Round 7: Changes Vs Adelaide Crows

[sherrif]

Blakely is a significant upgrade on Brayshaw, Cerra, Hughes, Nyhuis, Conca, Colyer and Tucker in any of their respective positions. He shouldn't struggle to find a spot.

No one is saying he shouldnt struggle to find a spot. He last played round 14 last year. Another game does helps him regain touch. Doesnt seem he was great against Subiaco. Rush him back before hes' regained that touch and you dont get the best version of Blkakely.

 

[Dale147]

It looks like we got out pretty well unscathed, aside from the incident with Lobb, but he came back on. What did happen there? But we are in uncharted waters, this much competition for spots shows a healthy list. Unsure what will happen with Blakely. Got the game ready to record tomorrow morning, so I’ll have another squizz at it tomorrow.

 

[sherrif]

Seems we have forgotten what its like to be a good side around here.

When you have a top 10 player coming back from injury, he comes back in once deemed ready because he makes the team better

In the unfamiliar scenario where no one deserves to get dropped, someone who doesnt deserve it gets dropped.

I think this is called depth or something

Seems we've forgotten how many players we've rushed back and as a result we havent got the best versions of them as the season progresses. LIke S.Hill and Walters in recent times if you get Blakely at 85% slightly lacking match fitness you get a better player than plenty in the side. Also, though if we bring back Connor before he's gained a bit more touch it increases the chances we dont get him back at his full potential ad he ends up playing sore most weeks for the rest of the year.

 

[heavho]

Those calling for Conca out. Won’t happen in leadership group and it’s highly unlikely a player in that group will come out

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Seems we've forgotten how many players we've rushed back and as a result we havent got the best versions of them as the season progresses. LIke S.Hill and Walters in recent times if you get Blakely at 85% slightly lacking match fitness you get a better player than plenty in the side. Also, though if we bring back Connor before he's gained a bit more touch it increases the chances we dont get him back at his full potential ad he ends up playing sore most weeks for the rest of the year.

Thats kind of besides the point of my post given I said "once deemed ready"

 

[Taylor]

I'm not convinced Blakely can live up to expectations of him here in the short term.

The longer he is out of the team the better he is.

 

[Tbonefreo]

Why would you drop Ethan? IMO he has been one of our biggest improvers. He is becoming a tough version of Brad Sheppard.

Agreed. I saw him live last week and aside from an early clanger - really had a strong game.

Probably no change at this stage.

 

[Halfbaked]

Got to love big footy.
2015 - Ross didn't play any kids.
2016 - we had no kids to play. Ross can't rebuild teams.
2017, 18 - playing lots of kids. Don't win enough games, sack Ross.
2019 - start well, but are only two midfield injuries away from disaster . But some believe we should drop two second year players that are still building into being good or great players.

 

[Scham]

Maybe we should call it ‘rotation’. Think there’s a fear (possibly legitimate) that if players like Cerra don’t get full time games they will leave.

I’ve been a bit concerned with Ed Langdon after that recent pic with McGuire. He has seemed a bit off his game recently (for Langdon)


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It should never come into it. If the club was thinking that wat then Cox would be playing

 

[yyou]

Blakely for Brayshaw I reckon.
An upgrade in the area we struggled, the midfield.
Simple IMO


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[awaremind]

It should never come into it. If the club was thinking that wat then Cox would be playing

While we are looking like a flag chance i agree, but if we are not, it makes sense to look to the future. If Cox and mccarthy offer the same or similar level of output id play cox everytime as he has more upside and noone in there right mind would poach mccarthy, but cox is hot property, even if he wanted to be traded wed get a better deal byshowing we rate him higher.

 

[awaremind]

Blakely for Brayshaw I reckon.
An upgrade in the area we struggled, the midfield.
Simple IMO


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I think play brayshaw this week, but tell him he'll be rested the following week, and to give 110% Blakely comes in following week. Adelaide will be tough, proably not the right game to bring him back.

 

[fnerd]

The legend of Blakely is a better player than Connor Blakely is.

I like Blakely but is he really that amazing that we have to drop players already performing well in the 1sts to squeeze him in?

Good calls.
Personally think conners a bit overrated on this board.
Sure he COULD become an elite clearance mid but I think atm , certainly on body of work he is not.
We tend to be harsh on Neale for his kicking well I can assure you conners worse , by a fair bit to. Think peoples memories will be jogged on this aspect of his game when he eventually returns

Don’t get me wrong I like him and certainly think he can become a key component of our midfield moving fwd but right atm his reputation (in here anyway)exceeds his actual output to date.
Leave him in the twos to get a bit more touch back .
He hasn’t played since halfway through last year , that’s a fair bit of football

 

[Superkoops]

Still don't see us making any changes personally... it was a 'strong' team effort:

Agree - I’d leave unchanged. Some inspiration from Webber with my comments below.

