Changes if any next week

[Con Gorozidis]

Why concede to him?

Let our two best ruckman go up against the best and lets see who does better out of the two. Throw some competition their way.

well the point is hes so good you need to double team. if u double team you sacrifice a player somewhere else and leave a loose eagle.

so you have to make a call on it.

cox is awesome. no way king can follow him around the ground - and im not having a go at king - just saying cox is the best in the business.

[bigred]

Why concede to him?

Let our two best ruckman go up against the best and lets see who does better out of the two. Throw some competition their way.

Damn straight.

Dont concede a freakin inch.

Make Cox work hard and you are going to make their mids work harder.

[JeffDunne]

We need to make him accountable.

Simple as that.

Have Blake lineup as a loose man accross half back and have him pick up Cox (so to speak) whenever he's forward of centre. MG & King can push forward. I'd even be tempted to try having Kosi swap with whichever ruckman pushes forward and have him chase Cox for a while.

I agree both will struggle to keep up with him and personally I reckon we'd be stupid to expect them to try. Why run them into the ground on a big oval? However, I'd like to see both our ruckman go up against him in the ruck.

[Eastern]

I know I'm not as young as I was, and that I wasn't at the game last night, but on my TV the Saints came back from a 34 point deficit to win by 30 So to borrow the old phrase: "why change a winning side?"
If the 22 last night were good enough, then why not leave "as is"?

I too like a settled side. There is one thing that is for sure;

Those outside the 22 at the moment would need to perform extra, extra well for a number of weeks at the lower level to get a look in !!

[bigred]

Those outside the 22 at the moment would need to perform extra, extra well for a number of weeks at the lower level to get a look in !!

A lot of em have been.

[saintsRrising]

A point on Fiora

His game against the Hawks was ok. Did not star...but was not bad either.

I watched the replay (as well as being at the game live) and in watching the replay I took particular note of Fiora. He did lots of little things and was hard at it....and I would imagine that these were the ars that RL wanted greater application from him in.

His TOG was very high too, indicating on the day that RL was happy with his efforts (as opposed to his last game prior against the Lions where he was dragged off not to reappear and had a very low TOG).

Fiora as we know can play a lot better (and yes worse too unfortunately)...and the things that he is good at when on song are things that the saints are short in...pace and run (though RL has really improved the Saints in this area in recent weeks).

Rl will be wanting Fior to lift and regain last years form. If he does he will bea useful part of our team heading into the finals.

So this is not a time to drop Fiora..but to reward his ok game abd boost his confidence. a bit of faith now may bring some useful rewards.


Another quick skilled runner going into the finals will be useful...and in particular as X is evidently several weeks off playing still which is going to mkae hima doubtful member of our team in the finals if we make it.

[Quixote]

Now that Kosi is gone, surely MG comes in.


Sam Gilbert isn't doing himself any favours down back either I feel.


Depending on structure, he might go for Geary.

[bergsone]

No kosi=M gardiner or do you look at a C.Gardiner or Allen for a bit more mobility in the forward half ,Maybe even see Blake push forward more ,at least we have a few options,thinking caps on Ross
IMO one change M gardiner in for Kosi

[Armoooo]

Potential Ins: Geary, Birss, M.Gardiner, Gwilt
Potential Outs: Kosi, Eddy, Armitage, Fiora

In my opinion it will be Gardiner and Geary in, with Kosi and Armo out.
I would love to see Birss back in the side but IMO the Eagles don't have a back flanker worth tagging and Geary would bring more run into the side.

IMO we are going to need both King and Gardiner, if we could stretch Cox and maybe even break even we will have already gone a long way to winning the centre battle.

Potential Match Ups:
King/Gardiner V Cox in the ruck (with Blake to follow him around the ground)
McQualter V Priddis
Gram V Embley
Dal Santo V Adam Selwood
Hudghton V Lynch

IMO they are WCE's most important players and I believe that those matchups will all be wins for us, however I am a bit skeptical on Mcqualter V Priddis, but I think we can concede his 30 ineffective handballs...

[Brooksy_Babe_24]

Just like to mention that Casey don't have a game this week so whoever gets dropped won't play this week at all leading into the finals can we afford to let this happen.

[Ghost Like]

With Kosi out it's a pity we couldn't bring back the G "For one show only!"

Possible inclusions would be McEvoy, Allen or C. Gardiner, Allen needs more time after having a taste. This leaves Charlie or Big Mc, Charlie appears to travel well and his leading and hit up abilities would be invaluable in the West. Big Mc would get a lot from the trip and be able to give King and Blake a chop out, he is also more like the man he'd be replacing if we did not wish to change the make up too much.

Geary will be in the mix and does deserve an opportunity should one of our runners not come up or is in need of a spell.

Either way we should win as the Eagles are experimenting with their 2009 NAB Cupp side. Their cue isn't just in the rack, it's been welded there!

[kaos theory]

Just goes to show how difficult it can be to match up on a firing kosi....

Though not play great atm, he is unique in his forward, mobile and ruck play, therefore, there isn't a easy replacement.

