We must change our backline

[The Sainter]

I know we are 5-2 at the moment but our back line is very ordinary. Dawson just doesn't know how to lay a hard tackle and his efforts at contested balls are laughable. Clarke is another one very risky when the ball is in his hands as well, plus Baker is nowhere near the player he used to be although at least he will always have a red hot go.
With King gone ( he should now retire as he is not our future} Dawson, Clarke and MacQualter should be axed as they have been consistently poor most of the season .
Dal had an ordinary game but he is so far in front of the three I named it is not funny. We cannot win it if not in the top four and that will quickly happen if our coach keeps favoring certain players. Who to bring in? Who knows? but surely they can't perform any worse than the three I want dropped.

[dcstkfc]

I know we are 5-2 at the moment but our back line is very ordinary. Dawson just doesn't know how to lay a hard tackle and his efforts at contested balls are laughable. Clarke is another one very risky when the ball is in his hands as well, plus Baker is nowhere near the player he used to be although at least he will always have a red hot go.
With King gone ( he should now retire as he is not our future} Dawson, Clarke and MacQualter should be axed as they have been consistently poor most of the season .
Dal had an ordinary game but he is so far in front of the three I named it is not funny. We cannot win it if not in the top four and that will quickly happen if our coach keeps favoring certain players. Who to bring in? Who knows? but surely they can't perform any worse than the three I want dropped.

Agree about Dawson and Raph a little bit, but Baker has towelled up Davis, Ballantyne and Aker so far this year.

It's Gaertner time.

[plugger66]

I know we are 5-2 at the moment but our back line is very ordinary. Dawson just doesn't know how to lay a hard tackle and his efforts at contested balls are laughable. Clarke is another one very risky when the ball is in his hands as well, plus Baker is nowhere near the player he used to be although at least he will always have a red hot go.
With King gone ( he should now retire as he is not our future} Dawson, Clarke and MacQualter should be axed as they have been consistently poor most of the season .
Dal had an ordinary game but he is so far in front of the three I named it is not funny. We cannot win it if not in the top four and that will quickly happen if our coach keeps favoring certain players. Who to bring in? Who knows? but surely they can't perform any worse than the three I want dropped.

Agree about Dawson and Raph a little bit, but Baker has towelled up Davis, Ballantyne and Aker so far this year.

It's Gaertner time.

Have you seen Gaertner play at sandy?

[borderbarry]

I agree with the last poster. Dawson has been poor all season. Gaertner has been in the best players for Sandy 2 of the last 3 games I think. He is faster than Dawson, and I liked what he did when he was playing on Pavlic in the NAB Cup. Promote him and give him a go.

[Dr Spaceman]

I know we are 5-2 at the moment but our back line is very ordinary. Dawson just doesn't know how to lay a hard tackle and his efforts at contested balls are laughable. Clarke is another one very risky when the ball is in his hands as well, plus Baker is nowhere near the player he used to be although at least he will always have a red hot go.
With King gone ( he should now retire as he is not our future} Dawson, Clarke and MacQualter should be axed as they have been consistently poor most of the season .
Dal had an ordinary game but he is so far in front of the three I named it is not funny. We cannot win it if not in the top four and that will quickly happen if our coach keeps favoring certain players. Who to bring in? Who knows? but surely they can't perform any worse than the three I want dropped.

Agree about Dawson and Raph a little bit, but Baker has towelled up Davis, Ballantyne and Aker so far this year.

It's Gaertner time.

Have you seen Gaertner play at sandy?

Doesn't matter plugger. With Nick to come into the Sandy side someone will have to make way!

May as well drop Gaertner upwards

[degruch]

We're playing Essendon...who do we need to shut down? Selections would be based on match ups as much as form. You'd give Dawson a crack at Gumby, surely?

[The Sainter]

I didn't want Baker dropped, he is not as quick these days but then again as you stated his opponents are not doing very well on him so perhaps I was being a little hard on him.

[Solar]

The problem is that lyon keeps rotating the backline through the forward line. Thus a very settled backline is being upset and no-one knows not only who they are on but who is around them. Settle the backline down (if there is no match up for zac then drop him). Then develop a forward line with forwards.

