Changes Vs Scum

[The Other Dean]

You can add two clangers to that list as well. He had three effective possessions for four quarters of football. Unless he's destroying Jimmy Bartel or Chris Judd (not Gilbee) he needs to do better than that.

If Ed is lucky enough to play next week against the Blues he needs a massive improvement on yesterdays effort. Otherwise with the players we have coming back in Ed won't be playing finals.

How you personally rate Gilbee is of little concern. The number of forward thrusts set up and channelled through Gilbee is common knowledge to anyone who has watched the Doggies play for longer than 5 minutes. Ed cut a heap of that off yesterday, derailing the Doggies natural set-ups, and stifling a huge amount of their run - one of the Dogs most potent weapons. He was the proverbial 'spanner in the works'. I'd say that makes for a pretty worthwhile contribution.

 

[RoyalBlue]

If we somehow dropped Hansen and retained Watt I'd be annoyed.

 

[Z_K]

Yeah, he messes up sometimes under pressure but he needs to keep learning in the big league. Can't drop him now when his team mates are finally kicking it to him. Needs to get a bit smarter about where he leads, he'll often present early and get missed then will continue on into a useless position. Probably better served doubling back and using his aerobic capacity to hurt his man.

Yes. You are perceptive and quite knowledgable for a female American soap star.

He does lead too early to receive the footy down the line, and often ends up too close to the bloke with the ball meaning he isn't a viable option. But christ he can run. He just burns opponents. I like him playing on resting ruckman, too. I watched Minson try to follow him yesterday and it was comedic. The big lump of excrement was stuffed after 3 minutes.

He is going well and won't be dropped. No chance.

 

[Z_K]

Lower worked his arse off yesterday.

Gilbee is the cheapest, most annoying footballer in the comp. His game is basically running past blokes who win the football and running like a whippet to receieve it. He does this 100 times a game. Ed walked up to him before the bounce and tried to bust his ribs and won me over then and there. He is a mongrel. He blocked his space all game and played a very intelligent game when we had the footy. Should have kicked 3 or 4 and I was annoyed for him when he sprayed them late. His effort deserved a good arse kicking as confirmed by 3 goals.

He played well.

 

[Crazy Horse]

How you personally rate Gilbee is of little concern. The number of forward thrusts set up and channelled through Gilbee is common knowledge to anyone who has watched the Doggies play for longer than 5 minutes. Ed cut a heap of that off yesterday, derailing the Doggies natural set-ups, and stifling a huge amount of their run - one of the Dogs most potent weapons. He was the proverbial 'spanner in the works'. I'd say that makes for a pretty worthwhile contribution.

Like I said, off the ball he was good and pretty much always is. If he plays next week though he'll need to do a lot better with the ball than have 3 effective possessions for the match.

Otherwise it will be hard to justify keeping him in ahead of Ross, Riggio and Swallow in the next 3 weeks IMO.

 

[Z_K]

Like I said, off the ball he was good and pretty much always is. If he plays next week though he'll need to do a lot better with the ball than have 3 effective possessions for the match.

Otherwise it will be hard to justify keeping him in ahead of Ross, Riggio and Swallow in the next 3 weeks IMO.

He can't be expected to play a midfielders game whilst tagging from a forward pocket. If he had 80 minutes in the middle I'd expect more posession, but Ed has never, ever been given an extended run in the middle and a licence to hunt the footy. Not once.

He had a job to do and he did it well.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Lower worked his arse off yesterday.

Gilbee is the cheapest, most annoying footballer in the comp. His game is basically running past blokes who win the football and running like a whippet to receieve it. He does this 100 times a game. Ed walked up to him before the bounce and tried to bust his ribs and won me over then and there. He is a mongrel. He blocked his space all game and played a very intelligent game when we had the footy. Should have kicked 3 or 4 and I was annoyed for him when he sprayed them late. His effort deserved a good arse kicking as confirmed by 3 goals.

He played well.

Excellent report. You're right, a couple of goals to Ed would've made for a brilliant game. It is good to have a bit of mongrel in the side. Hopefully if he plays next week he'll have a little more polish than yesterday and really put the Blues to the sword.

 

[micky b]

surely watt must have run out of chances!get rid of him &play scotty thompson instead.

 

[Crazy Horse]

He can't be expected to play a midfielders game whilst tagging from a forward pocket. If he had 80 minutes in the middle I'd expect more posession, but Ed has never, ever been given an extended run in the middle and a licence to hunt the footy. Not once.

He had a job to do and he did it well.

Sorry, it's not his total possessions that worry me. He had eight which while not great is OK considering his role. It's just that most of them weren't very good and it's an area where I think he needs to lift.

 

[RoyalBlue]

Otherwise it will be hard to justify keeping him in ahead of Ross, Riggio and Swallow in the next 3 weeks IMO.

I like Ross. I rated him after the Melbourne game when others on here, supposedly sharp posters were erecting a screen around him on the wing and having him put down. And he showed why he's a Laidley Favourite (tm) when he came back in.

But he's returning from injury, will need match fitness, and I can't see him pushing Lower out before the finals.

Riggio's hard up for a game, and I think will need some sort of Sam Power Bob Pratt Truck Accident type miracle to get back in this season.

Swallow's miles away, was at the start of the year, is more so now. His inclusion would be charity. Offers loads and is a must retain for mine, but Swallow's not doing anything that leads me to think Ed is an out for Swallow.

We're looking at a settled side. Lower out for Simpson would barely sit well for me, he'd be stiff.

