Round 1 v Freo

[doggies ftw]

Interesting stuff. Rapt for Dunkley so keen to see him play. Straight in the deep end against the best of the best when it comes to big bodied mids, and of course alongside some of the other best big bodied mids. The midfields are going to be huge!

If Roughy can hold down the ruck for 70% of the game then this strategy is fine and should work great all things considered but it just leaves us so vulnerable with not much flexibility to change at all considering the lack of talls across the park. If Hamling was playing you could throw Adams up forward if rough gets injured and Boyd has to ruck but we literally have no room to move now so fingers crossed.

Its going to be an incredibly quick game, going to be so bloody exciting. I think this strategy could work but its not something I want to see every week.

Still wouldnt be surprised to see Red in as a late change tbh

 

[fargy]

Who was our ruck last time we played? When they had Sandi?

Brett Goodes. Or Cordy, but Goodes rucked the majority.

 

[the conch]

WOW! Awesome news for McLean and Dunkley

To my mind Dunkley is more of a Freo style mid. I worry about Their small forwards though. if they get good delivery, so think Bev wanting to ratchet up the centre pressure with Dunkley.
Normally I would have thought these guys would get their go further into the season. Interesting. Also McLean is more a pure fwd than Jong. Secret weapon?

 

[ScragCity]

Brett Goodes. Or Cordy, but Goodes rucked the majority.

Yeah okay. In that case I guess the answer to the original question is: No, I'm not worried about Roughy rucking this game.

 

[Dog Rising]

Going in with Rough and Boyd. Is that right? Hold on tight,it's going to be breakneck!

 

[BRWB]

Pleased Redpath, Jong, Roberts and Hrovat not playing. Very pleased McLean and Dunkley are. Happy with that team. Possibly a tall short. Ideally like to see Hamling and Campbell in but fitness haven't permitted.

 

[ScragCity]

Welcome to my Supercoach team Jesse Dunkley

 

[FoochPackage]

Welcome to my Supercoach team Jesse Dunkley

Andrew *

 

[JEDi 44]

To my mind Dunkley is more of a Freo style mid. I worry about Their small forwards though. if they get good delivery, so think Bev wanting to ratchet up the centre pressure with Dunkley.
Normally I would have thought these guys would get their go further into the season. Interesting. Also McLean is more a pure fwd than Jong. Secret weapon?

It seems to me that Bevo is trying to go as tall as possible in the middle with Bontempelli, Macrae, Dunkley and Stevens. That's pretty darn tall! All can rest forward and kick a goal. (haven't seen Dunkley do that but have heard this is the case).
I really like McLean on a right wing tbh. He played some really good footy there last year when Granty pushed forward. He probably just needed to get up and back a bit more. Hopefully his tank has improved

 

[meesy]

He is very much a confidence player. Last time his head appeared to drop when johnson went to him.
This time, I can't see who they can play on him:
Pearce has great endurance, good over head, has a alright kick/hand ball BUT lacks the acceleration, hard ball skills and power to contain stringer. Also missed a lot of the preseason.
Dawson is great over head, has average disposal, good positioning one v one BUT again lack acceleration, ground ball skills and in his case endurance.
Silvagni is tall BUT stringer is stringer.

Freo really needed to draft M Adams last year. So glad we got both Collins and Adams, we would likely be seeing them lining up for Freo this week.

Ibbotson? His overhead marking is his biggest strength.

 

[darthbards]

Probably one more taller player would have been nice but I back the MC and could be a decent ploy against Fremantle. Roughy playing out the game becomes crucial.

 

[VitalDread]

Love the fact theres no sub rule
Dunks and Adams will be unleashed

 

[AFDogs]

Very surprised with the team selections. Jong stiff not to get a round 1 selection.

Like others have mentioned, we are going in very small and it'll be extremely interesting if Boyd/Roughead go down with an injury, especially early on. Could end up seeing Easton Wood in the ruck.

