Changes v Tigers

[SMS]

If Gilbert doesn get up we are screwed.

Cant see us winning. 6 day break from perth and webster our quarterback is out.

[meher baba]

Webster out (managed by AFL)
Weller out (managed)
Dunstan out (managed)

Rice in
Savage in
Battle in

Paddy (diabetes unmanaged)

I didn't know diabetes would cause a player to be heeedless of danger to his head in a contest. That's a skill deficit, not a health problem IMO.

Battle? Surely you jest. Where would he play?

[saintspremiers]

Webster out (managed by AFL)
Weller out (managed)
Dunstan out (managed)

Rice in
Savage in
Battle in

Paddy (diabetes unmanaged)

I didn't know diabetes would cause a player to be heeedless of danger to his head in a contest. That's a skill deficit, not a health problem IMO.

Battle? Surely you jest. Where would he play?

Paddy. Diabetes. Head injuries. Mismanagement. Please insert a pic of the biggest can of worms known to mankind. And pass the popcorn.

[WellardSaint]

Do they put someone fit and athletic on Rance?

If Gilbo is fit, maybe put him on Rance as a hard tag, defensive forward.
He can nullify the rebound of Rance.
It wouild certainly screw up Hardwick's tactics

Jimmy Webster replaced by Savage
Gilbo's normal role to be done by maybe Rice (tony74 said Rice was planned for the Dockers game)

[White Winmar]

Carlisle forward. Tigers have a small forward setup with only the lesser Riewoldt up there. Leave him to Brown. Jake the snake forward to kick a bag. We need a point of difference, a weapon, a surprise. That surprise is Jake.

[saintbob]

Out: Lonie, Longer, Dunstanand Webster

In:Hickey, Savage, Freeman and Acres

[borderbarry]

No place for Rice saintbob?

[longtimesaint]

Out: Lonie, Longer, Dunstanand Webster

In:Hickey, Savage, Freeman and Acres

We have won 3 in s row and there is no need for that many changes.
Savage or McKenzie for Webster.

[meher baba]

Out: Lonie, Longer, Dunstanand Webster

In:Hickey, Savage, Freeman and Acres

We have won 3 in s row and there is no need for that many changes.
Savage or McKenzie for Webster.

Correct that there won't be that many changes, barring injury problems that occur in training and/or we don't know about.

Unless the club has given up completely on Savage - which seems unlikely given that he was named in the extended squad for the game against the Suns - then he has to come in for Webster on the basis that:

1. It's a role he could reasonably be expected to fill
2. It's a big game which we desperately want to win, and in such games you tend to go with experienced players over debutants or fringe players.
3. Savage was more or less BOG for the Zebras on Sunday.

Beyond Savage for Webster, there is the possibility of Gilbert being rested for precautionary reasons, in which case DMac would be a chance, or, more likely IMO, Acres.

And I reckon that would be it. Yes, Mav has been playing poorly, and if Webster had been available we might have seen Savage come in for Mav. But I don't think that will happen now.

Fact is, nobody other than Savage and Hickey are knocking down the door at the Zebras. I reckon Hickey might be back for the key games at the end of the year, but Longer is fitting in well ATM.

[Gershwin]

Out: Lonie, Longer, Dunstanand Webster

In:Hickey, Savage, Freeman and Acres

We have won 3 in s row and there is no need for that many changes.
Savage or McKenzie for Webster.

Correct that there won't be that many changes, barring injury problems that occur in training and/or we don't know about.

Unless the club has given up completely on Savage - which seems unlikely given that he was named in the extended squad for the game against the Suns - then he has to come in for Webster on the basis that:

1. It's a role he could reasonably be expected to fill
2. It's a big game which we desperately want to win, and in such games you tend to go with experienced players over debutants or fringe players.
3. Savage was more or less BOG for the Zebras on Sunday.

Beyond Savage for Webster, there is the possibility of Gilbert being rested for precautionary reasons, in which case DMac would be a chance, or, more likely IMO, Acres.

And I reckon that would be it. Yes, Mav has been playing poorly, and if Webster had been available we might have seen Savage come in for Mav. But I don't think that will happen now.

Fact is, nobody other than Savage and Hickey are knocking down the door at the Zebras. I reckon Hickey might be back for the key games at the end of the year, but Longer is fitting in well ATM.

Don't know that Freeman can knock any louder but this weekend is not the game to pick him.

[dragit]

Beating bottom four sides doesn't necessarily mean you are going that well…

Mav's incredibly average year got even worse last week, but he seems untouchable.

Let's get McKenzie & Acres back in the side.

The reality is that Longer was toweled up last week by a 19 year old, second gamer.

