Changes for Rnd 20 V Geelong

[ugg]

Most of their contested marks are coming down at the other end of the ground though. Their top 6 contested marks (avg) are Hawkins, Taylor, Blicavs, Dangerfield, Stanley and Menzel and of those only Taylor plays down back but even then not all the time.

[penga]

How many turnovers at halfback, leading to goals, after kicking off one step from Towers this week?

[annew]

Does anyone really think that it is a good idea to play any final especially a pre lim and GF with one ruckman? I suggest this is to start preparing for finals with two ruckmen. Remember they always say finals are different intensity and imagine if your ruckman goes down in first qtr of a final. What would the result of the 2012 GF have been if swans had only played Mummy?

[Nico]

Can our boys play in 8 degrees , if windy add an extra chill factor?
Bloody cold as .

Will be chilly at The Cattery. Friday night, Friday night traffic out of Melbourne and too hard to get tickets has me watching at home in warmth.

[Markwebbos]

Who said Tippett is our best ruckman??? he is a dinosaur and AFL football has gone past him and I for one are most annoyed he was selected, obviously based on his form 2 to 3 years ago. Expect another feeble effort tonight. Also completed P#### Off, they still cannot find a place for Dawson??? What is Horse Thinking?

We have a list clogged with underperforming ruckmen at the moment. I think Tippo is only in the side by default: Naismith injured and Sinkers not up to it. If they do re-sign Reid I wonder if they will look to move Tippo on and get in a more mobile ruckman?

[Ludwig]

Does anyone really think that it is a good idea to play any final especially a pre lim and GF with one ruckman?

I don't. Zero ruckmen is the right answer.

Since we don't have any good ruckmen, it would make more sense to play an extra midfielder at the stoppages and give ourselves an advantage after the ball leaves the ruckman's hand. We should play to our strengths and not waste our efforts in areas we cannot win.

pot.jpg

This game plan is described in my new book Asymmetric Football.

[Boddo]

Will be chilly at The Cattery. Friday night, Friday night traffic out of Melbourne and too hard to get tickets has me watching at home in warmth.

If I still lived in Melbourne I'd definitely be there. A good hard fought win would warm you up pretty easy plus the stirring of cats supporters leaving before the final siren.

[AnnieH]

Nice ins.
Wish joey was playing.

[markynana]

Is Hanners captaining again?

[Meg]

I don't. Zero ruckmen is the right answer.

From Ugg's Reserves report for this week it sounds as if the Reserves will be a test of your theory on Saturday.

[swansrob]

Is Hanners captaining again?

Could be either him, Parker or Rampe

[Jeynez]

I can see your point. I, for one, have not referenced the 2 ruckmen in the 0-6 start, but include those games that we also won, but felt we could do better if structured differently.

Maybe the thinking is that we are playing 3 talls coming back from injury, if we include Sinclair's ankle roll. So perhaps they will have some limited game time and may see a game time split something like Tippett, Sinclair and Reid with 70% each and Buddy with 90%, so we only have 3 of the 4 on the ground at any one time, and If we do have 4 it might be Reid playing deep in defence as he often does at the end of quarters, or perhaps Reid playing a bit through the midfield.

I think it's a mistake playing 2 ruckmen because regardless of who we play in the ruck we will probably lose the hitouts to Smith, so we should play to defend the ball from the stoppages and it would be useful not to have a superfluous ruckman.

I'm worried about the mismatches that we experienced with Hawthorn with Geelong having 3 tall forwards plus Mackie playing through the midfield, clearly ready to pull a Roughy on us, go forward and get a matchup on Hanners or Lloyd. That's why I thought we would be better served with having Aliir in the side instead of Sinkers.

I get what you mean. If this team balance doesn't work, or Sinclair is forced to share the ruckload with Tippett because he's too unfit, we should drop one of them and opt for someone like Dawson or Aliir. I'm hopeful that Tippett can prove himself in the ruck and regain some of the form he showed last year; I feel like he's too slow and a liability if he plays solely at FF