I do wonder how prepared they can be given a 3 week preseason with very restricted contact.
I think that probably counts against the younger players/sides.
But they surely should have done better with Sheil at centre bounces than they did.
I was thinking the shorter quarters were the biggest influence on results, since sides who are good at close tight pressure can maintain it through a whole game. So maybe suits mature bodies better.
Unless they want to add another tall I think they'll keep the same team.
It's too hard without match practice for anyone else to be selected, and the incumbents have the advantage of already having played one game at AFL level. To bring someone new in against the Roos will disadvantage us
FWIW we could've won that game if we'd simply held a few uncontested marks and been a bit smarter with our decision making.
Yep our decision making was ordinary and our forward fifty entries still too slow and stilted which enabled Essendon to just block up the space. Players then played safely by bombing to the square rather than looking for a short kick sideways or to take the chance on a short lead which might then turnover and lead to quick rebound down field. Unfortunately this just allowed Essendons talls to clunk marks all night.
There was too much reliance on too few and these were basically the senior group of Kennedy, Parker, Rampe, LLoyd etc .
I thought Florent was okay in patches but some of his stoppage work was unforgivable in letting his man get goal side.
Heeney struggled to get into the game and there is no way he can be relied on as a spearhead forward on that performance.
Blakey, Dawson and Hayward had collectively very ordinary games. Blakey struggled to get into the game and when he did was trying to be too cute with the ball, Dawson couldnt catch and Hayward well , I cant think of that much he did well.
The new guys didnt do much for me that says " Wow we have unearthed a gem". Brand looks a little slow, Gray ok , Taylor was probably the one with most upside considering his fitness levels and did kick three but they just need to work out a better system going forward if they are going to have the likes of Papley, Taylor, Gray in the forward line with undersized keys like McCartin , Heeney and Blakey.
Shows the signs of a very young team but the biggest worry for me is that the second level of players below the Kennedies , Rampes etc are not yet rising to a level that allows the real young guys like McInerny , Rowbottom etc to play useful bit parts, rather than us trying to work out why they arent dominating in their first twenty games.
Will be a rollercoaster season I think, we will look really good at times and terrible at others. I feel for the players as it would be hard to get into a rythym straight up without the benefit of a month or two of trial games etc. Its not the case that every player just is at 100% from game one in a normal season let alone with the disruption they have had.
I watched a little of the North’s game and reckon our team can not afford any soft players this week.
No newbies and maybe Clarke inclusion would be a good one
We can't kick the ball long to a contest against experienced defenders, like we did against Hurley and Hooker on Sunday. We face the same problem against NM with Tarrant and Josh Walker, as well as a host of other experience down back. It's a different story with Franklin and Reid in the side. But with the forward line we have atm, we have to keep the ball at ground level.
There is an option of bringing Melican into the side for Sam Gray, moving Aliir forward, rotating him and Sinclair between forward and the ruck. It would at least give us a better chance on the high ball to a marking contest.
You are right Ludwig, and you'd think Horse would say "Dont bomb it long because we dont have any talls in the forward line".
However, I think the opposition also say to their side... "They dont have any talls up forward, so apply heaps of midfield pressure, then they will have to bomb in long".
Suffice to say, you cant really get away with playing a midget forward line for long.
We have to catch a plane to Melbourne with GW$ on Friday...
They wait for us to finish on Saturday, then everyone flies back together.
I'd love to be on that plane, sitting right next to Grubby Green.
I have words I'd like to share with him.
Wild speculation, unsubstantiated rumours, silly jokes and opposition delight in another's failures is what makes an internet forum fun.
Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones who let in the light.
Should
Gray for Clarke
Oriordon for Melican
Maybe Outs
McKinerney, Wilbur
Maybe Ins
Stephens, Gould, Ronke, Warner
If they are going to play Harry, sacrifice him as the lockdown
Before they got Lynch, Richmond did very well with just Riewoldt as a tall forward, and he's mostly a lead up forward anyway.
Without a strong contested marking forward line, we have to depend on skill and speed to beat the pressure. We're probably not going too far this year because we don't have the experience, polish and skill to beat that pressure. We usually break down somewhere in attack with a poor disposal, or let the opposition break tackles too easily.
The question is whether we have the players who can grow into a side that has the skill and teamwork to move the ball with more fluency down the field, while playing solid defence as well.
I've had a lot of faith in KB and his approach to the draft. I think we've done very well building a list of quality young players. But only time will tell if this is really the case.
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