Preview Changes vs Giants RD 24 - Huge game @ Mars Stadium - Sun 25 Aug 12:30

[MaxiBont]

Interesting selection after a dominant performance today.

If English is back, I would drop Buku as the only change.

With English back:

Ins - English
Out - Buku

Lobb back to Defence with JoD playing the 3rd KPD and Freijah interchanging positions throughout the game.

If no English, I would remain unchanged.

It’s a massive game in Ballarat, with a win cementing a Top 8 spot and likely home final.

 

[Mojorisin]

Interesting selection after a dominant performance today.

If English is back, I would drop Buku as the only change.

With English back:

Ins - English
Out - Buku

Lobb back to Defence with JoD playing the 3rd KPD and Freijah interchanging positions throughout the game.

If no English, I would remain unchanged.

It’s a massive game in Ballarat, with a win cementing a Top 8 spot and likely home final.

Agree completely. Looks like Naughton and Lobb will be fine so hopefully no forced changes.
Other then English for Khamis I'd make Gallagher the sub. Although he started well Gags seemed to drift out of the game at about half time. I'd like to see what sort of impact he can have when the shine is off the game a little bit.

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Libba a chance to get a week for that tackle That will be a huge blow.

 

[Doggy]

Libba a chance to get a week for that tackle That will be a huge blow.

That would be a joke..

 

[Doggies_13]

Libba a chance to get a week for that tackle That will be a huge blow.

Don’t think the head ever hit the ground and he played out the game

 

[WAbulldog]

Libba a chance to get a week for that tackle That will be a huge blow.

Wardlaw Did play out the game so he could be free to play.

 

[JohnnySteel]

West better not get dropped…


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[WAbulldog]

Is English available next week?

 

[Bulldogs85]

Is English available next week?

Bevo said in the press conference it’s unlikely that he will play next weekend

 

[Dogsman16]

Pretty sickening we find ourselves reliant on the final round of the year for the 3rd year in a row.

 

[WAbulldog]

Bevo said in the press conference it’s unlikely that he will play next weekend

Well I think will unchanged then if that’s the case

 

[BrisDog]

I don’t think we looked any worse without English in the Ruck. Lobb & Darcy looked like a great combo against a good ruckman.

 

[Struggle]

English if ready for buku
Gallagher to sub

 

[doggy_dog]

Unchanged assuming no English. Don’t mind the Gallagher sub calls.

Massive game - win and we’re in. Lose and we’re relying on Port and/or St Kilda, definitely not a position I want to be in

 

[grassman75]

West better not get dropped…


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I actually think West might have been dazed from that marking contest and was taken off as a precaution given the way the game was going

 

[JTCWBFC]

Feels like with 5/6 we've come so far to STILL be dependent on the last round. We need to start seasons better. Period.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

I think most of the side picks itself when fully fit. Jones/Lobb the key defenders, Bramble/Duryea/Dale across half back, English in ruck, the main four mids, the three key forwards, Weightman and West in the pocket and then the pressure forwards if their form holds up. West has had a couple of down weeks but there is no way he is not in our best team.

Think we probably had four main questions with selection for the rest of the season before today and as nice as it was to win really comfortably, you'd be careful about taking too much away from it.

Which mid sized defenders are we going to pair with Lobb/Jones?

Once English comes back it will be Lobb and Jones back to the key posts and we've worked out our best half backs, just had to sort out which two works best with them. Think Coffield and Khamis have been reliable but they haven't always filled me with the most trust. Khamis defended really well today and really bounced back after two awful kicks early in the match and after Fogarty gave him a bath last week. Its been a good season for him and he deserves to be re-signed and think he'll be a handy back up as a defender or even forward. Just think there are too many weaknesses in his game at the moment to stay in the side for finals. Don't think he is good one on one and is still dodgy when the ball hits the deck. Think O'Donnell is just a little more reliable in nearly all areas of the game. Don't think he is quite as good an intercept mark but I have more faith in him otherwise. Freijah was brilliant today and has been pretty great all season. Think he deserves the other spot, just has poise beyond his years. Think we can lock him in for the rest of the season. If English doesn't get up obviously Lobb is going to need to ruck and we'll have to ride with Khamis, which I'm fine with but don't think he is in the side if everyone is available.

