Preview Changes: R3 vs Fremantle

[Jarman3]

Which deluded fools had this ‘hope’?

Hope springs eternal. They could at least do us the courtesy of letting us enjoy the fantasy until selection night. It's only ****ing Monday and they've already publicly ruled out dropping him. At least go through the motions of pretending there might be a shred of accountability for performance from senior players. At least act like options are being considered.

FFS.

 

[Danger in Texas]

Anyone suggesting Pedlar to the middle off of last week’s performance is mad

Soligo, Rankine and Rachele are the players that should be given trust right now

 

[Sanders]

* Murphy off for anyone else, not even doing the pressure role well.

I wouldn’t imagine he is. It not being his role and all.

You know what he’s also not doing? Winning hit outs to advantage.

Scandalous

 

[AFC979810]

I wouldn’t imagine he is. It not being his role and all.

You know what he’s also not doing? Winning hit outs to advantage.

Scandalous

What did he do in the first 2 rounds?

 

[Sanders]

What did he do in the first 2 rounds?

He didn’t play as a pressure forward

 

[AFC979810]

Anyone suggesting Pedlar to the middle off of last week’s performance is mad

Soligo, Rankine and Rachele are the players that should be given trust right now

Its absolutely astounding that Rachele has only attended 2 Centre bounces in 2024.

In 2023 his first 6 games - CBA's:

Round 1 - 29%
Round 2 - 35%
Round 3 - 53%
Round 4 - 36%
Round 5 - 58%
Round 6 - 69%

Is it a coincidence we are 4-0 when Rachele has over 50% CBA attendance?

As to Pedlar - its going to be very very interesting what happens this week. His confidence looks to be completely shot. In an ideal world the club would back in a highly talented 21 year old player with less than 30 games, but with the external pressure on Nicks I think he will drop him.

 

[George Kramer]

Its absolutely astounding that Rachele has only attended 2 Centre bounces in 2024.

In 2023 his first 6 games - CBA's:

Round 1 - 29%
Round 2 - 35%
Round 3 - 53%
Round 4 - 36%
Round 5 - 58%
Round 6 - 69%

Is it a coincidence we are 4-0 when Rachele has over 50% CBA attendance?

As to Pedlar - its going to be very very interesting what happens this week. His confidence looks to be completely shot. In an ideal world the club would back in a highly talented 21 year old player with less than 30 games, but with the external pressure on Nicks I think he will drop him.

It’s criminal what Nicks is doing with our midfield and developing our young mids. If we had drafted JHF he’d be playing half forward.

Nicks is an idiot. He’s lucky that Tex produced a freak year in 2023, unfortunately for us it’s also given the club some belief in Nicks coaching

 

[Jarman3]

Its absolutely astounding that Rachele has only attended 2 Centre bounces in 2024.

In 2023 his first 6 games - CBA's:

Round 1 - 29%
Round 2 - 35%
Round 3 - 53%
Round 4 - 36%
Round 5 - 58%
Round 6 - 69%

Is it a coincidence we are 4-0 when Rachele has over 50% CBA attendance?

As to Pedlar - its going to be very very interesting what happens this week. His confidence looks to be completely shot. In an ideal world the club would back in a highly talented 21 year old player with less than 30 games, but with the external pressure on Nicks I think he will drop him.

I imagine Nicks is feeling about as close to no pressure as a senior coach can feel right now with the ink not yet dry on a contract extension. The message that sends to him is "well done, keep doing what you're doing".

 

[FullyBigKPro]

Yup - alot of the noise coming out so far from the club since the loss smells of a 'Back the boys in' selection again.

Already hearing the meaningless talk about 'Process, DNA, Learnings, Tweaks, tinkering, not far off, make most of our chances.....'

The club is just drowning in middle of the road mediocrity. How any club with any selection integrity could pick Smith and Murphy this week after their putrid efforts has got me beat.

Its the AFC way though, I remember over the years a littany of 'senior' players being picked when they were cooked or woefully out of form - Thompson, Lynch, Douglas, Jacobs, Shirley, McGregor, Porplyzia, Gibbs... List goes on...

 

[AFC979810]

I imagine Nicks is feeling about as close to no pressure as a senior coach can feel right now with the ink not yet dry on a contract extension. The message that sends to him is "well done, keep doing what you're doing".

The noise is getting louder by the day. External pressure is building.

