Gram and Schnieder...Please no more!

[degruch]

Schneids was on fire early in the season

Which season was that? In 2011 he missed the first two games through injury and then scored a total of 8 goals in the next 6 games.

To me he has been suffering through the lack of a pre-season. He looks out of condition and slow. He looks to be trying hard, so I don't think he needs a boot up the bum. Boot camp, more like.

Played in the midfield first half of the season, went very well.

I think a lot of our ills can be put down to the late pre-season, or interrupted pre-season...we should be coming good from now.

[SainterK]

I have to agree that he has a tummy, or was that the white jumper?

[MCG-Unit]

Saw no issue with gram today at all.....not sure what contests he shirked....my guess, none....

He mad two sloppy handballs, and had a three ineffective kicks......but 25 off half back....whilst beating your opponent, is not that bad a day....

Haven't agreed much with you lately BM, but your on the ball with this one.

These guys are proven performers, you don't drop them for inexperience that may not be up to yet when your season is still alive.

Agree with both of you. Gram gave run and carry - which will be much needed v Eagles.
Interesting how supporters look for whoever played poorly after a hard fought win

[Griggsy]

Gram turning over the ball in an uncontested situation will not help his cause. Kicking and hand passing letting him down now.

[To the top]

I do not know what the free kick count was but it seemed they were getting 2 to every 1 of ours - despite there only being 15,000 spectators dotted around West Lakes.

The last quarter goals PA got late were because we had no forward target and they had loose players back - so it seemed every time we attacked we kicked straight to one of their defenders - and back it came under their control.

I made the comment "I don't suppose there is any chance we may actually kick to the advantage of a forward is there?" Only to then bemuse to my assembled mates (including some Port Adelaide supporters!!) that we had obviously decided to play with no forwards.

Gram did what he had to do - and ran onto the ball well as the game progressed.

We do sometimes give to him as a designated line breaker when we should not because he is not sufficiently clear - and that happended a couple of times today causing hurried disposal.

Mind you, if our forwards were where forwards should be - in front - the outcome on those 2 occassions may have been different.

His disposal was no better and no worse than anyone else in very difficult conditions.

The bend on a few shots at goal emphasised the difficulty - particularly with the golf course, Member's side forward pocket being as impossible as it has ever been with the wind ripping accross.

That pocket has been most difficult, even impossible, in the wind ever since the stadium opened in 1974.

Nothing has changed.

[Teflon]

Kosi will come in.

Schneids and Gram will stay.

Lynch will go out.Ross thinks we are still in the hunt...

And I tend to agree.

We are just starting to warm up.

See this is where I have a massive problem...we will not win the flag in 2011 FACT.

To suggest we can "only win" while carrying Gram/Schneider and droping Lynch is not the way forward IMHO - its backwards.

Lynch was good today I thought - he mostly used the ball well, contested and put his body in FAR more than Gram (anyone see the contest late in the game in our fwd 50????) FFS you want to drop that?

We simply donT posess greatly skilled players - right now pound for pound skill wise I'd back Lynch to hit a target under pressure over Gram. On 3 seperate occasions we were going fwd today where Gram became involved in the passage and on 3 occasions his direct disposal caused the ball to be turned over...against a wofeul bottom team with little pressure??. Against a rampant Eagles press he will be found out severely.

I have no idea whats wrong with Schneider - but he's using up valuable petrol tickets. He is dangerous at least when fwd and so gets a reprieve for that as we need all avenues to goal minus Riewoldt we can muster to at least be semi-unpredictable. But time is running out and Im a massive Schneider fan.

Its not about belting Gram or Schneider - its about looking at that side and saying......."how do we catch Collingwood" - HOW DO WE GET BETTER?......cause everything else is making up numbers and Gram aint it (and Schneider only just).

Peake has proven what you need to do to improve - the blueprint is there.

Kosi will come into that side tghe outs for me:

Out: Gram, Clarke (just to slow on several occasions with decision making).

In:

Kosi, Smith (or anyone we think can run/spread....such a shame bout Ledger FFS...).

No sub for Armo pls.

[matrix]

reckon armo will go for the head high???

[Teflon]

reckon armo will go for the head high???

Hes in strife simply cause he plays for us and our efforts at representing our players in these circumstances are notoriously dumb.

Does he have any points carried over?

[SainterK]

Lynch was good today, smart footballer, uses his body well.

He could be a good option next week, can back or forward against the WC giants.

