Preview Round 1, 2023: St.Kilda v Fremantle - Marvel Stadium, Sunday 19th March, 4:40PM AEDT *PHILLIPOU, CAMINITI DEBUT*

[Saint_Dos]

What I don't get with the injury update is Keeler and Hayes were supposed to be ready early and now they are still
both 12 weeks off. Also Jones listed as "indefinite" which I take to mean > 12 weeks ? FFS. Maybe we are tanking
before the season even starts ?

I am taking the indefinite on Jones and DMac as they have no idea.
My guess is every time they go to up training it comes up sore. Purely guessing but reckon both have similarities to Hanners and Ryder (at times) last year. The other 3 indefinites are probably in the reconsider post bye / pre-Mid season draft category.

 

[Saint_Dos]

What is the chance of Campbell playing?

And if he doesn't who backs up Marshall?

Good luck for the season lads, I'm a massive Lyon fan and wish him any success that doesn't get in the way of the dockers!

Doubtful is my guess.
Most likely Cordy backing up Marshall

 

[MickG88]

It's interesting that this has suddenly become an injury crisis. This has been the reality for weeks hasn't it? We will be playing the same side that we put out in the practice game.

Not great to have injuries but about half a dozen of them have never played a game for us yet and others have barely featured in the past 12 months.

This has been the same for years now, not just this year.

 

[lewdogs]

A third of our best 22 out, it's far from ideal.

I'm not sure it's just suddenly become a crisis now though, we've been talking about it for weeks.

What I mean is we've had these injuries for weeks but the media are just now saying it's a crisis.

As for a third of the 22 out, when you have blokes that never play it's a stretch to call them best 22 players and they are players we need to move past.

 

[George]

Based off the Essendon practice game

Out - Hanners, Ross, Long, Lienert, Membrey, Jones, Campbell, King, Kent. (Maybe Paton and Windy?)

In - Crouch, Gresh, Stocker, Phillipou, Cordy, Caminiti, Wood, Byrnes, Bytel

There were 9 players in that game that won't b out there this week

Long, Hannebery, Ross, Campbell, Lienart, King, Membrey, Jones, Kent

And 10 if Windhager misses

Cheers guys. Looks like Membrey and King the two major outs. I can handle the rest.

 

[bird_man]

What I mean is we've had these injuries for weeks but the media are just now saying it's a crisis.

As for a third of the 22 out, the point I'm making is when you have blokes that never play it's a stretch to call them best 22 players and they are players we need to move past.

I reckon I’ve heard the media talk about our injury issues for weeks now. Definitely the media sources I’ve been listening too anyway.

Out of all the guys we have missing out of the 22 there are probably one or two that fall into that category.

 

[bird_man]

Cheers guys. Looks like Membrey and King the two major outs. I can handle the rest.

Yeah it’s gonna be a tough ask without them. Almost 90 goals between them last year, we will need a big day from our small forwards.

The rest you can handle as individuals but as a collective, having a third of your best 22 is still going to hurt. It’s really pushing the limits of your depth when your down that many.

Don’t want to sound like a negative nelly but if we pull a win off this week it would be huge.

 

[lewdogs]

I reckon I’ve heard the media talk about our injury issues for weeks now. Definitely the media sources I’ve been listening too anyway.

Out of all the guys we have missing out of the 22 there are probably one or two that fall into that category.

Who are the injured players you consider best 22?

 

[bird_man]

Who are the injured players you consider best 22?

King, Membrey, Hayes, McKenzie, Windhager, Billings, Jones, Ross

Coffield possibly if he had some luck

I believe all are best 22 when fit but even if you want to argue there are a couple on the fringes, they’d be playing this week if fit.

It means we are really scraping the barrel for depth, playing our 31st best player on the list. It makes it tough.

 

[George]

Yeah it’s gonna be a tough ask without them. Almost 90 goals between them last year, we will need a big day from our small forwards.

The rest you can handle as individuals but as a collective, having a third of your best 22 is still going to hurt. It’s really pushing the limits of your depth when your down that many.

Don’t want to sound like a negative nelly but if we pull a win off this week it would be huge.

I think we'll get done too, would be something for the morale if we get up

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Lets see, effort, decent disposal, speed, effort!!!

 

[PostmanBish]

I think we'll get done too, would be something for the morale if we get up

This is the sort of game that I see as a chance for a fringe player to go out there with nothing to lose, everything to gain, and a very realistic chance of not being dropped the following week even if it goes wrong. Not an opportunity that those players in the 24-32 range of the list get very often.

Could be the making of someone if it comes off, however.

 

[Saint Shags]

I think we'll get done too, would be something for the morale if we get up

Based on injuries and when we played them last at the Dome, I'd say that a victory would be akin to a miracle.

 

[gringo2011]

King, Membrey, Hayes, McKenzie, Windhager, Billings, Jones, Ross

Coffield possibly if he had some luck

I believe all are best 22 when fit but even if you want to argue there are a couple on the fringes, they’d be playing this week if fit.

It means we are really scraping the barrel for depth, playing our 31st best player on the list. It makes it tough.

Hayes has played 5 games and kicked less goals than Sharman. Billings Jones and DMac hardly made it onto the field last year. Windahger had 7 possession or something last time we played Freo. We all hope that he was going to hit the ground running and be a star but at this stage he's probably replaceable with another player if he even misses.

Membrey and King are absolutely devastating losses no doubt but also make for a less predictable set up. Ross is a loss but maybe Bytel gets a run and is even better. Or play Byrnes as his outside replacement.

