Autopsy Wheels falling off? 2 point loss to the Saints

[kneecapper]

Of those 3, I reckon Blakey is most in need of a rest. I'm still not convinced that Mills can slot straight back in though.

We could really mix things up, throw North out a bit and do the following:

Heeney, Blakey move to the forward line for a game.

Out: Wicks, Roberts
In: Adams, Mills, Magor as sub

Blakey can always switch back if needed. Fox spends all game in defence. Mills mostly back with a few CBs.

Or just play Fox in D50 all game, he got all his touches at half back / half forward. Bring in Magor or Vickery for a full game if Roberts is struggling.

I'd rather give Blakey a break than play him out of position. I also think we need to be circumspect with making too many changes. Some players like Gulden and Warner will need to play through this confidence slump.

 

[Kbroome]

I think alot of people are making excuses just to see the team barley change. What if i said to your like i have been for 4-5 weeks now that the bottom 3-4 weren't up to standard and should have been dropped each week but we kept winning so they weren't dropped. Now that the top 5 have dropped off the last couple weeks it is exposing the weaknesses in the bottom 3-4 guys and some of them haven't stepped up their game and thus deserve to be dropped. You shouldn't go on a 2 game slide and have no changes as that shows to the players that there is no competition for spots even when your performing below standards

 

[Bloods86]

I think alot of people are making alot of excuses just to see the team barley change. What if i said to your like i have been for 4-5 weeks now that the bottom 3-4 weren't up to standard and should have been dropped each week but we kept winning so they weren't dropped. Now that the top 5 have dropped off the last couple weeks it is exposing the weaknesses in the bottom 3-4 guys and some of them haven't stepped up their game and thus deserve to be dropped. You shouldn't go on a 2 game slide and have no changes as that shows to the players that there is no competition for spots even when your performing below standards

I'm going to keep going back to "who do we bring in". We've got Parker and Mills off long breaks, with Parker really only able to replace a couple of players (like Adams, Rowy). And the younger guys in the VFL, are they necessarily going to be better?

Parker doesn't really replace Wicks as some are saying, which is why I'm suggesting Heeney gets a game up forward, given he has always been good at applying forward pressure even if he's there as a target. Konstanty can tackle, but not sure he's done enough to suggest he'd be better. Maybe Warner or Magor, but again, not necessarily better.

Roberts maybe, so we'd have to decide if a match unfit Mills or debutant in Magor/Vickery would be better.

I'd think about giving Amartey a break, with Hamling in, but that's a risk both to his confidence (not that it was great on the weekend) and with Grundy probably pushing his limits already.

Giving guys a break is good, but we have to actually replace what they are in the team for and not cause issues elsewhere.

That's why I'm suggesting a few positional moves, give North something to think about, give a few players less mid/def responsibility for a week. If we bring in Parker or Mills, one at most, same with the younger guys from the VFL, one at most. Or we risk being even more sluggish / skittish against a North outfit with confidence.

 

[Wolfgang West]

The guernsey was putrid.

Ridiculous.

 

[Swannie0307]

I think Heeney s work area is very much centre-forward. The older pair have always worked the whole ground, Mills more so Centre-Back -

Perhaps my call on Heeney was wrong, maybe its just he’s used differently - but we could have used Mills in that last qtr rallying the troops in the backline.

The "older pair"? Lol, Mills is still only 27.

 

[Kbroome]

Just did some research and found that Parker is actually a very good forward even if its like the 20-30% CBA role or whether its a complete forward, He pretty much kicks atleast a goal in each game and thus has played 7 games across his career for 15 goals and one of those games was also as a substitute he has done it before and come on and kicked a goal. 3 of those games also came within the last 24 months as well. Therefore, i think it is very simplistic to just say Parker can't play there as he played as a pressure forward in the finals last year and had 19 touches 2 goals 4 tackles and 23 pressure acts.

EDIT go onto the AFL app and go to the Luke's highlights of that game because it shows perfectly that he can do it including a crumbing GA and crumbing Goal

 

[Bloods86]

Just did some research and found that Parker is actually a very good forward even if its like the 20-30% CBA role or whether its a complete forward, He pretty much kicks atleast a goal in each game and thus has played 7 games across his career for 15 goals and one of those games was also as a substitute he has done it before and come on and kicked a goal. 3 of those games also came within the last 24 months as well. Therefore, i think it is very simplistic to just say Parker can't play there as he played as a pressure forward in the finals last year and had 19 touches 2 goals 4 tackles and 23 pressure acts.