 

[darthbards]

Ibbotson? His overhead marking is his biggest strength.

I thought Ibbotson was the logical and best choice and I take my kids to the Freo games but no one on here seems to agree.

 

[Igloo]

Excited to see Adams and Dunkley debut.

I'm not overly positive about our chances, because Freo are still a damn good side. But we'll be in with a good shot.

 

[fronkalicious]

fronkalicious called Dunkley's round 1 berth months and months ago. Kudos.

Congrats to the kid, looking forward to seeing him play.

Have heard the club are quietly confident they've drafted another A grader here.

 

[maddog37]

Have heard the club are quietly confident they've drafted another A grader here.

Mega like.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Bev has always been super keen to blood new guys asap. Who will be next?

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Have heard the club are quietly confident they've drafted another A grader here.

He certainly looked it in his NAB game. Excited to see him debut but think we'll see him play mostly forward - not sure he has the tank for a full mid role yet. His strength/overhead marking will be valuable in the forward line with Dickson out though.

 

[LittleG]

I thought Ibbotson was the logical and best choice and I take my kids to the Freo games but no one on here seems to agree.

Ibbotson is a good rebounder, not who I would put on the oppositions best forward. I personally don't think he would have the strength to compete one out going after a ground ball, so didn't include him.
He is probably better matched to Srevens or Dunkley, who will play third tall. Or even Maclean.

 

[darthbards]

Ibbotson is a good rebounder, not who I would put on the oppositions best forward. I personally don't think he would have the strength to compete one out going after a ground ball, so didn't include him.
He is probably better matched to Srevens or Dunkley, who will play third tall. Or even Maclean.

Fair enough. Like I've said before,I'd compare Ibbo to Morris. Playing him on McLean could be a win for them but could also be a waste and overkill.

 

[fargy]

It's an issue every opposition coach faces now, play someone tall on Stringer to compete with him in the air. Or play a medium on him to hope you can compete with him on the ground. At the moment I'd go the medium as his hands apart from the WC game haven't been his strongest point (sometimes I think he deliberately drops some to make the opposition look silly when it hits the ground)

 

[LittleG]

Fair enough. Like I've said before,I'd compare Ibbo to Morris. Playing him on McLean could be a win for them but could also be a waste and overkill.

I would never play Morris on Stringer. Adams is about our only matchup to a player like Stringer that we have. It is a weakness of both our lists. You guys do have Johnson, who is awesome but injured this week.
I was expecting Freo to draft Adams last year. Is a good West Perth guy who was average when played forward but was fantastic at CHB.
Good luck for the rest of the year. Please finish ahead of the eGirls.

 

[darthbards]

I would never play Morris on Stringer. Adams is about our only matchup to a player like Stringer that we have. It is a weakness of both our lists. You guys do have Johnson, who is awesome but injured this week.
I was expecting Freo to draft Adams last year. Is a good West Perth guy who was average when played forward but was fantastic at CHB.
Good luck for the rest of the year. Please finish ahead of the eGirls.

Fair enough dude but I'm a doggies supporter by the way,have been all my life,I'm only familiar with the Dockers because my wife and kids follow them but they are all well aware we don't go if the doggies are playing that day

 

[Zgope1]

Pleased Redpath, Jong, Roberts and Hrovat not playing. Very pleased McLean and Dunkley are. Happy with that team. Possibly a tall short. Ideally like to see Hamling and Campbell in but fitness haven't permitted.

Can't disagree. It's a team full of pretty high IQ players, which I like.

And doggies ftw , I wouldn't worry. I think the biggest loss will actually be in the ruck, not positional versatility. Boyd and Rough could both lose their edge in the fourth, and I don't want rucking to adversely affect Boyd as a forward either.

But in terms of targets and protecting the high ball at either end we'll be fine. Wood, Moz and Biggs are aerially sound/awesome and we'll aim for separation and kick to one on ones up forward with that small line up