Preview Changes vs Saints May 4th 4:35 at Docklands [out: Stephens/Laz/WiPhi/Biggie / In: Sleevo/Pink/Arch/Shiels]

[Better Loosen Up]

No idea what the in's and out's are based on this and can't be bothered working it out. But this is how I would like to see us line up. Well, maybe not "like" so much as in a perfect world, Corr wouldn't be there.

All I do know is that Simpkin and McDonald should both be dropped for their performances on the weekend which would be the first act of leadership they will have shown all season.

Corr is gone when Dawson is ready and Pink makes way for Logue.

FB	Archer	Comben	Corr
HB	Bergman	Pink	Hardeman
C	McKercher	Wardlaw	Scott
HF	Duursma	Ford	Fisher
FF	Curtis	Larkey	Zurhaar
FOL	Xerri	LDU	Sheezel
INT	Powell	Lazzaro	Drury	Greenwood
SUB	Tucker

 

[hellas_johnny]

Would like to see Clarko acknowledge what's not working. I think Stephens and Fisher can offer something with a differently structured side but currently their selection is having too many negative flow-on effects and throwing the balance out of whack.

My 2 cents:

Out: Stephens, Phillips, Fisher, LMac
In: Bergman, Archer, Ford, Taylor(sub)

• Shift Bailey back up to the wing primarily
• Bergman slots in to HB
• Powell back into the mid rotations
• Sheezel & McKercher to rotate between HB and mid but should only be max 2 of Sheez/Kerch/Hardeman in the back 6 at any given time.
• Ford HF but can rotate Tuckers wing

Backline rotations: Comben, Biggie, Corr, Archer, Bergman, Hardeman/Sheez/McKercher/Tucker

Wing rotations: Tucker/Ford, Scott/McKercher

Primary CB rotation: LDU, Wardlaw, Powell/Lazz
Secondary CB rotation: Jy, Sheezel, PC/Zurhaar

Forward rotations: Larkey, Duursma, Drury, Ford/Jy/PC/Zurhaar/Lazz/Powell

FB: Comben - Corr - Archer
HB: McKercher - Bergman - Sheezel
C: Tucker - LDU - Scott
HF: Ford - Duursma - Lazzaro
FF: Curtis - Larkey - Zurhaar
FOL: Xerri - Wardlaw - Powell

IC: Nyuon - Drury - Simpkin - Hardeman - Taylor(sub)​

Wouldn't say this is my ideal side but feels more balanced to me.

Not bad however still neglects the fact we don't have a 2nd tall arking option up forward. Can't just be larkey. They have to bring maley in if not just to give him a run and see how he goes

 

[justroyal]

I don’t think the Drury experiment has to keep going at this point. We don’t have the luxury of having a good enough team that can cover slower players who can’t cover ground quickly or create a contest.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

I don’t think the Drury experiment has to keep going at this point. We don’t have the luxury of having a good enough team that can cover slower players who can’t cover ground quickly or create a contest.

I don't really rate him either to be honest but at least he tries. Unlike our two captains where if you described them as going through the motions, that would be lenient.

At this stage for me, it's all about effort.

 

[justroyal]

I don't really rate him either to be honest but at least he tries. Unlike out two captains where if you described them as going through the motions, that would be lenient.

At this stage for me, it's all about effort.

Oh mate. In my head they were gone before Drury, don’t worry. At this point it’s whoever can tackle the hardest and run a fast 100m deserves a spot

 

[DrZaius]

Not bad however still neglects the fact we don't have a 2nd tall arking option up forward. Can't just be larkey. They have to bring maley in if not just to give him a run and see how he goes

Yeah I agree we have one too many mid sized fwds but don't think he is quite ready yet, and IMO our lack of a balanced back 6 is a slightly more pressing right concern right now.

Once we start matching our i50 count with our opponents that's when we another marking target becomes priority numero uno.

 

[Horizons_00]

Yeah I don’t disagree, I don’t expect us to roll out these changes this week either unfortunately. Until we do, expect same result every week.

Agreed

Sad times we live in

 

[the_cleaner]

this could be the most boring game of all time! glad i’m skipping this one.

 

[fusion]

The cupboard is bare in the reserves. We have no good 100+ game players to support the younger players. And the younger players only know failure. FFS, Bailey Scott

8

Bailey Scott

Age

24

Ht

186cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

1.5

3star

MG

155.6

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

114.8

2star

D

11.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.2

3star

MG

171.6

3star

has an 11% win rate which in one of the articles says it's the worst in decades for a player 50+ games.

