The Next Two Weeks

[Mollythedolly]

I think the 2nd half of the season is when we might look to rest players. Until then, some judicious use of the sub position and the interchange bench is more than enough.

 

[Fruit]

It’s a bit over 2 week away but thought I’d say the Gods are finally smiling on us. Players are starting to miss games against us rather than get back just in time to play us like most years. Clayton Oliver

13

Clayton Oliver

Age

27

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.8

5star

K

9.5

4star

HB

18.4

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

6.3

5star

CL

6.3

5star

D

25.1

5star

K

11.1

4star

HB

14.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

19.2

5star

K

4.6

2star

HB

14.6

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

3.8

5star

looks like missing a month which means the Kings Birthday game. Huge for us.

 

[TradeDraft]

I didn't see the game but North annoyingly seemingly found some much needed spirit against Sydney and you only have to see what West Coast did to us last year at Marvel to know the result of any game is at risk if you aren't mentally switched on.

I'm all for player management and the big picture if you put yourself in a position where you can afford that luxury but at this point in the season I don't think we should tempt fate and "manage" more than 2 players completely out of the side each round over the next 2 weeks.

While it's been a great start to the season and a top 8 finish should be expected given we're currently 4 games and percentage clear of 9th, it's top 4 (preferably top 2 to avoid the Gabba or Adelaide) that we're aiming for and a lot of water still has to go under that bridge.

Only worry I have about the North Game is that its at Marval

 

[soreplums]

I wouldn’t be resting anyone for the WC game. The last thing we need is rusty core players who haven’t played for 2 weeks coming in to play against a pumped up Melbourne.

I wouldn’t be resting players two weeks in a row.
some players may benefit from not flying to Perth and instead be ready for Melbourne on the return trip

 

[legendstatus]

These games are usually the most frustrating for us, so no to resting players especially after my ladder prediction for the rest of the season, % will be important

By the way, we beat Dees in the GF!

 

[LuckyLee]

These games are usually the most frustrating for us, so no to resting players especially after my ladder prediction for the rest of the season, % will be important

By the way, we beat Dees in the GF!

View attachment 1694314

Saints to finish 3rd and Crows to miss out? Big calls!


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[LuckyLee]

SO you think a revved up WAFL side will beat us?

Its amazing to me that so many people think results are so influenced by effort and willpower

Its a technical, highly skilled and rehearsed game. Effort is required, sure. But its not like I can speak Mandarin tomorrow just because of a revv up

This would be an excellent argument if not for the fact that last year we DID lose to “a revved up WAFL side” - and in Melbourne, not Perth. So it CAN happen, however unlikely it seems.


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[domus]

It’s a bit over 2 week away but thought I’d say the Gods are finally smiling on us. Players are starting to miss games against us rather than get back just in time to play us like most years. Clayton Oliver looks like missing a month which means the Kings Birthday game. Huge for us.

Apparently, he is still running at training and may only miss a week or two.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Last year we saw that neither of these two teams can be taken for granted.

And we shouldn’t take them for granted by resting players .. unless we’d prefer to spare somebody who is banged up from the trip to Perth.

We’ve got some big ins coming over the next month - Lippa, Frampton and McStay. There’ll be time enough for resting when they’re back and available.

 

[manicpie]

No change to anything, business as usual

 

[BigVic]

Business as usual for us. Let's focus on these games. I remember North pushed us to the limit last year and the Eagles with a B-grade side defeated us at Marvel. So it's no easy walkover.

 

[Apex36]

I wouldn’t be resting players two weeks in a row.
some players may benefit from not flying to Perth and instead be ready for Melbourne on the return trip

I didn’t say rest them for two games. If you miss a game of footy you haven’t played for 2 weeks. You miss two then it’s 3 weeks since you played.

 

[Jelly Bean]

The Melbourne game is going to be super critical. I'd take a couple of softer wins over the next two weeks to lock in a win against Melbourne. If freshening up a Mitchell, Adams, Elliott, or Sidey costs us some margin in the next two weeks, but helps us win that game, then we should do it.

If we beat Melbourne, we will be 12 - 1 at the bye (with a percentage advantage on the next few teams), and it will be hard to displace us from the Top 2, which will be important to avoid going to Brisbane in the finals.

 

[jmac70]

No to managing players from me.
Pick the best side every week and win by as much as we can.

 

[legendstatus]

These games are usually the most frustrating for us, so no to resting players especially after my ladder prediction for the rest of the season, % will be important

By the way, we beat Dees in the GF!

View attachment 1694314

Tbh I didn’t pay a lot of attention to which team but selected what were certs for me - I could have tipped against us for 2 others game as well

Didn’t even notice where I had Adelaide but there you go

 

[Daicos Torpedo]

Rest a few.
Play those who warrant rewards.
Pendles and SBum might Have a touch of the calves soreness after Sunday.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

No to managing players from me.
Pick the best side every week and win by as much as we can.

I have nothing but love for you, jmac70, but I feel like this is old-school thinking and we need to give ourselves every single possible advantage going into a finals campaign.

I agree leading into the final month or so of the home-and-away season, we need to be playing our best 22 regularly to get continuity and not be flirting with form. However there is a week’s break before the start of finals anyway.

Now is when we should be looking to take advantage of our game in hand on top of the ladder, and weak opponents for two weeks running… if they aren’t already tanking then they ought to be.

