Preview Round 2, 2025: Dockers vs Swans @ Optus Stadium

[Tedeski]

Going to put my grounded reality hat on for a moment and looking at the fixture through to the bye (round 14)

vs Freo away - Freo playing worse than us, even with injuries we should win, 1-2
vs North away - we should win even with injuries though won't be the percentage booster we would want, 2-2
vs Collingwood at Adelaide - Hard to tell given they have either been smashed or smashed a side so would want a better form guide but with our injuries and it being away (yes neutral ground) will say loss - 2-3
vs Port home - should win this on current form and hopefully some injured players back. We broke the Port voodoo - 3-3
vs Suns away - pre-season form suggests we'd win but they are a different prospect at home vs away, depending on injuries I see this as a lost but we'd win at home, 3-4
vs GWS home - they will be top 4 can see us losing this, 3-5
vs Bombers away - Want more form but suspect will lose but a 50/50, 3-6
vs Carlton home - will lose this, 3-7
vs Melbourne away - 50/50 game, losing due to venue - 3-8
vs Adelaide home - should win this with injured players back - 4-8
vs Richmond away - if serious should win this, 5-8

5-8 with about 3 50/50s which could flip and put us 8-5

That’s how I see it.
I’m basing my thoughts on availability of players & depth.
We don’t have it. Not to mention we fail to play 4 consistent quarters of footy.

 

[Donza]

Moving onto the match...

 

[Bloods86]

Well give me your predictions after 11 rounds.
That was my opinion not yours.
It’s a free forum.
Why don’t you have a go instead of trying to pick my thoughts apart.
Don’t be afraid.

I already said in the injury thread, with our draw, we could be 8-4 or 9-3 by the 12 match mark, in response to someone saying they'd accept 6-6, without hesitation, with our injury list.

Is this definitely going to happen, maybe not, but based on what we know this team can do based on recent years and looking at the teams we have coming up, it's entirely possible.

But in any case, I was commenting on particular claims of yours that we can't beat Port (except the last time we played them) and we have Pies away as if that makes it harder (Pies are also away, even harder for them).

Not sure why we're so pessimistic about the Dockers away also, given we've won the last 3 over there and they clearly have some issues of their own to sort through.

I also don't believe I said anything about you not being able to express your opinion...

 

[Adnico26Parker]

 

[Bloods86]

Strange. I expected them to be full of despair and getting ready to tank given the season is effectively over.

 

[Kiama Chris]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Cox revert to the 3 tall setup with McCartin, McLean and Amartey to line up forward and Francis to directly replace Melican in defence. Freo have a tall defence in Pearce, Cox and Draper. Also, with 3 tall forwards selected, it gives us the added flexibility of swinging McCartin back if required. Lineup could look something like this:
B Rampe Hamling Wicks
HB Roberts Francis Blakey
C Florent Warner Lloyd
HF Campbell McCartin CoWarner
F Papley Amartey Hayward
Foll Grundy Heeney Rowbottom
Int Bice Jordan Hanily McLean
Sub Sheldrick / Cleary / Mitchell

I hope so.

 

[Bloods86]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Cox revert to the 3 tall setup with McCartin, McLean and Amartey to line up forward and Francis to directly replace Melican in defence. Freo have a tall defence in Pearce, Cox and Draper. Also, with 3 tall forwards selected, it gives us the added flexibility of swinging McCartin back if required. Lineup could look something like this:
B Rampe Hamling Wicks
HB Roberts Francis Blakey
C Florent Warner Lloyd
HF Campbell McCartin CoWarner
F Papley Amartey Hayward
Foll Grundy Heeney Rowbottom
Int Bice Jordan Hanily McLean
Sub Sheldrick / Cleary / Mitchell

Maybe. Freo is the team to do it against, not many small forwards of note (put Wicks on Bolton if he plays there or Frederick) and as you say, a tall defence. But it does sound like McLean only got his first full game in last week, so I'd maybe give him another before considering for seniors. Buller on the other hand would have been able to keep cardio up despite injury and kicked 4 a few weeks ago (no update on recent VFL practice games). And I'd prefer McCartin back over Francis.

So we could do the following, a few extra changes for mine.

Out: Melican McInerney Paton Papley
In: Ladhams Buller Sheldrick Cleary

FB: Wicks McCartin Rampe
HB: Roberts Hamling Blakey
C: Lloyd Heeney Florent
HF: Campbell Buller Chad
FF: Corey Amartey Hanily
R: Grundy Rowy Jordon
Int: Ladhams Bice Sheldrick Cleary
Sub: Hayward

Ladhams to relieve Grundy a bit versus 2 rucks, and up forward when Amartey or Buller are off.

Papley's either injured or unforgiveably lazy, so should be dropped. If we decide things aren't dire enough to bring Cleary in, I'd prefer he played VFL first tbh, we could have Mitchell in.

