_RT_
Community Leader
- Sep 17, 2006
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- #1
This Sunday we play our 2nd straight game at Marvel Stadium, this time against the Saints in what is the final chance we have to keep our finals hopes alive. Being a game and a half outside the 8 with a poor % we will need everything to go our way to be able to make it but it won't happen unless we can defeat the Saints on their home deck.
Like us the Saints have managed only 2 wins from their last 5 games, with their 2 wins being against Hawthorn and North, while they have lost to Melbourne Gold Coast and Carlton. The Saints aren't generally a high scoring team, in fact we've actually outscored them by 100 points this year, the problem is that defensively they are quite solid having conceded the 3rd lowest points against this year. It was only back in round 14 that we beat them at the MCG by 20 points so it's not like we can't beat them but that was also Cotchins 300th and I don't think we were ever going to lose that game.
In that game Taranto led the way in the midfield with 38 disposals 10 tackles 6 clearances and a goal, while old campaigners in Martin (35 disposals & 6 clearances) Cotchin (29 disposals 5 tackles 5 clearances and 2 goals) & Prestia (25 disposals 6 tackles & 7 clearances) wound back the clock to their glory days to provide great support. A few weeks later though and Prestia is probably the only one playing anywhere near that sort of level, with Martin and Cotchin unable to get up for the game against the Dogs and Taranto seemingly slowing down a little after carrying the load for most of the year. We will need to have all 4 of them at the best to be able to match it with the Saints midfield that can rack up big numbers themselves.
What will win this game is which teams forwards can capitalize best on their opportunities. We rolled out a different looking forward line against the Dogs with Bauer & Cumberland getting an opportunity to play alongside Jack and while we didn't get the result against the Dogs it should be given another crack against the Saints to see if they can click. After all it's got to be better than kicking it to Jack 3 on 1 and watching him getting belted in the twilight of his career. At the other end of the ground the Saints have their own concerns with their lack of scoreboard impact. Against Carlton they managed 8 goals for the game despite having 7 goals to half time and our back line will be looking to make amends after having a couple of big scores/bags kicked against them in recent weeks.
Now I know that a lot of posters are calling for us to wheel out the kids, but I don't expect it to happen this week especially given it's effectively the last chance we have to keep finals alive. So I'm expecting to see the likes of Grimes Martin & Cotchin all returning while we're likely to lose Hopper & Rioli to injury while Soldo is a chance to make way to give us a better balanced side to try and go with the Saints after we were unable to run with the Dogs on Friday night.
Possible Line Up:
B: Balta Young Grimes
HB: Short Broad Vlastuin
C: McIntosh Taranto Ross
HF: Pickett Bolton Baker
F: Cumberland Martin Riewoldt
R: Nankervis Prestia Cotchin
INT: Coulthard Graham Banks Bauer
EMG: Soldo Dow Brown Mansell
Heart says Tigers break their Marvel hoodoo and get the win to keep our hopes alive, but the head says the Saints get over the line in a close one to finally put us out of our misery.
Like us the Saints have managed only 2 wins from their last 5 games, with their 2 wins being against Hawthorn and North, while they have lost to Melbourne Gold Coast and Carlton. The Saints aren't generally a high scoring team, in fact we've actually outscored them by 100 points this year, the problem is that defensively they are quite solid having conceded the 3rd lowest points against this year. It was only back in round 14 that we beat them at the MCG by 20 points so it's not like we can't beat them but that was also Cotchins 300th and I don't think we were ever going to lose that game.
In that game Taranto led the way in the midfield with 38 disposals 10 tackles 6 clearances and a goal, while old campaigners in Martin (35 disposals & 6 clearances) Cotchin (29 disposals 5 tackles 5 clearances and 2 goals) & Prestia (25 disposals 6 tackles & 7 clearances) wound back the clock to their glory days to provide great support. A few weeks later though and Prestia is probably the only one playing anywhere near that sort of level, with Martin and Cotchin unable to get up for the game against the Dogs and Taranto seemingly slowing down a little after carrying the load for most of the year. We will need to have all 4 of them at the best to be able to match it with the Saints midfield that can rack up big numbers themselves.
What will win this game is which teams forwards can capitalize best on their opportunities. We rolled out a different looking forward line against the Dogs with Bauer & Cumberland getting an opportunity to play alongside Jack and while we didn't get the result against the Dogs it should be given another crack against the Saints to see if they can click. After all it's got to be better than kicking it to Jack 3 on 1 and watching him getting belted in the twilight of his career. At the other end of the ground the Saints have their own concerns with their lack of scoreboard impact. Against Carlton they managed 8 goals for the game despite having 7 goals to half time and our back line will be looking to make amends after having a couple of big scores/bags kicked against them in recent weeks.
Now I know that a lot of posters are calling for us to wheel out the kids, but I don't expect it to happen this week especially given it's effectively the last chance we have to keep finals alive. So I'm expecting to see the likes of Grimes Martin & Cotchin all returning while we're likely to lose Hopper & Rioli to injury while Soldo is a chance to make way to give us a better balanced side to try and go with the Saints after we were unable to run with the Dogs on Friday night.
Possible Line Up:
B: Balta Young Grimes
HB: Short Broad Vlastuin
C: McIntosh Taranto Ross
HF: Pickett Bolton Baker
F: Cumberland Martin Riewoldt
R: Nankervis Prestia Cotchin
INT: Coulthard Graham Banks Bauer
EMG: Soldo Dow Brown Mansell
Heart says Tigers break their Marvel hoodoo and get the win to keep our hopes alive, but the head says the Saints get over the line in a close one to finally put us out of our misery.
