Prediction Changes v Port

[Eagleboy68]

Sad day for MC. The only change should have been for butler and Lycett. Everything else is shocking. Two young players on the winning side away replaced by two old players with no WAFL just walk straight back in.Even Masten played WAFL for a recall. This is why I have zero respect for Simmo now. He is a bad coach guys, just accept it.

Absolute trash and we all know it?

 

[Karim Abdul Yeo]

I think trying to claim a guy in his ninth season as a young player is the embarrassing statement.

I gave my thoughts on the selection earlier. They weren't particularly defensive of the MC.

What's embarrassing is shutting a players confidence down ( Redden,arguably his best game for Eagles), to be replaced by a fossil, with no WAFL or form. What does that say about the state of our club??
Also age comparison, Redden is way younger than Priddis, so he has more seasons left in him.

 

[Shmiddy15]

This is so upsetting. I genuinely believe that we have a list that is capable of pushing deep into September, but the MC is too fixated on playing the older guys to see what we have underneath.

Normally playing the older blokes is fair enough when you're pushing for finals, but we're at the stage now where some of our younger players have clearly surpassed the old boys. If we had taken this team to Melbourne last week, I don't think we would have won.

In previous years, guys like pridda and lecras' selections were often justified in spite of their form because we simply didn't have better alternatives (and their own form was typically better than 2017). We do now, and the time to start playing them is upon us. I just wish the MC could see it too.

 

[Karim Abdul Yeo]

I really want Eagles to win this week and Priddis to have a shocker.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

What's embarrassing is shutting a players confidence down ( Redden,arguably his best game for Eagles), to be replaced by a fossil, with no WAFL or form. What does that say about the state of our club??
Also age comparison, Redden is way younger than Priddis, so he has more seasons left in him.

I said the selection wasn't justified on form.

Doesn't make him a young player though does it?

 

[Yamumluvsbigcox]

Who's the second young player dropped?

that whipper snapper butler

 

[avishka5]

That looks OK - the issue is we have an extra ruckman on the bench which I think is unnecessary given they have White, Impey, Atley and Houston who are all short/med runners.

Hopefully it doesn't have a big effect, but the fact our midfield is already on the slow side and we're adding an extra tall, it seems misguided.

Agree on speed unfortunalty. but i'd get lycett to FF as much as he can play. Maybe even get gov and petrie to pinch hit at times. If Darling and Petrie can have an impact then Lycett might end up one Jonas; who is 11cm shorter and doesn't have supreme agility or speed on him to really be a threat on the ground.

we really need Yeo, Wellers, Duggan (may not be quick but hist contests at speed and hence can break lines on occassions), jetta, karps and cripps to have a serious impact so we can offset the lack of speed.

 

[dajesmac]

Stupid to omit Cole. Really disappointing.

 

[15yearmember]

I think trying to claim a guy in his ninth season as a young player is the embarrassing statement.

I gave my thoughts on the selection earlier. They weren't particularly defensive of the MC.

For the record:

Agree that Redden isn't young but I'd also argue that his game last week was levels better than what Priddis has brought this year. And it was nice to not be mortified watching a mid run around with the speed and agility of my grandfather. I understand the MC don't need to be accountable to the fans but it would be nice if they could explain these sorts of decisions. Its really not a case of champion misses a week and comes straight back in, its fading club stalwart misses a week after a couple of months of abject crapness and immediately gets his spot back from a senior player with better form who performed in a winning away side. Its hard to see that as a positive.

We just look slower and less versatile than the 22 that started last week. I'm hoping we win but I'd like to understand the strategy.

 

[Yamumluvsbigcox]

You can't have priddis mitchell hutch and redden in the same midfield .

At least our MC has figured that out .

But Petrie gov darling lycett barrass Emac vardy may be 1 too many talls . Gov will have to play back and Petrie as a permanent forward with darling doing a lot up the ground to make it work

 

[Grahame]

Cole and Redden( semi young). Stop defending MC, you are embarrassing yourself.

Not commenting on his worth, but Redden has played more games than many realise (154). That puts him ahead of Gaff, NN, Schuey, EMac, Jetta and Darling. He is now 26. Hardly 'semi young' I'd have thought.

On that basis, I'd say he is probably showing all he is ever going to show.

 

[WCE_phil]

Im really not seeing it. Cole was dead average last week. Couple of decent spoils and tried to take it on a bit however had 3 effective disposals for the match and looked tired and worn down at times.

I don't necessarily want priddis in the side but people are idiots if they think he's going to be brought back through the wafl after missing 1 match due to injury when he wasn't dropped on form.

Lecras first 7-8 weeks were great. If you include his 4 goalless games he kicked 9 behinds. He kicks 9 goals instead of 9 behinds and everyone would be losing their shit saying we're lucky to have him back.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Redden quite stiff. Best game of the year probably and gets booted. Lycett on reflection makes sense, especially with Kennedy still out, means Petrie plays forward and hopefully he makes us more competitive in the ruck against Ryder compared to the last match. Cole probably hasn't done enough to keep his spot to be honest, I'm fine with that. Making way for the captain is fair enough.

Priddis and Lecras well.. If Lecras was truly playing injured, then I suppose he should get a shot after. Was very good against Port earlier this year. I'm glad it wasn't at Karpany's expense. Out of Priddis and Lecras, I think Lecca has more to offer us in his position. Priddis in for Redden... Think I will just keep to the if you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all rule, but yeah, quite confused. Reddens last game was superior to the last 4 of 5 games from Priddis. Been bracing for it all week though so yeah... meh. Good to see Wellingham pulled up well. Masten deserved to be dropped, him for Lecca is fine if you look at it that way.