 

[Kain26Toad]

Hope I make it to the game on Sunday.
Got a digi ticket sitting in the app but unlike last season, it has no barcode to scan.
No pack has turned up in the mail yet either even though I set everything up three weeks ago over the phone.
There is a tab on the website after logging in for 'Accessing Your Barcode'.
It then says "Below are your membership barcode/s to use when securing a ticket online:"
It is then blank, nothing below.
Oh well.

Whether from the stands or the couch, I'm looking forward to see if there might be more than the odd happy arvo/evening through the season under the 'new' coach.

 

[lewdogs]

King, Membrey, Hayes, McKenzie, Windhager, Billings, Jones, Ross

Coffield possibly if he had some luck

I believe all are best 22 when fit but even if you want to argue there are a couple on the fringes, they’d be playing this week if fit.

It means we are really scraping the barrel for depth, playing our 31st best player on the list. It makes it tough.

I think gringo just mentioned it but half of those guys have spent the better part of a year injured. I just don't see how we can keep relying on these guys. I'll actually be surprised if DMac and Jones play another game for the club. I love Hayes but he has barely played. Billings always injured.

Here's hoping we can eke out a few wins before we get Membrey and King back but also in an ideal world Billings and Ross get surpassed by the guys that will play in their spots.

 

[bird_man]

Hayes has played 5 games and kicked less goals than Sharman. Billings Jones and DMac hardly made it onto the field last year. Windahger had 7 possession or something last time we played Freo. We all hope that he was going to hit the ground running and be a star but at this stage he's probably replaceable with another player if he even misses.

Membrey and King are absolutely devastating losses no doubt but also make for a less predictable set up. Ross is a loss but maybe Bytel gets a run and is even better. Or play Byrnes as his outside replacement.

Hayes may have only played 5 games but I doubt too many here wouldn't have had him in the best 22 ahead of the likes of Cordy

You can talk down the others as much as you like but it doesnt change the fact that would be playing if fit and we are really scraping the barrel in terms of our depth now

 

[bird_man]

I think gringo just mentioned it but half of those guys have spent the better part of a year injured. I just don't see how we can keep relying on these guys. I'll actually be surprised if DMac and Jones play another game for the club. I love Hayes but he has barely played. Billings always injured.

Here's hoping we can eke out a few wins before we get Membrey and King back but also in an ideal world Billings and Ross get surpassed by the guys that will play in their spots.

It would be great if our young guys could go past them but at the moment that is yet to happen.

The likes of Bytel and Byrnes are still a very long way behind them

 

[lewdogs]

It would be great if our young guys could go past them but at the moment that is yet to happen.

The likes of Bytel and Byrnes are still a very long way behind them

Judging from the teams in the first practice match I'm not certain Byrnes is that far behind him.

 

[bird_man]

Judging from the teams in the first practice match I'm not certain Byrnes is that far behind him.

I think he's a fair way off still

Was good in the first game,very average in the second. If he doesn't improve a from his overall output and is still getting a game then we are in trouble.

Doubt he'd be in consideration if not for all the injuries, and I was a big fan of him in his draft year.

 

[lewdogs]

I think he's a fair way off still

Was good in the first game,very average in the second. If he doesn't improve a from his overall output and is still getting a game then we are in trouble.

Doubt he'd be in consideration if not for all the injuries, and I was a big fan of him in his draft year.

Hopefully Seb can come back soon because no doubt we could find a way to use him. I kind of see the first two games as a free hit, not really expecting to win either. Hopefully we have a few troops back by round three.

 

[gringo2011]

Hayes may have only played 5 games but I doubt too many here wouldn't have had him in the best 22 ahead of the likes of Cordy

You can talk down the others as much as you like but it doesnt change the fact that would be playing if fit and we are really scraping the barrel in terms of our depth now

It would be better to have everyone available and it makes it harder to win but our greatest strength is having 22 pretty even players without too many superstars. Our forward line was so dysfunctional last year and a big part of that was sending 90% of play through King. I'm no coach but I could have planned to knock us off without needing much mental expenditure.

If King and Snags failed to convert above the average rate for forwards we were up against it last year. I see this as a bit of a chance to improve the structure. We were always a few mental Demons off losing last year. This season we should tighten up a lot more through the mids and defence and then have to find a way to score.

If we can get a goal each from Hammer and Phillipou, a couple from Owens, a couple from Gresham and a few from general play then constrict the **** out of Freo I think we are in with a very good chance. Before round 17 last year we'd actually been pretty good against Freo and for a half we looked like it would be another win.

 

[stfan]

Members ruled out

What, first all of our playing list goes down, and now us the members too

 

[gringo2011]

I think he's a fair way off still

Was good in the first game,very average in the second. If he doesn't improve a from his overall output and is still getting a game then we are in trouble.

Doubt he'd be in consideration if not for all the injuries, and I was a big fan of him in his draft year.

He's got different good points to Ross. He was running end to end in the practice matches. Looked like a high half forward that ran the wings and plugged holes in the defence. I think that looks like Lyon special. I expect him to play. He might not be as attacking but I doubt Lyon cares about that as much.

We always have the option of putting Gresham back on ball and sending someone else into his forward role if they start to control the midfield.

 

[gringo2011]

It would be great if our young guys could go past them but at the moment that is yet to happen.

The likes of Bytel and Byrnes are still a very long way behind them

Collingwood had a shit run with injury and blooded lots of kids that wouldn't have had a run. It helped them the next season. Sometimes that opportunity is what they need. Bytel and Byrnes aren't kids, they should be ready to go up a cog.