Preview Approaching Collingwood

[vjknight]

evening over there.

just asking for an opinion.

can someone assemble what would be your best 22 available for that final next week - for comparing with what we expect our best 22 to be - and yes now less thomas.

i will say i do approach the game supremely confident, with all those who needed rest having done so, and while some may be considered a little too fresh, theres total confidence the running players at least will be as ready as ever. dawes might be the biggest concern considering his lack of game time since mid year.

and finally, a well deserved congrats of what youve achieved this year. 16th up to 4th (so far) is a monumental climb and its clear its not a one off situation. youre welcome to take a flag once weve had our fill - 2014 if you like

 

[vWestCoast]

There's a thread on our finals best 22. Have a look and ask a few questions.

We have to figure out what to do with Lecras. Harry O constantly gets the better of him. He toweled him up last time we played because of his size and speed. Anyone got any ideas on what to do with him ? Try midfield but than we lose our second best forward.

 

[happy_eagle]

The previous pages have pretty good estimates of our best 22
I'd have it at

B: Waters - Glass - Schofield
HB: Butler - Mackensie - Hurn
C: Embley - Priddis - Shuey
HF: Ebert - Kennedy - Lecras
FF: Nicoski - Lynch - Darling
R: Naitanui - Kerr - S.Selwood
INT: Cox - A.Selwood - Gaff
Sub: McGinnity

Gaff to sub, and McGinnity out if Rosa comes back

 

[Patron]

The previous pages have pretty good estimates of our best 22
I'd have it at

B: Waters - Glass - Schofield
HB: Butler - Mackensie - Hurn
C: Embley - Priddis - Shuey
HF: Ebert - Kennedy - Lecras
FF: Nicoski - Lynch - Darling
R: Naitanui - Kerr - S.Selwood
INT: Cox - A.Selwood - Gaff
Sub: McGinnity

Gaff to sub, and McGinnity out if Rosa comes back

Pretty much perfect for mine. Except i personally would have smith ahead of A selwood except we know that won't happen so i would say this is spot on.

 

[Prem87]

Perfect team HE.

It will be interesting to see if Masten can keep his spot in the team. I have the feeling that he will be keeping Rosa out.

 

[Suma Magic]

I think that Ebert may be at risk. Could consider our three talls and resting ruck enough marking power, and go for a smaller option such as Shuey forward. This could allow Masten to come in.

I think McGinnity is a good sub option. Proven he can be effective providing some tanacity.

 

[Gaffanator]

Can't see Ebo being dropped. He's pretty crucial to our press with his tackling and his overhead marking gives us another option, incase a guy like Lecca gets the clamps put on him.

 

[Prem87]

Agree with Gaffanator. Ebert also has the flexibility of playing as an inside mid when needed.

I really want Masten in the team, although I don't know who we would drop for him, as he adds a bit of offensive running power and nippiness to our midfield which we will desperately need against teams like Collingwood and Carlton. He's very much in the Marc Murphy mold.

 

[BeauKnows]

This is massively huge for us. Like massively improves our chances

I don't think it really improves your chances "massively". Last time we played, we were missing Jolly (who has a great record against Cox), Johnson & Leigh Brown, who allows Jolly to drift forward. Wellingham is good to go this week & the last time he stepped up & took Daisy's position, he got 37 disposals. Dane Swan was under a fitness cloud when we played you (there was some doubt whether he would play) & right now, he is back to 2010 form.

 

[JordanWCE]

I don't think it really improves your chances "massively". Last time we played, we were missing Jolly (who has a great record against Cox), Johnson & Leigh Brown, who allows Jolly to drift forward. Wellingham is good to go this week & the last time he stepped up & took Daisy's position, he got 37 disposals. Dane Swan was under a fitness cloud when we played you (there was some doubt whether he would play) & right now, he is back to 2010 form.

This.

We're still going to get thumped.

 

[Flying_High_90]

This.

We're still going to get thumped.

Well, the point still is that we got here

Even if we get slaughtered I'll be there cheering the boys on... no matter what happens we've had a great season, and it's all experience for the next couple.

Then hopefully we'll be able to beat Carlton (assuming they make it) second week and settle the 4th/5th debate once and for all

 

[captain peanut]

i know it has been your structure all year but do you think there is any chance one of the big forwards, probably darling, gets left out of the 22 v coll in week 1? i reckon the forward half is top heavy with all 3 in there plus cox and naitanui also in the 22. one of coll's real strengths is the run generated off half back by the likes of shaw davis johnson obrien toovey etc. when they played back in may it certainly seemed that the eagles front half was too big. the pies seemed to run the ball out far too easily and if i recall rightly davis shaw and obrien shared around 70 possessions off half back. johnson didn't play but will be there in the qual final to add another runner to the pack

big forwards rarely excel v this collingwood defence so i just thought something different like leaving darling out might be contemplated to try and stifle the pies run in week 1

 

[Juddy88]

Well, the point still is that we got here

Even if we get slaughtered I'll be there cheering the boys on... no matter what happens we've had a great season, and it's all experience for the next couple.

