Prediction Changes: Round 3 Vs West Coast Eagles + pre-match discussion

[apuchar]

I am sure there is someone somewhere who thinks that a 1 point loss means that we only need to make minimal changes. Grrrr.

That said if I could only make one change it would be;

• NOD in
• Either Hughes or Banfield out.

Then reposition.

• Walters from sub to named
• Whoever remains from Hughes or Banfield to the Sub role

What I want is much more agressive. I just don't trust the match committee/JL to be aggressive.

That's all very well, except we got smashed inside 5 out of the last 6 games we played. We need to look for alternatives in there. We may get away with our present set-up against certain teams with smaller midfielder but teams have learnt how to stop us by putting mature bodies against our inside mids.

 

[Alfonz]

Here is some food for thought. Sorted by average games of the 23 man teams on the weekend:

	Games	Age
Richmond	131.7	27yr 6mth
Geelong	131	27yr 3mth
Melbourne	123.7	26yr 6mth
Collingwood	121.1	27yr 1mth
West Coast	115.4	26yr 3mth
Brisbane	113	26yr 6mth
Port Adelaide	102.9	25yr 9mth
North Melbourne	101.2	25yr 7mth
Western Bulldogs	99.9	26yr 6mth
Sydney	93.3	24yr 9mth
St Kilda	83.9	24yr 11mth
Carlton	83.3	25yr 5mth
Gold Coast	82	25yr 1mth
Fremantle	80.6	25yr 2mth
Essendon	77.9	24yr 10mth
GWS	77.4	25yr 2mth
Adelaide	74.9	24yr 6mth
Hawthorn	61	24yr 3mth

Like for like replacements as such:
OUT: Wilson, Taberner, Hughes, Banfield
IN: Walker, Treacy, O'Driscoll, Sturt

The above brings our average games down to 65.4 and approaching Hawthorn territory who are headed for the wooden spoon. If we were to bring in Erasmus and Johnson then it comes down to around 63 (assuming it would be out of Schultz, Switta, Henry, JOM, Brodie).

I personally would bring in most of the above 6 and accept the consequences in the short term, but you can guarantee there is not a chance in hell that our conservative coaching group will even consider anything of the sort.

 

[Tas]

Agree with you on almost everything. But the one thing people don't realise is how young our side is. We are not a mature side. North are considered a very young and building side, and they were significantly more experienced than Freo on the weekend.

Our list/age profile is on par with teams expected to finish bottom 6. The brass is clearly scared to inject even more youth into our side, as all the players the supporters want in would make us the youngest and most inexperienced team in the competition. But I think we need to bite the bullet and stop thinking about where we finish in the next couple of years. If only the powers that be could have thought about that when trading out a king's ransom for Jackson.

Definitely, I didn't mean it was an age profile thing but more a midfield profile. Mundy was a massive loss, Acres was also a very good player. I mentioned when Cerra left in 2021 that it was an annoying loss because he had played 76 games and would have been around 100 now, be 24ish and ready to take over from Mundy's exit. I think Freo did well out of the draft from it but it doesn't help in the present unless you can fast track their development. Acres also moved on and fringe/depth players in Tucker and Blakely moved on.

if you didn't want to rely on more kids, I think just bringing in O'Meara wasn't enough. I think he will play better footy than he has to date and felt he was a good pickup for Freo but I am not sure there is a better option other than pushing the likes of Erasmus and O'Driscoll when available given the matured bodies you lost in the midfield.

 

[FreoRicci]

How would we know, if they don’t get a chance?
Erasmus doesn’t hold back, and has some mongrel, for me that’s a start.
Clubs take a risk with most 19 year olds. How else do you get experience?
50 AFL games is where you see if they are a bust.

The club debuted Cerra and Brayshaw ASAP. Did alright. Time to bring in MJ at least

 

[no_undie_mundie]

FB - Ryan - Pearce - Chapman
HB - Young - Cox - Clark
C - Aish - Brodie - O'Driscoll*
FOL - Darcy - Brayshaw - Serong
HF - Walters* - Jackson - Swtikowski
FF - Schultz - Amiss - Sturt*
INT - O'Meara - Corbett* - Walker* - Frederick

IN - Walker, Walters, Sturt, Corbett
OUT - Banfield, Taberner, Hughes, Henry, Wilson

Swing the axe we need to change things up desperately. Taberner and Banfield I have no faith in anymore and Sturt and Corbett both looked solid for Peel on Saturday (Corbett especially looked hungry).

