Unofficial Preview Round 1: St Kilda vs Melbourne - Etihad Stadium; March 22/7:40pm

[Rors]

So excited for this game! I must say that I'm a little scared to lose this game after our previous 2 round 1 losses against weak opposition, but then I keep telling myself that it's 'just Melbourne'. And although they have now got Paul Roos, they won't change their stripes overnight.

Realistically, all they've added is Cross (a has-been), Vince (a player who's never played to his potential), Hogan (a great talent but has yet to play against an AFL standard full-back) & Dom Tyson. I've gotta say, I'm not too worried!

Can't wait to see the Dees try to execute their possession game plan against our 'bring the maniac back' pressure that we've seen in the last practise match v Port. Their shit skills will not have disappeared overnight so I have a lot of confidence, regardless of Lenny & Joey being absent from our midfield.

Anyway, only 12 more sleeps......

 

[L_W_P]

Hogan won't play which is good, but he has played and beaten AFL level defenders.

I'm pretty sure he torched Luke Delaney when Casey played Ballarat or whoever it was.

Hogan is a freak talent.

I'll be happy when we grab Wright or Goddard at the end of the year though.

Put Spencer into #13 and Goddard into #18??

Actually Wright playing full forward in #4 would be a great thing to see

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

So he beat a 25 (I think) AFL gamer..

Put him up against Taylor, Reid, Richards, Grundy, McPharlin etc.

 

[Dopey BJ]

Remember last years praccy match at casey Hogan shone out as something pretty special then.

 

[Rors]

Hogan won't play which is good, but he has played and beaten AFL level defenders.

I'm pretty sure he torched Luke Delaney when Casey played Ballarat or whoever it was.

Hogan is a freak talent.

I'll be happy when we grab Wright or Goddard at the end of the year though.

Put Spencer into #13 and Goddard into #18??

Actually Wright playing full forward in #4 would be a great thing to see

Spencer is #23 at the moment, Longer is #18

I'm aware that Hogan is a freak, but I'm confident of him having a below expectation year because the expectations are about 1000x higher than that of Jack Watts

 

[L_W_P]

Spencer is #23 at the moment, Longer is #18

I'm aware that Hogan is a freak, but I'm confident of him having a below expectation year because the expectations are about 1000x higher than that of Jack Watts

Doh!

Forgot about the change!

 

[L_W_P]

So he beat a 25 (I think) AFL gamer..

Put him up against Taylor, Reid, Richards, Grundy, McPharlin etc.

We're banking on that 25 gamer to hold our back line together for at least the next 2-3 years while Bruce develops.

 

[sverik25]

To all of those out there expecting us to win and do so comfortably against Melbourne, you might want to consider that all of our best midfielders are out and now Melbourne's midfield is significantly better than ours. At best, we might pinch a narrow upset but realistically I'm expecting a competitive loss.

 

[Sheeza69]

To all of those out there expecting us to win and do so comfortably against Melbourne, you might want to consider that all of our best midfielders are out and now Melbourne's midfield is significantly better than ours. At best, we might pinch a narrow upset but realistically I'm expecting a competitive loss.

Disagree, their lack of options in the front half will be their downfall..Frawley is carrying sore ribs also..
Often games are won due to the midfield but this game isn't your usual game, due to the amount of quality player's missing from both sides..

 

[Nutsngum]

We cannot underestimate Melbourne. They think they can win this and will come out with the intent to win.

Of course, this is what GWS said last year in round 3...

I still think we can beat Melbourne with the quality we still have in but make no mistake, we are missing 4 of our best 22 right now.. and 4 from the top half of that 22 which will make this a challenge for sure.

Lets just hope Schneider and Fisher are both fit and ready to go as they will bolster the team significantly.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

To all of those out there expecting us to win and do so comfortably against Melbourne, you might want to consider that all of our best midfielders are out and now Melbourne's midfield is significantly better than ours. At best, we might pinch a narrow upset but realistically I'm expecting a competitive loss.

It's kind of depressing every time I remember that we're heading into one of the few games we have a good chance of winning without pretty much our 3 best mids.

Terrible timing Joey and Lenny! I suppose that works for Jack too.

 

[Rors]

To all of those out there expecting us to win and do so comfortably against Melbourne, you might want to consider that all of our best midfielders are out and now Melbourne's midfield is significantly better than ours. At best, we might pinch a narrow upset but realistically I'm expecting a competitive loss.

