Same 22?

[Bradesmaen]

http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/AFL-news-display/dockers-set-to-stick-with-same-22-33403

Fremantle caretaker coach Mark Harvey says the squad that thumped Essendon by 63 points last week deserves to be rewarded with selection again, despite a number of key players pushing their case for a recall.
Key taggers Matthew Carr and Steven Dodd are expected to be fit for Saturday's cutthroat clash against St Kilda at Melbourne's Telstra Dome, while midfielder Des Headland (hamstring) is another who will be pushing his case for selection.
However, the trio could be forced to spend a week in the wilderness after Harvey signalled his reluctance to change a winning side.
"It's very hard to make changes when they play like they do," Harvey said, also adding that Troy Cook will again be named in the 25-man squad but was unlikely to play.
"I think when you play to that sort of maximum that we have played in the last two weeks you'd like to reward those guys for that effort."

Fremantle have surged back into top-eight calculations on the back of three wins since Harvey took over the reins a month ago.
The Dockers enter round 20 just two points adrift of eighth spot, but a loss against the Saints would consign Harvey's charges back onto the AFL's scrapheap.
"I haven't spoken about it much at all," Harvey said of the club's finals chances.
"You learn in this game not to go down that track too quickly, so unless you know categorically that you're there, you rarely mention it."
"So we all understand we can't get carried away about where we're at, we've just got to nail it in the next three weeks. Obviously when you have a run like we've had in the last month there's a tinge of excitement about where we are going. But that's all it is at the moment."
With the Saints boasting power forwards Nick Riewoldt, Justin Koschitzke and Fraser Gehrig, and the Dockers possessing the likes of Matthew Pavlich, Chris Tarrant and Jeff Farmer, Harvey predicted Saturday's clash would be a battle of the forward lines.
"The forward lines are exciting at both ends and it might well come down to the backlines being able to do the job. Out backline is very stable and work well for each other so hopefully they can combat what is a strength for St Kilda," he said.
"We've got a good record against St Kilda in the last couple of years but that counts for nothing when it gets to the business end of the season and the pressure is on everyone to play for a spot in the eight."
Harvey said clean skills were the key to winning at the fast-paced Dome.


Clean skills... so why Macca?

 

[E Shed]

I love it. Finally someone with some balls, instead of "oh Des is fit and he's a number 1 draft pick so we'll give him a game over someone else who played their heart out last week". This sends a message to the players, if you play your heart out and give your all you stay in the team. It also sends a message to those on the sideline you have to earn your place back. Imagine how much harder they will ALL play this week than if it's just business as usual.

THIS IS NOT A DIG AT DES. Just used him as an example.

I am starting to really like Harvey.

 

[ImperialPurple]

I agree... but I don't think for one minute that there won't be a change or two...

 

[Ripper]

I agree... but I don't think for one minute that there won't be a change or two...

As long as the chamges arn't the "same old same old". Now where have i heard that before?

Interesting comments from Pav Here

“A lot of things have happened this year which will mean there needs some drastic change for us to go forward and play some winning football.

“You look through the playing group and we’re the second-oldest list. Some of the young guys that have been playing over the last few weeks have been tremendous. Andrew Foster debuted on the weekend and looked brilliant. Daniel Gilmore has been in great form, and Robbie Warnock. If we can blood a few of these young guys and get them in there, that’d be great.”

 

[ImperialPurple]

As long as the chamges arn't the "same old same old". Now where have i heard that before?

Interesting comments from Pav Here

Some incredibly intelligent and inciteful person said it I believe.

 

[hoogs]

Hayden McPharlin Grover
Mundy Johnson Thornton
Headland Bell Black
Solomon Pavlich Crowley
Murphy Tarrant Farmer

R: Warnock, J.Carr, Hasleby

I: Schammer, Gilmore, McManus, Peake

E: M.Carr, Cook, Drum

Give Dodd a game in the WAFL.

Why mess with it. And that includes Macca. His skills haven't been tooooo bad this year.

 

[Marcel]

I think this a great strategy. Gives the players something to aim for, ie. consistency. Good for morale especially at this point in the season. Harvs is the man
​

 

[Kenny_01]

I can't see Murphy playing on the smaller Telstra Dome.

This confirms that Macca will not get dropped though.

