Unofficial Preview Round 1, 2024: Bombers v Hawks, MCG 1:10pm Sat 16th March

[H00t]

Worpel and Nash were carved up last year, and let's be honest, are pretty much at their peak. That's why Ward, Cmac, Cmac and co will take over from them when ready. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Worps was easily our best mid against * he just didn’t have much help in there at all.

Nash was barely on the field but was good when he was.

Both are also only 25 and should improve. If the other younger mids come on and overtake them that will improve our team but going solely off last years performance there is still a decent gap they have to close before even drawing level.

 

[H00t]

This feels like the longest off-season ever (I swear I think this every year though)

I’m getting footy withdrawals, I can’t wait for the games to start.

 

[TylerDurden]

Worpel and Nash were carved up last year, and let's be honest, are pretty much at their peak. That's why Ward, Cmac, Cmac and co will take over from them when ready. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Wasn't Nash the sub that day?

 

[moginie]

Wasn't Nash the sub that day?

Yep. Easy to be carved up when you aren't out there.

 

[Yardie]

Yep. Easy to be carved up when you aren't out there.

It was hard to keep up with how many times the * players just ran past him. Couldn't believe the lack of effort just sitting there, on the bench....

 

[Brant]

It's insane how Nash is autorelegated every season.

Like Breust every Trade Period!

 

[FB19]

Like Breust every Trade Period!

Cmon CMac is the one relegated didn’t even make most best 22 lists!

 

[MasterSamurai]

The old question of who plays where? İt doesn't matter in this modern day of footy, once the ball is out from stopages half backs can roll up the ground as extra mids as do half frwds . Plenty of sides use the whole ground as swarm zone without the ball and spread in umbrella shape once you win the ball. The centre bounce is the only time players are in proper position, around the ground stoppages have half the players close to the scrimmage so I wouldn't be too caught up in where McKenzie or McDonald or ward are lined up before a re-start. İt's a midfield heavy team maybe for the first time since 2015 and I'm looking forward to it!

 

[HedgeFund]

The old question of who plays where? İt doesn't matter in this modern day of footy, once the ball is out from stopages half backs can roll up the ground as extra mids as do half frwds . Plenty of sides use the whole ground as swarm zone without the ball and spread in umbrella shape once you win the ball. The centre bounce is the only time players are in proper position, around the ground stoppages have half the players close to the scrimmage so I wouldn't be too caught up in where McKenzie or McDonald or ward are lined up before a re-start. İt's a midfield heavy team maybe for the first time since 2015 and I'm looking forward to it!

Yep - current premiers played 10 genuine midfielders in their GF side, and it wasn’t a problem.

 

[FB19]

Obviously the 2 dogs games will tell us the story but feels pretty set to me already barring any further complications.
Defenders
Blanck Sicily Scrimshaw Weddle Impey Amon
Mids
Reeves Newk Nash Worpel CJ Ward
Forwards
Lewis Chol Hardwick Breust Ginnivan Moore
Bench
Cmac Gunston Maginness Watson Mackenzie
Emergencies
Ramsden Hustwaite D’Ambrosio Frost
Edit: Butler stuff not to be an emergency big year for him must be regular best 22 by year end or I see clubs coming for him. DGB similar.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

The old question of who plays where? İt doesn't matter in this modern day of footy, once the ball is out from stopages half backs can roll up the ground as extra mids as do half frwds . Plenty of sides use the whole ground as swarm zone without the ball and spread in umbrella shape once you win the ball. The centre bounce is the only time players are in proper position, around the ground stoppages have half the players close to the scrimmage so I wouldn't be too caught up in where McKenzie or McDonald or ward are lined up before a re-start. İt's a midfield heavy team maybe for the first time since 2015 and I'm looking forward to it!

No issue at all in cramming midfielders into the team.

The way AFL is these days you really only need a handful of specialists (ruck, full forward, forward/ruck, small forward, full back, small defender and maybe a specialist half back flanker).