If you're going to talk about being simplistic, it's probably worth considering that Parker's prowess as a forward has come when he's rested there or been thrown up there for short periods, which can often catch opponents out.

If you're going to bring up a particular game where "he played as a pressure forward", you might want to check that he didn't get half of his touches behind centre, with a few more on the wing. Yeah he was at fewer CBs, but he was still at stoppages around the ground, and didn't even touch it in the F50 until the 3rd quarter (with a total of 5 touches and 1 tackle inside F50).

He's also even slower this year. Not to say he can't go up forward a bit and kick a few, but leaving him there to do the Wicks role is uncharted territory, at least since his much younger days.

 

[kneecapper]

Given the problems with the midfield atm it would be useful to have Parker available to chop out and win a few hard balls when things aren't going our way. 70% forward, 30% in the middle, switching out with Heeney.

Parker replaces Wicks, Mills replaces Roberts or Campbell depending on form. Would prefer Roberts as I have questions about the defensive side of his game. Too easily beaten.

This structure gives us more options to run through the middle.

 

[Punts]

Wicks was garbage

 

[Dubai Quacker]

If you're going to talk about being simplistic, it's probably worth considering that Parker's prowess as a forward has come when he's rested there or been thrown up there for short periods, which can often catch opponents out.

If you're going to bring up a particular game where "he played as a pressure forward", you might want to check that he didn't get half of his touches behind centre, with a few more on the wing. Yeah he was at fewer CBs, but he was still at stoppages around the ground, and didn't even touch it in the F50 until the 3rd quarter (with a total of 5 touches and 1 tackle inside F50).

He's also even slower this year. Not to say he can't go up forward a bit and kick a few, but leaving him there to do the Wicks role is uncharted territory, at least since his much younger days.

Personally, if I was an opposition defender, I wouldn’t want Parker anywhere near me.

He tackles with venom.

And to me, that’s pressure.

 

[Kbroome]

If you're going to talk about being simplistic, it's probably worth considering that Parker's prowess as a forward has come when he's rested there or been thrown up there for short periods, which can often catch opponents out.

If you're going to bring up a particular game where "he played as a pressure forward", you might want to check that he didn't get half of his touches behind centre, with a few more on the wing. Yeah he was at fewer CBs, but he was still at stoppages around the ground, and didn't even touch it in the F50 until the 3rd quarter (with a total of 5 touches and 1 tackle inside F50).

He's also even slower this year. Not to say he can't go up forward a bit and kick a few, but leaving him there to do the Wicks role is uncharted territory, at least since his much younger days.

You mean the game in which in the second half he played almost exclusively as a forward and had 9 touches and kicked 2 goals and was pretty much the only hit up lead target we had in the forward half? In the Second half he applied 12 pressure acts which is basically what Wicks is averaging in a game?

 

[Bloods86]

Given the problems with the midfield atm it would be useful to have Parker available to chop out and win a few hard balls when things aren't going our way. 70% forward, 30% in the middle, switching out with Heeney.

Parker replaces Wicks, Mills replaces Roberts or Campbell depending on form. Gives us more options to run through the middle.

We've actually won (Freo) or broke even (Saints) in centre clearances. He would be useful to throw in there if the oppo gets a run on, but our biggest problem has been turnovers and oppo rebound just waltzing through delivering into their F50 without pressure. Parker isn't going to be helping out a lot with chasing them down.

Switching with Heeney and Adams would keep the others fresher though.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Agree, the jumpers weren't a good design. Suspect they will be cheaper than the Buddy and Swans 2022 GF merch at season's end.

Might buy one to alternate with my 2006 Grand Finalists T shirt.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Wicks was garbage

Agree, was his worst game of the year and by an absolute mile too. He wasn't alone but I was dead set pulling my hair out every time he got near the ball.

 

[kneecapper]

We've actually won (Freo) or broke even (Saints) in centre clearances. He would be useful to throw in there if the oppo gets a run on, but our biggest problem has been turnovers and oppo rebound just waltzing through delivering into their F50 without pressure. Parker isn't going to be helping out a lot with chasing them down.

Switching with Heeney and Adams would keep the others fresher though.

Freo pantsed us in clearances around the ground and, I'm sorry, but breaking even with St Kilda in clearances is not a pass mark.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I got it, but it wasn't 19 on the field, it was an extra interchange?

