_RT_
Community Leader
- Sep 17, 2006
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- #1
This Sunday we take on Melbourne in what shapes as McQualters biggest game of his tenure. A win in this game and other results going our way could very well see us sitting inside the 8 by 6pm Sunday night. The main issue standing in our way is that while we've won the last 2 games our form hasn't exactly been at our best as we needed a big burst to get over the Eagles in Perth and then needed the Hawks to choke big time to overhaul a 6 goal deficit to keep our finals hope alive.
On the flip side to that is that Melbourne haven't been playing that well either, they needed to kick 4 late goals to over run the Lions 2 weeks ago and then needed to hold off a fast finishing Adelaide at the MCG who kicked 7.2 in the last to nearly pinch the win. Much like us their forward line isn't necessarily working that well, which could give us an opportunity, if we can get back to being more efficient with our forward 50 entries.
Firstly we need to get Jack some sort of assistance inside the F50, whether that is bringing in Cumberland to give us a point of difference inside F50, or bringing Bauer back in who is a test this week to return to provide us with a mobile lead up marking option. I think Miller stays in the side to try and engage one of May or Lever, while Jack will have his hands full with the other, while Jack might not be at the peak of his powers, you know that he'll do everything he can to ensure that his opponent doesn't have that big of an impact either.
Secondly we'll need to improve our work in the middle, the Hawks made us look quite average at times as they continually waltzed out of the middle with little to no pressure on them. We can't give the Demons midfield that sort of opportunity as they will make us pay, even if their forwards aren't firing, because the one thing forwards love more than anything is clean delivery into the F50 and if we allow that to happen our back line, who have been quite good in recent weeks will be under all sorts of pressure.
On a positive note, both Short and Bauer are listed as tests to return this week and would be welcome additions to the 22, but the problem is who goes out. When you look at Saturdays game there weren't many who played poorly enough to say they get dropped without question, while some may not have got a heap of possessions, their importance to the way the side structures up and how we play as a group is often overlooked by a lot of us supporters who get caught up in numbers on stats sheets. There are a number of players in our side who play roles that sacrifice their ability to run around and get possessions that would have none of us questioning their position in the side.
Having said that we still need to pick a side for this week and here is my possible line up
B: Balta Grimes Broad
HB: D.Rioli Vlastuin Short
C: McIntosh Taranto Ross
HF: Graham Hopper Baker
F: Riewoldt Martin Cumberland
R: Soldo Prestia Bolton
INT: Cotchin Mansell Banks Miller
SUB: Coulthard
In: Short Cumberland
Out: Young Pickett
As I said nobody in the side against Hawthorn deserves to be omitted, however a player that makes us better(Short) and a POD in Cumberland who can provide a spark either on the ground or in the air gives us the best chance to come away with the 4 points and keep our hopes of playing finals alive.
I believe this game will be a 1-2 goal win to either side, but as I said we're going to have to step up our overall performance across 4 quarters for it to end up like that.
On the flip side to that is that Melbourne haven't been playing that well either, they needed to kick 4 late goals to over run the Lions 2 weeks ago and then needed to hold off a fast finishing Adelaide at the MCG who kicked 7.2 in the last to nearly pinch the win. Much like us their forward line isn't necessarily working that well, which could give us an opportunity, if we can get back to being more efficient with our forward 50 entries.
Firstly we need to get Jack some sort of assistance inside the F50, whether that is bringing in Cumberland to give us a point of difference inside F50, or bringing Bauer back in who is a test this week to return to provide us with a mobile lead up marking option. I think Miller stays in the side to try and engage one of May or Lever, while Jack will have his hands full with the other, while Jack might not be at the peak of his powers, you know that he'll do everything he can to ensure that his opponent doesn't have that big of an impact either.
Secondly we'll need to improve our work in the middle, the Hawks made us look quite average at times as they continually waltzed out of the middle with little to no pressure on them. We can't give the Demons midfield that sort of opportunity as they will make us pay, even if their forwards aren't firing, because the one thing forwards love more than anything is clean delivery into the F50 and if we allow that to happen our back line, who have been quite good in recent weeks will be under all sorts of pressure.
On a positive note, both Short and Bauer are listed as tests to return this week and would be welcome additions to the 22, but the problem is who goes out. When you look at Saturdays game there weren't many who played poorly enough to say they get dropped without question, while some may not have got a heap of possessions, their importance to the way the side structures up and how we play as a group is often overlooked by a lot of us supporters who get caught up in numbers on stats sheets. There are a number of players in our side who play roles that sacrifice their ability to run around and get possessions that would have none of us questioning their position in the side.
Having said that we still need to pick a side for this week and here is my possible line up
B: Balta Grimes Broad
HB: D.Rioli Vlastuin Short
C: McIntosh Taranto Ross
HF: Graham Hopper Baker
F: Riewoldt Martin Cumberland
R: Soldo Prestia Bolton
INT: Cotchin Mansell Banks Miller
SUB: Coulthard
In: Short Cumberland
Out: Young Pickett
As I said nobody in the side against Hawthorn deserves to be omitted, however a player that makes us better(Short) and a POD in Cumberland who can provide a spark either on the ground or in the air gives us the best chance to come away with the 4 points and keep our hopes of playing finals alive.
I believe this game will be a 1-2 goal win to either side, but as I said we're going to have to step up our overall performance across 4 quarters for it to end up like that.