I’m not talking about wholesale changes, but two or three players getting some additional rest for each of these games. Naicos, Pendles, Adams, Mitchell, De Goey, Elliott, Checkers… the guys who get smashed every week. If one week we rest Elliott, Checkers and Mitchell and instead play Carmichael Reef and Macrae… we’re not suddenly going to lose to the WCE who just lost by 116 points to freakin’ Hawthorn.

This is an investment in the health of our key guys and some added insurance against a long term injury in an otherwise almost meaningless game. Let’s make sure they’re available when there is history to be made.

 

[lyfsux]

Keen to see how we manage this next fortnight. Would love the luxury to rest a few of the older legs, maybe save a trip to perth for a vet or 2. Also would love to give a look to macrae and carmichael, maybe one or two others.

But equally we can't be complacent and don't want to flirt with form. North probably should have got up over sydney last week, and gave us a scare last year. West coast are a bit of a bogey side for us and are every chance to see simmo leave in the next few weeks and come out fired up at home. Not to mention if you pick say carmichael and rest adams, and carmichael gets 20 and kicks 3, what do you say to him when you've got to get adams back in to the team?

Always a tricky balance between managing guys and maintaining selection integrity. I think it comes down to if someone's sore you just lower the threshold for when you don't play... easier said than done though.

You say nothing to Carmicheal BUT you say to Adams don't let the door hit your arse on the way out

 

[Jen2310]

Next week we'll start rotating players. Reckon we'll see some players being rested and getting a look at some younger players including Harrison and more games for Reef and Macrae.

 

[soreplums]

I didn’t say rest them for two games. If you miss a game of footy you haven’t played for 2 weeks. You miss two then it’s 3 weeks since you played.

Isn’t that what happens when you win a Qualifying Final? By that reasoning you are better off losing it so you have to play every week in the finals to not be rusty.

History says that most teams struggle the week after they play in Perth. The only team that has won this year when returning from Optus is the Bulldogs.

I’d be making adjustments to team selections and roles over the next two weeks On balance. Rest some against North, bring them back against West Coast and rest others. Give McRae, Carmichael and Reef tw/o weeks on the ground. Give players like Adams increased midfield time and play JDG up forward more.

 

[sideswipe]

I have nothing but love for you, jmac70, but I feel like this is old-school thinking and we need to give ourselves every single possible advantage going into a finals campaign.

I agree leading into the final month or so of the home-and-away season, we need to be playing our best 22 regularly to get continuity and not be flirting with form. However there is a week’s break before the start of finals anyway.

Now is when we should be looking to take advantage of our game in hand on top of the ladder, and weak opponents for two weeks running… if they aren’t already tanking then they ought to be.

I’m not talking about wholesale changes, but two or three players getting some additional rest for each of these games. Naicos, Pendles, Adams, Mitchell, De Goey, Elliott, Checkers… the guys who get smashed every week. If one week we rest Elliott, Checkers and Mitchell and instead play Carmichael Reef and Macrae… we’re not suddenly going to lose to the WCE who just lost by 116 points to freakin’ Hawthorn.

This is an investment in the health of our key guys and some added insurance against a long term injury in an otherwise almost meaningless game. Let’s make sure they’re available when there is history to be made.

I would counter that by saying that unless a player needs a rest(say if their data is down), then picking a few veterans to rest now is unnecessary. There is a bye in a few weeks. Go hard until then.


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[Apex36]

Isn’t that what happens when you win a Qualifying Final? By that reasoning you are better off losing it so you have to play every week in the finals to not be rusty.

History says that most teams struggle the week after they play in Perth. The only team that has won this year when returning from Optus is the Bulldogs.

I’d be making adjustments to team selections and roles over the next two weeks On balance. Rest some against North, bring them back against West Coast and rest others. Give McRae, Carmichael and Reef tw/o weeks on the ground. Give players like Adams increased midfield time and play JDG up forward more.

We have an 8.5 day break after playing in Perth. We’ll be fine.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

We need to approach every game seriously. We have an eight? day break following the eagles game and then a bye. No need for wholesale changes.

For this weeks North game, Maybe rest/ drop a junior player like Ginnivan this week to bring in a new player, and put a senior player like adams on the sub bench. Maybe rest N Daicos this week but only if he is sore.

I’d rest one senior player at the absolute maximum for the Perth trip v Eagles who beat us last year. ….perhaps Pendles or Elliott

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I have nothing but love for you, jmac70, but I feel like this is old-school thinking and we need to give ourselves every single possible advantage going into a finals campaign.

I agree leading into the final month or so of the home-and-away season, we need to be playing our best 22 regularly to get continuity and not be flirting with form. However there is a week’s break before the start of finals anyway.

Now is when we should be looking to take advantage of our game in hand on top of the ladder, and weak opponents for two weeks running… if they aren’t already tanking then they ought to be.

I’m not talking about wholesale changes, but two or three players getting some additional rest for each of these games. Naicos, Pendles, Adams, Mitchell, De Goey, Elliott, Checkers… the guys who get smashed every week. If one week we rest Elliott, Checkers and Mitchell and instead play Carmichael Reef and Macrae… we’re not suddenly going to lose to the WCE who just lost by 116 points to freakin’ Hawthorn.

This is an investment in the health of our key guys and some added insurance against a long term injury in an otherwise almost meaningless game. Let’s make sure they’re available when there is history to be made.

I’d argue that resting three players per game IS making wholesale changes.

One at the absolute maximum assuming they aren’t carrying any injuries.

 

[76woodenspooners]

I’d argue that resting three players per game IS making wholesale changes.

One at the absolute maximum assuming they aren’t carrying any injuries.

Oh how times have changed

Making three changes wasn’t unusual under Buckley