What questions do our team still need to answer ahead of finals?

[76woodenspooners]

When will we play close to 4 quarters of footy again? Instead of getting by on a quarter or 2?
When will we hit our top form on the approach to finals?
Despite having the best percentage in the competition, would you guys agree that we still rarely go for the jugular when we can dominate opposition teams?
We lack killer instinct at times in my opinion.

Teams that dominate their opposition and blow them away tend to be dominant in clearances (and maybe forward line).

We’re not that.

With the exception of a handful of list changes, our starting 22 isn’t very different to the team that finished 17th with 6 wins a mere 18 months ago. The big change is that we’re now very well coached. By a coaching group who know how to get the best out of our players.

Our game style is very much about scoring from the back line. And by extension, our opponents need to expend more energy scoring than we do.

It also means that our opponents can decide that they’d rather stem the bleeding and have a respectable loss by not pushing forward so much.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I’d argue there’s really only two questions

Can we actually play well for four quarters?

Why did we recruit Frampton if we’re not going to let him settle down back?

I still maintain that unless we’re playing Melbourne in the Grand Final, we can’t win the Grand Final if Frampton isn’t playing at full back

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Not so much a question
But if we do beat Port next week, it will be interesting to see how we avoid getting complacent in the back few rounds of the year.

Will we manage players if we have locked up a top two spot with a few weeks left in the season? Hopefully not.

Who will our preferred sub be? Likely someone from yesterday's 23.

 

[domus]

Not so much a question
But if we do beat Port next week, it will be interesting to see how we avoid getting complacent in the back few rounds of the year.

Will we manage players if we have locked up a top two spot with a few weeks left in the season? Hopefully not.

Who will our preferred sub be? Likely someone from yesterday's 23.

The battle for a place in the finals best 23 will ensure there will be no complacency.

 

[frizzle]

The battle for a place in the finals best 23 will ensure there will be no complacency.

You didn't see any complacency yesterday?

 

[Go Woods]

1. Beat Geelong again in a few weeks, they look to be our biggest threat now. (thought it was Melbourne prior to this round)

2. Play 4 qtrs of Collingwood footy, come finals.

3.Can we fit Ginni back in the side as the sub come finals?
Reckon he can be our X factor wild card.

 

[No SPIN]

1. Beat Geelong again in a few weeks, they look to be our biggest threat now. (thought it was Melbourne prior to this round)

2. Play 4 qtrs of Collingwood footy, come finals.

3.Can we fit Ginni back in the side as the sub come finals?
Reckon he can be our X factor wild card.

I can’t see the MCG shrinking to the odd dimensions of GMHBA - Which would be needed, for Geel to stake the emphatic claim to flag contention, you infer, from their win over Ess.

 

[Go Woods]

I can’t see the MCG shrinking to the odd dimensions of GMHBA - Which would be needed, for Geel to stake the emphatic claim to flag contention, you infer, from their win over Ess.

No, not only on the back of last nights win.
They are building towards finals and have the experience and class to challenge us.
Our round 22 clash will be a good measure on whether we need to be worried about them in September.

 

[Daicos Torpedo]

Does the mind rule the body, or the body rule the mind?
I don't know...

Sorry

 

[Quicky]

Teams that dominate their opposition and blow them away tend to be dominant in clearances (and maybe forward line).

We’re not that.

With the exception of a handful of list changes, our starting 22 isn’t very different to the team that finished 17th with 6 wins a mere 18 months ago. The big change is that we’re now very well coached. By a coaching group who know how to get the best out of our players.

Our game style is very much about scoring from the back line. And by extension, our opponents need to expend more energy scoring than we do.

It also means that our opponents can decide that they’d rather stem the bleeding and have a respectable loss by not pushing forward so much.

The most interesting decision will be where we play Nick Daicos. If we are actually intent on winning only from defensive rebounds you'd think Nick Daicos stays back. I think we've already made that tactical switch of Nick Daicos to the middle and I expect that to continue.