Who is the half forward/fifth midfielder?

I like Gallagher, think he has a lot of promise and wouldn't be surprised if he makes this position his own next season. Not sure its this season though, he had some really good moments today but not a standout performance. Has really good pace and has shown, moreso earlier in the year, that he has good goal sense. Do not trust him with ball in hand though, fine when he is kicking it long but not when he needs to hit a short target and the pressure is only going to get higher from here on out. If he cleans up that part of his game though, he could be something. Macrae was fantastic when he came on. He has been racking up massive numbers in the VFL, he is a proven big game player, I think he should come into the 22 next week and would like to see him if we make the finals.

Is Vandermeer really a lock?

Laitham was very impactful in that first half, and not just the Hannan type of impactful that only Bevo and the trained eye can see. Was a welcome return and if he has kept his spot after some of the other games, there is zero chance he won't keep his spot after this one. Its sort of the same with McNeil. Not a guy I've historically trusted but he has been really good since he came back in and deserves his spot for the rest of the year. Don't think we've got the same out of Vandermeer and not sure I trust him going into finals but if he puts in another performance like today then he deserves to stay in. Think Harmes was playing really well in the middle of the year and its a shame injuries curtailed his season the way they have but think he is knocking down a door if and when the spot opens up.

What are we doing with the wing?

Don't even know what we did with the wing today. It looked like Dale or Daniel started there quite a bit and then immediately tried to roll to half back and then a half forward whether Macrae, McNeil or Gallagher sort of pushed up to fill the role. Let me know if I'm wrong on that. We just dominated the clearance and territory battle so much that I wasn't quite sure. I thought Poulter had been playing really well since he came back in and was surprised that he was omitted. Another guy I haven't historically trusted though. Don't expect him to come back in this week but there is probably an avenue where he is back in the 22 come finals time.

 

[DiamondDogs8]

Hope Duryea goes around again in 2025. Thought he was cooked after last year but he’s been awesome since

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Hope Duryea goes around again in 2025. Thought he was cooked after last year but he’s been awesome since

I write him off every season. Even his last few years at Hawthorn, he looked like the oldest 25yo ever and wasn't sure he was best 22.

But yeah fantastic all season, barely loses a contest and is always in the right spot. Hope he plays on as well. Played 94 games for the club now, should get 100 round 0 next year.

 

[Munnez]

Libba a chance to get a week for that tackle That will be a huge blow.

Nothing to see the Norf players head never hit the ground. Free kick was there Libba will be there next week

 

[Oliver G]

Pretty sickening we find ourselves reliant on the final round of the year for the 3rd year in a row.

That's now 5 of the past 6 seasons that we've gone into the last round with finals on the line, and the year in which we had secured a finals spot (2021), we blew a top 4 chance.

 

[Randomthoughts]

I am unsure about Harvey G and would swap him for McRae or Sanders .

 

[willofwest]

I am unsure about Harvey G and would swap him for McRae or Sanders .

I think CD out for Sanders.

 

[Scott Tracy]

That's now 5 of the past 6 seasons that we've gone into the last round with finals on the line, and the year in which we had secured a finals spot (2021), we blew a top 4 chance.

Very annoying. However we are 4-0 in these situations where we have to win to play finals. Keep in mind they were all against sides who were below us on the ladder.

2019 Crows (11th placed)
2020 Fremantle (12th placed)
2022 Hawks (13th placed)
2023 Cats (12th placed)

Another more interesting and worrying stat on top of this one, after all those wins above we have lost the Elimination Final in week 1, bar 2023 where we were knocked out of the 8 the following day.

2016, 2021 we loose the final game of the season and make the GF. With 2015 being the only outlier.

The whole Bevo theme of we are better being the hunter than being hunted really rings true in these.

However I think things have somewhat changed this year and what a test for this team. Playing the 3rd placed Rival in a do or die and if we win that, than we will be playing the media hyped "HawkBall" in an Elimination final.

If we loose next week but still finish 8th, I honestly can't see how we beat Brisbane. So it really is a must win.

Bring it on!

 

[Doggy]

Shitney supporters on the main board and the GWS board hoping they beat us. They're worried