- Another week in WAFL for Blakely
- Darcy is BUILDING - but needs to get more of the ball in the WAFL
- Duman has to bide his time now because his replacement had a ripper. Tough luck for him he shouldn’t have clocked Whitfield.

Nyhuis: He was brilliant. Was very STRONG and won majority of his one-on-one’s. Made GOOD decisions all night.

Brayshaw: He was solid (but needs to get more of the ball) - body work is STRONG for a second year player (a number of times he worked his player off the ball for someone like Mundy, Walters or Fyfe to come through).

Cerra: I have no issue with Cerra at all. I believe he is still BUILDING his tank. There were a couple of times he was beaten against the red-headed Richards (who is quick). Cerra actually kept up with him but by the time they reached the ball he was cooked and easily pushed aside because he was cooked. Also if he is getting criticised for letting the ball get out the back then Hughes is in big trouble.

Colyer: Did some STRONG harassing work but not his best game with only 11 disposals.

McCarthy: not a great night for either him or Hogan. He is a confidence player and I wouldn’t drop him as he tried hard just wasn’t his night. He would want to return to the GOOD form of the first couple of games as Cox & Darcy are BUILDING in the reserves.

Conca: Rosco loves him and he has been solid and at times GOOD. Makes a few howlers here and there but his best work is done in close. I think he is 0% of getting dropped but I can understand why some don’t like him. A lot of his GOOD work goes unnoticed.

Would definitely like to get Blakely back in to play Tigers in Rd 8.

Brayshaw is one of my favourites but I feel a week or two with Peel would do him the world of good (he stays for another week and gets the opportunity to have a GOOD game). Another quiet game by Colyer and he’d be at the top of my list to drop (but he stays for now). I’d like to get Darcy back in soon but that is up to him to smash the door down at Peel.

Without injuries for Round 8:
Those in the mix to come in: Blakely, Darcy, Duman
Those in the mix to make way: Colyer, Brayshaw, McCarthy


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[sherrif]

Thats kind of besides the point of my post given I said "once deemed ready"

I agree. Im saying once deemed ready as well. I just think that's unlikely to be this week judging by Blakely's performance against Subi that unlikely to be against the Crows. Could be wrong.

 

[jedi mind tricks]

I'm a big proponent of Blakely and cannae wait for him to come back in but who do you drop? I like Conca's leadership, Cerra is fairly solid but needs to work on his decision making, and Colyer is quick. Good improvement from him over the last couple of matches. The only person I'd be willing to drop would be a tall. Think we have too many.

Yes we probably have one too many. So it's out of Hogan Tabs or McCarthy.

Although Freo are wining players like Cox need to get AFL experience to develop. His inclusion at the moment can't happen unless Freo drop a tall or two.

Duman also needs development.

I'd love to see North get a go.

The rebuild also requires player development and AFL games are vital when players are ready

 

[sherrif]

Agree - I’d leave unchanged. Some inspiration from Webber with my comments below.

- Another week in WAFL for Blakely
- Darcy is BUILDING - but needs to get more of the ball in the WAFL
- Duman has to bide his time now because his replacement had a ripper. Tough luck for him he shouldn’t have clocked Whitfield.

Nyhuis: He was brilliant. Was very STRONG and won majority of his one-on-one’s. Made GOOD decisions all night.

Brayshaw: He was solid (but needs to get more of the ball) - body work is STRONG for a second year player (a number of times he worked his player off the ball for someone like Mundy, Walters or Fyfe to come through).

Cerra: I have no issue with Cerra at all. I believe he is still BUILDING his tank. There were a couple of times he was beaten against the red-headed Richards (who is quick). Cerra actually kept up with him but by the time they reached the ball he was cooked and easily pushed aside because he was cooked. Also if he is getting criticised for letting the ball get out the back then Hughes is in big trouble.

Colyer: Did some STRONG harassing work but not his best game with only 11 disposals.

McCarthy: not a great night for either him or Hogan. He is a confidence player and I wouldn’t drop him as he tried hard just wasn’t his night. He would want to return to the GOOD form of the first couple of games as Cox & Darcy are BUILDING in the reserves.

