Changes for Rnd 3 v Port Power

[longmile]

Watching the Carlton v Collingwood game I've come to realise that we really need a offensive small forward player like Betts or Garlett for Carlton. I know Ben McGlynn is considered as our small forward but has become more defensive over his games and so far this preason Jetta has kinda been playing like our small forward role. But I believe we really need TDL in the team, while he mightn't be the quality of Betts or Garlett he has the potential to be a key small forward. When TDL is in our forward line it appears more organised and he sets up more offensive scoring opportunities and less of our usual bombing and hoping. I'd rather see him get a run for three games and get some consistent support, instead of continual rotating players in to the forward line and hoping. I can see him bouncing really well off Reid. I feel that playing Everitt again is a real step backwards when we should be pushing our players you have shown genuine talent like TDL.

[Dirtyburt]

I predict he will take mark of the year on Everett shoulders just before half time. In a fit of excitement, he will admit he has been living with Ian Thorpe and ask him to marry him on the pa system.

I am going to ring Tom Waterhouse and get some odds.

I have been wrong before though

[Swansinger]

I predict 5 kicks , 4 hbs , 1 tackle , 8 hitouts and one goal for Jesse.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Ok.

[boroboy]

This time tomorrow everyone will be debating if White deserves another chance after 5 possessions, kicking 0-2, 0 tackles and 2 changers. Has the heart the size of a pea-always has and always will.

[Big Al]

With games under his belt and with what I've already seen in the reserves i think Chops will be debuting ahead of Morton.

I'm not going to write off Morton just yet so early in the season but he does need to pick up the pace quite a bit.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Yep I'd give Lamb a game ahead of Morton, I just think he'd be more likely to take it with both hands than Morton.

[swans]

Spot on.
As I said earlier, flexibility is always an asset, regardless of the sub rule.

Why are people talking about morton we got him as a fill in at pick 70 something. Lamb and Morton would fill the same role we should give lamb a go first right round one pick and all.

[ernie koala]

Morton aint no Buddy, and a run on the half back flank for a struggling half forward flanker aint too foreign IMO. Pretty sure he's played some games for the Tiges off a HBF anyway. Everyone of those teams you mentioned have their share of flexible players also. There not all lining up on their right flank, Left wing, Forward Pocket etc. every round for the whole match. I doubt Collingwood would have gone so well in 2010 without Neon Leon switching to a half back role and L Brown playing his forward/ backup ruck role so well after playing a lot of his career as a defender.

Spot on.
As I said earlier, flexibility is always an asset, regardless of the sub rule.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Morton aint no Buddy, and a run on the half back flank for a struggling half forward flanker aint too foreign IMO. Pretty sure he's played some games for the Tiges off a HBF anyway. Everyone of those teams you mentioned have their share of flexible players also. There not all lining up on their right flank, Left wing, Forward Pocket etc. every round for the whole match. I doubt Collingwood would have gone so well in 2010 without Neon Leon switching to a half back role and L Brown playing his forward/ backup ruck role so well after playing a lot of his career as a defender.

[caj23]

Morton missed a fair chunk of pre-season with that infected knee so that needs to be taken into considertation when viewing his form this year so far. Take a look at Hanners and ROK who also had interrupted pre-seasons and they havent been able to fire yet either.

If he can turn things around with us he is just what we need up forward, but the ball is in his court

[wolftone57]

Wow, you've missed a lot in the last 18 months! Since the sub rule came in, multitasking is the name of the game. Of our best 22, apart from the KPPs, just about every player fills multiple roles. eg, Bolton, ROK, Bird, McGlynn, Jetta, Goodes = mid/forward. Shaw, Melcho = HB/mid. LRT/Spangher = ruck/forward.

Read the ressie watchers reports and you'll none of them rate Morton so far. Why not play him up back to give him a chance to prove himself and maybe find some form?

Morton will never prove himself in the back half so we might as well just kick him out now. The sub rule is over rated as a tool for flexability. The idea because you take one full time player off the bench you suddenly need to start playing Buddy at full back is crap. We had 20 players for a lot of years, before your time obviously, and had specialist players. The Hawks, Pies, Cats, Eagles still do have specialists and they just seem to be where on the ladder in the last few years?

[ShockOfHair]

Yes well another specialist forward playing back flank. No wonder he isn't doing that well. Why bother getting him to fill a forward gap if we are going to play him back flank? Just seems silly to me! This year anyone who is a forward has been playing anywhere but in the 2's. TDL=on ball & HB, Morton=HB, Lamb=Wing, HB some HF. Jesse has played FF but with a ruck role. Walsh played FF last week but for a few weeks played back & forward. It is a wonder these blokes are bloody confused, I know I am. Put them in their posies and let them get a bit of form for Christ's sake! Stop shifting them around every 5 seconds. By the way Nipper has played on ball nearly so far except when they decided he needed to play back as punishment for @@@@ delivery. Why the hell would you put a bloke in the backline if he is butchering the ball? Beyond me! I thought the idea was not to leak goals and try to score more than the other mob.

We are not going to get the best out of our players in the 2's with this sort of coaching. I don't know what Jarred Crouch is trying to achieve but it sure as hell is not working. Good players are playing very average games and at times just look confused out there. You are not going to turn a natural forward into a backman, it just ain't gonna work so stop trying! If this is about forward pressure he can learn it playing forward just by being dragged and given an earful every time he doesn't do it.

Wow, you've missed a lot in the last 18 months! Since the sub rule came in, multitasking is the name of the game. Of our best 22, apart from the KPPs, just about every player fills multiple roles. eg, Bolton, ROK, Bird, McGlynn, Jetta, Goodes = mid/forward. Shaw, Melcho = HB/mid. LRT/Spangher = ruck/forward.

Read the ressie watchers reports and you'll none of them rate Morton so far. Why not play him up back to give him a chance to prove himself and maybe find some form?

[Hartijon]

Morton...Everitt...Walsh...strange decisions...if you have observed Morton over the years he makes Richards at Essendon look like a champion. I could proceed from that point to say that we should give Morton time...but remember it took Teddy a long time to look pretty good (not great)...I don't think Morton has it in him...and we haven't got time to wait anyway!

Play Morton in the backlines.Why should he get special treatment? In fact play the whole team in the backlines...oh hang on there is already a game that does that.Thats why I prefer watching AFL to NRL.There is nothing more exciting in both codes however than the brilliant attacking player who can kick goals or score tries. I am looking forward to one day having a Swannies outfit that can support such players so we don't get one defensive grind after another.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Tell that to Leo Barry, Heath Grundy, perhaps Chris Tarrant too. I see where your coming from, but at least in the case of Walsh, i wouldnt say he has a 'natural' position as yet so trying him back and forward makes sense to me. Whatever shoe fits ... In the case of the smaller guys, perhaps it is a case of the coaches saying we know you can kick a goal, but do you have the tank to run out a game of AFL intensity as a forward whilst also providing a chop-out in the midfield ? Possiblly while shoring up the defensive aspects of their game too. As to Morton, from what i gathered he's been tried back after being a little underwhelming up forward in a game where we smoked the opposition ( UWS ). Its two games in, I'm sure he'll get another go up forward. It is also possible he just aint up to AFL standard anymore . He's only ever been at best, a patchy yet talented forward with flashes of individual brilliance. I guess we'll have to wait and see.