Team List Team selection: R8 vs Melbourne at SCG, Sunday 3 May

[Thunder Shaker]

I have chosen to start a team selection thread a bit early because the team selection has interesting decisions that will need a detailed discussion.

Considerations:
* Melbourne has one of the best rucks in the competition playing for them (Gawn).
* Sydney also has one of the best rucks (Grundy).
* Gawn and Grundy are likely to be selected as All-Australian rucks this year.
* Melbourne's second ruck option is Heath. He had 26 hitouts vs Richmond while Gawn had 21. His usual ruck numbers are a bit lower with a low possession count.
* Ladhams had a very good day out in the VFL where he dominated an injury-depleted Bulldogs.
* Ladhams needs a run in the seniors at some point even with Grundy playing. Now seems like a good time.
* Grundy will need a bit of a rest lest he be worn out and less effective by season's end.

My views:
* To manage one good opposition ruck, play two rucks.
* Is Ladhams a better ruck than Heath?
* Ladhams would win more possessions than Heath.
* With the team not needing to be named until Friday, team selection on Thursday has to include Ladhams on the extended bench.

[UUaswan]

Heath 50% ToG
Melb 3 Tall Fwds PLUS Fritsch

[Nico]

I think Edwards will keep his spot. I would like to see Billy Cootee also get a second game. As for who comes in for Heeney. It may be Cunningham.
I know others will call for Lloyd to go out But I can't agree with that. That goal at the end of the 3rd quarter showed his value.
He positions himself about 60 metres from goal in the perfect position to run onto a quick kick into the forward line. Many times he is in the right position to mark/intercept the hurried kick from defence by the opposition. He had 8 marks last week and also presents up as a link up player. He was our 4th highest rated player last week. Super fit.

On 2nd thoughts Cunningham is very good on small forwards and may be needed to claim Pickett.

[SwanSand]

We are in for a challenge this week. We played against three teams in last three weeks with some of their best players out. I know we had our own outs but that’s not the comparison i am making. But the challenge of playing a team that’s buzzing like the Demons with Gawn and Pickett playing well, I reckon we would be troubled at times.
Looking at last weeks game and the game against the giants, we ourselves try too many cute things at times especially against Giants we were at times too arrogant. Last week our kicking was very good and we did the balance of kicking vs handball a lot better.
it will be interesting to see how we go.

Cootee out
Heeney in
others unchanged.

Logan needs to do more. He is playing a hybrid role which is very hard to do and is probably not a strength of Ladhams. I don’t think Ladhams is as good a kick as Logan is but maybe better than Logan in Hitouts. But Logan is playing the defensive aspect well where he drifts in defense and lets Brodie play a bit forward. And it’s working well as Blakey then gets free in offense. Logan however needs to do a bit more with his Contested Marking and kick goals (at least 1 a game) when he gets it.

[imuninformedtwo]

I think Edwards will keep his spot. I would like to see Billy Cootee also get a second game. As for who comes in for Heeney. It may be Cunningham.
I know others will call for Lloyd to go out But I can't agree with that. That goal at the end of the 3rd quarter showed his value.
He positions himself about 60 metres from goal in the perfect position to run onto a quick kick into the forward line. Many times he is in the right position to mark/intercept the hurried kick from defence by the opposition. He had 8 marks last week and also presents up as a link up player. He was our 4th highest rated player last week. Super fit.

On 2nd thoughts Cunningham is very good on small forwards and may be needed to claim Pickett.

Pickett is pretty much playing full time mid these days.

Agree re Lloyd though. He’s using his running capacity and footy smarts to find pockets of space that help us chain the ball down the wings. Whilst Chad and JMac are given license through the middle, we will continue to need options on the outside when sides effectively choke up the centre of the ground. Lloyd is proving very effective at providing that. He’s surprised me with his reinvention this year and he will need to sustain it as I reckon he’s in that 18-23 range for selection, and as blokes like Dattoli get more match fitness and push for selection, he will come under pressure. But he’s doing what he needs too for now and maybe I shouldn’t be shocked as he’s always found a way.

[UUaswan]

Pickett is pretty much playing full time mid these days.