Conca: Rosco loves him and he has been solid and at times GOOD. Makes a few howlers here and there but his best work is done in close. I think he is 0% of getting dropped but I can understand why some don’t like him. A lot of his GOOD work goes unnoticed.

Would definitely like to get Blakely back in to play Tigers in Rd 8.

Brayshaw is one of my favourites but I feel a week or two with Peel would do him the world of good (he stays for another week and gets the opportunity to have a GOOD game). Another quiet game by Colyer and he’d be at the top of my list to drop (but he stays for now). I’d like to get Darcy back in soon but that is up to him to smash the door down at Peel.

Without injuries for Round 8:
Those in the mix to come in: Blakely, Darcy, Duman
Those in the mix to make way: Colyer, Brayshaw, McCarthy


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Colyer's playing a pretty specific role. Add pressure on the ground more than win the ball. He's the Chris Mayne playing an all ground role. If you look at his ground time its around 62% on average in recent weeks. That also means he's likely to get lower stats in terms of possessions. The 1%'s he's done in recent weeks makes it hard to see him dropped, but someone has to go when Blakely is ready.

 

[Kram]

Geez relax, no doubt someone will get injured at some stage and they will get their shot.

 

[StingBitten]

People aren't looking at this objectively (or too objectively? I don't know).

We won the game but got destroyed in the clearance, at the game above ground level it was clear to see its the area we are struggling in at the moment.

It's not not so much about who does or doesn't deserve to be dropped, at this stage I don't care about Blakely's finer points being developed.

I just want him to win the ball in the centre - that's it. Blakely at 70% can (and will) do this better than anyone in the club. It's the reason Barlow was moved on when he probably could've given us another year or two. It's because Blakely is the best at it.

We win more clearances, we have better delivery to our other mids and forward line we Will win more clutch games. We could possibly win or lose the next 5 games by a point.

 

[Wally Walpamur]

I don’t agree with Blakely in for Switta and moving Walters forward. Walters is our most important inside/outside midfielder at the moment. And with Smith and Kelly providing heaps of rebound off d50, we need to keep Switta and Colyer in to pressure them.

Hamling -> Walker
Pearce -> Himmelberg/Jenkins
Hughes -> Lynch
Nyhuis -> Betts
Colyer -> Smith
Switta -> Kelly

ROB isn’t much chop and Lobb should be able to run him around.

This game will be won and lost in the midfield and a great test for AB and Cerra.

Our tall forwards should be a good matchup on their KPD’s and Hogan is working really well getting up the ground.

 

[Freoforever86]

No one is saying he shouldnt struggle to find a spot. He last played round 14 last year. Another game does helps him regain touch. Doesnt seem he was great against Subiaco. Rush him back before hes' regained that touch and you dont get the best version of Blkakely.

Was in full training 3 weeks before his first game. He was right to go last week but they held him out 1 more.
Subi put a ton of work into him. Wasn’t a hard tag, but had someone with him most of the game. He also played a bit of limited minutes & still racked up 20.

We got beaten comfortably in the middle. Blakely in is a no brainer. The only thing is that it’s tough to drop someone when you’re in form. He makes us better though, so unfortunate but good problem to have

 

[sherrif]

[

Was in full training 3 weeks before his first game. He was right to go last week but they held him out 1 more.
Subi put a ton of work into him. Wasn’t a hard tag, but had someone with him most of the game. He also played a bit of limited minutes & still racked up 20.

We got beaten comfortably in the middle. Blakely in is a no brainer. The only thing is that it’s tough to drop someone when you’re in form. He makes us better though, so unfortunate but good problem to have

Isnt that the point. 'He played limited minutes'. Match fitness is different to running laps. I get the whole argument of bringing him back. Personally think that he needs to be closer to his best in terms of touch or our cycle of bringing back players after injury and them not returning to their best will continue. He last played at afl level ten months ago.

 

[Purple Jesus]

Nothing against him, just prefer Blakely in. With Blakely in, Walters goes back forward more so naturally a small comes out. Switta prob the odd one out there.

He along with Mundy gave us momentum at key points in the game. You mustn’t actually watch surely.

 

[Superkoops]

Going to be a full week of this Blakely in Blakely not in. Rosco got asked a dumb question last night (Do you have a thought on Blakely?). I mean really... at that point he had probably been more aware of quiet first half.

The media seem obsessed as much as many on here. He hasn’t even played 50 AFL games yet. I’m comfortable either way but it really isn’t that big a deal.


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[Freoforever86]

He along with Mundy gave us momentum at key points in the game. You mustn’t actually watch surely.

Not arguing that he didn’t. You missed my point about team balance