Preview Round 3: Melbourne vs Essendon, MCG, Friday 05/04/19, 7:50 PM, The Melksham-Hibberd-Neeld Trophy

[Mr Mojo Risin]

well.....awesome.

Perhaps some minor personnel changes, but some tweaks to format.
In: Ridley, Z.Clarke, Stewart
Out: Brown, Guelfi, McKernan

Ridley Hurley Francis
Saad Ambrose Heppell
Merrett Shiel Smith
Langford Stewart McKenna
Fantasia TBC Tippa
Z.Clarke Stringer Myers
Baguley Parish McGrath Zaka

Ridley Hurley Francis - this is our best defensive back line right now. When Hooker returns, we should send him forward in the absence of a decent FF.
Saad Ambrose Heppell - Send the captain back a la Hodge. He's skirting the edges too much around the middle.
-------------------------------
Merrett Shiel Smith - Our 3 best mids. Stick them together as long as possible. I would like to avoid seeing our forward pocket players on the ball.
Clarke Stringer Myers - Bigger bodies and a more mobile ruck. Gawn is gonna paste whoever we put in there, so we may as well put someone who can run in.
-------------------------------
Langford Stewart McKenna* see below
Fantasia TBC Tippa - A big, tall, strong marking target. He may not clunk a few but he'll compete better than anyone we have. Tippa and Fanta need to learn to crumb more.

*Langford to the Tom Lynch role as a winger/HFF. Someone mentioned it in his thread. I quite like the idea. If he hasn't got the intensity, let him run and shake opponents loose as a link up player who can also get forward and kick a couple.
*Stewart is mobile, competes, not lost at sea when the ball hits the ground, and really who else do we have that we don't know the ceiling of. Give him the season to prove himself.
*McKenna. Defence isnt his game. But as a defensive forward, who is quick, runs laterally and doesn't mind a shot at goal, i think he could become a small forward/winger that could do some damage.

Bench - Baguley^, Parish, McGrath, Zaka
Had Laverde been fit, i would have been replacing Baguley.

I believe Stewart is also injured?

 

[citizen-erased]

I believe Stewart is also injured?

Ahh FFS.
Mosquito to FF then...

 

[eth-dog]

Should call this the Neeld Cup

I went two better in the title

 

[Beerfish]

In b4 no changes.

 

[vast]

Sadly we are going to get smashed

 

[table tennis]

Watch Hooker struggle down back with the new 6,6,6 rule. Will get burned on a lead. Now there is so much space, and we can't have our half forwards come off the back of the square to hold up the superior midfields of the opposition, Hurley and Hooksy are going to get crucified

 

[citizen-erased]

Watch Hooker struggle down back with the new 6,6,6 rule. Will get burned on a lead. Now there is so much space, and we can't have our half forwards come off the back of the square to hold up the superior midfields of the opposition, Hurley and Hooksy are going to get crucified

This is where i think we have a good backline in place with Ridley and Francis in. Both read the ball well.
Heppell could also be advantageous here.

Hooker would better off at FF now with the new setup.
What i wouldn't give to have those 2 fit and at their peak 2017 form.
We are severely missing a couple of decent KPF's.

 

[JayJ20]

I'm actually thinking we need Hooker forward. At least until Daniher's return. Our inside 50 entries are laughably bad and Hooker can at least take a mark.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

View attachment 646197

Watch Hooker struggle down back with the new 6,6,6 rule. Will get burned on a lead. Now there is so much space, and we can't have our half forwards come off the back of the square to hold up the superior midfields of the opposition, Hurley and Hooksy are going to get crucified

the 666 rule is literally no different to regular play except you cant have a spare back at the bounce.

there is no other difference to how the ball enters the fwd line any other time.

 

[table tennis]

View attachment 646197


the 666 rule is literally no different to regular play except you cant have a spare back at the bounce.

there is no other difference to how the ball enters the fwd line any other time.

It's significant to how we used to set up. By being able to have two half forwards behind the footy charging through the middle. Wall papered over the significant cracks we had in the centre square. It posed as both a defensive and attacking option, as if we won the footy created an overlap handball and our running game. Of we lost, we had extra numbers that we could cause a second stoppage or force errors from forward pressure.

This was fundamental to the way we played. We now have no cover and you can see the spread from opposition mids is far greater than ours!

Now when the opposition get clear run from the middle, our KPD are getting exposed badly

 

[windyhill]

Not that it matters at all but May is out for Melbourne. He's had a night mare start to his time at Melbourne, you could almost say that he's "had an Essendon"

 

[carloss]

Sadly we are going to get smashed

Nah, I'm pretty sure we can bring them down to our skill level.

 

[Sockeye]

No more +1 at the stoppage leaving the opposition a loose defender.
Back in the midfield to compete 1 on 1.
Back in the defenders to beat their man (they were very good for the second half on Saturday).
Give our forwards a chance to compete 1 v 1.

 

[vast]

Nah, I'm pretty sure we can bring them down to our skill level.

So only 50 point loss then. Cool.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Mate. While I'm as upset as anyone else about our start to the season, we have literally played 2 games of a 22 game season.

Not many teams play finals after starting 0-2

Dees,Lions,Kangas,Pies next 4

Only win I can see is against the Kangas.

