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

[p4p1]

The first of the intraclubs that I went to this year was the one at Wilston Grange and I thought that it was the most physical of the lot of them to be honest.

There were a couple of really hard contests in that particular game but things were much different in all other games after that.

In particular I have found Lachie Neale very standoffish at contests and seemingly waiting for Dunkley to do the hard stuff and to dish it off to him?

Which is probably why Fort Lyons and Matho have been winning the bulk of clearances in the intra clubs and also training.

I was at the final training session on Thursday last week before they flew out to Adelaide and it was the same again when they set out for a full ground drill and Fort Luons and Matho were winning the clearances in that 20minute patch also.

Left me a little unsure as to how that would go on the weekend, but didn’t really want to bring it up here because I consider myself a fairly positive person and didn’t want to come across as a negative Nellie.

I certainly wasn’t expecting the landslide that happened on the weekend.

There was also a training session that I went to a couple of weeks ago and it was quite a long session with a lot of running and match Praccie but I did comment on here that I thought that maybe they had been asked to play without any contact, because it was very soft and there was also a bit of chastising within the group when contact was made, so there may be some merit in what you are saying.

Is there anychance that the A team guys were told to let the B team guys win the clearance so they could work on shutting down the oppo when they get the clearance? Because lets be honest, they really bloody need that. Not that it helped if that was the situation.

 

[HereIGoAgain]

I guess the arguments for lyons are that he will win clearances, he is a smart player around the contests and he knows how to set up a midfield around the stoppages. Just a matter of whether he can cover the ground defensively. Wouldn't surprise me if we see him at some stage.

The jack of all trades comment above is looking spot on. Inside mids selected on the wing, midfield/half forwards playing in defense. At this point the squad should be deeper enough to allow players to be selected in their natural positions. If we cant fit Dev into the midfield he should go somewhere where he can get that chance. If we want Tunstill to develop as inside mid he should be played there. Too many players getting selected out of position and we may not have the luxury to do that.

Alternatively we win the next three and none of this will matter.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Rich had 12 more disposals but how many were kick ins? He is looked for much more than Rayner is right now as well. I don't think Rich's possessions were as hard earned as Rayners.

11

Not saying they we're but if were leaving him at half back to accumulate the footy then it's not something he did on the weekend all that well

 

[McIvor]

MAtho is the one I think should come in to play inside mid. Sure he isnt the best disposer of the ball, but he is heart, gives 100% and is our best inside mid in the sqaud and wont back to the tough Dees mids. I dont think Matho is the long term answer but he;s the guy in my book that should get the nod this week.

 

[p4p1]

11

Not saying they we're but if were leaving him at half back to accumulate the footy then it's not something he did on the weekend all that well

I don't think that is what we are doing though is it? I always figured it was to have a big body, with good skills to counteract how slight kiddy is and how short Rich is? FWIW I do think he stopped a few goals, especially with his ability to stand up in or break tackles.

 

[Nuggo]

I think unless an injury change or a clear matchup change then everybody gets another go to clear their name

 

[martinson]

11

Not saying they we're but if were leaving him at half back to accumulate the footy then it's not something he did on the weekend all that well

I was one of those defending him.

I didn't see anything on the weekend that made me feel good about what he was doing but because everyone is in the same boat I guess we'll give it a couple more weeks to see how he goes. He did cop a nasty head knock at one stage.

 

[p4p1]

I was one of those defending him.

I didn't see anything on the weekend that made me feel good about what he was doing but because everyone is in the same boat I guess we'll give it a couple more weeks to see how he goes. He did cop a nasty head knock at one stage.

I thought Cam was one of our best. I'm still not convinced he offers much up forward with our current setup. I do think he would thrive if we played 1 or 2 talls though.

 

[martinson]

11

Not saying they we're but if were leaving him at half back to accumulate the footy then it's not something he did on the weekend all that well

Apologies I thought you were talking about Rich.