Then hopefully we'll be able to beat Carlton (assuming they make it) second week and settle the 4th/5th debate once and for all

Not really.

The last thing we want to do is be like North in 07 and get smashed in the QF and PF. Yeah it'd be great to play in a PF, but there's no way, IMO, the boys shoudl go out there and say "oh well, we've done our jobs and makde it this far."

At least be competative in every match.

I'll be dissapointed if we don't make a GF personally. I'm not saying that we will make it but I'll be highly dissapointed if we're happy with just making a prelim. Who cares about where we "were", it's about where we are now.

 

[Shupe]

i know it has been your structure all year but do you think there is any chance one of the big forwards, probably darling, gets left out of the 22 v coll in week 1? i reckon the forward half is top heavy with all 3 in there plus cox and naitanui also in the 22. one of coll's real strengths is the run generated off half back by the likes of shaw davis johnson obrien toovey etc. when they played back in may it certainly seemed that the eagles front half was too big. the pies seemed to run the ball out far too easily and if i recall rightly davis shaw and obrien shared around 70 possessions off half back. johnson didn't play but will be there in the qual final to add another runner to the pack

big forwards rarely excel v this collingwood defence so i just thought something different like leaving darling out might be contemplated to try and stifle the pies run in week 1

I dont think so. The reason we normally do well with playing so many talls is because Darling/Kennedy/Naitanui all provide relentless forward pressure. They would probably chase and tackle better than any smaller type we could bring in.

 

[Flying_High_90]

Not really.

The last thing we want to do is be like North in 07 and get smashed in the QF and PF. Yeah it'd be great to play in a PF, but there's no way, IMO, the boys shoudl go out there and say "oh well, we've done our jobs and makde it this far."

At least be competative in every match.

I'll be dissapointed if we don't make a GF personally. I'm not saying that we will make it but I'll be highly dissapointed if we're happy with just making a prelim. Who cares about where we "were", it's about where we are now.

No, I'm definitely not saying we should approach it like that. I was merely making comment on the defeatist attitude of others towards this game. If I thought for a second the Eagles would approach any final like that I wouldn't have my flights booked. I won't be disappointed if we don't make a GF, however I do honestly think we can make a prelim, and from there, who knows? anything can happen on the day.

 

[Juddy88]

No, I'm definitely not saying we should approach it like that. I was merely making comment on the defeatist attitude of others towards this game. If I thought for a second the Eagles would approach any final like that I wouldn't have my flights booked. I won't be disappointed if we don't make a GF, however I do honestly think we can make a prelim, and from there, who knows? anything can happen on the day.

Yeah it wasn't really in direct response to you. Just a general rant

Can't wait, had the flights booked for a month.

 

[Flying_High_90]

I dont think so. The reason we normally do well with playing so many talls is because Darling/Kennedy/Naitanui all provide relentless forward pressure. They would probably chase and tackle better than any smaller type we could bring in.

+1- would hate to see Darling left out, definitely rate him as an important player for us regardless of opposition

 

[The Dodger]

I don't think it really improves your chances "massively". Last time we played, we were missing Jolly (who has a great record against Cox), Johnson & Leigh Brown, who allows Jolly to drift forward. Wellingham is good to go this week & the last time he stepped up & took Daisy's position, he got 37 disposals. Dane Swan was under a fitness cloud when we played you (there was some doubt whether he would play) & right now, he is back to 2010 form.

Still think it is a pretty big out. As Thomas is probably going to get the 3 votes for that game we last played. He was doing things that you cant stop (apart from maybe putting a man alongside him at stoppages). Cox & NN were pretty bad for hitouts in that game against Wood so don't think Jolly is going to make that much of a difference against them. Thomas, Pendlebury & Swan were roving all of our taps. Jolly had a good game the last time he played against Cox (2010). I wouldn't say he has a great record against Cox. He is a good ruckman but looks to be labouring with that knee complaint. Leigh Brown is a big boost for flexibility though.

Lets just say if you gave me the option of No Jolly + No Brown as opposed to No Thomas. I will take the No Thomas option.
Also thinking that a big difference could be that we have learnt not to leave Lecras deep forward with HarryO spoiling anything that came near them.

 

[BeauKnows]

I wouldn't say he has a great record against Cox. He is a good ruckman but looks to be labouring with that knee complaint.

Jolly is running as freely as I've seen him & he has no knee concern. As for his record against Cox, he got the 3 Brownlow Votes last time he played against Cox.

