Official Team vs Sydney

[dragit]

Saints rolling the dice on McCartin getting 4 kicks, 2 marks and 1 tackle... I think that's worth a shot.

[skeptic]

I don't like it...

Am happy for Paddy but Bruce is a huge out... I reckon he's playing better than he has been given credit for. Super hard worker.

[WellardSaint]

if we beat Swines by 12 points
and the Bulldogs beat Cats 30 points,
we go to 4th, above Bulldogs. just by 0.1%

Do we dare to dream

[The OtherThommo]

Kennedy's the key, I reckon - he's their engine.

Which earns him the right to get up close and personal with Koby Stephens around the ball.

OTOH, our key is Jack #1 - we have to allow him to get off the chain, because they don't have one of him.

So, Grundy takes Paddy, Rampe takes Membrey, and that leaves a 50+ 2015 Rookie selection, Pelican, sorry, Melican, to take the old Roo. Rampe might go to Roo, of course, but they don't have too many alternatives for Membrey, in that case, bar Pelican, sorry, Melican.

They have their fair share of pygmies which, for mine, means we get Acres to push hard forward more.

The other end looks OK, bar the loss of Jimmy, but DMac offers something a bit different. They'll let Franklin go when he heads up the ground (yeah, I know, that's not revolutionary), Brown will take the big closest to goal, and Big Jake will play old style CHB (like he did v GWS), and have them think about making him work.

Heeney their best footballer forward (other than Franklin), so will need work.

Billy needs to smash into Sinclair and Tippett at centre bounces, right from the start, to set the scene.

If we can get our fair share of mid field ball, I see enough weaknesses for us to exploit - if we use the ball well.

Ergo, I come back to where I started - Kennedy's the key.

[The OtherThommo]

I don't like it...

Am happy for Paddy but Bruce is a huge out... I reckon he's playing better than he has been given credit for. Super hard worker.

He is, no doubt, s, but a lot of that hard work has seen not enough separation b/w the forwards, and too many opponents being dragged to form pack contests.

We need more cohesion b/w the bigger forwards to create more space, provide options and make defenders think twice about whether they go or stay.

[WellardSaint]

Kennedy's the key, I reckon - he's their engine.

Which earns him the right to get up close and personal with Koby Stephens around the ball.

OTOH, our key is Jack #1 - we have to allow him to get off the chain, because they don't have one of him.

So, Grundy takes Paddy, Rampe takes Membrey, and that leaves a 50+ 2015 Rookie selection, Pelican, sorry, Melican, to take the old Roo. Rampe might go to Roo, of course, but they don't have too many alternatives for Membrey, in that case, bar Pelican, sorry, Melican.

<edited for brevity>

Ergo, I come back to where I started - Kennedy's the key.

Kennedy had 27 touches to half-time last week, so yeah, we need our Koby to beat him like a cake mix;
Koby is our best option there, because Dunstan looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

Our Jack #1 (jumper #3) will be worked over, because Swines are filthy snipers like the Bombers of old.
Worried about him.

Rampe - 100 games, so Skunk would know how he plays, and I hope he can remember that, very important. Certainly video reviews would prompt his Membrey oops memory

We get lots of f50 entries but little return. Paddy marking in square should increase our efficiency,
against Swines, we need to hurt em on the scoreboard

[shrodes]

Reckon Koby might swing forward at times? Has played at half forward with the Dogs.

Imagine Mav and Koby down forward enforcing with McClunkin smashing packs. Better hope the Swans brought some extra pairs of shorts.

[#gosaintas]

Dunstan's stats were ok but he had no impact. Don't know what Richo sees in him.

I so agree with this. No influence whatsoever.

[The OtherThommo]

Reckon Koby might swing forward at times? Has played at half forward with the Dogs.

Imagine Mav and Koby down forward enforcing with McClunkin smashing packs. Better hope the Swans brought some extra pairs of shorts.

He will, s, even if given Kennedy - that's how he plays - make the other guy defend when we've got the pill..

But, I want him to have 1st crack at Kennedy - he's mid 20's, physically powerful, which you have to be against Kennedy, and seems a sound decision maker.

The other option is Steele, but with far less experience I'd prefer him not to be given the Kennedy burden 1st up.

In case you can't tell, I really rate Kennedy.

[The OtherThommo]

Dunstan's stats were ok but he had no impact. Don't know what Richo sees in him.

I so agree with this. No influence whatsoever.

Post game in the Victory Room, the tribe's consensus was pretty much the same.

But, then I watched the replay, and he did have more impact than we initially thought. He made a couple of errors late, but he had mates. On the plus side, and Marto was right when he pointed this out prior to Dunstan getting dropped, he did have 28, which surpassed his prior average of 16 odd by some distance.

[Wayne42]

Really think this is a mistake, I just hope it's a bit of a wake up for Brucey but we will miss his massive tank and contesting.

Bruce is overdue for a spell, hope he finds form at Sandy.

[The OtherThommo]

Kennedy's the key, I reckon - he's their engine.

Which earns him the right to get up close and personal with Koby Stephens around the ball.

OTOH, our key is Jack #1 - we have to allow him to get off the chain, because they don't have one of him.

So, Grundy takes Paddy, Rampe takes Membrey, and that leaves a 50+ 2015 Rookie selection, Pelican, sorry, Melican, to take the old Roo. Rampe might go to Roo, of course, but they don't have too many alternatives for Membrey, in that case, bar Pelican, sorry, Melican.

