GTrain back in????

[bigcarl]

How I'd play it:

#1 ruck: Kosi
#2 ruck: Gardiner

FF: Gehrig
CHF: Riewoldt
Third forward: Gardiner
Small forwards: Milne, Schneider, Clarke

==========

But I've got a sickening feeling he'll go with a Gardiner-Blake ruck combo...

I'd rather have Kosi up forward, as I think he's a better FF than Gehrig and his contested work and aerial ability is first class. Kicking will come in time (Gehrig used to be a very, very average shot when he came up from full back) as well.

However, with King out and Gardiner possibly not 100%, we need Kosi playing ruck. Hell, I'd rather Rix or McEvoy in the ruck over Blake.

are gardiner and schneider certain to be fit?

[saintspremiers]

I'm worried about Gehrig's lack of defensive pressure, I hate it how defenders can so easily run off him and within a few seconds they have the ball up forward......can be very, very costly.

IMO I'd prefer a bit of a gamble with the more mobile and speeder Allen - we know from the praccy matches that he's got a decent amount of ability/potential and could be worth a crack - especially after the confidence-boost of kicking 6 goals in the ressies.

[iwantmeseats]

IMO G.Train should be parked at FF and never venture more than 20 to 30 metres from the goal square on the lead.

.

Agree....if you are going to play him he needs to stay near goals.

G isa beautiful shot at goal...and against the inexperienced PA likely Fbs I would rate him a greater chance of succeeding.

The week lay off has also hopefuly pricked his pride a bit to hopefully have him really focus.

But the problem is, does that fly in the modern game though? I mean who sits round the goal square these days and applies next to no foward pressure? Ball hits ground round fraser, ball is run out straight away. I mean I love him, but plonking him in the square roaming 20-30 mtrs is not the answer I reckon. There is a answer, just not sure what it is.

[karnak]

The answer is to plonk G right in front of the goals. But to also plonk a smaller, faster, tackling machine.

For example, Fergy and G sit in teh goal square and don't move. If the quick is relatively accurate Fergy will apply enough pressure to at least bounce it up you'd think.

Just some thoughts. I do like the idea of always leaving G there alone, but I do like the idea of there always being both him and a ferocious tackler in our forward line.

[iwantmeseats]

Yeah that sounds good, maybe milny? I shudder at the thought, but there are signs he is improving the defensive side of his game.

We need a ball/hayes type of small foward.

[mad saint guy]

We need a ball/hayes type of small foward.

Armo looks well suited to the role. Great tackling and defensive pressure, and backs himself to kick goals.

Our ideal forward line IMO...
High marking option: Riewoldt
Deep key forward: Koschitzke
Medium leading forward: C.Gardiner
Small crumber/marking option: Milne
Defensive small forward: Armitage
Mids pushing forward: Schneider, Montagna, X.Clarke

HF: Schneider, Riewoldt, C.Gardiner
F: Milne, Koschitzke, Armitage

No spot for Fraser with our current game plan.

[saintsRrising]

We need a ball/hayes type of small foward.

Armo looks well suited to the role. Great tackling and defensive pressure, and backs himself to kick goals.

Our ideal forward line IMO...
High marking option: Riewoldt
Deep key forward: Koschitzke
Medium leading forward: C.Gardiner
Small crumber/marking option: Milne
Defensive small forward: Armitage
Mids pushing forward: Schneider, Montagna, X.Clarke

HF: Schneider, Riewoldt, C.Gardiner
F: Milne, Koschitzke, Armitage

No spot for Fraser with our current game plan.

That is essenitially my view as well.....though I would not play Kosi deep all the time...

However this week may be different if Gardi cannot be selected following King already being declared as not available.

[bigcarl]

i think allen might come in and play at chf with riewoldt remaining deep.
i'd expect baker to come in for gilbert.

[Bernard Shakey]

Will not happen bigcarl, they didn't train with the main group and even coach Lyin is not that devious.

[Bernard Shakey]

Whoops, Bakes will be in, but not Allen.

[saintsRrising]

i think allen might come in and play at chf with riewoldt remaining deep.
i'd expect baker to come in for gilbert.

I know you like the ideal of 3 big forwards.......but remember that will also most likely mean lack of forward pressure and plenty of rebound for PA....and they have good runners.

Ross said last week that our forward line tackles were up 50%.

That will declie again with too mant talls.

[bigcarl]

I know you like the ideal of 3 big forwards.......but remember that will also most likely mean lack of forward pressure and pleanty of rebound for PA....and they have good runners.

i like the idea of someone in the forward line who can take a contested mark. kosi is likely to ruck, so it won't be him.

lyon wrapped up allen nicely in his press conference, saying he took kicked six on the weekend and took 12 marks (six of them contested) on his way to kicking six goals.

i thought he might have come in instead of gehrig, but apparently you needn't worry as he did not train with the main group.

as for 3 big forwards, yes, i did like that (and so did a few others including the coach) and thought that it might have provided a way of lessening our reliance on riewoldt and stopping him from being double and triple teamed.

i still think there's a way of getting the three (all of whom are very good players) in the same team, but it would require either kosi to ruck for some of the time or riewoldt to play further up the ground (wing).

