Changes for the Semi Final V Carlton

[Ludwig]

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The bombing of the ball is Longmire's game plan and now he has come out and knocked the youger players by saying maybe our depth has been overplayed. I think this year his value has been overplayed. Really good up until Tippett came and then he stuffed up a really good game plan and changed it to bomb along the lines out of defence and into Tippett at all costs.

I don't think this is quite true. We only bomb it along the lines when players are too tired to run and carry out of defence or run hard enough to get open.

Do we forget that pre-Tippett we used to bomb it long into the forward to repeatedly find the ball marked by the opposition. Nearly everyone agreed that we had a dysfunctional forward line. Over the course of the second half of the season Tippett and Pyke have been great marking targets inside 50.

Some of the reasons that we haven't found other avenues to goal include:

1. Reduced impact of McGlynn since 3 week suspension.
2. Jude Bolton seriously falling off the pace.
3. The loss of Jetta and Goodes, both major avenues to goal.
4. Macca, an important goal kicker and set up man, playing mostly in defence.
5. Hanners loss of effectiveness late in the season.

Without Tippett and White, I doubt that we would have made the top 4.

Our depth has been sorely tested, and hasn't done that bad, but it just may not be good enough to keep up with the very best.

[ugg]

I got 119 as well but row 5, surely that is smack bang in the middle of the cheer squad! How could that be?

119-1 or 119-2 ?

[Jewels]

119-1 or 119-2 ?

119-1 i think

[Triple B]

119-1 or 119-2 ?

ugg, the rows don't re-number between 1xx-1 and 1xx-2. The first row in 1xx-2 is around row 35 or thereabouts.

Row 5 certainly seems in the middle of the cheer squad and that most certainly shouldn't be right.

[ugg]

Oh I didn't realise that. Maybe the seats are right on the edge of the bay.

[MightyBloods]

Hannas got 13 at 53%. He butchered the ball. He was obviously gone at half time. You know when Hannas is unfit, he rushes his disposal and he never looks rushed and Friday he always looked rushed.

The Hanners match up on Isaac Smith had me stumped. It negated one of our best 2 way running players based on work ethic in our team. He does not have the speed of a Smith and would have been better placed on a Mitchell or Sewell. White on Hodge...well that just told me we went in top heavy against the Hawks. I would have put ROK to Hodge as he would know how to negate and use his creativity to hurt Hodge. If we have to play all talls then one of them has to go back to nullify the opposition's marking power. Having Tippett, Pyke/Mumford and White up forward with an ageing Bolton really invites the opposition to run it from their backline and exposing our midfield to counter attacks.

...and Carlton do like to run it. We need more run and better match ups.

[Wazza]

Brain says drop Jude for Biggs heart says let Jude play. I think we match up really well against Carlton we have some weapons they will have to worry about. Our height in the FWD 50 will cause them some problems but I think we need more pace in the fwd 50 to apply better defensive pressure. re see comment Jude.
In defense we match up better than against Haw/Geel with not so many power talls to have to contend with.Smith should be good on Betts, Richards on Waite and Heath on Henderson. The midfield is a worry in that we are carrying McVeigh and Hanners not at 100% and we have not had the same 2 way running power since Hanners hurt his knee. IMHO if we play Jetta then play Jetta not as the sub if we need too sub him out do it at 1/2 time.

My changes

Sub Hanners let him have an impact from midway through 3rd qtr probably only has 1/2 a game in him anyway.

Rohan out - Goodes in
Bolton out - Either Biggs, BJ, or Lamb in

Cheers

waz

[Auntie.Gerald]

i stand by Bolton staying in

open to Goodes, Jetta or Rohan being the one of the players that doesnt make it !

[AnsweredPrayers]

I thought the comment about lack of depth was strange. Biggs played well and was dropped so we..... have no depth? I'd say the depth is good but he has chosen to go down the path of the unfit, the out of form, the injured and the nearing retirement. Barring a few key position players a fit team of plodders will beat an injured team of champions because the modern game is all about running and speed.

Play the best fit team you can muster and see what happens. Watch them lose, and then suggest the depth isn't there. But to be honest the competition is so close at the top that no team can be expected to win a premiership with the amount of injuries we have. I think Carlton will win if we continue to play the walking wounded this week.

[Ludwig]

I thought the comment about lack of depth was strange. Biggs played well and was dropped so we..... have no depth? I'd say the depth is good but he has chosen to go down the path of the unfit, the out of form, the injured and the nearing retirement. Barring a few key position players a fit team of plodders will beat an injured team of champions because the modern game is all about running and speed.

Play the best fit team you can muster and see what happens. Watch them lose, and then suggest the depth isn't there. But to be honest the competition is so close at the top that no team can be expected to win a premiership with the amount of injuries we have. I think Carlton will win if we continue to play the walking wounded this week.

Agree! This makes sense.

We also need to give ourselves a chance to get up for facing a well rested Freo. Hardly worth going limping off the west coast the following week only to be embarrassed.

Carlton also have their walking wounded (Judd, Kreuzer). With the home ground advantage and 2 extra days rest, I'd back us to beat Carlton with the bulk of our best players in the team. Lamb, Cunningham and Biggs are competent enough to top up our stars.

[hot potato]

The Blues are on a massive momentum roll, and Malthouse is a master coach.
They have nothing to lose.
The Swans (and the Cats) have huge challenges this weekend. The finals were turned on its head .

[magic.merkin]

The age old adage is you can't carry underdone or injured players into finals. Youn simply get found out. Even as sub, as they can be called upon in the first quarter.

[Cheer_Cheer]

The age old adage is you can't carry underdone or injured players into finals. Youn simply get found out. Even as sub, as they can be called upon in the first quarter.

Exactly.. I really don't want Goodes to play.. Surely he can't pick up the pace of finals footy after being out for a few months..

[Go Swannies]

Exactly.. I really don't want Goodes to play.. Surely he can't pick up the pace of finals footy after being out for a few months..

Judd wasn't out for as long but he was the difference on the weekend. If Goodes does his come back on holiday routine he'll be hopeless but even if he played as he did while injured in the GF he'd be a boost.

[ernie koala]

The age old adage is you can't carry underdone or injured players into finals. Youn simply get found out. Even as sub, as they can be called upon in the first quarter.

It's the 'age old adage' that all coaches talk about....but few take notice of.