Preview Round 6: Essendon vs Collingwood, MCG, Monday 25/04/2022 @ 3:20 PM

[Lore]

I suppose Merrett and Stringer on reduced game time and half-baked are still going to provide more than some others did last week

 

[ghostdog]

I suppose Merrett and Stringer on reduced game time and half-baked are still going to provide more than some others did last week

Yep. Merrett in a moonboot hobbling back in defence actually would offer more defensively.

I'm still sour. I'll clear out.

 

[Milanista28]

Merrett trained pretty hard today by the sounds of it

 

[Lore]

Yep. Merrett in a moonboot hobbling back in defence actually would offer more defensively.

I'm still sour. I'll clear out.

I laugh but it's that or cry right

 

[ghostdog]

I laugh but it's that or cry right

I'll save it for ANZAC Day. It is a bittersweet occasion.

 

[Vander18]

Sheedy putting the team lists in?

Windsocks will be tied down at the ‘G on Monday.

 

[Hamez]

It was only a 5 second clip but the footage of Stringer training didn’t look flash.

 

[LB#16]

Including Stringer and Merrett translates loosely to;

"Please don't abandon us after we displayed bare minimum effort last week and leave your seat empty it would be sooo embarrassing for us in the press!"

 

[Shane Heard]

Might as well go with Stringer the super sub.

I like it.

 

[Lore]

Hind plays or we're short a defender. Cutler as defence emergency (sub).
Phillips out for Bryan OR Baldwin. The other is the tall emergency.
Shiel out for Merrett. Shiel midfield emergency.
Smith out for Stringer. Smith forward emergency.

bench: Hind, Bryan/Baldwin, Perkins, Waterman
emg: Cutler (sub), Smith, Shiel, Baldwin/Bryan


Waterman and Hobbs effectively taking Smith and Shiel's spots in the "best" 22.

I don't think there's a way for both Bryan and Baldwin to play, since the second ruck is currently playing in lieu of a second tall forward. Having both would be a significant structural change, and there aren't any other talls on the bench that might be left out to offset that. Basically one of Waterman or Perkins would have to make way.

 

[Ati Tude]

Including Stringer and Merrett translates loosely to;

"Please don't abandon us after we displayed bare minimum effort last week and leave your seat empty it would be sooo embarrassing for us in the press!"

"We dont want to look like a Norf game..."

 

[Ati Tude]

Hind plays or we're short a defender. Cutler as defence emergency (sub).
Phillips out for Bryan OR Baldwin. The other is the tall emergency.
Shiel out for Merrett. Shiel midfield emergency.
Smith out for Stringer. Smith forward emergency.

bench: Hind, Bryan/Baldwin, Perkins, Waterman
emg: Cutler (sub), Smith, Shiel, Baldwin/Bryan


Waterman and Hobbs effectively taking Smith and Shiel's spots in the "best" 22.

I don't think there's a way for both Bryan and Baldwin to play, since the second ruck is currently playing in lieu of a second tall forward. Having both would be a significant structural change, and there aren't any other talls on the bench that might be left out to offset that. Basically one of Waterman or Perkins would have to make way.

Presumably Stringer will make way but they have to name him in the off chance he does convince he is ready.

 

[CBombers17]

Dropping Shiel is a bold move if that happens. I like it but would have preferred it to be Parish

Need to add Jakey to potential medallists I reckon. Feels like we are a chance with him back in. Hope he's been smashing the zwift!

 

[FlyingV]

Big day for the medical staff, if Merrett or Stringer re-agitate their injuries Snelling or Langford style… ouffff

 

[Hamez]

I’m assuming we’ll have another training (Saturday?) session between now and Monday which Stringer and Merrett will have to get through?

 

[ghostdog]

Hind plays or we're short a defender. Cutler as defence emergency (sub).
Phillips out for Bryan OR Baldwin. The other is the tall emergency.
Shiel out for Merrett. Shiel midfield emergency.
Smith out for Stringer. Smith forward emergency.

bench: Hind, Bryan/Baldwin, Perkins, Waterman
emg: Cutler (sub), Smith, Shiel, Baldwin/Bryan


Waterman and Hobbs effectively taking Smith and Shiel's spots in the "best" 22.

