Review Prac-Match: St Kilda vs Essendon, RSEA Park, Friday 03/03/2023 @ 4.10pm

[eth-dog]

Ridley - Zerk-Thatcher - Kelly
Redman - Laverde - McGrath
Langford - Caldwell - Durham
A Davey - Jones - Guelfi
Stringer - Wright - Menzie
Draper - Parish - Shiel
Merrett - Hobbs - Perkins - D'Ambrosio
Snelling - Martin - Setterfield - Bryan

 

[Beerfish]

I'd be tempted to keep Stringer on ice until the real stuff starts. Not sure how many games we'll get from him so why waste them on practice matches? Sounds like he'll be played in his best position which is forward. A guy with his footy brain doesn't need to train too much. He just needs to keep fit and get on the park and he'll be a weapon.

 

[andleanback]

I'd be tempted to keep Stringer on ice until the real stuff starts. Not sure how many games we'll get from him so why waste them on practice matches? Sounds like he'll be played in his best position which is forward. A guy with his footy brain doesn't need to train too much. He just needs to keep fit and get on the park and he'll be a weapon.

So a license to be lazy moreorless. You can’t have rules for some and others when you are setting new team rules. He has to be rock hard fit to be playing afl imo, can’t just be allowed to come in and be sloppy the first couple of weeks while he builds match fitness.

 

[fairbump_playon]

So a license to be lazy moreorless. You can’t have rules for some and others when you are setting new team rules. He has to be rock hard fit to be playing afl imo, can’t just be allowed to come in and be sloppy the first couple of weeks while he builds match fitness.

This!

If he's not playing practice games, he should play at least one VFL game.

His record of hitting the ground running is more one of hitting the ground jogging.

 

[Keystone agony]

Has to be fit and ready to go but im only playing him in that last practice game vs saints before the season

 

[Beerfish]

So a license to be lazy moreorless. You can’t have rules for some and others when you are setting new team rules. He has to be rock hard fit to be playing afl imo, can’t just be allowed to come in and be sloppy the first couple of weeks while he builds match fitness.

Nah. Recognises a brilliant player who is 28 and injury prone. I'm not saying he should be sitting on the sidelines eating KFC. You can be 'rock hard fit' without playing practice matches that are worth precisely sweet fa.

 

[Nifft]

Nah. Recognises a brilliant player who is 28 and injury prone. I'm not saying he should be sitting on the sidelines eating KFC. You can be 'rock hard fit' without playing practice matches that are worth precisely sweet fa.

Agree. It's not unheard of in many sports to manage players that are getting older and/or are injury prone.

 

[TheGrizz]

So with Stringer and Guelfi down, I wonder what the forwardline might be for the practice matches.

Wright (assuming fitness) and Snelling are really the only definites.

Guelfi and Stringer under the injury cloud, Jones and Walla are still building fitness and Perkins looking to play more midfield time.

Alwyn Davey might be an early shout, while Menzie seems a given. Question is do we go a 2nd ruck or play Weideman and hope we can get 20 mins of ruck time out of him over the game

A.Davey Jones Snelling
Menzie Wright Weideman
???

 

[andleanback]

Nah. Recognises a brilliant player who is 28 and injury prone. I'm not saying he should be sitting on the sidelines eating KFC. You can be 'rock hard fit' without playing practice matches that are worth precisely sweet fa.

They aren’t worth sweet fa, you get match fitness. They are critical to players hitting round 1 in peak condition. And we’ve seen stringer for far too long to know he doesn’t stay fit when on the sidelines and starts slow when he comes back in off an absence.

 

[crackers65]

Nah. Recognises a brilliant player who is 28 and injury prone. I'm not saying he should be sitting on the sidelines eating KFC. You can be 'rock hard fit' without playing practice matches that are worth precisely sweet fa.

So you think it should be one set of standards for Stringer compared to everyone else? Sounds like the same theory applies at North with Thomas. That’s working real well for them. We are a young, rebuilding side and don’t need Stringers standards rubbing off on other players.

 

[Keystone agony]

So with Stringer and Guelfi down, I wonder what the forwardline might be for the practice matches.

Wright (assuming fitness) and Snelling are really the only definites.

Guelfi and Stringer under the injury cloud, Jones and Walla are still building fitness and Perkins looking to play more midfield time.

