Game Day Round 10 vs. Fremantle, Sun 22/05, 5:20pm OS

[Apex36]

IN: Cox (can't believe I'm saying that but Begg isn't ready), Macrae, McMahon
OUT: C. Brown, T. Brown, Madgen
Ruscoe in as the sub. Would possibly bring in Reef for McReery too but am not fussed which of those two is selected.

Pendles and Ginni just play against the afl academy boys then I guess?

 

[jmac70]

Fin will be fin.
He won't be his brother or anyone else. He'll be the sort of player he decides he is capable of being, nothing less.

What that will be, we'll have to have some patience and wait and see.

Wise words Jen.

 

[Fruit]

It’s so hard to judge players early and particularly after we’ve gone through a period when many players, especially kids, missed a lot of footy.
Macrae and Henry have played less than 20 AFL games. Their body hasn’t fully developed. Their tanks are still building.
The games they are getting and the mistakes they have made will help them in the long run.

 

[jmac70]

Pendles and Ginni just play against the afl academy boys then I guess?

Reckon it will be Pendles, Sick Boy, Cox and Spud Murphy in for Macca, The Madge, Beggby and Beau

C Brown the super sub

 

[barrackers]

I'm sure he was instructed to do that. Because his ruck craft is limited, his best bet is to belt it forward. He should get a chance next week.

Perhaps. I haven’t seen any of our other rucks do it consistently though. Cox was also doing a lot of other unconventional stuff, but that feeds into both possibilities.

 

[No SPIN]

I hope they give him a go. Think his greater height and greater mobility makes him a stronger long term possibility for that 3rd tall role than Murphy

Longterm yes - but not for next week.

 

[Apex36]

Jack has always been a ball magnet. Finn is not.

Probably a bit early to be stating what Finn, or any of the Victorian 2020 boys are, or are not at this point given the disjointed nature of the past few years. I’m keen to see what they’re all capable of with a couple more preseasons under their belts.

 

[#26]

Some people are making very early calls on second year players. Give them three seasons in the system before passing judgement.

 

[Gaspard]

It was very predictabe that this is how our year would develop. The lack of solid backup players ensured that as soon as the injuries hit, the team performances would fall away. The only coaching error I have seen has been the reluctance to use Cox as Grundy's replacement. It was a punt on Begg, and it has shown that he has work to do. Time to do the obvious rather than continue with the hopeful.

It was also predictable that the reaction here would be as confused as it has been. We want to bring on the future as quickly as possible, but we can't hack the week by week losses and look for someone to blame. We all hate to lose, and living through rebuilds is pretty unpleasant, made more so because we have yet to find the midfield strength and ball extracting capability that we crave. We don't have the draft capital to look like we can remedy this over less than 3 years, a terrible thought. Howe, Pendlebury and Roughead all need replacements soon, and we don't have them either.

The Daicos brothers, Ginnivan and Henry all look top line players, Moore, Maynard, Grundy and Degoey should be solid for some years, so there are only(!) 10 places to find stars to fill. We have one round 1 selection to start off, and apparently not much salary cap space for purchases. We have a bad rep from the Treloar debacle to fight against too. We have some young players with promise, but none have shown that they will move to the top yet. I hope some do.

I want the selectors to continue to choose the side each week that they think has the best chance of winning with the resources we have. Dumping good players, like Hoskin-Elliott, as so many here seem to want just to have someone younger in the side, is a strategy designed for failure. The North Melbourne example is salutary (but who knows, it may work for them: they have a lot of early picks to work with). We have to grind through this year, and probably a couple more, gritting our teeth in frustration while the team plays as well as it can while it is rebuilt.

The wins early while we had most of our best available were a bit of a false dawn. They gave us hope that the hard slog was not there, but it surely is.

 

[sr36]

Well he hasn't had a consistent run at AFL level. I would like to see what he does with a run of 12 to 15 continuous games, and what he produces there before writing him off...

I meant he's not yet a ball magnet at VFL. Projecting his brother's strengths is really optimistic.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Forget Murley - at 67kgs he’s not ready, nor does his VFL form justify selection.

