Round 1 v Freo

[Golden_6]

Bev obviously backs Wood and Biggs to play a lot taller than they are and expects the costs of being much shorter are outweighed by the benefits of the extra run and drive we'll get. He loves taking a risk or two.

 

[JEDi 44]

anyone else think Biggs could well go back allowing Bob to go up forward more? Really hoping we see him up the ground more either delivering into F50 or recieving inside the F50.

Last year Bevo always picked minimum 7 defenders. Not including Suckling, Bevo has confirmed 6 defenders for this game so I'm banking on Biggs getting in.
The defensive lineup would then have Wood and Biggs who can both play tall when needed with maybe Bob starting off the back of the square like he did a few times last year

Someone also mentioned Stevens looked good running off half back during the preseason games. What's his defensive qualities back there, or is it more an offensive move?

 

[JEDi 44]

Bev obviously backs Wood and Biggs to play a lot taller than they are and expects the costs of being much shorter are outweighed by the benefits of the extra run and drive we'll get. He loves taking a risk or two.

haha, looks like we were writing the same thing at the same time.

 

[King Bont]

Have you seen our talls? I think your defenders will be fine.

Midfield battle will be an absolute cracker, wish Bennell was playing so we could match your x-factor.

What's wrong with Bennell?

 

[darthbards]

What's wrong with Bennell?

Calf

 

[King Bont]

It will be interesting to see how long our fast paced attacking game style will hold up with these limited interchanges.
We crashed pretty hard against Collingwood, hope it doesn't happen this week. I would of atleast liked to have seen Bevo tinker with our game plan a bit over pre season with a bit of an emphasis on our defensive side because in the final against Adelaide that simply wasn't good enough. But he seems to be sticking to his guns. I'm 100% backing him in though.

 

[FoochPackage]

Going small hurt us in the nab cup game against the Pies. I know, i know its just a nab cup game. But Darcy Moore got off the chain in the 3rd quarter due to being on biggs. Really hope im proven wrong.

 

[JAMES_B_101]

I like the line up, I can't see any of Freo's tall forwards having a day out. Hope Adams has a good debut and he and Wood cut everything off down back. Caleb Daniel is going to tear it up.

 

[bresker]

Our defence isn't markedly smaller than last season. Adams is about as tall as Hamling. We've lost Talia. Roberts is on the outer but does anyone seriously think we're much weaker for it?

Which of Freo's talls should we worry about apart from old man Pav?

 

[BEaston]

Surely Redpath plays... ?

 

[Big Wilbur]

It will be interesting to see how long our fast paced attacking game style will hold up with these limited interchanges.
We crashed pretty hard against Collingwood, hope it doesn't happen this week.

We dominated two quarters, we're pumped in the third, and squared the last quarter. Not sure what role the limited interchanges had to do with it. As usual the key to this game is the midfield. If we get done there it won't matter what defenders we have playing.

 

[Royale]

I know the competition for round 1 line up is done but i'll post mine here anyway:-

B: Morris, Hamling, Moyd
HB: Murphy, JJ, Wood
C: Macrae, Wallis, Suckling
HF: Dahlhaus, Toyd, Stringer
F: Hunter, Daniel, Dickson*
R: Campbell, Libba, Bont
Int: Stevens, Picken, Jong, Biggs
E: Roughead, Maclean

Roughy to ruck 1 out if Campbell/Minno can't get up. Toyd to give a chop out.

Morris to sit on Pav and Hamling to sit on Taberner. I dont see a need for an extra key back as I would trust Woody et al to be able to guard against their resting ruck.

Forward line I'd prefer Toyd to Redpath but not both at the same time. Last year Pav was rampant with 5 goals (Morris did not play) but I think we should go with a smaller and faster lineup (hence Biggs in the team also) to expose Freo's style of play and height as well as the way we play at Etihad. Everyone knows we like the fast deck. We should try to employ our speed of ball movement as much as possible. Remember the manners in which we beat North and Port last year. We simply ran them off their feet and their too-tall lineups could not compete.

If Freo play their usual double ruck lineup along with Taberner, Pav up front then we should be able to run the ball out of defence and through midfield.

If we can get that advantage of rebound along with smart ball use going Inside 50 we're in with a good shot.

To be honest I would prefer Roughy played instead of Campbell so he can rest at full back if required if things start looking hairy.

We beat teams like North and Port last year because they were simply too tall and cumbersome. Sure, it was scary when the ball got bombed into their forward lines but Freo do not have the caliber of full forwards North or even Port had last year, aside from Pav whom isn't the tallest.

I've got Dickson in the team currently but if he's injured then Maclean gets a go.

