Terry Wallace predicts us to make the GF

[NMWBloods]

I just watched the Foxtel preview of us and thought it was pretty good.

They said we need to increase our Inside 50s a bit (we came 15th last year) and not rely so heavily on a 'freakish' conversion rate.

They stated that part of the reason our accuracy was so good is that we move the ball so quickly and are delivering well into the forward line, plus we have a good mix of forward options as well as genuine sharpshooters.

There was the comment that they are all playing backyard footy and enjoying it, very much in the mould of Roos. Goodes was a player who had particularly benefited, particularly as he was about to be dropped in mid 2002. Wallace couldn't see that anyone can match up on him.

Kennelly and Sundqvist were two players to watch, with Schwass saying the latter had bulked up a lot in the off season, althoguh he would find it difficult to break into our forward line.

Wallace seemed genuinely impressed and compared us to the Adelaide team that won premierships and thinks we can back up again this year and give it a real tilt.

He picked the Lions to win the premiership, but picked either us or WCE, both at $15, as value bets.

[liz]

Originally posted by NMWBloods

Kennelly and Sundqvist were two players to watch, with Schwass saying the latter had bulked up a lot in the off season, althoguh he would find it difficult to break into our forward line.

I've only seen Sunny in one game this pre-season (at NSO - did he play in the Wiz Cup? Can't recall) and to me he still looked very much like a stick.

I also can't see him being used as a forward. If he gets his chance this year I'd have thought it far more likely he'll be on the half-back flank - as cover for Barry or Kennelly most likely, unless Tiger gets moved further up the ground to where we reeeeally want to see him play.

[sharp9]

I like him best when he's going in hard under the packs...true he's still skinny and gets knocked off it at this stage but he really does put his head down. Also he is a very good deliverer into he fifty...although he made quite a few noted errors last season and this pre-season. I reckon (quietly) that the errors are out of character and a truer reckoning of his talent s are his low straight passes to our forwards.

I'm wondering if he is one of those who just needs to believe he actually belongs there in the big show? He seems to hurry his delivery (hence more errors than we would like)....perhaps the secret is for him to reaslis that "hey, I'm actually pretty good....so good in fact that I have more time than I realised to get rid of the footy!"

[chammond]

Originally posted by lizz
I've only seen Sunny in one game this pre-season (at NSO - did he play in the Wiz Cup? Can't recall) and to me he still looked very much like a stick.

I also can't see him being used as a forward. If he gets his chance this year I'd have thought it far more likely he'll be on the half-back flank - as cover for Barry or Kennelly most likely, unless Tiger gets moved further up the ground to where we reeeeally want to see him play.

He has filled out a bit, but I don't think he'll ever be a gorilla . . . more the wiry athletic Robbie Flower type.

He did play against Carlton . . . sort of wing/flanker role with occasional stints on-the-ball. Looked workmanlike, took a few bumps and bounced back okay.

I see Sunny as similar to Ablett in that he needs a lot of game time in the seniors to improve his decision-making and build his confidence . . . but is faced with the Catch-22 that he has got to prove himself in order to break into the side.

He's certainly got the skills . . . it's more a question of whether he can make a big enough impact. The team can carry only so many 'developing' players, and Schneider and LRT (and possibly McVeigh) have leap-frogged ahead.