Unofficial Preview Round 5 Sydney v Gold Cost Eagles

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I don't know who I'd like to see come in or if there needs to be mass changes or whatever. All I know is

OUT - HAYWARD AND BLAKEY.

(It's for their own good - 'dropped' is not a dirty word in a developing side!)
Problem probably is that there are no twos at the moment, so how do you play them back into form if you drop them?

Difficult, difficult choices... especially with a team full of youngsters

Poor Naismith, really hard luck
 
Problem probably is that there are no twos at the moment, so how do you play them back into form if you drop them?

Difficult, difficult choices... especially with a team full of youngsters

Poor Naismith, really hard luck

Let them have a run around in the scratch matches. Far from ideal but I think they'd get the rocket up the arse they need/more confidence from thriving at a lower level, than by continuing to flounder at senior level, which I think can have a legitimate impact on their development. Sometimes you need something to just stop the rot, one week even can do that.

It's also just about setting standards. Rowbottom and McInerney were two of the only ones who worked their absolute back-sides off against the Bulldogs, because they probably had the two least-safe spots in the team as the youngest. Blakey and Hayward haven't yet had to contend with that level of accountability, and it's showing.
 
My ideal scenario would look something like this, though it won't happen as it requires more puzzle pieces being moved around than Horse would be willing:

IN - McCartin, Clarke (yep) and Gould/O'Connor (depending on form?)

OUT - Blakey, Taylor, Hayward

McCartin replaces Sinclair. He and McLean are the two talls forward, like against North Melbourne. Their mobility freed Heeney up as well.

Sinclair and Aliir share ruck duties. Aliir did very well against Gawn last year, but will need help, hence Sinclair keeps his spot.

Gould/O'Connor replaces Aliir down back while he's rucking, and also fills in for Mills while he is in the midfield.

Mills replaces Parker at CBAs, because Parker is inside 50 being a better, stronger, more accurate Hayward as a medium forward.

Clarke then takes over tagging duties from Hewett (Clarke's disposal cannot be worse than what we saw against the Bulldogs), and Hewett becomes that skilful pressure half forward that Taylor is not exactly thriving as.

There. Simple as.
 

Olian

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In - Brand, Gould, Stephens, McCartin,
Out - Naismith (inj), any of the following to be omitted: Fox, Taylor, Cunningham, Hayward,

Fox isn’t AFL standard and was poor last night. Won’t happen but I can’t see what Taylor adds to the team other than eating. Cunningham will also survive but on a poor form. Hayward is also struggling but they may play him through as it’s not like he can play in a reserves team and get a good hit out.
 
Should be a winnable game.

Horse should make an example of someone like Hayward.

If we get the North game effort should be in the contest.

Having watched the game now we were all over them at the start but could not transfer it to the scoreboard then dropped the bundle late in the first quarter fro some reason.

Got to win that first quarter. We always seem to be making a late run and that will not work out well over the long haul - answer is ****ed if I know. Something is amiss.
 

mikey_san

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Gawn is going to absolutely destroy us out of the middle next week despite what will no doubt be a valiant effort from Sinkers. Unfortunately Sinkers can't add 20 cm of reach to his arms by next week. May as well make some changes with an eye to the future.

Haywood to the wing makes most sense to me. Not sure he can replace Mills marking and toughness down back - but he clearly looked a better player off the half back area. I've long thought he could turn into a Whitfield type winger with a bit of time there - glides across the ground in a similar fashion. I just like his match ups on a less crowded wing than the forward 50 at the SCG especially.

Blakey just needs to be dropped. PLEASE. Play ressies a while and learn to get a hold of it, kick some bags - knock some blokes over. This run of games is doing him no favours at all. Completely out of his depth.

Blakey's spot up forward to be taken by Parker/Hewett rotating.
Sinkers spot up forward by Dawson who can both lead, mark and mobile enough to drag defenders away from other targets like Heeney and McLean.

Maybe trust Gould to have back pocket and play Rampe a bit more advanced in Cunningham's role. Not sure about Gould's match fitness but it's the SCG, so he won't have to run that much anyways. Alternatively Gould to take Mills spot down back and roll the dice on Mills playing in the middle. Not that I think he'd make the kind of mid we need atm, but perhaps time to give him a chance to prove doubters like me wrong.

These changes make us a tougher footy team despite the youth.