 

[Royboy1961]

Our squad is one of the best in the AFL competition and rivals Melbourne and Geelong. We now have up to 30 players to choose from rather than 25. We also have nearly every position covered should we have an unexpected injury. Our playing list has never looked this good in decades. For this reason I am not panicking and still expect top 3 or 4 finish at the end of the year. We got beaten because the players probably thought they just needed to go through their paces and the opposition would fold. It was a good reality check for our side and I expect a different side to turn up this week. There is no need for huge changes as the players need to be given another chance to redeem themselves. It really comes down to the attitude of the players during training and the balance of the side. You would expect Zorko to come in and replace Coleman and maybe two of the younger players to be looked at for replacement ie Robertson and Tunstill. I reckon Sharp is a big chance. The test this week will be how many tackles they stick and our two way running. They simply need to apply more pressure on the opposition.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I don't think that is what we are doing though is it? I always figured it was to have a big body, with good skills to counteract how slight kiddy is and how short Rich is? FWIW I do think he stopped a few goals, especially with his ability to stand up in or break tackles.

The big argument though is where's his greatest value to the team.

 

[Dalions]

Our squad is one of the best in the AFL competition and rivals Melbourne and Geelong. We now have up to 30 players to choose from rather than 25. We also have nearly every position covered should we have an unexpected injury. Our playing list has never looked this good in decades. For this reason I am not panicking and still expect top 3 or 4 finish at the end of the year. We got beaten because the players probably thought they just needed to go through their paces and the opposition would fold. It was a good reality check for our side and I expect a different side to turn up this week. There is no need for huge changes as the players need to be given another chance to redeem themselves. It really comes down to the attitude of the players during training and the balance of the side. You would expect Zorko to come in and replace Coleman and maybe two of the younger players to be looked at for replacement ie Robertson and Tunstill. I reckon Sharp is a big chance. The test this week will be how many tackles they stick and our two way running. They simply need to apply more pressure on the opposition.

During the full pre-season, Sharp looks less ready than Tunstill.
And I will stick by that claim.
Jimmy may have had a bad game but to be honest who didn’t. Maybe Cam? Maybe McKenna?
Hard to ask Tunstill to be a standout when the rest of the team were shit.

 

[Royboy1961]

I thought Cam was one of our best. I'm still not convinced he offers much up forward with our current setup. I do think he would thrive if we played 1 or 2 talls though.

I reckon Cams best position is now in the backline. He has been trialled in the forward line and has only kicked 20+ goals on the half forward line. He does not have the tank to play in the midfield for any length of time and at best can be used in bursts in the centre square. Dunkley who is a similar build is now playing as a mid and half forward which is what Cam use to do. So this leaves Cam to pay as the third tall in the backline and from his form so far he is looking OK. He use to play on the half backline when he was a teenager. As you stated he was one of our best in the backline so why not just leave him there? We have bigger problems as a team to worry about such as tackling and two way running.

 

[briztoon]

I see the three you named, especially Bailey as outside runners. Berry can get in and get it. Hugh also. As always, selection gets people thinking.

The thing with Berry is, he has reportedly said his shoulder is stuffed.

He can get in there and get it for half a game or one game, but we then risk losing him for weeks or the rest of the year.

 

[Royboy1961]

During the full pre-season, Sharp looks less ready than Tunstill.
And I will stick by that claim.
Jimmy may have had a bad game but to be honest who didn’t. Maybe Cam? Maybe McKenna?
Hard to ask Tunstill to be a standout when the rest of the team were s**t.

Don’t disagree with you there . On firm half of the team could be replaced. I was just thought of Sharp for his running ability as he could plug gaps in the backline with his two way running edifice he played on the wing. But Tunstill is a good runner as well so maybe one more week.

 

[p4p1]

The big argument though is where's his greatest value to the team.