<edited for brevity>

Ergo, I come back to where I started - Kennedy's the key.

Kennedy had 27 touches to half-time last week, so yeah, we need our Koby to beat him like a cake mix;
Koby is our best option there, because Dunstan looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.

Our Jack #1 (jumper #3) will be worked over, because Swines are filthy snipers like the Bombers of old.
Worried about him.

Rampe - 100 games, so Skunk would know how he plays, and I hope he can remember that, very important. Certainly video reviews would prompt his Membrey oops memory

We get lots of f50 entries but little return. Paddy marking in square should increase our efficiency,
against Swines, we need to hurt em on the scoreboard

Koby getting somewhere around a chop out would do, WS.

Jack #1 is pretty robust - evidenced by his contested ball numbers.

And, as our midfield depth grows, we should take more opportunity to frighten the bejesus out of opposition coaches' boxes and defences, by sending him forward more often.

[SemperFidelis]

Dunstan's stats were ok but he had no impact. Don't know what Richo sees in him.

I so agree with this. No influence whatsoever.

Post game in the Victory Room, the tribe's consensus was pretty much the same.

But, then I watched the replay, and he did have more impact than we initially thought. He made a couple of errors late, but he had mates. On the plus side, and Marto was right when he pointed this out prior to Dunstan getting dropped, he did have 28, which surpassed his prior average of 16 odd by some distance.

I agree ToT. At the game I thought he'd have a rest this week, but on review I thought unlikely. Disposal efficiency was ordinary last week (or, put another way, clangers were higher than desired), but if he can improve on that this week I won't be complaining.

[Toy Saint]

What's the chance of a late change? Roo out for Bruce?

[SemperFidelis]

Really think this is a mistake, I just hope it's a bit of a wake up for Brucey but we will miss his massive tank and contesting.

Bruce is overdue for a spell, hope he finds form at Sandy.

This. Love Baroose. If he could stick a couple more each match he would never, ever be dropped

[shrodes]

Will be Bruce's first game at VFL level since round 17, 2014. He had only just started playing as a forward too, after switching from defence.

[Spinner]

Dunstan's stats were ok but he had no impact. Don't know what Richo sees in him.

No impact? How was that measured?

[bigcarl]

Bruce stiff IMO. Not kicking a lot of goals or clunking many marks, but no one contests harder in breaking up packs and putting his body on the line.

I wanted Paddy, Bruce and Membrey in the same forward line, which we did successfully a number of times towards the end of 2016.

[Jacks Back]

Bruce stiff IMO. Not kicking a lot of goals or clunking many marks, but no one contests harder in breaking up packs and putting his body on the line.

I wanted Paddy, Bruce and Membrey in the same forward line, which we did successfully a number of times towards the end of 2016.

For that to happen then Rooey has to play midfield which his knee will not currently let him.

[DownAtTheJunction]

Definitely backing Richo on this. Bruce is well off his 2015 form so a stint in the twos is warranted. I also like the fact that our coaching team has the courage to make statements. McCartin deserves his shot. Let's give him a few weeks to stamp his mark.

[WellardSaint]

Definitely backing Richo on this. Bruce is well off his 2015 form so a stint in the twos is warranted. I also like the fact that our coaching team has the courage to make statements. McCartin deserves his shot. Let's give him a few weeks to stamp his mark.

The coaches are teaching our forwards to go for a mark with "flat hands" as mentioned by Johnny Member (I think)
so they don't get outmarked. They are instructed to bring the ball to ground for Gresh, Weller, Wright, etc to swoop.
Not Bwoose fault, he should be allowed to go for a mark just like we've been taught since we were kids.

[DownAtTheJunction]

Definitely backing Richo on this. Bruce is well off his 2015 form so a stint in the twos is warranted. I also like the fact that our coaching team has the courage to make statements. McCartin deserves his shot. Let's give him a few weeks to stamp his mark.

The coaches are teaching our forwards to go for a mark with "flat hands" as mentioned by Johnny Member (I think)
so they don't get outmarked. They are instructed to bring the ball to ground for Gresh, Weller, Wright, etc to swoop.
Not Bwoose fault, he should be allowed to go for a mark just like we've been taught since we were kids.

I can't really comment on whether the coaches are giving instructions re. 'flat hands' to avoid being outmarked. Clearly though Membrey (21marks in last 3 games), Riewoldt (17 marks in last 3 games) and Carlisle (22 marks in last 3 games) are still able to grab significant numbers.

[bigcarl]

Bruce stiff IMO. Not kicking a lot of goals or clunking many marks, but no one contests harder in breaking up packs and putting his body on the line.

I wanted Paddy, Bruce and Membrey in the same forward line, which we did successfully a number of times towards the end of 2016.

For that to happen then Rooey has to play midfield which his knee will not currently let him.

I don't know about that. ToT made a very good point elsewhere that he's probably doing more damage to his knees doing heavy body work in the forward line than running around on a wing.

[Con Gorozidis]

I am shocked. Bruce goal kicking down but he puts in a mountain of work imo. Tackles hard and runs all day.

[dragit]

I am shocked. Bruce goal kicking down but he puts in a mountain of work imo. Tackles hard and runs all day.

He's no Rhys Stanley.