yeah Langford seems like a good idea
Are you going to offer something or just be a smart-ā ā ā ā ?
Well youāve already removed all of the options for who Iād want replaced
and letās be honest, the only players being dropped from this team are Langford and Clarke
He replaces Zaka, its no question really and if the coaches/match committee canāt see that well I think they should be replaced by an u12s coach in the EDFL. Ridley is a natural defender and Zaka is most definitely not a defender. Itās as if weāre trying to recreate what the dutch were doing in the 70s with their total football and any player can play any position. Iām all for trialling players in different roles if there are not alternatives but fck me youāve got a very capable defender playing in the VFL and a wingman/HFF playing in defence in the AFL. Just make the call and bring him in
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Those looking for a spot - there is likely to be one open with Guelfiās injury.
He doesnāt really play a Guelfi type role though, although coming in for him is an option and moving Zaka back up the field.
If it comes down to him Vs Gleeson for a running HBF/Wing id prob go Gleeson for the moment.
If it meant Zaka can go back to mid or wing, that cool head of Gleeson is needed coming out of defence. Under rated how much weāve missed him past 18 months.
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They obviously donāt think Ridley can play on smalls otherwise heād likely be in.
Weāve run Guelfi, McNeice & Zaka through there now as 7th defender.
Zaka to be fair I thought was ok last night, did a pretty good job on Ryan.
Gleeson I think can play on smalls & is probably almost ready to come in after block of building his fitness and form in 2ās
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If we keep thinking of things that the players canāt do then they we will never learn.
We need to start looking at what they can do and find a role for them!
Clarke is the poster boy for it.
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Fantasia and Walla arenāt 100% do they get rested
Stringer, Ridley and Snelling should really come in next week
Great point!
I think many of our players CAN climb into a cannon!
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Better buy another cannon, do they have double barrel ones?
Any chance to come in this week?
Not on his VFL showing, IMO.
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Thanks, is he going ok with a move to the wing or a bit lost? I think it is worth the learning and effort to get him to be a mid, his size and clean disposal could be an asset going through there.
My personal opinion is theyāre not moving him, theyāre just playing him midfield so he learns to cope with some physicality.
And I havenāt seen much improvement there.
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Watching us butcher the ball week after week makes you wonder why this bloke is running around in the VFL. I get the development angle but we need quality delivery going forward and this guy has it. Must come back soon IMO.
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Agree Sunbury, he has the skills we need to create a Plan B.
When the half backs are pinned down I would like him to provide an alternative attack method.
He & Redman and Francis have the necessary kicking skills to provide this second play.
Seems obvious to me, a bit like playing hooker up front when Smack needed to play ruck due to TBell going down.
But Iām not the coach, just a mad bomber supporter so what would I know
Our defence is the one area of the ground where we donāt need to improve our ball use. Redman, Saad, Mckenna and now Francis for at least the next 4-5 weeks is plenty of class coming out of defence.
Gleeson will also be better for the run and the remainder of the season is all about him getting back to his best, which was pretty damn good before injury struck. And Hartley is every chance of coming in should Hooker be sent forward.
Ridley has wingman all over him imo; covers the ground well, elite disposal - which is damaging, creative, and reliable - heās good overhead, and something he hasnāt been able to show yet is his forward craft which based on his junior form is very good.
He should be one of our starting onballers in the VFL for the rest of the season, where he can learn to get his hands on the pill 25+ per game and improve his contested ball winning. The same applies to Begely imo.
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To regular VFL-watchers,
How is Ridley going?
I would have assumed heās very unlucky to not make the bench this weekend, but havenāt actually seen him play since he lost his spot.