Preview OFFICIAL PREVIEW AFL ROUND 17 - Brisbane Lions v Essendon Sunday July 10th 1.20pm @ the GABBA

[LIONS08]

My issue is with the compulsory testing when asymptomatic, only test if you have symptoms. My 11 year old granddaughter has had Covid twice, once while unvaccinated and once after her first jab, both very similar mild cold like symptoms, still waiting for her 2nd jab as they recommend you wait a while after having it. Thank heavens she is her normal jovial self and doesn't seem to have any lasting side affects.

I always like to extrapolate these issues out to the same situation in Grand Final week, if it happens then and say McCluggage, Neale, Andrews and Cameron do their AFL mandated test despite feeling fine and test positive to Covid but all have no symptoms and are feeling completely normal are we all happy with them missing the Grand Final in that circumstance?

Anyway sorry for clogging up the game day thread with Covid talk, I will leave it there.

Yeah it’s so tough with the asymptomatic testing… I think the only issue is if they pass it onto 6 other players who do show symptoms. I think it is purely just to limit the damage. Glad your granddaughter is fine. My nephew who was just over 1 was smashed by it. Still has a wheeze 5 months later. It’s crazy how it is different for all!

I completely understand what you are saying! You would think that hopefully most players might go into their shell around finals time to prevent any chance of covid having an impact.

 

[Ceebee]

McStay being undersold as usual.

Seems like there are still plenty here that don't get the importance of structure to a football team.

Sure, he didn't have a good game last week but that happens.

There are a lot of disruptions to both personnel and structure this week. Both Berry and Coleman have been in fantastic form and are are huge losses. Coleman's silk and Berry's gut running will be sorely missed. Prior played an important role against the Dogs and he's out too.

Much as we would like to think that Essendon will still be easy pickings, seven (7!) changes to a team in one week can't do a lot for team cohesion.

I guess we'll find out whether there really is a "system" that we play that can stand up to so many personnel changes.

I'll be happy with a guts effort and a narrow win.

I just can't see this "thrashing" that's supposedly going to happen

Hopefully no more fall to covid before Sunday .Would make it very tough .

 

[On the quiet]

I’d say Matho comes in for Berry at the midfield rotations. Also think this is not the week to debut a player!

Debuting Tunstill at the G against Melbourne I think it is a real possibility that Michael debuts at the GABBA. I just hope there are no more COVID issues causing anymore withdrawals. With coaches and 3 players already out with it, possibility more could come down with it.

Essendon will be a challenge and were well in front in the first Q when we played them earlier in the year. We must start well.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Two points to make. The first is our vaunted injury management is regressing to the mean.

And there was a two year period when Fitzroy always won when Garry Wilson was injured. We would tag hard with Clayton, Harris and Hinchen and get run from Sera and the defenders to fill the breach, that is we adapted to how we had available. I assume the coaches have discussed scenarios where players are missing but with seven gone we will now see two things

1. How good is our depth
2. How good is the coaching staff under pressure

We still should win at home is my take

Because we have 5 injuries?

 

[mebevan]

Covid is absolutely rampant at the moment. And its by all probabilities the BA4 and BA5 strains which in most cases lead to some symptoms or disease presentation not asymptomatic. The vaccines are not protecting from breakthrough on these variants. I went to lunch in paddington 2 weeks ago and all 8 people at the table got it at the same time everyone copped a fair whack in terms of illness as well. If clug and Lachie go down we will be in a pickle.

 

[Gadzorks]

My issue is with the compulsory testing when asymptomatic, only test if you have symptoms. My 11 year old granddaughter has had Covid twice, once while unvaccinated and once after her first jab, both very similar mild cold like symptoms, still waiting for her 2nd jab as they recommend you wait a while after having it. Thank heavens she is her normal jovial self and doesn't seem to have any lasting side affects.

I always like to extrapolate these issues out to the same situation in Grand Final week, if it happens then and say McCluggage, Neale, Andrews and Cameron do their AFL mandated test despite feeling fine and test positive to Covid but all have no symptoms and are feeling completely normal are we all happy with them missing the Grand Final in that circumstance?

Anyway sorry for clogging up the game day thread with Covid talk, I will leave it there.

Lol the game thread could well be totally devoted to covid by Sunday.

People are contagious before symptoms, and from our family experience, before they test positive. So testing players and isolating them from a positive test isn't necessarily going to save the rest from getting it.

 

[Gadzorks]

Because we have 5 injuries?