I agree, and so far I don't think he has made that obvious yet. He has been serviceable with some outstanding moments everywhere we have played him. I like the backline 'experiment' because I don't think there is room for his style of play to be taken full advantage of as long as we have 3 talls in our forward line. I think he could swap teams and positions with Bailey Fritsch for instance and be just as good for Melbourne, if not better. I like him in the middle especially at clearances but his defensive work/running as a mid leaves a bit to be desired, which might be fine if he was put in Martins position at Richmond or something similar but for us it just worsens a problem we already have.
In defence though, I could see him becoming our version of that Luke Ryan, if he is allowed or the team wants him to play that role. I could see him becoming a better and more consistent defender than Gardiner given a bit of time to adapt, and not being confident in Gardiners ability to stay fit. I think maybe we expect him to be a mid or forward superstar because we used a #1 pick on him and with the benefit of hindsight we may not have picked him up. I think he could be one of our most important players if he develops as a back, can work on intercept marking (his marking sills are already top notch) and being more consistently involved, which may come down to what his opponent is doing. The big thing that he and our other backs are relying on to show how good they are though is the defensive work of the forwards and mids up the ground. No matter how good of an intercept mark, or breaking through packs and tackles he may be, he won't be able to do that while oppo mids waltz the ball down to their forward line with little pressure further up the field.

 

[McIvor]

Our squad is one of the best in the AFL competition and rivals Melbourne and Geelong. We now have up to 30 players to choose from rather than 25. We also have nearly every position covered should we have an unexpected injury. Our playing list has never looked this good in decades. For this reason I am not panicking and still expect top 3 or 4 finish at the end of the year. We got beaten because the players probably thought they just needed to go through their paces and the opposition would fold. It was a good reality check for our side and I expect a different side to turn up this week. There is no need for huge changes as the players need to be given another chance to redeem themselves. It really comes down to the attitude of the players during training and the balance of the side. You would expect Zorko to come in and replace Coleman and maybe two of the younger players to be looked at for replacement ie Robertson and Tunstill. I reckon Sharp is a big chance. The test this week will be how many tackles they stick and our two way running. They simply need to apply more pressure on the opposition.

I hope note. Ive seen him live a lot at reserves including V cats this year and i dont see what he offers - yet - as in this year. Same for Tunstill. You cant play these guys against the competitons best - give them a go at least mid season and against the weaker oppisition. They are not up to it. Ashcroft is the only youngster I feel confident in and as much as I love Wilmot, I'd give him one final chance on Friday. If he doesn't take his chance, then i'd leave him to mid-season to.

 

[p4p1]

I reckon Cams best position is now in the backline. He has been trialled in the forward line and has only kicked 20+ goals on the half forward line. He does not have the tank to play in the midfield for any length of time and at best can be used in bursts in the centre square. Dunkley who is a similar build is now playing as a mid and half forward which is what Cam use to do. So this leaves Cam to pay as the third tall in the backline and from his form so far he is looking OK. He use to play on the half backline when he was a teenager. As you stated he was one of our best in the backline so why not just leave him there? We have bigger problems as a team to worry about such as tackling and two way running.

I think a lot of supporters underestimate how valuable a good/great HBFer is, when they have the ability to not only beat their man 1 on 1, but break tackles, be a 3rd man up and be a reliable option for a quick hack kick deep in defence to the HB line.

 

[rye]

the way we defended was just crap, hardly ever see forwards get access to leading lanes and drift between zones as easy as the port adelaide talls did against us. if its a coaching issue you hope they fix it quick smart, otherwise if andrews is directing the backline on positioning that he seriously improves this week otherwise we are going to have ben brown

50

Ben Brown

Age

32

Ht

200cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.7

3star

HB

3.0

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

2.2

5star

D

7.9

2star

K

6.3

3star

HB

1.6

1star

M

3.7

4star

T

0.9

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

8.0

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.2

4star

of all forwards kick a bag on us

really noticeable how bad we are in the the intercept marking department in general, rayner could be this doedee type interceptor / distributor for us if given time and we do lack that in the team at present

 

[p4p1]

I hope note. Ive seen him live a lot at reserves including V cats this year and i dont see what he offers - yet - as in this year. Same for Tunstill. You cant play these guys against the competitons best - give them a go at least mid season and against the weaker oppisition. They are not up to it. Ashcroft is the only youngster I feel confident in and as much as I love Wilmot, I'd give him one final chance on Friday. If he doesn't take his chance, then i'd leave him to mid-season to.

