Preview R2: Changes vs. Essendon

[ams4crows]

I found it weird that Keays recorded 0 tackles for the game and to me on occasions looked sore or not at 100%

He took a contested mark near the boundary on the defensive 50 really early in the game and never looked 100% after that

 

[Drakescoffeecake]

We officially have zero, zilch, nada on the injury list. OMG. touching wood as we speak.

Besides Strachan

Need to take advantage of it while we can. Its only a matter of time before we get a few.

 

[Bovo]

Like others have said, rest Walker and let him play his 300th game in front of a home crowd

 

[Scorpus]

Like others have said, rest Walker and let him play his 300th game in front of a home crowd

It's not his actual 300th

 

[Bovo]

It's not his actual 300th

Oh? Well can’t we just pretend then?

 

[MrBarry]

Need to take advantage of it while we can. Its only a matter of time before we get a few.

First time in a while though where even if we cop a few, there is a lot of quality in the seconds, where it can be covered. I think Rankine is probably the only player atm who truly cannot be replaced and RT likely.

 

[Drakescoffeecake]

First time in a while though where even if we cop a few, there is a lot of quality in the seconds, where it can be covered. I think Rankine is probably the only player atm who truly cannot be replaced and RT likely.

Daws?!

 

[Bovo]

It's not his actual 300th

Wait…..

Walker set to notch up special milestone

Tex joined Triple M Adelaide Breakfast on Tuesday morning

www.afc.com.au

 

[Rank]

Yep any talk about dropping Milera is just ridiculous

Yep, some people have no idea, the more games he plays the better he'll get, and his best is very good.

 

[cmndstab]

Wait…..

Walker set to notch up special milestone

Tex joined Triple M Adelaide Breakfast on Tuesday morning

www.afc.com.au

That's 300 games including preseason matches and other such "non-official" matches. It means he becomes a life member, but it's not his 300th AFL game.

 

[AFC979810]

I found it weird that Keays recorded 0 tackles for the game and to me on occasions looked sore or not at 100%

He took a contested mark near the boundary on the defensive 50 really early in the game and never looked 100% after that

He didn't look great and didn't have an impact at all.

Felt we had a group of players that weren't bad, but didnt have a real influence (Milera, Keays, Hinge, Walker, Max, Murray).

 

[Moonwatcher]

This!

If all Tex can do these days is provide a CHF style linking role that nets him 3 kicks, 2 marks and 7 Hb then i think the games gone past him. The harsh reality is we want to push our best younger players into this team and I am not sure absorbing Tex into a mediocre half cocked role best serves us because that kills our flexibility and if we are relying on subbing him then he is cooked.

Plus it potentially wastes our sub every week.

 

[Moonwatcher]

What else could we ask for?

A few more matches gelling the side together before taking on a team fighting for the same position in the 8 may have been ideal.

 

[Moonwatcher]

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

I'm not sure we could pull a crowd like Sydney/Brisbane.

 

[1970crow]

Actually loved the way Tex played on Sunday

He’s pushing high up and giving Fog and TT opportunities closer to goal and when he gets the ball he’s trying to bring others into the game

If he was gassed it was prob just due to the amount of work he did getting up and back

When he was dominant in 2023 he was having pings at goal from everywhere and he’s playing a completely different style of game now and so he should be , he’s such a smart player he knows what he’s doing

Peak Tex wasn't just hitting the scoreboard, he was getting it near 20 times and distributing forward too. Having re-watched, I don't think he was running further than the uninjured norm, I reckon his managed preseason just left him a quarter short. I'm hoping this is a full season plan that has him in best nick possible when it matters. The nagging concern I have is that 300 games is a huge milestone and it may apply some pressure to decision making.

 

[1970crow]

That's 300 games including preseason matches and other such "non-official" matches. It means he becomes a life member, but it's not his 300th AFL game.

I thought AFL life member was 250 games. Maybe that's a club one that came up at some stage.

 

[Bovo]

That's 300 games including preseason matches and other such "non-official" matches. It means he becomes a life member, but it's not his 300th AFL game.

Do you think they do this just to confuse me? I swear they do!

 

[Punchy Bassett]

I mean we're going in unchanged barring injuries this week.

 

[Betts are off]

I mean we're going in unchanged barring injuries this week.

100%

I doubt the Magnets move from Gameday.

 

[Pugsley]

100%

I doubt the Magnets move from Gameday.

What about the water bottles?

 

[CrowBloke]

Milera out, Nank or Bond in.

+

I’d rest Tex .

Out : tex
In : nankervis

Imo, Nicks is far too conservative a Coach to make either/both move/s.
After a 10-goal win, I doubt he'd drop Milera whom Nicks obviously prefers to Nankervis.
Nicks mentioned managing Tex with a 6-day break ahead, so Tex will stay.

However, if Nicks made either move (or both) I'd take it as a positive sign he's starting to think/act like a better Coach.
Nankervis should be playing ahead of Milera.
Resting Tex would allow Curtin to step up and freshen up Tex for a big game vs NM (if he needs it).

 

[Mutineer]

Why does Tex need a rest after playing 2 3/4 quarters 1st up.
Tex explained why, it was to give Sid a decent run at it given the state of the game at the time.

It's important we put our best team out there this early on in the season and the Bombers away is hardly a walk in the park.

 

[FR0GGY]

He didn't look great and didn't have an impact at all.

Felt we had a group of players that weren't bad, but didnt have a real influence (Milera, Keays, Hinge, Walker, Max, Murray).

I thought hinge was in our best 10

 

[davos44]

A few more matches gelling the side together before taking on a team fighting for the same position in the 8 may have been ideal.

We dont play a genuine top 4 side until round 5 (every team thinks they can make the 8 at this stage). With Essendons current injuries + Ridley and Langford now out we have them at the perfect time.

 

[Pugsley]

We dont play a genuine top 4 side until round 5 (every team thinks they can make the 8 at this stage). With Essendons current injuries + Ridley and Langford now out we have them at the perfect time.

We shouldn't be relying on injuries to beat opposition sides.
We want to be tested against their best line-up.