 

[eth-dog]

Not many teams play finals after starting 0-2

Dees,Lions,Kangas,Pies next 4

Only win I can see is against the Kangas.

2 years ago we saw a team come from 0-6 and make finals.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Our forward line sub standard, their forward line sub standard. 1 goal 12 points each....draw.

 

[Rednblak]

Tom Bellchambers generally struggles against the top echelon of ruckmen

I always thought bellchambers plays ok against the good ruckmen but has absolute shockers against the average ones. Very accurate preview btw

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

2 years ago we saw a team come from 0-6 and make finals.

Hope you are right eth

 

[westking]

well.....awesome.

Perhaps some minor personnel changes, but some tweaks to format.
In: Ridley, Z.Clarke, Stewart
Out: Brown, Guelfi, McKernan

Ridley Hurley Francis
Saad Ambrose Heppell
Merrett Shiel Smith
Langford Stewart McKenna
Fantasia TBC Tippa
Z.Clarke Stringer Myers
Baguley Parish McGrath Zaka

Ridley Hurley Francis - this is our best defensive back line right now. When Hooker returns, we should send him forward in the absence of a decent FF.
Saad Ambrose Heppell - Send the captain back a la Hodge. He's skirting the edges too much around the middle.
-------------------------------
Merrett Shiel Smith - Our 3 best mids. Stick them together as long as possible. I would like to avoid seeing our forward pocket players on the ball.
Clarke Stringer Myers - Bigger bodies and a more mobile ruck. Gawn is gonna paste whoever we put in there, so we may as well put someone who can run in.
-------------------------------
Langford Stewart McKenna* see below
Fantasia TBC Tippa - A big, tall, strong marking target. He may not clunk a few but he'll compete better than anyone we have. Tippa and Fanta need to learn to crumb more.

*Langford to the Tom Lynch role as a winger/HFF. Someone mentioned it in his thread. I quite like the idea. If he hasn't got the intensity, let him run and shake opponents loose as a link up player who can also get forward and kick a couple.
*Stewart is mobile, competes, not lost at sea when the ball hits the ground, and really who else do we have that we don't know the ceiling of. Give him the season to prove himself.
*McKenna. Defence isnt his game. But as a defensive forward, who is quick, runs laterally and doesn't mind a shot at goal, i think he could become a small forward/winger that could do some damage.

Bench - Baguley^, Parish, McGrath, Zaka
Had Laverde been fit, i would have been replacing Baguley.

I agree with a lot of what you have said. But I honestly think it’s the right time to demote a senior player or even two. Personally I would drop two. Zaharakis and Baguley or TBell. Heppell is on shaky ground. Make them both play reserves for multiple weeks. The message needs to start sinking in. Games gaurenteed for no-one! Not one of them.
They can start sacking coaches sure but players take the field not coaches. It’s about time players take the responsibility despite the shit coaching.

 

[Blood Bomber]

Melksham-Hibberd-Neeld-Craig Trophy

 

[Rednblak]

My tip melbournes midfield to turn over the ball to our defenders who will then proceed to turn the ball over back to melbourne and then melbourne will kick the ball out on the full. Rinse repeat

 

[calyam]

Out: Zaharakis, Brown
In: Clarke, Ridley

Francis moved to the forward line

No.

We are not doing this with another player. Francis was outstanding in the run home last season down back. Among our best players during that period. His development won't be helped by creating uncertainly over role in the team.

 

[bombreys]

Just take out Myers, Zaharakis and Baguley. At the very least.

Would not surprise me if the i50 record is broken by Melbourne. We somehow won the clearances, but our midfield was beyond bad.

At times I'm not sure if it's gameplan/structure or our players just refuse to run. Please give McGrath and Parish an extended run at centre bounces.

These three are really hurting us.

Myers isn’t necessarily bad, but he’s just so slow and old, the only real positive is that he’s a big body. He doesn’t look when he kicks, he’s not a marking target, and just doesn’t provide anything to help us win games.

Bags has not impacted either game whatsoever. He gets his 5-8 stats a game, most of which are made up of fumbles and/or falling to the ground.

Zakka is an outside player who’s skills have now dropped from somewhere between good and great a few years ago, to average the past couple of years, to now being poor. An outside player with poor skills is useless.

These guys were all good to very good at some stage of careers, but we’ve hung onto them for far too long.

Bags right now isn’t getting a game for any other team in the league.

Myers has aged poorly, probably partly due to injury.

Zakka, as harsh as it sounds, only ever survived on skill and natural talent. A lot of people don’t like the word, but he’s too soft to be getting games when he can’t hit a target.

They’re getting games right now based on the number on the back of their jumper. If Ridley, Mutch and/or Parish played the type of games these guys had, they’d be off to the twos for half a season. It frustrates me to no end.

 

[citizen-erased]

I agree with a lot of what you have said. But I honestly think it’s the right time to demote a senior player or even two. Personally I would drop two. Zaharakis and Baguley or TBell. Heppell is on shaky ground. Make them both play reserves for multiple weeks. The message needs to start sinking in. Games gaurenteed for no-one! Not one of them.
They can start sacking coaches sure but players take the field not coaches. It’s about time players take the responsibility despite the shit coaching.

i would too, but i don't think it will happen.

ive started tempering my expectations with the selection committee.