Prediction Round 3, 2023: Changes vs Fremantle

[Ambrose Burnside]

Assuming none of Nic Nat, Yeo or Culley are available:

IN: Hough, Hewett to start
OUT: Chesser, Gaff

Unsure who to sub. Whoever else did well in the WAFL. Clark or West?

Although I also feel like we need an extra tall. Which feels weird to say because we're usually too tall.

 

[Mulldogg]

Although I also feel like we need an extra tall. Which feels weird to say because we're usually too tall.

Highly, highly unlikely but could Barnett get a half and an bit and then be subbed out?

Would be throwing the kid to the wolves no doubt but not sure Waterman will be as effective pinch hitting against Jackson as opposed to Riccardi or Himmelberg.

Jamieson looks like he has an ankle out of the WAFL game so our ruck stocks are very thin.

 

[Doashuey]

Unless we have NN, Yeo, Culley and maybe Hough good to go next week, I suspect we will go in with no change. I think they will be crying out for some consistency after last years musical chairs so will welcome the chance to go in unchanged after a solid win and no one really knocking down the door.
Possibly swap Hewitt and Chesser for the sub vest but I dont think we will see much change this week.

 

[DanWCE]

I'm still trying to work out if Simmo backed himself into a corner by declaring Gaff fit and running like he's a teenager again, or if it was some intentional 4D chess to remove any excuses for Gaff if he doesn't deliver, so that the way is paved to drop him.

 

[Obeanie1]

Why wouldn't I know.
I watched the pre season games and he was poor then it's continued in the first 2 games of the season. That's 4 poor games for Gaff.

Could replace him easily now we have Culley and Yeo back. Also as someone mentioned Clark. There's three players we can replace him with. Hewitt could be given a full game instead of sub.
Make that 4 players.

The Gaff excuses are getting old real fast.

Yeo and Culley aren't fit nor available ATM.

Hewett obviously can't run out a game right now either.

So 3 out of your 4 simply are not up to it ATM.

Clark I can make an argument for and I've posted several times he should get an extended run at the top level. Is he a Gaff replacement.......?

I'm all for a better player to push Gaff out the side, it's the ''circle of football life'. But right now, today, I don't see an obvious better / younger player displacing him.

Another good game by West or Clark and a poor showing by Gaff then things may change.

We are already carrying Chesser in rthe team for 'development' and you pick too many of those we will end up like Hawthorn

 

[Rowan18]

Chesser has to be dropped. Two weeks in a row where he has done stuff all. Its not good for his development - he needs to go back to the WAFL and get used to finding the footy.

 

[RedWeddingGuest]

Ok. Understand where you’re coming from

I meant Duggan will be fine. Wehr whilst not concussed, unfortunately looks to have hurt his shoulder and likely to miss some playing time

As for the bump itself, Duggan’s elbow was tucked in at the point of contact and only came up after. If they’re going to suspend him on the potential for injury then the bump is truly dead

Unlike the macadam bump, Duggan didn’t have the option to tackle as Wehr hadn’t taken possession and he was contesting the space where the ball was dropping. Most importantly the contact wasn’t high which seems to be the main determinant in these situations- had he got Wehr above the shoulder he’d be in trouble

Thanks again. Persuasive post. The bump may not be dead, but it looks to me like it’s on life support…


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[Marlin01]

Chesser has to be dropped. Two weeks in a row where he has done stuff all. Its not good for his development - he needs to go back to the WAFL and get used to finding the footy.

It's been a poor bit of selection hasn't it? The Eagles have painted themselves into a corner.

 

[Chris_6678]

In: Hough
Out: Chesser

Sub: This week id make Eijah sub but a full game the following week. Not ideal but no idea who else would sub?

Hough to go down back with Hunt playing Chessers wing spot.

 

[RedWeddingGuest]

View attachment 1641334

The AFL has dropped the ball on that so badly, they give no *s about the action and almost exclusively adjudicate based on outcome. See: Pickett with one of the lowest acts in football last week getting two weeks while McAdam got three for a legitimate footy act gone wrong because a concussion test was done.