I don't think there's a way for both Bryan and Baldwin to play, since the second ruck is currently playing in lieu of a second tall forward. Having both would be a significant structural change, and there aren't any other talls on the bench that might be left out to offset that. Basically one of Waterman or Perkins would have to make way.

Perkins with 6 disposals against Freo stays in, while Shiel with 19 disposals and 4 clearances goes out? Shiel can play a mid/forward rotation. Perkins can learn to deal with closer defensive attention in the VFL.

 

[Lore]

Perkins with 6 disposals against Freo stays in, while Shiel with 19 disposals and 4 clearances goes out? Shiel can play a mid/forward rotation. Perkins can learn to deal with closer defensive attention in the VFL.

Perkins didn't have close attention, he was on the opposite wing holding width to try and prevent the switch all by himself with two opponents. If the ball made it into our forward line and he was getting tagged there would be questions, but hard to say "why didn't you touch it" when his job when the opponent had the ball was to be as far away as possible.

Shiel on the other hand has been named two or three times (by the coach in post-match presser, and in interviews?) as one of the players who didn't put in the required effort, particularly in the third quarter. As a senior player he may well be held accountable, and according to the McGrath interview 'if you can't do it, you don't play' and there is supposed to be a full stop on stuff like that, so if that's an agreed standard and expectation and they're all holding to it then I would expect someone to get dropped. It won't be Parish (the other guy that has been named in presser and interviews) since he's named on the field and his image is used in the team selection materials on the website, and that usually means something.

Not generally interchangeable anyway, if Perkins came out I would expect it to be for Smith.

 

[ghostdog]

Perkins didn't have close attention, he was on the opposite wing holding width to try and prevent the switch all by himself with two opponents. If the ball made it into our forward line and he was getting tagged there would be questions, but hard to say "why didn't you touch it" when his job when the opponent had the ball was to be as far away as possible.

Shiel on the other hand has been named two or three times (by the coach in post-match presser, and in interviews?) as one of the players who didn't put in the required effort, particularly in the third quarter. As a senior player he may well be held accountable, and according to the McGrath interview 'if you can't do it, you don't play' and there is supposed to be a full stop on stuff like that, so if that's an agreed standard and expectation and they're all holding to it then I would expect someone to get dropped. It won't be Parish (the other guy that has been named in presser and interviews) since he's named on the field and his image is used in the team selection materials on the website, and that usually means something.

Not generally interchangeable anyway, if Perkins came out I would expect it to be for Smith.

I got the impression that the whole midfield group accepted responsibility. Andy was right to name names and those he chose were senior players, so that's good. I just can't go past Perkins if we're looking at their comparative games. Even if Archie sacrificed his game for that role, he only laid one tackle. We can put it another way and say, okay, we were competitive for a half and Shiel then was one of the main drivers of that. Where was Perkins for the first half?

Don't get me wrong, if Shiel is made an example of, I won't be too upset, but the entire midfield group were guilty of their slackness on the day. They were competitive for a half though, while Archie did not much at all. Shiel has been one of the players who really has stood up in the absence of Merrett and Stringer. It would be a tough call to drop him.

You're probably right though. I'm still learning this stuff.

 

[JT_the_Man]

So um… Merrett isn’t meant to be back for another month or so right?

 

[Lore]

I got the impression that the whole midfield group accepted responsibility. Andy was right to name names and those he chose were senior players, so that's good. I just can't go past Perkins if we're looking at their comparative games. Even if Archie sacrificed his game for that role, he only laid one tackle. We can put it another way and say, okay, we were competitive for a half and Shiel then was one of the main drivers of that. Where was Perkins for the first half?

Don't get me wrong, if Shiel is made an example of, I won't be too upset, but the entire midfield group were guilty of their slackness on the day. They were competitive for a half though, while Archie did not much at all. Shiel has been one of the players who really has stood up in the absence of Merrett and Stringer. It would be a tough call to drop him.

You're probably right though. I'm still learning this stuff.

