Preview R2: Changes vs. Essendon

[Kane McGoodwin]

Looks like Langford and Ridley out for them

2 big losses.

No reason for not beating the Dons, even allowing for our poor away record against them.

These are the away games we need to win to play finals.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I find it interesting that Pendlebury is essentially getting managed via the sub. And we look inclined to do the same with Tex.

I feel like it's a clever way to nurse senior players through the long season. I'd really not mind it if we continue down this path with Tex specifically.

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Shut down Merrett, he is the only one capable of putting them in a winning position.

Perhaps a role for Peatling as done it before.

 

[Samcro24]

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

If he needs a rest in round 2 having played 3/4 of a game in round 1 then he really shouldn’t have been retained

 

[WetCrow1991]

I'm amongst his biggest haters but laird was good in the weekend. No way he's getting dropped.

He was ok. And yeah he isn't getting dropped, which is why I said he isn't getting dropped.

 

[WetCrow1991]

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

IMO he should have retired end of 2024. I know it is only round 1 but it gets to the point where we are unbalancing the side to keep him in, and jeopardizing the development of younger players, for some pretty average output.

Some teams need to extend the career of 34/35 year old key forwards, we don't.

It is time to move on.

 

[FR0GGY]

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

Don’t think he looked gassed at all.

 

[BRL121]

This is a must win game to play finals IMO.
R4 onwards will be challenging.

R3

 

[1990crow]

R3

3? North at home surely a win.

 

[BRL121]

3? North at home surely a win.

Sorry, I mean't to warn of the Suns game: not confident.

 

[1990crow]

Sorry, I mean't to warn of the Suns game: not confident.

That's round 4 and why I said R4 onwards would be challenging.

If we beat them you'd know this is a quality team.

 

[1970crow]

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

Lots of Bigman’s training reports had him missing or on lighter duties.

 

[CDC60]

No changes, injuries permitting. Sid stays as sub. Season defining game because we should win comfortably but this is a game we've dropped the last two years when we wanted to believe. Feeling unnervingly confident of a comfortable win.

 

[Peter Doherty]

They also made a documentary about it and lost by 122 points.
McDermotts 100th game.

God we were a wild side under Shaw

And here it is..

 

[Trigger13]

Horses for courses.

Bond in for Curtin.

Straight to Merrett.

 

[AFC979810]

2 big losses.

No reason for not beating the Dons, even allowing for our poor away record against them.

These are the away games we need to win to play finals.

Agree. The good thing is that we match up pretty well against them.

2022 - 4 point loss
2023 - 18 point loss
2024 - 3 point loss, 2 point win.

Our team will be a hell of a lot better than the last time we played them:

2024 Outs: Dowling, Berry, Taylor, Smith, Murphy, Nank, Cook, Bond, Himmelburg, Butts

2025 Ins: Draper, ANB, Peatling, Curtin, Cumming, Rankine, Worrell, Crouch, Milera, Keane

They will be without best 22 players Langford, Wright, Guelfi, Laverde, Parish, Ridley and Cox.

I have a nagging feeling we get a dominant win against the Bombers followed by a crashing devastated upset by North at home in week 3.

 

[Peter Doherty]

I have a nagging feeling we get a dominant win against the Bombers followed by a crashing devastated upset by North at home in week 3.

 

[moogerfooger]

I have a nagging feeling we get a dominant win against the Bombers followed by a crashing devastated upset by North at home in week 3.

That's just the PTSD talking.

 

[AFC979810]

That's just the PTSD talking.

The mental wounds of the past 5 years are still pretty raw.

 

[davos44]

As we normally play them at Marvel, I wondered why we are playing them at the G this year.

For some reason every year they play one MCG game against a non vic opponent except for 2019 where they got 60k!! to a Sydney game and 48k for Brisbane.

2024 Freo 34k
2023 Port 38k
2022 Sydney 43k
2021 Sydney NA
2019 Brisbane 48k and Sydney 60k

You would think as the non Vic club which draws the highest crowd numbers we would be the likely candidate to play them there every year. Perhaps they saw 34k against Freo and got worried

 

[1970crow]

He and the club have already said he'll be rested.

Yesterday was a nice little bonus.

They said quality over quantity for last year and he played injured for 2/3s of the season. I’ll believe it when I see it.

 

[Shifty Crow]

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

We need to use this year to transition to a world without Tex

Fog and RT ready to lead



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Captain Furious]

We need to use this year to transition to a world without Tex

Fog and RT ready to lead



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

We need to manage him until finals then let him loose for one last crack at it - has been a pretty good big game performer and his experience will be vital.

 

[George CantStandYa]

Mate mentioned to me at the game Tex was looking gassed in the 1st quarter, so yes we need to manage him via sub & full games off when long travel.

We have the depth to do this & prolong his career.

He’s had a pretty restricted preseason, not surprising he’d be struggling to run out a game.

 

[AFC979810]

We need to manage him until finals then let him loose for one last crack at it - has been a pretty good big game performer and his experience will be vital.

Absolutely.

And let's be honest - the beauty is now he is our 3rd best key forward. There wouldn't be too many 3rd tall defenders at opposition clubs that would want to be matched up 1 on 1 with Tex.