Preview Round 2, 2019: Essendon v St.Kilda - Marvel Stadium, Saturday 30th March, 4:35PM AEDT

[Browny2Carlisle]

 

[mad-saint-guy]

If I could pick the team

B: Webster, Brown, Geary
HB: Battle, Joyce, McKenzie
C: Ross, Steele, Gresham
HF: Billings, Bruce, Parker
F: Long, Marshall, Membrey

Foll: Pierce, Steven, Acres
Int: Clark, Kent, Sinclair, Newnes

Out: Lonie, Wilkie, Savage, Dunstan
In: Marshall, Brown, Clark, Acres

Expect the only change to be Wilkie for Brown though.

 

[The Enemy Within]

If I could pick the team

B: Webster, Brown, Geary
HB: Battle, Joyce, McKenzie
C: Ross, Steele, Gresham
HF: Billings, Bruce, Parker
F: Long, Marshall, Membrey

Foll: Pierce, Steven, Acres
Int: Clark, Kent, Phillips, Newnes

Out: Lonie, Wilkie, Savage, Dunstan
In: Phillips, Brown, Clark, Acres

Expect the only change to be Wilkie for Brown though.

Who doe's Marshall come in for

 

[D2D3]

If I could pick the team

B: Webster, Brown, Geary
HB: Battle, Joyce, McKenzie
C: Ross, Steele, Gresham
HF: Billings, Bruce, Parker
F: Long, Marshall, Membrey

Foll: Pierce, Steven, Acres
Int: Clark, Kent, Phillips, Newnes

Out: Lonie, Wilkie, Savage, Dunstan
In: Phillips, Brown, Clark, Acres

Expect the only change to be Wilkie for Brown though.

Clark, Kent. Nice one

Edit: but now way should Wilkie be dropped

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Well Kent didn't do much except set up two goals with pinpoint 50 metre passes, and kick a clutch goal that won the game.

Delist

Kent's TOG was very low. Worse than our hardest working mids ( who are the ones we want to rotate as much as possible ).

 

[boydie]

Your opinion Joffaboy , have different one .
First 2 years needed to get body AFL , nothing earth shattering there 95 % of players need to do it.
Blake all his junior career was midfield, as playing ruckrover role, during his time under Richardson
never been given that role resting forward in real games
Interestingly Dermie made comments several years ago watching Blake playing that very role in practice
game , saying gee this could be his role in the future.
Unfortunately Richardson has consistently played him out of position in my opinion, probably his next
coach be that StKilda or another club will give him that opportunity.

Pretty philosophical about it these days as has been consistent over last 5 years , not developing players ,
again this my opinion , to playing kids in positions to succeed rather than fail.

100% with all that Stewart66

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Who doe's Marshall come in for

My bad. Fixed

 

[Joffaboy]

Your opinion Joffaboy , have different one .
First 2 years needed to get body AFL , nothing earth shattering there 95 % of players need to do it.
Blake all his junior career was midfield, as playing ruckrover role, during his time under Richardson
never been given that role resting forward in real games
Interestingly Dermie made comments several years ago watching Blake playing that very role in practice
game , saying gee this could be his role in the future.
Unfortunately Richardson has consistently played him out of position in my opinion, probably his next
coach be that StKilda or another club will give him that opportunity.

Pretty philosophical about it these days as has been consistent over last 5 years , not developing players ,
again this my opinion , to playing kids in positions to succeed rather than fail.

Disagree entirely, has been played in the positions he can play.
Suited to wing and half forward.

Always Richo's fault with players. When does a player take responsibility?

Hopefully he comes good but just ad Clark is Dunstan future replacement, Coffield is Acres future replacement.

It is up to Acres. I hope he does it as he has the ability, but currently overrated by this forum.

If he doesn't make it, it means Freeman (10), Dunstan (18) and Acres (19) all busts from the 2013 draft, with only Billings looking like a player.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

My bad. Fixed

Ummmmmm are you sure?

 

[Mangus]

What I would like to see:

Marshall in for Pierce - back him in to win more ball around the ground will lose the ruck contests either way - gives way more options
Clark in for Dunstan - Need to back in the midfield of the future - More he plays the quicker that future arrives - Dunstan IMO is depth only now
Acres in for McKenzie - Gives another midfield option can be a marking target forward - McKenzie is too hit and miss for mine - That free kick where he just smashed into Swallows back in the last quarter screamed panic

Joyce stays - I think he is the modern defender agile and quick back him in
Wilkie stays - Is our Robbo backup and was good on the weekend back him in
Savage stays - Was poor v GC but his replacement is Hind (not sure how he went on weekend) hope he can force Savage out but Savage was very good in Practice Matches

No real match up for Brown if Joyce plays - No Hooker - No Daniher - Horses for courses selections with Brown at this stage IMO (Unfortunately he has just been added to the leadership group so no doubt will play no matter what for the rest of the season) I think this means Joyce will be out but I really hope not.