Looks like my prediction was pretty close aside from Adams. Hows about that Roughy call ))

 

[Dogsman16]

My view is we just have to pick Redpath. I want the extra flexibility of a plan B meaning we can swing Roughead back if needed and then we still have at least one tall forward in the forward line at all times.

Don't like just loading up on plan A and not having any alternatives. Fremantle are a side that in the past can look down the quick/skiled moving sides.

 

[Eliteflyboy]

Bev is reckless and likes to live on the edge

 

[Royale]

My view is we just have to pick Redpath. I want the extra flexibility of a plan B meaning we can swing Roughead back if needed and then we still have at least one tall forward in the forward line at all times.

Don't like just loading up on plan A and not having any alternatives. Fremantle are a side that in the past can look down the quick/skiled moving sides.

I see your point but I dont think just having Boyd in the forward line is the be all and end all. Most of our goals will come from general play, midfield, small/mid forwards.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

As much as people (here and other places I've read comments, I am in WA with their rivals btw) think they aren't all that great, I just want to remind people we are playing the team that finished 1st last season. It will be tough

Looking back to last year we had no Libba, no Hunter, no Suckling and the liability in Talia. Hunter will hopefully be like for like for Dicko, Suckling to replace Crameri.

 

[Dogsman16]

I see your point but I dont think just having Boyd in the forward line is the be all and end all. Most of our goals will come from general play, midfield, small/mid forwards.

Yeah I understand but Boyd also brings the ball to ground a lot. He gives our smalls more opportunities. Also M.Johnson had a field day last time picking off high balls. I think keeping Boyd in the forward line for longer will help prevent that and Redpath gives us the flexibility of pushing Roughead back for stints to possibly protect and undersized defence.

I want someone tall in our forward line bringing the ball to ground or marking it (potentially a lot of high balls with Freo's well known pressure) at all times. Sure Redpath isn't great at this but he probably is the least likely to be outmarked (not including Boyd) out of our forwards.

I just want our side to develop more strings to our bow and that means using a proper structure which is going to be needed in finals on the MCG as we found out against Adelaide.

 

[Yojimbo]

Bev is reckless and likes to live on the edge

He also cuts his own hair and worked for the ATO.

 

[No Way Romero]

I recon we were at about $2.20 a month ago. We have been backed into $1.70.

 

[maddog37]

I recon we were at about $2.20 a month ago. We have been backed into $1.70.

That makes you think they will have a few outs.

 

[webbo]

That makes you think they will have a few outs.

The outs of Sandi and Bennell would have a significant impact on those odds. They're huge outs. Especially Sandi, if we can half the ruck contests and ensure that Fyfe and co don't get first hand on it at most stoppages, that will go a long way to winning the game.

 

[Royale]

Yeah I understand but Boyd also brings the ball to ground a lot. He gives our smalls more opportunities. Also M.Johnson had a field day last time picking off high balls. I think keeping Boyd in the forward line for longer will help prevent that and Redpath gives us the flexibility of pushing Roughead back for stints to possibly protect and undersized defence.

I want someone tall in our forward line bringing the ball to ground or marking it (potentially a lot of high balls with Freo's well known pressure) at all times. Sure Redpath isn't great at this but he probably is the least likely to be outmarked (not including Boyd) out of our forwards.

I just want our side to develop more strings to our bow and that means using a proper structure which is going to be needed in finals on the MCG as we found out against Adelaide.

A twin tower forward line or a single tall KPF can both work. Yep, agree, MJ had a field day last year but that was because we had a thousand stupid rushed/blind kicks into the forward 50.

I think we'll be much better going inside 50 this time around, both from pure running and handball chain or smart kicking.

 

[go you pups]

Bev obviously backs Wood and Biggs to play a lot taller than they are and expects the costs of being much shorter are outweighed by the benefits of the extra run and drive we'll get. He loves taking a risk or two.

I think he can do this vs a team like Freo who only have Pavlich and Tabener, Morris goes to Pav who has played on him since day dot and Adams to Tabener. But I don't think he can do this every week, particularly outside of Etihad where more running is required or against taller teams who play 3 key forwards like North or Adelaide.

Imo it hurt us in that Collingwood game playing small once we lost the midfield battle in the third quarter, Moore marked everything or brought everything to ground. This style of football is very Eade like and I do not want it long-term, I do not think it will win us a preliminary final, never mind a flag.

 

[Unique Name]

Is Bevo likely to put a tag on Stephen Hill or Fyfe?

 

[LittleG]

Is Bevo likely to put a tag on Stephen Hill or Fyfe?

Neither. Head to head with MacRae is most likely for Fyfe, JJ on Hill.