Who comes in?

[Portia]

I think the prime criteria for selection needs to be that we select the player most capable of/likely to make Geelong crap their pants when they get the ball.

Carlile won't do it, Symes won't do it. Gray or Krakouer might through their evasion. Thomson might through getting first possession.

 

[PAFCsince1870]

SYMES
SYMES
SYMES
SYMES
SYMES

He deserves it more then everyone. And geelong have many mid sized forwards.

Don't necessarily agree with Symes but the key point is that Geelong play with a small forward line.

We can NOT bring in a tall (ie. Carlile) for Wilson.

 

[Janus]

I think the prime criteria for selection needs to be that we select the player most capable of/likely to make Geelong crap their pants when they get the ball.

Carlile won't do it, Symes won't do it. Gray or Krakouer might through their evasion. Thomson might through getting first possession.

Too right. There's no way you can replace someone like Wilson, so Choco has to weigh up the various match-ups and go for the jugular, as it were. Seriously, who would of thought Toby would have performed as well as he did in the 2004 GF? That's the sort of performance out of left field that we need from a Gray or a Krakouer.

Geelong's forward structure doesn't exactly set the world on fire. Mooney and Johnson are two consistent performers, but Ablett is erratic. That's why another defender might not be the best option for us. I'm pretty confident in Charlie, Toby and the Grew to do the job for us, with Broges dropping back as a loose man.

That being said, Choco will select whatever player suits his game plan. And I'll back him in 100%!

 

[Port01]

i'd play wilbur with instructions to take out whoever was stupid enough to be caught by him.

 

[Russian]

We can NOT bring in a tall (ie. Carlile) for Wilson.

Agreed. He's the only one I've put a line through. Mahoney has finals experience, Lonie has lots of experience in this team, had a good game last week and can do stopping jobs, Thomas and Lower are the like-for-like options but no match fitness, Gray and Krakouer have x-factor, Symes has his SANFL form but again hasn't played much lately, Bentley might be able to do the Chapman job Wilbur did in R21, Thomson is the wet weather specialist

 

[Asgardian]

Lower or Symes IMO

 

[reCOGnise]

Nick Lower had 47 possessions for the Norwood Reserves today, sure the standard is worlds away from the standard he'll encounter next Saturday at the 'G but it shows he's fit and firing. He's versatile and has played down back all year for Norwood. He's the man, if not go with Gray, he's got the X factor and will win a Brownlow one day

47 possies **** me, obviously the ressies is a world away from AFL and at the G but jeewizz chuck him in!!
haha, ahhhhh i dunno who will get the gig all i know is a feel sorry for my man wilson!!

 

[Alberton_Magpie]

I would say Adam Thompson

 

[Jakko]

My initial guess is Bentley. Offers some flexibility and strength over the ball.

If its a wet game, Mahns all the way.

 

[smasher]

I normally wouldn't suggest this bloke but I do think Lonie is a natural for the MCG and he could give Port a few running goals!

 

[Eddie Woloschek]

No, no, no. Lonie will be less value than any of the aforementioned, including Wilson.

Wilbur on his knees will provide more inspiration than that carousel pony.

I think Symes, Thomas and Thomson are out of favour right now.

Give us Gray or Krakouer for something special, or Bentley or Jam tins Josh if it's wet.

It's time we broke this shocking premiership drought!

 

[Powerstufff]

Gray, Krakouer or Carlile. Not Bentley or Symes. A romantic possibility of Mahoney.

....Lonie ... could give Port a few running goals!

No he couldn't. We were promised that as a reason for taking him but despite the long kick he has no real accuracy and had increasingy taken to passing it off instead. Combine that with his lack of defensive pressure and he was a liability even in H&A games. North Adelaide are welcome to him, in fact he is genuinely fitting in there quite nicely.

 

[PJ Power]

There should have been no doubt over this one - Brad Symes.

The fact that he hasn't had any AFL gametime and is clearly out of favour makes his selection very unlikely. I hope Choco does the right thing and picks him.

Bentley is the other whose style of game may be helpful given their array of medium-small forwards.

Of the others I'd take a punt on Gray.

