team for north

[Jabso]

No offence to Wakelin, but i cannot get over how he and his bro are still playing. Especially your one, with the young pool of backmen you guys have, he should be running around in the twos (Williamstown?)

Shane Wakelin's preseason form has been good. We made the finals last year, we should aim to go further into the finals this year I don't care where you think we'll finish, have you ever heard of a team aiming lower than their finish the year before? Hence we will play Wakelin if suitable, no point 'tanking' in round 1.

HOWEVER he may not get a match up due to Thompson being out.

My team atm would be:

B: 8. J.Clement (c), 35. S.Prestigiacomo, 22. R.Shaw
HB: 37. S.Iles, 27. N.Maxwell, 3. R.Lonie

C: 13. D.Thomas, 10. S.Pendlebury, 39. H.Shaw

HF: 1. L.Davis, 32. T.Cloke, 25. J.Fraser
F: 18. P.Licuria, 23. A.Rocca, 7. P.Medhurst

R: 40. C.Bryan, 11. S.O'Bree, 26. B.Johnson

Int: 17. S.Burns, 20. B.Reid, 24. T.Lockyer, 36. D.Swan

Emg: 15. C.Egan, 30. H.O'Brien, 14. S.Wakelin

 

[toommy]

With Thompson out, we now dont need to play Presti, Wakes, Clement & Maxwell.

Wakelin will again be the unlucky one to miss out due to match ups. Now with bucks out I think in comes Bryan (to send Fraser forward) & Didak may be rested, so in comes Egan.

who will play on brown or hale at chb we don't need clement banging bodies with those big guys they are taylor made for wakelin. presti to play on edwards and clement on the smart smallish forward jones or grant and a toss up for the rest

 

[doppleganger]

who will play on brown or hale at chb we don't need clement banging bodies with those big guys they are taylor made for wakelin. presti to play on edwards and clement on the smart smallish forward jones or grant and a toss up for the rest

maxwell could take brown
hale is a ruckman, wont matter who we play on them as they will be giving away height and size, so let max have a crack again

 

[toommy]

maxwell could take brown
hale is a ruckman, wont matter who we play on them as they will be giving away height and size, so let max have a crack again

i saw max play on a resting lade last year at the dome. it came down twice and lade marked it both times and kicked 2 goals.now if i were the north coach i would isolate brown or hale in the goal square if they were opposed to maxwell

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

maxwell could take brown
hale is a ruckman, wont matter who we play on them as they will be giving away height and size, so let max have a crack again

Presti could take Brown, Maxwell takes Edwards, Clement best small forward, and if they swing Hale forward you drop Bryan or Fraser deep into defence.

Cant see a need for Wakelin to play but his preseason form has been good so he may get a spot on the bench anyway.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

i saw max play on a resting lade last year at the dome. it came down twice and lade marked it both times and kicked 2 goals.now if i were the north coach i would isolate brown or hale in the goal square if they were opposed to maxwell

Lade's an AA player - he was easily the best tall in the game last year. Maxwell would not have been on his own getting beaten by him last year. Besides, I'd play Presti on Brown anyway, and they'll double team him as he's now their only key forward option.

 

[toommy]

Lade's an AA player - he was easily the best tall in the game last year. Maxwell would not have been on his own getting beaten by him last year. Besides, I'd play Presti on Brown anyway, and they'll double team him as he's now their only key forward option.

hale played chf for them through the preseason so expect him down there somewhere and edwards at ff

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

hale played chf for them through the preseason so expect him down there somewhere and edwards at ff

Presti can play CHB and Bryan/Fraser can help out. If Hale comes forward, Clement takes Brown and Presti takes Hale. Maxwell or Lonie can handle Edwards who after all is no more than a VFL player yet. I cant see how we can fit Wakelin in - North have a lot of pace and we need as many running players as possible to counter that.

 

[doppleganger]

Presti can play CHB and Bryan/Fraser can help out. If Hale comes forward, Clement takes Brown and Presti takes Hale. Maxwell or Lonie can handle Edwards who after all is no more than a VFL player yet. I cant see how we can fit Wakelin in - North have a lot of pace and we need as many running players as possible to counter that.

agree with most of that

Wakelin has shown in the pre-season that he is still up to playing good quality AFL footy, only problem for Wakes is that he doesn't really demand a place in the team

a combo of presti, clement, maxwell can cover most oppo forward lines, the only way he would get a game is at maxwell's expense id imagine, or we decided to play clement as a number 1 small defender, he would probably do a better job than lockyer has done in the past!!

good to have wakes, harry o as back up defenders

 

[toommy]

Presti can play CHB and Bryan/Fraser can help out. If Hale comes forward, Clement takes Brown and Presti takes Hale. Maxwell or Lonie can handle Edwards who after all is no more than a VFL player yet. I cant see how we can fit Wakelin in - North have a lot of pace and we need as many running players as possible to counter that.

i disagree we have to have clement on the most dangerous forward which in this case is jones or grant. having wakelin in to take hale or brown along with presti. if we have clement going up against these big guys every week will only decrease his longevity in the game it will take it's toll

 

[doppleganger]

i disagree we have to have clement on the most dangerous forward which in this case is jones or grant. having wakelin in to take hale or brown along with presti. if we have clement going up against these big guys every week will only decrease his longevity in the game it will take it's toll

could be argued that he doesn't have to run as much against blokes like brown etc.

