Changes vs Collingwood

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Biggs must come in for mine. Pearce in with a sneaky chance if Bev looks for a left-field solution to our inability to mark inside 50.

 

[JTCWBFC]

Team looked flat as hell yesterday, I want a few changes.

Out: Prudden, Dale, TC
In: Talia, Hamling, Webb

If Wallis is injured, then in Jong.

Roughead to play first ruck and Boyd to provide a chop out.

 

[dergert]

Who do we have on our long term injury list?
Goodes is elevated for libba right?

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Who do we have on our long term injury list?
Goodes is elevated for libba right?

I believe so, but Clay would also be eligible and we get a mid-season upgrade on top of that.

 

[Metal]

I thought Campbell was only ok yesterday. His ruck taps weren't particularly effective, he dropped marks and lacked endurance. I think we have a problem with our rucks in that they can't cover the ground Bevo wants them to. We have subbed a few off this year....which is not a good sign, I'm afraid.

I prefer Cordy for his mobility and his presence up forward. He looked alright in the Footscray game today. You would hope he is learning how to be an effective ruck given the nature of his physique. When to jump, how to balance, how to block, where to tap to advantage....Nevertheless we have to teach him thoroughly and build up his confidence so that when he returns we don't just see him fold again.

 

[Doggy Dan]

Our ruck coaches deserve some flack, the amount of times Geelong did not even contest the ruck but our ruckman didn't know what to do in that situation, so we just basically tapped it straight too them. Winning a tap out is a lot different to winning a ruck contest.

It was so dumb it was funny yesterday.

 

[Metal]

Redpath has higher tackle numbers because he is no different to Jong.....which is that when he should take possession of the ground ball, he doesn't. Instead he mishandles it or it evades him....and what is he left with?......the tackle on the opposition player who does get it.

I would much prefer both Jong and Redpath take clean possession in the first instance and use it to our advantage.

 

[flamethrower]

Out - lethargy from a taxing game in FNQ.

In - loads of adrenaline playing an early elimination final against the biggest club in the AFL. Should be 40K plus next week.

Any changes will be due to injury and match ups against the Pies. We need to curb Pendles, Swanny and Sidebottom in the middle, Fasolo, Blair and Varcoe up forward and Marley Williams across half back. Tom and Jack need to stop Collingwood's tall defenders (Brown & Frost) from launching counter attacks, and we need to man up Oxley if he plays loose man in defence. I expect Crisp to run with Bontempelli.

We really need Stringer to get off the leash....these are the games that should bring the best out of Jake.

 

[topdog69]

In Footscray Bulldogs out Western Bulldogs

 

[KDF67]

Not getting the anti-TC vibe on here. And was uber-perplexed by the vest yesterday. Stats tell an interesting story; even after being subbed off at 3/4 time, Tom's stats rate 6th in team. If he had have played a full game, his expected return would have been around Goldstein's statistical average, and Goldy is in AA form. Your comments here would be valuable, Dan.

Goldstein's game average: Kicks 6, HB 8, Disposals 14, Marks 4, HO 45, Tackles 4.5
Campbell at 3/4 time: Kicks 4, HB 7, Disposals 11, Marks 5, HO 35, Tackles 3

 

[Hard Ball Get]

What does AF stand for?

 

[Doggy Dan]

What does AF stand for?

AFL Fantasy points, it's like super coach.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Your comments here would be valuable, Dan.]

I'm honoured.

I thought Campbell was ok and is getting a bit of a raw deal with some of the comments. With that said though, I did expect a little more. His hitouts weren't as accurate as we've seen in the past despite being against two guys that aren't really natural ruckmen (you could make the argument for Blicavs, but he's shown more in recent times as a midfielder). He clearly pushed himself harder with his running than he has in the past, but he failed to have much of an impact outside of the ruck, and seemed to struggle a little aerobically. I thought Boyd was close in terms of competitiveness in the ruck, and a little bit better around the ground. It was a Minson style game played to a lower standard than Will would play it. That said, though, it wasn't a poor game by any standard, and in most circumstances I'd be more than happy to give him another go.

However given the situation we find ourselves in, this week's game is very close to a must-win. We're short a few guys inside the contest and our younger players are beginning to slow down a touch, so it's vital that we get as much of an edge in the ruck contest as possible. If Minson is fit (as Beveridge thinks he will be) I think he comes in for this reason. The question then becomes, "How tall can we afford to go?" Campbell, Minson, Roughead, Boyd and Redpath is hugely tall and largely inflexible and I'm not sure all play in the same side successfully. Roughead offers more versatility than any of our other talls and must stay in, I think. Redpath has been our most dangerous forward in recent times and, while he has his weaknesses, must remain in while he continues to contribute as he has been. Boyd may find himself on the outer but he offers more structure up forward and, as I've already suggested, impressed me just as much as Campbell in the ruck. That then leaves Campbell on the outer by virtue of his inflexibility and inability to outperform Minson at this stage, particularly given that our forward line has been cramped of late - adding another immobile big guy is likely going to exacerbate that.

I still think Campbell will make a good AFL-standard ruckman, and I think there were enough positives yesterday for me to suggest he's tracking ok. Just not sure we can fit him in given our current balance/game style issues, and this game is too important to gift him another opportunity (which, let's be honest, would be the case if he were selected over a fit Minson).