I mean I could be wrong and they may drop perkins or Waterman (who has an equally uninspiring stat sheet) but if you’re dropping kids for not doing stuff and giving senior players a pass after talking tough all week about senior players letting us down and “not letting things slide we’re putting a full stop on it” “if you don’t do it you don’t play” “we have to set an example for the younger guys to know that’s not the Essendon way”

And then you drop a kid who actually did what he was asked to do… what exactly was the point of the tough talk? If they do that it’s just piss and wind and they might as well not have said anything at all.

Which they have form for a lot of marketing drivel and dropping kids while senior players have to drop themselves under the previous administration… but not from Truck or from McGrath before, as best I can remember. I have the feeling that both value their integrity and wouldn’t ordinarily say things they don’t mean. Whereas Woosha always had this kind of smirk and dismissive air towards the journalists and we got nothin — not lies but nothing much that hits between the eyes either.

Rutten’s presser he named Parish and Shiel.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Ankle injuries are weird ones. Even Doctors talk out of their asses regarding them. It's a toss of the coin most of the time, and it's only after time passes that the gravity of it becomes noticeable through how it's starting to feel when you walk for longer/jog/run. It's honestly the bermuda triangle of all human injuries.

 

[ghostdog]

I mean I could be wrong and they may drop perkins or Waterman (who has an equally uninspiring stat sheet) but if you’re dropping kids for not doing stuff and giving senior players a pass after talking tough all week about senior players letting us down and “not letting things slide we’re putting a full stop on it” “if you don’t do it you don’t play” “we have to set an example for the younger guys to know that’s not the Essendon way”

And then you drop a kid who actually did what he was asked to do… what exactly was the point of the tough talk? If they do that it’s just piss and wind and they might as well not have said anything at all.

Which they have form for a lot of marketing drivel and dropping kids while senior players have to drop themselves under the previous administration… but not from Truck or from McGrath before, as best I can remember. I have the feeling that both value their integrity and wouldn’t ordinarily say things they don’t mean. Whereas Woosha always had this kind of smirk and dismissive air towards the journalists and we got nothin — not lies but nothing much that hits between the eyes either.

Rutten’s presser he named Parish and Shiel.

You're right that McGrath's language does point to dropping Shiel.

If that's what happens, Shiel seems to me to be the kind of player who would respond professionally and come out firing when he returns. The long term value for the culture and standard setting of making an example of him (or any other senior player whose contribution was poor) should be strong. I would hope it does cause guys like Perkins and Cox to reflect and strengthen their resolve to lift their game. Actually, it should be a defining step forward culturally. I think you've changed my mind

 

[Call Me Cake]

Bring Tippa in a least someone half decent will have to watch him, and probably still our most dangerous forward

V Bulldogs: Jones/Reid
V Hawks: Tippa

 

[Bombers36]

I think we will see both Perkins and Waterman axed - 6 possessions is not enough and while Waterman hit the scoreboard as always he is a one trick pony who does little else….maybe Perkins is carrying a niggle? Hind is the other player who has been extremely underwhelming this year…
I think by Monday provided Stringer and Merrett get through training the lineup will look a little more like;-

Lav Zerk Kelly
Heppell Ridley Redman
Durham McGrath Cox
Martin Baldwin Caldwell
Stringer 2MP Guelfi

Draper Parish Merrett

Bench: Shiel Hobbs Cutler Bryan
SUB: Smith

A lineup like that could trouble the Pies - it really does depend on Stringer and Merrett’s availability in 4 days time..I hope they haven’t just been named as a bit of a smokescreen and are actually ready to go…




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[Wahooti Fandango]

I think we will see both Perkins and Waterman axed - 6 possessions is not enough and while Waterman hit the scoreboard as always he is a one trick pony who does little else….maybe Perkins is carrying a niggle? Hind is the other player who has been extremely underwhelming this year…
I think by Monday provided Stringer and Merrett get through training the lineup will look a little more like;-

Lav Zerk Kelly
Heppell Ridley Redman
Durham McGrath Cox
Martin Baldwin Caldwell
Stringer 2MP Guelfi

Draper Parish Merrett

Bench: Shiel Hobbs Cutler Bryan
SUB: Smith

A lineup like that could trouble the Pies - it really does depend on Stringer and Merrett’s availability in 4 days time..I hope they haven’t just been named as a bit of a smokescreen and are actually ready to go…




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But his one trick is to kick goals, so, you know...