Boring selections....

[maverick]

I tend to agree we have selected a very safe side, so to speak.
Can't help but think Mini will come in this week for Max, why else promot him if he's not playing?

Ferg is very unlucky in my mind, but one more good game up forward, and anything less than a good game from C Gardiner and he's in for mine.

Would like to see Mini come in too....

[jonesy]

Mini should be 'The dud's' avatar. Can't believe he got re drafted. Ferguson has shown next to nothing for 4 years,and he finally plays a good game in the 2's and some are calling him as the new saviour!

I understand your frustration at the ins as they are somewhat boring,however we don't have a lot of choice! Our depth is "boring". It is a slow side, probably agree with you on Fiora,he doesn't deserve a game on merits but probably should be in for balance. Unfortunatly classy speed doesn't grow on tree's!

[saint patrick]

Hope these boring selections bore you to shyte with a boring run in the mill ugly win against the pies tommorrow night.....

Then boring might seem Kitske and kinda cool...

Well heres hoping anyway

[Teflon]

Not sure Id call Max's inclusion as boring......great maybe...not boring as not many wouldve expected it.

Thats aside I am a tad worried bout the scoring power thats failed us so far this year AND the run.......ins like Blake, Fisher dont really give you a replacement for the run and carry of X.

I know Jones is suspect by foot.....but Collingwood have a reasonably quick side and Jones may have also been handy at times down back on a small fwd like Davis/Dudak or Thomas if they give some of our backs the run round. He can close a distance and tackle ok to put immediate pressure on......and we just dont have anyone at present able to run and carry and break lines. I was staggered looking at the 'bounce' figures so far this season - last year Gram was top or near to in AFL.....this season hes noweher near it. Dals our best at approx 22 bounces......the best (whom I cant remember) was at around 39. To me THIS is one of the reasons we are stifling fwd movements at present - we simply struggle to run the ball forward through the corridor with some speed and urgency. Instead we stop, prop and innevitably look sideways. When I watched Richmond this was the area they tore us a new one - their ability to run from congestion with some speed and free up a player.

[st.byron]

Blake, Fisher - been there before..........more stoppers....snore


Stop playing average playes and see if we can find a good player, in the ones you DON"T give opportunities to...

Take a risk FFS........team aswell.....

yeh I'm with you on this one mart. Would have preferred to have seen Geary and Allen in the side instead of Blake and L.Fisher.

how did Geary and Allen go compared to Blake and Fisher last week at Casey......?

yeh I see your point Dud, but Blake and L.Fisher have had lots of chances at senior level. They've hardly forced their way back in through blistering performances. They're only in because of injuries. Personally I'd like to see some younger guys being given an opportunity.

[bigred]

yeah, lets change for changes sake!

thats an AWESOME plan!

Agreed.

Yeah righto....just for something different, bring Fergs in on the back of ONE decent game (against woeful opposition) and plonk him on a flank. If he doesnt kick three....bugger him...just send him back to the magoos.


You think our team is boring...wait till you watch the Filth for two hours.

[skeptic]

Awww god... Blake in the team to get beaten by Rocca/Cloak as a KPP and have rings run about him by whatever midfielder he plays on

I'm am so tired of picking the same underperforming players each week: Blake, Gehrig, L.Fisher (to a lesser extent) whilst the Fergusons, Allans, Geary etc are starved of opportunity and delisted w/o a shot

Barry Brooks played what 10 games for the saints over 5 years?? In that one game against Brisbane he played better than 95% of all games Jason Blake has ever played...

Yet Brooks is delisted with a big what if and Jason Blake continues to play the same mediocre football he played 5yrs ago and a host of talented players including Allan Murray are gone with their 5 games in a row opportunity

a joke

[mightysainters]

disappointed CJ wasn't picked and actually play him on the wing where his pace is damaging and is a ball magnet...

The main skill of a wingman is delivery to the forward line. how does he go in that department.

i heard he was best on ground last week

u can't ignore that

His delivery was good on the weekend.... How can we know how he goes on a wing if we never try him there but destroys it in the VFL? Give him a run and see what he can do...

[meher baba]

Mini should be 'The dud's' avatar. Can't believe he got re drafted. Ferguson has shown next to nothing for 4 years,and he finally plays a good game in the 2's and some are calling him as the new saviour!

Haven't you noticed yet that, on this forum, just about anybody who isn't currently playing in the seniors is generally hailed as the potential saviour of our team. (There are a few exceptions such as McGough, Raph, Murray, Gwilt, Howard, TS 40 and, at times, Fish and Fiora. Apropos of nothing, I hope it doesn't say anything about our the prevailing attitudes on our forum that quite a few of those blokes are either black or Jewish).

How much verbiage has been expended on this forum about the supposed talents of McQualter, Brooks, Rix, Ferguson and now Eddy, Allen, McEvoy and Geary. The only guy that there has been a big clamour for in recent times who has shown a great deal IMO is Armo: and so he should have done, given that he was a top 10 draft pick.