 

[toommy]

could be argued that he doesn't have to run as much against blokes like brown etc.

but banging bodies takes it's toll look at dermie and carey towards the end

 

[Z_K]

There isn't a bloke in our forward line that would bother Clement even slightly. I would play him on Grant, as he is our best chance at a largish goal tally. Presti should play on Edwards, who is a goalsquare FF.

I reckon both backlines have the edge given Buckley and Didak's likely absence and the human tragedy of Thompson's ****ing knee inkury.

You blokes have smashed us around the contests for three years now. Bigger, stronger bodies. McIntosh has had a massive pre-season and should have Fraser's measure in the ruck.

We'll win I reckon.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

B: Lockyer Prestigiacomo Maxwell
HB: Johnson Clement O'Brien
C: H. Shaw O'Bree Pendlebury
HF: Thomas Cloke Medhurst
F: Reid Rocca Egan
Fo: Fraser Licuria Davis

Int: Bryan, Burns, Swan, Cox

 

[Coin_Toss]

B: T. Lockyer, S. Prestigiacomo, N. Maxwell
HB: H. Shaw, J. Clement, H. O'Brien
C: R. Shaw, S. Pendlebury, R. Lonie
HF: D. Thomas, T. Cloke, L. Davis
F: P. Licuria, A. Rocca, P. Medhurst
Foll: J. Fraser, B. Johnson, S. O'Bree

Int: G. Richards, S. Burns, D. Swan, S. Iles

Emg: C. Egan, B. Reid, S. Wakelin

Any thoughts?

 

[The Royal Sampler]

I don't think R. Shaw's form warrants his inclusion, nor Lonie's, but that comes down to my own observations of the preseason games.

Also, Egan could be very useful leading out in the forward 50, he's quick, has a great leap albeit not great hands, and is a good set shot for goal.

 

[Coin_Toss]

Also, Egan could be very useful leading out in the forward 50, he's quick, has a great leap albeit not great hands, and is a good set shot for goal.

I thought about Egan - he probably will play but not at the expense of Shaw and Lonie (perhaps Harry O).

Ben Reid is a kid still. Round 1 is such an important game to kick off the season in style that I wouldn't throw him to the wolves. However, he will get a few opportunities throughout the year as one of the three talls - alongside Travis Cloke and Anthony Rocca - and he will get experience through them, which should hold him in good stead next year.

 

[zorbadunde]

B: T. Lockyer, S. Prestigiacomo, N. Maxwell
HB: H. Shaw, J. Clement, H. O'Brien
C: R. Shaw, S. Pendlebury, R. Lonie
HF: D. Thomas, T. Cloke, L. Davis
F: P. Licuria, A. Rocca, P. Medhurst
Foll: J. Fraser, B. Johnson, S. O'Bree

Int: G. Richards, S. Burns, D. Swan, S. Iles

Emg: C. Egan, B. Reid, S. Wakelin

Any thoughts?

i'd put in Iles for lockyer, i would like to see him on the park for the small defensive roll

 

[Lockyer24]

With Thompson out, we now dont need to play Presti, Wakes, Clement & Maxwell.

Wakelin will again be the unlucky one to miss out due to match ups. Now with bucks out I think in comes Bryan (to send Fraser forward) & Didak may be rested, so in comes Egan.

Good point. Wakelin out for team balance would be fine although I think we have looked solid with him in during the pre-season.

Buckley obviously out now, perhaps Didak in. I would give Cox a go if you wanted to drop Wakelin/Dids didn't come up.

 

[Lockyer24]

Swan on the bench?
Well done tho

I think you will find he almost always starts on the bench as does Burnsy. Watch the midfield rotations off the bench - there is a sh*t load even in just the first quarter

 

[Jabso]

I think you will find he almost always starts on the bench as does Burnsy. Watch the midfield rotations off the bench - there is a sh*t load even in just the first quarter

That was a great move by the coaching staff having one of O'Bree, Swan or even Holland sit out the first quarter. Especially when the first 2 were in great form in the previous weeks. When they came on they made immediate impact.

 

[mark73]

I'm surprised Leigh Brown is getting so much attention. Trust me, he won't be the difference between a victory or a loss. The guy is a first class dingleberry.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

but banging bodies takes it's toll look at dermie and carey towards the end

Clement is already 28, 29 years old and in peak fitness. I dont think his longevity is an issue.

 

[nick_savo]

Is Clement only 29?

 

[The Royal Sampler]

I'm surprised Leigh Brown is getting so much attention. Trust me, he won't be the difference between a victory or a loss. The guy is a first class dingleberry.

Love the use of the word "dingleberry".