Tom Hickey 'managed'

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Does Hickey come back in for Longer this week?
Given that Richo basically admitted that Tom was dropped last week and apparently said in his press conference after our game on the weekend that Longer was "pretty strong" and then was clearly happy with what Billy did on AFL 360 last night (although admitting that he was "lame later in the game"- presumably from the knock or knocks he got) I'd say the only way they will make the change will be if Longer doesn't come up from the knock he reportedly got to the hip.
 

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Well Longer was hopeless around the ground and no good in the ruck after halftime.
If Hickey doesnt get chosen would go for Holmes, at least he is effective in the ruck for 4 qtrs and is better than Longer
It's closer than people think.

Longer may get a couple more touches but they aren't of any damage because he refuses to kick the ball.

On the weekend, Longer had 1 kick and 7 handballs, yet went at 37% efficiency, he's turning over handballs.
 

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I certainly can't think of any reason that Longer may have been rusty. I mean, it's not like the last AFL game he played was in 2015.
 
It's closer than people think.

Longer may get a couple more touches but they aren't of any damage because he refuses to kick the ball.

On the weekend, Longer had 1 kick and 7 handballs, yet went at 37% efficiency, he's turning over handballs.

He had 3 effective handballs 4 ineffective handballs and 0 kicks to half time. In the second half he had 1 ineffective kick 0 handballs. So it wasn't a write home return for him. If he plays again this week he needs to contribute more.
 
Longer is a Mumford style ruckman, not a Dean Cox.

Mumford career stats;

SM.PNG

Mumford (career) v Longer (rd5)
kicks - 3.1 v 1 (-2.1)
hballs - 8.2 v 7 (-1.2)
disp - 11.3 v 8 (-3.3)
marks - 2.5 v 1 (-1.5)
tackles - 4.9 v 5 (+0.1)
hitouts - 29.4 v 29 (-0.4)

Down on a few of these stats, but that's to be expected for a 1st AFL game in 12mths+.
 
They either get 3 votes or get dropped.

We can't tolerate mediocrity anymore because we should be 10-0 FFS!
Its not that VDS, itis the fact that Hickey was pilloried on this forum and people demanded Longer come in.
When he wad selected I hoped like hellvI was wrong and that he would kill it.

Facts are, he was next to useless.

If Hickey was managed he should come straight back in. Longer was no good.

I have no dog in this fight except I want the best possible team playing. Longer is not in that best.
 
I personally have wanted to play Longer this year and wanted him to succeed. He was good early but then fell away on the weekend. I think if he gets soundly beaten this weekend he should be dropped back to the VFL. I am still hoping he steps up because it is what we need him to be the player we traded for.
 
All jokes aside, the club has dug itself I to a hole on this issue.

The messaging was atrocious.

Hickey should have been managed or dropped. Simple.

It may well be internally they see Billy as the better long term solution. Apparently so according to some on here. Fair enough.

But here's the rub...

Despite Billy supposedly killing it preseason, he didn't start round one.

Now if Hickey was dropped on form, then so be it. However, he didn't play for Sandy, so we have to assume he was sore.

The club should have left it at that.

So technically, if he was being managed and is now fit, he should be picked tonight.

If they want to give Billy an extended run then call it that way and be honest about it.

Like I said, Richo totally ****ed this up with his comments.
 

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