Thomson has been to messy with his skills lately, while Thomas looked out of his depth in earlier games this year.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Symes would be a good fit if someone reminds the selectors who he is. He's composed and his courage is unquestionable. Big game for Centrals today won't go astray. If Lower had played some AFL footy this year he would've been a chance (his brother goes ok, which gives me hope). Carlile can match up ok on the sort of medium defender Wilbur would get, is another composed player (and has some grunt about his play) but won't give us that extra midfield option. Bentley - I don't think his skills are as dodgy as has been suggested, but any minor flaw in the intensity of a GF could create self-doubt.

At the end of the day, I don't know. How do you replace the irreplaceable? Virtually every option has a positive and negative you could highlight. Training is going to be very willing this week.

 

[cooperjai]

NOOOOOOO...

Lonie has been taken out of the game for North today.

This isn't good, looks like he may be Wilburs replacement!!!!

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Lower didn't make the best players or the goalkickers in the Norwood reserves wrap up. Sure those 47 possessions didn't include kicks in the warm up?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Tredders nominated Lower as a good fit in his presser today.

 

[Coobk001]

too many people overrate Symes.

 

[Zombie]

Why would we replace a hard nosed defender with midfielders?

Symes, no, midfielder who can play in defence but more as a PBurgoyne than a Wilson

Thomson, why? an inside midfielder who will be a good player over the next couple of years but doesn't have the physicality or defensive presence of Wilbur

Gray, will be an absolute gun, my favourite youngster but he's a small forward/midfielder, wouldn't mind him coming in for someone like Logan (although Logan had a pretty good game against the Roos) but not Wilson and I think there will only be one change.

Mahoney, has a limited niche ability at AFL level, playing Wilburs role isn't it.

Thomas, Lower and Carlile should be the only players in contention unless we decide to make multiple changes for team balance.

Thomas has in his favour that he is a remarkably similar player to Wilson and can play both roles that Wilson has in defender and grunty midfielder.

Lower has been in great form for Norwood although hasn't played much at AFL level and not for a while.

Carlile has had recent AFL form although is more of a KPP type defender and could upset the team balance having the very tall defence of Wakelin, Pettigrew, Chaplin and Carlile.

 

[reCOGnise]

was anyone watching the SANFL this arvo? they went to a shot of chocco, and to no suprise nick lower was standing next to him hehe, gotta love the sucking up!!

 

[port_rule]

Pickett!!!

Out of retirement to win 2nd Norm Smith

 

[Power King]

^seconded.

we need some mongrel against the big-bodied cats.

 

[eathb]

Carlile - Geelong uses 2 tall KP forwards, and we have 3 talls (one on the bench at a time), so 4 tall defenders is unbalanced.

Lower - Reserves and Grand Final is a huge difference, and also it'd be Lower's first AFL game in a year, and the Cats will know this, and target his opponent everytime.

Thomas - Closest thing to Wilson, but doesn't have much AFL experience, and when he went in for Wilson earlier in the season, it was clear he wasn't ready.

Symes - Has enough AFL experience to do this, and seems like the ideal choice to replace Wilson. Small Defender/Midfielder, but will need to be really tight with is defender and don't let his lack of speed be exploited.

IMO it's between Symes and Lower, please don't choose Lonie, it'd really f*ck up our team. The safe option is Symes, due to his AFL experience, and the risk taker Lower, which if pays off, will be a better option than Symes.

 

[*PAFC*13]

Need a tough nut IMO. Absolute must.

 

[port_rule]

Seriously though who are the contenders?

IMO if they were going to run with another forward, they will go with Gray before Mahoney, so I think that Manhns is no chance.

Can't bring in another tall so Carlile is out. It would be a waste of a player.

Must be between:
Lonie
Thomas
Bentley
Thompson
Lower
Synes
Gray

IMO Lonie is the front runner given he was an emergency this week and was pulled from the North Adelaide side today.

Gray is a big chance, even though he is not a defender, port would do a bit of a reshuffle and push Logan to HB. Port seem to rate Gray pretty high.

Thompson is maybe next in line because he was the player that was most recently in the side out of the above group.

Bentley, Symes, Thomas and Lower would have to be smokies given that all have struggled to make the side this year.


Its Lonie or Gray IMO