Opinion Round 5 Changes vs. Melbourne

[MadDocker]

Don't care who we play in the GF. Don't care if the score is 0.1 - 0.0 as long as we win the damned thing. Worry about the rest when we try for back to backs in 2016.

 

[couldhavebeen]

No one should get rested unless they are sore, or tight or need a rest.

Johnson is playing sore and Alex Pearce is playing very good footy which is why I would be giving Johnson an extra week to get his body right for Essendon and Alex a spot in the seniors as reward .
Taberner is playing without confidence so a week at Peel would be good for him .Clarke is playing very well up forward . Ballas needs to play on the MCG to learn more about playing the oval so the timing is perfect .
We need to make sure that we don't make the same mistake that Malthouse did with Sumich . Players playing without confidence or injured benefit from a break or playing in a lower grade to get their MOJO back .
Alex is playing very good footy but we need to see NOW if he can handle the pressure at the higher level not wait till its finals time .

 

[theGav56]

Are people really saying Barlow out/rested? You know players can have quiet games right? If fyfe only gets 15 this week do we drop him too? Geeeeez!
Prob likely only 1 change.
In - ballaz
Out - Gu or deboer
None of this resting poop yet. Only been 4 games.

Are people really saying we shouldn't rest players with niggles when we have healthy depth on our list? Perhaps they need to take a look at how Geelong managed an aging list and won a Premiership.

 

[Seppo]

Ross mentioned on 6pr that we have a clean bill of health and mentioned Ballas. Also with Crozier and Sheridan as the Peel boys played well.

 

[Lach72]

Crozier was ok. Nothing standout. Most of the boys were solid with Duffy having the most eye catching stuff.

He has something which we need to harness. Great vision and some hunger for goals

 

[Tony_Clifton]

Seems like resting is a dirty word. How about manage? People smarter than me can make these decisions and I promise not to be talk back caller complaining that we rested (read:managed) players and a lost a game because the rest of the team grEw complacent.

If anything we've learned is that the Fremantle hierarchy will do what's best for the team Even if it's unpopular.

 

[theGav56]

I think Micky has a few more credits in the bank than to be dropped after a couple of quiet games.

Just to make the difference between what I am saying and purplefrog, in no way am I saying drop Barlow. But what I am saying is that we have the chance to manage our squad to give ourselves some distinct advantages;

- allowing players with niggles to recover rather than play and underperform.
- manage our war horses to ensure that they are kept fresh when the anticipated finals, or big games come.
- build depth of experience within our emerging/fringe players who may end up getting called up at critical times.

Those three aspects of player management within the season can make our chances of being there in October significantly more likely. Geelong have done this successfully with a list of aging stars with the ultimate reward. What I don't want to see is someone like Blakely debuting in a crucial finals game, or a player such as Griffin brought in under-prepared.

 

[beetz]

Johnson is playing sore and Alex Pearce is playing very good footy which is why I would be giving Johnson an extra week to get his body right for Essendon and Alex a spot in the seniors as reward .
Taberner is playing without confidence so a week at Peel would be good for him .Clarke is playing very well up forward . Ballas needs to play on the MCG to learn more about playing the oval so the timing is perfect .
We need to make sure that we don't make the same mistake that Malthouse did with Sumich . Players playing without confidence or injured benefit from a break or playing in a lower grade to get their MOJO back .
Alex is playing very good footy but we need to see NOW if he can handle the pressure at the higher level not wait till its finals time .

Johnson is playing sore??

 

[Lach72]

Lachie Neale barely contested a center bounce that I could tell?

 

[Freoforever86]

Are people really saying we shouldn't rest players with niggles when we have healthy depth on our list? Perhaps they need to take a look at how Geelong managed an aging list and won a Premiership.

Who says anyone has niggles? As Seppo said, Lyon has reported a clean bill of health from the game. Players just have bad games. Fully back Barlow to be at his best this week. We are only 4-0. A loss to melb undoes one of our first wins IMO, so no resting or managing. Play full strength and send another strong message. If we're 7-1 or 8/9-0 then manage away.

 

[Wizard]

A few forgetting Barlows game in Geelong just 2 weeks ago.

 

[Tony_Clifton]

Who says anyone has niggles? As Seppo said, Lyon has reported a clean bill of health from the game. Players just have bad games. Fully back Barlow .

Lyon's an authority figure, suppose Seppo's an "authority" figure according to your quote. We therefore have no niggles. Poisonous snakes etc.

 

[Cobbler]

Initially I felt this was a reasonable time to perhaps rest McPharlin and perhaps someone who was a bit sore.

That said MCG games are rare and this needs to be viewed as an opportunity to get use to the setting.

Ballas will come straight in. DeBoer the likely out. I like the idea of our height with Taberner but he would be the only other possibility plus he was the one subbed.

Sheridan and Crozier are just waiting for an injury or a real poor showing from a fringe player. Problem is the fringe guys are doing whats required.

In: Ballas
Out: DeBoer
Sub: Sutcliffe

 

[Rob]

People seem to be blaming Taberner for our midfield getting smashed in the 3rd quarter. And continue to underestimate the effect a 2nd tall forward has on our forward structure. There's a reason that Pavlich is regularly kicking goals again.

There's definitely something in this. There was a passage of play in the 2nd quarter where we (I think it was Hill) had the ball on the break on the wing. Taberner bolted to the goalsquare, and 2 Swans players initially followed him. By the time the 2nd defender realised there was no point making the chase Pav got free and took a mark on his own about 45m out.