This team doesn't know how to win, as they never have.

What we need to do is concentrate on some basics, like defensive pressure. If we don't have the ball, at least we can tackle.

I'd kill for a player like Libba who is hard at it, and racks up tackles at will. We need to bring in some experience, even if it is for players that only hang around for 2 years. Like a Luke Hodge to Brisbane scenario.

He's probably shot, but if Pendlebury wanted 12 months and then a coaching role, I'd consider it. I know we brought Shiels in for a similar role, why don't we just play him?

 

[shinboner spiggs]

It’s going to be amazing to see how we can allow St Kilda, one of the stodgiest sides in recent memory, to kick 100+ points. We’re out here setting season records that won’t be broken. Hammer Caminiti to kick 4 and Cooper Sharman to bring in some of his EFL form for 20 and 3.

 

[Gasometer]

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

I suggest you watch the game a lot closer.

Simpkin always jogging well behind when the Crows take possession. For a Captain of the club to be phoning in his effort like that, I couldn’t give a * if he left.

You are a leader of the club and meant to be setting the standard and the example and you jog half arsed when the ball is in transition.

Strip him of the captaincy. He’s not a leader, he’s the opposite. He’s a poor example to his teammates.

Let’s be honest he has cracked the sads at not being in that midfield more permanently and is sooking it up. If he doesn’t like it he can * off.

McDonald’s s**t, but at least he isn’t waiving the white flag like this sook

Ive had a gutfull of guys who pretend to be leaders.

He is woefully out of touch. It might have more to do with his brain being like minced meat after many concussions.

Completely under/over done whatever way you want to put it. He shouldn’t be playing 1s.

But to be clear, I’m fairly certain it isn’t effort.

 

[King Corey]

Load on LDU this week. It's his audition game for the 2026 season.

 

[giantroo]

 

[giantroo]

 

[tazaa]

He would have kicked 4. Could be the difference between hitting his goals bonus at years end or not.
Shame

 

[shinboner magic]

Corr

 

[buttsauce]

Try Duursma on a wing. Get him involved more.

 

[giantroo]

 

[muttley45]

I know Ross Lyin was unhappy with the 25 to 10 free kick count after seeing his presser, so i expect the AFL to schedule some combination or maybe all 3 of Leigh Fisher

Leigh Fisher

Age

40

Ht

188cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.7

4star

K

7.5

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

1.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.4

4star

K

8.2

4star

HB

5.2

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.4

4star

, #13 Nicholas Brown, and that Toner campaigner to officiate our game.

 

[shintemaster]

It seems pretty obvious from where we are sitting that the footy dept know where there are issues and are looking to resolve them ASAP. I thought at the start of the year given our young team we'd be annoyed come round 1 with the best 23 and by postscript round or whatever the AFL decide to call it at the end of the year we wouldn't recognise half the team...

 

[The Law]

Not sure the club have it in them to drop one of our skippers to make a statement.

'In the mix' this week mentions 'Jy Simpkin

12

Jy Simpkin

Age

26

Ht

183cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.0

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

8.1

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

5star

CL

2.9

4star

D

20.6

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

9.6

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.5

4star

CL

5.5

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.2

2star

(quad)' - that's the best we'd get to be honest. A private chat to Jy or Lmac saying "have a week off so get rid of any niggles and then come back and give 100% the following week". Knowing the club they'd prefer that because it keeps the media vultures at bay. I'm not sure it has the same impact to be honest. I'd prefer the blow torch to be on both them. Especially LMac

Interesting with Webster available from his suspension...

If he plays it'd be a bad look sitting Simpkin out. Any other week I'd drop both. The players should be fired up and reminding Webster that they haven't forgotten the hit.

 

[King Corey]

I don't care either way but this stands true to there only being about 4 clubs the league and AFL media don't mind stuffing around:

North
Freo
Crows
Saints
Dees (slightly less so)

Every one else enjoys pretty much full freedom to commit whatever atrocities they like.

 

[JGreezy]

That's great if we are moving towards playing actual defenders in defense.

 

[shintemaster]

That's great if we are moving towards playing actual defenders in defense.

Even if he can't create run or is not a long term solution I'd prefer this given a chance and let others build around a more defensive mindset. We need a similar player in the midfield and up forwards to be honest.