Preview Round 6: Collingwood vs Essendon, MCG, ANZAC DAY, Sunday 25/04/2021 @ 3.20pm

[Bombers36]

Really looking forward to this game - it will be a good test for Essendon & Collingwood - both teams down on confidence & form.
Losing Ridley - our best defender - is huge, but this is somewhat counterbalanced in our favor with the Pies losing 3 of their better players in De Goey, Mihocek & Howe... Collingwood are currently slight favourites with Sportsbet bookies @ $1.77 - but really this game could go either way. Hoping we see a solid effort from our boys and there might be a couple of changes. At this stage it could be;-

OUT: Ridley, Jones, Waterman
IN: Phillips, Zakka, Gleeson

Team;-

Laverde Francis Redman
Heppell Reid Hind
Ham McGarth Cox
Langford Stringer Snelling
Perkins Hooker Tippa

Phillips Parish Merrett

Bench: Smith Guelfi Zakka 2MP

SUB: Gleeson


Really hope we play Phillips as main ruck - this will allow 2MP to drop back in defence and play on Cox & the Pies other talls. Comon Bombers...!!!

 

[eth-dog]

We're half a chance here. Also Cox had 2 goals from 10 touches in the VFL yesterday, hardly the stuff of immediate recall

 

[Duckworth]

Out: Ridley, Waterman
In: Guelfi, Bryan
Sub: Zakka.

Bryan can debut and play on Grundy. Will be a good learnings. Could also make a case for Phillips here (as he had the better VFL game).
Waterman unlucky, but we need another ruck.

 

[Doss]

Bryan or Phillips are a must. Wright is woefully out of his depth as the main ruck.

 

[boncer34]

Bryan or Phillips are a must. Wright is woefully out of his depth as the main ruck.

Agreed. May as well have kept Smack for Wright's current role, he's much better at it.

 

[vass44]

Bryan or Phillips are a must. Wright is woefully out of his depth as the main ruck.

Absolutely need ruck support - I’d lean towards Phillips. Zakka (Anzac day specialist) should come in and given Ridley went down wouldn’t hurt having Gleeson as our medical SUB. Hoping Hooker kicks 7 or 8 - he’s on target for a 60 - 70 goal season!


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[Doss]

Why stop there. I'm happy for Hooker to kick 17 or 18.

 

[pazza]

Out: Ridley (concussion), Wright (omitted), Smith (omitted)
In: Phillips, Zerk-Thatcher, Zaharakis

B: Laverde, Zerk-Thatcher, Redman
HB: Heppell, Reid, Hind
C: Cox, McGrath, Langford
HF: Snelling, Jones, Zaharakis
F: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Hooker, Stringer
R: Phillips, Merrett, Parish
Int: Francis, Perkins, Guelfi, Waterman
Sub: Ham
Emerg: Wright, Smith, Bryan, Gleeson

 

[Megabattimus]

Out: Ridley (concussion), Wright (omitted), Smith (omitted)
In: Phillips, Zerk-Thatcher, Zaharakis

B: Laverde, Zerk-Thatcher, Redman
HB: Heppell, Reid, Hind
C: Cox, McGrath, Langford
HF: Snelling, Jones, Zaharakis
F: McDonald-Tipungwuti, Hooker, Stringer
R: Phillips, Merrett, Parish
Int: Francis, Perkins, Guelfi, Waterman
Sub: Ham
Emerg: Wright, Smith, Bryan, Gleeson

I'm gonna be kinda annoyed if those aren't the changes we make.

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[DapperJong]

How's Ambrose travelling? Could use him down back with Ridley out.

 

[Megabattimus]

How's Ambrose travelling? Could use him down back with Ridley out.

I think he's probably a couple more weeks away?

 

[Halftimehero]

Why didn’t Gleeson play VFL?

 

[Macca18]

Collingwood aren’t travelling much better than what we are, but I still think their best (particularly in a big game) is better than ours - injuries or no injuries.

They generally stand up on the special day/game that it is. We rock up, most years, expecting a different story only to be 4-5 goals down at Quarter Time and unsuccessfully playing catch up for the rest of the game. As I said in another thread, deer in headlights stuff.