 

[The Other Dean]

You're right, a couple of goals to Ed would've made for a brilliant game.

Gee, I wish I had have said that.

(Insert eye-roll thingies.)

 

[Crazy Horse]

You're right, a couple of goals to Ed would've made for a brilliant game.

Gee, I wish I had have said that.

(Insert eye-roll thingies.)

Well, brilliant might have been going a bit far but a couple of goals on top of his defensive effort would have made his game fairly good. 8 disposals, 2 clangers and 2 behinds is not so good though IMO.

 

[Giggy]

anyone know if pratt was injured? saw him come off late in the last...hopefully he is ok!

 

[Caracas]

The way our guys are going right now I reckon I'd be happy with any of about 27 players running out this weekend. However, if pushed:-

In: Hamish (if deemed fit enough), Simpson
Out: Watt, Lower

Hopefully, the inclusion of Hamish doesn't cramp Hale's game. Hale has really stepped up since H went down.

 

[hellas_johnny]

Out: S.Watt, E.Lower
In: H.Macintosh, A.Simpson

Line up:

FB: 30.Pratt 38.Gibson 39.Harding
CHB: 14.Urquart 26.Hansen 11.Firrito
C: 8.Wells 7.Simpson 3.Rawlings
R: 20.Petre 4.Harris 29.Harvey
CHF: 21.Jones 31.Hale 33.Campbell
FF: 6.Grant 23.Thompson 12.Thomas
Int: 1.Macintosh 9.Sinclair 5.Power 42.Mcmahon
Emg: 2.Lower 36.Watt 17.Grima​

 

[ReturnOfTheKing]

Out: S.Watt, E.Lower
In: H.Macintosh, A.Simpson

Line up:

FB: 30.Pratt 38.Gibson 39.Harding
CHB: 14.Urquart 26.Hansen 11.Firrito
C: 8.Wells 7.Simpson 3.Rawlings
R: 20.Petre 4.Harris 29.Harvey
CHF: 21.Jones 31.Hale 33.Campbell
FF: 6.Grant 23.Thompson 12.Thomas
Int: 1.Macintosh 9.Sinclair 5.Power 42.Mcmahon
Emg: 2.Lower 36.Watt 17.Grima​

Spot on.

Unlucky is mr Ed but so are Grima, Riggio, Goldy and Watt.

 

[year of the roo]

How you personally rate Gilbee is of little concern. The number of forward thrusts set up and channelled through Gilbee is common knowledge to anyone who has watched the Doggies play for longer than 5 minutes. Ed cut a heap of that off yesterday, derailing the Doggies natural set-ups, and stifling a huge amount of their run - one of the Dogs most potent weapons. He was the proverbial 'spanner in the works'. I'd say that makes for a pretty worthwhile contribution.

Pretty easy to say so and so shouldn't be dropped. Truth of the matter is that the bloke who wears #7 is probably in our best 22 at the moment, so who goes out for him?

 

[The Zebra]

Pretty easy to say so and so shouldn't be dropped. Truth of the matter is that the bloke who wears #7 is probably in our best 22 at the moment, so who goes out for him?

 

[RoyalBlue]

Personal collection?

 

[The Zebra]

Personal collection?

I took it just after he had signed my chest at a player cocktail night.

 

[spurs]

If we somehow dropped Hansen and retained Watt I'd be annoyed.

Thats one way for me to get to Melbourne.......just to have a friendly chat to Laids of course............with me wrapped with explosives.

 

[spurs]

Spot on.

Unlucky is mr Ed but so are Grima, Riggio, Goldy.

edited for accuracy.

 

[year of the roo]

Why him and not Lower? Watt kept Welsh as quiet as Lower kept Gilbee. Watt made one telling error, Lower made 3 (2 missed sitters and an on the full) failing to add much needed scoreboard pressure as the Doggies were pressing.

Watt > Lower.

 

[Kangalicious]

anyone know if pratt was injured? saw him come off late in the last...hopefully he is ok!

Carrying a seriously dodgy shoulder. One bad knock away from a reco. But has been playing for weeks like that.

Let's face it, whoever misses for Simmo and McIntosh will be bloody unlucky. But hard to argue against either of them being included.

I think probably Thommo out (with the ankle) for McIntosh, and either Sinclair or Lower for Simmo. Liked both games - but would much prefer to have Simmo in than either of them.

 

[The Zebra]

Why him and not Lower? Watt kept Welsh as quiet as Lower kept Gilbee. Watt made one telling error, Lower made 3 (2 missed sitters and an on the full) failing to add much needed scoreboard pressure as the Doggies were pressing.

Watt > Lower.

I reckon you have to take Watt's performance last week in conjunction with this week. He was horrible last week, and while he did a good job stopping Welsh I don't know if it enough to save him. He offers nothing going the other way.

Lower stopped a very dangerous Dogs rebounder and while he missed the shots on goal, the fact that he got himself three in his first game back in the seniors has to be a good thing not a bad thing. Plus he is 21 and a part of our future. Most people flame Laidley for bringing a young guy back and then dropping them when they don't perform - Ed did perform.

The thing is Lower's favour is that he can do the same kind of job on one of the rebounding Blues players (they had plenty last week) or move into the middle or back.

They thing is Watt's favour is it gives us more tall defenders which allows us to release Spud up the ground (although I think that can still happen without Watty)

I don't think either call will win or lose us the game, but Watt is not consistently at a high enough level to demand a spot, Ed did a good job and is potentially a bigger part of our future so I would go Ed