The rest of the team are defacto midfielders regardless of where they start at the centre bounce.

 

[Brant]

Yep - current premiers played 10 genuine midfielders in their GF side, and it wasn’t a problem.

They are thin on for elite KPP & played to their strengths, which is that running game - they have midfielder depth & it came together well.

They proved it can work. Not that you're suggesting it for us, but it's not something I'd seek to emulate by choice (but it clearly can work if forced that way).

 

[Howe Amazing]

Nash to pulverize Merrett and Finn might go to Nick Martin if we are looking to tag someone

 

[Brant]

Nash to pulverize Merrett and Finn might go to Nick Martin if we are looking to tag someone

Can't see a scum player worth tagging. More chance Finn tags Newcome as a training run than worry about a shitty scum player!

 

[SSSSSS]

Wasn't Nash the sub that day?

Made an immediate impact too. We were toothless in the middle without him. Way too light on body.

When you get outmuscled by the bruise free brigade you know you've goofed it up at selection.

 

[Slainte]

Made an immediate impact too. We were toothless in the middle without him. Way too light on body.

When you get outmuscled by the bruise free brigade you know you've goofed it up at selection.

Newcombe, Worpel and Day all played and the Essendon mids are not big. My memory is that Draper did a lot of damage - not so much from hit-outs but rather by creating space, bruising bodies and distributing. We have to make sure the does not happen again.

 

[TylerDurden]

Newcombe, Worpel and Day all played and the Essendon mids are not big. My memory is that Draper did a lot of damage - not so much from hit-outs but rather by creating space, bruising bodies and distributing. We have to make sure the does not happen again.

He drifted fwd and kicked 2. Didn't do much other than that.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

We were outplayed in every facet last time and put in a listless performance. I don't expect the same level of effort, or to be out coached, this time. This time we will have more forwards for them to worry about and a strong midfield unit, despite the loss of Day.

 

[TylerDurden]

Our fwds were asleep at the wheel last time. Let their half backs run riot.

 

[Deliverance]

Worps was easily our best mid against * he just didn’t have much help in there at all.

Nash was barely on the field but was good when he was.

Both are also only 25 and should improve. If the other younger mids come on and overtake them that will improve our team but going solely off last years performance there is still a decent gap they have to close before even drawing level.

That's kind of the point. Our "best" needs to be better. I'm hopeful that the young guys can be. Considering our performance in the last few years, that decent gap needs to close as quickly as possible.

Wasn't Nash the sub that day?

Sorry, should have been more specific. I was thinking more broadly about team performance in recent times. But yeah, maybe a bit harsh to lump Nash in with worps.

 

[burner1]

Our fwds were asleep at the wheel last time. Let their half backs run riot.

Yep. With lots of new faces in forward line (and arguably a lack of leg speed to pressure etc) this is a risk again.

 

[H00t]

That's kind of the point. Our "best" needs to be better. I'm hopeful that the young guys can be. Considering our performance in the last few years, that decent gap needs to close as quickly as possible.

It’s a team game. If the mids all performed to the level Worps did we win.

Day and Newcombe have already overtaken Worps from a footy perspective as well.

What Worps does is be an absolute clearance beast for us. Top 10 for centre clearances and clearances total without spending as much time in the middle as the other top mids.

The younger mids coming through will be classier than Worps none have shown his ability to reliably win contests and there’s no reason they can’t all work together.

 

[Tony3163]

It’s almost like some people didn’t watch the 2023 season and see the development of our midfield.
A year is a long time in footy.

 

[peetoo]

Looks like the * have more riding on this than us. There’s dreams to be squished guys

 

[barbster]

Our fwds were asleep at the wheel last time. Let their half backs run riot.

It was more the lack of key forwards. We had Fergus and Kosi, with Kosi having a mare and subbed off. Also the 2 man ruck combo was ineffective. This time round we should have Lewis, Chol and Gunston as tall forwards which will make a huge difference.