Hickey needs to come in to try and negate Nankervis who is a beast around the ground - he had as many kicks last week as Longer has had so far this entire year.

I'd rather we lose the hitouts and have Hickey get 15 touches and a goal.

Dunstan 11 touches - Steele was dropped for a similar game a few weeks back, probably lucky there are no mids banging the door down.

In:
Acres, McKenzie, Hickey

Out:
Weller/Dunstan, Webster, Longer

[meher baba]

Let's get McKenzie & Acres back in the side.

McKenzie even though he had a very poor game for the Zebras and Savage stood out?

Would this send the right message? It would only if the message is: "pack your bags Savage, we don't want you any more." I don't know whether or not that's where the club is going to end up, but the standard practice of AFL clubs is to send this message at the point in a season at which they are certain that they won't need the player any more: eg, when it's certain where they are going to finish on the table.

It's a big game on Saturday night. Why wouldn't we want to pick the most in-form players? On that basis, it's got to be Savage for Webster, and I can understand - although I wouldn't support - the idea of Hickey for Longer. Hickey and Savage played well on Sunday. So did Freeman, but we've been told that he isn't going to play AFL this year. If that's changed, I'm not sure that such a crunch match is the one to try him out in.

[dragit]

Let's get McKenzie & Acres back in the side.

McKenzie even though he had a very poor game for the Zebras and Savage stood out?

Would this send the right message? It would only if the message is: "pack your bags Savage, we don't want you any more."

I reckon it's probably curtains for Shane, so we are wasting time by playing him… his 4 games at AFL level this year were pretty average for a guy in his prime.

1 good game in the VFL isn't enough for mine, he had 13 touches 2 games prior.

I thought McKenzie was good in his 2 games and was stiff to be dropped, we need to get games into him.

[meher baba]

I thought McKenzie was good in his 2 games and was stiff to be dropped, we need to get games into him.

I'm not sure that he was that good really. While he had 20 disposals and 6 tackles against Sydney, my recollection is that he looked tremendously uncertain with the ball coming out of defence: turning it over on a few occasions and also kicking it to a player in a worse position on several more. My recollection is that he went a bit better in the Dogs game, although his stats weren't outstanding: 17 disposals, 3 tackles and 1 goal. He was then dropped for Webster coming back, so it's a bit unclear what the coach and football department thought of his performance. It's possible that they see him as the understudy for Webster, in which case he'll be selected and prove me wrong.

Otherwise, I think it has to be Savage. If you've read any of my other posts, you will be aware that I don't buy the "get games into them" concept. In my view, you go with the best available talent every time unless and until you reach at a point in the season in which it is no longer imperative for you to win every game.

[dragit]

I'm not into playing young guys for the sake of it either, but McKenzie (21 - 18 games) is ahead of Savage (26 - 115 games) in every measure going on their limited chances at AFL level this year.

Savage had 13 disposals at VFL level the week before last.

[saintsRrising]

DMak 2017 has been a shadow of DMak 2016 unfortunately.

[dragit]

DMak 2017 has been a shadow of DMak 2016 unfortunately.

What was he doing so much better last year?

He's only played 18 games, it will take him time to adjust to the tempo. His only two games were against last years grand finalists.

[Brunswicksainter]

There has never been a worse player than billy longer to pull on the red, black and white.

[saintspremiers]

DMak 2017 has been a shadow of DMak 2016 unfortunately.

Agree.

I have my doubts of DMac is any good TBH

[shrodes]

DMak 2017 has been a shadow of DMak 2016 unfortunately.

What was he doing so much better last year?

He's only played 18 games, it will take him time to adjust to the tempo. His only two games were against last years grand finalists.

Only thing I noticed was that he looked very nervous and a bit rushed... That will only improve if we play him

[St Loxton]

There has never been a worse player than billy longer to pull on the red, black and white.

Thats pretty harsh mate, Adam Pattinson was quite awful.

[older saint]

Perhaps with Savage its time to move him to wing or half forward as foot skills are good but too loose in defence and gets lost in the game at times

[longtimesaint]

Perhaps with Savage its time to move him to wing or half forward as foot skills are good but too loose in defence and gets lost in the game at times

Who is going to play Webster's role as a running back line player?

[MC Gusto]

I'd like to see either Rice or Mckenzie in for Jweb and acres in for gilbert if injured and if not injured acres in for Mav!

[MC Gusto]

Don't see any upside to playing Savage. He's a good clubman and a reasonable player but he's not the future and we are not playing for the flag. Better off getting games into the kids - I really want to see more of wright (he seemed really at home with the pace of afl in
The 1 game he's played) dmack and would like to see rice and freezer!!