Perfectly legal bump, not a single GWS player remonstrated, shame the kid got hurt but there’s nothing head high or concussion related and there’s nothing the AFL can/will do about it. He’s in no trouble at all, and if he is it will tear the football world apart.

Also a persuasive post. And as Keys said, the elbow came up after the bump.


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[Obeanie1]

Chesser has to be dropped. Two weeks in a row where he has done stuff all. Its not good for his development - he needs to go back to the WAFL and get used to finding the footy.

Hopefully Hough comes in after recovering from whatever illnesd he had 3 weeks ago. He's been better than solid in the past two WAFL preseason games.

And the Derby is a good game to give Chesser a run in the two's.

West another who would be a good inclusion.

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

Changes!!! Really hard to predict after the last 2 rounds and only practice match for WAFL.

Waterman in our forward structure looked great. Loved that we had him as the second ruck and looked much faster generally. He also led up from inside 50 very differently to Oscar and Jack.

Calls for Witherden to be dropped are hard to understand based on Sunday. I thought he was one of our better defenders. In fact with Hunt, JJ, Duggan and Cole in our defence, we had a decent amount of speed. Pity that Barrass looked out of sorts and Guv was very clumsy.

Our band of returnees will take patience and time.

Jack and Oscar need to work out some chemistry as it was well short of the Jack/JK partnership. Both are quite rusty and there was confusion as to who would compete for deep balls kicked in and Haynes and Taylor had fun intercepting.

Gaff need to go to WAFL and find a new position. Not likely to happen but he needs to find a new position or change his game.
Sheed and Chesser are both candidates for getting really good long minutes in the WAFL. Chesser needs a confidence boost. Dropping him is hardly a confidence boost but neither is only playing 55% TOG and a total of 3 kicks and 3 handpasses. I think he needs to get full games and his hands on the ball as much as possible. This probably means WAFL for a month.
Cole was also a bit rusty but he settled better as the game went on. His endurance has been fine as he had 90% TOG

Hough sounds like he is not fully fit so I would not be bringing him in. West, Trew and Clarke are our options to bring in. I would resist the temptation to play SPS as midfielder - he looked much better as a high half forward.

Yeo and NicNat will need to be eased into competitive football. I am in no hurry to bring them in so I would definitely bring them via WAFL . Besides, Williams as the sole ruck playing 78% TOG supported by Waterman 84% TOG feels different to NicNat at much lower minutes. At his best in the last 2 yeas, he has done more like 60 to 70% TOG. Returning from an Achilles injury, I would expect 50% TOG as more likely. Is Waterman the option against the tandem of Jackson/Darcy?

It won't happen but I would drop Gaff and Chesser and bring in Hewett and Clarke with Trew as sub.

 

[Free Agent]

Thanks again. Persuasive post. The bump may not be dead, but it looks to me like it’s on life support…


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I think the way the game is like what Goodwin said after Pickets bump.

It's best to not even attempt it as there's such a high risk to getting suspended.
Simmo probably needs to tell Duggan to go the tackle over bumps.

In saying that it was a fair bump and he did everything right. Just is a worry because Duggan goes the bump a lot and one day it's gonna cost him a few games.

 

[bh90210fan]

All I know is that Waterman has to stay in his backup ruck role. A Jackson vs Snake battle of the unicorns is what the public needs.

 

[WestCoast05]

I am struggling to read so many wanting Yeo back in. He has played very little football in the last 30 months and has proven he takes time to build. If we are serious about earning your spot and not credits in the bank, then Yeo and probably NicNat come through WAFL.

But Yeo gives his all when he plays. He's not relying on credits and half-assing it at all. It's a completely different thing.
Even though he may be rusty noone can say he's not applying himself.

This is different than Sheed.
I don't know if Sheed's knees are shot or any number of reasons but he just looks so flat.
Gaff at least looks like he is trying to gut run but the game has just evolved and gotten way too fast for him.
Sheed is unapologetic about not putting in the yards, his skill level is through the roof but he won't chase, gut run or 'get in there'.
Very bizarre predicament we have down at West Coast.

