Prediction Changes vs Western Bulldogs R2 2021

[LittleGreekGod]

Seriously, get Ah Chee in there to Shaun Grigg it. He's very strong for his size, has a great vertical leap and is agile. Darling rucks when the ball is up forward, Gov does it in defence and Ah Chee does it around the ground when nicnat is off. Gets him right in the thick of the action and will offer more than Vardy and stops us from going too tall.

Also still allows us to experiment with the Allen/Waterman forward to back thing when barrass or mcgovern need a stint.

Shaun Grigg was a master of third man up. Same rules don’t apply now.

 

[Ishmael_]

Shaun Grigg was a master of third man up. Same rules don’t apply now.

Having some distance now, it's pretty bizarre the 3rd man up was allowed to be exploited for as long as it was.

Two ruckman battle away to hit the ball (literally their job) and then some little ****er just jumps in and steals it and we were all like, ya that's fine.

 

[Cuzz09]

That happens many times in every game.

but doesnt get called by commentators

 

[Cuzz09]

Havig said that, the reaction by the boys to Vardy's goal shows he must be a very popular part of the group, and hopefully that does wonders to his self-confidence etc.

this! He could explode. He loves playing the doggies. Remember that game that time

 

[Pulsedriver]

Someone else suggested we use Kennedy in the Ruck. If him going around one more time is the problem, then why not make him part of the solution? He doesn't have a long career ahead of him for us to worry about long term injuries.

Another idea is to throw Gov in there. It seems like teams have completly nullified his intercept marking, with Barrass picking up the slack. Putting him in the ruck for 30% of the game could mix things up a bit.

I'm not a fan of the Gov into the ruck idea. As soon as it happens, the word goes out to sink as many knees into him as possible in order to slow him down and kill his effectiveness. A red rag to a bull comes to mind.

 

[shooshka]

In terms of importance in coming years Oscar is well ahead of an ageing JK. If someone needs to pinch hit in the ruck, if we don’t go with Vardy for team balance, it should be Kennedy.

He’s 196cm and 100kg and has done some stints in the ruck (albeit about 15 years ago at the Blues). Size wise he’s more of a ruck shape than Darling at 191cm/95kg. Given it is likely JK’s last season he also has a greater degree of expendibility than Darling (29yo), Gov (29) and most certainly Allen (22).

The concern many seem to have is our second ruck getting smashed in the middle.

I know it is only 1 game (and was relatively low on goals compared to other games) but Vardy attended 4 x centre bounces. (Nic attended 20).

Vardy is offering very little around the ground, so an extra link-up player seems a no-brainer if all we lose is 4 x centre bounces (players can use their body more around-the-ground at stoppages from ball-ups and throw ins, so the likliehood of a knee to the ribs etc is lowered).

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

The irony in all this Vardy to be dropped talk is that Tom Hickey played extremely well on the weekend in Sydney's win

Mate. Hickey was on 4x the salary Vardy would be on. What do people expect?

There is a reason we rarely if ever lose out on people to salary cap squeezes and thats because we dont pay any more then needed for a 3rd string ruck

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

The concern many seem to have is our second ruck getting smashed in the middle.

I know it is only 1 game (and was relatively low on goals compared to other games) but Vardy attended 4 x centre bounces. (Nic attended 20).

Vardy is offering very little around the ground, so an extra link-up player seems a no-brainer if all we lose is 4 x centre bounces (players can use their body more around-the-ground at stoppages from ball-ups and throw ins, so the likliehood of a knee to the ribs etc is lowered).

In all honesty this is because the slow tempo of the game. NicNat had a ton of rest while Gold Coast played sideway chippies. He wont get the same luxury on Sunday against two great runners like Martin and English

 

[shooshka]

In all honesty this is because the slow tempo of the game. NicNat had a ton of rest while Gold Coast played sideway chippies. He wont get the same luxury on Sunday against two great runners like Martin and English

Yep absolutely.

But... (and I don't know the stats on this) if most of our goals come when Nic is on the ground - and we are essentially defending when he is not, then wouldn't an extra runner to stop an English/Martin be better than Vardy?

