Preview Round 4: Essendon vs GWS Giants, Docklands, Sunday 9th April @ 2.10pm

[ant555]

The solution was actually pretty straightforward this week, and imo makes us a better team. Langford back to the wing, Mass keeps playing in defence.

I actually think that Mass had a shocker defense wise. He was great with the ball in hand but he was terrible at the defense side. Personally I think they have to give Mass more work in the VFL on his defense or play him somewhere else. The knock on him before he was drafted was his defense. I am not really in the camp of leaving him in the side when he is pretty average in a key part of his position. So no I do not think it is as straightforward as that.

 

[jdstorm]

Part of me wonders what it would look like if Davey was playing HB. He’s pretty good defensively and is one of the best ball users/decision makers in the team.

It’s worked for a few teams (North/Pies) the last few years playing good ball using rookies in that spot

 

[ant555]

Part of me wonders what it would look like if Davey was playing HB. He’s pretty good defensively and is one of the best ball users/decision makers in the team.

It’s worked for a few teams (North/Pies) the last few years playing good ball using rookies in that spot

Would be interesting to see.

 

[Lore]

I said before thr Saints game that Stringer ought to have been given another VFL game (full game) to get his usual cobwebs out.

Him playing forward moves Langford out of there and keeps Voss out, as I think those three are competing with each other for that 3rd tall/medium forward and presently Langford is playing it better, though Stringe rhas the higher upside.

We are in a tough spot re Weideman - his competitiveness in the air is splotchy at best, but with Wright out we need someone playing that power forward role. Phillips is a nice gimmick but he can't be relied on consistently when he is also doing significant ruck time and he is a non factor at ground level defensively.
In reality we need Jones to be balling out to take that spot but that isn't happening on form.

Massimos work with ball in hand is exceptional, but he is a complete liability defensively. Higgins and Butler torched him consistently. If defence is his spot then he has to work on that, and VFL level is probably appropriate so he is exposed to less talented players as he learns.

The discussion on Heppell has been had.
Should he be picked on form? No.
Is he cooked? Absolutely
Are there clearly other factors at play than what we can see from the stands? Yes, but whatever benefits we are gaining are clearly being outweighed by the other side of the scales at the moment, and he would want to fix it fast.

I think compared with last year it’s just a straight swap Langford for Heppell. Langford wasn’t really in the forward line in 2022, just drifted forward with rotations, and Heppell was in defence

Weideman in for Francis (trd)

Hind is out for McGrath to go into defence

Davey is in for Guelfi (inj)

Durham is forward for Snelling (inj)

Caldwell and Shiel are a bit more forward for Smith (ret)

Setterfield has Stringer, Langford, McGrath, Smith midfield minutes

BZT is in for Stewart (inj)

Roughly

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Part of me wonders what it would look like if Davey was playing HB. He’s pretty good defensively and is one of the best ball users/decision makers in the team.

Hey? I’m all for playing him and he’s still very raw but way too early to make that call. Kicking for goal also leaves a bit to be desired.

 

[eth-dog]

The way I read it, our rotations are pretty easy to guess:

Def (7): Zerk, Laverde tall; Ridley, Langford*, Kelly medium; McGrath, Redman small
Mid (9): Draper* ruck; Parish, Caldwell*, Merrett, Shiel*, Setterfield inside; Durham, Martin*, Heppell outside
Forward (6): Weideman*, Jones tall; Stringer, Perkins* medium; Menzie, Davey small

*Players who probably rotate between two positions

 

[jdstorm]

Hey? I’m all for playing him and he’s still very raw but way too early to make that call. Kicking for goal also leaves a bit to be desired.

I think he’s done well as a forward.

Just curious with Menzie, Guelfi and Tippa being SFs, with Perkins playing as an oversized one and Snelling in the VFL (Plus Your mids resting forward)

If there might be the depth there to try Davey at HB since that 2nd HB spot seems to be available right now.

 

[bombadeer]

Stringer is taking Langfords spot in the forward line. I’d have kept Jones in, Stringer out.

I fully admit to having blinkers on when it comes to Jones though, maybe I overate his tireless running and contested marking.

 

[ghostdog]

I think he’s done well as a forward.

Just curious with Menzie, Guelfi and Tippa being SFs, with Perkins playing as an oversized one and Snelling in the VFL (Plus Your mids resting forward)

If there might be the depth there to try Davey at HB since that 2nd HB spot seems to be available right now.

He's done?

He's played three games and he just got drafted. Not against trying him at HB but he's far from done.