Alwyn Davey might be an early shout, while Menzie seems a given. Question is do we go a 2nd ruck or play Weideman and hope we can get 20 mins of ruck time out of him over the game

A.Davey Jones Snelling
Menzie Wright Weideman
???

Not too sure Snelling is a definite

I think without Stringer we might see 3 talls vs the suns and for me Tippa should play but they might keep him for the suns game. Just think he builds fitness the best through games and want to test his body whilst also managing it

That last spot will be a midfielder type. Perkins, Hobbs, Martin, Setterfield, Caldwell type id imagine because they cant fit in the midfield with Shiel, Parish, Zerrett, Langford, Durham

 

[bacon buster]

Nah. Recognises a brilliant player who is 28 and injury prone. I'm not saying he should be sitting on the sidelines eating KFC. You can be 'rock hard fit' without playing practice matches that are worth precisely sweet fa.

"people" can. Jake can't, and has never been "rock hard fit" sitting on the sidelines

He's barely been rock hard fit ever, maybe apart from last pre-season, before he got injured.

 

[JT_the_Man]

So with Stringer and Guelfi down, I wonder what the forwardline might be for the practice matches.

Wright (assuming fitness) and Snelling are really the only definites.

Guelfi and Stringer under the injury cloud, Jones and Walla are still building fitness and Perkins looking to play more midfield time.

Alwyn Davey might be an early shout, while Menzie seems a given. Question is do we go a 2nd ruck or play Weideman and hope we can get 20 mins of ruck time out of him over the game

A.Davey Jones Snelling
Menzie Wright Weideman
???

Dunno if I’d call Snelling a definite, but I do agree he likely takes Guelfi’s spot.

That 7th spot will 100% just be a rotating mid imo.

 

[Beerfish]

He's barely been rock hard fit ever, maybe apart from last pre-season, before he got injured.

Exactly.

 

[Chief Hopper]

So you think it should be one set of standards for Stringer compared to everyone else? Sounds like the same theory applies at North with Thomas. That’s working real well for them. We are a young, rebuilding side and don’t need Stringers standards rubbing off on other players.

There is setting standards, and there is getting the best out of the players you have.
Peak Stringer was 2021, we don't need him to perform higher than that if it means getting him injured.

Other teams, notably Geelong and Hawthorn have rested their older/injury prone players during their seasons, I don't see anyone complain about them.
Or how about Buddy Franklin, you think he's out there out training any of his team mates now?

 

[bacon buster]

Exactly.

Not sure what, exactly, your “exactly” was supposed to mean. That said, if we ever get consistently great football from Jake again, I’ll be both surprised and delighted.

 

[boncer34]

Not sure what, exactly, your “exactly” was supposed to mean. That said, if we ever get consistently great football from Jake again, I’ll be both surprised and delighted.

We pushed Jake to be rock hard and his body broke down.

 

[andleanback]

There is setting standards, and there is getting the best out of the players you have.
Peak Stringer was 2021, we don't need him to perform higher than that if it means getting him injured.

Other teams, notably Geelong and Hawthorn have rested their older/injury prone players during their seasons, I don't see anyone complain about them.
Or how about Buddy Franklin, you think he's out there out training any of his team mates now?

Buddy Franklin also stripped back his body to help longevity and is 35. Stringer is 28, he’s meant to be in the peak of his career.

 

[TheGrizz]

I am less worried about Stringer being ripped than him just dropping 3-4 kgs, which I think might alleviate the pressure on his lower body and avoid injury.

 

[bacon buster]

We pushed Jake to be rock hard and his body broke down.

And he breaks down when he’s pudgy as well? So where’s the middle ground?

 

[boncer34]

And he breaks down when he’s pudgy as well? So where’s the middle ground?

I was explaining Beerys exactly.

 

[bacon buster]

I was explaining Beerys exactly.

i get it, and i got it then. i'm not sure it was an "exactly" moment

the guy is a sunk cost unfortunately. hopefully he can add some value, but i'm not counting on it.

there's only so many years you can say "if only Stringer was fit"

 

[boncer34]

i get it, and i got it then.

Oh my bad I thought you didn't coz you said

Not sure what, exactly, your “exactly” was supposed to mean.

 

[bacon buster]

sure ok. i guess the exactly works if he only broke down when he was rock hard fit.

 

[Beerfish]

And he breaks down when he’s pudgy as well? So where’s the middle ground?

About half way between pudgy and rock hard fit.