Hmm.... Viney, Cross, Trengove, Vince, Jones, Mackenzie & Tyson
V
Armitage, Geary, Curren, Ray, Savage, Jones & Dunstan

Their midfield rotation really won't be that much better than ours

Hickey/Longer/Stanley
v
Spencer/Fitzpatrick/Clark

I don't think their rucks are that much better either

I think the game will be won by the runners & movement from off the back flanks.... And ours are better than theirs

 

[L_W_P]

To all of those out there expecting us to win and do so comfortably against St Kilda, you might want to consider that all of our best talls are out and now St Kilda's KPP depth is significantly better than ours. At best, we might pinch a narrow upset but realistically I'm expecting a competitive loss.

Pretty sure I read this exact post somewhere on the Melbourne board

 

[L_W_P]

 

[Saint_Dos]

Hickey/Longer/Stanley
v
Spencer/Fitzpatrick/Clark

I don't think their rucks are that much better either

Clark injured. Pederson is there only other fit player capable of ruck.

Surely have upper hand there.

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

Clark injured. Pederson is there only other fit player capable of ruck.

Surely have upper hand there.

Jack Fitzpatrick is around 200cm himself, so he and Spencer.

 

[sammm]

To all of those out there expecting us to win and do so comfortably against Melbourne, you might want to consider that all of our best midfielders are out and now Melbourne's midfield is significantly better than ours. At best, we might pinch a narrow upset but realistically I'm expecting a competitive loss.

Well, this is at least a realistic comment. Until we heard that 3 melb. Plarers would not play, I thought we had no chance now we do. Our midfield is really not that good.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk

 

[Barrels]

UNLEASH THE MANIMAL!!!

 

[Kilroy]

Nothing like being threatened with the spoon for focussing the mind.
Here is a chance to dream big. If we can play rise to the occasion without Jack, Joey, Lenny and Gilbo, what could we do with them playing?
Don't think we need worry about talls, seem to have options whichever combination we use. Longer or Stanley is a toss-up, and Stanley may have just done enough last outing to be first batter up. The pressure will be on to hold his spot.
If Fisher doesn't play Delaney will be keen to show his worth as well, particularly against a lower-order tall. We probably need a tall on the pine to cover, and it may come down to Lee or Simpkin, but height isn't everything.
It may all come down to the foot soldiers and their ability to get the ball and do something useful with it. It's a hard ask for a bunch of kids to kick like they never have, but that may be the difference.
Over-possessing the ball, which Melbourne may well do, is frustrating if you can't keep the scoreboard ticking over, and their forward-line is fragile. Great to see more midfielders kicking goals than in the past. That's what we need till Markworth, Siposs, TDL, Milera, Billings, Minchington or Templeton get going.
Schneider and the talls should be dangerous enough down forward for now as long as the midfielders are composed and have a ping at the big sticks.

 

[Persevering Saint]

What would be lovely, is a break out game. One of the kids who have been hanging around for a year or so to just blast onto the season with a bang, a take notice game.

 

[Kilroy]

What would be lovely, is a break out game. One of the kids who have been hanging around for a year or so to just blast onto the season with a bang, a take notice game.

Hickey, Curren, Saunders or Wright for example?

 

[Keystone agony]

Only one of Longer/Stanley can play with Hickey as main ruck.

I think Geary will spend plenty of time in the middle along with Savage however i think Curren, Dunstan and Armitage will be your starting onballers. Dunstan as some have mentioned clearance king similar to libba at the dogs when he started. Armitage your best full time mid available and i think Curren goes to do a job on N.Jones in the guts.

 

[L_W_P]

Hickey, Curren, Saunders or Wright for example?

While everyone is looking at Dunstan, Seb Ross will quietly rack up 30+ with 10 clearances and 10 tackles to be named BOG and pick up 3 Brownlow votes

 

[Manimal_Dunstan]

What would be lovely, is a break out game. One of the kids who have been hanging around for a year or so to just blast onto the season with a bang, a take notice game.

Would be fantastic..

Especially those from the 2011 draft, looking your way Seb Ross and Jack Newnes.

 

[Falchoon]

While everyone is looking at Dunstan, Seb Ross will quietly rack up 30+ with 10 clearances and 10 tackles to be named BOG and pick up 3 Brownlow votes

he needs to start showing something soon