[matrix]

not sure about carry overs tef

looks gone on the replay, if we are to go with the 'head is off limits' stuff that seems to be the popular flavor this year

[saintsRrising]

If one wants to have a go at Gram for poor disposal...they should also look at Gwilt this year.

Gwilt was very good last year, but this year his kicking has been ordinary at best.


Now I am not advocating the dropping of either....but a big reason why we are not Top 4 this year (and there are many)....is the shoddy disposal by too many players. Good to see Gilbert at last have good game disposal wise...not the mention No 12.

Good teams are simply too adept our punishing you when you have a soft turnover.....and that was the main reason the Cats beat us last time.

[gringo]

Gwilt is better this year IMO, the zone is making the link up harder than in the past. No space for the kicker to spot up a free player.

[St Ick]

Grammy obviously has some issues with his kicking and probably confidence. Anyone see 'the challenge' preseason? Well, stupid question... but remember Dal kicking floaters saying something like we have to give the fwds practice at Grammy's kicking.

I know just a joke but you just never know how something like that affects a blokes confidence. Its pretty well publicised that he is lacking the penetration that his kicking had a few years ago. Today, it was as though he was told not to kick into the fwd 50 under any circumstances. I don't know figures or stats, but at times he looked very indecisive and had poor disposal. He wasn't alone though, a few of our players butchered some handballs in the middle of the ground which made us look second rate he was just one of them. With Peake coming of age, I think Gram's spot isn't assured.

Worst thing Schneid's could have done for his career was clap that umpire - he always seems to get a rough deal - I would like to see the free kick stats before and after that incident, but obviously the ones that are missed aren't on there.

I'd be a shame to drop Lynchy... but I wouldn't be suprised.

[defacto]

Kosi will come in.

Schneids and Gram will stay.

Lynch will go out.Ross thinks we are still in the hunt...

And I tend to agree.

We are just starting to warm up.

See this is where I have a massive problem...we will not win the flag in 2011 FACT.

To suggest we can "only win" while carrying Gram/Schneider and droping Lynch is not the way forward IMHO - its backwards.

Lynch was good today I thought - he mostly used the ball well, contested and put his body in FAR more than Gram (anyone see the contest late in the game in our fwd 50????) FFS you want to drop that?

We simply donT posess greatly skilled players - right now pound for pound skill wise I'd back Lynch to hit a target under pressure over Gram. On 3 seperate occasions we were going fwd today where Gram became involved in the passage and on 3 occasions his direct disposal caused the ball to be turned over...against a wofeul bottom team with little pressure??. Against a rampant Eagles press he will be found out severely.

I have no idea whats wrong with Schneider - but he's using up valuable petrol tickets. He is dangerous at least when fwd and so gets a reprieve for that as we need all avenues to goal minus Riewoldt we can muster to at least be semi-unpredictable. But time is running out and Im a massive Schneider fan.

Its not about belting Gram or Schneider - its about looking at that side and saying......."how do we catch Collingwood" - HOW DO WE GET BETTER?......cause everything else is making up numbers and Gram aint it (and Schneider only just).

Peake has proven what you need to do to improve - the blueprint is there.

Kosi will come into that side tghe outs for me:

Out: Gram, Clarke (just to slow on several occasions with decision making).

In:

Kosi, Smith (or anyone we think can run/spread....such a shame bout Ledger FFS...).

No sub for Armo pls.

spot on mate!!!! peake, milne, dal santo have all shown what a genuine kick up the ass can do.

i think the mistake we made was calling gram back in the hope he would change we he came back into the senior side instead of calling him back when his vfl form warranted it.

whats this say to the players who out performed gram at vfl level? stinks of favoritism and selecting the player on his name rather than his form.

[SaintWodonga]

Agree with Gram,
but Schnides...
No way! Yes he's a bit down, but he has a great footy brain.

[dcstkfc]

Agree with Gram,
but Schnides...
No way! Yes he's a bit down, but he has a great footy brain.

Maybe Ross Lyon should put on the boots then?

[Coinhead]

you make a post like this when there is WAY worse players in the squad like dawkson and raph. Clarke has NO awareness what-so-ever and he gets tackled all the time from not making a good decision and when he does get the ball 9/10 times he will kick it backwards. Dawson is the world full back in the league.

[Broodruff]

I dont post a whole lot... but I feel like I'm forced to with grams performance today...

Turned the ball over a few times while he was under not much pressure - his disposals weren't fantastic, but look, I'd probably be willing to let that slide, except...