OK my gag needs work. Back to the drawing board.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Freo pantsed us in clearances around the ground and, I'm sorry, but breaking even with St Kilda in clearances is not a pass mark.

We were better in and around arfter the first quarter against Freo, but that first quarter is driving me insane and it's every week. Both these weeks we play well enough tghe first quarter we win both games.

 

[The Mares Leg]

The "older pair"? Lol, Mills is still only 27.

Older than Heeney..who was the subject of the comparison.

 

[Bloods86]

You mean the game in which in the second half he played almost exclusively as a forward and had 9 touches and kicked 2 goals and was pretty much the only hit up lead target we had in the forward half? In the Second half he applied 12 pressure acts which is basically what Wicks is averaging in a game?

A) That's not what you said originally, and doesn't contradict what I said.

B) Yes, Wicks is down on form, as are his pressure numbers this year (incl 2 games as sub). You're taking half a 2023 game of a player who has been out for 7 weeks, and saying he'll be better than an out of form player, who'd still be better at chasing players once we're away from congestion near goals.

I'm not opposed to omitting Wicks, I just think there are better options than playing Parker as a majority pressure forward (which I've mentioned). Especially right now.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

The 3rd most galling thing (after the loss & the jumpers)?

That some of our senior players got towelled up by a couple of 19 year olds (Phillipou & Shoenmakers).

4th?

That nobody seemed interested in going anywhere near Liam Henry. For the whole damn game.

I need a Bex and a good lie down.

 

[caesar88]

Warner, Gulden, Blakey etc. aren't injured and I have that on good authority. I think we're looking for logical answers to a problem that is illogical, which is that a bunch of very good players can play such very ordinary footy.

 

[Kbroome]

A) That's not what you said originally, and doesn't contradict what I said.

B) Yes, Wicks is down on form, as are his pressure numbers this year (incl 2 games as sub). You're taking half a 2023 game of a player who has been out for 7 weeks, and saying he'll be better than an out of form player, who'd still be better at chasing players once we're away from congestion near goals.

I'm not opposed to omitting Wicks, I just think there are better options than playing Parker as a majority pressure forward (which I've mentioned). Especially right now.

My point never changed i have just given you plenty of reasons to why Parker is better but you haven't given one other than the mythical Wicks applies phantom pressure because he is quicker than Parker. Whereas i showed to you in a half of football in a finals game that Parker playing purely as a forward applied more pressure than Wicks (even when Wicks was in much better form). Parker is a goal scorer and better pressure apply than Wicks is, the same can be said about Hayward if you actually look at the numbers.

 

[TheGoatBaron]

As I said, in my opinion, it's all mental at the moment. But we don't want to make a habit of losing games that we should win though.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

The 3rd most galling thing (after the loss & the jumpers)?

That some of our senior players got towelled up by a couple of 19 year olds (Phillipou & Shoenmakers).

4th?

That nobody seemed interested in going anywhere near Liam Henry. For the whole damn game.

I need a Bex and a good lie down.

5th: we made Jack Higgins look elite meanwhile we have Papley who can't hit the side of a barn door at the other end

 

[Bloods86]

My point never changed i have just given you plenty of reasons to why Parker is better but you haven't given one other than the mythical Wicks applies phantom pressure because he is quicker than Parker. Whereas i showed to you in a half of football in a finals game that Parker playing purely as a forward applied more pressure than Wicks (even when Wicks was in much better form). Parker is a goal scorer and better pressure apply than Wicks is, the same can be said about Hayward if you actually look at the numbers.

You've provided half a game last year where Parker went forward in a 2nd half, which as I've said can throw opponents out, and got 5 inside 50 touches, 2 goals (which is great), a tackle and applied a good amount of pressure. A player who has not played seniors in 2024, and has not played at all for 7 weeks.

You've selected Wicks current form to compare to Parker's half game in 2023. When, if you are up on stats as you seem to profess, you might look at Wicks' 2023 stats and prior years to see he was also far better than current form. Edit: I see that you acknowledge this, which makes your confidence in Parker being better overall even more confusing.

And again, you are overstating my defence of Wicks. He far exceeded his 2024 pressure act average on the weekend, but I would actually probably drop him (from watching him), as I've said several times in this thread. I just wouldn't have Parker majority forward as my replacement.