That sort of thing should happen more frequently as they get to understand how each other plays.

I can't say i've got the long term optimism about Taberner that some do, but at the moment he's a pretty good foil for Pav.

 

[Sweet Dees Mo]

Sutcliffe sub?!? I think his days of being a sub are well and truly over. He hasn't set the world on fire so far this season but he is a gun and Ross loves him. ATM sub duties are probably going to go to the likes of Suban/Crozier/Deboer...
But I am with Roos- get rid of the sub!!!

 

[greatgatsby]

No resting at the MCG! We should be trying to play our best footy. This resting and management stuff reeks of arrogance, to which we are not entitled and which can at least wait until the second half of the season.

 

[Carnthedockers]

Are people really saying we shouldn't rest players with niggles when we have healthy depth on our list? Perhaps they need to take a look at how Geelong managed an aging list and won a Premiership.

Im not sure even they did it at round 4 though mate.. Latter rounds yes. Don't flirt with form.

 

[Jezzitizle]

People here being way to harsh on taberner, young key forwards are going to have quiet games every now and then, especially against sides like sydney. He's shown enough this year to keep him in and no idea why you would drop him for Melbourne of all games.

Would like to see him go a bit harder at times. Looks like he is playing afl at wafl pace, which isnt terrible for a young kid but if there are players killing it in the reseves they deserve a run maybe..

 

[ydraw]

Would like to see him go a bit harder at times. Looks like he is playing afl at wafl pace, which isnt terrible for a young kid but if there are players killing it in the reseves they deserve a run maybe..

There aren't really any other key forwards killing it in the WAFL. The point is that Taberner is a tall. And being tall he makes Pavlich and Clarke much more effective because he demands a tall defender himself. I think at one stage on the weekend Sydney had Rampe on Clarke because their 2 key talls were marking Pav and Taberner.

If you drop Taberner for a midfielder then you go back to the situation we had for most of the last 2 seasons where Pavlich is being double-teamed by 2 key defenders for the entire game.

If someone like Apeness was killing it in the WAFL then I would agree with you, but I think it would be a big strategic mistake to drop Taberner for another midfielder. Our forward structure is working better than it ever has with Taberner in the team. We have been close to 10 goals up at half time 2 games in a row.

 

[Vintage]

Anyone suggesting we're going to rest players for one of our only two games at the g this year needs their head read.

 

[Jezzitizle]

There aren't really any other key forwards killing it in the WAFL. The point is that Taberner is a tall. And being tall he makes Pavlich and Clarke much more effective because he demands a tall defender himself. I think at one stage on the weekend Sydney had Rampe on Clarke because their 2 key talls were marking Pav and Taberner.

If you drop Taberner for a midfielder then you go back to the situation we had for most of the last 2 seasons where Pavlich is being double-teamed by 2 key defenders for the entire game.

If someone like Apeness was killing it in the WAFL then I would agree with you, but I think it would be a big strategic mistake to drop Taberner for another midfielder. Our forward structure is working better than it ever has with Taberner in the team. We have been close to 10 goals up at half time 2 games in a row.

And then played shocking second halves. Im not terribly averse to having taberner in the team, but playing him just because he is tall is a mistake. We looked much better in the second half when mzungu came on for taberner. Its not enough to be tall, he needs to play well enough to justify his spot. I dont want him dropped this week but would be frustrated if he gets a golden ticket if guys like duffy are playing well in the wafl.

 

[couldhavebeen]

Johnson is playing sore??

I watched him in the warm up on Saturday night and kept an eye on him during the game . He is not moving at the pace he was in the first 2 games .
He is being managed at training and not competing in the match sims ,only doing laps .
What more proof do you need .
RTB maybe saying no "injuries" but general soreness is something that all AFL players deal with .
Silvagni needs a couple of weeks with Peel to get match fitness so the obvious replacement right now is Alex Pearce against Melbourne .
Everyone keeps saying we now have depth so lets see how much Alex has progressed and if he can handle AFL .
We have had our best start of a season ever . Alex needs to know so does RTB and Bondy .
If he has a poor game and gets beaten on the day but shows some good ticker then he will know what level he needs to achieve to play regular games .
Conversely if he beats his opponent he will be fired up to stay in he team or keep himself ready to go again .

 

[Moist Biscuit]

Resting players? Its round 5.

 

[Harry Reems]

I watched him in the warm up on Saturday night and kept an eye on him during the game . He is not moving at the pace he was in the first 2 games .
He is being managed at training and not competing in the match sims ,only doing laps .
What more proof do you need .
RTB maybe saying no "injuries" but general soreness is something that all AFL players deal with .
Silvagni needs a couple of weeks with Peel to get match fitness so the obvious replacement right now is Alex Pearce against Melbourne .
Everyone keeps saying we now have depth so lets see how much Alex has progressed and if he can handle AFL .
We have had our best start of a season ever . Alex needs to know so does RTB and Bondy .
If he has a poor game and gets beaten on the day but shows some good ticker then he will know what level he needs to achieve to play regular games .
Conversely if he beats his opponent he will be fired up to stay in he team or keep himself ready to go again .

Hasn't Silvagni done his hamstring again?

 

[theGav56]

Im not sure even they did it at round 4 though mate.. Latter rounds yes. Don't flirt with form.

They regularly didn't play Ottens at the start of the season or leave him at home travelling interstate.