Agree re Lloyd though. He’s using his running capacity and footy smarts to find pockets of space that help us chain the ball down the wings. Whilst Chad and JMac are given license through the middle, we will continue to need options on the outside when sides effectively choke up the centre of the ground. Lloyd is proving very effective at providing that. He’s surprised me with his reinvention this year and he will need to sustain it as I reckon he’s in that 18-23 range for selection, and as blokes like Dattoli get more match fitness and push for selection, he will come under pressure. But he’s doing what he needs too for now and maybe I shouldn’t be shocked as he’s always found a way.

Lloyd could do a role until he is 40
Cunningham is solid, Hamling can play a role.

They should all be 2nd option if someone gets injured.

Harry and Lloyd play roles that you can introduce a young player too.
We arent dropping a mid for a debutant or <10 gamer, they have to play these roles.

I remember all the way back to 2024, we only used 27 Players finished a game clear on top..... Also lost 5 of our last 9 and got belted in a GF by a side that played 8 under 22s.

Growth in a side comes from younger players getting better

[Thunder Shaker]

Growth in a side comes from younger players getting better

McInerney is one of the most improved players in the competition this year.

2026 feels a bit different this year to 2024, though stern tests are still to come. Even Richmond could be a banana peel; Richmond defeated Sydney by 5 points early in the 2024 season and they finished last.

[UUaswan]

McInerney is one of the most improved players in the competition this year.

2026 feels a bit different this year to 2024, though stern tests are still to come. Even Richmond could be a banana peel; Richmond defeated Sydney by 5 points early in the 2024 season and they finished last.

Totally agree with JMAc, benefits from no Ollie and Will, same as Roberts.

Heeney went next level when we gave Parkers midfield minutes to him, Parker, like Lloyd, Harry are still more than capable

[imuninformedtwo]

Lloyd could do a role until he is 40
Cunningham is solid, Hamling can play a role.

They should all be 2nd option if someone gets injured.

Harry and Lloyd play roles that you can introduce a young player too.
We arent dropping a mid for a debutant or <10 gamer, they have to play these roles.

I remember all the way back to 2024, we only used 27 Players finished a game clear on top..... Also lost 5 of our last 9 and got belted in a GF by a side that played 8 under 22s.

Growth in a side comes from younger players getting better

We've already used 29 players this year, but point taken.

I still think the side will look a bit different at the end of the year than it did at the start. Edwards just guaranteed himself a block of games. As much as I praised Lloyd earlier, if any of Cootee, Dattoli or even Campbell can get themselves fit enough and in form, you could see them nabbing his spot if he tails off a bit. Rampe's done great so far and I'd love him to keep going, but it's a long season so we will see.

And that's before you account for injuries, which I hope like hell we avoid. My main worry is midfield depth. It's our number one weapon, but it's the area of the ground where we have the least coverage. Right now, Cleary is our next best midfielder, which doesn't fill me with confidence.

[imuninformedtwo]

And …. Tom McCartin out for 2-3 weeks with a knee ligament strain. Not good. Probably the most irreplaceable bloke on our list and been so damn good this year.

[Dow]

Lloyd could do a role until he is 40
Cunningham is solid, Hamling can play a role.

They should all be 2nd option if someone gets injured.

Harry and Lloyd play roles that you can introduce a young player too.
We arent dropping a mid for a debutant or <10 gamer, they have to play these roles.

I remember all the way back to 2024, we only used 27 Players finished a game clear on top..... Also lost 5 of our last 9 and got belted in a GF by a side that played 8 under 22s.

Growth in a side comes from younger players getting better

you have a point to a degree, giving guys a game when they haven't earnt it or still developing and you run the risk of destroying their confidence and setting them back.(if you cant a chance to watch the 2s you can really see how far away some of these guys are)

[UUaswan]

you have a point to a degree, giving guys a game when they haven't earnt it or still developing and you run the risk of destroying their confidence and setting them back.(if you cant a chance to watch the 2s you can really see how far away some of these guys are)

I believe the opposite is true as well, rarely does someone that hardly plays early turn out to be a star. We have 1st Round pedigree yrs in nowhere near it

There has to be a leap of faith with some of them, look at Fagan, he debuts kids in Finals.

I'm saying give them a taste, their role between 1s and 2s is normally always different as well, Warner and Cleary are 30 touch mids in the 2s.