however ross seems reluctant to play roo anywhere else but the forward line, so, if all are fit and king or gardiner is available, it might spell the end for gehrig.

i think you made the right call on riewoldt last week of playing him deep.

if we're going to direct every attack at him might as well make him responsible for putting a score on the board, rather than getting kicks way out of scoring range.

will be interesting to look at the structure this week

[plugger66]

I know you like the ideal of 3 big forwards.......but remember that will also most likely mean lack of forward pressure and pleanty of rebound for PA....and they have good runners.

i like the idea of someone in the forward line who can take a contested mark. kosi is likely to ruck, so it won't be him.

lyon wrapped up allen nicely in his press conference, saying he took kicked six on the weekend and took 12 marks (six of them contested) on his way to kicking six goals.

i thought he might have come in instead of gehrig, but apparently you needn't worry as he did not train with the main group.

as for 3 big forwards, yes, i did like that (and so did a few others including the coach) and thought that it might have provided a way of lessening our reliance on riewoldt and stopping him from being double and triple teamed.

i still think there's a way of getting the three (all of whom are very good players) in the same team, but it would require either kosi to ruck for some of the time or riewoldt to play further up the ground (wing).

however ross seems reluctant to play roo anywhere else but the forward line, so, if all are fit and king or gardiner is available, it might spell the end for gehrig.

i think you made the right call on riewoldt last week of playing him deep.

if we're going to direct every attack at him might as well make him responsible for putting a score on the board, rather than getting kicks way out of scoring range.

will be interesting to look at the structure this week

It is simple. The reasons we won last week was one because Essendon were not much two the midfeild played their best combined game for the year and three and the least important more pressure in the forward line as not as many talls. We didnt win because we kicked it to Rooy less or that he played deep or we took contested marks.

[starsign]

lyon wrapped up allen nicely in his press conference, saying he took kicked six on the weekend and took 12 marks (six of them contested) on his way to kicking six goals.

i thought he might have come in instead of gehrig, but apparently you needn't worry as he did not train with the main group.

wouldn't put too much on the fact that Allen didn't train with the main group Tues after playing a full on game Sunday ,whereas the rest were coming off Friday night. Thus will tell more

He could well be a valuable inclusion instead of the G
Intresting to see RL including McEvoy in the ruck mix too...

[saintsRrising]

So without King and Gardi.....the main options would seem to be....

A
Concentrate on our strengths and the revised forward structure with GTrain not brought back.

This means selecting Rix or McEvoy so that Kosi can mainly play forward..Rix was rested and so he would seem the more likely of the two....

OR..playing mainly Blake and another(BJ?, Charlie?) in the ruck with the GT favourite of trying to generate more ball while conceeding the HOs.

B1

Play Kosi and Blake as our ruckmen...which would most likely mean another key forward elevated.......GTrain or Allen.

You would think that Gtrain would get the nod but Allen is a lot more mobile than the Gtrain, but very inexperienced.

B2
Play Kosi and Blake as our ruckmen...........but bring in an extra mid for more run.

Play Roo as the FF....with Kosi running forward when he can with Charlie starting at CHF.

The extra mid selected to allow more rotations to keep constant pressure on in the midfield.

The extra mid most likely being Birss.
Out King, Gilbert
In Baker, Birss

[matrix]

no king and no gards will mean we have about a 20% chance of pulling out a win this week.
unless our mids can read the tap from the port duo in the centre, they will run all over us and smash us in the clearances.
im actually a bit worried about this weeks game, due to our line up/injury concerns.
we never seem to play well against port over here.......
hopefully that changes this week.

[spert]

If the Train is played, he needs to stay in the goal square and not run out far beyond at all. As Kozi is not a ruckmans tosser, I think he is wasted against the likes of Lade and co, and needs to be used in the back half, to drift in front of the PA forwards. Give the Rix the main ruck job. We need Baker to mind Burgoyne and need someone to wear C Cornes like a glove.. Maybe Max? We would also need to bring in another midfielder like Birss who can kick a goal or two. Maybe Gram needs to be dropped for this to work.
So its Out: King, Gilbert, Gram, Jones
In: Baker, Birss, Rix, Gehrig

[bigcarl]

So without King and Gardi.....the main options would seem to be....

A
Concentrate on our strengths and the revised forward structure with GTrain not brought back.

This means selecting Rix or McEvoy so that Kosi can mainly play forward..Rix was rested and so he would seem the more likely of the two....

OR..playing mainly Blake and another(BJ?, Charlie?) in the ruck with the GT favourite of trying to generate more ball while conceeding the HOs.

B1

Play Kosi and Blake as our ruckmen...which would most likely mean another key forward elevated.......GTrain or Allen.

You would think that Gtrain would get the nod but Allen is a lot more mobile than the Gtrain, but very inexperienced.

B2
Play Kosi and Blake as our ruckmen...........but bring in an extra mid for more run.

Play Roo as the FF....with Kosi running forward when he can with Charlie starting at CHF.

The extra mid selected to allow more rotations to keep constant pressure on in the midfield.

The extra mid most likely being Birss.
Out King, Gilbert
In Baker, Birss

a, or b1. leaning towards allen, but i'm a risk-taker. if kosi rucks he'll need to get forward at every opportunity.

definitely not b2, but what would i know?