Preview Changes: R17 vs Essendon, Sunday July 9, 2.50pm ACST @ Docklands Stadium

[adelaidecrows]

So no debutant announcements yet, odds are Jones goes back and Sholl and McHenry stay wings.

Disappointing if that’s the case as we move Jones from where he’s played his best footy and would be very handy at Marvel and we miss a golden opportunity to try Nankervis or Borlase. If not this week when will they get a game?

Is Max the only debutant for 2023? For a rebuild year that’s pretty poor.

We got sucked into the selection of the same 25 players because of our lack of injuries. While its great we are pushing finals and the top 6, It would be have been great to rotate other players into the team when we had forced changes. 1 player doesnt make a team and I am not sure adding one of cook, Nankervis or Borlase would have been the difference of us winning and losing.

 

[Carmo]

No Draper is a massive help. ROB will murder whoever they put up against him. That goes a long way to helping us.

Good that they played port last week too, we have such a different gameplan to them so Essendon will hopefully have trouble adjusting and we get off to a good start.

 

[Bearded Clam]

Looks like he might get his chance unless we go really small with parnell lol.

Parnell is garbage..

Shown next to nothing in the sanfl over the past month or two.. turning the ball over and watching it sail back over his head for an opposition goal has become his forte in recent times..

Not bringing in borlace is just arrogant. Same weird “we can go small in defense” theory they’ve tried and has failed several times over the past couple of season..

Shows this club thinks its far too smart.. it has chosen its best 22-24 players for the season and they are gonna stick to them regardless.

Once again proves that whatever it is that has been causing that weird stench at the club for years now is still lurking around.

 

[cmndstab]

It would be good to give Borlase a try, because I'm not sure we can rely on Butts going forward. He's been good this year without being great, but the most concerning thing has been him being either subbed out or injured in seemingly every other match.

Now I'm not saying correlation = causation, but I can't help but notice he became way more injury prone as soon as Murray solidified his place in the side

Given that I don't trust Himmelberg to defend, our only two backup tall defender options are essentially untried (well okay, Keane played five games for Collingwood a couple of years ago). We need to know what we've got going forward.

 

[FR0GGY]

Parnell is garbage..

Shown next to nothing in the sanfl over the past month or two.. turning the ball over and watching it sail back over his head for an opposition goal has become his forte in recent times..

Not bringing in borlace is just arrogant. Same weird “we can go small in defense” theory they’ve tried and has failed several times over the past couple of season..

Shows this club thinks its far too smart.. it has chosen its best 22-24 players for the season and they are gonna stick to them regardless.

Once again proves that whatever it is that has been causing that weird stench at the club for years now is still lurking around.

Yep really can’t see what Parnell brings, with his size he needs to get a lot of the ball and lace out every time, he doesn’t seem to do that.

 

[adelaidecrows]

It would be good to give Borlase a try, because I'm not sure we can rely on Butts going forward. He's been good this year without being great, but the most concerning thing has been him being either subbed out or injured in seemingly every other match.

Now I'm not saying correlation = causation, but I can't help but notice he became way more injury prone as soon as Murray solidified his place in the side

Given that I don't trust Himmelberg to defend, our only two backup tall defender options are essentially untried (well okay, Keane played five games for Collingwood a couple of years ago). We need to know what we've got going forward.

Players can have those kind of injury plagued years and it does impact there form and match fitness. Could it be worth giving him a rest on the sidelines and a couple of matches in the Sanfl and give Borlase a run, definitely.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Yep really can’t see what Parnell brings, with his size he needs to get a lot of the ball and lace out every time, he doesn’t seem to do that.

A small defender is a pretty hard job. He has shown a few things and I do like what he brings. Clearly though they don't see him as a best 22 player as the defence has come together really well. Perhaps he needs to work on his tank more so he can be turned more into a running player? He isnt garbage though.

 

[cleanhands]

Draper is massively overrated by some on this board IMO.
Sure he does several flashy eyecatching things a game but he's not a great Ruckman by any stretch. And whilst Andrew Phillips has been a journeyman over time he's been pretty good this season when used as their main ruck and is certainly no pushover.

