Hooker, Hurley, Ambrose and Brown? All back?
Will we be playing Brown on Ambrose’ shoulders in a cunning plan to counter Mason Cox’s height??
Coz otherwise that leaves us way too tall, they’re normally playing White and Moore forward, but they get a lot of their scoring through Fasolo/Crisp and Elliott (if he’s back)
Fasolo…?
2 real mismatches for pace IMO, Elliott’s under 6’0; Hoskin Elliott 6’1", they’re good marks for little guys but I’m not sure I’d be that worried about them to give them key defenders.
Bad week for Baguley to get dropped, on paper he’s a good match up for Elliott.
Not on current form - appears to have adjusted best of all of them.
Johns on Pendlebury?
Haha oh boy.
Get Zantuck in
thanks for that. I needed a laugh.
Ambrose has literally destroyed every key forward he plays on, not sure why you’d change it up and put him on a small forward pocket, I can’t really remember the last time a key forward comprehensively beat him. He goes straight to Moore imo who is probably their most dangerous forward
Add in the undisciplined 50m he gave away and I didn’t like his game at all. Reminded me of his form pre-ban but he needs time to build into it.
As for Anzac Day:
Fletcher forward and Mal Michael on Lockyer.
Ambrose and Brown both playing on small/mediums? Albeit smalls with decent springs but smalls nonetheless.
Interesting.
If you listen to the post match interview with woosha to me it’s evident he will recassess things in another month or so once he has a good idea on where the players are at. I honestly do not expect many changes after hearing his presser. Hurley, Stanton, bags etc will be given another month and if they are no chop, the kids will be played. I wouldn’t be suprised if it was just Gleeson for Conor (he will go) but I think they will also fit one of Francis/Stewart in
Ambrose went to an on-fire Tory Dickson at quarter time against the Bulldogs late in the year and completely shut him out of the game.
A few weeks earlier against the Cats he kept a super-dangerous Menzel to all of 3 possessions. Eventually Menzel got benched in Q3.
Ambrose is our equivalent to Dale Morris - 3rd tall defensive player who can small & tall but is immensely strong and has great endurance.
He has become our #1 defender.
Yep and Woosha said similar on Bomber Radio during the week. Reiterated last night he thinks it’ll be another 4-5 weeks before we know where we sit.
Agree, makring has never been his thing. Out position the monster forward and then best then on the deck, push off them to provide incisive and penetrating kicking it off defensive.
At the moment he can’t out position and body his man so he is getting caught behind and out reached. Walker also exposed him for a bit of run.
He is probably too short and slow for moore next week and too slow for white. Are they playing a third tall ATM?
Fwiw I think the returning players are struggling with there recovery a bit. Maybe we spell him because there is no way he backs up after a 4 day break. We should probably do the same with at least one of hepp and jobe.
Managing the olds through that 4 day break is going to be a real challenge but it may be an opportunity to have look at a few different things. Bird in the middle, Stewart forward, Francis as a +1 down back. Maybe smack in a 3rd FWD/ruck
No, Chris Mayne is kinda sorta playing lead up / generally useless idiot role.
I think 4 talls back would be a recipe for disaster, at least with the touch they’re all in and confidence they (don’t) have in terms of ball handling and rebound.
I wouldn’t be looking to make too many changes. We’ve got a decent break which will benefit the team both physically and mentally. And you have to consider our opposition.
The danger with Collingwood is with their midfield. I’d be considering in general shifting Hooker back and bringing in Stewart forward, but this is not the game to do that. Reckon our backs can manage their forwards (assuming Hurley regains some of his mojo), with my only real fear being Fasolo or Elliott getting off the lease. And they’ve got an ordinary defence for talls so this could be Hooker’s chance to clunk a few big marks.
I’m not sure about the midfield. We’ve got the names, just not the form. Need more zip and pace around the ball. I’d be looking to rotate Raz and Tippa through the middle, and I’d like to see Franga get his chance on Anzac day. He’s a bit of a wrecking ball and maybe we need that.
I hope McKenna stays up and I’d keep playing him for the rest of the year because he’s got just the dash we need (and otherwise lack) coming off the half back line. Not so sure about Bags.
Otherwise I’m cutting the team some slack because I think for many of the returning players it’s been a physical struggle, combined with being just a little off in touch. I’m trusting that will come good by 4-5 weeks. I’m tipping we’ll be a much better team come the end of the year.
Out: Conor (if suspended) in: Gleeson (you know they will)
Out: hurls in: Hartley (tough but hurls needs to freshen up)
Out: green in: bird
I suspect jobe hooker and Kelly will miss the following week against the dees so we should get a look at Stewart and Francis
In Hartley, Bird, Dea, McKernan & Stewart
Out Hurley, Stanton, Watson, Luenberger and someone else
Agree on Ambrose. He should get first dibs on Moore. Certainly got the tank to run with him, and aggression to rough up the young kid a bit.
Hurley to play on White.
Would love Hooker to play back and take the resting ruckman (Cox). Add some intercept marks to our backline.
Brown to take the medium forward.
Gleeson to come in for McKenna and go to Elliott/Hoskin-Elliott.
Out: Mckenna, Baguley, Kelly.
In: Gleeson, Stewart, Francis
Stants to go back into Kelly’s role. McGarth for Bag’s role. (yeah i know I said McGarth in the guts for the rest of the year, that can start against Melb). Stewart replaces Hooker forward. Francis, like Fogdog said…where ever he wants!
We’ll be having a short break between the Pies and Melb. There is every chance we’ll have to rest some older players against the D’s. Resting Kelly now to come in for the Melbourne game when Watson needs a rest.
Yes Hurls and Bags got goals kicked on them but frankly the defence was never going to be able to stop their fwds. No defence would have.
This was mainly due to fact their midfield was being able to transition so easily.
It’s our midfield where the blame solely lies for that first half.
We turned it around in 2nd half but it would have been due to a drop off by the opposition and also both upping the pressure and changes to midfield mix - Fanta, Walla etc going in at times.
The vast majority of our midfield is too slow and also lacks that rabid defence first/ tackle like mad men mindset or ability. We all know it but how to address it and do we have the cattle to do it?
Other sides have their key “tractors” - i.e. Adelaide - Sloane, Crouch… but then pretty much everyone else has pace in that side. Outside players, HBF’rs etc.
We got shown up by a very very slick unit & can’t hope to get away with Watson, Heppell, Stanton, Goddard, Kelly & Langford all in team essentially in our midfield rotations.
This will be the big issue for us moving forward. Can we address it in one season? Probably not.
Bring in McNeice who was fantastic in 2’s, move McGrath into mid rotations.
Play McKenna on a wing. Not in the back 6. Ever. Stanton out. Slow outside player who can’t stick tackles or provide enough pressure. We need our Brad Hill/Isaac Smith.
If Walla & Raz going to be getting more midfield time, 5min bursts, then need to replace them fwd. Begley is really next best thing for us.
Francis for Langford. With JD playing so high up ground effectively need another marking target so Hooker not getting double teamed. Also Francis’s aggression and competiveness miles ahead of Langford IMO. I’d say he is quicker also. It’s time.
Watson may be injured, if not just soreness heavily impacting him.
IN: McNeice, Begley, Francis
OUT: Stanton, Watson (inj), Langford
B: Baguley Ambrose Brown
HB: McNeice Hurley Kelly
C: McKenna Heppell Colyer
HF: Fantasia Daniher Begley
F: Francis Hooker Green
R: Leuey Goddard Zerrett
B: Zaka TIPPA Parish McGrath
Probably asking too much of young players not ready for it but who knows they may step up.