Jolly v Sandilands

[Legs Akimbo]

Originally posted by Mike_B
The hitouts don't mean alot - it's who comes away with the ball that will count (while yes, hitouts can help make getting the clearance easier).

Bigger issue IMHO is that Freo use Sandilands as a link player through the middle of the ground and that is where we need to curb his influence.

Disagree. Against the saints last year a big part of our win was the ability of Ball and Jolly to thrash the ball forward 20-30 metres. Throughout a match, consistently gaining 20-30 metres from each restart of the play is significant. This was also a feature of Clarke Keatings play at Brisbane. His outstanding ability to punch the ball a long way forward was a catalyst to their premiership success.

Anecdotal, but it seems this style of play holds up better in finals
footy than namby pampy palming of the ball.

Now it strikes me that Sandilands is a tap ruckman rather than a knock ruckman, so probably won't figure anyway. But makes it difficult for our ruckman to punch forward when your opponent is the size of a giraffe.

[Carolyn]

Is Jolly's finger OK?

[swanhead2005]

I haven't seen a lot of Freo games this year, so watching the match last night, the first thing I thought was that Sandilands is a lot @@@@ing bigger than I remembered. That dude is huge. He's fairly mobile, too. Jolly and Doyle are going to have their work cut out, good luck to them.

But I do agree that the Sydney midfield is going to be a lot more organized than Melbourne's. They are the masters of clearances no matter who wins the tap, so it'll be a good battle.

[Layby]

Originally posted by Carolyn
Is Jolly's finger OK?

The swans are never honest about lnjuries or how they happened.

Does anyone else think that Kirk's charity work and jolly's injury may not be a coincidence ?

I mean training injurie are common in all fields !

[Piobaireachd]

I thought Melbourne were pathetic last night. freo were good, but melbourne were appaling. I'm not too worried. It's more the "unknown" factor about Freo that is a concern much like the swans last year. All in all I think we are a more physical team and like it that way hence why we will win, but it won't be a walk in the park. We may be able to run away with it in the last term hopefully. The crowd will be a big factor.

[swantastic]

Originally posted by NorthPerthPurpl
The most interesting match-ups are going to be in our back line - Parker or McPharlin against your Bazza.

What drugs are you on,cheap ones by the sounds of it.Bazza to towel them all up.You just have to worry about the 2006 brownlow winner,you wont be able to stop him.Sandilands,Longmuir...Pffft.We got Jolly and Doyle

[Schneiderman]

Whilst hitouts to advantage are great, using the ball fro that point on is still as important. Truth is, Freo are a strange combination of skillful/soft and skilless/hard. Just look at Schammer/Peake vs Cook/McManus.

When Melbourne put pressure on the ball carrier, the Dockers looked vulnerable. Costly skill errors by Melbourne, plus a massive vocal crowd, got them back into the game. Even then I didn't feel it was a convincing victory by any means, and counts for little towards the PF.

Out fate is in our hands in this game. If we play our best game, like the one against Carlton and WC, then nothing Freo throws against us will be enough. I guarantee it.