Stick with Battle down back that has been the plan all pre-season see it through
Kent stays he was quiet but when he did get the ball he was class back him in

Acres and Marshall to help out up forward when Bruce goes into the ruck.

One area of last weeks game needs immediate fixing - Forward defensive structure was a mess, individually Parker and Long provided a real turnover threat but as a group GC walked out of defence particularly on kickouts they cut us up and their transition from there exposed us time and again. This is Essendon's strength they will destroy us if we don't fix this.


B: Webster Joyce Geary
HB: Savage Battle Wilkie
C: Billings Steele Sinclair
HF: Long Bruce Kent
F: Parker Membury Gresham

R: Marshall Steven Ross
Int: Acres Clark Newnes Lonie

In: Marshall Clark Acres
Out: Pierce Dunstan McKenzie

 

[Saintbloke]

Actually, I think it will be no change

 

[plugger66]

Ummmmmm are you sure?

Totally agree. Lonie shouldn’t and won’t be dropped. It’s like the bias against geary. Looking for all the ordinary stuff but refusing to acknowledge the better stuff

 

[Sir Skid]

Won every match put in front of them this year so far.

Quietly confident this week given we nail selection.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Blacres was playing really good footy, the best of his career, when he was injured last season. It looked like he was finally ready to make the breakthrough from promising to a consistent high performer.

I thought Sunday's team looked very slow around the midfield, with little line breaking run that allowed GC to lock us up and then expose us on turnover. With JB and Sincas on wings our delivery into F50 is better but we are still a slow and defensively poor midfield. The liability of Dunstan in this regard has to override his ability to get the ball inside packs. I'd be backing Steele, a fitter Stuv and even Gresh to more than match the soft Doper's inside mids.

Pace was identified as a need in the off season so I'm hoping to see Blacres back as well as the debut of Hind.

Especially against the Dopers who struggle inside but are fleet of foot on the outside.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Totally agree. Lonie shouldn’t and won’t be dropped. It’s like the bias against geary. Looking for all the ordinary stuff but refusing to acknowledge the better stuff

LOL I agree with you Plugger, but its "his" team. ( Lonie is in my team). What i was really commenting on , was after fixing his team, he had a player showing as an OUT but still on the Bench. I think he quietly fixed it.

Unless there is a reason i don't know about, we can't carry Kent for half the game on the bench any more than we can rotate two rucks.

I'm still torn between the 2 1/2 talls ( Membrey aint that tall ) or 1 1/2.

I think Marshall comes in for Pierce.
Last time they played we had Pierce 27 hitouts 18 disposals 5 Marks. 79% TOG
Marshall had 13 hitouts, 14 disposals 7 marks , and a goal ( and a behind ) 87% TOG.
Bellchambers had 25 hitouts, 13 disposals, 3 marks kicked a behind.
I just can't see Pierce playing like that off the back of last week. and Marshall has supposedly improved over the pre-season.
He can play head to head with Pierce, defending against him when he gets forward.

McKernan is the tall, do we keep Joyce in to play on him? I tend to think bring in Brown. Instead.

Others like McDonald-Tipungwuti ( some names just shouldn't get hyphenated ) and Stringer will test the less experienced Battle and Wilkie, but i think we leave them there.

We have plenty of forwards in the side. Parker, Long, Lonie with Gresham, Billings, Stuv, Newnes, Sinclair capable of resting or rotating forward ( not much resting these days ).
I just felt Kent didn't show enough and spent too much time on the bench. Clark or Acres to come in for him, i'm tending to favour Clark.

 

[Mitch35]

Out: Long, Pierce, Joyce, McKenzie
In: Acres, Marshall, Brown, Clark

We really can't afford to carry a less mobile ruck. Marshall tore the last JLT game apart, and will cause issues for Bellchambers.

Kent remains, did a decent defensive role on Harbrow until the end. I think Long giving away frees is more costly, as much I rate his attack on the ball. Acres in to do some more mid time and be a potential marking target when Bruce rucks.

McKenzie another bad decision maker. Can't have him in defence. Pop Newnes to HBF and bring in Clark to play around the ground.

Lastly Brown comes in. Joyce unlucky to miss, as Battle and Wilkie more suited to take Tippa and Stringer.