Walker and Wilson are interchangeable for me but I'd prefer Walker for extra speed which we are lacking.

Hughes and Henry suck so O'Driscoll must come in and Clark/Chapman can roll through the wing rotation as well.

I think that forward structure would look 100 times better than what we've had the last 2 weeks, can sort out Fyfe after this weekend but getting Taberner out would free up that forward line for an actual leading forward in Amiss and Corbett.

Would love to hear thoughts cause this is what I'd be putting forward to JLo this week.

 

[apuchar]

FB - Ryan - Pearce - Chapman
HB - Young - Cox - Clark
C - Aish - Brodie - O'Driscoll*
FOL - Darcy - Brayshaw - Serong
HF - Walters* - Jackson - Swtikowski
FF - Schultz - Amiss - Sturt*
INT - O'Meara - Corbett* - Walker* - Frederick

IN - Walker, Walters, Sturt, Corbett
OUT - Banfield, Taberner, Hughes, Henry, Wilson

Swing the axe we need to change things up desperately. Taberner and Banfield I have no faith in anymore and Sturt and Corbett both looked solid for Peel on Saturday (Corbett especially looked hungry).

Walker and Wilson are interchangeable for me but I'd prefer Walker for extra speed which we are lacking.

Hughes and Henry suck so O'Driscoll must come in and Clark/Chapman can roll through the wing rotation as well.

I think that forward structure would look 100 times better than what we've had the last 2 weeks, can sort out Fyfe after this weekend but getting Taberner out would free up that forward line for an actual leading forward in Amiss and Corbett.

Would love to hear thoughts cause this is what I'd be putting forward to JLo this week.

We are getting smashed in the middle and you want to tinker around the edges. West coasts midfield isn't very big or that quick so we may get away with this week but it isn't taking us anywhere now that teams know we can be bullied out of it inside.

 

[bfff]

Out: Banfield, Hughes, Taberner
In: Johnson, Walker, Sturt

Banfield - doesn't do enough. Not a forward, not a midfielder, a sub
Hughes - I love him but he is not a winger he's a backup defender
Tabs - Injured or in poor condition and still hasn't learnt to play with other talls

Johnson - need something (anything?) in the midfield, best of the young blokes from preseason
Walker - has an attacking mindset, tries to make things happen.
Sturt - midsize forward that can kick? Why isn't he in already?

Young/Chapman/Clark/Walker, at least one of these blokes has to be a midfielder. It's a deadset waste having all our best attacking players in defence. They are talented enough to learn another position. No more next year or two years time, start now!

 

[no_undie_mundie]

We are getting smashed in the middle and you want to tinker around the edges. West coasts midfield isn't very big or that quick so we may get away with this week but it isn't taking us anywhere now that teams know we can be bullied out of it inside.

I understand our midfield is being beaten soundly right now, but is throwing two 19 yr olds in Erasmus and Johnson really the solution?

 

[Dockeroo]

The club debuted Cerra and Brayshaw ASAP. Did alright. Time to bring in MJ at least

Since the first day Longmuir arrived he has been slow to play kids. I can’t understand his aversion to giving inexperienced players a decent run

 

[Rockmelon]

For all of Walkers faults at least he takes the game on and moves the ball quickly. It is so painful to watch us kick backwards and then bomb down the line

 

[freo1997]

Thoughts on this FWD set up for rd 3.

HFF: Freddy Jackson Corbett
FF: Walters Amiss Sturt

JOM off the bench primarily in Attack.
Switta primarily in the Midfield.

Feel like we need natural fwds coming in with Sturt and Corbett.

 

[apuchar]

I understand our midfield is being beaten soundly right now, but is throwing two 19 yr olds in Erasmus and Johnson really the solution?

No, but it needs to be changed. Whether that means Switta and Aish or Jackson or Wagner O'Driscoll and maybe one of Johnson or Erasmus. None of these options are ideal at present but we have assumed too much with Brayshaw and Serong and are acting like the inside mid roles to them is a given. Being soundly beaten 5 out of the last 6 games including preseason games suggests differently. Like I say they will probably be ok next week but it doesn't mean the problem is solved.

