Sorry, I think this is the wrong move, belly was ragdolling vfl level rucks on sunday, he’ll do it again this sunday.
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Why do people think Francis won’t pull up in time?
It’s not the aerobic issue that stops players pulling up in time, it’s the recovery of the hard knocks and sore muscles.
Yes Francis looked cooked by the end of the game - but you will regain your aerobic fitness in a matter of hours.
The older guys will have trouble backing up due to sore bodies and muscles. Frang will be fine.
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Melb ruck division is arguably the weakest in the league right now, so it evens out. Leuy, has already had a hamstring twinge this season and does not have a good history. l would rest him, given the short break. Others
Myers for Jobe
Gleeson for Stants
Howlet tor Hocking for Zaka.
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Heppell will play, unless he has an injury we don’t know about.
TBell spent the majority of the game in the ruck.
he also went forward a lot and kicked a few, set up a few more. melbourne have no rucks, this is the game to bring him in. I don’t think leuy offers much for us if hes gonna keep tapping the ball to other team’s mid fielders.
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Agree, I think they will look to give Francis continuity and play him again on Sunday.
If history is anything to go by, it’ll be "You’ve now seen the true level you need to reach, back you go now & go harder to get here’
How on earth can a guy who was close to useless after half time get another game in 5 days? Especially when the role he played is one someone has been excelling at in the VZL for weeks?
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Because we won’t play a forward line of Hooker, Daniher, Stewart.
Won’t happen. Stewart is on the list if one of those guys gets injured.
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I reckon there’s more chance of me reading the match day thread …
Out: Watson, Stants, Kelly, Leuenberger, Francis
In: Myers, Bird, McKenna, TBell, Begley
I’d then rest BJ for the freo game.
I agree with you though the club did say the returning players would be managed.
Sharing your sentiment, I think only two changes should be made: Zaharakis and Stanton out for McKenna and Bird or Myers. Might be a good idea to give Myers another game in VFL before selecting him.
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People who think there is going to be more than 1 or 2 changes are crazy.
Bellchambers in for Leuenberger and possibly Myers in for Jobe or Stants but that is it.
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Why won’t we? Francis was playing as a third tall, the exact role Stewart plays. Switching them would be like for like.
Super hard to speculate on the changes this week due to the short turnaround time and our lack of inside knowledge as to which players have pulled up sore and will need more of a rest.
Just from pure observation, Zaharakis and Stanton in particular have been a bit off the boil in recent weeks and aren’t doing enough to justify their positions in the side.
I’m also a little bit critical of the fact that Lueny, as good as he is in the ruck, doesn’t do enough to influence the scoreboard which to my mind is an important measure of a ruckman - I think Bellchambers (particularly on current form) can do that far better than Luenburger can.
As much as I hate to do it because I think he will be a star, I’m not sure I can justify picking Francis when he so clearly is going to go missing for large chunks of games because he simply doesn’t have the fitness to run out four quarters. We need to go in with confidence that all 22 can compete for the entire match and not simply just pop up here and there.
IN: Bellchambers, Myers, Gleeson, Bird
OUT: Luenburger, Zaharakis, Stanton, Francis
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Because it’s not just about roles it’s also the type of players they are.
Francis for Stewart is not like for like. They are completely different players.
Would you bring in Bellchambers to play soley as the third tall in place of Francis? No chance.
Melbourne are favourites…at etihad?
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I seriously want to beat this mob. Seeing us on the ladder above St Kilda and Melbourne brings warm feelings to my heart. I hope Hibbo is kept accountable and gets beaten.
Out Stants, Leuenberger
In McKenna, Bellchambers
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Can I just say all this talk about Zaharakis being off the boil last few weeks blah blah blah. When the game was on the line yesterday in the last quarter, I thought he had some really influential passages of play and deft touches that were very positive. He may not be a 30 touches a week midfielder but he is playing a role for the team. He stays.
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Hibbo will have his hands very full with raz, green, walla and francis playing in our forward line
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