 

[Kenny_01]

I love it. Finally someone with some balls, instead of "oh Des is fit and he's a number 1 draft pick so we'll give him a game over someone else who played their heart out last week". This sends a message to the players, if you play your heart out and give your all you stay in the team. It also sends a message to those on the sideline you have to earn your place back. Imagine how much harder they will ALL play this week than if it's just business as usual.

THIS IS NOT A DIG AT DES. Just used him as an example.

I am starting to really like Harvey.

Des played his heart out though when we were sucking and was conisistantly one of our best players for 3 months in a row. Does this now count for nil?

Same goes for Dodd. They have been 2 of our best all season.

 

[Ripper]

Some incredibly intelligent and inciteful person said it I believe.

Not to mention modest and good looking.

 

[Ripper]

I can't see Murphy playing on the smaller Telstra Dome.

This confirms that Macca will not get dropped though.

Can't do that until the coach is signed and sealed.

 

[Marcel]

Des played his heart out though when we were sucking and was conisistantly one of our best players for 3 months in a row. Does this now count for nil?

Same goes for Dodd. They have been 2 of our best all season.

Good point. Des should be starting for sure

 

[theGav56]

I love it. Finally someone with some balls, instead of "oh Des is fit and he's a number 1 draft pick so we'll give him a game over someone else who played their heart out last week". This sends a message to the players, if you play your heart out and give your all you stay in the team. It also sends a message to those on the sideline you have to earn your place back. Imagine how much harder they will ALL play this week than if it's just business as usual.

THIS IS NOT A DIG AT DES. Just used him as an example.

I am starting to really like Harvey.

Why use him as an example, as well as refering to him being the number 1 draft pick then, instead of refering to Dodd or Carr? Of course it's a dig at Headland, and given his form this year, quite an extra-ordinary one.

The only thing that should happen with selection, is that the best 22 are selected each week.

 

[sumavich]

There might be something in another thread about Des not going in to the middle when he was told, and sent the wiz in there instead. Could have been in the Geelong game. Obviously Harvey was not impressed.

 

[prattsta]

Why use him as an example, as well as refering to him being the number 1 draft pick then, instead of refering to Dodd or Carr? Of course it's a dig at Headland, and given his form this year, quite an extra-ordinary one.

The only thing that should happen with selection, is that the best 22 are selected each week.

Exactly. I can't imagine this wouldn't be Harvey's philosophy anyway. Harvey only said "It's very hard to make changes when they play like they do," he didn't say it was impossible.

 

[E Shed]

Why use him as an example, as well as refering to him being the number 1 draft pick then, instead of refering to Dodd or Carr? Of course it's a dig at Headland, and given his form this year, quite an extra-ordinary one.

The only thing that should happen with selection, is that the best 22 are selected each week.

I knew this would happen which is why I bolded the bit that says IT"S NOT A DIG. It was suposed to be an example of what I believe the kind of selection process was under CC. Some players, including Des were walk up starts no matter what they did on the field and it hurt the morale of the team. Players like Gimoure would come in for 1 game because of an injury or suspension and would go straight back out regardless of how they played. What does that say to the players? To the favoured ones it says you get a game no matter what and to those on the outer the opposite. ALL the players need to know if they do the work they will get a chance.

Both Headland and Dodd have been superb this year and would be in my best 22 every week. Dodd is actually my favourite player and Des would be in my top 10. BUT I think if the players that are out there do the business and give there all they deserve to play again. If circumstances are different and there's no match up for that player or a different strategy that's different.

I am aplauding what I see as the psychology of Harvey's comments and the thinking behind them, not the inclusion or exclusion of any specific player.

As for the best 22 for the Dome I would be bringing in Dodd for Macca and Headland (if fit) for Murphy.

 

[The Night Shift]

I love it. Finally someone with some balls, instead of "oh Des is fit and he's a number 1 draft pick so we'll give him a game over someone else who played their heart out last week". This sends a message to the players, if you play your heart out and give your all you stay in the team. It also sends a message to those on the sideline you have to earn your place back. Imagine how much harder they will ALL play this week than if it's just business as usual.

THIS IS NOT A DIG AT DES. Just used him as an example.

I am starting to really like Harvey.

Agreed. Well Put

Is the same team however, from the Essendon victory, suitable for the dome gorund?

