Preview Collingwood v Bulldogs - Round 1, 2021 - Fri @7:50

[Whoyagot]

If our mids and rucks show up to play and work defensively I think we win this regardless of the questionable backline structure.

I actually like the 3 talls in Bruce, Naughton and English. If they work together properly there’ll always be one of them to make an aerial contest. Rewatching parts of the final last year we were often kicking the ball to a Roarke or a Richards who just got smashed in the air by Coffield. Not only that but I think VDM and McNeil will provide some great pressure once the ball hits the ground. Certainly more then what we’re used to.

My biggest forward line query is actually Wallis. He’s gonna be the 4th most targeted forward now. Can he apply enough pressure at ground level? West showed real acceleration and a great attack on the ball and the man. I’d honestly prefer him in our forward 50 to Wallis based off the small amount of match play I’ve seen. Hope Wal has a great game and proves me wrong though!

 

[Triple Baileys]

I thought Marra would get no 1. Whats he gonna wear?

He gets the Chinese lucky number, 8. The decision to go this way was deliberate and made with a view to promoting our team in Beijing over the next ten or so years. Question is there anything to stop Mara from being given 88 or 888 or even 8888 as his number?

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Doesn't matter how talented our list is when we have a match committee that are simply incapable of picking a team even close to resembling our best 22.

Past performance counts for nothing at the Bulldogs' selection table apparently.

We should be entering this game with an intimidatingly strong looking side, capable of striking fear into the competition, but apparently it is more important for Beveridge to show what an awesome spotter and developer of talent he is. So we have to keep selecting teams capable of winning games but without being a clearly stronger team on paper because if we did that then Luke might not get enough credit for the performance/victory.

On the bright side we still have enough talent in the side to give us a chance of winning.

Lets' hope the boys help Guru Bev add to his mystique, and that somehow circumstances conspire to force his hand to more reasonable selection outcomes as the season progresses.

 

[doggies ftw]

I made the comment during the Hawks practice game that I don't think JJ is best 22 anymore. I'm glad that the Match Committee seems to agree. It's funny how many of you seem to think that Bevo rules the club as some kind of dictator when in reality he is an employee of the club and he sits somewhere in the middle of the hierarchy. There has been a consensus among a committee that JJ needed to be dropped and so he has.

The reality is that JJ hasn't been the same player since 2016. Maybe that's due to complacency after winning a flag, a Norm Smith and a big long-term contract. I suspect it has a bit more to do with him being targeted like he was in 2017. We lost a few of our meaner type players after the flag and became vulnerable to being beaten up physically. We weren't able to give JJ the protection he needed and I think it has impacted him psychologically. That's all just speculation though.

What we do know is that he hasn't been at his best for a while. He's often criticised for playing bruise-free and uninspiring footy, which I think is fair. We'll learn a lot about JJ over the following weeks.

As has been mentioned, there's a lot more riding on selection decisions than the results of a single game. The guys who aren't first picked need to know that if they train hard and play well they'll get their chance. Presumably Scott and McNeil have done this. If you don't give those guys a chance and keep an underperformer like JJ in the side then you are creating a poor culture that perpetuates mediocrity.

We might lose to the Pies and it might be a direct result of playing those guys, although I think this is fairly unlikely. But I think that's a risk that's worth taking because in the grand scheme of things the culture you are trying to foster far outweighs the results of a single game.

JJs best and fairest finishes of 2nd, 7th & 4th in ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 show your memory of his performances since 2016 isn’t quite correct.

Probably not his best year last year but on grounds/conditions that didn’t suit him and being a new father away from his family it’s not that surprising. personally I’d be giving an experienced, quality performer of our team first crack to turn that around. Even more so now the game has been changed to suit him to a tee. And definitely over the bloke who apparently wasn’t good enough for a list spot until 20 days ago, and Dale who provides the same weaknesses but not the same strengths and had even worse form than him for the past year.

If JJ isn’t performing by round 3 or 4 by all means drop him.

 

[doggies ftw]

Perhaps that's why McNeill (who is apparently the quickest player on our list) was given so much opportunity in the pre-season and will now play?

Where’d you hear quickest on the list, exciting if true. I thought he looked like he definitely had a quick step but thought JJ/Richards and maybe a couple of others would still have him covered

 

[Mattdougie]

Hope Richards is the sub!!! So when Bevo sees how much of a stupid idea it was to have Dale at HB he gets a “corky” and Richards comes on and kills it and Bevo has egg on his face and stops being a d!ck when picking the team.

