Preview Rnd 8 - Carlton v North Saturday 25th July 1.05PM @ the Gabba

[HARKER]

Not sure why we think Fish is playing good football hasn’t been mentioned in any of the practice game write ups
Need to reward form not reputation

Yes, he had been mentioned and the footage of a couple of weeks back had him doing...Fisher-like things.

You can't be mentioned if you don't play though. He was likely the emergency for yesterdays game.

 

[myblueroan]

Newnes is handy but makes some basic mistakes, too many for 150 game player.
Kennedy's kicking, basic kicking down the line, two poor ones in a row resulted in turn overs. Did that last week too.
Fowards have to kick the goals, too many easy shots missed.
JSOS has to come in, he has the footy smarts that can't be learnt.
Murph and Cripps need a rest. One of them this week.

Would be happy with that.

 

[myblueroan]

I'd love to rest players now, but I don't think we can unfortunately. If we don't win this one any good will and respect we've earned is lost.

Plus it basically rules us out of finals, which we don't want this early.

Fwiw something is definitely up with Cripps. His run and carry has almost disappeared entirely. It was never a strength but he still did it sometimes when the space permitted, now he is looking to hand it to anyone he can instead of run with it.

I think we can have faitj in Teaguey knowing who will play well if brought in.
He has mentioned that Fish is goung very well. I rwckon he nd JSos might come in to help with replace or rest.

 

[bigm386]

Is Dow fit? I’d bring him in for Cuningham or Kennedy. Maybe give Williamson a rest.

Williamson MUST play if fit, he is exactly what we need long term.

 

[BigBreakfast]

As said in other thread, 2 out of Murphy, Simmo, Cripps rested... this is the game to start rotation resting.

In Out of Lob, Fish, Dow, SOS

Just the mentality that will get us beaten. Too much at stake this week, we are pretty much done if we lose. Kennedy the only one at risk, unless Willo’s ankle doesn’t come good. JSOS or Fish to come in.

 

[Coops93]

Just the mentality that will get us beaten. Too much at stake this week, we are pretty much done if we lose. Kennedy the only one at risk, unless Willo’s ankle doesn’t come good. JSOS or Fish to come in.

I like SOS in the forwardline for balance because he's something a bit different. Medium size player similar to Martin but more based around pressure and tenacity to Martins skill and marking. It also means Martin can play up field a little more given we still have a medium size target inside 50 when he does so.

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Good game to bring players in who are hungry as we cannot let up on North here.

Really need to hunt them down and best not to have half fit players going through the motions or players who perform spasmodically to achieve this.

If Lob, Dow etc are given the opportunity to come in and cannot bring the heat they will find it hard to play again this season.

 

[Blue__Balls]

Went unchanged for the first time in three years, came within a bee's dick of knocking off the ladder leaders, and now we're up against a side that's out of form and missing half a dozen best 22 players through injury.

Managing players should be the furthest thing from our mind. If a player is sore and unable to back up, that's a different story. If everyone is fit, channel the heartache of this loss into another genuine four-quarter performance.

It's a short season with short games and we're not even halfway through. Nobody needs a rest unless they're hurt.

 

[Bluesome]

Last game I wasn't nervous for, wasn't going to 'make or break' our finals chances...this game could, and I am much more nervous about...first game all year we will go in favourites and will be interesting to see how we handle that...

For mine to make finals need to win:

(1) All of Syd/Freo/Adel/NM/Haw (starts this week)
(2) One of WC/GC/GWS - GC easiest of the three 'on paper' but make no mistake, they play a really high pressure game and won't be easy...

Probably Coll or Bris too good for us and won't win

Obviously could 'chop and change' (ie lose one of the 'must win' and win one of Coll/Bris)...

But we need 9 wins to be a chance (even then percentage might come into play) and the above gives us that...

For mine, I think we fall just short...don't know if we have enough in the tank to win all games in quota (1) and can see us finishing just outside the 8 on 7 - 8 wins...

Even that I would be alright with - shows development and set a platform for a decent finals tilt next year...

 

[HBF]

We are not good enough consistently enough to risk taking any opposition lightly.

I wasn't suggesting we can take the opposition lightly. Far from it. We need to turn up and crack it like we did against the Dogs.
Murphy being 33 now, and with the shortened breaks coming up we need to look after our veterans. Murphy could have a rest and we bring Fisher in.

 

[Gethelred]

I wasn't suggesting we can take the opposition lightly. Far from it. We need to turn up and crack it like we did against the Dogs.
Murphy being 33 now, and with the shortened breaks coming up we need to look after our veterans. Murphy could have a rest and we bring Fisher in.

If Fish had a week of ones footy under his belt, I could be persuaded. But I don't think we're nearly in a position to contemplate resting players yet.

 

[BigBreakfast]

Last game I wasn't nervous for, wasn't going to 'make or break' our finals chances...this game could, and I am much more nervous about...first game all year we will go in favourites and will be interesting to see how we handle that...

For mine to make finals need to win:

(1) All of Syd/Freo/Adel/NM/Haw (starts this week)
(2) One of WC/GC/GWS - GC easiest of the three 'on paper' but make no mistake, they play a really high pressure game and won't be easy...

Probably Coll or Bris too good for us and won't win

Obviously could 'chop and change' (ie lose one of the 'must win' and win one of Coll/Bris)...

But we need 9 wins to be a chance (even then percentage might come into play) and the above gives us that...

For mine, I think we fall just short...don't know if we have enough in the tank to win all games in quota (1) and can see us finishing just outside the 8 on 7 - 8 wins...