 

[apuchar]

Thoughts on this FWD set up for rd 3.

HFF: Freddy Jackson Corbett
FF: Walters Amiss Sturt

JOM off the bench primarily in Attack.
Switta primarily in the Midfield.

Feel like we need natural fwds coming in with Sturt and Corbett.

Don't mind it but is Freddie really a great forward

 

[FreoRicci]

Thoughts on this FWD set up for rd 3.

HFF: Freddy Jackson Corbett
FF: Walters Amiss Sturt

JOM off the bench primarily in Attack.
Switta primarily in the Midfield.

Feel like we need natural fwds coming in with Sturt and Corbett.

Feel like Tabs will stay in for this one. Amiss and Jackson v Baras and Cox... Would get slaughtered.
West Coast are leaking one on ones and the bigger forwards in Larkey and Hogan have kicked 9 goals over two rounds. West Coast's lack of one on one defender means Tabs should stay in and try and gain form. Amiss is mincemeat for Barass

 

[Mags98]

I understand our midfield is being beaten soundly right now, but is throwing two 19 yr olds in Erasmus and Johnson really the solution?

its a good point but they do have some qualities our current mids mostly dont have. id like to see johnson get a game regardless and i think erasmus' strengths are what were lacking right now as well.

the other option is to get some of chapman/young into the rotation as well which i wouldnt mind at all tbh, id like to see what walker can add there too, hes got the size and speed, lets us keep the wilson in the back line as well

 

[FreoRicci]

I understand our midfield is being beaten soundly right now, but is throwing two 19 yr olds in Erasmus and Johnson really the solution?

Yes and no. Throw in bigger bodies. Try Jackson in there at times. Honestly need a tagger/defensive bull. Aish can take the opposition's mid and help out Brayshaw and Serong. The issue is the pace and height. Would love a Zuurhar who is pacey but puts out the hand, fends off and gets it rolling. Serong and Brayshaw have none of that.

 

[apuchar]

Plus Erasmus isn't great by foot except when shooting for goal (explain that one) but he has pretty good hands and is a hard nut.

 

[Mags98]

Yes and no. Throw in bigger bodies. Try Jackson in there at times. Honestly need a tagger/defensive bull. Aish can take the opposition's mid and help out Brayshaw and Serong. The issue is the pace and height. Would love a Zuurhar who is pacey but puts out the hand, fends off and gets it rolling. Serong and Brayshaw have none of that.

sounds like walker to me....

 

[apuchar]

Are we talking about walker or Wagner here. I have never heard of walker even practising as an inside mid.

 

[FreoRicci]

Plus Erasmus isn't great by foot except when shooting for goal (explain that one) but he has pretty good hands and is a hard nut.

At the moment, the team needs clearances. Erasmus can help in that area. Skills by foot is later when Fremantle get on top of the middle and pressure in the forward line.

 

[Mags98]

Are we talking about walker or Wagner here. I have never heard of walker even practising as an inside mid.

im running walker as a mid propaganda from here on out get used to it

 

[kingswood71]

that might also be why Sonny was so effective when he did come on

No doubt...But I think Son Son if fit should play a whole game

 

[Midnite65]

I understand our midfield is being beaten soundly right now, but is throwing two 19 yr olds in Erasmus and Johnson really the solution?

While Hughes gets a game yes!

 

[Ge3ks]

I'd like to see Erasmus injected into the midfield mix this weekend.

 

[Wilksyy]

While Jackson's struggling with his marking and likely feeling his way into the team, he's the future and can be so athletic in the second and third contests for the here and now. I wouldn't mind seeing a good number of weeks trialing a more ballistic forward setup. Jackson, Fyfe and a fleet of smaller players. All expectations eased other than for Jackson to charge full pelt at the ball carrier, with the smaller players, like small fish around a great white shark, riding in wake, ready to pounce.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Jackson’s role simplified. Play him predominantly forward. He may not mark it but he can at least get the ball to ground and let our mosquito fleet do the work.

Basically what Griff Logue did last year.