Edit: If McLean plays, I'd stick with 2 KPFs (him and Amartey), leave Hayward in as a 3rd target, Mitchell sub.

 

[Donza]

Strange. I expected them to be full of despair and getting ready to tank given the season is effectively over.

They read BF i'll have you know!

 

[Donza]

 

[Donza]

So it looks pretty likely that Doss is fwd.
Tmac back.

 

[Bloods86]

So it looks pretty likely that Doss is fwd.
Tmac back.

Yeah sounded like it. Hope he can run out a game.

Happy if Tmac back instead of bringing Francis in.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Sir Dane for PM.

No, actually, scrap that.

Sir Dane for Intergalactic Leader.

 

[Bloods86]

Sir Dane for PM.

No, actually, scrap that.

Sir Dane for Intergalactic Leader.

No doubt he's more than capable however high the post is.

 

[Donza]

Sir Dane for PM.

No, actually, scrap that.

Sir Dane for Intergalactic Leader.

 

[Kbroome]

This is gonna sound dumb but something tells me that Snell is gonna come into the senior side very very soon. Don't think it will be straight away but wouldn't be surprised if he gets a debut rd4-5

 

[Donza]

So McLean for Melican. Looks all but confirmed.
Bice to take Paton's spot. Maybe a sub swap. Hopefully not.
Third change?

 

[Dubai Quacker]

So McLean for Melican. Looks all but confirmed.
Bice to take Paton's spot. Maybe a sub swap. Hopefully not.
Third change?

Bice takes McInerney's spot, not Paton's.

 

[Donza]

Bice takes McInerney's spot, not Paton's.

You think Paton will start?

 

[Dubai Quacker]

You think Paton will start?

I suspect he won't. Blokes that get subbed out of losing sides usually face the axe.

I think we might bring in Francis to replace Paton.

 

[caesar88]

This is gonna sound dumb but something tells me that Snell is gonna come into the senior side very very soon. Don't think it will be straight away but wouldn't be surprised if he gets a debut rd4-5

Not to be dramatic but I will literally cry tears of joy in the middle of the Woolies carpark if that happens

 

[hairy biker]

Not to be dramatic but I will literally cry tears of joy in the middle of the Woolies carpark if that happens

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

In what will be a close fought affair in the first half, expect Freo to slowly pull away and take the win. They have very good marking forwards and I expect them to respond at home after last week’s debacle, especially in the midfield.

We will continue to display very promising signs which will bear fruit a little later in the season.

Freo by 17.

 

[Donza]

In what will be a close fought affair in the first half, expect Freo to slowly pull away and take the win. They have very good marking forwards and I expect them to respond at home after last week’s debacle, especially in the midfield.

Is that you ChatGPT?

 

[Bloods86]

Not to be dramatic but I will literally cry tears of joy in the middle of the Woolies carpark if that happens

I'm sure there's context to this.

 

[joeykanga]

It's like when Reid would take intercept marks down back late in quarters/games, or be thrown there as an extra.

It led people to talk him up as a KPD during the off season. Maybe he could have been developed there more throughout his career (he did play there in juniors), though usually was just struggling to stay on the park (not on him). But it was just a thought bubble, because intercepting and spare man back does not equate to being responsible for someone over a whole game.

And when he was fit, he clearly belonged in the forward line. There was no reason to switch.

I didn't see it (him playing well down back).

McCartin is a good KPD, should be coming into his prime years having just turned 25. He's had concussion disruptions, including last year which was admittedly a down year. Where he lacks (outside of form) is the body to hold out against the really big KPFs, which Logan doesn't have either. So the solution there would be to bring in a bigger KPD to allow Tmac and Melican to play on the next 2. Not replace him with someone that arguably has less contested presence.

Logan is 22, 23 shortly, probably a few years off his prime. But after 4 years of playing forward, and him clearly showing promise (including the prelim before injury), we're apparently thinking of switching him too...

So instead of leaving things as they are and hopefully reaping rewards of players experienced in respective roles, coming into their prime years now or over the next few, we're going to switch them and spend time waiting for them to get to a good level (more confident on Tmac forward). If that is the plan anyway.

Obviously we're short forward at the moment so playing Tmac there is OK, as long as we have the players down back (very questionable this week). But if we persist with these experiments when we're struggling at either end, for no good reason, then it's simply bad

Already dropped two at home, one against an underdone Lions who lost a few players throughout the game.
So I have us winning 3 of the next 9 max!

We've lost narrowly against possibly the 2 top sides. They might have lost players during the game..ours were out before the game. They didn't look underdone...interrupted training perhaps during the week of the cyclone although didn't they spend the week down here but they still trained and had a preseason. Is that just the press invented line that they were underdone