Opinion Round 5 Changes vs. Melbourne

[youmewe]

Ballaz literally throws his body on the line and hits hard.Sets up goals and occasionally is good for a bag himself.
I have lost count the amount of times he has been on the end of a spoil and has kept our ball inside our 50.

14587,14588,14589,14... damn, 1,2,3,4 ...

 

[Freo88]

Muzungu was playing last year because Tabs wasn't. Muz needs to grow about 10cm and then he'd be a walk up start.

 

[Mockcockpit]

Ballas on the block huh? I suppose it is mull season.

 

[Dignan]

Muzungu was playing last year because Tabs wasn't. Muz needs to grow about 10cm and then he'd be a walk up start.

This post confuses me.

 

[AAACockburn]

14587,14588,14589,14... damn, 1,2,3,4 ...

I only have 10 digits

 

[Moist Biscuit]

So because Ross chose Suban and deBoer over Muz that means they are better footballers?
Muz is better and can't find form if he isn't playing a game this weekend.

No, but he would chose the best team possible. He isn't trying to lose us the game.

 

[Taylor]

Technically you can count to 21

 

[AAACockburn]

Technically you can count to 21

Not when it is cold like tonight.

 

[Clems Knee]

You would think runs on the board would count for something. Mzungu has a lot more of them than either Suban or De Boer, and had done nothing wrong to find himself out of the team except being injured for round 1.

And to say that Suban or De Boer played "very well" last week just shows how low our expectations of them are. It was an above average performance from both of them, but I wouldn't have had either of them in my top 12 players from that game. They had 13 and 14 touches respectively from a full game in the midfield.

Watch the bloody game.

Sometimes a player's value to the team is more than numbers on a fantasy football spreadsheet.

Suban was critically good when the whips were cracking.
De Boer played his role.

I'm glad you guys aren't coaching.

Edit: sorry, thread has moved on to more sensible things.

 

[free at last]

Ross is showing he's human after all.

 

[Pusswah]

Can't help but think of the run Mzungu has given us, his clutch marks and his improved kicking for goal in the last year or so (used to be awful).

Tough game. Would love to understand Ross and the selection committee's reasoning - and it's something i'd fully expect to be told to get stuffed about (which is reasonable).

 

[Rion]

Funny how every year we have this discussion whether the defensive pressure guys (Deboer, Suban) are worth their spot over the classier and imo better guys like Crozier, Sheridan and now Mzungu, even this year when we are playing pretty well. Understand why Lyon's done it, players performing their role, team winning etc etc but you just think that by the end of the year the classier guys will surely be in the team so why can't they find a place now.

But as long as Deboer and Suban can contribute and we get the wins you can't have a problem with it, just hoping we can give some of the younger guys a taste as if we back them in I reckon they'll keep their spot and make us better in the process.

 

[ydraw]

Watch the bloody game..

I did watch the game. But your post makes me wonder if you've ever seen Mzungu play.

De Boer and Suban didn't play badly, but neither did either of them play as well as we know Mzungu can.

 

[Freo Blood]

What about Barlow? I know he's a favourite but his role is now a more outside link up player I think. Muzz for Barlow? Thoughts?

 

[ydraw]

No, but he would chose the best team possible. He isn't trying to lose us the game.

Nobody is saying that he is. He is however not perfect and does occasionally make inexplicable selection errors, like when he demoted Neale to the sub for the 2013 grand final despite his great form in the latter half of the year.

 

[Taylor]

Barlow as a rotation to the stoppages offers more to the team than Mzungu doing the same, even though I agree that Tendai offers more on the outside.

 

[ydraw]

What about Barlow? I know he's a favourite but his role is now a more outside link up player I think. Muzz for Barlow? Thoughts?

I think that is the most likely explanation. Lyon tends to use players for roles rather than consider them holistically. He may just be reasoning that Barlow is now playing the role that Mzungu played last year and therefore Mzungu is surplus to requirements.

 

[Freo88]

This post confuses me.

Purely that he'd have a golden ticket if he was KPF height

 

[Clems Knee]

I did watch the game. But your post makes me wonder if you've ever seen Mzungu play.