Out: Naismith :( (inj), Blakey, Cunningham
IN: Warner, Gould, Brand
 

mikey_san

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My ideal scenario would look something like this, though it won't happen as it requires more puzzle pieces being moved around than Horse would be willing:

IN - McCartin, Clarke (yep) and Gould/O'Connor (depending on form?)

OUT - Blakey, Taylor, Hayward

McCartin replaces Sinclair. He and McLean are the two talls forward, like against North Melbourne. Their mobility freed Heeney up as well.

Sinclair and Aliir share ruck duties. Aliir did very well against Gawn last year, but will need help, hence Sinclair keeps his spot.

Gould/O'Connor replaces Aliir down back while he's rucking, and also fills in for Mills while he is in the midfield.

Mills replaces Parker at CBAs, because Parker is inside 50 being a better, stronger, more accurate Hayward as a medium forward.

Clarke then takes over tagging duties from Hewett (Clarke's disposal cannot be worse than what we saw against the Bulldogs), and Hewett becomes that skilful pressure half forward that Taylor is not exactly thriving as.

There. Simple as.

I don't mind these changes at all. Clarke gets us moving via chain handballs. Gray for Taylor another consideration.
McCartin's been innefective to date - I'd rather have Dawson's good hands and kicking/mobility at half forward.
Would have McCartin straight in the backline if Brand isn't ready or they want a bit more mobility than Brand though. AA needs to be athletic 3rd intercepting type defender.

A few tweaks and we win this game. The Dees are shite.
 
I’m making minimal changes the more I reflect

Naismith is forced

there’s guys who probably should be dropped but off a good win last week and factoring in no proper reserves I’d be tempted to say go out there and redeem
Yourselves
 

SGBeach

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I’m making minimal changes the more I reflect

Naismith is forced

there’s guys who probably should be dropped but off a good win last week and factoring in no proper reserves I’d be tempted to say go out there and redeem
Yourselves
Agree.. in saying that though, there are guys that Id love to see get a game.
Maibaum - WE need a KPD, and this guy has potential, but, he hasn't played for 18 months and has never played at senior level
Ling - Loads of potential, but as with Maibaum, hasn't played for soo long
Foot, Wicks - no games this year
Oconnor - Loads of potential, but worse than Maibaum and Ling, hasn't played a proper game ever!
Stephens, Warner, Gould - A team already full of youngsters is a team already FULL of youngsters
E Taylor, Rowles - Were never thought to be ready this year

The no Reserve games is making things (development) near impossible

We're really missing one or both of Buddy and Reid,, and we'll really miss Naismith

If McCartins fit, he'll play. If Brand is fit, He'll also play
 
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My ideal scenario would look something like this, though it won't happen as it requires more puzzle pieces being moved around than Horse would be willing:

IN - McCartin, Clarke (yep) and Gould/O'Connor (depending on form?)

OUT - Blakey, Taylor, Hayward

McCartin replaces Sinclair. He and McLean are the two talls forward, like against North Melbourne. Their mobility freed Heeney up as well.

Sinclair and Aliir share ruck duties. Aliir did very well against Gawn last year, but will need help, hence Sinclair keeps his spot.

Gould/O'Connor replaces Aliir down back while he's rucking, and also fills in for Mills while he is in the midfield.

Mills replaces Parker at CBAs, because Parker is inside 50 being a better, stronger, more accurate Hayward as a medium forward.

Clarke then takes over tagging duties from Hewett (Clarke's disposal cannot be worse than what we saw against the Bulldogs), and Hewett becomes that skilful pressure half forward that Taylor is not exactly thriving as.

There. Simple as.
I agree mostly, but think Taylor is slowly coming good and doing better than the majority of our team.
 
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If I knew injury status it would be easier to make a guess as to who to bring in but assuming full fitness Id go big changes.
Out:
1. Naismith (ACL)
2. Fox (dogged it early not laying a tackle and led to a goal, inexcusible cowardice)
3. Hayward (completely out of form producing less than Rohan did which was **** all)
4. Cunningham (staggering, lost for words, we have seen the absolute best of him, he isnt going to get any better and is a firm 22 clogger)
5. Blakey (just to get some confidence in the scratch matches, barely contributing at the moment).
6. Hewitt (dont need a pure tagger in a developing side, if not released to do an attacking role, drop that role from the side)
7. Ronke (needs to find form in scratch matches, provides great pressure but is in a big form slump)

In:
1. Gould (Adds toughness to defence, excellent line breaking kicks, has some pace off the mark)
2. Warner (Adds toughness to midfield and intense hunting pressure, would inspire others like Libba does for Dogs)
3. Stephens (Can kick the ball accurately, have Florent get the ball and handball it to him. He's a gut runner)
4. Brand (Is our FB, build defence around him)
5. Mccartin (Plays CHF leads and contests, Mclean is now FF)
6. Ling (Can kick and has pace)
7.