My concern is that English gets much more space around the ground on Saturday as neither Nic nor Vardy will be able to go with him (noting that Martin does ruck most of the game currently).

 

[Avalor]

The thing I would like to see is Brander run with the Bont. He is in good touch, apparently, so would be a perfect match up athletically and height-wise, plus he would learn so much. And so would we. It solve our conundrum.

 

[NSLK]

Any other Vic Platinums unable to buy tickets? The membership numbers I was sent yesterday I’m told do not have any platinum entitlements. On hold.

 

[Hangover Noir]

It's not Nic. We have played two rucks since forever, including 2018. We played two rucks when Nic was playing (with Lycett) and when he wasn't (Lycett/Vardy and Vardy/Hickey).

Richmond played 2 rucks in 2019 finals series and throughout 2020 whenever both Nankervis and Soldo were available.

Playing 2 rucks is really normal. Playing 2 rucks and 3 KPF isn't. And the fear, is that it can be exploited, either by wet conditions, or by an opposition who run us off our feet and exploit our ground ball game.

The "problem", if you want to call it that, is actually JK.

JK is still a great player, but giving diminishing returns. He is playing well enough to warrant a playing contract for 2021 and to be picked, but then what does that mean for Oscar?

It's that same issue that has resulted in the constant positional changes for Brander, and has been an issue for the club since round 1 debacle in Brisbane in 2019.

Once JK decides he is ready to hang up the boots, the backlog of talls trying to squeeze in will ease. Hopefully we still have Brander on our list when that happens, but for now we are trying to fit 5 talls in to position normally occupied by 3 or 4 at the most, and doing so in an era of reduced rotations and longer quarters.

kinda like the Dean Cox “problem”. Champion of the game in his final year, but needing to get games into Lycett such that we’d play 3 rucks and stuff up our structure.

 

[FreeTK]

kinda like the Dean Cox “problem”. Champion of the game in his final year, but needing to get games into Lycett such that we’d play 3 rucks and stuff up our structure.

Absolutely the same.

But imagine that scenario and having a 4th player also impacted by the same thing (Brander).

What’s also different is we have all the different puzzle pieces to have a real tilt at the flag, but our structure is at risk of bowing out in an important game.

Back in 2014 it was Simmo’s first year and we were just looking for a fair bit of improvement.

 

[The wily weagle]

The thing I would like to see is Brander run with the Bont.

In theory, in terms of how they match up physically, its not a bad idea

In actuality, Bont would feast on such a match up, rack up 30+ touches and take us to the cleaners

 

[Campaigner for good]

I think that some of the Petch dissing is a little harsh.

We were behind at 3/4 time so for him to spark up in the 4th is actually good as he contributed to the winning effort. At least the effort didn't come in junk time during a big win.

Having said that, I would drop him for Jones this week.

 

[Double the Fist]

I'd drop Vardy and keep Petch. Just tell him he's on thin ice.
Dogs are fast and small. We are going to get pantsed.
I'd be looking to get Jones into a mid rotation against the dogs. We need zip, and a shite tonne of it.

Vardy, JK (rest) saves him travelling
Jones, Brander (wing)
Shuey for Redden if he's FULLY, and I mean FULLY fit.

 

[SloppyJoe]

Out: Petrol
In: Jones

Alternatively: no changes

Sick of all this Brander talk. People complain about him being messed around by the club and then suggest that we throw him in the ruck? Or send him head to head with Bont? Craziness.

The fact is, in the handful of times he has played forward he hasn't taken his opportunities like Oscar or Waterman. We've tried him elsewhere just to give him games and that hasn't worked either. He just needs to bide his time in the WAFL and wait for an opportunity up forward. It sucks cos he has talent and we may eventually lose him, but it wouldn't be the first time a player down the pecking order has walked.

 

[Double the Fist]

Out: Petrol
In: Jones

Alternatively: no changes

Sick of all this Brander talk. People complain about him being messed around by the club and then suggest that we throw him in the ruck? Or send him head to head with Bont? Craziness.

