Team Selection: Round 24 v West Coast

[Roadrunner]

Essendon if Draper goes
Carlton If TDK goes
West Coast

He could get a better go at it elsewhere for sure.
Not sure he cares about playing in a bottom 9 side, he just did a season in VFL for us and we were terrible.

If he stays he needs his head read, we have 2 talls to come back in plus Green, he isnt a priority, god help us if Grundy gets injured

Agreed but he’s needed for cover. Whether or not he’s happy with that, we will see. But I’d have him in the team as second ruck in any case. Brodie can’t do it on his own and like Uua says, let’s have a tall forward line for a change! Let’s face it, we only have Isaac as a reliable, consistent scorer- with all due respect to Paps and Wilbur who don’t dominate week in week out and seem to be carrying injuries most of the time.

We can’t rely on Amartey and McDonald staying fit for most of the year so that leaves us with just McLean. I’m not counting on Buller as he’s been ok at best but won’t win us any games from what we’ve seen so far. So we would be crazy not to retain Ladhams unless we can get a massive upgrade.

[UUaswan]

Agreed but he’s needed for cover. Whether or not he’s happy with that, we will see. But I’d have him in the team as second ruck in any case. Brodie can’t do it on his own and like Uua says, let’s have a tall forward line for a change! Let’s face it, we only have Isaac as a reliable, consistent scorer- with all due respect to Paps and Wilbur who don’t dominate week in week out and seem to be carrying injuries most of the time.

We can’t rely on Amartey and McDonald staying fit for most of the year so that leaves us with just McLean. I’m not counting on Buller as he’s been ok at best but won’t win us any games from what we’ve seen so far. So we would be crazy not to retain Ladhams unless we can get a massive upgrade.

I 100% want to retain Ladhams and have been one of his biggest fans

Im just saying what is the point if Cox isn't going to play him

My best team has
Grundy,Ladhams Ruck
Amartey Deep Fwd
Mclean Roaming Fwd
McDonald Swinging fwd back link up

Imagine what Heeney, Paps and Wilbur would do alongside that.

Like Greene at GWS, playing on the 4th Defender

[Nico]

Why can you see why Corey has been included here? He plays well in the Reserves but he has an average Disposals of 7.2 this year. That ain't good unless you are Will Hayward as he will kick 2-3 goals.

I suspect Cory gets a game because we are playing in Perth, his home town.

[Nico]

I hope this coaching group adopts a tall fwds structure next year like every other successful team, never been more frustrated to support this club

I'm sure if McDonald and Amartey were fit we would have had a tall forward set up. It;s just how the cookie has crumbled this season.

[UUaswan]

I'm sure if McDonald and Amartey were fit we would have had a tall forward set up. It;s just how the cookie has crumbled this season.

Im not so sure

They never went with Grundy, Ladhams, Mclean, Buller when they could have

Thats 4 talls when im hoping for 5

[liz]

Im not so sure

They never went with Grundy, Ladhams, Mclean, Buller when they could have

Thats 4 talls when im hoping for 5

That's probably because all four lack pace and agility. You can get away with a few. Four is a bit too many IMO (and I suspect in Cox's too).

[UUaswan]

That's probably because all four lack pace and agility. You can get away with a few. Four is a bit too many IMO (and I suspect in Cox's too).

I don't think they are any less agile than other talls.

3 cover the ground as Rucks and even Buller has looked good getting up the ground.

[MattW]

I suspect Cory gets a game because we are playing in Perth, his home town.

Corey Warner's statline in the VFL last week: 37 disposals (11 contested), 7 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 6 marks, 4 tackles.

[UUaswan]

Corey Warner's statline in the VFL last week: 37 disposals (11 contested), 7 clearances, 7 inside 50s, 6 marks, 4 tackles.

