I don’t. Dea is 185cm and got slapped around by J Watts last time we tried that.
Frang won’t be playing AFL this week.
Nup. Few more weeks away at best, unless injuries struck.
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I can’t see Hurley getting dropped to the VFL.
How many suitable opponents can you think of that Francis would match up well on in our coming games, or even league wide?
McCartin?
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Got one for Dea?
Francis at least has the size and chops overhead to provide a contest to bruce IMO, if he’s kept with him. Riewoldt would be playing with fire, blowing up guys with long leading is his bread and butter.
The problem with Dea is both of those two would beat him for pace as well, and there would be absolutely no contest in a one on one.
Watts burnt him off for pace, marking and work rate, Josh Caddy was too big and strong for him, he played OK against Geelong when Danger dropped deep, but there’s no guy for St Kilda who you’d keep a defender for just for when they rotate.
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Francis couldn’t go with Riewoldt for more than 3 mins.
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No he couldn’t. You’d want him on Bruce. I don’t think you’d want Dea on either of them.
Don’t reckon he’d even last 3…
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Have you watched Aaron Francis play? Have you watched Josh Bruce?
Aaron, at this stage would not have a hope in hell of running with Bruce.
And considering he played VFL Sunday and we play Friday night why is this even a conversation?
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It’s not really about how much of Francis or Bruce I’ve seen, more how many I’ve seen of Dea, which was about 25 games too many. He’s basically Baguley, except too slow to play on key size guys, let alone mid size guys who he should be matching up on.
Is he good for more than a quarter of AFL level effort? If so, he’s a far better option than Francis.
He played pretty well against St Kilda last year IIRC … in fact we went mighty close to winning that game.
And yes, if you’re going to comment on the suitability of a player to match up on another player it kinda helps if you have a clue what you’re talking about.
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McCartin highly unlikely to play. Just coming back from concussion.
So who would you put Dea on?
Haven’t seen this week’s VFL game, but from the ones I’ve seen and reports I’ve read, I reckon this is getting less and less true by the week.
Francis can and will get fitter, Dea will always be too short to have a week to week fit.
Francis won’t get fitter this season. If might take two seasons for him to get to an acceptable AFL standard. Perhaps he may never get there.
I’d play Dea on Membrey if he was to get a game.
You’ve got your wires crossed. He was pretty good (as a loose half back) in the first game where we got beaten comprehensively, he was not that good in the 2nd one that we almost won.
Something something if you don’t know what you’re on about something something…!! 
Both games he was lining up as a loose half back, with Hartley, Ambrose and Gwilt on the big guys, and Goddard and Gleeson also across half back. That’s 4 guys over 190cm, plus Gwilt who often took key positions. So he could.
Surely you can agree that’s a very different role than he’s been used in this year, and that we’re discussing now?
But he’s out, as we both know. No hypotheticals in this hypothetical, thanks!
And he’s about the only guy across the league I’d say is a really good matchup for Dea.
Opinions on Dea aside, I’d move Hooker back before I’d bring in Francis to play on any semi-decent key forward, Bruce included.
I gotta be honest, I’m not sure yet if ‘playing on somebody’ is really the type of defender Francis is. I know he can play the intercept role, no idea how he goes one out in the goal square.