Opinion Preliminary Final Changes vs. Hawthorn

[DudleyDocker]

I also thought yesterday was DeBoer's best game for the year. He has gradually picked up over the last month or so.

It wasn't that long ago we used to sit him on Shannon Hurn as a defensive forward. Cut Hurn out and you really restrict the Eagles drive from the backline - if it's a derby grand final he just may be an ace up our sleeve as I don't think Hurn enjoys Pigsy's attack on the ball and the man.

Now if only one of Suban, Clancee or Mzungu would start to lift as well...

 

[StingBitten]

In: Griffin, McPharlin, Taberner
Out: Clarke, Mzungu, C. Pearce

Pearce probably didnt get long enough to prove himself and maybe Suban deserves to be dropped but he won't as he's had a fairly good year. Crowley could be a curve ball in but I doubt it.

 

[go_the_dockers]

In: Griffin, McPharlin, Taberner
Out: Clarke, Mzungu, C. Pearce

Pearce probably didnt get long enough to prove himself and maybe Suban deserves to be dropped but he won't as he's had a fairly good year. Crowley could be a curve ball in but I doubt it.

In's are correct. I thought Suban should be out instead of C Pearce?

 

[holy diver]

I reckon tabs is really putting his hand up

 

[Spoken4]

I also thought yesterday was DeBoer's best game for the year. He has gradually picked up over the last month or so.

It wasn't that long ago we used to sit him on Shannon Hurn as a defensive forward. Cut Hurn out and you really restrict the Eagles drive from the backline - if it's a derby grand final he just may be an ace up our sleeve as I don't think Hurn enjoys Pigsy's attack on the ball and the man.

Now if only one of Suban, Clancee or Mzungu would start to lift as well...

Deboer has been building over the last month. He is definately not our worst anymore.

 

[Rob]

Matt de Boer was huge in the middle yesterday. He wrestled it out like a maniac and created some really good outside run opportunities.

I can't see him being dropped.

Yep, De Boer was surprisingly good. He's not going to take a backward step, and in a final that's a pretty important quality.

 

[Outshined]

Taberner will be an inclusion. Great to see him stake a claim for the PF.

Won't happen, but wouldn't mind Langdon getting a gig as a sub. Finds the footy and can use it too.

On second viewing, De Boer was solid, can't make mass changes in potentially the second last game of the year so he'll probably stay in. Suban is the obvious out, Mzungu possibly too. Depends if the coaching staff want to take a gamble with a younger player, which is understandably highly unlikely.

Duffield was also decent at Peel today and his kicking might be useful given half our players develop sudden head injuries when required to kick over 20m. Depends if he can be fit into the side though.

 

[apuchar]

His last quarter in the middle was really important and I agree with DudleyDocker, if he could stop Hurn, if we play WC, that would be immense

 

[Sweet Dees Mo]

I remember early in the year Tabs wasn't playing brilliantly, but as a team we were, and a lot of folk on here were saying he is great for Pav, as it means he isn't double teamed. Well I think he was the one missing link on the weekend. With Ballas looking like a million bucks, we need to bring Tabs back in.

 

[rgauci]

In: Tabs!!

 

[sproketman]

Taberner demands selection after his WAFL performance

I thought the lack of second tall forward really hurt us in the second half. We generated decent chains of possession from half back then stopped dead when we looked up and saw no one to kick to. Taberner may not reliably mark every time, but he draws the ball. Better than Clarke. And he's less useless than that shit truck Suban.

 

[apuchar]

Taberner demands selection after his WAFL performance

I thought the lack of second tall forward really hurt us in the second half. We generated decent chains of possession from half back then stopped dead when we looked up and saw no one to kick to. Taberner may not reliably mark every time, but he draws the ball. Better than Clarke. And he's less useless than that shit truck Suban.

They wouldn't have been able to put Grundy on mayne either.

 

[FreoRicci]

Thought he was pretty average myself. Turned it over a bit and gave away some stupid free kicks.

So did Neale and Stephen Hill.. It happens in finals.

 

[Freoforever86]

So did Neale and Stephen Hill.. It happens in finals.

Fair enough, but DeBoer went at 68% and 16 of his 22 possessions were handballs. Terrible.

 

[wild side]

Fair enough, but DeBoer went at 68% and 16 of his 22 possessions were handballs. Terrible.

Tackle count?

