opportunity to do that ? As far as Foote, Rose and Robinson are concerned I will bring them up every time I see them play in front of players that are actually capable of being close to an AFL player as opposed to the hacks they are.

"As far as Foote, Rose and Robinson are concerned I will bring them up every time I see them play in front of players that are actually capable of being close to an AFL player as opposed to the hacks they are."

But Bro, they HAVENT been played in front of anyone else in the seniors yet. Let it go.

As to your question, do I think that cameo last week was a sufficient chance - I think we're missing the point here. Don't look at Aliir not playing this week as him being dropped. See it as Marsh being a better fit for a side vs. Crows. Perhaps Aliir would have held his position had he looked more confident, authoritative and invovled last week, but the fact is he didn't. And Marsh has been banging down the door, so the decision as I see it is easy.

 

[SSwans2011]

Are you people crazy ?

AA was not played as a defender in Melbourne. He was an attacker. Sure if he is better than rohan he plays. If he isn't he doesn't. Its not that hard.

Marsh has come in to be the defender and has done so on the back of good form (as I understand it).

AA may be the second coming according to some of you - which is fine but only if the position that is open is the messiah, not the chief pharisee.

I've said previously I wouldn't have dropped AA back in 2016 because i feel that our defence these days is very stagnant and kick mark and he gave us a point of difference. I suspect that Ling and Stoddart are the future for these roles - as sam murray may also have been. But AA is not playing as that shortish defender whose job is to zone off as soon as the ball hits the deck. And neither does Marsh who plays the tight defender role well.

Its like for like and Im OK with that.

People are complaining about him being selected as a forward and dropped. Why **** him around? Just pick an actual forward. Based on what he had produced in the reserves as a forward, McCartin, Cameron or Amartey would have been better selections.

If you read the thread last week, people were worried about him being played as a forward in the first place.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

Yes, and since 2016 Aliir should have played at least another 15 games with the idea of him being able to replace Grundy one day. Instead, despite playing well in 2016 Longmire has kept Aliir out of the side, stagnating his progress as a player.

No, instead Melican put his hand up and was a better option.

 

[RUNVS]

"As far as Foote, Rose and Robinson are concerned I will bring them up every time I see them play in front of players that are actually capable of being close to an AFL player as opposed to the hacks they are."

But Bro, they HAVENT been played in front of anyone else in the seniors yet. Let it go.

As to your question, do I think that cameo last week was a sufficient chance - I think we're missing the point here. Don't look at Aliir not playing this week as him being dropped. See it as Marsh being a better fit for a side vs. Crows. Perhaps Aliir would have held his position had he looked more confident, authoritative and invovled last week, but the fact is he didn't. And Marsh has been banging down the door, so the decision as I see it is easy.

In what universe is Marsh a better fit?

Don't get me wrong, I want Marsh to play, but I also want Aliir to play and to suggest Marsh is a better fit against Adelaide is wrong I feel. We are going into the game with one tall player, against the tallest forward line in the league. If a tall Adelaide forward takes control against one of Marsh, Mills, Rampe, Smith etc then we are going to have no one to put on that forward.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

There haven’t been a lot of openings in the team for him to play in defence when he has been fit and firing. So they played him in different positions to increase his opportunity for senior selection (with mixed to negative resulrs). This shows the coaches want him in the team in my opinion. A spot opened in the forward line in the seniors and jumped the shark. That’s what they got wrong.

We want him to play in defence but he has to mix his attack with defensive ability. And I reckon he will but he needs a few NEAFL games to get going.

This post is spot on. Aliir will play in defence and will be excellent. His running patterns last week showed he doesn't have the natural footy smarts to play forward (fair enough).

Glad to see Marsh get rewarded but what the foc has Fox got to do for fox sake?

 

[TheMase]

If you think so but you're being overly optimistic IMO with regards to your last sentence. Horse let Grandpa walk into the side on the back of no pre-season and 7-possession Rohan has always been a walk-up start as well. If he wants to play someone, he finds a way to select them.

Grandpa? Bloke who has played 300 games and proven himself how many times over? Also his best preseason in years.

A choice that has also been vindicated.

You can think of it as optimism if you like.

 

[caesar88]

No, instead Melican put his hand up and was a better option.

Except he sorta wasn't. I like Melican don't get me wrong but I'd still take Aliir over him. Because we need some attack down there.

(Ideally we would play both)

 

[Donza]

I'm happy for marsh.
Newman was epically shit last week.
Even his kicking, his strong point, was poor.

What I like about marsh is his attack on the footy. He tends to push through a contest, whereas Newman likes to step away. .. Turn and kick on his preferred side.

