Changes against the Dogs

[Linton Lodger]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

[Griggsy]

Minch for Gresham.

Kid had a taste and seen the benchmark first hand, now knows where he is at and where he has to get to.

Paddy for Eli. We looked way too small up forward with 1 of roo or Bruce either off or up the ground. We were kicking high and long to Lonie

[saynta]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Nice post but I would put my money on your boy Dunstan getting theflick way way before Seb

[bergsone]

Not really ready to cut anybody after 1 game .But reckon we need more height overall

out....Templeton,

in Goddard/Paddy if ready

[Bluthy]

We won't need height down back against the dogs, we'll need run and speak cover...

I think we need another tall fwd though.

But can Fisher cover Boyd? That's another big ask. Goddard would slow us down but then Dempster isn't exactly quick these days.

Boyd is not that good a player. There are many more serious threats that needs to be covered first. Boyd will only have a day out if we are being slaughtered elsewhere anyway.

I haven't seen any of Boyd this year but they say he is actually jumping at the footy now instead of standing there with arms outstretched like a statue. He's a good matchup for Goddard as they are both big units that aren't fantastically athletic yet. You'd be tempted to play Goddard almost as a training exercise - this is the guy you might well be playing on in a grand final - you might as well start working him out now.

[saint-stu]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Nice post but I would put my money on your boy Dunstan getting theflick way way before Seb

Seriously? Seb had 30 touches. It's been a very slow burn but I think he has finally arrived.

[BigMart]

Fisher did a manful job on a 200cm 100kg Dixon... A better player than Boyd

Until they started dominating the Midfield, Fisher had smashed him... 10 possessions to 3 halfway through the third

Dixon ended up with 3 but with that supply he should. Fisher ended up with 19 possessions, and in the last quarter was one of the few players to get a kick

[saynta]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Nice post but I would put my money on your boy Dunstan getting theflick way way before Seb

Seriously? Seb had 30 touches. It's been a very slow burn but I think he has finally arrived.

Im a Seb fan. I should have said nice try.

[saint-stu]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Nice post but I would put my money on your boy Dunstan getting theflick way way before Seb

Seriously? Seb had 30 touches. It's been a very slow burn but I think he has finally arrived.

Im a Seb fan. I should have said nice try.

Sorry I was replying to LL.

[evo]

One at least of Lee/Minch should come in, or their papers are marked IMO. Maybe McCartin and Goddard could do with another week or two at Sandy. I can only go on what I saw on TV but Dunstan, Savage, Templeton and Geary must be on shakey ground, Gresham too.

[Bernard Shakey]

In Paddy, Sinclair and Lee

Out Eli, Gresham and Dunstan.

[bigcarl]

In Paddy, Sinclair and Lee

Out Eli, Gresham and Dunstan.

This looks about right.

[To the top]

No doubt the match ups will be looked at.

We will need depth in the mid-field to counteract their possession running game - noting that the fade out on Sunday was when we just could not get numbers around the contest because our strength until then was the waves of bodies at the contest - every Port Adelaide player had been under pressure - then we just seemed unable to pressure and create so there were multiple PA players running forward in support catching us out and where the Savage, Geary and Webster were caught out because they were run past (so liability with the ball turned into liability because they were being beaten man on man, including losing their feet just far, far too often making it easy for PA) and PA's high profile recruit was on the end of one on one contests where he received frees resulting in each his 3 goals.

So Stringer is a danger.

Does Gilbert go back to keep him honest?

To me Gilbert would be the ideal match up.

This open up a mid-field position, noting that some of our mids did not have the impact expected and required so may be under pressure anyway given VFL form and training track presentations.

In my view we just can not "lose" Bruce to rucking relief - and he and Mc Cartin should always be fixtures in our forward line, so perhaps Gresham out for Mc Cartin (and we have Lonie anyway).

Roo then has licence to support as and where required at his and the panel Coaches' discretion.