Play Mills as an exclusive midfielder now, has plateaud for years, Longmire has ignored this far too long.

Play Florent as an exclusive inside midfield, no wing, he's the worst kick bar none in the AFL, make him Tom Mitchell 2.0.

Set up side like:
FB: Aliir Brand Gould
HB: Dawson Rampe Lloyd
C: Stephens Heeney Rowbottom
HF: Parker Mccartin Taylor
FF Papely Mclean Kennedy
R: Sinclair Warner Mills
Int: Ling, Florent, McInerney,

1 spot left for Buddy/Reid whenever either are fit to play a game. Till that happens give it to Blakey to come off the bench and rotate on the wing.
 
Last night our midfield was just too defensive. We had Hewett on a wing in a tagging role, then we had Mills at the centre circle doing what was basically a tagging role. Then we have JPK and Parker who are not dynamic enough to be attacking mids. And the midfielder waiting in the wings? Clarke. Also a tagger.

It really only leaves Florent, who had a quiet game, and Rowbottom, who was barely at centre bounces.

That's a lot of guys worrying as much about their opponents as they did the ball. Compare that with the Bulldogs. Was Bontempelli concerned with what his opponent was doing? Was Smith? Liberatore? Macrae? Nup!

I am worried that the presence of Gawn will see us serve up the same.
 

sr20

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As bad as last night was, we have to take some positives out of it moving forward:
- Mills, McInerney and Rowbottom are three of those
- Papley is unbelievable

- Mills needs to play in the Midfield
- McInerney a Wing, same as Dawson so he is kicking inside 50 and his height on the wing can be used as a target
- Need a KPD back, Brand did a great job Round 1 and 2, if he's no good Melican needs to come in and do the job
- I think it's been misleading the job that COR has been doing as a lock down small defender as well, there smalls forward looked dangerous all night last with Lloyd et al down there matching up on them.
- McCartin comes back as a mobile CHF
- Only two of Gray, Taylor, Hayward, Ronke can play
- Only two of McCartin, Blakey and McLean can play, and McLean can work with Sinclair in the Ruck. He's worth persisting with.

If we can run these 6 - JPK Parker Hewett Mills Florent Rowbottom - through the Mids I think there's enough talent and ball winning ability to compete.

Needs to look something like

B: Rampe; Brand/Melican; COR
HB: Cunningham; Aliir; Fox
C: McInerney; JPK; Dawson
HF: Heeney McCartin Gray
F: Papley McLean Taylor
R: Sinclair Parker Florent
INT: Hewett (mids), Rowbottom (mids), Mills (mids) Lloyd (HB/Wings)

IN: Gray, COR, Brand/Melican, McCartin
OUT: Hayward, Blakey, Naismith, Ronke
 
Should be a winnable game.

Horse should make an example of someone like Hayward.

If we get the North game effort should be in the contest.

Having watched the game now we were all over them at the start but could not transfer it to the scoreboard then dropped the bundle late in the first quarter fro some reason.

Got to win that first quarter. We always seem to be making a late run and that will not work out well over the long haul - answer is f’ed if I know. Something is amiss.
Oh, really? You don't say...

You mean like a pandemic, or ongoing isolation, or the lack of being touched for those who are single and haven't had a hug in three bloody months... or perhaps its that the twos aren't playing and so the practice games aren't up to scratch, or maybe its the fact that every week we add someone to the injury list.
Or maybe it's because a large percentage of the staff that they knew and loved have been sacked... with no known date of return, if they every do...

I'm sure you're right... something is amiss!
 
Let them have a run around in the scratch matches. Far from ideal but I think they'd get the rocket up the arse they need/more confidence from thriving at a lower level, than by continuing to flounder at senior level, which I think can have a legitimate impact on their development. Sometimes you need something to just stop the rot, one week even can do that.

It's also just about setting standards. Rowbottom and McInerney were two of the only ones who worked their absolute back-sides off against the Bulldogs, because they probably had the two least-safe spots in the team as the youngest. Blakey and Hayward haven't yet had to contend with that level of accountability, and it's showing.
Really, it depends on the person and what they react to best. Second guessing someone with Horse's level of experiencing in developing youngsters is not somewhere I'd want to go...
 
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