Fire the season out of a cannon

You’re in charge. How do you get the most out of the rest of the year? What calls need to be made? Who do you want to find out about?

Midfield.

Myers and bj should be nowhere near it. Hep should be used as a defensive self sacrificing player who blocks for the kids so we can find out about them. McGrath and parish at the feet of the ruck to be used as first option. Solid blocks of games in the midfield for Lang Clarke and Mutch. Give them the responsibility. Let’s have a look at Draper and give long a block of games in the wing.

Defence

Thanks for your service bags. Bj to play the pops Kelly role and nothing else. Would it be too much to make a call on him too? We need to look at Redman and guelfi back here I think. Ditto zerk, Ridley and frang. Wouldn’t be too fust if they send Hurley off for early surgery and hooker forward so jd can get his knee right too.

Forward.

JD and tippa both need a rest. Lets experiment with a few different structures. Give Houlihan a taste.

Discuss

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yes to every suggestion.

Also rest Tippa then try him again in the backline. I know we think he will get exposed overhead, but damn he was electric running off the HBF.

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I’m meant to be doing multiple assignments today, so expect a 12,000 word thesis sometime later this arvo/evening…

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I actually like this idea. Plus his kicking was so good back there, if they want to keep going for the pinpoint passes, he’s one that could do it.

I’m happy with most of that. Not sure about Hooker forward though. I was a big fan of him forward, but I reckon we may as well leave him back now. I’d try Hartley forward for a few games though.

More than anything it would be about giving JD time to get his knee right and giving some young kpd opportunity

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Yes to everything you said although not sure Houlahan is any near it yet ?

If JD needs surgery put him in and maybe try Langford at HFF (has this been discussed before?*)

Try a forward line of.(If fit)

Tippa Stringer Green
Langford Stewart Fantasia

Smith can spend some time up forward and be replaced by Fantasia and Tippa.
Laverde to come off the bench and play wing with some stints up forward too

*sarcastia font

Myers and Bags to not play again.
Stringer to the goal square and play Stewart, Fanta and Walla as the only others inside 50. Hooker to play further up around CHF. Heppell to HBF, push Irish up on to the wing.
Joe and Parish to have a rest for a couple.
Will post my team when I get a spare moment

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Great post Ivan. I agree with pretty much all of it.

I would thank Bags, BJ and Myers. Also Leuey from the VFL.
I also agree resting Hurley, Joe and Walla.

I would like to see us try some of these structures in the remaining games:

Defence
Saad Ambrose Zerk
Redman Francis Guelfi

I don’t agree with some posters who think Zerk has to bulk-up to play. I think Zerk is ready to play. Of the VFL players Zerk and Francis are the most likely IMO to become good players.

Long/effective kicking halfbacks is the model teams are going with to break defensive zones.

I would also try Ridley in defence swapping with Zerk.

Midfield
McKenna Clarke Long
Draper Zerrett McGrath

I would also try Long in defence swapping with Redman.

Forwards
Smith Stewart Fantasia
Stringer Hooker Parish

I agree with Hooker forward if we rest Joe plus his contests give our smalls a chance to impact the scoreboard.

I would also try Long foward and I would consider Colyer in a forward defensive role once he recovers.

Interchange from:
Langford would play HF/mid
Heppell defensive mid
Laverde good instincts, hard at contest but kicking lets him down. Confidence player, would try wing/mid
Mutch works hard and gets to contests but I’m not as convinced as some other that he will be best 22 long term.
Zaha would consider spell in VFL
Ridley would try in backline but also wing/HF
TBell play when we need to rest Draper
Colyer would consider for defensive pressure roles - back or forward pocket
Houlahan good skills but seems a long way off compared to the others but I would try him because of the good skills.

Just leave the firward line in the forward line. Stinger or stewart standing in the square always as lead up forwards.