So does this mean that Longer comes in - and what is the impact on our ability to run, because they run.

Where and how can we mis-match them?

By pushing Hickey forward?

By Gilbert taking Stringer away from goal and forcing Stringer to defend?

And one thing for certain is that we can not afford the ball handling mistakes aka Geary and Savage because they will be punished severely - and we can not afford to lose our feet in the contest allowing their players to run off with no opposition, create havoc and look a million dollars - and making others look a million dollars as well.

These are the questions - and those under pressure from their performances last Sunday are pretty obvious.

Just to add, I thought Dunstan was up and about in tight including blocking and tackles (allowing for the hit he took) and was surprised he was only credited with 10 possessions.

Perhaps they gave some of Dunstan's to Ross?

[SMS]

Well boy was I wrong about our saints. BRILLIANT they were.

Id love to see:

Out: Gresham (good job but need to cycle youngsters)
Geary. (Great effort cgrade disposal)

In: Sinclair, McCartin

Remember it was a praccy vfl match. Lets not go nuts.

[Beno88]

No change.

[prwilkinson]

How did Billy Longer play for Sandy? Seems like meatball earned himself an opportunity... 44 touches and 4 goals was it? An effort like that screams 'I really don't want to play magoos all season again'. If anyone saw his effort in the second half of the Prelim last year for Sandy... Mitch might be ready to take the next step. The little fella nearly lifted them over the line, magnificent stuff.

McCartin... maybe.. maybe.. if he's ready to go. Gresh got a taste of it, a great reward for a hard pre season. Give him a few weeks for Sandy and make him want it even more.

I'm GUESSING.... Templeton and Gresh for McCartin and Meatball. It must be tempting to play Sinclair as well. Tough choices at the selection table, I thought everyone showed a little something in the seniors on Sunday.

Dempster looked off it a bit though... maybe he just got caught out of position a few times but that will be interesting to watch.

[St Chris]

Regarding Boyd, I saw a bit of the Dogs game on the weekend and he looked dangerous, but was getting the ball a long way from home. He played a fair bit in the ruck, and pushed higher up the ground.

I get the feeling we'll have a few frustrating moments on Saturday night where our team defence allows Boyd a mismatch, where whichever key defender is picking him up (Fisher/Dempster) stays back and Boyd pushes up.

That said, we did look too small, but the Dogs running game tore Freo to shreds, so I think the structure stays for now, and we make changes based on form. Minch sounds like the best from the VFL, but I dont think anyone disgraced themselves in the seniors. Dunstan has been named a few times in this thread, but I thought he had more impact this week than a lot of his games last season where he might have got more than 10 possessions.

[saynta]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Nice post but I would put my money on your boy Dunstan getting theflick way way before Seb

Seriously? Seb had 30 touches. It's been a very slow burn but I think he has finally arrived.

Im a Seb fan. I should have said nice try.

Sorry I was replying to LL.

Wasn't sure.

[Con Gorozidis]

With Carlisle = I think we could beat the Dogs.
Without him will be tough.
But the media are in love with the Dogs and Geelong so if we can get a win this week it will be huge.

[matrix]

sinclair and minch for eli and gresh

[shrodes]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Ross racked up the disposals, and was arguably not that damaging with them, but to say he should be dropped is crazy talk.

I reckon Minchington in for Eli and Gresham gets another crack.

[BringBackMadDog]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Hilarious!! 30 possessions against one of the best midfields in the entire comp and you want Ross dropped.

[freely]

Drop Dunstan? Really? Game high 9 tackles...

[Linton Lodger]

Out: Ross & Gresham

In: McCartin & Sinclair

Nice post but I would put my money on your boy Dunstan getting theflick way way before Seb

Seriously? Seb had 30 touches. It's been a very slow burn but I think he has finally arrived.

Half of those 30 touches went out on the full or to the opposition.

[Linton Lodger]

Drop Dunstan? Really? Game high 9 tackles...

He is a beast & will be a clearance king.