Do we have any better replacement options in the positions we are playing the young guys though? I'm not sure we currently do.

 

[p4p1]

the way we defended was just crap, hardly ever see forwards get access to leading lanes and drift between zones as easy as the port adelaide talls did against us. if its a coaching issue you hope they fix it quick smart, otherwise if andrews is directing the backline on positioning that he seriously improves this week otherwise we are going to have ben brown of all forwards kick a bag on us

really noticeable how bad we are in the the intercept marking department in general, rayner could be this doedee type interceptor / distributor for us if given time and we do lack that in the team at present

To be fair to Harris, he was giving Dixon a bath in the first half.

 

[rye]

To be fair to Harris, he was giving Dixon a bath in the first half.

its not so much about andrews individual performance (although he was bad) its the fact that he is the senior head down there who should be directing the rest of the backline as to where to position and matchup during games - they were all at sea during that third quarter and much of the first where realistically port should have belted us out of ever being able to make a comeback but for squandering opportunities

as much as we like to highlight the issues in our midfield as being the main one, our backline should not be given an easy out - looking at other games on the weekend that St Kilda backline was under siege for the majority of the game yet they effectively thwarted off so many entries through being in better positions than fremantles forward pieces

i will say that the ease at which port transitioned the ball from d50 to their forward line was alarming considering that is something we have ostensibly worked at rectifying over the preseason. that one could be levelled at the whole team but the midfield is the main culprit

 

[p4p1]

its not so much about andrews individual performance (although he was bad) its the fact that he is the senior head down there who should be directing the rest of the backline as to where to position and matchup during games - they were all at sea during that third quarter and much of the first where realistically port should have belted us out of ever being able to make a comeback but for squandering opportunities

as much as we like to highlight the issues in our midfield as being the main one, our backline should not be given an easy out - looking at other games on the weekend that St Kilda backline was under siege for the majority of the game yet they effectively thwarted off so many entries through being in better positions than fremantles forward pieces

i will say that the ease at which port transitioned the ball from d50 to their forward line was alarming considering that is something we have ostensibly worked at rectifying over the preseason. that one could be levelled at the whole team but the midfield is the main culprit

Dare I saw that it could be because Lyon is one of the best if not the best coach to never win a premiership? He has always been a defence first coach and I am sure their backline, while not as talented is better drilled and more supported than ours is. I'm not sure that Lyon has ever had a team that was really strong and had great depth everywhere, instead having some great players being supported by well drilled and coached role players. Freo are my second team and when they were getting smashed in the first quarter (at least before his worst years at the club), I always had confidence that there would be some tactical or positional changes made and that would clean it up. I can't say I have felt like that as a Lions fan recently.

I'm not trying to give Harris an out. He is one of our co-captains now and needs to not only stand up himself but get the others around him to as well.

 

[3KZ is Football]

WE REALLY MISSED MCSTAY UP FORWARD PLAYING HIS ROLE!

 

[McIvor]

WE REALLY MISSED MCSTAY UP FORWARD PLAYING HIS ROLE!
View attachment 1634840

On McStay, one thing i thought was very cringeworthy and have never seen it happen was McStay's Dad following BT around doing his roaming thing and lining up to speak to him so he could pretty much unashamedly promote his business to all the tatted up Pies fans and Melbourne market. Roll'd my eyes at that one - might even have made his business a target to other clubs fans who dislike Pies. Also had a Pies scarf on to. I know a few people whose sons have played pro sports and still follow there team and not the team there son plays for. My gramps was like that with one of the rellies. Was died in the wool a Hwks man and still supported them when playing his own son lol

Love that gif btw even if i think Macca is better suited to us than Hippy or Joe.