 

[ImperialPurple]

From the MC point of view, the top 20 seems to pick itself (ins in bold):

B: Spurr McPharlin Johnson
HB: Ibbo Dawson Sheridan
C: Hill Fyfe DPearce
HF: Walters Mayne
FF: Pavlich Ballantyne
R: Sandi Mundy Neale
I: Barlow Sutcliffe Suban deBoer

The other regular 'ins and outs' include APearce, Tabs, Clancee, Duff, Mzungu, Crozier, Clarke and Griff - with a brief cameo from Ed/Lachie (but they don't really count in an RTB context, as they won't be picked for a prelim final).

Problem is there are holes, and there are one dimensional plodders, and there are the ones I call the "escaped goats and the revolving door of poo".

Tabs - he's a bit of an escaped goat, but I do understand as a developing player they need him to go to the WAFL now and again to get some touch and confidence, and I also understand the decision (although I have to say I DID NOT LIKE IT!) to change him out yesterday. But when things started to turn a bit sour earlier in the year, instead of persisting with him to help out Pav - he gets dropped for not doing enough.

Crozier has only got himself to blame for getting stuck in the revolving door of poo - there's a spot in the forward line for him, and he had the opportunity to grab it and he didn't. That's a shame. Same for Clarke - that #2 ruck position was his - signed, sealed and delivered, but too much stinking and he's handed it to Griff. He gets another opportunity now that Griff is injured, and while I wouldn't call it a complete stink up yesterday - he wasn't convincing.

Clancee/Mzungu, Clarke and to a lesser degree Duff are part of the issue. They come in, stink it up, get dropped back to the WAFL, dominate, get called up, stink it up, get dropped back to the WAFL, dominate... and on it goes, like a revolving door. Too good for WAFL, not good enough for AFL - something's got to give cos none of these guys are going to get us there over the next 3 weeks.

Then there's the inside-the-team "revolving door of poo". The guys that get picked week in, week out regardless of how inconsistent they are, and how much they might've been stinking it up. I'm talking about Suban, deBoer, DPearce and to a lesser degree Mayne (forwards have to kick goals too, and his famed accuracy has noe deserted him). Dawson's regular brain fades don't help him, but I'm prepared to back his experience in (big of me, I know... ). These guys do not deserve a free pass, yet they seem to have one. Sure, yesterday deBoer had a decent game, and in fact he's had a reasonable patch over the last few weeks, but for a lot of weeks before that he was average at best. Suban stuck it up big time yesterday, but he won't get dropped, cos he had a few good weeks a little while back. DPearce - when he's on he's on, when he's not he's definitely on the nose.

That group - Clancee / Mzungu / Suban / deBoer / Duff / Mayne / Clarke / even Griff; they're just... Not. Very. Good.

Our bottom 6 are just not very good. But we don't have much choice at this stage of the season that to keep revolving the door hoping we find the right combination.

Obviously McPharlin is an automatic in if he's fit; Taberner must come in to help out Pav, and Griffin (if fit) need to come in to replace Clarke.

So two more out... deBoer has earned his spot. Two of Suban / Mzungu / Clancee. Depends what role RTB wants. My guess is that Suban will survive the cut.

tl:dr

In: McPharlin, Taberner, Griffin
Out: Clarke, Mzungu, Clancee

 

[apuchar]

Fair enough, but DeBoer went at 68% and 16 of his 22 possessions were handballs. Terrible.

He had a good last quarter, but I thought the rest of him game was ordinary. Ross could have just as easily put Barlow in the middle and gotten the same result.

 

[kp junior]

From the MC point of view, the top 20 seems to pick itself (ins in bold):

B: Spurr McPharlin Johnson
HB: Ibbo Dawson Sheridan
C: Hill Fyfe DPearce
HF: Walters Mayne
FF: Pavlich Ballantyne
R: Sandi Mundy Neale
I: Barlow Sutcliffe Suban deBoer

The other regular 'ins and outs' include APearce, Tabs, Clancee, Duff, Mzungu, Crozier, Clarke and Griff - with a brief cameo from Ed/Lachie (but they don't really count in an RTB context, as they won't be picked for a prelim final).

Problem is there are holes, and there are one dimensional plodders, and there are the ones I call the "escaped goats and the revolving door of poo".

Tabs - he's a bit of an escaped goat, but I do understand as a developing player they need him to go to the WAFL now and again to get some touch and confidence, and I also understand the decision (although I have to say I DID NOT LIKE IT!) to change him out yesterday. But when things started to turn a bit sour earlier in the year, instead of persisting with him to help out Pav - he gets dropped for not doing enough.

