Game Day Round 1 vs. Sydney, MCG, 7:40pm Fri 15/03

[unplugged]

I don't know if it's just because I don't feel as disappointed as I normally would after a loss, but it just feels like Saturday night was part of the pre-season. It's still unbelievable that they had all four preliminary finalists playing a week earlier than every other team (other than of course GCS, Richmond and a lesser extent Sydney/Melbourne).

Good thing is it's already Monday and I'm assuming the boys are soon on track for a light training run. By the time most of us are back at work tomorrow it won't be far from gameday and the real (literal) Round 1!

 

[jmac70]

I don't know if it's just because I don't feel as disappointed as I normally would after a loss, but it just feels like Saturday night was part of the pre-season. It's still unbelievable that they had all four preliminary finalists playing a week earlier than every other team (other than of course GCS, Richmond and a lesser extent Sydney/Melbourne).

Good thing is it's already Monday and I'm assuming the boys are soon on track for a light training run. By the time most of us are back at work tomorrow it won't be far from gameday and the real (literal) Round 1!

Zero rounds have taken place so it must have been a practise game.
Do we have a case to have the premiership points removed from GWS?

Advice please sideswipe Kirby

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Zero rounds have taken place so it must have been a practise game.
Do we have a case to have the premiership points removed from GWS?

Advice please sideswipe Kirby

On a related note the Moomba Parade was cancelled. Do I get to ask my employer for an extra days leave? Cos I didn’t get what I paid for….

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Out: AJ, Cox, Noble
In: Reef, Frampton, Macrae

… assuming Howe doesn’t come up.

 

[unplugged]

I can't remember which journo it was, but in the immediate aftermath of our game against GWS, they said we fully expect Howe to get up for the Sydney game.

Given his quad cork a few years ago and how long it forced him out for, I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Kirby]

Zero rounds have taken place so it must have been a practise game.
Do we have a case to have the premiership points removed from GWS?

Advice please sideswipe Kirby

Legally not a chance but because it would also mean Carlton would lose their 4 points I say let’s give it a shot!

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Out: AJ, Cox, Noble
In: Reef, Frampton, Macrae

… assuming Howe doesn’t come up.

That is a possibility. Suspect they will stick with cox as it’s a formula that’s worked well for a few years and against grundy they will decide to stick with it.

Macrae for one of noble or Markov is definitely a change id introduce though. In the 22 as well. Maybe mccreery to be sub.

 

[legendstatus]

The ones coming in are no better than those going out so worth a try anyway.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

The ones coming in are no better than those going out so worth a try anyway.

There’s an eye to the future element though especially in the case of macrae. You’re never going to know if they are better until they are given a crack.

 

[jimmy35]

AJ probably out and probably deserves it but Reef doesn’t fill me with confidence either. Personally I’d give AJ another run but at least Reef seems to have a crack all the time.
Don’t mind Titch or Pendles as the sub for a management thing and get Fin on the field. Dean I’d give another run and hoping they can slow the transition down or he’ll be struggling again. Get Coxy to get some genuine shit in his aerial game.

 

[Kirby]

We simply cannot have Cox and AJ in the same forward line again. Can only have one.

Cox will get the nod because he has more runs on the board and can ruck.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Even if we make no changes, what I’d really like to see is a better effort to play our way

We were so slow and stodgy for most of the GWS game which frankly looked eerily like the first Brisbane game last year.

We lacked a lot of our trademark dare

But selection wise I’d probably drop Ash and rest Pendlebury and bring in Reef and Fin

 

[Snakerz]

not sure really, Reef for Johnson. Howe for Dean or Noble? Finlay sub?

Go Pies. Can’t wait to be back at the G Friday night!

 

[jmac70]

Even if we make no changes, what I’d really like to see is a better effort to play our way

We were so slow and stodgy for most of the GWS game which frankly looked eerily like the first Brisbane game last year.

We lacked a lot of our trademark dare

But selection wise I’d probably drop Ash and rest Pendlebury and bring in Reef and Fin

Why rest Pendles after only one game?

 

[Scodog10]

I didn’t catch the full game, but from what I did see Mitchell and Pendles didn’t look cherry ripe. I’m not sure how it plays out, but you can’t have those two combining for 27 possessions through the majority of the match in the midfield. It might be as simple as roles (I thought they had Mitchell reprising his Neale role v Green which was loose butthole…) so this isn’t a longer term judgement.*

I think one needs to make way for Macrae this week (whichever isn’t there yet physically) because Sydney’s midfield will work them over. I’d also rather 18 possessions from Macrae than those two because it’s an investment in the future. The next move is Crisp into the middle which means movement on Noble/ Markov in terms of role, but I’d leave that up to others because I don’t have the context with the amount of game time I watched. GWS are the fire in 2024 and we just copped the hardest match in footy Rd 1 so it’s not the end of the world. Tighten up our finishing and transition defence we’ll be right.