Considering the crows fwd line. I'd rather someone with a bit of defensive nous to zone off and outnumber a Tex... Sauce etc at a contest

 

[TheMase]

Except he sorta wasn't. I like Melican don't get me wrong but I'd still take Aliir over him. Because we need some attack down there.

(Ideally we would play both)

Aliir isn’t a good enough defender to play the role that Melican plays, not at this stage anyway. We have Grundy to replace and Melican is clearly that guy. Aliir will then replace Grundy in the side assuming he pulls it all together and hangs around.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

In what universe is Marsh a better fit?

Don't get me wrong, I want Marsh to play, but I also want Aliir to play and to suggest Marsh is a better fit against Adelaide is wrong I feel. We are going into the game with one tall player, against the tallest forward line in the league. If a tall Adelaide forward takes control against one of Marsh, Mills, Rampe, Smith etc then we are going to have no one to put on that forward.

Yes but the tallest fwd line in the league which Pyke himself claimed went in 'too tall' for the Mags last week. Fact is last weeks backline held out 60 i50s and did a remarkable job.

None of us ( i assume ) have insight into selection decisions but perhaps weather and the form of the back 6 last week were big factors. And the form and ball carry of Marsh made him a better rebound fit than what Aliir demonstrated last week.

 

[Kapanis]

FFS it's just Allir people, he's not the second coming, he's coming back from injury from the JLT and even though playing out of position was pretty ordinary. Was ordinary last year form wise or was injured so didn't get picked after sleeping in. With Reg probably gone year's end a Rampe, Melican, Allir backline looks great. If he wants to go then so be it, everyone just needs to settle TFD. And the picking favourites thing, why did Horse pick Mitchell for the entire 2016 season, including the GF if he hated him so much? Pathetic some of the shit on here.

 

[Donza]

Aliir isn’t a good enough defender to play the role that Melican plays, not at this stage anyway. We have Grundy to replace and Melican is clearly that guy. Aliir will then replace Grundy in the side assuming he pulls it all together and hangs around.

I think Maibaum will figure as well.. .
I think smith and McVeigh will be gone as well... Stoddart will feature...

 

[RW]

Aliir is stiff imo

agree, but maybe they wanted to have another look at Marsh? He was named in the bests in the ressies last week, which as we all know doesn't mean all that much as we got flogged by the Lions, but he must have done something right to get named.

Marsh and Aliir still living together? Would be interesting being a fly on the wall at their place given they're in direct competition for a spot!

 

[Neverwas]

No, that’s rubbish! Aliir was injured end of ‘16 and into the preseason, finally got back in only to sleep in and subsequently disciplined. Back to the 2’s where he was injured and played sore at the back end of ‘17. Injured this preseason and finally got a game when clearly underdone. Back in 2’s now to get some match fitness...he’ll be back (all things being equal)!

Except that the twos have a bye this week.

Sent from my SM-T805Y using Tapatalk

 

[TheMase]

I think Maibaum will figure as well.. .
I think smith and McVeigh will be gone as well... Stoddart will feature...

From the vision of Maibaum courtesy of YouTube that I get to see he looks to be coming alone nicely as a defender. Was good at least in the first half of the last game (no second half footage).

Smith has signed for another year but you’d think McVeigh might be likely to go at years end.

 

[RW]

Are you people crazy ?

AA was not played as a defender in Melbourne. He was an attacker. Sure if he is better than rohan he plays. If he isn't he doesn't. Its not that hard.

My guess is that the reason he played forward last week was because of match-ups - I think grim mentioned that the Dogs and Richmond are probably the worst sides for Aliir to line up in defence because of their smalls, so maybe that's the way the coaches saw it too.

 

[Donza]

Crows really miss Charlie Cameron and Eddie Betts.
Betts has been rubbish for the last 8 games or so.
He's cooked.

 

[caesar88]

In other news, hopefully Isaac Heeney has a good one this week. Two of his best ever games have been against the Crows. I think of that four-goal game when we were being pushed to our limit by the Crows, and he stood up along with Buddy as our forwards. Then his coming-of-age semi final against the Crows in 2016, when he had 30 possessions for the first time and was one of our best mids.

The one match up against the Crows that we had last year, Heeney played a shut-down role (wtf?), but after his recent run of form I'm sure he'll be unleashed in all his ball-winning glory against their depleted midfield. Could be something special tomorrow night for Isaac.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Did Aliir make the cut?

 

[John Longmire]

How did everyone like my selections for this week? I believe they are perfect.

 

[Superstar swan]

Ha ha thought i could pinch it

Haha even though its virtually scripted,i love that show..leshannon sharpe cracks me up

 

[Ticky009]

GA sold out. Hope the weather holds, first Friday night game of the season.
Go Bloods!