If Minson isn't fit however, more than happy to see him given another go. I'm confident he'd perform to a solid-good level.

 

[Cruiserweight Champ]

I think you be Clear Favourites. It’s your Home Game and Cloke is gone for at least a Month.

I think it will be almost even money betting wise but I agree on face value we should win given its at Etihad which we play well and the Pies don't (MCG different story) - and with Eliott likely to miss along with Cloke, I don't think Collingwood can kick a winning score.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

What irritated me at times yesterday, was our ruckman. Sometimes Geelong wouldn't even send a ruckman and our guys would tap it down, sometimes to them.

If I'm our ruck coach, I'm saying to our rucks, if you're unopposed, you grab the ball and slam it on your boot quick smart in our direction. Did see TC do that once however.

 

[fronkalicious]

What irritated me at times yesterday, was our ruckman. Sometimes Geelong wouldn't even send a ruckman and our guys would tap it down, sometimes to them.

If I'm our ruck coach, I'm saying to our rucks, if you're unopposed, you grab the ball and slam it on your boot quick smart in our direction. Did see TC do that once however.

Isn't that what Bev was doing to other teams earlier in the year?

 

[KDF67]

I'm honoured.

If Minson isn't fit however, more than happy to see him given another go. I'm confident he'd perform to a solid-good level.

Thanks, Dan. Interesting to note that so far this season, Will hasn't performed anywhere near TC's standard yesterday, statistically anyway. Neither has Ayce for that matter. If I was a Moneyballer, I'd be picking TC over Will next week regardless of fitness.

And I'd be very interested in seeing the GPS data on the two so we can compare their apples. I have a feeling that the 'not able to run out games' thing is something that no longer applies.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Thanks, Dan. Interesting to note that so far this season, Will hasn't performed anywhere near TC's standard yesterday, statistically anyway. Neither has Ayce for that matter. If I was a Moneyballer, I'd be picking TC over Will next week regardless of fitness.

And I'd be very interested in seeing the GPS data on the two so we can compare their apples. I have a feeling that the 'not able to run out games' thing is something that no longer applies.

Statistically I think it's important to note Campbell's opposition though - he was up against a tall midfielder with ruck ability and a key forward/second ruck. On memory I don't recall Minson having that kind of opponent for an entire game. Out of curiosity if you expand Tom Boyd's stats from the fourth quarter, how does he match up against Minson? I'd think he would have out-performed him - or at least matched up relatively well - on the stats sheet as well.

More generally, I think the big thing with Minson is his physicality. He pushes mids off the ball, wraps up missed tackles and is an immovable object in the zone at times. I think the stats sheet belies his true impact and I didn't think that was the case with TC yesterday.

With that said, I'm not strongly committed one way or the other and won't be having a meltdown whichever way we go...it's going to be interesting to see which way we err if Minson is indeed fit. I've been critical of some of Minson's performances this year, but I still think he's our best option in a must-win game.

 

[Beasley]

Tell me ....... was Campbell more influential as a ruckman yesterday than Ayce Cordy was during his experiment as the ruckman?

 

[Cori]

Tell me ....... was Campbell more influential as a ruckman yesterday than Ayce Cordy was during his experiment as the ruckman?

I don't think he was as good as Ayce was around the ground but he got a lot of hitouts, albeit to very little effect as they were hardly ever to advantage and more often than not, to an opposition player.

 

[KDF67]

Tell me ....... was Campbell more influential as a ruckman yesterday than Ayce Cordy was during his experiment as the ruckman?

Something Campbell did yesterday, which I haven't seen Ayce do, was to bullock the ball out of a stoppage and dish it to a nearby mid, and on one occasion boot it 60 metres into our forward line. He also killed the ball quite a few times to allow a reset. Ayce just doesn't have that presence around the contest. So yeah, I'd say he was more influential as a ruckman than Ayce.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

Isn't that what Bev was doing to other teams earlier in the year?

I thought Bev was sending in guys to contest that aren't ruckman like Jong, Bont and Goodesy. I'm fairly sure a few times yesterday there was no one contesting Boyd or TC and they tapped it to waiting Geelong players who ran away like the road runner.

 

[KDF67]

Tell me ....... was Campbell more influential as a ruckman yesterday than Ayce Cordy was during his experiment as the ruckman?

I didn't want to be junking Ayce's output, so I checked the stats for Hit Outs. Ayce had a total of 69 Hit Outs from Rds 2 - 8, with a high of 20 vs St Kilda and a low of 3 vs Freo. That's an average of 9.85 Hit outs over 7 games (28 quarters), compared with TC's 32 Hit Outs in three quarters yesterday. Without doubt, Campbell is a more influential ruckman.

 

[Libba39]

Team looked flat as hell yesterday, I want a few changes.

Out: Prudden, Dale, TC
In: Talia, Hamling, Webb

If Wallis is injured, then in Jong.

Roughead to play first ruck and Boyd to provide a chop out.

Wallis injured????

 

[fargy]

Wallis injured????

Report said he has hurt his back (presumably when big Jack cleaned up the whole pack).