I wonder if the extended cold snap has contributed to injury.

Hodge said coming to the warm weather extended playing cause it reduced soft tissue problems.

Going to cold for a few days to play is very different to doing all you sessions in the cold.

And the dialogue that players are soft if they try long sleeves means they have probably been training in shorts and tshirts. I'd put them in a tracksuit to start, and they peel off when they get warm, then cover up quickly.

 

[Squizz89]

Harris out too.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Harris out too.

Wow. Payne to Wright, Adams to Jones and Lester to play third tall?

 

[Nathan Barley]

Will be interesting to see who captains. Fair chunk of the leadership group missing

 

[StevoJenkins]

Harris out too.

Do we have a backman we can play in a Harris role, outside of forwards like Fullerton?

 

[Squizz89]

Will be interesting to see who captains. Fair chunk of the leadership group missing

Neale maybe? Who knows he could be missing by then too though at this rate

 

[KissKiss]

Yeah ok thats starting to tip over the edge of too many players out in a week. Think we will go down this week sadly.

 

[25 years on]

I see us winning well, play the attacking game we will be fine. Play defensive and we will be in trouble

 

[Harris Specter]

Nothing to lose really, the reserves players will give it their best shot. We are definitely losing a lot of onfield leadership and class.

 

[CarterS]

Certain things out of our control.

Grateful it has happened this week when we are home against a bottom 8 side and we are still a chance of winning.

With the wave the way it is I have no doubt it will hit other teams at more crucial times than it has hit us.

If you focus on who is in instead of out then there is still plenty of quality.

 

[Tom14]

Yuck. But haven't lost any inside mids or forwards yet - so should be able to kick a winning score. But gee that's an inexperienced backline that hasn't played together much out there.

 

[FFB1]

Interesting how COVID affects different folk. After avoiding it for 1,000+ days in Melbourne I tested positive in Fiji of all places, and was subsequently isolated away from my family (Mrs, kids and my parents). We’d spent the previous week in very close contact, as you do on holidays. None of them got it off me. My symptoms were mild (minor sore throat, bit of a dry cough), which were gone within a few days (warm and humid weather maybe helped). Still had to isolate for 7 days. Copped a cold last weekend which has been harder on me than COVID was.

Aside from being apart from the family for the second week of our fourth time booked holiday which totally sucked, isolation in Fiji was OK as I wasn’t overly sick, I had a balcony overlooking the ocean, had beer and meals delivered to me each day, and I had a VPN enabling me to watch the footy and racing.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I wonder if the extended cold snap has contributed to injury.

Hodge said coming to the warm weather extended playing cause it reduced soft tissue problems.

Going to cold for a few days to play is very different to doing all you sessions in the cold.

And the dialogue that players are soft if they try long sleeves means they have probably been training in shorts and tshirts. I'd put them in a tracksuit to start, and they peel off when they get warm, then cover up quickly.

I got covid in Calabria and it was delightfully hot

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I have always looked at injuries early in a season as a challenge and an opportunity.

Payne taking the best forward?

Fullarton down back?

Matho gets a chance.

Another bloke to debut?

Etc Etc

We are still many weeks away from finals and now we are forced to make adjustments and making adjustments (or really, not making adjustments) is something that many on this site have been complaining about.

 

[Dalions]

Have the Covid numbers exploded down South like they are up here?

 

[LIONS08]

Could Connor McFadyen get the call up??

 

[LIONS08]

Secondly, I wonder how Hippy would go behind the ball with Fullarton up forward?

 

[KissKiss]

Interesting how COVID affects different folk. After avoiding it for 1,000+ days in Melbourne I tested positive in Fiji of all places, and was subsequently isolated away from my family (Mrs, kids and my parents). We’d spent the previous week in very close contact, as you do on holidays. None of them got it off me. My symptoms were mild (minor sore throat, bit of a dry cough), which were gone within a few days (warm and humid weather maybe helped). Still had to isolate for 7 days. Copped a cold last weekend which has been harder on me than COVID was.

Aside from being apart from the family for the second week of our fourth time booked holiday which totally sucked, isolation in Fiji was OK as I wasn’t overly sick, I had a balcony overlooking the ocean, had beer and meals delivered to me each day, and I had a VPN enabling me to watch the footy and racing.

Honestly sounds like about the best possible place to be stuck in iso

 

[KissKiss]

Secondly, I wonder how Hippy would go behind the ball with Fullarton up forward?

Do we rather have a more disrupted forward line or backline? Not sure which is preferable