Which suit decided it would be good to fixture this game at Docklands?
Our last three matches have been at the MCG with crowds of 78000, 53,000 and 68,000 and this time we’re playing on a Friday night.
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I reckon we just need to get our forward structure better ahead of the ball so we are kicking to advantage or at least to a contest more often rather than to an out number. I thought we held our forward shape better against Carlton and we were able to create more contests as a result.
By comparison, the tigers just walked it out with a spare and we weren’t my able to get deep enough entries.
I think we need to get better at finding a hit up target across half forward so we get better, deeper entries. Doing that will l also make defenders more accountable which should help even up the numbers inside 50.
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Gunston & Breust are the keys to their fwd line. Wingard has been making cameo’s but he’s done a hammy IIRC
Very confident Ambrose & Saad can shut down those two.
It’s perennially our problem. And it’s a good reason why we lost to Hawthorn late last year. Stratton and others were always on their own.
It is such a terrible tactic.
If Brown were to return, he should be the only one pushing up.
So who were the killjoys that said we wouldn’t play finals? Rd 12 and we are playing finals already.
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You obviously don’t want to win the game against Hawthorn ?
1 of the most idiotic posts I have read on Blitz.
Go and look at Gunston stats from last year’s game with his opponents being Francis and Hurley.
Ambrose was not playing in this game.
Anyone else suggesting Ambrose as an OUT will receive similar treatment.
THINK before posting people !!!
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Key to this game I think aswell, making Stratton and Sicily accountable. Can’t have them picking off our entries all night. Brown in for this reason alone
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Nuff life. Don’t try to comprehend.
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That and not turning the footy over into a congested corridor when Clarko seeks to deny us the corridor as he clearly will do.
Spot on. Turn it over against them and we will get battered on the turnover. Still an amazing kicking side
Well we made Houli accountable, so we have a chance
Bit of positivity 
Interesting. I actually think that having Stringer and Fantasia replace Baguley and Begley makes us more mobile up forward, not less.
I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to having Mitch Brown replace Francis as well, I’d just want Brown to force his way back in via strong form in the VFL first.
EDIT: Unless we stick with one of Baguley/Begley over Francis, I suppose. I’d rather Frang over both of them, though.
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I’d feel more comfortable with all this vitriolic support of Ambrose’s defensive brilliance if we were sitting comfortably inside the 8 with a great percentage owing to an impregnable defence. Something’s wrong back there. It isn’t Hurley, Hooker, Saad. Isn’t our style of play based on fast rebound from defence - Connor MCk contributes to that. What’s wrong with demanding more disposals from a key back!!!?
We’ve kept our opponent to under 80 points in eight of eleven games this season.
The one shining light this year has been our backline, and the key reason for that is Ambrose, who has destroyed the opposition key forward every week.
His disposal count is irrelevant. Judge him by how many goals his direct opponent has kicked. He also allows Hooker and Hurley to play a more attacking role.
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OK; so maybe it comes down to some preferring how Ambrose plays a tagger role and others how Dylan Clarke does.
Not comfortable with suggestions to drop Francis for Brown. Firstly, imagine what it would do to Aaron’s confidence if we dropped him whilst he’s getting used to a role up forward during a time when it’s hardest for tall marking players (wet weather). Aaron has performed ok given the conditions IMO and Brown is coming off injury. Brown hasn’t even knocked down the door with VFL performances yet for various reasons so weighing up everything, I wouldn’t bring him in just yet.
There’s so much depending on who is fit though. Sure they have said Raz, Stringer, Shiel will be ready for Hawthorn, but will they really?? We play smoke and mirrors with our reporting of our players injuries which I do like but it doesn’t give me confidence that these guys will get up for the game.
If they are all fit then I’m happy enough with:
In: Stringer, Shiel, Fantasia
Out: Begley, McNeice, Baguley
Which means McKenna will slot back from wing into McNiece’s small defender role. Shiel back into midfield rotation now that McKenna is back. Raz for Baguley & Stringer for Begley quite straight forward.
I’m quite comfortable with that forward setup.
Laverde Francis Fantasia
Walla McKernan Stringer
McKernan, Francis as the main marking targets while Laverde/Stringer are good enough to essentially play small/tall mid/forward. Ideally I would like another extreme pressure forward to that group but right now we don’t have the cattle that can do the job. That forward group listed is good enough and mobile enough to put apply enough pressure when the ball hits the deck. But they need to make it a focus.
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Hmmm…
Nope
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They might be conservative with Stringer, he has a history of strains.
We have a tough block of games.
Hawks, Eagles(A), GWS and Sydney.
You would have to think we would be needing to collect a win against both Sydney and Hawthorn. The other two if they play their best its out of our (current) league.
So maybe on the other hand we risk him.
I don’t agree.
Senior selection should be and is about the players likely to perform best in the role they are in the best help the team win
Hawks certainly will be doing so
The 4 points is all important
Francis is not a better fwd than Brown. Not even remotely as such at present.
He’s got plenty to learn which is perfectly fine. And really what’s best for his confidence is to do it whilst not under the pressure of performing on the big stage. Development is done for most young players in the VFL.
He’s been playing fwd only because more experienced and more competent senior players have been out. As per Begley.
If Brown is ready (and assume they just needed the soreness in area to settle) then it’s back to VFL for Francis to work on his fwd craft, and ensure that if he is needed again he comes in confident, in form & can perform.
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