I wonder if this is partly a response to our two losses to Melbourne and Brisbane which both involved beatings in the middle and intense defensive pressure all game. If we want to win in the middle Nick Daicos needs to play there with De Goey then the support cast.

From there I doubt we give up our rebound so we need to replace Nick Daicos. McRae has spoken about this in terms of list management but not so much as it relates to this season. To-date it's been Markov who has provided run, and he's been good, but he won't give you distribution. I wonder if Pendlebury spends more time back as we approach the finals.

 

[No SPIN]

No, not only on the back of last nights win.
They are building towards finals and have the experience and class to challenge us.
Our round 22 clash will be a good measure on whether we need to be worried about them in September.

How long can they avoid the inevitable decline in form with such an OLD best 22?
Have they improved since last year? - because we definitely have.

I think the scales are heavily tilted towards an early finals exit for Geel.

 

[1eon]

The most interesting decision will be where we play Nick Daicos. If we are actually intent on winning only from defensive rebounds you'd think Nick Daicos stays back. I think we've already made that tactical switch of Nick Daicos to the middle and I expect that to continue.

I wonder if this is partly a response to our two losses to Melbourne and Brisbane which both involved beatings in the middle and intense defensive pressure all game. If we want to win in the middle Nick Daicos needs to play there with De Goey then the support cast.

From there I doubt we give up our rebound so we need to replace Nick Daicos. McRae has spoken about this in terms of list management but not so much as it relates to this season. To-date it's been Markov who has provided run, and he's been good, but he won't give you distribution. I wonder if Pendlebury spends more time back as we approach the finals.

So where is Crisp playing right now?

I was under the impression that Crisp has taken Nick Daicos' half back spot. In any rate (result of this or not) since Nick has moved into the midfield, Crisp's form has gone back to the form that earned him back to back Copelands.

 

[sr36]

Pretty sure we can cope without WHE, yesterday probed that. I would prefer Adams to play that role

WHE is a pretty ideal sub as his flexibility would enable us to juggle easily as an injury sub, or can be used as the tactical sub to give us some extra run.

 

[ThePhantom777]

The most interesting decision will be where we play Nick Daicos. If we are actually intent on winning only from defensive rebounds you'd think Nick Daicos stays back. I think we've already made that tactical switch of Nick Daicos to the middle and I expect that to continue.

I wonder if this is partly a response to our two losses to Melbourne and Brisbane which both involved beatings in the middle and intense defensive pressure all game. If we want to win in the middle Nick Daicos needs to play there with De Goey then the support cast.

From there I doubt we give up our rebound so we need to replace Nick Daicos. McRae has spoken about this in terms of list management but not so much as it relates to this season. To-date it's been Markov who has provided run, and he's been good, but he won't give you distribution. I wonder if Pendlebury spends more time back as we approach the finals.

Quaynor and Noble give us that run out of the backline.

 

[robertg22]

1 - Selection stuff:

With Checkers and Cameron coming back, the main question for me is what the best set up is with all of the talls. We can't fit all of Checkers/McStay/Cox/Cameron/Johnson/Frampton in the lineup. 1-2 have to go, who are they?

Aside from the talls, assume the best lineup is what we had on the park vs Freo. Where does that leave WHE & Ginnivan?

2- Can we put more teams to the sword?

The Port & GC games are probably the only two examples of us asserting our dominance across 4 quarters. We have shown in patches that we can play the best football in the league, can we do it more often in games?

Also worth noting how accurate we have been this year - have kicked more goals than behinds in most games this year, 18.5 yesterday, unheard of for us!

3- Midfield mix:

Since Jordy's suspension we have moved Nick Daics into the midfield with great success so far. What is the #1 midfield lineup come finals, what's the 2nd brigade?

