GF Matchups

[JudesaGun]

I posted this thread on BF, but would love to hear what u guys think as well.

Matchup comments:

Sydney need to tag Kerr. He tore us apart last time. Even if it is only for a half (as i think he is a 1st half, impact specialist), we need somebody like Matthews to take him out of the game.

Play Dempster on Judd. He is the only one in the team with enough speed (Crouch aside) to go with the danger man. Last time Judd was gamebreaker at Subi. Sydney need to take a punt and i think Demptser is the kid to do it.

Put Ablett on Cousins and Williams/ Bolton on Fletcher. Both players have the negating side to their games as well as the offensive capabilities to stretch their opponents.

Let a WCE player tag Kirk.

Put C Bolton on Hansen and LRT on Gardiner.

Get Kennelly up at HB or on the wing. A match up on Chick would be great to see, otherwise Kennelly could take Embley.

(If he plays) but Hall in the square. If Glass is going to show a weakness, let's make sure it costs WCE a goal.

Play O'Keefe and Davis up the ground. Both will stretch any opponent on the wide spaces of the MCG.

Exploit the O'Loughlin matchup. Whoever, he plays on, i think he could challenge his opponent either on the ground or in the air.


Comments.

[punter257]

i reckon c bolts will play on gardiner and LRT on hansen. gardiner looked very ominous yesterday and c bolts is in great form at the moment. if lynch plays then leo will get him (i think he might play if gaspar gets rubbed out)

agree about kennelly on embley and yeah your right about crouch being free in the midfield if matera doesnt play

we need to be bloody mindful of sampi - looked dangerous yesterday. pretty sure dempster was on him in QF so he may get him again

ablett seems to follow judd everytime we play them, we need to do our homework around the stoppages and position ourselves so he cant accelarate out of packs. plus they always have seagulls waiting in front for the handball

fosdike on braun if he plays and i hope that banfield plays on davis

we need to stop wirrpunda's mopping up down back - hopefully his opponent can drag him out of the action and make him accountable - if his opponent can get some ball early it will change his mindset

[JudesaGun]

Originally posted by punter257


we need to stop wirrpunda's mopping up down back - hopefully his opponent can drag him out of the action and make him accountable - if his opponent can get some ball early it will change his mindset

Definitely agree. I think Buchanan would be a terrific matchup for Wirrapunda. He is dangerous around goals but also exterts great defensive pressure and has the speed and strength to hold him accountable.

[satchmopugdog]

What a dilemna for me. Wirrpunda is my favourite player.. Let me think long and hard about this. Do I want him to have a bad game on Saturday? Millisecond elapses. Yes.


Dilemna solved.

[Bas]

Me versus a pie and about 4 beers.

I'll go straight through em!

[liz]

I hope our midfield backs itself a little more than it did against the Weagles two weeks ago, and tries to get first use of the ball out of the middle, rather than watching the Wiggles boys get it.

Attempts to shut down all their midfield are doomed to failure. But the best form of defence is to have the ball oneself and to move it quickly.

[NMWBloods]

Thanks Yabby Jeans...

[Go Swannies]

I think one of our ruckmen will go forward to minimise Cox. He killed the Crows yesterday and stopped all our drive when we were trying to score in the last few minutes at Subi. We need someone of similar height back there - could be Ball in a last game screamer.

[dimelb]

Sanecow on Embley's calf.

[SimonH]

The virtue of playing in defence is that you usually decide who you match up on, not vice versa.

However, Wirrpunda is such a dangerous player that we need someone to make him accountable. Take his run out of their half-back line and they don't have a fast rebounding defence. If there's a stoppage in the opposition's forward 50, mostly they rely on their fab 4 midfielders to run the ball out; a luxury that isn't available if the ball comes in fast.

I would vote for one of Crouch, NOG or Schneider to play the accountable HFF role on him. (Bucky, while the right type of player, is in white-hot form right now and so I want to see him spend as much time as possible in the middle.) If Wirrpunda tries to play on O'Keefe (or someone else), just keep following him around until he gets the idea!

[NMWBloods]

Schneider might be the one.

He is dangerous so Wirripunda can't ignore him,

He has played down back a bit in recent weeks, so has added a defensive element to his game.

[Go Swannies]

Is Matera a possible? If so, Crouch has to go on him or he can make us pay. And someone has to stop Sampi.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Originally posted by punter257
agree about kennelly on embley

You and JudesaGun seem to have forgotten that Empley shat on Tiger when the Swan played on him earlier in the year, leave him running off half back.

[Young Blood]

WCE matchups

Judd - Kirk. We can't completely shut him down. In the past we've played Willo on him and let them go head to head - with some success. IMO we should take a similar approach in the GF - let Kirky take him on.
Kerr - Normally rated 4th of the Eagles' fab 4, but has been red hot in their two finals so far. So start Ablett on him to keep him quiet early. Nog might move to Cousins or Fletcher later. (Don't think Mathews is quick enough).
Cousins - Ablett seems well suited to him - but if he's on Kerr, then Mathews takes Cousins.
Fletcher - let Jude take him on, as he did Ball on Friday.

Sampi - Crouch goes to their most dangerous small forward (will be tough call if Matera plays)

Wirrpunda - IMO, this matchup is crucial. He starts so many of their attacks. We need a matchup who will keep W accountable by being a goal scoring threat, while not letting W pick up all the crumbs in the back line. Not sure if Schneids or Davis can meet the 2nd criteria. So maybe Dempster or Bevan? (Monty could do it, but don't want to lose his drive from the midfield). Dempster's marking potential would probably keep W more honest. Whoever it is needs to drag him to the goal line, as opposition always try to do with Tadgh.

Thoughts?

[BayesysLeftBoot]

I think the matchups will be pretty much the same as in the QF, however we may need to rethink the Kerr matchup. The other factor may be worsfold throwing a few smaller players up forward as he did in the last quater aginst us.