Phillips was good last week

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Phillips was good last week

Back up, spud ruckmen have on occasions destroyed us

 

[cleanhands]

Back up, spud ruckmen have on occasions destroyed us

He was far from a spud last week

 

[BunjiMac]

Yep really can’t see what Parnell brings, with his size he needs to get a lot of the ball and lace out every time, he doesn’t seem to do that.

He has a place as the backup specialist small defender behind max, however if that's not him and we are getting Redman or Williams, then I'd be considering whether he actually has a place in the side.

We would have an abundance of half backs and wingman who are bigger stronger and faster.

But like I said as a specialist small defender there's still a place for Parnell.

 

[Geoffa32]

As an actual defender Parnell is pretty good.

His offensive work not great.




On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[BunjiMac]

As an actual defender Parnell is pretty good.

His offensive work not great.




On SM-A325F using BigFooty.com mobile app

Agree, but as a small defender only.

Anyone bigger would just brush him aside.

 

[cleanhands]

I think it’s time for you to go into a home Eagleboy

 

[Crows I Am]

He was far from a spud last week

He looked good, but he didn't have much competition though. ROB is in good form and if he keeps that up he should get the better of him.

 

[Crows I Am]

Looks like he might get his chance unless we go really small with parnell lol.

I heard them interview Burns on 5AA this arvo, Tredrea asked him if Borlase would play and he said they hadn't decided yet. To me if he was going to debut they would have locked him in and already announced it. Will find out tomorrow.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

I think it’s time for you to go into a home Eagleboy

Your correct. done it again.

 

[dplggr47]

Surely Borlase gets a gig?

Nah, they would've announced it by now if he was debuting.

 

[pjcrows]

I didn't know Borlase was only 192cm.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Hey cAsEy_18 what's so funny? Piss off back to your own board.

Just a really big (albeit common) misread of Draper’s game. His biggest strength by far is his tap work, it is superb, and a huge out for us in terms of our main strength, which is our midfield. But those that (understandably) don’t watch us/him that much focus on the flashy/not actually that good argument. He’s not a great kick or mark, but his ruck work is very good.

Anyway, I imagine you will score too heavily for us, marvel will suit you.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Opinions be like ***holes, everyone's got one..he's one of the most overrated players in the AFL IMO...and I've seen enough of him over the years right back to his junior days for South Adelaide to form that opinion. Now jog on, the Essendon board is

Congrats, but that would genuinely be like me saying “Mm Rankine is pretty overrated. Very flashy, can kick some amazing goals but also go missing and do nothing for weeks in a row.” That’s an opinion many people hold - it would also be an uninformed and wrong opinion. But hey, if you’re saying that’s valid, so be it.

Not sure how Draper’s (presumably poor form, I’ll have to take your word for it there) from his junior days at South Adelaide is relevant to his impact on Essendon’s midfield in 2023. Shockingly, some players actually develop and improve in that time frame - particularly big guys who didn’t start playing AFL until later in life.

But on I jog. I like your team, and based on the number of “we should beat essendon comfortably” comments from this thread, congrats on the win this week.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

How can we fix our midfield in the short term?

14th for clearance differential, 15th (worst) for scores conceded from clearances.

 

[OldCrowBloke]

How can we fix our midfield in the short term?

14th for clearance differential, 15th (worst) for scores conceded from clearances.

Stop playing our slowest “mids” on the ball for so much of the game…

 

[1990crow]

How can we fix our midfield in the short term?

14th for clearance differential, 15th (worst) for scores conceded from clearances.

Gee. Even if we could be middle of the pack that would make a huge difference.
Don't see any obvious answer.

 

[TryAnHit]

How can we fix our midfield in the short term?

14th for clearance differential, 15th (worst) for scores conceded from clearances.

I dont think anything can be done just yet. Early year we had rachelle, Soligio run thru there.

Last few weeks we have put thru pedlar and Rachelle was back in there after the bye.

But they are simply too young yet to be able to play the entire year in the mids, reason we have keays / Sloane / laird as the main 3.

Their bodies are just too young and not built yet for the heavy lifting. Clearly we want them in there but just not possible.

Sloane made a comment early year after 5-6 rounds how easy it was on the body playing wing vs inside. Never sore, never beat up. Can't expect an 19 year old to withstand the inside grunt of getting hit non stop vs 28 year old bulls.