Yesterday we had the ball about 65m from goal, joe and stewart at 40m out. The both ran back for the ball over the top. We chipped sideways. The forwardline then got congested because we didn’t move it forward quickly. Stewart then lead up but there was little room to lead into. Why was noone deep and leading up in the first play? Appalling forward structure

I’d limit selection to players under 27 with the following exceptions:

Hooker
Hurley
Goddard
Bellchambers
Ambrose

That means that Brown, Bags, Leunberger, Myers, Zaharakis, Mckernan are no longer available for selection. They won’t be in our next premiership team.

I’d give Langford and Laverde 6 weeks to either show that they can play midfield in the AFL or to become trade assets in the offseason. Our list profile doesn’t need any more tall half forwards unless they are really quick and agile.

As you said I’d give Parish and McGrath an extended run in the midfield as well. The other i would like to see in there is Fantasia as he can pick the ball up at pace and he has skills.

Backline of Hurley, Ambrose and Hooker as talls, McKenna, Saad and McNeice as smalls. Gleeson in for Ambrose when he returns from injury. If McNeice doesn’t make it after 6 games, give Redman the same opportunity. If Francis strings three or four good games together he is straight in for Ambrose unless Ambrose starts to show a bit on the intercept/rebound.

Forward line of Joey and Stewart as talls with Stringer, Fantasia, Tippa and whoever is fit out of Colyer or Green until Begley gets back. We simply cannot play Langford or Laverde in that forward line and expect to hold the ball in there.

Bellchambers and Daniher sharing the ruck duties, Joey looks much better when he gets some time on the ball.

Midfield rotation: Heppell, Merrett, Smith, Langford, Laverde, Parish, McGrath, Goddard with cameos from Tippa, Fantasia and McKenna. Mutch, Clarke and/or Guelfi straight in if Langford and/or Laverde don’t grasp their respective opportunity.

Time to get realistic

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We should play Stringer on ball all game every game. If nothing else, we’ll build his fitness

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B – Ambrose, Hurley, Saad

HB – McKenna, Hooker, Redman

C – McGrath, Clarke, Mutch

HF – Langford, Stewart, Fantasia

F – Smith, Stringer, Zaharakis

R – Bellchambers, Merrett, Heppell

I/C – Long, Parish, Goddard, Guelfi

Need to line up like this to see whether the kids we have are up to it!

OUT: Baguley, Daniher, Myers, Tippa, Lav

It’s all about next year for me, what can we do to build a side ready to hit the ground running in 2019.

Moving the older guys out of the prime moving position. Putting real responsibility on the youth to own the future. Between now and the bye anybody with injuries are rested for second half. (joe and Walla)

I’d be simplifying the game style and experimenting on some new ideas to see what happens. One being to have a tall and small in the f50 at all times. Get everybody else out. Open forward line. Focus on a role based game style soldier in soldier out mentality.

I’d implement some new team rules, first, your inside the F50 you have a shot, especially on the run. No handballs under 5 metres or over 15, if a guy is within 5 you don’t give it to him, outside fifteen you chip kick. Miss tackles mean missed matches, missed kicks mean missed matches, you stuff either you’re dropped, no exceptions.

Up to the bye we run with a team of.

FF Zaka Stewart Goddard
HF Fantasia Stringer Zerrett
C McKenna Smith Mutch
HB Heppell Hurley Saad
FB Redman Hooker Ridley

FOLL Belly Langford Parish

INT Clarke McGrath Laverde Guelfi

Emerg Long Zerk McNeice

After the bye we start to bring Daniher and Walla back in. Colyer and Green as Small forwards to bring back. Francis comes in for Ridley who will need a spell.

Reassess how the team and development is going and readjust from there.

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Some of you are absolutely brutal in this thread - you’ve basically put a fork through the next three years not just this year.

I’d also instigate a rank and yank policy for team selection, each week the two players one with the lowest pressure acts and the others with the lowest kicking efficiency are dropped. No exceptions. If it’s the same person their out for a month.

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when ivan’s making threads all despondently, you’ know we’re ■■■■■■.

This thread is meant to be the positive one. The other one I started, the negative one, is going gang busters