Preview Changes v Demons, Round 2 (upgraded to official preview)

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It's only one game but if there are issues with your structure Round 1 is the time to find out.

It's been niggling me ,may as well say it ,we're not as good as we think we are, we need to accept that if we're to compete on the big stage a club such as ours needs to do it the tradesman's way and not think we're good enough already.

Too much pumping of our tyres pre season and we saw the result. Geelong weren't pumping their tyres and they won the flag.

I'd be inclined to throw Matho in this week ,go with some class on the wings with Clug and Ashcroft and throw them some curve balls.

We're probably going to lose anyway. Each and every player should have a rocket up them after that performance . Switch it up a bit ,let everyone know we won't tolerate it and at least try to serve it up to them. Who knows we could get on a roll.
 
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We were short a mid last year, all we’ve done is replace lyons with Dunkley. Still short another strong inside mid. Lyons should come back in for tunstill. Zorko for Kiddy. Push Willmot back to replace
Kiddy. Bailey to the wing and Zorko defensive forward.


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yeap Willmot better at this stage playing in the backs. I think he will be a good player and perhaps wing is his spot in future years.

I posted a few weeks ago, as good as Ashcroft is and will be, it will be a big ask for an 18 year old to play week in week out in the guts, so I can see him possibly playing stints on the wing or forward throughout the year.

I like the idea of Bailey on the wing this week, if Zorks is playing.

IF Zorko was playing yesterday he would not have changed the result, but I reckon he would have become more aggressive in that 3rd Q and the team might have responded.
 

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Another concern I have had the last few months is the lack of defensive players in the forward line. If it were me, I would swap Linc for Ah Chee when he is fit and play Zorko forward as well. Ah Chee and Zorko to play defensive roles. I think we have one too many goal scoring forwards. Sounds silly I know, but a couple of guys in the forward mix who have no ambition to kick a goal and who are judged purely on pressure acts and tackles would benefit our team overall. Daniher, Hippy, Gunston, Charlie and Bailey are sufficient as regular forward line players.
 
Another concern I have had the last few months is the lack of defensive players in the forward line. If it were me, I would swap Linc for Ah Chee when he is fit and play Zorko forward as well. Ah Chee and Zorko to play defensive roles. I think we have one too many goal scoring forwards. Sounds silly I know, but a couple of guys in the forward mix who have no ambition to kick a goal and who are judged purely on pressure acts and tackles would benefit our team overall. Daniher, Hippy, Gunston, Charlie and Bailey are sufficient as regular forward line players.
Where’s Tom Berry when you need him.
 
Berry is overrated on this board and at the club. Has played only a handful of Waikiki games in his career.


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same could be said for a number of our players, but when fit I believe Berry is a lock.
Eric had a great second half last year against Dees, in fact he probably won us the game and he also kicked a handful at times at the GABBA, but can be inconsistent.
Cam shows promise but has had to move spots to try and cement a spot in the best 22 for this year.
Linc goes hot and cold
My knock on McClug is he does not possess super quick acceleration to break from congestion, and his goal kicking is still a work in progress
Bailey seems to run ahead of the ball when in the midfield which is great when we are dominating.
 
Berry is overrated on this board and at the club. Has played only a handful of Waikiki games in his career.


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On the other hand, he was responsible for probably our best finals win since 2004 last year. So he can do it - problem is that he often doesn’t.
 
Where’s Tom Berry when you need him.
I think Ah Chee had the most score involvements of anyone in the team by a long way one week and we dropped him.

We know we can kick goals when things are going our way. We know we have some great players, some of whom are fantastic on their day.

What we lack and have always lacked in spades ever since we emerged as a top team is consistent defensive pressure.
 
Out: Wilmot, Tunstill, Coleman, McInerney
In: Lester, Fort, Madden, Lyons
sub: Matho

I can see it now - Matho subbed on after 3QT, late in the qtr runs onto a loose ball inside f50 and draws a head high free from Steven May. Siren goes, he steadies slots it and pulls out the shotgun.

Lions 8.3 51 def by Demons 16.6 102.
 
On the other hand, he was responsible for probably our best finals win since 2004 last year. So he can do it - problem is that he often doesn’t.

One of only a handful of above average games and even then he was quite in the first half.