I can't remember when it was, vacant goal square, port player had kicked for goal, gram was jogging along at a leisurely pace and watched it go over his head - no attempt at getting a touch on it at all. Yes - the game was won, does that mean you stop playing? NO! It doesn't matter if we are down by 100 or up by 100, while the game is being played you should be giving nothing less than 100%

[hungry for a premiership]

I think it's very unfair to put schneids and gram in the same class at the moment. Gram is clearly out of it, but schneids still contributes and has an impact in most games.

[hungry for a premiership]

I think it's very unfair to put schneids and gram in the same class at the moment. Gram is clearly out of it, but schneids still contributes and has an impact in most games.

[hungry for a premiership]

I think it's very unfair to put schneids and gram in the same class at the moment. Gram is clearly out of it, but schneids still contributes and has an impact in most games.

[Buckets]

I think it's very unfair to put schneids and gram in the same class at the moment. Gram is clearly out of it, but schneids still contributes and has an impact in most games.

Fair call, maybe time though for Schneider to get a run in the magoos just get the confidence back up?

For mine Gram has not proven that he learnt from his spell with sandy and needs reminding that previous performances 2 years ago doesnt mean he is an automatic inclusion in the 22.

[bigcarl]

I wouldn't drop either, but I'd put Gram on notice that his future in the side is far from guaranteed if he doesn't regain the hunger.

Should have won the Norm Smith medal in 2009 ... would have had we hung on ... so we know what he's capable of.

At his best he breaks lines and launches it long. That's his go rather than pinpointing little passes and that's what I'd like to see him get back to.

Schneider's just a little out of form. He'll be okay.

[Leo.J]

Kosi will come in.

Schneids and Gram will stay.

Lynch will go out.Ross thinks we are still in the hunt...

And I tend to agree.

We are just starting to warm up.

See this is where I have a massive problem...we will not win the flag in 2011 FACT.

To suggest we can "only win" while carrying Gram/Schneider and droping Lynch is not the way forward IMHO - its backwards.

Lynch was good today I thought - he mostly used the ball well, contested and put his body in FAR more than Gram (anyone see the contest late in the game in our fwd 50????) FFS you want to drop that?

We simply donT posess greatly skilled players - right now pound for pound skill wise I'd back Lynch to hit a target under pressure over Gram. On 3 seperate occasions we were going fwd today where Gram became involved in the passage and on 3 occasions his direct disposal caused the ball to be turned over...against a wofeul bottom team with little pressure??. Against a rampant Eagles press he will be found out severely.

I have no idea whats wrong with Schneider - but he's using up valuable petrol tickets. He is dangerous at least when fwd and so gets a reprieve for that as we need all avenues to goal minus Riewoldt we can muster to at least be semi-unpredictable. But time is running out and Im a massive Schneider fan.

Its not about belting Gram or Schneider - its about looking at that side and saying......."how do we catch Collingwood" - HOW DO WE GET BETTER?......cause everything else is making up numbers and Gram aint it (and Schneider only just).

Peake has proven what you need to do to improve - the blueprint is there.

Kosi will come into that side tghe outs for me:

Out: Gram, Clarke (just to slow on several occasions with decision making).

In:

Kosi, Smith (or anyone we think can run/spread....such a shame bout Ledger FFS...).

No sub for Armo pls.

I don't want to drop Lynch, but from what I saw he may of being playing Kosi's role, did you see him in the ruck? Schneider and Gram played different roles.

Gram played his role well and won his position imo.

And Schneider while quiet this week has the potential to break a game wide open, I'm not sure Lynch can do that yet.

And as far as us not being able to win a flag this year being fact, I'm not sure about that either.

We are just starting to iron out our game plan, and potentially with Kosi back next week we will start to see if that comment is fact or fiction.

We are so rusty atm, give us some confidence, momentum, and a stable list for a month and then if we are still average I'll believe we're gone then.

I'm pretty sure thats where the club think were at also.

[prwilkinson]

Both will be right... Gram just looks a bit apathetic at times and just frustrates you when he butches the footy when we are streaming forward. Schnieder almost looks like he's trying a bit tooooo hard at the moment... if that makes sense.... Things will go his way shortly though.

For the first time this season I'm seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel... And I get the feeling the players are feeling the same as well... They almost put it together against Geelong... just didn't use the ball well. I expect them to compete well this week and not be out of their depth.

The fog has cleared from a horror 6 months at the club and the boys are looking like they're getting a bit of their old swagger back... As if they're collectively starting to remember... That's right... we're a bloody good footy team if we want to be... It might just all click this week.....