- Nov 23, 2015
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- AFL Club
- GWS
- Moderator
- #1
Look away now dlanod. The games just get tougher. Next week our opponent is Brisbane, at their home ground. They sit second on the ladder, with a healthy percentage (second only to Sydney), and they've now won 9 games in a row - their last loss being a 4-goal defeat to Hawthorn. Remarkably, we're sitting just 2 points and 2 places (plus some percentage) below them, thanks mainly to their very slow start to the season. Our recent formline reads 5 wins. However, that's certainly not as convincing as it sounds, with very narrow wins gained against Hawks this week and Demons last week. In most of those games, we've played patchily - clearly some scintillating attack, but also giving up significant leads, comebacks, runs of goals or just playing poorly at times. We are so close to making finals that we can taste it, but it's not guaranteed yet. One more win should do it. Can we rebel against respective formlines and do it with an upset against the Lions?
Following a 2-5 start to the season and with four players on the sidelines with season-ending knee injuries, Brisbane has fought hard to find itself as a premiership fancy. Their latest win over the Saints was as powerful as it was clinical. In a way, the injuries and early-season adversity may have set them up for a good back end. Kai Lohmann is having a huge impact, Logan Morris can compete at the top level, Cam Rayner has gone up a few levels, the defenders are covering for each other and there is no longer a reliance on Lachie Neale or Harris Andrews to produce a huge game to guarantee success. Conversely, none of Joey, Hipwood or Charlie Cameron are having as big a season as they would like. But don't dismiss them as not a threat - because they are.
Still, GWS has equivalent players in many of those positions. Hogan is leading the Coleman medal race; Toby is neck-and-neck for the top scoring small/medium forward. Brent Daniels is having a seriously good year. Whitfield is in the mix for AA, while Taylor, Buckley and Idun continue to form a strong defence. It's probably in the midfield where the Lions look stronger, as without Coniglio and Kelly, it's been left to Tom Green and Finn Callaghan for the heavy lifting, with guest roles for Ward, Peatling, and McMullin. We are still heavily reliant on Briggs too, for clearances and tackles (he's 6th in the comp for clearances, ahead of players such as Bont & Anderson; he's 26th in the comp for tackles, 2nd most of all GWS players, and ahead of Tom Green).
So, what are the likely changes? Well, there were a few fans surprised at Gru getting the call over Lachie Keeffe, and he was subbed out early, not having impacted the match too much. Whereas Cadman playing second ruck seemed be more involved. Will there be a change there? As well, Briggs looks to be a bit banged up. Does that indicate that Keeffe should come in to take some weight off the Big Rig's shoulders? Or does Kingsley go smaller - Callum Brown, for instance? Will Kelly or Cogs be available to play? Last week's injury report had both at 1-2 weeks, and Kingers' comments indicated Kelly was more likely to play than Cogs. That will help, but will it be enough? I assume Bedford will tag someone, probably Lachie Neale. And we'll rely on our standard backline talls to blunt Joe & Co; but can we stifle their small forward as well?
It's going to be a fascinating game. Can we avoid (a) a slow start & (b) falling asleep for a quarter or two? Beating the Lions at the Gabba will be a tough ask, but if we can win it would cement our place in the finals I reckon, as well as keeping us alive for a top 4 finish.
What are your thoughts? if you were Kingers, what tweaks to the team, or tactics would you make?
Following a 2-5 start to the season and with four players on the sidelines with season-ending knee injuries, Brisbane has fought hard to find itself as a premiership fancy. Their latest win over the Saints was as powerful as it was clinical. In a way, the injuries and early-season adversity may have set them up for a good back end. Kai Lohmann is having a huge impact, Logan Morris can compete at the top level, Cam Rayner has gone up a few levels, the defenders are covering for each other and there is no longer a reliance on Lachie Neale or Harris Andrews to produce a huge game to guarantee success. Conversely, none of Joey, Hipwood or Charlie Cameron are having as big a season as they would like. But don't dismiss them as not a threat - because they are.
Still, GWS has equivalent players in many of those positions. Hogan is leading the Coleman medal race; Toby is neck-and-neck for the top scoring small/medium forward. Brent Daniels is having a seriously good year. Whitfield is in the mix for AA, while Taylor, Buckley and Idun continue to form a strong defence. It's probably in the midfield where the Lions look stronger, as without Coniglio and Kelly, it's been left to Tom Green and Finn Callaghan for the heavy lifting, with guest roles for Ward, Peatling, and McMullin. We are still heavily reliant on Briggs too, for clearances and tackles (he's 6th in the comp for clearances, ahead of players such as Bont & Anderson; he's 26th in the comp for tackles, 2nd most of all GWS players, and ahead of Tom Green).
So, what are the likely changes? Well, there were a few fans surprised at Gru getting the call over Lachie Keeffe, and he was subbed out early, not having impacted the match too much. Whereas Cadman playing second ruck seemed be more involved. Will there be a change there? As well, Briggs looks to be a bit banged up. Does that indicate that Keeffe should come in to take some weight off the Big Rig's shoulders? Or does Kingsley go smaller - Callum Brown, for instance? Will Kelly or Cogs be available to play? Last week's injury report had both at 1-2 weeks, and Kingers' comments indicated Kelly was more likely to play than Cogs. That will help, but will it be enough? I assume Bedford will tag someone, probably Lachie Neale. And we'll rely on our standard backline talls to blunt Joe & Co; but can we stifle their small forward as well?
It's going to be a fascinating game. Can we avoid (a) a slow start & (b) falling asleep for a quarter or two? Beating the Lions at the Gabba will be a tough ask, but if we can win it would cement our place in the finals I reckon, as well as keeping us alive for a top 4 finish.
What are your thoughts? if you were Kingers, what tweaks to the team, or tactics would you make?
