Rd 5 vs West Coast @ Optus - Pre-Game Thread

[Roadrunner]

Reid is a class above Joel and Hayden. He is a genuine AFL player when he gets a run at it. The other two are depth.

Completely agree, I would play Amartey ahead of McLean at this stage, though Hayden is a more reliable kick on goal.

All in all, I don’t think that’s a minority view here!

[The Big Cat]

Reid is a class above Joel and Hayden. He is a genuine AFL player when he gets a run at it. The other two are depth.

[MattW]

Am I in the minority thinking that Amartey should be in the team ahead of McLean?

While McLean is a good contested mark and accurate set shot, he is very slow and is a liability once the ball is on the ground - he has the turning circle of a semitrailer. Additionally when he pinch hits in the ruck he is only really a tap ruck at best.

Amartey seems to be a lot more mobile as a forward, and while he mightn't take as many pack marks, he's a lot better when the ball is at ground level and seems to have more of an impact in general play. Also I think his work in the ruck is very good. He plays like a midfielder and lays a lot of tackles and wins possession when in the middle. I think having a mobile forward would compliment our fast team dynamic a lot more than McLean.

Reid being in the team ahead of Amartey is another debate, but I thought as McLean and Amartey seem to be fighting for the same forward/ruck spot I wanted to see what people thought on those two (I do think you could easily run a forward line with both McLean and Amartey in it)

It's close for the reasons you say, particularly as McLean and Reid are a pretty immobile pair. McLean more bankable to take a contested mark inside 50, and suspect that's the reason he is in.

[Ludwig]

What is apparent to me, after the first 4 rounds, is that Joey is not best 22 when playing as a HB flanker and wing.

I still think he is one of our best contested ball winners but as pointed out by others, now lacks that explosiveness to defend like he once did when we lose the clearance.

So the big issue is whether the overall package as an inside mid and leader out weighs the loss of speed and defensiveness ability. Does it mean that he is behind a whole host of players inside time? For me, this can only be resolved by playing him in his natural position. He deserves the opportunity to be at his best and stay in the team given everything he's done.

The reason that Kennedy isn't playing as an on-baller this year is because it was already apparent last year that he was a liability defensively at stoppages. He looks even slower this year. There's been an active debate on here about how many slow midfielders we should have at centre bounces. The slow group consists of Mills, Parker and Rowbottom. JPK would be in the super slow group. My guess is that the consensus is around 1 slow mid and 2 from the quicker group of Warner, Florent, JMac, Heeney, Gulden, Campbell and Papley. I can't see Kennedy coming into the equation. I doubt Kennedy will play on after this year and the coaching staff have already moved on the the next midfield group.

Am I in the minority thinking that Amartey should be in the team ahead of McLean?

While McLean is a good contested mark and accurate set shot, he is very slow and is a liability once the ball is on the ground - he has the turning circle of a semitrailer. Additionally when he pinch hits in the ruck he is only really a tap ruck at best.

Amartey seems to be a lot more mobile as a forward, and while he mightn't take as many pack marks, he's a lot better when the ball is at ground level and seems to have more of an impact in general play. Also I think his work in the ruck is very good. He plays like a midfielder and lays a lot of tackles and wins possession when in the middle. I think having a mobile forward would compliment our fast team dynamic a lot more than McLean.

Reid being in the team ahead of Amartey is another debate, but I thought as McLean and Amartey seem to be fighting for the forward/ruck spot I wanted to see what people thought

I'm in the minority with you for the very reasons you have pointed out.

[longmile]

Am I in the minority thinking that Amartey should be in the team ahead of McLean?

While McLean is a good contested mark and accurate set shot, he is very slow and is a liability once the ball is on the ground - he has the turning circle of a semitrailer. Additionally when he pinch hits in the ruck he is only really a tap ruck at best.

Amartey seems to be a lot more mobile as a forward, and while he mightn't take as many pack marks, he's a lot better when the ball is at ground level and seems to have more of an impact in general play. Also I think his work in the ruck is very good. He plays like a midfielder and lays a lot of tackles and wins possession when in the middle. I think having a mobile forward would compliment our fast team dynamic a lot more than McLean.

Reid being in the team ahead of Amartey is another debate, but I thought as McLean and Amartey seem to be fighting for the same forward/ruck spot I wanted to see what people thought on those two (I do think you could easily run a forward line with both McLean and Amartey in it)

[Ralph Dawg]

Joey better be back

What is apparent to me, after the first 4 rounds, is that Joey is not best 22 when playing as a HB flanker and wing.

I still think he is one of our best contested ball winners but as pointed out by others, now lacks that explosiveness to defend like he once did when we lose the clearance.

So the big issue is whether the overall package as an inside mid and leader out weighs the loss of speed and defensiveness ability. Does it mean that he is behind a whole host of players inside time? For me, this can only be resolved by playing him in his natural position. He deserves the opportunity to be at his best and stay in the team given everything he's done.

[TheBloods]

Joey better be back

[stellation]

Perth Stadium has harder turf. A 4-hour flight, pounding on that for a whole game and another 4-hour flight is going to be hell on Kennedy's aging calf muscles.

This is why I'm not really surprised to see Kennedy being managed for this game. If Franklin wasn't injured, he could have been rested as well.

That makes sense to me, I'm sure Josh was the first opposing player to complain about how firm the deck is at that ground (given he was asked about it in an on-field interview after the first game there).

[i'm-uninformed2]

I’ll be watching for two things.

One: they’ve got some good talent back through the midfield, but bringing so many players back in at once can leave a side challenged for run and effort late in quarters and the match. Time for our blokes to put on the spread and effort to burn them up.

Two: they’ve got some good small forwards, and good defensive small forwards. We need to clamp Rioli and Ryan, then ensure Campbell, Lloyd, Blakey and co can escape the clamps they’ll try to apply to our exits.

[Aaron]

Hope that Parker can manage his "injuries" and play back to his usual high standard as demonstrated in the first round.

[ernie koala]

If Reid actually holds a few marks, and his hammy and calf don't put up the white flag, on the big hard ground at Optus... I'll be very surprised.
Would of much preferred Armatey than a flakey Reid.
Let's hope this is that occasional game he has, when he clunks some marks and kicks straight...And doesn't limp off.

[AB Swannie]

I’m looking forward to Gulden bouncing back this game. With Bell and Ronke both in the forward line, I can see Errol playing more wing and midfield.

[707]

Umpires for this Round vs West Coast: Daniel Johanson (6), Craig Fleer (26), Andre Gianfagna (27)
Both #26 and #27 were umpires for our R3 game vs "West" Bulldogs. Hope that ...

Read this and let out an expletive that begins with the sixth letter of the alphabet. Perth crowds always get umpiring biased towards the Eagles and now we have that factor plus a second dose of these cheats!

[Thunder Shaker]

Does "managed" really mean, omitted? He isn't injured and he didn't look tired or jaded to me.

Perth Stadium has harder turf. A 4-hour flight, pounding on that for a whole game and another 4-hour flight is going to be hell on Kennedy's aging calf muscles.

This is why I'm not really surprised to see Kennedy being managed for this game. If Franklin wasn't injured, he could have been rested as well.

[Thunder Shaker]

Watch the replay of us vs WC at Kardinia Park last year. From memory our game plan was to kick it into the forward line where ever McGovern wasn't! Or something like that :-)

McGovern out - does that mean we can again now bomb it into the forward 50?

Our game plan just got easier, because now the whole forward line is where McGovern isn't.