I would of picked Richards, Kamis or even Butler over Dale to play in the backline.

Or Zeph Skinner, or Jason Tutt, or Jarryd Grant or Kermit the frog

 

[Golden_6]

JJs best and fairest finishes of 2nd, 7th & 4th in ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 show your memory of his performances since 2016 isn’t quite correct.

Probably not his best year last year but on grounds/conditions that didn’t suit him and being a new father away from his family it’s not that surprising. personally I’d be giving an experienced, quality performer of our team first crack to turn that around. Even more so now the game has been changed to suit him to a tee. And definitely over the bloke who apparently wasn’t good enough for a list spotuntil 20 days ago, and Dale who provides the same weaknessesbut not the same strengths

JJ is a polarizing player given his mistakes stand out more than other players, and his questionable toughness often leaves a lot to be desired in the minds of supporters. He has definitely needed a kick up the ass at times but is easily in the best 22. I just cannot justify in my head how in Bevo's mind Dale is a better option in that role (even though he played okay last week). I just hope this doesn't severely backfire tonight.

 

[Mofra]

Where’d you hear quickest on the list, exciting if true. I thought he looked like he definitely had a quick step but thought JJ/Richards and maybe a couple of others would still have him covered

It was Jong for a while, although VDM is very quick too.
I just hope we're not going for all out pace at the expense of players who position themselves well. I do wonder who the first player out of the side would be if we had a fit Hannan to select. We targetted him last year so he must be best 22 when available.

 

[bresker]

Where’d you hear quickest on the list, exciting if true. I thought he looked like he definitely had a quick step but thought JJ/Richards and maybe a couple of others would still have him covered

 

[Golden_6]

It was Jong for a while, although VDM is very quick too.
I just hope we're not going for all out pace at the expense of players who position themselves well. I do wonder who the first player out of the side would be if we had a fit Hannan to select. We targetted him last year so he must be best 22 when available.

He's not best 22 for me at all, unless we were to drop one of our gun mids (who will be masquerading as half forwards). I guess it will be pretty rare if all of Bont, Macrae, Treloar, Dunks, Libba, Smith, Hunter & Lipinski will be available 100% of the time. If one of those guys are out then there may be room for him.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

That’s not how team structure works. If you take out Dale and Scott, then you need to bring in a defender for each.

I don’t agree with either in the team but you need to play 7 defenders, unless you decide to relocate a mid to half back where they have never played before. West isn’t a defender.

Neither are Dale or Scott

 

[doggies ftw]

JJ is a polarizing player given his mistakes stand out more than other players, and his questionable toughness often leaves a lot to be desired in the minds of supporters. He has definitely needed a kick up the ass at times but is easily in the best 22. I just cannot justify in my head how in Bevo's mind Dale is a better option in that role (even though he played okay last week). I just hope this doesn't severely backfire tonight.

Yeah there’s a big gap between his best and worst too which he needs to sort out, but agreed his mistakes just stand out more. I hope he’s the sub at least, gives him a bit of a kick up the ass. He doesn’t need the VFL as much as the others (let’s be honest what you see is what you get, he’s not getting any better) and he could have a huge impact late in the game.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Neither are Dale or Scott

Far more suited to the role than what West is.

West isn’t a defenders arseh*le.

Not even sure why some are arguing this point.

 

[adogsfan5]

Fastest team we’ve had for a long time. Mcneil, Dale, Treloar, Vandermeer, Smith, Williams.

 

[doggies ftw]

Far more suited to the role than what West is.

West isn’t a defenders a-hole.

Not even sure why some are arguing this point.

Not a single person has claimed him to be a defender ffs. But he was our best pressure forward during the preseason surely we could fit him in, not that we’re crying out for that position or anything

 

[ScragCity]

JJs best and fairest finishes of 2nd, 7th & 4th in ‘17, ‘18, ‘19 show your memory of his performances since 2016 isn’t quite correct.

Probably not his best year last year but on grounds/conditions that didn’t suit him and being a new father away from his family it’s not that surprising. personally I’d be giving an experienced, quality performer of our team first crack to turn that around. Even more so now the game has been changed to suit him to a tee. And definitely over the bloke who apparently wasn’t good enough for a list spot until 20 days ago, and Dale who provides the same weaknesses but not the same strengths and had even worse form than him for the past year.

If JJ isn’t performing by round 3 or 4 by all means drop him.

