Preview Changes & Pre-match Discussion - EF vs. West Coast Eagles - OS (Perth), Sat 03/10 @ 8:10pm AEST

[manicpie]

In: Bianco, Rantall, Ruscoe and Murphy, give them some finals experience for next year

In: A better draft pick than wasting our time thinking we are a threat this year

Out: WGAF

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Mcgovern, kennedy, yeo, shuey, redden, jetta will all miss for the eagles, and hutchings is very unlikely

Eagles were sh!thouse against north, ordinary against the saints the week before, did what they had to do against the hawks, and needed intervention form the maggots to turn the momentum and get over the line against carlton before that. So they are not exactly flying heading into finals. Pies have been getting better week by week, and could easily have beaten both bris and port in the last 3 weeks - bris especially was lost by us rather than won by them. A bit more composure going inside 50 and that game would have been won pretty comfortably.

This has all the makings of a famous finals win

I think Yeo and Redden are the only doubtful ones. McGovern and Kennedy the WC are confident they will be available and l also think Cripps is back.

 

[CaptainHowdy87]

Out: Stephenson, Thomas, WHE
In: C.Brown, Wills, Appleby

 

[stormskye]

Out: Stephenson, Thomas, WHE
In: C.Brown, Wills, Appleby

Appleby is injured, brown offers nothing and hopefully sier is ready ahead of wills

 

[Harry O]

Mihocek to defence on Darling or Allen or Waterman
Moore to start in ruck on Nic Nat and then go forward
Maynard or Crisp through midfield
Sier in to midfield
Greenwood to tag Tim Kelly
Mayne to a wing
Out handball In kick

 

[bunter]

2 weeks for eagles.
7 days for the visiting team

Can they quarantine at home?

 

[AmericanMustard]

Out: Elliott
In: Sier

IMO we could have won last night, there was a patch of around 10 mins, we had just kicked a goal and threatening for another. Elliott took too long to make a decision multiple times:
- Centre bounce, we won the tap, handballed back to Elliott who couldn't decide what to do. Tried to loop over the top and it got taken away by the Port midfielder (SPP I believe).
- That awful decision inside F50, out on his own, couldn't work out weather to kick it to a 1v1 with DeGoey or have a shot himself
- Fumble in front of goal, top of the goal square, ball quickly taken away by Port.

Indecisiveness is a coach killer & if Elliott is being played as a mid then he needs to perform like one.

I'd bring in a bigger body in Sier to throw his weight around. He's somewhat of a September specialist and with a softened WCE midfield coming back from injury, his frame could make them second guess their attack on the ball. Not saying it 100% will, but who knows a few big hits could sway momentum.

As for Stephenson, he keeps his spot. Not sure what dropping him achieves at this point and as has previously been mentioned at least he's kicking goals. Don't play him out of position, I don't want to see him in the backline - in fact with his lack of confidence there's nothing worse for both the club and him for him to be down there. Leave him deep inside F50 and hope he can kick himself back into some form.

If we are serious about Stephenson long term, he needs to be played this week. Let him know we still think he's an important part of this club!

I am in the pro Stephenson camp. But even I wouldn’t play him. Put a fork in him, you saw him look distraught after his first couple of touches, it would be negligent to expose him to an intense finals environment imo.

I’m not a doomsday painter, but this seems to be a very delicate issue from the outside.

He looked like a guy last night who just wants to get home and I don’t blame him.

 

[stormskye]

Can they quarantine at home?

Yes they are at their homes

 

[06Premiers]

I think Yeo and Redden are the only doubtful ones. McGovern and Kennedy the WC are confident they will be available and l also think Cripps is back.

Yeo most likely done for the season.
JK, Shuey, Redden, Cripps to play. Gov 75/25 to play.
Hutchings, Jetta probably available but would come down to matchups.

This is likely to be our lineup - I wouldn't risk Gov, but Rotham or Schofield would make way if picked.

Out: Ainsworth, Williams, Petruccelle, Foley
In: Shuey, Redden, Cripps, Jetta

B: Sheppard, Schofield, Hurn
HB: Nelson, Barrass, Cole
C: Gaff, Kelly, Duggan
HF: Waterman, Darling, Cripps
F: Ryan, Kennedy, Ah Chee
R: Naitanui, Shuey, Sheed
I: Rotham, Allen, Redden, Jetta

And yes quarantining at home, leaving for training only. Sorry Caro, you dickhead.