 

[Karim Abdul Yeo]

A

Agree that Redden isn't young but I'd also argue that his game last week was levels better than what Priddis has brought this year. And it was nice to not be mortified watching a mid run around with the speed and agility of my grandfather. I understand the MC don't need to be accountable to the fans but it would be nice if they could explain these sorts of decisions. Its really not a case of champion misses a week and comes straight back in, its fading club stalwart misses a week after a couple of months of abject crapness and immediately gets his spot back from a senior player with better form who performed in a winning away side. Its hard to see that as a positive.

We just look slower and less versatile than the 22 that started last week. I'm hoping we win but I'd like to understand the strategy.

articulated 100 times better than me. Nice one.

 

[15yearmember]

Not commenting on his worth, but Redden has played more games than many realise (154). That puts him ahead of Gaff, NN, Schuey, EMac, Jetta and Darling. He is now 26. Hardly 'semi young' I'd have thought.

On that basis, I'd say he is probably showing all he is ever going to show.

I guess its his "youth" relative to Priddis that attracted the comment

 

[Ok Boomer]

Naming Priddis in the center is a statement too I suppose.... I'm not going to wish he fails though, if they're named in the side ill support them regardless of logic.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Naming Priddis in the center is a statement too I suppose.... I'm not going to wish he fails though, if they're named in the side ill support them regardless of logic.

He's always named either in the centre or on ball. He's started on the bench a couple of times this year though.

 

[Ghossein]

well I hope Priddis plays a blinder, not because I want everyone to be wrong, but because it's painfully obvious that he's going to be in the 22 for a while longer

 

[Keys]

Trying to rationalise the changes as best I can

1) Hurn for Butler - butler was injured and Hurn was ready to return after a game out with a concussion and reportedly a hamstring twinge. This one was a no brainer and the one change that can be universally agreed upon

2) Priddis for Redden - on most recent form this is hard to justify. Redden was good against the dogs and is really unlucky to miss out especially when Priddis wasn't playing well before he was rested with soreness. Other than saying the MC see something Priddis provides that we don't and rate him highly as a result I've got nothing. Priddis needs a big game to reward the MC's faith. I hope he does

3) Lecras for Masten - Masten wasn't an effective player last week so no big surprise he's again been dropped. Could/should have been replaced by Partington. Why Lecras? It has to be because they believe he's free of the injury that has been used to explain his drop off in output after a pretty good start to the season. We need scoring power so I'm ok with this change assuming he has healed. As with Priddis he needs to repay the faith

4) Lycett for Cole - not a like for like swap but a restructure. Lycett plays ruck/forward and Gov goes back to help combat Ports tall forwards which pushes Cole out. Arguably makes us too tall but against Port 7 is just within the acceptable range of talls. I suspect they'd like to have given Lycett one more WAFL game but due to EP having a bye they didn't want to stall his progress and have kept him playing which is fair enough as we need him to find his best footy again. Wellingham probably just shaded Cole last week so keeps his spot ahead of the youngster

Not what I hoped to see changes wise and one is hard to fathom

On Sunday we get to see if the concerns are validated or if the MC got it right. I hope it's the latter

 

[Ok Boomer]

He's always named either in the centre or on ball. He's started on the bench a couple of times this year though.

Yeah I know, but as you say the last few times, which I have seen, he has been named on the bench. Probably doesn't mean much but I still view it as a statement of sorts.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Yeah I know, but as you say the last few times, which I have seen, he has been named on the bench. Probably doesn't mean much but I still view it as a statement of sorts.

But the Thursday/Friday side differs from the 90-mins before bounce side.

He's been named in the guts on Thursday every week this year (except last week obviously).

 

[Keys]

Did he get the biscuit?? will he get the biscuit?? that's the big if. How do you judge a coach?? you judge them on their decision makings so you can gauge their mindset and level of approach. Simmo is failing in that department. This is why I got Keys mad when i said Simmo is crap and needs to be replaced even if we somhow win a flag. Why?? he is a repeat offender now with enough sample size to say that he has no guts, contradicts his own selection criteria on several occasions and loves to be stubborn with his senior players. This is a game where I would actually want to see priddis get destroyed by his direct opponent so Simmo can no longer avoid the question.

I think you also judge a coach on results which is win-loss primarily. On that front Simpson has been more than reasonable (53-29-1 by my count - 63.7%)

Only 3 other coaches have got their team to a GF during his tenure and only 2 have won one

The reason I got mad, as you put it, with your comment that Simpson needs to be replaced even if we won a flag is because it defies logic. Surely that's the definitive metric of a coaches value

If you want to argue that he should be replaced because you don't think he's capable of delivering a premiership then that's fair enough, even if I would disagree with it

 

[Double the Fist]

I have this feeling that Simmo & Co. have been playing many of them injured for fear of losing a game, only to make that injury worse. Should have been rested when injury first occurred to give the player/s a chance to recover.

I thought Lecca and Priddis were both dropped under the guise of 'injury', to keep the 'legend' status.
I really did.
Now they are back. Love Pirdda but he and Lecca can just be depth. Right or wrong, respect or no respect.

They better have blinders. If they are shit, slow and cooked then the MC should finally learn something.... maybe....

 

[avishka5]

I feel that MC and Simmo would be batted from pillar to post if we lose this. We look much more quicker in the middle and less stagnant over the weekend.

 

[hudson2006]

Glad to see Lycett back in, hope he hasn't lost any of his mongrel. He probably needs a solid run of AFL games before being able to beat the Ryders and Gawns of the competitions, so I wouldn't expect him to dominate immediately. But with 8 rounds to go before finals, now is a good time to get started.