[plugger66]

I know we are 5-2 at the moment but our back line is very ordinary. Dawson just doesn't know how to lay a hard tackle and his efforts at contested balls are laughable. Clarke is another one very risky when the ball is in his hands as well, plus Baker is nowhere near the player he used to be although at least he will always have a red hot go.
With King gone ( he should now retire as he is not our future} Dawson, Clarke and MacQualter should be axed as they have been consistently poor most of the season .
Dal had an ordinary game but he is so far in front of the three I named it is not funny. We cannot win it if not in the top four and that will quickly happen if our coach keeps favoring certain players. Who to bring in? Who knows? but surely they can't perform any worse than the three I want dropped.

Agree about Dawson and Raph a little bit, but Baker has towelled up Davis, Ballantyne and Aker so far this year.

It's Gaertner time.

Have you seen Gaertner play at sandy?

Doesn't matter plugger. With Nick to come into the Sandy side someone will have to make way!

May as well drop Gaertner upwards

Is Nick ready now. That will work out well then. 8 games at Sandy which means they will probably play finals and then he can come back round 15 with us. By then gaertner, stanley, Heyne, Walsh and the 2 Smiths should be established.

[The Sainter]

I didn't want Baker dropped, he is not as quick these days but then again as you stated his opponents are not doing very well on him so perhaps I was being a little hard on him.

[Dr Spaceman]

I know we are 5-2 at the moment but our back line is very ordinary. Dawson just doesn't know how to lay a hard tackle and his efforts at contested balls are laughable. Clarke is another one very risky when the ball is in his hands as well, plus Baker is nowhere near the player he used to be although at least he will always have a red hot go.
With King gone ( he should now retire as he is not our future} Dawson, Clarke and MacQualter should be axed as they have been consistently poor most of the season .
Dal had an ordinary game but he is so far in front of the three I named it is not funny. We cannot win it if not in the top four and that will quickly happen if our coach keeps favoring certain players. Who to bring in? Who knows? but surely they can't perform any worse than the three I want dropped.

Agree about Dawson and Raph a little bit, but Baker has towelled up Davis, Ballantyne and Aker so far this year.

It's Gaertner time.

Have you seen Gaertner play at sandy?

Doesn't matter plugger. With Nick to come into the Sandy side someone will have to make way!

May as well drop Gaertner upwards

Is Nick ready now. That will work out well then. 8 games at Sandy which means they will probably play finals and then he can come back round 15 with us. By then gaertner, stanley, Heyne, Walsh and the 2 Smiths should be established.

You are a pessimist plugger.

I would have thought that Roo would only need about 5 games at Sandy before he'd be pushing for selection!

[remboy]

One of the things that concerned me about the defence was the inability to kill a contest. A number of times the ball came in and we were unable to just it through or take it over the line, even though we had numbers there. Doesn't help when you're getting smashed out of the centre but I still thought there were a number of times when the guys at the contest were lacking for a bit of mongrel.

[One Eyed Saint]

Backline should be:

B. Baker / Walsh / Blake
Hb. Gilbert / Fisher / Gwilt

Walsh in, Zac Out

[SainterK]

Actually I disagree, we musn't change our backline, for a change!

[One Eyed Saint]

Sainter K, what has Zac done to keep his spot?

[SainterK]

Sainter K, what has Zac done to keep his spot?

One Eyed Saint, we need some stability in the side....our backline as a unit works, and very well.

When it's looked shaky this year, it's been because we have sacrificed players to other positions IMO, not because of any one player.

[Saint_in_SA]

Dawson - play him forward
Raph - slow, poor decision making but tackled hard at least
King - too old
Dal - needed a chop out but still needs to work harder
Milne - very solid
Gardiner - good early
King - out
Gwilt - not enough grunt or input
Lenny - tries his guts out but lacking pace
Joey - unsupported
Gram - ok
Goddard - mixed game with the bad and the v good
Fisher - not his usual self
Gilbert - battled well
Geary - tried hard
Steven - needs more seniors
Jones - worst game of the year
Baker - doesn't break lines
Blake - poor
Schneider - ineffectual
Kosi - see Schneider
Mini - tries but lacks class

So we get caned by 10 goals with the above performances (assuming I am right of course!) - lucky we didn't lose by more, haven't had a worse collective effort for a while now, where has the frontal pressure gone?

Our next four games are very winnable, I expect to see 9-2 and perched in the top four. Ross and Co will learn a lot from this - have faith all.