 

[andleanback]

He's done?

He's played three games and he just got drafted. Not against trying him at HB but he's far from done.

Done well?

 

[ghostdog]

Done well?

Oh. Hahahahaha! My apologies jdstorm

 

[andleanback]

Cadman didn’t play vfl today. Chance of a late change.

 

[Mikevk123]

Pretty annoyed Mass got dropped after probably his best game. His defensive attitude wasn’t great but he was an absolute weapon.

Stringer, Menzie, Jones, Heppell were all more deserving of being dropped.

 

[Zach Package]

His left boot makes everyone think Mass should be down back delivering to our forwards.

Am I the only one who remembers him kicking goals when put forward late last year?

Provided there are enough strong defensive minds around him he will be fine at half back but I agree, his best spot is pushing up from half forward

 

[andleanback]

Pretty annoyed Mass got dropped after probably his best game. His defensive attitude wasn’t great but he was an absolute weapon.

Stringer, Menzie, Jones, Heppell were all more deserving of being dropped.

A defender was coming in though, unless they were going to move mass up forward or onto a wing. He was the likely option to be dropped. Think we all just have to accept heppell isn’t going to get dropped for a while.

 

[Vindicater]

A defender was coming in though, unless they were going to move mass up forward or onto a wing. He was the likely option to be dropped. Think we all just have to accept heppell isn’t going to get dropped for a while.

I reckon no matter how Heppell plays this week he will be rested for the trip to Adelaide next week so that he can be ripe for Anzac day.

 

[andleanback]

I reckon no matter how Heppell plays this week he will be rested for the trip to Adelaide next week so that he can be ripe for Anzac day.

Yep agree

 

[carloss]

“He’s very limited”: Brereton’s concern for Heppell after slow start to 2023

“He’s such a wonderful footballing citizen, it’d be great to have him in the team but...”

www.sen.com.au

While Scott is set to persist with the 2014 All-Australian, Brereton is worried by Heppell’s lack of assets late in his career.

“I just see limited positions for him. You’ve got a bloke who’s one-sided, he’ll always swing onto his left… he’s not quick, he's not quite big enough to play in that pace mode against key position players, he’s not quite agile enough to take on a mobile sub-size key forward, he’s definitely not agile enough to take on a small forward,” he continued.

“He’s wing only. I thought for a while there… you might try and turn him into an inside midfield beast, but clearly they want to look other options in there as they build for the future.

“He’s very limited in where he can play.”

 

[Nifft]

I reckon no matter how Heppell plays this week he will be rested for the trip to Adelaide next week so that he can be ripe for Anzac day.

There's more than one way to take that...

 

[yaco55]

I actually think that Mass had a shocker defense wise. He was great with the ball in hand but he was terrible at the defense side. Personally I think they have to give Mass more work in the VFL on his defense or play him somewhere else. The knock on him before he was drafted was his defense. I am not really in the camp of leaving him in the side when he is pretty average in a key part of his position. So no I do not think it is as straightforward as that.

Agree 100% - Both McGrath and D'Ambrosio struggled defending StKilda's small forwards - Then you add Redman having a shocker and the back 6 was compromised - I doubt the selectors would drop McGrath or Redman.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Heppell to be rested for the trip to Adelaide next week so that he can be ripe for Anzac Day.

Haven't we suffered enough?

 

[MightyDon]

Pies to put a rookie on Hepp for a guaranteed Anzac Day medal

 

[JT_the_Man]

I actually think that Mass had a shocker defense wise. He was great with the ball in hand but he was terrible at the defense side. Personally I think they have to give Mass more work in the VFL on his defense or play him somewhere else. The knock on him before he was drafted was his defense. I am not really in the camp of leaving him in the side when he is pretty average in a key part of his position. So no I do not think it is as straightforward as that.

Oh trust me I don’t disagree that he was very poor defensively. I just don’t think it can be argued that Heppell was much better.

 

[ant555]

Oh trust me I don’t disagree that he was very poor defensively. I just don’t think it can be argued that Heppell was much better.

Not even Stevie Wonder could argue that.
The only thing that is saving Heppell right now is there is still some sort of respect within the playing group for him and his leadership which will also fall away before too long if he stays in the same form he is in.

 

[citizen-erased]

Not even Stevie Wonder could argue that.
The only thing that is saving Heppell right now is there is still some sort of respect within the playing group for him and his leadership which will also fall away before too long if he stays in the same form he is in.

Maybe they like him in cos he deflects the attention away from them?