Even that I would be alright with - shows development and set a platform for a decent finals tilt next year...

Don’t want to have a “settle” mentality and the goalpost should be and are moveable. However, most of us were saying that 8 to 10 wins and a 9/10 placed finish was on par in the preseason. Your predictions have us on track to at least achieve that target. Winning at life?

I believe we have progressed a little quicker than that (goalposts moveable?) and we are capable of slipping into the 8 with a 9 win season; we have a healthy percentage. Sure as s*** we will lose on of the winnable games and win one or two of the maybe games But, get there in the end.

 

[Dadda Dave]

I agree.
We just have to bounce back and win this week. No excuses.
Same as next week as well.

Our next 4 or 5 games a very winnable ,we just need to get the job done..

 

[JustaBattler]

Martin and Betts were instrumental in stopping Port's total dominance in center ball ups - if anyone noticed. Setterfield did a great defensive job in q1-2 and was even able to win a couple of clearances along with Crips in Q3/4 - but after intervention by way of getting Martin in there. It was good to see Teague mix the match ups - even Levi was able to stop Port's ruck dominance in Q3/4..

I think the on-ball setups are far from finalised - problem is that Martin going on ball takes him away from forward line - Cuningham hasn't been seen in center bounces since Essendon.

Jack may not be (really) fit to play too much on ball if anywhere just yet - broken rib/bruised lung needs careful management - and asking him to come in and play significant on ball time - in the context of Cripps not being 100% is a stretch I reckon.

North's strength is as a contested side - that has to be respected by putting in place a side that can match their physicality.

Teague is demonstrating an ability to make in game changes that work - that is a great sign and a real confidence booster.

 

[Blue since 72]

No change unless there's an injury we don't know about.

Boys almost beat the top side, let them play together again and repay the loss.

 

[Blue__Balls]

North's strength is as a contested side - that has to be respected by putting in place a side that can match their physicality.

Any other week I think you're on the money.

But if they're missing Cunnington, Ziebell, Garner, Hayden and Tyson, plus potentially Zurhaar, Jacobs and Anderson - that's a lot of their physicality gone.

That being said, I think that justifies the second half of your statement even more.

This is the week we let the kids sit it out again and go in being the aggressors. Would put money on North making a statement to their players and dropping at least 2 in addition to the injury outs. 4+ changes, a really unsettled side, versus a team in decent form who are building consistency and riding a wave of confidence that we can beat anyone if we play the four quarters.

 

[Pablito]

Only potential change would be Cunningham out for me. You can't bob up and play one great game then nothing for the rest of the year. He needs to lift his work rate to get in better positions.

Also Newnes is conning us like he did to the Saints for years. Does just enough each week without dominating to hold his spot. He is an average player at best.

 

[azlou]

Yes, he had been mentioned and the footage of a couple of weeks back had him doing...Fisher-like things.

You can't be mentioned if you don't play though. He was likely the emergency for yesterdays game.

Why would he be an emergency surely he needs game time before playing at AFL level

 

[HARKER]

Why would he be an emergency surely he needs game time before playing at AFL level

But he had played practice matches, or at least one.
Fisher was also listed as an emergency for the game.
Fisher did though play in the Saturday scratch match, although how many minutes?

 

[fizzkakz]

This is going to sound like it's simultaneously arrogant and sacrilege, but with the travel to WA coming up, do you rest Cripps? He looks tired, sore and isn't having the impact it could/should. With the huge outs for North's midfield, this feels like the week to do it. You could send him to WA early and let him spend his self isolation with family?

 

[jj1978]

I really hope our performance today and our loss, built confidence, rather than drained it. We played really well and yet there is still so much to improve on. We have had some shocking starts and quarters this year but seem to be playing good footy now. A strong response next game, will keep us within striking distance of finals.

The poster was correct though, our defence is poor, before anyone jumps on this, have a look, we are 3rd worse for points against.

I really don't get the points for and against when comparing to other teams... really depends on conditions and weather a team is playing in. Most of our games have been in pretty decent conditions meaning both teams can score quite well (hence our high for and against)... so teams have played in a few low scoring wet, windy contests that means their and their oppositions ability to score are lower. For/Against is only a good indicator for calculating % for each individual team and calculating a difference from beltings/winnings... we're currently got the 7th best % so that's a better indicator.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

Key will be Pittonet I reckon.

Goldstein has absolutely killed us the last couple of times against North. If Pitto can break even we should be able to control the game.

 

[HBF]

Not many confident North supporters on their board. As I have said a few times, if we want to be taken seriously then this is a game we simply have to win.

 

[AB_Blue]

I’d be happy with fish in for Murphy
I want to see David Teague make a team orientated decision.

It’s the right time to rest him

Kennedy/Newnes/Cunners also a chance to be dropped.

Competition never hurt no one and fisher is best 22 every day of the week


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[Davey33]

North Melbourne will beat us by 30 points. They have bigger bodies and always beat us. Please stop playing SPS in the backline.

In: Dow, Fisher, O'Brien
Out: Gibbons, Newnes, Jones

B: Plowman----------------Weitering-----------------Simpson

H: Docherty----------------McGovern---------------Williamson

C: SPS-----------------------Cripps-------------------O'Brien

H: Cuningham-------------Casboult------------------Martin

F: Betts---------------------McKay-------------------Murphy

Foll: Pittonet, Setterfield, Walsh

Bench: E.Curnow, Kennedy, Dow, Fisher

You're worried about North's bigger bodies and yet you want to drop three bigger bodies for three really small and light ones?