*To be clear I have both Mitchell and Pendles ahead of Macrae and if both are there Friday night I’m backing them in, but if they’re having the influence they had on Saturday something isn’t quite right.

 

[Apex36]

Even if we make no changes, what I’d really like to see is a better effort to play our way

We were so slow and stodgy for most of the GWS game which frankly looked eerily like the first Brisbane game last year.

We lacked a lot of our trademark dare

But selection wise I’d probably drop Ash and rest Pendlebury and bring in Reef and Fin

You’d rest Pendlebury after 1 game…?

What is this nonsense.

 

[jmac70]

I didn’t catch the full game, but from what I did see Mitchell and Pendles didn’t look cherry ripe. I’m not sure how it plays out, but you can’t have those two combining for 27 possessions through the majority of the match in the midfield. It might be as simple as roles (I thought they had Mitchell reprising his Neale role v Green which was loose butthole…) so this isn’t a longer term judgement.*

I think one needs to make way for Macrae this week (whichever isn’t there yet physically) because Sydney’s midfield will work them over. I’d also rather 18 possessions from Macrae than those two because it’s an investment in the future. The next move is Crisp into the middle which means movement on Noble/ Markov in terms of role, but I’d leave that up to others because I don’t have the context with the amount of game time I watched. GWS are the fire in 2024 and we just copped the hardest match in footy Rd 1 so it’s not the end of the world. Tighten up our finishing and transition defence we’ll be right.

*To be clear I have both Mitchell and Pendles ahead of Macrae and if both are there Friday night I’m backing them in, but if they’re having the influence they had on Saturday something isn’t quite right.

Pendles only 62% TOG. Looks like he was managed.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

Pendles only 62% TOG. Looks like he was managed.

He was coming off a slight injury too wasn't he? Knock to back of his knee or something?

 

[Jen2310]

He was coming off a slight injury too wasn't he? Knock to back of his knee or something?

Yeah. Which is why I would have given him an extra week off


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[Scodog10]

Pendles only 62% TOG. Looks like he was managed.

Could well have been, but I doubt it. Early season isn’t about management it’s about having your fittest 23 on the park. TOG being that low says to me he was off because of that knock to the knee.

I’d started to convince myself that the old shuffleroo was in order with Crisp taking his midfield role and Pendles going into that hybrid HB/ mid role, Mitchell to the sub role and one of Markov/ Noble going out for Macrae, but yeah 3 day shorter break, carrying something into the game and reduced TOG… Management could be on the cards.

 

[Sea fog]

Do we need to retain Cox to double team Grundy?

 

[Bianconeri]

Do we need to retain Cox to double team Grundy?

Based on Grundy’s performance against Gawn we need either Cox or Frampton to help Cameron in ruck.

 

[sr36]

We won’t drop Cox. He had 19 hitouts, only one fewer than Briggs and was tapping them quite well. Frampton has not had enough time in the ruck. Might be needed to replace Dean or AJ.

I think you're right. But with no McStay I think we need to play the bloke who can wrestle in the hotspot and can ruck - over the bloke who can ruck and go third man up as a forward. I'm not convinced that Frampton can do the forward line wrestling well enough, but I'm hoping he can - as we've seen a decade of Coxy not being able to. And I'm really hoping McStay gets back late in the season.

 

[unplugged]

I didn’t catch the full game, but from what I did see Mitchell and Pendles didn’t look cherry ripe. I’m not sure how it plays out, but you can’t have those two combining for 27 possessions through the majority of the match in the midfield. It might be as simple as roles (I thought they had Mitchell reprising his Neale role v Green which was loose butthole…) so this isn’t a longer term judgement.*

I think one needs to make way for Macrae this week (whichever isn’t there yet physically) because Sydney’s midfield will work them over. I’d also rather 18 possessions from Macrae than those two because it’s an investment in the future. The next move is Crisp into the middle which means movement on Noble/ Markov in terms of role, but I’d leave that up to others because I don’t have the context with the amount of game time I watched. GWS are the fire in 2024 and we just copped the hardest match in footy Rd 1 so it’s not the end of the world. Tighten up our finishing and transition defence we’ll be right.

*To be clear I have both Mitchell and Pendles ahead of Macrae and if both are there Friday night I’m backing them in, but if they’re having the influence they had on Saturday something isn’t quite right.

On Mitchell he was average, no doubt about that, but I doubt his subbing off was solely based around performance. I'd imagine it was likely around the fact it was a 6 day break interstate, and he's one of our senior players. The fossils can take longer to build into a season so I wouldn't be jumping on the "play the youth" bandwagon.

The play the youth thing IMO should only be for any team the minute they can't mathematically make finals. Even then I'm very strong on selection integrity, as is Fly.

 

[legendstatus]

Do we need to retain Cox to double team Grundy?

No we don't - Grundy harassed Gawn because he knows along with most teams, he doesn't fight back, best ruckman in the game but the weakest at the same time.