Woosh would be licking his lips at the opportunity to drop Watson and put the whole squad on notice.
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Was our worst performed midfielder, and a passenger for most of 2nd half.
Itâs pretty rare a team gets belted in midfield and only forced changes via suspension to a HBF get made.
It would certainly do as you say if he was to be dropped. Reputations stand for nothing. Perform.
If physically hampered then donât put your hand up to play, let someone else who can run out game come in. Really should have sat out Crows game.
The truth is probably somewhere between. Doggies won the gf last year - granted with a questionable extra week to get players up - playing a frenetic style that might well have ruined the Swans. The game shifts perceptibly every couple of years now, our returning blokes could only observe that, not feel it every week. Itâs not an excuse we want to use and neither do they, but it must be acknowledged.
Why would Heppell, Watson, Hooker Hurley need a rest? McGrath looks fit and firing, Wouldnât he have a bigger excuse for being tired?
because running when youâre not playing doesnât equate to having match fitnessâŚ
games arenât about aerobic capacity its about taking hits for the 2 hours.
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Think youâre overreacting a bit WOB. I donât think itâs an excuse for losing. Not everything is an excuse. The training those guys did, wouldnât get close to replicating or maintaining actual match fitness. It is always talked about that players need continuity in preseasons and seasons to maintain peak performance. They might only be 5 % off in their fitness, but they are also 5% off in their skills, and that makes a hell of a difference. Its a reality of the game and the professional era weâre in. Thatâs why Woosha said, even before the season started, that he wonât really know where the players are at until about mid-season - ie. after they have played enough games to know. And plenty of players are managed by clubs that havenât had 6 of their best 22âs out for a season.
I just donât get the idea that speaking about the realities of the situation is interpreted as being an excuse. In any case, I havenât seen it used as an excuse for losing - as in, if these guys hadnât had a year out, we would have won - by anyone at the club. To talk about it, is a bit different making excuses for a loss, or even the player.
Anyway, Woosha is on a hiding to nothing with this situation: talk about it - heâs making excuses for his players - donât talk about it, heâs in denial - talk about players not being fit enough - heâs being too hard on them - and so on. It will be interpreted however the media want to interpret it. And he will be asked about it every feckinâ week in one form or another.
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Does colyer look like he needs a rest?
The only thing that happened in the year off was the old and slower guys got older and slower. They deserve to play Anzac Day, they have had a 10 day break and I believe they should get to prove themselves on the big stage. But inthe coming weeks anyone whoâs not performing shouldnât get a game
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I donât disagree that it might come to that, and probably should. I donât think itâs as simple as just being older and slower though. Anyway, see you on Tuesday. Iâve got a level 4 seat, but Iâll drop into the GS at some point.
Yeah, same mate. Il probably watch the first quarter from the stands and the rest from the GS. See you there
Itâd be constant collisions that would be having the effect. As an example of this, Hurley said he carried his first corkie from the preseason for weeks. Then consider that the mids especially were crashing and bashing in against Carlton in a heavy slog, not unsurprising that they mightâve pulled up sore from that. And if they were going into Adelaide itâs not incovevable that theyâd take longer to recover again. Nobody is hoping itâs the case but itâs the simple reality we will be faced with throughout the season with the returning players.
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Bit of THYMOSIN will cure what ails ya
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Jobe has openly said in the coffee promo vid that he is struggling to get up between games. Finding it harder than he expected.
Add in a wet day slog = constant collisions, getting dragged down more etc, and 6 day break into game against rampant hard running side and we saw what we did in his performance. Also the carry over fatigue/soreness week to week will be affecting his disposal efficiency.
Itâs the simple reality of a year out of the game for a 32yr old contested ball player. He may need to be managed throughout this season accordingly.
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In all seriousness, whether itâs a effect or not, this Tuesday is no excuses. Everyoneâs had a 10 day break to recover and we have a full list to choose from, we are at full strength. If we canât win this Anzac Day against that steaming pile of â â â â â Collingwood side, thereâs something wrong. As pessimistic as I am about us and Anzac Day, I think we will win as there is simply no excuses this week for a loss
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Expecting 0.000005mm of rain, that evens the contest.
I agree with you in part WOB.
But put it this way, if Jobe wasnt able to still train with this weeks main session, and only completed part of session on Saturday does he play?
Is there a risk he blows up half way through Anzac game and canât contribute for 2nd half again?
Do you play someone instead who has completed all sessions, is fresh, and can run out the game?
Thatâs where itâs at.
I hope he does get up and can play out the game well to the end because he is a star but he physically might not be able to.
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and then what about his ability to get up for the even shorter break to Melbourne? End of the day Anzac Day is still only 4 points, no matter the meaning of the day or hatred of the opposition, and weâve got another game we need to win 4 days later. So if thereâs a question over his fitness or preparation surely the sensible thing to do is rest him for the following week. The same can be said for any player with a question over their fitness and conditioning, Francis being a perfect example.
If it wasnât Anzac Day I wouldnât be against him having the week off if he truly felt cooked. But if there is one player who has ever deserved to play Tuesday, itâs him. Plonk him on a chair for all I care in the square, but that bloke deserves more than anyone, and perhaps for the last time, to play on Anzac Day in front of 90k. He will get himself up for it
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No doubt he deserves it more than anyone. But fiarytaleâs donât always happen and Iâd hate to think match committee would pick a guy who may be underdone or unfit or not up to it, based on the fairytale. We saw it once not long ago with a tall red head⌠and it was a sad sad end for a bloke who deserved better.
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Iâd be resting Jobe and possibly Stanton for the Melbourne game 5 days after Anzac Day.
Similarly, if we bring in Francis on ANZAC Day he needs to be rested for the Melbourne game.
Our team selection shouldnât be just about Anzac Day but about the Melbourne game as well.
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Howâs he going to feel if he gets his pants pulled down in front of 90,000 due to being picked when not fully fit? Doesnât seem very âfairâ to me.
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