- MG: good ruck skills, but not a great forward (in recent times)
- Allen: (would be my choice) offers a good marking forward option, but still a little green, this game could give him some confidence.
- Mcevoy: Still a little green
- r. clarke: though most may think not worth a recall, as a marking forward is his best option to make it at afl, confidence an issue
- c. gardner: not up to alf standard imo, just can't cut it with quality opposition, I would rather play someone how will be on the list next yr, and I don't think he will make it.
- other small/runner?: Geary or Birss (my choice would be geary), but we will go in very short if that type of change came in for kosi.

Also, another arrnagement: BJ could go forward, which will mean we will have to replace him at the back, though WC don't have many marking mids/talls that would require BJ down there...

[Otiman]

With Kosi out it's a pity we couldn't bring back the G "For one show only!"

We could. We haven't elevated a rookie for him, and he's not present on our official injury list.

[Eastern]

Just like to mention that Casey don't have a game this week so whoever gets dropped won't play this week at all leading into the finals can we afford to let this happen.

Would this mean that they take the entire list across to Perth on a bit of a team bonding exercise this week? Or would the expense outweigh the benifits? !!

[Spinner]

IN: M Gardiner, Geary

OUT: Koschitzke, Armitage

Dont really care, hard to change a winning team.....Just want Gardiner to play.

[sax]

In: M. Gardiner, C. Gardiner/Allen
Out: Koschitzke, Armitage/McQualtar

I don't know who I'd bring in or drop for that matter, but we need another target with Koz out & another ruckman playing Cox. Mini and Armo would both be unlucky!

[4ever_saint]

In: M. Gardiner, C. Gardiner/Allen
Out: Koschitzke, Armitage/McQualtar

I don't know who I'd bring in or drop for that matter, but we need another target with Koz out & another ruckman playing Cox. Mini and Armo would both be unlucky!

doubt mcqualter will get dropped as ross seems to be playing him in a tagging role. considering how little time onfield armitage seems to be getting, i'd say he'd be the likely replacement for geary who has been bog at casey three weeks running.

[Sainter_Dad]

Definite - Michael Gardiner is IN

[derby Street]

Reading from todays training post it seems that Harvey maybe doubtful - he does have wonderful recuperative powers but a long flight to Perth won't do him much good. I guess they will be able to take over a posse to try and cover for him (not that anyone can !) Armo not getting much of it - but playing bursts. Subiaco is a damn big oval so we will need our running game
unless we try and make it a 6 goals to 5 game .

[4ever_saint]

Reading from todays training post it seems that Harvey maybe doubtful - he does have wonderful recuperative powers but a long flight to Perth won't do him much good. I guess they will be able to take over a posse to try and cover for him (not that anyone can !) Armo not getting much of it - but playing bursts. Subiaco is a damn big oval so we will need our running game
unless we try and make it a 6 goals to 5 game .

good call. wouldnt suprise me if they rest harvey as a precaution anyway as he is a lot older and though the break was two weeks ago, he still could do with a rest before finals, which this could provide the perfect oppportunity for.

[To the top]

With Kosi out, I am in the camp that we will need 2 to replace him.

a) Kosi was bumped out of the ruck contests (not unusual) by bigger bodies leading to the "punt" of rucking Blake after half-time last week - and it paid off big time but will, in all probability, never be repeated so successfully. We got away with it and time to address the core of the problem which saw us turn to Blake.

b) Therefore King and Gardiner have to be chosen as the ruckmen - also giving an option for one to push forward periodically.

c) It may be that Blake can "run with" Cox and make him accountable because Blake is more mobile than King or Gardiner - but that depends on West Coast also.

d) What all this means is that Kosi is a target forward (with licence to roam) and without him forward as a target it all falls on Roo to be on the end of far too much - and we are then too predictable.

Summary is that we need to address the fall off in our rucking presence when King is off the ground/ball (+ M. Gardiner) AND we need to replace Kosi with like for like in the forward line.

Don't ask me who should be dropped because whoever it is will be unlucky.

And I thought Gilbert played well, chopping a dangerous and confident (3 goals in the first quarter) Williams right out - except for one lead up mark when Gilbert was all over Williams but he marked well - you can not stop them but you can make them hurt - which Gilbert did. An emerging very good player.

Eddy impressed, McQualter did his job in the second half, Fiora was useful, Armitage should have had 3 goals for himself - all when the game was there to be won.

The worst player was at least honest in the second half - and worked in the first half but butchered chain short possesions giving goals away.

It was not as if we did not have the pill in the first half - we just used it far better in the second half.

And Blake nullified the (in the absence of King) Hawthorn take aways in the second half by doing the job he did.

[Sainter_Dad]

From the best source- M Gardiner will play and is looking forward to destroying Cox

[borderbarry]

Sainter_Dad, are there any other changes that you are aware of?

[Sainter_Dad]

Nope.

[mad saint guy]

My preference

OUT: Kosi, Armitage
IN: M.Gardiner, Ferguson

B: Gilbert, Hudghton, Goddard
HB: Dempster, Blake, S.Fisher
C: Gram, Hayes, Montagna
HF: Schneider, Ferguson, Eddy
F: Milne, Riewoldt, Jones

Foll: King, Ball, Dal Santo
Int: Harvey, Fiora, M.Gardiner, McQualter