 

[Jen2310]

Can they quarantine at home?

Yup. Eagles have been given clearance to quarantine at home.

 

[Crazy Tails]

2020 the year that keeps on giving. F**k me; we cop the Eagles in Perth in an Elimination Final in a year when the comp has pretty much relocated to Qld.

Pretty much every single result we needed to go our way last round went against us. In saying that if we had have won last night it would have been a moot point.

Feel like we are only making up the numbers in the finals this year anyway but having to go into another period of hard quarantine when the Eagles have had a 4 day head start on us just caps it all off. Worst preparation for a final ever. At least it won't be dewy or slippery over there I suppose.

Hopefully the fans who flew out to Darwin etc to quarantine for finals access in Qld can still divert to WA without too much hassle.

My expectations are pretty low for our chances next week.

 

[stormskye]

We finished 8th, deserve to be there, can’t complain about playing eagles regardless of the quarantine. Win last night we don’t travel. You reap what you sow. If we were a flag threat, we would be playing in Queensland.

Biggest issue I have is the defencies we have are blatantly obvious, but does anyone expect the following to be gone under bucks?

Sanderson
Harvey
Rocca

 

[Gabbo64]

I think Mark McGowan said he would be Ok reducing the quarantine to 7 days?

Do the Eagles have to quarantine as well or will McGowan give them special dispensation??

 

[Doc1763]

We finished 8th, deserve to be there, can’t complain about playing eagles regardless of the quarantine. Win last night we don’t travel. You reap what you sow. If we were a flag threat, we would be playing in Queensland.

Biggest issue I have is the defencies we have are blatantly obvious, but does anyone expect the following to be gone under bucks?

Sanderson
Harvey
Rocca

Nope, they'll all still be there next year

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Pretty much every single result we needed to go our way last round went against us. In saying that if we had have won last night it would have been a moot point.

Yeah it sucks when the favourites all win

 

[Gabbo64]

Do the Eagles have to quarantine as well or will McGowan give them special dispensation??

Oops! I see that they can quarantine at home. We are definitely for the chop me thinks!

 

[unplugged]

Oops! I see that they can quarantine at home. We are definitely for the chop me thinks!

And meanwhile their partners etc. can still just go about living their life as normal. Pretty ridiculous really.

 

[unplugged]

How do you apply for border exemptions to get into WA? Someone should fill in the application for Steele and his family. I don't even trust that the club would've tried

 

[Albert Parker]

A pretty telling set of stats about the effectiveness of Grundy's tapwork and the way we organise ourselves at stoppages.
If the centre clearance stats were reversed, we probably win.
Our defence kept us in the game.

Their defenders were undersized, but their team defence, assisted by slow ball movement at times and some poor kicking inside 50, allowed them to keep us to a low score.

 

[unplugged]

Sportsbet thinks our game is on Friday at 7:40pm.

 

[Albert Parker]

How do you apply for border exemptions to get into WA? Someone should fill in the application for Steele and his family. I don't even trust that the club would've tried

Monitored by WA State Police I believe.

 

[Yidaki]

How do you apply for border exemptions to get into WA? Someone should fill in the application for Steele and his family. I don't even trust that the club would've tried

Wouldn't Steele put the playing group at risk though if he didn't serve the 14 day quarantine?

 

[AuTo00Z]

OUT:
Varcoe
JT
T.Brown
WHE
Elliott (has to be held accountable for being a liability)

IN:
Sier
Ruscoe
Mayne
Broomhead (last chance to prove he's still up to the level)
Murphy (been emergency enough times to at least have a chance)

 

[Jen2310]

 

[gouki88]

OUT:
Varcoe
JT
T.Brown
WHE
Elliott (has to be held accountable for being a liability)

IN:
Sier
Ruscoe
Mayne
Broomhead (last chance to prove he's still up to the level)
Murphy (been emergency enough times to at least have a chance)

Swinging 5 changes before a final seems over the top for Buckley