They have just about been even before that. Leigh Brown didn't play last time, which meant that Dawes had to relieve Wood in the ruck when he was resting, which meant that Cloke was 1 out against Glass. Other tall defenders were allowed to help Glass when this was the case. Dawes & Cloke can play soley forward & Jolly drifts forward when he rests with Brown in the side. Structurally, Jolly is a bigger out than Thomas.

Ever since he got a corked thigh, Thomas hasn't been at the level earlier in the year & we've been doing it on the bit. Didak (who is running on top of the ground) & Shaw are more than adequate cover for Thomas.

 

[The Dodger]

Jolly is running as freely as I've seen him & he has no knee concern. As for his record against Cox, he got the 3 Brownlow Votes last time he played against Cox.

They have just about been even before that. Leigh Brown didn't play last time, which meant that Dawes had to relieve Wood in the ruck when he was resting, which meant that Cloke was 1 out against Glass. Other tall defenders were allowed to help Glass when this was the case. Dawes & Cloke can play soley forward & Jolly drifts forward when he rests with Brown in the side. Structurally, Jolly is a bigger out than Thomas.

Ever since he got a corked thigh, Thomas hasn't been at the level earlier in the year & we've been doing it on the bit. Didak (who is running on top of the ground) & Shaw are more than adequate cover for Thomas.

Yeah that is why I put that he had a good game against Cox in 2010 referring to that game. Outside of that game I wouldn't say he has a great record against Cox (most notably the '06 GF). I watched him against Freo, and he looked a lot heavier than before and looked to be labouring (perhaps because the game was never in doubt he didn't give it his all?). As for KPP's at your forward end we were without Mark Enzie that left Schofield taking Dawes or Cloke. He is not big enough for that. So this time around he wont have to. Make no mistake I understand what Jolly is to your team, but the Eagles played the Maggies without him & Brown before and it meant diddly, as your midfield were roving our taps anyway. Having 1 of the big 3 out including that 1 being the guy that will get 3 votes against us for that previous game is bigger IMO. He hasn't been the same since then but a final just might have been the situation to rekindle bullshit goals and marks at pace.

Once again you give me the option of No Jolly + No Brown v No Daisy and I will take the No Daisy. As he did earlier in the year his exploits are team lifting. Just like the torp goal in the GF last year.

 

[pantskyle]

Davis out this week with a hammy. Could very well miss our final.

 

[Flying_High_90]

Davis out this week with a hammy. Could very well miss our final.

Wow, someone at the Eagles must have given the football gods a blowjob this year. Davis and Thomas players that can tear you apart when they turn it on.

Looking to get tickets to the other finals in Melbourne on first week, being a member of the Eagles gives me priority over general public, doesn't it?

 

[Patron]

Neither geelong nor collingwood rested players. Lets hope they go at each other 100% and injuries/suspensions are a plenty.

 

[Obeanie1]

The previous pages have pretty good estimates of our best 22
I'd have it at

B: Waters - Glass - Schofield
HB: Butler - Mackensie - Hurn
C: Embley - Priddis - Shuey
HF: Ebert - Kennedy - Lecras
FF: Nicoski - Lynch - Darling
R: Naitanui - Kerr - S.Selwood
INT: Cox - A.Selwood - Gaff
Sub: McGinnity

Gaff to sub, and McGinnity out if Rosa comes back

Only change to this I'd make is swap McGinnity with Gaff as the sub.

Gaff is still a light built player, the first half will be hard work and we'd be better placed saving Gaff to run hard for the final 40 minutes.

McGinnity takes Didak, Thomas out and Didak becomes the Pies attacking winger, he is 3>4 games from just having about a month off with a hammie or such and is looking really good.

S Selwood runs with Pendlebery.

Pridis v Ball is a cracker.

Shuey head to head with Swan, Shuey is very efficient with it but gets less of it than Swan. Not for the entire game but for parts on it this would make interesting viewing.

 

[Goldfish]

Only change to this I'd make is swap McGinnity with Gaff as the sub.

Gaff is still a light built player, the first half will be hard work and we'd be better placed saving Gaff to run hard for the final 40 minutes.

McGinnity takes Didak, Thomas out and Didak becomes the Pies attacking winger, he is 3>4 games from just having about a month off with a hammie or such and is looking really good.

S Selwood runs with Pendlebery.

Pridis v Ball is a cracker.

Shuey head to head with Swan, Shuey is very efficient with it but gets less of it than Swan. Not for the entire game but for parts on it this would make interesting viewing.

Agree with all of the above, McGinnity definintely needs to play a full match, would also be a fantastic match up for Jetta or Davis.

Would also love Kerr head to head with Swan but doubt the Pies would let it happen.