 

[DOCKER MAN]

Bring Dodd straight back in his has been one of our best most consistent players this year, bring him in for Murphy and have a ruckman in the goal square. Headland shouldn't play as his confidence will be down and he is shithouse when its down a week in the wafl before he comes back. M Carr shouldn't come back in, we just don't need him and their should be about 3 midfielders ahead of him (Webster, Cook, Foster).

 

[FD369]

I knew this would happen which is why I bolded the bit that says IT"S NOT A DIG. It was suposed to be an example of what I believe the kind of selection process was under CC. Some players, including Des were walk up starts no matter what they did on the field and it hurt the morale of the team. Players like Gimoure would come in for 1 game because of an injury or suspension and would go straight back out regardless of how they played. What does that say to the players? To the favoured ones it says you get a game no matter what and to those on the outer the opposite. ALL the players need to know if they do the work they will get a chance.

Both Headland and Dodd have been superb this year and would be in my best 22 every week. Dodd is actually my favourite player and Des would be in my top 10. BUT I think if the players that are out there do the business and give there all they deserve to play again. If circumstances are different and there's no match up for that player or a different strategy that's different.

I am aplauding what I see as the psychology of Harvey's comments and the thinking behind them, not the inclusion or exclusion of any specific player.

As for the best 22 for the Dome I would be bringing in Dodd for Macca and Headland (if fit) for Murphy.

Do you believe then there was some sort of "purple circle" of players around CC and certain players were.....for the want of a better word ....protected?

Gilmore is a good example of those given a game or two but his form back then was erratic at best.

As a lot of players have said recently they all start with a clean sheet under Harvey so surely he would be enforcing the basic selection rules, as well as trying to keep an eye on the horses for courses method.





Even as a staunch CC supporter I like what I see under Harvey.

 

[malpaso]

Foster will make way for M.Carr
Murphy might make way for Webster

On Gilmore, he hardly ever got back2back games under CC and when he did it was in patchwork positions. He basically looked confused and lacked confidence.

 

[E Shed]

Do you believe then there was some sort of "purple circle" of players around CC and certain players were.....for the want of a better word ....protected?

Even as a staunch CC supporter I like what I see under Harvey.

Yeh I guess I do. It seemed that players like Medhurst & Headland got a game every week no matter what while players like Macca languished in the 2's. There was definitely a morale problem in the first half of last year. After the Rick's farm meeting last year it seemed that selection policies changed and Medders, for example went to the 2's and eventually Eddiewood.

With the salary cap rules there really isn't that much between the clubs these days in terms of players and a lot comes down to the spirit in the group. The best example of this at the moment is the Kangaroos, fighting well above their weight because, for whatever reason, the players are playing for each other and as a team.

Really these days with all the experts available for all the skills and tactics the main job of the coach must be to put spirit into the players and just looking at the way the players are going about it so far under Harvey I believe they are starting to play as a unified group again.
So far the message is right.

 

[FD369]

I honestly dislike the purple circle theory because everyone has their version and it becomes more sinister as chinese whispers can do.

There is enough evidence in our 9 game streak last year as well as the recent results, to prove that pressure of form players outside the 22 can create their own results within.

Lets all hope the trend continues and our club can reap the benefits of the recent changes.

 

[ImperialPurple]

This from afl.com.au:

Harvey said star forward Des Headland, who has missed two games with a hamstring strain, and Steven Dodd, who was a late omission from the side that beat Essendon in what was to be his first game back from a shoulder injury, were unlikely to return for Saturday's game.

Harvey said Headland's fitness was still in doubt and he also wants to reward the players that have won matches against West Coast and Essendon.

"It is very hard to make changes when they play like they do," he said.

"When you play like we have in the last two weeks, you like to reward the effort."

 

[Vintage]

I think it would be very harsh on Dodd if he didn't come back into the team if fit, he's been excellent this year. And am I confused, or has he had played ok on Reiwoldt before?

 

[theGav56]

There might be something in another thread about Des not going in to the middle when he was told, and sent the wiz in there instead. Could have been in the Geelong game. Obviously Harvey was not impressed.

More likely it is the speculation of some poster than the actual truth, because if it was anything other than fitness, Headland would have been required to train at full pace. Anything else has more theatre than Broadway.