 

[aabp1978]

So clearly Smith not getting dropped despite two of the worst performances I can remember from a senior player. Assume this means the changes will again be minimal this week....and once again the lack of accountability at this club grows ever stronger. On this weak basis, I assume the only changes are likely to be Berry and McHenry (possibly Pedlar), with Sholl coming in and god knows who else (maybe Nankervis, but doubt it).

Honestly, it would be nice to see someone like Dowling or Taylor get a game, even if as a sub, but we all know that wont happen..Would have been the absolutely perfect game to bring in Curtain as well as a Smith replacement...even if he had a shocker, couldnt be worse than B "I dont care, made my money" Smith....

 

[Pugsley]

Media Department have got a feel good story up their sleeve to take off the pressure.
Debut Curtin in his home state

You know it's a given.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

 

[aabp1978]

One constant in life...David King always hates us. I dont think he is wrong btw, but honestly any chance he gets to take a shot

 

[WaynesWorld19]

One constant in life...David King always hates us. I dont think he is wrong btw, but honestly any chance he gets to take a shot

I have the opposite POV ....King has lauded the Crows over the last 12 months

 

[Pugsley]

One constant in life...David King always hates us. I dont think he is wrong btw, but honestly any chance he gets to take a shot

1998 still haunts him.

 

[Cap]

The noise is getting louder by the day. External pressure is building.

externally (by that I mean AFL media) he seemed to have a pass because of the lack of talent

But it seems some of the media players are suggesting we now have the talent.

However I'm not convinced we do, but I don't disagree with the criticism of Nicks either.

 

[NSolis]

Sounds like the response to the media attention on the midfield mix will be less CBAs for Laird. In round 1 Laird attended around half of the centre bounces with the ones he missed going to Berry/Rankine and then Soligo after he came on. I think Berry might be dropped this week so if Laird is down around 50% again that should mean more Soligo/Rachele/Pedlar.

Just not sure Laird is going to be effective across half-forward though. Doesn't seem to suit his skillset as much as a lot of the other midfield options.

 

[AFC979810]

externally (by that I mean AFL media) he seemed to have a pass because of the lack of talent

But it seems some of the media players are suggesting we now have the talent.

However I'm not convinced we do, but I don't disagree with the criticism of Nicks either.

I argued at the end of 2022 that it should have been finals or bust for Nicks in 2023 and I think its pretty obvious that we had the cattle to make the finals in 2023 and a bunch of Nicks howlers cost us.

Its going to get very very loud externally if we lose this week.

 

[AFC979810]

Sounds like the response to the media attention on the midfield mix will be less CBAs for Laird. In round 1 Laird attended around half of the centre bounces with the ones he missed going to Berry/Rankine and then Soligo after he came on. I think Berry might be dropped this week so if Laird is down around 50% again that should mean more Soligo/Rachele/Pedlar.

Just not sure Laird is going to be effective across half-forward though. Doesn't seem to suit his skillset as much as a lot of the other midfield options.

Can't be worse than Murphy can he?

Best thing for the club is to have Crouch / Dawson being the two mainstays of the midfield and then we rotate Rachele/Rankine/Soligo/Pedlar as that third. Laird can play HFF and can come into the midfield to spell Crouch.

 

[George Kramer]

Another x against Nicks…..

 

[NSolis]

Can't be worse than Murphy can he?

Best thing for the club is to have Crouch / Dawson being the two mainstays of the midfield and then we rotate Rachele/Rankine/Soligo/Pedlar as that third. Laird can play HFF and can come into the midfield to spell Crouch.

I think he could easily be worse than Murphy. But Laird's a good player so no issue with seeing how it goes.

 

[Cap]

I argued at the end of 2022 that it should have been finals or bust for Nicks in 2023 and I think its pretty obvious that we had the cattle to make the finals in 2023 and a bunch of Nicks howlers cost us.

Its going to get very very loud externally if we lose this week.

Perhaps the clubs decided the pressure on them on when or if Nicks will be re-signed is better put on Nicks via an early and seemingly poorly timed extension.

 

[Pugsley]

Perhaps the clubs decided the pressure on them on when or if Nicks will be re-signed is better put on Nicks via an early and seemingly poorly timed extension.

No one was after Nicks. It could have waited.

 

[GameofSloanes]

One constant in life...David King always hates us. I dont think he is wrong btw, but honestly any chance he gets to take a shot

Justified crack in this case, but yeah