The fact is, in the handful of times he has played forward he hasn't taken his opportunities like Oscar or Waterman. We've tried him elsewhere just to give him games and that hasn't worked either. He just needs to bide his time in the WAFL and wait for an opportunity up forward. It sucks cos he has talent and we may eventually lose him, but it wouldn't be the first time a player down the pecking order has walked.

Thought Brander did ok down back/wing last year? Showed something, but I didn't see a huge amount of games.

 

[SloppyJoe]

Thought Brander did ok down back/wing last year? Showed something, but I didn't see a huge amount of games.

He had a couple of decent games on the wing - his best was clearly againt GWS. But on our return to the hub he had a mare against Richmond, got dropped, came back against the Saints 3 weeks later when it was all hands on deck, didn't do much better and got dropped again.

 

[Feeling Groovy]

I think that some of the Petch dissing is a little harsh.

We were behind at 3/4 time so for him to spark up in the 4th is actually good as he contributed to the winning effort. At least the effort didn't come in junk time during a big win.

Having said that, I would drop him for Jones this week.

Sure. The good thing about both Petch and Vardy's performances is they didn't give up and they kept trying and contributed in the last to help us win the game. That said, their games before that were so average that I don't think it justifies them staying in the team (although the match committee may give them another game). I would certainly replace Petch with JJ as JJ applies so much more pressure. I would also replace Vardy with Edwards but don't see that actually happening (and in fairness, Edwards may not be up to it yet but I just don't see Vardy offering anything and we are too lumbering and slow if he is not contributing more).

 

[Cuzz09]

You could say Vardy and Petch lifted when the game was on the line.

 

[FreeTK]

Out: Petrol
In: Jones

Alternatively: no changes

Sick of all this Brander talk. People complain about him being messed around by the club and then suggest that we throw him in the ruck? Or send him head to head with Bont? Craziness.

The fact is, in the handful of times he has played forward he hasn't taken his opportunities like Oscar or Waterman. We've tried him elsewhere just to give him games and that hasn't worked either. He just needs to bide his time in the WAFL and wait for an opportunity up forward. It sucks cos he has talent and we may eventually lose him, but it wouldn't be the first time a player down the pecking order has walked.

The big issue re:Brander is he is surplus to needs right now.

He becomes a required player in 2022 with JK gone, Darling and McGovern turning 30 etc.

The club will continue to try him in any and every spot (except the ruck) in order to get games into him knowing that very soon there will be a spot waiting.

The issue the club has is balancing the now and the future.

He’s been inside mid the last two games in WAFL praccy and the wear gave him two best in ground performances.

I think the club knows Yeo is cooked for the year and are trying to create depth and trialling Brander as a big bodied mid.

Excerpt from his last game:

“Brander played as the Eagles WAFL team’s big-bodied midfielder and was a stand-out both in the clearances and around the ground in the searing 37C heat.

With coach Adam Simpson watching on from the stands, Brander was a class above the rest as he found space in congestion and was composed with the ball in hand.”

Brander’s next role revealed?

Jarrod Brander was drafted as a key position player and trialled as a wingman last year. On Saturday he played a new role for West Coast’s WAFL side.

thewest.com.au

Given Redden was pretty bad, the only way Brander comes in is if we drop Redden.

FWIW I’d be ok with no changes. Petch did some nice things late, and with Williams still a couple of weeks away, Vardy survives for at least another week.

 

[Avalor]

You could say Vardy and Petch lifted when the game was on the line.

Vardy could have had 2 goals, JD snatched the mark from his hands in the 4th. You would take that from a second ruck.

 

[FreeTK]

Vardy could have had 2 goals, JD snatched the mark from his hands in the 4th. You would take that from a second ruck.

You would absolutely take that if you had a 2nd ruck that could take grabs in the forward 50.

Problem is we have 3 other guys in B22 that do that better.

 

[Chris_6678]

Just wish we had Williams up and about. His output would be better than Vardys low disposal/Hitout output. We need to be getting as many games into his as possible before Nic Nat hangs the boots up.