Where is the team vs Freo? Here, der

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Hope we have been practicing kicking the ball along the ground.

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Even without Heppell, Joe, Ambrose, Hooker, Draper and most likely Smack, we still have 28 players left who could be picked this evening.

Assuming we will be without Smack due to illness, I think TBC will come in to share the ruck and be a tall target with Phillips. Stewart is a smokey, but doesn’t offer ruck back up, although with shorter quarters, they may leave out TBC and let Phillips ruck on his own, and bring Stewart in if they want to have a more mobile forward line.

Realistically any of the players I’ve put down as emergencies could play, but I have chosen: Townsend, Hibberd, Cutler, Guelfi, Ridley and TBC to come in over Langford, Lav, Ham, Snelling, Gleeson and Stewart, but there is the chance that any of those could be swapped around.

B: Redman, Zerk-Thatcher, Francis
HB: McKenna, Hurley, Saad
C: McGrath, Merrett, Zaharakis
HF: Fantasia, Jake Stringer, Devon Smith
F: Walla, TBC, Townsend
Foll: Phillips, Shiel, Parish

I/C: Ridley, Guelfi, Hibberd, Cutler

EMERG: Ham, Snelling, Langford, Laverde, Gleeson, Stewart

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I’m close to this -

B: Redman, Zerk-Thatcher, Francis
HB: Gleeson, Hurley, Saad
C: McGrath, Merrett, Zaharakis
HF: Fantasia, Jake Stringer, McKenna,
F: Walla, TBC, LAV
Foll: Phillips, Shiel, Parish

I/C: Ridley, Langford, Townsend, Smith

sorry guelfs and TBC is a big risk, so they might go smaller with LAV & Stringer as leading “”"“talls”"".

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Where has this been reported?

Never mind mate found it on SEN

In Capri Pants

Stewart has never shown he could play the number 1 key forward position.
Plus wary of throwing him in the deepend after his injury.

So think we will go with 2 rucks. but a mobile forward set up

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We are a fit Daniher away from having a farking good team. Key forward quality, depth and availability is just disastrous at the moment unfortunately and could prove our undoing.

B: Redman BZT Francis
HB: Saad Hurley McKenna
C: McGrath Merrett Langford
HF Smith Stringer Fantasia
F: AMT Lav Townsend

R: Phillips Shiel Parish

INT Gleeson Zaka Snelling Ham

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Honestly, if we go in with Stringer and Laverde as key forwards, we are stuffed. Stringer is a sensational player, but he’s not a key forward and doesn’t play like one. Laverde, unfortunately, is just not good enough.

I wonder if anyone’s ever thought of Langford as a leading full forward. He’s quite a smart player, and he can take a mark and kick a goal. He’s never going to be a power forward and take big pack marks, but there are other ways to play full forward.

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Four forward options really
Smack recovers
Belly or Phillips play forward
Stewart makes a surprise return
Francis goes forward

I like this idea, when we are desperate. Without smack, I think it’s a better option than playing underdone, medium rare Tbell-steak.

Geez Belly is getting no love

So you’d prefer move Francis fwd, bring in raw McBride and also then have either Stringer/Francis pinch hit in ruck against Darcy/Lobb?

It’s a no from me.

They’ve trained Belly up to say he’s fit and available to play. Which would be significant amount of time being in full training.

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I disagree with this.

The role of the kpf in the modern game is not to get outmarked. If the players stick to the plan and lower their eyes then Stringer and Lav can be genuinely dangerous.

And if in doubt just kick it along the ground to a bunch of swarming smalls.

Whatever you do, don’t just dump it long on Lavs head

I would touch TBC or Stewart for a couple of rounds. Go with stringer, lav and the mosquito fleet

And yet the modern game is about defensive pressure which means that you don’t get to go about spotting up passes to leading players with ease

They are trying to force opposition into rushed long kicks. They are trying to block up space for where they can lead to.

Now more than ever you need strong marking targets that either mark the ball or at the least prevent opposition intercept/easy spoiling the ball away.

When you are stuck and want to kick long down line to try take a mark or get a stoppage not ideal when your targets aren’t kpp size.

Tigers despite the 2017 season are now playing Lynch (200cm), Riewoldt (195cm) and two geniune rucks in Nank & Soldo who will have time forward.

Dogs this weekend fwd are rolling out Naughton (195cm), Bruce (197cm) & Schache (199cm) fwd/ruck.

Because he’s played one and a half good seasons

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I’d say that now more than ever you need to make sure that you miss kicks short rather than long. Need to rush a kick forward? The old defenders along the ground safety kick has to be the default. It can’t be in the air for any length of time because the intercept mark will get picked off. You can’t intercept a chaos ball. And I’d back Tippa, Smith, Fantasia, Stringer etc etc if the ball is on the ground against anyone.

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I hope TBell doesn’t play this weekend, but if Smack is out, he’s the most logical replacement imo

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Fantasia said Hams nickname is “The Don”
had a good preseason

main change in playing style is play safe behind the ball, being setup in defence means they can attack more up forward and pressure the oppoistion".