Are we reverse tanking!?

 

[bzparkes]

I think the way the game is like what Goodwin said after Pickets bump.

It's best to not even attempt it as there's such a high risk to getting suspended.
Simmo probably needs to tell Duggan to go the tackle over bumps.

In saying that it was a fair bump and he did everything right. Just is a worry because Duggan goes the bump a lot and one day it's gonna cost him a few games.

Pickett left the ground and cannoned into a bloke in an incredibly dangerous manner.

Duggan's bump was hard but completely fair.

 

[Doashuey]

Pickett left the ground and cannoned into a bloke in an incredibly dangerous manner.

Duggan's bump was hard but completely fair.

And he was contesting a ball in dispute. Thats an important factor.
Pickett hit a bloke after he had disposed of it and the week before, Wher got shirtfronted when he had possession when a tackle should have been employed. Duggan had 2 choices- squib the contest or use his body to knock Wher off the ball. He made the right choice and executed it very well.

 

[Mop]

This doesn’t fill me with hope.


Did you come in thinking Waterman was going to pinch-hit in the ruck, and what did you think?

“As a ruckman, mediocre. The Giants do a similar thing. We’ve obviously got Freo next week who have got two A-grade ruckmen, so how we manage that … but I thought Bailey stepping up, he’s 23 and it’s been a real challenge for him to play out a four-quarter game and I thought he played his part today and Jakey got rewarded in the front half and pinch-hit for us.”

I didn’t hear those words from him re Jamieson and BBBBBB

Also no mention of Gaff being poor again

 

[AsterixTheGaul]

But Yeo gives his all when he plays. He's not relying on credits and half-assing it at all. It's a completely different thing.
Even though he may be rusty noone can say he's not applying himself.

Are we reverse tanking!?

When Yeo is not match fit, "his all" is not enough to justify playing with no matches under his belt. Look at how he went against Port last year in Adelaide.

There are a number of sorts of Credits in the Bank - this is one of them. We have seen with Hutching and Shuey how players who are not fully fit of coming back from injury - too often they break down early and invoke the sub. That is not smart match committee decision -making and we have been hurt with an early in game injury.

Unfortunately I think we as fans will become impatient with how Simpson wants Gaff no matter what. Clarke, Trew and West were all ahead of him late last year when he was banged up (admitted so by Simmo) yet he still played him. And at stoppages and CBA's FFS.

 

[WestCoast05]

When Yeo is not match fit, "his all" is not enough to justify playing with no matches under his belt. Look at how he went against Port last year in Adelaide.

There are a number of sorts of Credits in the Bank - this is one of them. We have seen with Hutching and Shuey how players who are not fully fit of coming back from injury - too often they break down early and invoke the sub. That is not smart match committee decision -making and we have been hurt with an early in game injury.

Unfortunately I think we as fans will become impatient with how Simpson wants Gaff no matter what. Clarke, Trew and West were all ahead of him late last year when he was banged up (admitted so by Simmo) yet he still played him. And at stoppages and CBA's FFS.

Yeah that's fair enough. I just want to draw a distinction between a player who is not match fit and a player who isn't willing to do the hard stuff.
The game has been evolving and very quickly and the players who won't commit to team defense are a much, much greater liability in 2023 than they once were.
It's solely in that regard to acknowledge the difference between a currently non-fit player and a player who will never apply a high degree of pressure regardless of their fitness.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

Duggan’s bump not mentioned in the MRO report today, for anyone wondering.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

Sadly yeo and nat are not available.

I reckon these two are going to be tbc for the rest of the year.

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[schmuttt]

please win

 

[Rowan18]

Sadly yeo and nat are not available.

I reckon these two are going to be tbc for the rest of the year.

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Nic Nat I understand but Yeo's calf is a strange one. He played both scratch matches and looked good, then was reported to have a minor calf. If he gets up for the Demons game, that's 4 weeks since he last played.

He was also listed as a test for round 2, implying he should be close.

 

[06Premiers]

please win

ok.