Preview 2nd Qual Final - Port Adelaide vs Geelong - Friday 7:50

[witsend]

Now that Scott has confirmed Higgins, Stanley and Duncan are playing, surely it’s Holmes and Simpson out? Only variation I could see is Simpson in for Close if he’s feeling sore but as much as I love Simpson, I think Close is pretty much a lock.
Miers must and will play. Too much
x-factor and covers an extraordinary amount of ground. Often see him as a link player coming out of half back.
Atkins is a lock off half-back.
Kolo is a lock unless injured.
Can’t see any other player to come out with those ins.
With 2E guaranteed back for our next final, someone’s going to be unbelievably unlucky!


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[00VicWard001]

Desperation bringing back Duncan.
He'll be so underdone but I guess even if we do lose the game, he would have had a decent hit-out (barring no re-occurrence of the PCL injury).

how do you know it's desperation? The cats are pretty conservative with bringing players in.

 

[00VicWard001]

All I'm hearing is that Stanley made Gawn reveal his tactics early. What a madlad.

Stanley did it to Gawn as well (the sidestep).

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

It's nice to hear that Duncan has been held back if anything, rather than being rushed in for finals. The recovery times for PCL injuries seem all over the shop - didn't Hickey only miss a week after tearing his PCL before tearing Stanley a new one?

 

[moond0g]

You'd think
IN: Higgins, Duncan
OUT: Simpson, Holmes

you can make an argument for keeping both of those guys in, but they are the fringe players that have been filling the most similar roles to the two ins.

Simpson has played the same role that Higgins has been doing all year as a half forward rahter than a genuine small. So, you'd guess he will make way before Close for example. Although they may decide they only need 2 out of Miers, Close, Dahl, in which case he may keep his spot.

Similarly, It was good to see Holmes get some midfield and centre bounce time on Saturday, but he seems the obvious person to make way for Duncan as his role will be similar. Unless they want Duncan playing of half back to cover Stewart perhaps.

 

[#6 Thorp #7 Selwood LOL]

Give me Simpson over Higgins. Has Scott said Higgins is in?

Would love to keep Holmes in but he simply cannot be trusted around goal - unfortunately we can't carry that into a final.

 

[moond0g]

Give me Simpson over Higgins. Has Scott said Higgins is in?

Would love to keep Holmes in but he simply cannot be trusted around goal - unfortunately we can't carry that into a final.

"haven't decided on our 22, but he'd be likely" - that's the quote when asked if Higgins is a walk up start to the 22.

So you'd guess so

 

[catstragic]

It's nice to hear that Duncan has been held back if anything, rather than being rushed in for finals. The recovery times for PCL injuries seem all over the shop - didn't Hickey only miss a week after tearing his PCL before tearing Stanley a new one?

Hickey was a special case- apparently his PCL was basically cactus before it popped, and he had got used to playing without that stability in his knee. Tough barstard if true.

 

[catstragic]

Give me Simpson over Higgins. Has Scott said Higgins is in?

Would love to keep Holmes in but he simply cannot be trusted around goal - unfortunately we can't carry that into a final.

I'd +1 Simpson over Higgins as well. Especially if we have Duncan in.

 

[Chinacats]

Its line ball..holmes to medical sub i think but any of the three could go.

Duncan is a huge in for us. Hopefully tuohy back next week too.

no Duncan & no Hawkins 2019. No duncan & Stewart can't be used now. I'm a no excuses football fan. it's really flag or flop time for this lot!

 

[BORIS332]

Oh hell no.
Duncan is shocking with decision making out of defence.

I said weeks ago I was worried about Duncan coming good during finals because we will have to play him.
Let's see how it pans out. If he only plays 55% then it might work.

This has to be satire.

 

[cats_09]

This has to be satire.

When the list of best kicks/highest kicking efficiency came out earlier this season, pretty sure he was one of only 2 non defenders in the top 30

If that's due to poor decision making out of defence, then I'm happy to see more of that poor decision making

 

[BORIS332]

I like Simpson, but who in their right mind could ever pick him ahead of Higgins?

 

[Finknottle]

think I prefer Simpson than Close
As much as I like Close he’s looked tired for a month and I feel
Simpson has more strings to his bow as a footballer
(Sleeves vs Socks up.. tough decision )

Close is all taped up, a week off would allow him to recover. A win on Friday and they all get a week off.

 

[bulletproof]

When the list of best kicks/highest kicking efficiency came out earlier this season, pretty sure he was one of only 2 non defenders in the top 30

If that's due to poor decision making out of defence, then I'm happy to see more of that poor decision making

Duncan has made the odd high profile error out of defence in finals. I guess that is where it comes from, but it really annoys me when people get stuck on individual moments in a player’s career and not the whole picture. It normally happens to fringe players and not players of Duncan caliber to be fair, so this is a special case……

 

[Finknottle]

Prefer Narkle to Simpson and co. Even prefer him to Parfitt. He had some breakthrough games where he dominated. None of those other guys could do that.

 

[fpm84]

Does anyone know if Stewart is travelling with the team to Adelaide and then Perth, or doing his rehab at home?

 

[Isaac Norm Smith]

Really excited for this game. I'm expecting a good performance and for us to get the win. Higgins and Duncan in particular are very good ins, to an already strong side.

We're perfectly positioned for a big tilt here

 

[cats_09]

Does anyone know if Stewart is travelling with the team to Adelaide and then Perth, or doing his rehab at home?

Reports are that we're taking the full senior list with us to Adelaide and then onto Perth, and that would be to do with quarantine requirements

I guessing that means we're also taking Stewart

 

[darrenmorgan]

Does anyone know if Stewart is travelling with the team to Adelaide and then Perth, or doing his rehab at home?

You’d imagine they’d take him even if no chance of playing, just to be a part. But he does have a young baby I think so he may not want to go away for up to 5 weeks if no chance to play

 

[bellpark]

Think Higgins and Duncan are about boosting our defense against small/medium forwards and also because Port press high and flat, getting the ball into decision makers and good kicks, which is the way to goal against Port. Lets see how they go with the outs.

 

[Grimoz]

I like Simpson, but who in their right mind could ever pick him ahead of Higgins?

View attachment 1216518

Higgins cops it way to unfairly on here tbh, he seems to have become somewhat of a whipping boy for some reason which i think is a bit bullshit

 

[bellpark]

Friday here going to be around 17 C, no rain all day or night and wind between 13 and 15kms/hr. So a pretty good night for footy, and thankfully no damp or heavy track to further challenge Mitch Duncan, etc. The rain this week will be well dried out of the ground by Friday night.

 

[year of the cat]

yes groundball defensive 50 is not our strong suit. And Kenny has previously said it mightn't be pretty as to how they get it in there as long as they get it into F50. Expext ball to grass and swooping young smalls going hard at it. Might mean O' Connor is used down back rather than tagging Wines or Boak.

That spells disaster for someone like Kolo who is useless if he can’t take an intercept mark. I’m not sure who the matchup is for him this week but it can’t be the likes of Rozee or Gray or Butters. Motlop would be the only one but I think even he’s too tricky for Kolo.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Just my opinion - but re team selection - but i think alot are overlooking the fact that Miers is back in the team

So small forwards youve got Miers Dahl and Higgins - thats plenty

So Duncan and Higgins in and both Close and Simpson go out

As for the Sub - you want someone who can quickly rack up possessions - so either Narkle or Simpson