Look, I tend to have some sympathy for BigMart's initial criticism that Lyon (like his mentor Roos) has a bit of a penchant for safe, hard-working gophers with limited skills - Attard, Dempster, Blake, Fisher, Jones, etc - and is reluctant to give free rein to players with more flair (for instance, look at the way he uses Dal ).

However, I'm also pretty sure that, placed in their position, I would have made fairly similar choices to Lyon and the selectors for tonight's game. But, in deference to BigMart, I too might have given Fiora another go.

[st.byron]

Haven't you noticed yet that, on this forum, just about anybody who isn't currently playing in the seniors is generally hailed as the potential saviour of our team. .................
How much verbiage has been expended on this forum about the supposed talents of McQualter, Brooks, Rix, Ferguson and now Eddy, Allen, McEvoy and Geary. The only guy that there has been a big clamour for in recent times who has shown a great deal IMO is Armo: and so he should have done, given that he was a top 10 draft pick.

Look, I tend to have some sympathy for BigMart's initial criticism that Lyon (like his mentor Roos) has a bit of a penchant for safe, hard-working gophers with limited skills - Attard, Dempster, Blake, Fisher, Jones, etc - and is reluctant to give free rein to players with more flair (for instance, look at the way he uses Dal ).

However, I'm also pretty sure that, placed in their position, I would have made fairly similar choices to Lyon and the selectors for tonight's game. But, in deference to BigMart, I too might have given Fiora another go.

It's not about regarding guys like Allen and Geary as the saviours of our team. They both played NAB cup, Geary played the first two rounds, and they both did a good job. They're young and should be given opportunity at senior level in games that really matter, like tonight. It's about building confidence in the younger guys and injecting youth into the team. Young hungry players who might just produce something extra for us.
Like your description of Leigh Fish and Blake etc. as hard working gophers. Sums them up really. We know exactly what we're going to get. So do Collingwood.
As for giving Fiora another chance. Why? He's as soft as butter, weak as piss in contests, loses his footing if the wind blows and I'd be happy to see the back of him at the end of this year.

[meher baba]

As for giving Fiora another chance. Why? He's as soft as butter, weak as piss in contests, loses his footing if the wind blows and I'd be happy to see the back of him at the end of this year.

I'm not a massive Fiora fan either, but he adds a bit of flair. As would the likes of Gwilt (but he now seems to be on an almost inevitable path out of the club at season's end), Howard or Ferguson (if - and it's an important proviso - he can bring his VFL form into the AFL).

All of these guys have clear drawbacks, but I guess Fiora has more experience and certainly did deliver in a number of big games last season.

Allen is an even bigger unknown than these guys, while Geary is clearly a solid player but doesn't seem to be over-endowed with flair.

The guy who really looks to have a bit of something in the longer term is Steven, but I think we will have to wait until 2009.

[Sobraz]

Post lost all credibility, and didnt bother reading on, when it was suggested to bring in Fiora to add some run... For christ's sake... This boke should be stamped, if he hasn't already, as never to play again...

Overall for mine, good, balanced, sensible selections.. Maybe Geary for L.Fisher, but i guess with Bakes out leigh will go to pendles..

[bigcarl]

if g-train can't turn it around allen will get his chance. i'd like to see him and mcevoy given their opportunity before too long.

[Dan Warna]

another week of the G Train huffing and puffing on the wing

either he plays forward as a FF, or he doesn't play at all

he is pretty useless as a wing man or a HBF.

even fatty old me has a shorter turning circle.

Max if fit, is great news.

This is an eminently winnable game.

we have the players for it, its just do we want to win or do we want to flood, sorry be accountable, and play 18 in defence to mitigate our goals against and try and squeeze a few on the counter attack?

Dal, monty need space to be creative and attacking, putting them in heavy traffic of 120 minutes for the whole 120 minutes is going waste the hard work of ball and lenny in the clinches.

I think we can win, I think we have the talent to smash collingwood, but at this stage I'd be happy for a 1 point scrappy win.

[st.byron]

I'm not a massive Fiora fan either, but he adds a bit of flair. As would the likes of Gwilt (but he now seems to be on an almost inevitable path out of the club at season's end), Howard or Ferguson (if - and it's an important proviso - he can bring his VFL form into the AFL).

All of these guys have clear drawbacks, but I guess Fiora has more experience and certainly did deliver in a number of big games last season.

Allen is an even bigger unknown than these guys, while Geary is clearly a solid player but doesn't seem to be over-endowed with flair.

The guy who really looks to have a bit of something in the longer term is Steven, but I think we will have to wait until 2009.

Agree that Gwilt and Fergie look to be designated seconds players. Perhaps we could call them 'depth players'. Disagree with you that Fiora is worth another crack. Has had his chances and then some. Give a young hungry bloke a go. I'd prefer CJ ahead of Fiora, at least he has a red hot go. Fiora is just too bloody soft.
Strong candidate for de-listing along with those others you've mentioned.