De Boer and Suban didn't play badly, but neither did either of them play as well as we know Mzungu can.

Well shit we should get John Todd out there. He was a bloody good player in his day.

Of course I've seen Mzungu play. And I'll see him play again later in the year. Because positions inevitably open over the course of the season.

Can you imagine a competent coach managing his players like this?

"Yeh you did everything I asked of you. But it's not good enough. At your best, you're just a B grade player. I've got another player who is a B+ player. Now pack your bags and...

Hang on, it's not the end of the season? Round 5, you say? Well, keep trying in the twos. If we get injuries, hopefully you'll still be playing well."

How do you think that would go down?
Reward effort and adherence to the role. Mzungu at his best is very very good. But he isn't a category one racehorse like Sandilands, Pavlich, Mundy, McPharlin, Ballantyne, Hill and Fyfe. So he has to wait for an opening.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

I just have a feeling there will be a late change. Mayne for example. Freo can afford to make a late change.

 

[blue shark]

Funny how every year we have this discussion whether the defensive pressure guys (Deboer, Suban) are worth their spot over the classier and imo better guys like Crozier, Sheridan and now Mzungu, even this year when we are playing pretty well. Understand why Lyon's done it, players performing their role, team winning etc etc but you just think that by the end of the year the classier guys will surely be in the team so why can't they find a place now.

But as long as Deboer and Suban can contribute and we get the wins you can't have a problem with it, just hoping we can give some of the younger guys a taste as if we back them in I reckon they'll keep their spot and make us better in the process.

Good post, and at the end of a long season if we are top four Lyon can make changes that are more attacking. In the past we
have had a decent team with about 25 players able to do their role, and cover some injuries.
2015 and in my opinion this is the best list we have ever had for quality of depth, the only concern I have is the coach being too
conservative, defensive, and he has history on his side.
I hope the kids do get to wear the sub vest this year, and the sub role is perfect to see what they can bring to the table.

 

[Bicco]

People often talk about the performance of a teams bottom 5 players. Our bottom 5 know that we have Muz, Croz, Sherro, Duffy, Hannath, Griff, Blakely and A.Pearce performing well, ready to take their place should they not perform. For the individuals it sucks, for the team it's great.
To me it says we won't have the drop off that Port did last year due to form/injuries/complacency.
You play your way in, you play your way out.
Gu is in the top 23, he's not that far off and believe me Suban and Deboar know this.

 

[dthom]

Just watched Lyon's midweek press conference and was amused by his reaction to the question about Fyfe and Vince. Was he laughing because as he indicated, Nat doesn't need to be told what to do in that situation or was he laughing because he thought the idea of Nat being beaten by Vince was just utterly ridiculous? Whenever I see Fremantle players or Lyon talk about anything to do with Fyfe they all seem to have a knowing smile on their face. Is it possible that he's not even playing to his full potential yet?

 

[Apenesslike]

Technically you can count to 21

Preferably not in a public area. Hoping he never reaches 21 at a home game.

 

[K Pop]

Funny how every year we have this discussion whether the defensive pressure guys (Deboer, Suban) are worth their spot over the classier and imo better guys like Crozier, Sheridan and now Mzungu, even this year when we are playing pretty well. Understand why Lyon's done it, players performing their role, team winning etc etc but you just think that by the end of the year the classier guys will surely be in the team so why can't they find a place now.

But as long as Deboer and Suban can contribute and we get the wins you can't have a problem with it, just hoping we can give some of the younger guys a taste as if we back them in I reckon they'll keep their spot and make us better in the process.

For the classier, pacier attacking guys like Crozier and Sheridan, I think it is a matter of them needing another year or two (especially an uninterrupted pre-season) to add muscle and build their tanks. If they stay at Freo beyond this year, they are tracking to dislodge players in their mid/late 20s like Duffield and Suban mid way through their next contract. At the moment, they are ever so slightly physically underprepared to be top 22 in a premiership contending side.

Hopefully Freo will be well established as a repeat top 4 finishing premiership contender and provide a reason for these players to stay at the club and build sustained success, similar to the Geelong/Hawthorn/Sydney model of recent years.