Changes for Swans vs Bombers

[Ludwig]

- I don't see AJ getting a senior game this season unless we're desperate. While his form in the NEAFL is reasonably promising, I'd be surprised if his endurance is anything like up to the level required at senior level. Bear in mind that the last pre-season he completed was post 2012.

I agree with nearly everything in your post, but I don't know why the negativity toward AJ. I think he actually did go through the current pre-season, but was injured around the start of the regular season. It's hard to tell what his endurance is like without the GPS data, but he looks okay to the eye.

Maybe I'm being more hopeful than rational, but I like the look of the way AJ has played the last couple of weeks. I think we are a bit desperate and need to look for things that probably fall into the miracle category. Maybe the emotional lift of having AJ back in the side is just the thing we need.

[Auntie.Gerald]

So we have the following teams after the bombers

Collingwood
Demons
GWS
Hawks

All pretty fast teams just like the bombers hence our experiment of playing smaller in the backline makes sense......but only if it is effective!!

For me Grundy in or out can be decided each match as he can handle that at his experience and we can then get matchups right

So this week we play the bombers that have 3 talls up front with a possible rotation of one of there tall backs or Heppell drifting forward half the game

No Daniher is significant and now their other tall McKernan is out injured I believe which changes match ups massively

The reality is with Melican not coming back via injury this is really tough for us as he is so valuable one on one with the fast tall leading forward

I’m not sure about Maibaum as yet especially that would make us a youthful backline for finals “if we make it” but for me I think Grundy deserves serious consideration this week despite no obvious match up

Yes it was our midfield that struggled last week and I think we all acknowledge that but a rock solid backline is critical also

Re matchups : So bombers tall forward rotation for this week will most likely be -

Brown 196cm vs Grundy
Myers 191cm vs Rampe
Langford 191cm vs Marsh
McKernan replacement vs AA

In: Dawson for Newman
In: Grundy for Cameron

[barry]

I think many have forgotten how good AJ was. He was a huge part of the 2012 flag. It's 12 months since he resumed playing, he's had a preseason, and even through his injuries he maintained a level of fitness.

If he is not selected this year, he will be delisted.

[RogueSwan]

I don't understand the "there was no match-up for Grundy" comments.
It would have been nice to have him play on Wright on the weekend.
And who else do we have to defend the oppositions resting ruckman? It isn't a job for Sinclair.

[AnnieH]

I think many have forgotten how good AJ was. He was a huge part of the 2012 flag. It's 12 months since he resumed playing, he's had a preseason, and even through his injuries he maintained a level of fitness.

If he is not selected this year, he will be delisted.

Have you people all forgotten that 2012 was SIX years ago.
I'm sorry, but the game has gone past AJ.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't understand the "there was no match-up for Grundy" comments.
It would have been nice to have him play on Wright on the weekend.
And who else do we have to defend the oppositions resting ruckman? It isn't a job for Sinclair.

Reg is seriously our last line of defence, as he's proved time and time again. Unfortunately, our back line can't quite cope without him.
He needs to come back.

[Plugger46]

I don't understand the "there was no match-up for Grundy" comments.
It would have been nice to have him play on Wright on the weekend.
And who else do we have to defend the oppositions resting ruckman? It isn't a job for Sinclair.

Richmond is the only side where that applies and they played him in that game.

He's been a lock for so long and doesn't appear to be any different to previous years. I think there's more to it than form/match-ups. i.e. They've decided he's not part of the future and this will be his last season.

[0918330512]

Richmond is the only side where that applies and they played him in that game.

He's been a lock for so long and doesn't appear to be any different to previous years. I think there's more to it than form/match-ups. i.e. They've decided he's not part of the future and this will be his last season.

Shades of Rod Carter & Ryan O’Keefe

[stevoswan]

Have you people all forgotten that 2012 was SIX years ago.
I'm sorry, but the game has gone past AJ.
Reg is seriously our last line of defence, as he's proved time and time again. Unfortunately, our back line can't quite cope without him.
He needs to come back.

Agree with you on Grundy...must come back in, 'match up' or no match up. Re: AJ....well, there's only one way to have him 'catch up' to a (seniors) game that has 'gone past him'....and that is to play him. As Barry said, if we don't select him this season, he will be delisted. I say 'get him in'.....then we'll really know if the game has gone past him.

[goswannies]

Agree with you on Grundy...must come back in, 'match up' or no match up. Re: AJ....well, there's only one way to have him 'catch up' to a (seniors) game that has 'gone past him'....and that is to play him. As Barry said, if we don't select him this season, he will be delisted. I say 'get him in'.....then we'll really know if the game has gone past him.

I wonder if they get AJ to do some good solid match simulations against Bud (maybe that’s why Bud looks sore? ) or even get Tip into training sessions against AJ (make Tip do something in this last year of his contract) to test AJ against the bigger bodies. The advantage of using Tip is that there is no risk of damaging a valuable player.

[liz]

Re: AJ....well, there's only one way to have him 'catch up' to a (seniors) game that has 'gone past him'....and that is to play him. As Barry said, if we don't select him this season, he will be delisted. I say 'get him in'.....then we'll really know if the game has gone past him.

Except there's not "only one way". There's giving him an extended run at NEAFL level to regain full confidence in his body and build his match fitness. There's giving him time to build his endurance back up to where it once was, partly via mid-week training but also completing another pre-season. There's all the match simulation and skills development work that they do when they're not training.

I have no idea whether they'll keep Alex on the list next year. Without access to the physical data that the club would have, it's impossible to know exactly what shape his body is in. I don't think it's possible to guess just watching NEAFL football. I don't think it's as simplistic as saying that if he doesn't play senior footy this year he's gone.

[longmile]

Outs: Newman, Cameron, Marsh
Ins: Dawson, Grundy, Jack (towers if Jack is not available)

[MattW]

I don't understand the "there was no match-up for Grundy" comments.
It would have been nice to have him play on Wright on the weekend.
And who else do we have to defend the oppositions resting ruckman? It isn't a job for Sinclair.

Yep, Rampe struggled a bit with Wright. Would have been good to have had the option to go to Grundy. There wasn't much else; no point putting Marsh on him.