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Another concern I have had the last few months is the lack of defensive players in the forward line. If it were me, I would swap Linc for Ah Chee when he is fit and play Zorko forward as well. Ah Chee and Zorko to play defensive roles. I think we have one too many goal scoring forwards. Sounds silly I know, but a couple of guys in the forward mix who have no ambition to kick a goal and who are judged purely on pressure acts and tackles would benefit our team overall. Daniher, Hippy, Gunston, Charlie and Bailey are sufficient as regular forward line players.
Linc is my whipping boi this year because I feel like he is the one that needs to sacrifice his game and play defensively, only because the other forwards in our team are even more dangerous.

It's a bit of a theme across the team at the moment though, everyone wants to be the Dustin Martin, noone wants to be the Kamden McIntosh.
 
On the other hand, he was responsible for probably our best finals win since 2004 last year. So he can do it - problem is that he often doesn’t.
Berry always needs a bit of time to get back up to speed after injury.
Always been the case with him.
 
Next week vs Melbourne is pivotal to our season imo.

No doubt everyone at the club is embarrassed by what we served up yesterday.

Whether we win or not against Melbourne is not as consequential as to whether we turn up with intent and keep it going for the 4 quarters whatever the state of the game.

If we just fold and poonce around again I'll be genuinely worried.
 
The problem this has happened before and you expect a response. Sadly the response didn’t happen.


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We were short a mid last year, all we’ve done is replace lyons with Dunkley. Still short another strong inside mid. Lyons should come back in for tunstill. Zorko for Kiddy. Push Willmot back to replace
Kiddy. Bailey to the wing and Zorko defensive forward.


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Its time. Starcevich to the middle. You can't get any better defensive discipline than that man. Tell him "you win the ball here son and send it our way, you don't have to chase any small forward's tail all season". He'll barge through a few doors to get the footy.
 
I think we need hands on the ball and he will give us that.

I don’t think hands on the ball was our issue. Plus you’d sooner have the likes of Berry, Hugh and Bailey get more inside mid time than have Lyon in there
 
Everyone saying Rayner to the middle, but he is only getting some confidence because he is down back.

He struggles to find the ball in the middle and is flat footed on defence, history suggests he would have only exacerbated our issues on Saturday arvo.

Leave him where he is and let him devalop his game for a few weeks.
 
No need for wide-sweeping changes imo. Bring in Joyce for Coleman and I'd leave it there.

The groups need a few weeks to gel - the cohesion doesn't form overnight. That being said, any effort would be better than the one shown last week. I can't believe I'm at the point with this team where all I'm hoping for is that we run harder and play for one another. We're not in a rebuild anymore!
 
Another concern I have had the last few months is the lack of defensive players in the forward line. If it were me, I would swap Linc for Ah Chee when he is fit and play Zorko forward as well. Ah Chee and Zorko to play defensive roles. I think we have one too many goal scoring forwards. Sounds silly I know, but a couple of guys in the forward mix who have no ambition to kick a goal and who are judged purely on pressure acts and tackles would benefit our team overall. Daniher, Hippy, Gunston, Charlie and Bailey are sufficient as regular forward line players.
Kai Lohmann played a couple of games in 2022 and looks like he could be that high octane forward pressure kind of guy, Charlie can do it as well but he needs to be in the mood sadly.... agree a fully fit Zorko would be great at it although I do think we miss his pressure in the middle of the ground badly.
 
On the other hand, he was responsible for probably our best finals win since 2004 last year. So he can do it - problem is that he often doesn’t.
Because hes played out of position imo. Hes an inside midfielder/contested beast.
Would like to see Dunkley, Neale and Berry as a midfield combo at times. Especially this weekend against Oliver, Petracca and Viney possible to return. Have Berry run with Oliver.

I only saw the second half because I was at work for the first half (lucky me). But I dont think the team should be changed too much. It seemed like a mentality and preparation issue more then anything. Possibly let the off season signings, good pre-season performances, and media hype get to our heads a bit. High quality players such as Dunkley, Neale, McCluggage, Cameron, Hipwood and Starcevich had unsually poor games for their standards which I dont see happening again. You get those guys up and running and you have a completely different performance.
So IMO unless you want to swap those guys out, leave the team as it is, be confident those players will turn it out around, and the only changes that should be made are necessary ones due to injury.
Another performance like that in a row though, you then start to worry.
 
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