Teams: Sydney v Fremantle

[Nich]

Where on the net can you find all the umpiring appointments? Found it - all sorted!

Cheers.

[laughingnome]

2) When is Ben Mcglynn back? I didn't think he was that badly injured.

Just guessing, but maybe he's touch and go this week, and rather then risk it they've given him another week to rest.

[Triple B]

Just guessing, but maybe he's touch and go this week, and rather then risk it they've given him another week to rest.

I think BigD's frustration and most all of us i'd imagine, is that he was touch and go a fortnight ago. For all intents and purposes, we expected him to be named against the Cats, but here we are 2 games later and there really has been nothing from the club to suggest he has had a setback.

We certainly are a frustrating club when it comes to the reporting of injuries. Some I understand such as ribs and the like, but I just don't see any reason for the cloak and daggers around simple hammies, strains etc.

[Far Reach]

maybe the match committee may know more about our players then we do. .

This is a given. But judgment is not necessarily a function of information volume.

[Big Al]

This is a given. But judgment is not necessarily a function of information volume.

Add experience though and that volume of information can usually be put to good use.

[BSA5]

Some may think that cool, I think it reeks of nepotism. I wish young Heath well, but there is no way he deserves this on form. Regular reserves watchers have watched the kid do little all year, and scratched our heads when he was named by the club in the best list. Hacks like Playfair and Bevan continue to give little and be rewarded with re-selection. Meanwhile, O'Dwyer, Vez, LJ, Crusher and Co, despite being among the reserves best performers are left to rot.

I guess I should be grateful that Barlow and Richards have been dropped. But it seems that the form players will have to wait until evry dud in the club with family connections has been tried and failed.

He has been playing as a defender. A defensive defender. He wouldn't have to stand out on the field much to be doing exactly what the coaches want him to do, very very well. I haven't seen any ressies games, but according to the puff pieces, he has been working extra, extra hard on his body work. If that's what he's in for, that's what he's in for.

[T-bag]

I do believe we will lose.

[sharp9]

Well if he's in as a genuine defender thenhe should definitely be an improvement on Ted, who is not. If he also gets the ball moving (a la Sam Gilbert) then he is definitely a big improvement on Ted.

[Hartijon]

Agree about the Cloak and dagger club! We find out well down the track and sometimes not at all,what injuries are being carried. White may be carrying a niggle, might not too. A fully fit player without soreness somewhere is a rarity.Playfair's inclusion is nonetheless baffling particularly if we are putting up the white flag to Sandilands. If they throw him in ruck against him it is going to be very ugly for us. Likewise if he goes onto him when he moves forward. Uglier than Barlow! We have Bradshaw back,is Playfair to play White's role? I think so! If this is the case then we have better players ,in better form with Vez and MOD.If he is used as height in defence,Richards would have been better but he also probably has a niggle.I see the decision to play Playfair as one that might cost us dearly in a closely fought contest. I also see little advantage in not being more transparent about selections and injuries.
I think the ones who need to know(ie the opposition) already know through their spy networks which include nurses, spies at training etc. The advantage of knowing say that Pav is carrying a sore rib is very minimal and unlikely to be of much use in the heat of battle.Look at Luke Hodge in the 2008 GF.Everybody knew his injury status and he was still BOG.

[sharp9]

while we're on selections and Barlow was mentioned...I finally manged to get through the whole Geelong game (took over a week!) and the Barlow bashing is just over the top, unfair and frankly, inaccurate. He wasn't shizenausen actually....he wasn't very good, either....but he did do several good things (2 more contested markes than 16 other team mates put together, plus a nice goal). Completely underserving of the vitriol.

Look, he was in as the 22nd best player in the team...if 18 of the other 21 - from Superstars down - are dreadful then it's a bit bloody rich to pick on the 22nd guy and his 3 or 4 clangers. If someone was rating the players who had never seen a single Swan before, I am pretty sure that Barlow would not have rated bottom for the Swans on the day. Goodes and Smith were the only players in Red and White who broke even with their opponents. Barlow is probably done, but I, for one, am a bit sad about the circumstances....thrown in against Geelong with SEVEN first choice players out and the ones who are left playing like pathetic, scared butter fingered, headless chooks....and who gets to where the blame....Ed Barlow....not fair, not appropriate and very dissappointing from supporters of the "Bloods" culture. Vitriol sent at your players should be for Richmond fans and the like.

Remember when Barlow was the "Fridge"....'cos he was gonna be the White Goodes....wipes tear.

[ScottH]

Campbell Heath, for those who don't know what he looks like. Solid build, about Craig Bolton's height, stylish left footer.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]409[/ATTACH]

So he looks like Barlow from a distance, hope he plays better.

[Chilcott]

Tipped this in the Turnover Ted thread - Richards out, Heath in. Good move.

Don't mind the move of keeping Playfair in and dropping White. Big Jessie needs to get some confidence back and a week or 2 in the magoo's will be good for him.

Would like to to see Vez or O'Dwyer get a game, before Bevan.

[Mr Magoo]

I love White BUT the white I love is not the one whos played the last few weeks, its the one I saw at the end of last year. He needs a kick up the pants and maybe the chance to build up confidence by going back to ressies and proving to himself that he is a cut above that level. At the moment he appears a bt lazy on the second and third efforts , hesistant to take big grabs and almost overawed.

Playfair is fine as a second or third (probably third) in the forward line. No use shooting him for his efforts in his first game in over a year against one of the premier full backs in the league. You cant replace MOD or Vez with PLayfair. They are totally different players for totally different roles.

Richards hasnt been good and has no excuses. Heath looks like a similar type of player (in build and height anyway).

The one that does mystify me though is Currie. We have no viable ruckmen yet he doesnt get a gig. There is obviously something going on there we dont know about as he wasnt that bad in preseason games and if we talk of not introducing players becasue they might lose confidence , then why the hell play Barlow against Geelong of all teams. Just doesnt add up to me.

[jono2707]

So he looks like Barlow from a distance, hope he plays better.

I think Barlow will keep up his stellar form all year play really well this weekend. I just hope we throw a good tag on him.

[old blood]

I agree with Matty 10's observation that LRT is more likely to pinch hit in the ruck than Playfair. However, another possibility exists and that is for LRT to tag Sandilands around the ground. Sandilands does a lot of damage around the ground these days and would run rings around Pyke. The theory may be that Freo plays a short forward line and that we may only need one tall defender.

White's omission is surprising because he was (marginally) more effective on the ball last week than Pyke. However, he does seem down on confidence this season. It appears to me that he's anxious to not get in the way of the big guns on the forward line and consequently hangs back a bit. If he's going to have a future as a forward, he needs to play to his strengths - his size, speed, leap and power. He has to impose himself on the game and he'll never do that by just waiting for the leftovers from Goodes and Bradshaw. If he can play to his potential, he'll be around long after they've both gone.