Preview GWS vs Sydney Swans Saturday 5th August @Giants Stadium 7:30pm - How to backpack your way to Inner Western Sydney

[The King!]

Why are we playing 3 away games in a row?

Imagine if that ever happened to the Pies. There would be a Royal Commission.

Imagine if they played 3 away games

 

[Day_night_honourer]

Probably the most important Derby game since the 2018 EF (the less said about that game, the better...).

Let us not forget the 2021 EF as well...actually, let's forget that.

Bloody Greene and his Oranges! .. let's whip 'em this week!! I can see the boys making a statement out of this for Bud too.

 

[Donza]

Weather looks fine.
early showers clearing under a SW airstream.
Mild.

 

[dosser]

Yellow ? Nuclear , or an aussie made Collins class dud

If you go by Collins you will be getting noise complaints from the neighbours.

 

[ShireSwan]

Going by his stats he is still working on his fitness. Played predominately as a forward

With three rucks in that team, it's a weird dynamic for any of them to push a case.

 

[ShireSwan]

Minimum change. Injuries assumed.
Hickey for Bud. McLean moves forward. Hick looked OK in the ressies.
Francis for Rampe. He looked fine in ressies.
That's all unless there's another injury.
I'd have Corey as the Sub for extra pace and penetration on the outside late. Replace Amartey and let Mills go in the middle.

Is Arnold fit? Seems a more mobile option in defense, and one with an eye to the future. We know what we have in Francis, a fairly slow, but strong KPD, handy on the punch and marking it. Arnold seems more of a like-for-like swap with Rampe in that he has more mobility to set up the play out of defense.

 

[Bloods86]

Francis, then Buller or Gould in for me. I still don't think Hickey's going to offer that much over McLean/Amartey at senior level.

Buller is a 3rd ruck option, adds to the forward line, can also go back if desperately needed.

Gould similar, without the rucking. Can barge around the forward line. If TMac or Francis are getting a bath on more mobile Giants, can switch.

Roberts could be sub, though given the ressies play first, we might want him to keep building fitness. He was better early in the VFL, you ideally want someone who could run out a game, even as sub. Clarke shouldn't be considered.

 

[Nuggetz]

Hickey and Francis in. Stephens sub. If Hickey is cooked or getting smashed in the ruck then it's an easy sub for Stephens.

I'd roll the dice with Hickey this week after his positive vfl performance. His potentially good performance will make a bigger impact in us winning compared to a Buller imo.

Francis is needed to match gws talls.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Hickey and Francis in. Stephens sub. If Hickey is cooked or getting smashed in the ruck then it's an easy sub for Stephens.

I'd roll the dice with Hickey this week after his positive vfl performance. His potentially good performance will make a bigger impact in us winning compared to a Buller imo.

Francis is needed to match gws talls.

Agree except I'd go Warner for sub. Runs just as hard but lowers his eyes.

 

[Bloods86]

Hickey and Francis in. Stephens sub. If Hickey is cooked or getting smashed in the ruck then it's an easy sub for Stephens.

I'd roll the dice with Hickey this week after his positive vfl performance. His potentially good performance will make a bigger impact in us winning compared to a Buller imo.

Francis is needed to match gws talls.

Hickey did well, with support, against a top up ruck who had little backup.

I think we'll bring him in, but I wouldn't.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Will be interesting to see if Sam Taylor

15

Sam Taylor

Age

25

Ht

198cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.1

4star

MG

130.5

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

2.5

1star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

60.8

1star

D

8.6

3star

K

3.0

1star

HB

5.6

4star

M

1.2

2star

T

2.8

5star

MG

110.8

2star

plays on McDonald or Amartey?

 

[Ticky009]

Will be interesting to see if Sam Taylor plays on McDonald or Amartey?

Going to miss Buddy taking away their best defender every game

 

[Callipygian]

Right now, if given the chance, I think I'd take a draw against the Giants and back us to beat Melbourne in the final round and for 13 wins to be enough to play finals. The Giants have a good record against us and I'm nervous. A draw means our superior percentage would put us in front of Saints and Bulldogs if we finish level on points, whereas our percentage against Geelong and Carlton is inferior (although Geelong's tough draw may well see their percentage slump).