Deserves a game but wont get anywhere near the inside midfield in the Top side, will run like he is on a railway from point post to point post

[BRS328]

Agreed but he’s needed for cover. Whether or not he’s happy with that, we will see. But I’d have him in the team as second ruck in any case. Brodie can’t do it on his own and like Uua says, let’s have a tall forward line for a change! Let’s face it, we only have Isaac as a reliable, consistent scorer- with all due respect to Paps and Wilbur who don’t dominate week in week out and seem to be carrying injuries most of the time.

We can’t rely on Amartey and McDonald staying fit for most of the year so that leaves us with just McLean. I’m not counting on Buller as he’s been ok at best but won’t win us any games from what we’ve seen so far. So we would be crazy not to retain Ladhams unless we can get a massive upgrade.

McDonald’s injury was tied into the preliminary final last year, and he was foolishly played in the grand final which only aggravated the injury further. Had the club had a chance to make the finals he would certainly have been playing now. They have rightly said get yourself right and do a full preseason. He has not been an injury prone player, and bye the club’s own admission they tried to rush him back to soon given that he had not done a preseason this year following his surgery. Logan has a part to play in the decision by trying to come back to early.
I am quite confident that you will see a fully fit Logan come back and make a significant contribution next year.
A good comparison to a player who had similar injuries two years ago is Tilthorpe, and look how he has come on this year.

[Blood Fever]

McDonald’s injury was tied into the preliminary final last year, and he was foolishly played in the grand final which only aggravated the injury further. Had the club had a chance to make the finals he would certainly have been playing now. They have rightly said get yourself right and do a full preseason. He has not been an injury prone player, and bye the club’s own admission they tried to rush him back to soon given that he had not done a preseason this year following his surgery. Logan has a part to play in the decision by trying to come back to early.
I am quite confident that you will see a fully fit Logan come back and make a significant contribution next year.
A good comparison to a player who had similar injuries two years ago is Tilthorpe, and look how he has come on this year.

Agree with you about Logan and his bright future although I don't think he has the size to play like Tilthorpe. I'm more concerned about Amartey and his continual injuries. I fear he could be another Reid and only be available around half the time.

[UUaswan]

McDonald’s injury was tied into the preliminary final last year, and he was foolishly played in the grand final which only aggravated the injury further. Had the club had a chance to make the finals he would certainly have been playing now. They have rightly said get yourself right and do a full preseason. He has not been an injury prone player, and bye the club’s own admission they tried to rush him back to soon given that he had not done a preseason this year following his surgery. Logan has a part to play in the decision by trying to come back to early.
I am quite confident that you will see a fully fit Logan come back and make a significant contribution next year.
A good comparison to a player who had similar injuries two years ago is Tilthorpe, and look how he has come on this year.

Was actually tied back to 2022 GF when we dropped a healthy Logan and played an injured Sam Reid.

After such a dumb decision the club tried to undo it by selecting Logan when he wasnt fit last year. Logan would have played the 2024 GF as an amputee, was never not playing

[liz]

I don't think they are any less agile than other talls.

3 cover the ground as Rucks and even Buller has looked good getting up the ground.

None of them has the quick burst of speed on a lead that Amartey has (and that many of the top forwards have).

None of them has the agility of McDonald. I wouldn't describe McDonald as especially agile in the context of AFL taller forwards, but I think he's more agile - both in traffic and at ground level - that any of McLean, Buller or Ladhams. Grundy is remarkably agile for a man his size but a) no-one is going to argue against his inclusion in the team, so long as he's fit; and b) he's in the team as a ruckman, not a forward (or quasi-forward).

[wolftone57]

Not sure Buller will be on list next year, it will depend on how other dominoes fall

If our club has any brains he will be on the list. He is a developing Key Forward and has been good since he came in. Why would we delist him? McLean should go before him. Has far less upside.

[wolftone57]

I don't think they are any less agile than other talls.

3 cover the ground as Rucks and even Buller has looked good getting up the ground.

I think Buller is very agile and he tackles. Haydo doesn't do much of that.