Fair point. I'm quite surprised by those B'n'F finishes which shows that my opinion of JJ carries a fair bit of recency bias.

 

[Merlins Revenge]

Fastest team we’ve had for a long time. Mcneil, Dale, Treloar, Vandermeer, Smith, Williams.

This, I like this.

 

[Dogsman16]

JJ needed a boot in the backside. I agree with that.

It's just that the timing is horrendous. No Crozier, No wood. These new rules suit him to an absolute tee.

If JJ needed a boot up the backside then Bruce did as well. But both should be playing and have been given a 3-4 week opportunity to cement there place.

Then you drop them if they aren't up to it.

JJ should be ahead of Scott. If this week was a grand final then it would be ludicrious to pick Scott over JJ.

 

[doggies ftw]

Fair point. I'm quite surprised by those B'n'F finishes which shows that my opinion of JJ carries a fair bit of recency bias.

Yeah I’ll admit I don’t remember them either until someone here posted that the other day. 1 vote off Bont in 2017 was very surprising to me especially. Look he always plays every game which helps his BnF finishes, I’m not claiming he’s in our top 10 players, not at all but I really don’t think he’s been as poor as many people claim here. I think he’s best 22 and a big part of the reason our transition from def to fwd has been such a strength of ours. I’m worried we neglected that strength last year into the finals and seem to be doing it again, even when it’s become more of a necessity.

he needs to step his game up again but I really don’t see how he doesn’t have enough runs on the board to be given the benefit of the doubt to turn it around in the seniors, considering no ones really banged the door down for his spot too.

It’s a massive head scratcher for mine, let’s hope it doesn’t backfire and Scott/Dale play really well. I was very happy with Dales game the other day, I’d like to see him replicate it at VFL level for a few weeks before trying it out in a must win game on the back stage though.

 

[Outback Footy]

He gets the Chinese lucky number, 8. The decision to go this way was deliberate and made with a view to promoting our team in Beijing over the next ten or so years. Question is there anything to stop Mara from being given 88 or 888 or even 8888 as his number?

Looks like Stef Martins got 8 ?

 

[Outback Footy]

Fastest team we’ve had for a long time. Mcneil, Dale, Treloar, Vandermeer, Smith, Williams.

Great. We start playing a team of sprinters just when the subs rule means we need endurance. in my experience its a bloody difficult thing to get both in 1 bloke.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Not a single person has claimed him to be a defender ffs. But he was our best pressure forward during the preseason surely we could fit him in, not that we’re crying out for that position or anything

They are however claiming he should be playing ahead of them. It only takes half a clue to realise for that to happen, he’d have to line up in defence. The reasoning behind that being ok for some is that Dale and Scott aren’t defenders either.

Some are so obsessed with being angry about team selections they make bizarre comments suggesting the above.

I 100% agree that west was good in thepre season hit outs as the high half fwd/mid role.
The reality though is that, that’s exactly what West is, he’s not a small fwd and doesn’t impact games as one.

He’s a kid that’s 7-8 in line in a team stacked with talented mids.

He’s a bit unlucky and needs to wait his turn. Either that or become a better player than what he is, which is what actually needs to happen. One things for sure though, he’s not the victim of supposed bad team selection!!

 

[Norm De Guerre]

It would seem that most have the shits about Scotts inclusion because of his inauspicious debut during the diabolical first scratch match against Melbourne. From this point on some on this board have had his papers stamped, even though he was much improved during his second outing. The obvious solution to fix this problem it would seem is to replace Scott with JJ in the side. However this ignores the lack of a defensive side to his game and the concerning tapering of his influence on games over recent times. Its a situation that saw him play so poorly in the first scratch match that he wasn't considered for the game against Melbourne.

Reputations should never override form during team selection.

 

[bobs head soup]

People in here befuddled by selections need to remember that the coaches and match committee have actually been to all the training sessions,scratch matches and understand the intricacies of each role in our game plan

Maybe some blokes have worked a bit harder and adapted to change better than others to be best 22 for this game at this point in time.

 

[Golden_6]

Not a single person has claimed him to be a defender ffs. But he was our best pressure forward during the preseason surely we could fit him in, not that we’re crying out for that position or anything

People have suggested he come in for Scott or Dale numerous times, which isn’t how it works. If West comes in then either VDM or McNeil misses out, or we don’t play one of our gun mids.

We need to have 7 defenders in the 22 and Scott & Dale are in that group, even if you don’t agree with their selections (I sure don’t), the reality is that’s where they will be positioned.