Crozier has only got himself to blame for getting stuck in the revolving door of poo - there's a spot in the forward line for him, and he had the opportunity to grab it and he didn't. That's a shame. Same for Clarke - that #2 ruck position was his - signed, sealed and delivered, but too much stinking and he's handed it to Griff. He gets another opportunity now that Griff is injured, and while I wouldn't call it a complete stink up yesterday - he wasn't convincing.

Clancee/Mzungu, Clarke and to a lesser degree Duff are part of the issue. They come in, stink it up, get dropped back to the WAFL, dominate, get called up, stink it up, get dropped back to the WAFL, dominate... and on it goes, like a revolving door. Too good for WAFL, not good enough for AFL - something's got to give cos none of these guys are going to get us there over the next 3 weeks.

Then there's the inside-the-team "revolving door of poo". The guys that get picked week in, week out regardless of how inconsistent they are, and how much they might've been stinking it up. I'm talking about Suban, deBoer, DPearce and to a lesser degree Mayne (forwards have to kick goals too, and his famed accuracy has noe deserted him). Dawson's regular brain fades don't help him, but I'm prepared to back his experience in (big of me, I know... ). These guys do not deserve a free pass, yet they seem to have one. Sure, yesterday deBoer had a decent game, and in fact he's had a reasonable patch over the last few weeks, but for a lot of weeks before that he was average at best. Suban stuck it up big time yesterday, but he won't get dropped, cos he had a few good weeks a little while back. DPearce - when he's on he's on, when he's not he's definitely on the nose.

That group - Clancee / Mzungu / Suban / deBoer / Duff / Mayne / Clarke / even Griff; they're just... Not. Very. Good.

Our bottom 6 are just not very good. But we don't have much choice at this stage of the season that to keep revolving the door hoping we find the right combination.

Obviously McPharlin is an automatic in if he's fit; Taberner must come in to help out Pav, and Griffin (if fit) need to come in to replace Clarke.

So two more out... deBoer has earned his spot. Two of Suban / Mzungu / Clancee. Depends what role RTB wants. My guess is that Suban will survive the cut.

tl:dr

In: McPharlin, Taberner, Griffin
Out: Clarke, Mzungu, Clancee

That seems to be the consensus


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[FreoRicci]

Fair enough, but DeBoer went at 68% and 16 of his 22 possessions were handballs. Terrible.

At least he got 22 possessions and had an impact. Can't say that about my buddy..

 

[Taylor]

I'm curious what Suban's role was.

 

[FreoRicci]

He had a good last quarter, but I thought the rest of him game was ordinary. Ross could have just as easily put Barlow in the middle and gotten the same result.

Couldn't really work out what Barlow's role was. He did go inside in patches then was a half forward. Think with Suban out, he should replace him in that role.

 

[Freo Dr]

Agree

Dawson is a very good second defender. Having him in as a second with McPharlin as the first allows Johnson and Ibbotson to focus on intercept marking and creative running etc.


My only hope is that when McPharlin goes that Pearce will have had another preseason to allow him to build the body to step
Into the number 1 role so that we can keep Dawson as the number 2

Cannot agree, if we are coming up with excuses why Dawson who is a similar height to AP and a very experienced player including multiple finals leave AP as a third year player next year to take the best KPF in the absence of McPharlin retiring - then really we are just trying to cover over the issues with his game. Dawson benefited for his most of his time under Ross by the game plan of having a spare defender. Forced to defend one on one now he often gets exposed and was lucky tippet missed more than he got. He also lacks the ability to rebound which Silvagni can do to some degree. Credit where it is due at least he didn't do any friggin double punches yesterday and marked the ball when he could. He would want to train well over the next two weeks because Silvagni certainly will be pushing to get back in and that is if they go with three KPDs - depending on structure and match ups it could be just MJ and McPharlin.

 

[Freo Dr]

I'm curious what Suban's role was.

Not sure but I thought he was playing on Hanneberry in the first half. Was released from that in the third quarter though and then subbed out.

 

[apuchar]

Couldn't really work out what Barlow's role was. He did go inside in patches then was a half forward. Think with Suban out, he should replace him in that role.

Agree totally. Assuming they are happy with his pace and defensive run in the midfield role.

 

[apuchar]

Not sure but I thought he was playing on Hanneberry in the first half. Was released from that in the third quarter though and then subbed out.

when did hanneberry go nuts? or did he play well the whole game. I know Kennedy ran rampant in the second half. I haven't seen the replay yet.