 

[melbournehammer]

Will be a nice and well deserved reward for McLean to be able to play a bit more forward again this week. Been an absolute work horse this year. Will still pinch hit in the ruck presumably but won't have to run himself into the ground.

I wonder whether at AFL level absent the running into the ground whether there is a role for McLean. I just think he is too immobile to be a forward, too slow and too whatever the opposite of agile is.

But as a Mummy/Nankervis big who can run all day and run himself into the ground maybe there is a spot

 

[caesar88]

I wonder whether at AFL level absent the running into the ground whether there is a role for McLean. I just think he is too immobile to be a forward, too slow and too whatever the opposite of agile is.

But as a Mummy/Nankervis big who can run all day and run himself into the ground maybe there is a spot

So that keeps being said about McLean, and yet... in two weeks time he will play his 50th game, while this year he's more than doubled his next-best games played in any previous season. Horse has also spoken highly of him throughout the year.

There's obviously still finals to play out, but unless Carlton win the flag, it's looking increasingly likely that whoever wins the flag will win it without a dominant key forward. This a few years after Melbourne had the most dominant flag win without a dominant key forward.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts. McLean is someone who I think makes those around him better. With regards to his future role, I think there are three key benefits of having McLean in the team:

1. He stops intercept marks being taken by opposition defenders, which used to really kill us.
2. He brings the ball to ground, which brings our smalls into the game (countless ground level goals have come directly from this this year.)
3. His sheer size 20m out from goals means opposition defences simply can't afford to not give him respect.

The latter is particularly crucial because the biggest beneficiaries of this are McDonald, Amartey & Heeney, who all push higher up and out into space more.

All of the above don't count as stats at all, yet they're all pivotal to our forward line functioning.

At least the above is how I see it.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I'm going by submarine.

Any chance you'd be willing to offer Toby Greene a lift?

 

[Adnico26Parker]

McInerney out for at least three weeks - calf injury!

 

[melbournehammer]

McInerney out for at least three weeks - calf injury!

Wow. This season. You just start to get a few players together and then they all get injured again

 

[Punts]

Spewing about rampe and jmac

 

[caesar88]

Rampe would've been the perfect match-up for Greene.

(Although I feel like if the above was true why have I never seen them matched up and if they have why does Greene still kill us every time)

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Agree if he is fit for sure

Clarke needs a tagging job or doesn't play imo, not a good sub.

Stephens maybe gets a go at sub, but looks like he may be a high level VFL player

Contract talks off until the end of the year, the only reason we're not playing him is that we're choosing to reward players who are committed to the club. And whether or not Stephen's is the better player for the job, club culture needs to be considered. So I'm fine with that decision even though I definitely think he can do a good job for us while he's here.

Looks like the club have prioritised keeping Corey happy given he's likely to feature in our future plans (and he's Chad's brother).

 

[Kiama Chris]

McInerney out is a real blow although Rampe was expected.
Francis in looks the most likely but the McInerney replacement is less obvious. Corey, Stephens or Roberts? A month or so ago Stephens would be the obvious answer but maybe less so now. McInerney's ability to drop back as an extra in defence will be hard to replace.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

McInerney out for at least three weeks - calf injury!

Optus oval cooked the team

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Right now, if given the chance, I think I'd take a draw against the Giants and back us to beat Melbourne in the final round and for 13 wins to be enough to play finals. The Giants have a good record against us and I'm nervous. A draw means our superior percentage would put us in front of Saints and Bulldogs if we finish level on points, whereas our percentage against Geelong and Carlton is inferior (although Geelong's tough draw may well see their percentage slump).

Good points, but I guess our inaccuracy against Geelong may come back to haunt us. Funny how one skill in one game can have such huge ramifications. Noting we've had other chances throughout the season.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

Wow. This season. You just start to get a few players together and then they all get injured again

Almost feels as though the script has been written.

Could end up being the season that we just couldn't get on track due to injury.

It's been a very strange season, T.Mac, Reid and Buddy all lost to injury. A bunch of other injuries to talls / key players. Needing to peg back points we let slip early, but relying on a bunch of players who are banged up.

Gotta admit we're doing pretty well to still be in contention at this point given what's transpired thus far.