Both clubs under the pump after pretty disappointing efforts this weekend.

A majority of the football world will see this as a 50/50 contest with both teams struggling. I think most of us know better though that we will need to play exceptionally well to win.

 

[Halftimehero]

Don’t like dropping kids after 1 game, but Reid doesn’t look anywhere near ready to play just yet.

 

[Doss]

Collingwood aren’t travelling much better than what we are, but I still think their best (particularly in a big game) is better than ours - injuries or no injuries.

They generally stand up on the special day/game that it is. We rock up, most years, expecting a different story only to be 4-5 goals down at Quarter Time and unsuccessfully playing catch up for the rest of the game. As I said in another thread, deer in headlights stuff.

Both clubs under the pump after pretty disappointing efforts this weekend.

A majority of the football world will see this as a 50/50 contest with both teams struggling. I think most of us know better though that we will need to play exceptionally well to win.

I’d argue they’re travelling no better than us at all, relative to expectations.

 

[Kyptastic]

Don’t like dropping kids after 1 game, but Reid doesn’t look anywhere near ready to play just yet.

It was the worst possible conditions for a tall to debut, seems a bit early to make that call

 

[Yoda_]

I’d argue they’re travelling no better than us at all, relative to expectations.

A Collingwood supporter called up SEN one night last week and was like what expectations? Most Coll supporters expect them to be a 10 - 14th finish on the ladder. It’s a fallacy driven by the media they should be conte dong for the top 4. About where they should be, maybe a little behind with the injuries they’ve been now hit by.


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[Yoda_]

It was the worst possible conditions for a tall to debut, seems a bit early to make that call

We needed height in defence (Hipwood, Daniher and McStay) whilst our key defenders are out injured (Hurley, Ambrose, Stewart) or not big enough for those aforementioned (looks at Francis, Ridley, Gleeson, Laverde).

That’s why Reid played imho, and despite looking like a rake against the seasoned tree trucks Brisbane had, he showed a couple of glimpses of not being overawed at all.


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[Halftimehero]

It was the worst possible conditions for a tall to debut, seems a bit early to make that call

I am not just basing it off last night.

 

[Mikevk123]

In- A.Phillips, B.Zerk-Thatcher, D.Zaharakis,
T.Cutler
Out- J.Ridley(inj), A.Waterman, M.Guelfi, H.Jones(rest)

B A.Francis B.Zerk-Thatcher N.Hind
HB D.Heppell Z.Reid M.Redman
C K.Langford D.Parish N.Cox
HF A.Perkins P.Wright D.Smith
F A.Tipungwutti C.Hooker J.Stringer
FOLL: A.Phillips Z.Merrett A.McGrath
INTER: W.Snelling, D.Zaharakis, J.Laverde,
B.Ham
Sub: T.Cutler
Emergencies: N.Bryan, M.Guelfi, L.Johnson

 

[TheGrizz]

If we are bringing in a primary ruck to shift Wright forward (or replace him), it has to be Phillips.

Debuting Bryan against Grundy who will have a rocket up him after his last fortnight (and likely licking his lips at this ruck matchup) would be borderline inhumane

 

[Howard Moon]

I'd love to see Bryan in but Phillips did a number on Grundy last time they played, probably won us the game that night. Points on the board or the youth train?

 

[TheGrizz]

Collingwood dont have a tall forwardline, so replacing Ridley with Guelfi as a swap is probably a pretty easy decision.

Phillips in for ruck support, but unsure whether that is in replacement of Wright, or maybe send Wright forward and rest a younger guy or, dare i say it, drop Devon?

 

[dave10]

I’d argue they’re travelling no better than us at all, relative to expectations.

Agree, but they’re better than us. They should win by 4-5 goals in my opinion.

 

[Hird05]

Just signed Smith so be pretty unlikely they drop him. I'd personally rather see Zaharakis in. Heppell looks cooked. Could get awkward there if he doesn't do something soon. Surely Ambrose at 75% would offer more. Doesn't really matter anyway so long as the kids keep getting picked. Liked Reid.