Walking Wounded...

[eagleskickass]

Caught channel 10 sport tonight and it wasnt good news Phil Matera and McIntosh have already been ruled out (with Matera wearing a heavy brace and still struggling!), chick struggling with his calf...again and many others such as cousins, kerr etc not participating. Gee we are SO damn lucky we had the bye last weekend! Hopefully all can be right for this weeks game against the roos, we need the best team on the park we can get!

 

[larrikin]

At this stage of the season Cousins & Kerr should be resting. They run about 18 km a game, which any runner knows is quite a distance, and they run that at pretty much full pace - every week. These boys don't need any work this time of year (fitness wise) and a couple of skills sessions is heaps to keep them on track....

 

[jod23]

Bad news that Matera is still struggling. He was a real chance for the coleman but if he is forced to miss another week or perhaps two, he will have no chance. I also wanted him to kick 70+ which is the special number for small forwards. I read somewhere that only 4 or 5 small forwards had ever kicked more than 70 goals in a season.

 

[iceman]

Pity about Matera.... but i guess resting him now will be handy come the finals

Most of the midfield group should be rested, our game plan revolves around them so lets keep them fresh before the second half of the season

 

[carlyp]

I read an article, Jako said the guys hadnt really done much on the track in the last week and were just starting to get back into the swing of things this week. I agree though, I say we rest Cuzz and Kerr this week, give some of our lesser likes a chance to shine.

 

[The Passenger]

I think we should take it easy during the week, a few light sessions, nothing ot major, and just prepare outselves mentally for the Roos.

The Roos are a top side, easily the best Victorian team at the moment, so it's not as if you can just count it in as a win.

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by Black Thunder
I think we should take it easy during the week, a few light sessions, nothing ot major, and just prepare outselves mentally for the Roos.

The Roos are a top side, easily the best Victorian team at the moment, so it's not as if you can just count it in as a win.

Yeah I know. But I think the lesser likes can shine! They have fresh legs and Im sure they can hold the fort for atleast one week. We have to think long term imo!

 

[jod23]

Originally posted by carlyp
Yeah I know. But I think the lesser likes can shine! They have fresh legs and Im sure they can hold the fort for atleast one week. We have to think long term imo!

You cant rest guys like Cousins and Kerr. They are young and they do this week in, week out. Resting a McIntosh of Jakovich could be done, but not a Cousins or Kerr.

If they are fit, play them. Simple as that. In fact if they are at 75%, play them

 

[RzrBlade]

Originally posted by carlyp
I say we rest Cuzz and Kerr this week, give some of our lesser likes a chance to shine.

That is not the right way to look at things, they must be played if they are even remotely fit. Its their jobs, and it would be unprofessional of us to rest them when they are payed for a reason - which is to get on the field on game day and kick A$$!

another reason is, and also a smart one to follow: do not doubt your opposition, and by letting walk-up starting 22 players rest is an insult to an opposing side and not a smart thing to do. if i remember correctly, you said before the western bulldogs match that we should rest our players. we didn't obviously, but we all know the outcome of that match and the moral of it is: do not take your opposition lightly, and always go into a game with your best 22 available.

 

[Mead]

With the exception of the loss to Adelaide, we've failed to win games this year because we haven't treated bottom tier sides with the respect they deserve- On one hand, against good sides we've gone out really hard and come away with excellent wins (Port, Brisbane, Fremantle) but the losses to Hawthorn, Essendon and the draw to Bulldogs seem to suggest we can get a bit overconfident?

Oddly enough, of our next stretch of 4, the two games which worry me the most are the Kangas and Carlton at subi- I've no doubts that we'll go into the port and sydney games focused, enjoying the challenge and wanting to knock off the big boys, and whether or not we come away with 2 wins, you can pretty much guarantee you'll at least see 4 quarters of good footy from us.

Against the Roos and Carlton, though, there is still a risk that we won't take these games seriously. Resting Kerr and Cousins would not be a good idea- the Roos are a hell of a lot better than the Bulldogs, and they drew with us.

 

[dus]

Originally posted by carlyp
I say we rest Cuzz and Kerr this week, give some of our lesser
likes a chance to shine.

If you did that we would almost win.

This is the whole reason why you are such a good side, midfeild dominance.

Interesting to see McIntosh not playing. With Rocca, Petrie and Diggers, we might be able to strech you backline. Jacko would have to go back one would also think.

Matera not playing is a huge bonus for us. He plays well against us, as most small goal sneaks do. Expect Makey to get Sampi. Watt on Willo. Sinkers on Embley.

Any chance gardy wont get up??

 

[Thrawn666]

Originally posted by dus

Interesting to see McIntosh not playing. With Rocca, Petrie and Diggers, we might be able to strech you backline. Jacko would have to go back one would also think.

Wet weekend coming up

With that top heavy forward line in the wet you would be at a definite disadvantage

 

[Tas]

It is a tough decision. West Coast will cruise into the finals this year so Worsfold will be more interested in what is best for the club in the long-term in the finals.

I assume Cousins and Kerr are just carrying the normal battering of football and are not actually injured. If that is the case I would expect them to play and just take them off the ground a little earlier, keep them down to about 12km for the game which is about 2/3rd of a game.

If it does rain and they are still sore then I would be tempted to rest perhaps the more battered and give the other reduced game time. You dont want someone who is iffy playing if its going to be very wet.

I still expect West Coast to be hot favourite even if Kerr and Cousin are expected to miss. If it does rain then West Coast will go with a small forward line and just magnify what is our greatest weakness, small forwards.

I do prefer for it to rain, I am not sure about our younger players but I know Stevens, Simpson, Harvey and Grant are excellent wet weather players. With Telstra dome as our new home and Victoria being in drought for a while we haven't had alot of very wet games so I think the benefit is marginal. It might help to reduce what would be a 5 goal home ground advantage to perhaps around 3 if it rains. 3 in the wet is still a huge advantage.

If it rains heavily it may help West Coast out in that our three big forwards would be far less effective. Rocca already has the turning circle of a jumbo jet, I doubt he would turn at all in the wet.

At least its not going to be 32 degrees and very humid like it was when he had to play Fremantle, I was fatigued just watching them.

 

[jod23]

Unless Cousins and Kerr have badly rolled an ankle or slightly pulled a hamstring or twisted a knee etc then they will play. General soreness will not see either miss out, both are extremely tough players and it will need to be something serious to keep either out.

I have no doubt that both will play and play well. Not sure if I want it to rain or not, in the past few years we have not been a very good wet weather team but the rain would also give the Roo's tall forward line a disadvantage.

Oh and Dus, expect Gardy to be in the same boat as Kerr and Cuz, only something serious will keep him out. I think we will have just about a full list to choose from barring Fido, Milli, Morrison and Gassy.

 

[iceman]

I expect Cousins/Kerr etc to play. The only rest i see them having is light training for the majority of this week.

 

[noodle]

i just read that haynes might not play. he failed to train yesterday.