67 kg! That was my weight most of my life and I have a spindly sort of frame. Far too light for AFL.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Can’t believe people are suggesting McCreery goes out. Until there is someone else in the side that is lightning quick and hits like a truck he stays in. Finally a genuine defensive pressure prospect, as opposed to incumbents from years before where defensive pressure was merely code for adequate (not good) at applying pressure and incapable of winning the ball themselves.

 

[#26]

I doubt bringing Cox in for Begg is going to make much difference. Might as well keep playing Begg, who unlike Cox has upside and will improve with exposure to senior footy.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

How we manage the Freo talls up forward is a troubling concern. They have some big boys.

We’ll manage them the same way we manage every other team - with Howe and Moore standing fifty metres away from their direct opponents

 

[No SPIN]

I doubt bringing Cox in for Begg is going to make much difference. Might as well keep playing Begg, who unlike Cox has upside and will improve with exposure to senior footy.

You can’t ignore Cox’s form in the VFL - Begg is young, so time in the VFL will be valuable. If he does as well in the VFL as Cox I’d be rapt.

 

[sr36]

Probably a bit early to be stating what Finn, or any of the Victorian 2020 boys are, or are not at this point given the disjointed nature of the past few years. I’m keen to see what they’re all capable of with a couple more preseasons under their belts.

It's not too early to state what they are at this point. It may be too early to state what they'll become.

But with Finn, I struggle to see what he's got to rise above the majority of draftees who don't make it and become one who does.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[stormskye]

It's not too early to state what they are at this point. It may be too early to state what they'll become.

But with Finn, I struggle to see what he's got to rise above the majority of draftees who don't make it and become one who does.

I hope I'm wrong.

He can kick the pill. We’ve kept someone who’s incapable of kicking on the list for 6 years. Happy to give fin time. I’ve watched all the vfl games and he’s been solid without being outstanding.

 

[BuildEmUp]

You can’t ignore Cox’s form in the VFL - Begg is young, so time in the VFL will be valuable. If he does as well in the VFL as Cox I’d be wrapped.

you might be Rapt also ( hope you don't get wrapped in gladwrap)

 

[jathanas]

Can’t believe people are suggesting McCreery goes out. Until there is someone else in the side that is lightning quick and hits like a truck he stays in. Finally a genuine defensive pressure prospect, as opposed to incumbents from years before where defensive pressure was merely code for adequate (not good) at applying pressure and incapable of winning the ball themselves.

This.

I'll add that along with this burst of power Beau has a cleverness in his game.

The position he plays means that he will have quiet games; that's inevitable but it will get better with time. The hole his absence would leave in our forward-line is Grand-Canyonesque.

 

[manicpie]

Can’t believe people are suggesting McCreery goes out. Until there is someone else in the side that is lightning quick and hits like a truck he stays in. Finally a genuine defensive pressure prospect, as opposed to incumbents from years before where defensive pressure was merely code for adequate (not good) at applying pressure and incapable of winning the ball themselves.

Can you explain what makes him a genuine defensive pressure prospect as opposed to others, I'm not saying he isn't but you need to elaborate on what sets him apart

 

[ZEV]

Can you explain what makes him a genuine defensive pressure prospect as opposed to others, I'm not saying he isn't but you need to elaborate on what sets him apart

His speed and willingness and ability to make body contact

 

[jmac70]

you might be Rapt also ( hope you don't get wrapped in gladwrap)

Or plastic…

 

[jmac70]

67 kg! That was my weight most of my life and I have a spindly sort of frame. Far too light for AFL.

I haven’t weighed 67kg since I was 14!

 

[ZEV]

Reckon it will be Pendles, Sick Boy, Cox and Spud Murphy in for Macca, The Madge, Beggby and Beau

C Brown the super sub

The trainspotting references are possibly the funniest thing Ive read this week, especially Ginnivan. Amazing work!

 

[manicpie]

His speed and willingness and ability to make body contact

I'm going to need more than that. He doesn't impact the scoreboard or link up in scoring chains either. So far the only elite trait is that he tackles hard, he was really bad on friday night