FWIW my best 22 for finals (with everyone fit) would be as follows:

B: Maynard ~ Moore ~ Noble
HB: Quaynor ~ Murphy ~ Howe
C: Sidebottom ~ Mitchell ~ J Daics
HF: Adams ~ McStay ~ McCreery
F: Hill ~ Mihocek ~ Elliott
R: Cameron ~ De Goey ~ N Daics
I: Pendlebury ~ Markov ~ Crisp ~ Cox
Sub: Lipinski

E: Frampton ~ Ginnivan ~ Hoskin-Elliott ~ Johnson

Can't wait for the next two months of footy

 

[Quicky]

So where is Crisp playing right now?

I was under the impression that Crisp has taken Nick Daicos' half back spot. In any rate (result of this or not) since Nick has moved into the midfield, Crisp's form has gone back to the form that earned him back to back Copelands.

That's good. I hadn't paid attention to that. It's his best role.

 

[Quicky]

Quaynor and Noble give us that run out of the backline.

Distribution not run. You can't always run it out. It's quicker to kick. You need someone with the footskills for it.

 

[Pistol Night]

I'm not convinced about pies.

We never even looked like winning against Brisbane or Melbourne (though nearly pinched it)
The Adelaide game was questionable too.
I'm not convinced. Still wide open, top 4. Not necessarily ladder position but potential to win gf.

No premiers ever go undefeated

 

[ipswichpies]

For myself as long as you are improving on a week on week off I see absolutely no value in playing your 4 best qtrs of football on a weekly basis it does not happen.I really only see a need for your very when you are challenged or the last day of the season.

For me the difference this year is competition for spots is really tight so no complacency and the team is fit and firing, Jordy and Nick are the players to drive us all the way these 2 in partnership can drive us not just this season but for a few more seasons.

I am quietly confident about this year I think our best is at least equal to anyone else,s that I have seen this season,we just need to bring it on the final afternoon which we have often not done.

As long as we have consistent effort we will be there or thereabouts, I think all the talk about 4 qtrs of your best football now is just that all talk.

 

[OniAu]

Frampton has to be in regardless. Gives Moore flexitbility if things arent working out down back also.

 

[Quicky]

Frampton has to be in regardless. Gives Moore flexitbility if things arent working out down back also.

I'd play Frampton back but not forward. It makes for a tough decision on Murphy and to me that selection is so line ball it's probably dictated by match-ups.

 

[Jasper84]

WHE is a pretty ideal sub as his flexibility would enable us to juggle easily as an injury sub, or can be used as the tactical sub to give us some extra run.

WHE biggest assets are his running ability and endurance. It's no coincidence that he always seems to be involved in the play in the last quarter. By then he's out-run his gassed opponent. Probably also a coincidence that we have been outscored in the last quarter of the two games where WHE wasn't there.

Mcreery said recently that WHE is massively rated by the coaches and playing group for what he does on game day.

 

[Go Woods]

How long can they avoid the inevitable decline in form with such an OLD best 22?
Have they improved since last year? - because we definitely have.

I think the scales are heavily tilted towards an early finals exit for Geel.

Hope so...

 

[Didak Wine]

If i was on a boat in the middle of the ocean, nothing to eat and it's just me, Frampton and Murphy, i think i'd go first and wonder in the heavens why Frampton was spared.

 

[noideaatall]

1. who is in our best 23?
2. who is our best sub in that 23? I have no idea. Generally its a runner who can kick goals. What about AJ or Ginni? I don't think Lippa or WHE suit - they both run all day - Hill is to important in our forward line for a cameo. Markov has shown he can impact but the best of him comes out in 4 quarters. Freddie?
3. A settled forward line that gels. Understandably with so much change this year they haven't settled but too many times I see multiple talls in the pack instead of spreading out the defenders - one on one we have some really capable forwards.
4. Can we deliver our best in September? Ultimately the key question. Our best is good enough but irrelevant if we can't produce it when it counts. And by our best I don't mean the best of what we have seen yet. I mean four quarters of our best.