3 Likes
Brilliant. I was hopeful it would just be an AC joint sprain. Still extreme pressure on for spots through the midfield for round 1!
Heck even Shiel reckons he’ll be back for the second practice match! He’ll play through the 2’s to start the year given his almost completely modified pre-season but just having heaps of numbers available would be a win.
2 Likes
Thank fark.
I have a feeling that one of Hobbs or Caldwell is going to miss out on round 1. And given Hobbs has generally been playing reds, I suspect it will be him (I’d have Hobbs slightly in front of Caldwell personally).
We seem very keen to get both Tsatas and Kelly into the team. Duursma is pushing his case. And if Draper is fit and we play 2 rucks then a recognised name is going to miss out.
2 Likes
Don’t forget Essendon terminology.
Awareness = 4 weeks.
Minor = 10 weeks.
Serious = dead.
25 Likes
Awareness is more like half the season
I reckon “awareness” refers to Blitzers being aware they’ve lost the (no doubt critically) injured player for many, many months.
1 Like
I’m expecting him back by the mid season bye.
One of our fitness staff will probably make him do shoulder presses while balancing on an exercise ball Harry Jones style
4 Likes
I think they will both have bench roles rotating through the midfield. Hobbs and Setters i think will rotate as the inside bulls. Will admit though we have a lot of guys who can run through there. Someone will miss.
makes the practice matches very competitive in gunning for opening round spots.
I think Caldwell offers a bit more when he is playing forward than Hobbs. Which is why they will go Caldwell over Hobbs initially I believe. It doesn’t help that they seem to want to give Perkins and Durham more inside time. While Hobbs is probably going to be the better pure mid out of all of them, they are more versatile which I think is a big thing in the way the game is played now.
1 Like
Hobbs and Caldwell are both Round 1 players
8 Likes
Seems a waste of two list spots.
What about the rest of the year?
If both Hobbs and Caldwell are fit and ready to play and are not playing Round 1, there are issues.
2 Likes
Id be surprised if both fit in if they select both Kelly and heppell. Which i wouldnt do fwiw, and i completely agree with you. But i can 100% see scott leaving one out
1 Like
Yep and that’s my concern.
If Kelly and Heppell are getting games over Caldwell, hobbs, tsatas then I’m leaving at season’s end if I’m one of those 3.
1 Like
The only way you’d stay if that occurred this year is if Heppell is going to retire and Kelly doesn’t get offered another contract. Both shouldn’t be anywhere near playing senior footy with a reasonably healthy squad available for selection. Slow, momentum killing players with ball in hand. Backwards/sideways possession.
1 Like
I think they will take the easiest option (not the right one) and make Hepp the sub for round 1… you know, the leadership chestnut.
Coz won’t figure round 1 (good sub option)
Ditto Tsatas
Menzie will drop out of the structure for Gresham
Kelly will be selected for the wing / half back cover for Martin
Laverde no, Baldwin no,
I think Duursma plays
Hind is an interesting one…I don’t know there
Setterfield, Caldwell, Hobbs all in
But
I have NFI
I 100% agree with you we should not have room for Kelly and Hepp. If Kelly is being tasked to be Martin’s cover then Hepp theoretically should do the same…but he is too slow in transition and would be burnt
I’d be quite happy to leave both out and play Duursma or Durham as some cover for Martin freewheeling but I think they are going to want play Durham and Duursma in more attacking ways.
None of the 3 are playing defence like Hep is, not that I expect him to go past this year anyway
And if Kelly is playing wing might only be impacting Tsatas, who has his deficiencies to work on anyway. Right now if tossing up between two the fact Kelly is more accomplished defensively might be reason he’d be ahead. I’d expect they will try to get Tsatas games where they can though
It’s more the midfield itself and the main rotations as far as personnel that would be reason for whether any of Caldwell or Hobbs miss, including Perkins offering something different that might see him preferred to be picked
I want the coaching panel to select the best 22 on form for round one. 2024 shouldn’t be a development year. We will aim to win a final at the very least. If Heps and Kelly are both in form they should play.
I think Caldwell is a lock for round 1 & Hobbs is borderline.
Duursma was out of my 22 based on injury but he played really well yesterday. If we don’t get any injures in the next six weeks there will be 2-3 genuine shock omissions to the side. Hobbs, Laverde & Baldwin may all miss.
6 Likes
In no universe is Hobbs borderline. Absolute walk up start. Is already pretty good and could become our Sam Mitchell.
6 Likes
I really like Hoobs and think he will end up a 200+ game player.
We have a near full list so putting together best 22s is really hard. A few will miss out and Hobbs has been playing in the 2nd team for match sims.