We have this...



On Mi A1 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[gringo2011]

According to the injury report yesty, he's actually been back in full training for 4 weeks now, and once he's got another week of it under his belt, he'll be declared fit to resume playing.

I loved hearing that for two reasons:

1- It suggests that we might not be rushing those who are or were injured back as soon as we have in the past, which is great, if so.

This time last year he likewise got injured just before the season, but instead of making him do a really solid block of training like this year, before letting him play again, we rushed him back into playing when he was way underdone, and it resulted in him being much less competitive in the ruck contests than the previous year, and thus very ordinary overall (so like Pierce is now!), and he never really got going from there all year.

2- If the club thinks that Pierce is the better ruck option out of him and Roma, then we need Billy back and in form A-f'ing-sap, because Pierce, on the evidence of his last 3 senior AFL games, is nowhere near AFL standard. He makes Billy look like Sandi.

We were also hearing some really encouraging reports on how Billy was going (and also looking, fitness-wise) in match sim prior to him doing his hammy (and Gringo said he was looking slim when he passed him on Sunday), so it may just be that Billy's in the best nick of his career (not hard!), and as such ready to get back to at least 2017 form (when he got in the coaches votes 3 or 4 times and was 2nd in the comp for hitouts per game), if not better.

Billy was with a very attractive girl friend too, hopefully to keep her impressed by him, he'll have to go out and improve his on-field out put. She's was way out of his league so might actually be a bit of a motivator.

 

[jwikked]

Anyone else feel like the selection team is going to throw up an incredibly weird decision this week?

Wouldn't surprise me if Parker was dropped.

 

[Groater]

McDonald-Tipungwuti ( some names just shouldn't get hyphenated )

Agreed. Can't stand McDonald.

 

[Joffaboy]

Anyone else feel like the selection team is going to throw up an incredibly weird decision this week?

Wouldn't surprise me if Parker was dropped.

I would be amazed

 

[gringo2011]

Gringo you can’t play a guy off one good game. Body of work counts. And why don’t others who played deserve a crack. And we know they won’t make to many changes

Young was as good as Parker in the intra, really fast disciplined defensive game playing in a forward pocket. He's faster and much more agile than Kent and I thought maybe more defensive than offensive but 4 goals suggests he can go both ways.

 

[Pardon me]

Totally agree. Lonie shouldn’t and won’t be dropped. It’s like the bias against geary. Looking for all the ordinary stuff but refusing to acknowledge the better stuff

Correct Pluggs.
I said it before in an earlier post re Geary and his desperation to run back into D50 to force a contest (actually a 2 on 1 - because Sincs was too busy dragging himself in a half hearted attempt to man up) his off the ball stuff is immense and often goes unnoticed unless you're at the ground.
His skills may be that of a GOP but you cant question his effort and heart.

 

[Premium]

Anyone else feel like the selection team is going to throw up an incredibly weird decision this week?

Wouldn't surprise me if Parker was dropped.

not really , just expect Brown and Acres to be slotted into the team.
also Pierce might be dropped for Marshall but all depends on how the selectors feel on the day I suppose.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Anyone else feel like the selection team is going to throw up an incredibly weird decision this week?

Wouldn't surprise me if Parker was dropped.

For all we know he's hobbling around saying, "that was awesome but i can hardly move , who has the deep heat "
If that's the case we don't play him flat against the Bombers we bring in Young or we leave Kent in. ( Hope its not the Case ).
The club knows more than we do, but I think we have enough talent to have 22 players out there raring to go, and i'd love us to go out and run the bombers off their asses.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Everyone reckons he starred at the start of last year but in reality he started the year with a 30 but then went 21,19,22,29, 19.

What do you expect when outside of the 30 and 29 disposal games he was playing mainly in the forwardline? Do you really expect him to post midfield numbers from there?

Not to mention the fact that by the end of that run he was almost certainly also playing injured.

In spite of both those facts, after 5 rounds he was still averaging 24 disposals (10 contested) and 0.8 goals per game.

And that was after having had two games of 30 disposals and a goal late in the previous season when given a decent crack in the midfield in those two games.

So as far as I'm aware, in the 4 games where he had a significant amount of midfield time late in 2017 and in early 2018, he went

30 disposals and a goal
30 disposals and a goal
30 disposals and a goal
29 disposals and two behinds

Then he got injured, played injured for a while, then sat out for months, and wasn't the same when he returned (like so many others who got injured throughout the year for us, like Carlisle, Webster, Long, Battle and Dunstan).