2014 round 1 team vs GWS

[Auntie.Gerald]

agree wolf
hence i was being a little defensive of Towers........

[O'Reilly Boy]

Any word on AJ? He's not on the March 4 injury update on the AFL site. I know that he's up and running. Is he available?

[Ludwig]

Any word on AJ? He's not on the March 4 injury update on the AFL site. I know that he's up and running. Is he available?

Horse mentioned in his interview today that AJ will play in the ressies for week 1.

[Mountain Man]

Is there to be a Reserves game on March 15? I gather it will not be a NEAFL fixture , but is a trial scheduled?

[ugg]

Is there to be a Reserves game on March 15? I gather it will not be a NEAFL fixture , but is a trial scheduled?

Yes it is on the reserves page on the official website.

[Mountain Man]

Thank you - 12.45 start

[Doctor]

Hmm, I wonder if that means they'll bring Tippett back for Rd 3 in Adelaide. That will have interesting crowd ramifications!

[Meg]

Hmm, I wonder if that means they'll bring Tippett back for Rd 3 in Adelaide. That will have interesting crowd ramifications!

Very true. I've just bought a ticket for that match through Swans' member services. I wanted to be seated with other Swans' fans as protection from (probably) 40,000+ rabid Crows' supporters as they jeer Tippett!

I've just been at revamped Adelaide Oval for a Sheffield Shield cricket match. The new stadium is superb. I'm sure it will be a sellout for the Swans' match so atmosphere will be electric.

[wolftone57]

Is there to be a Reserves game on March 15? I gather it will not be a NEAFL fixture , but is a trial scheduled?

Yes it is a trial match between UWs and Us.

[Aaron]

Too difficult - with Goodes, Tippet, AJ not yet ready, still too many possibilities
My take:
FB: Shaw, Ted Richards, Nick Smith,
HB: Dane Rampe Heath Grundy, Nick Malceski,
C: Jarrad McVeigh,Daniel Hannebery, Lewis Jetta ,
HF: Craig Bird, Lance Franklin, Ryan O'Keefe ,
FF: RLT,Gary Rohan, Ben McGlynn,
R: Mike Pyke, Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack

3 of the following as Interchange, 1 as Sub and 3 as Emergency

Laidler, Tom Mitchell, Sam Reid, Parker (Eye?), Tom Derickx, Harry Cunningham, Brendon Jack

[Ludwig]

Looks as if that will be the team Aaron.

You have to think that Mitchell, Reid and Parker will be the other 3 in the 21 and Harry in the vest.

But somehow I feel that Laidler will make the team, but can't figure who will go out. Maybe they'll give Parker another couple of weeks off and play him in round 2.

[Matt80]

Any word on AJ? He's not on the March 4 injury update on the AFL site. I know that he's up and running. Is he available?

It will be good for the team balance when AJ is ready for 1st team selection! If he plays on the 3rd tall, then LRT can play forward/ruck!

Tippett is out for the first couple of rounds of the season, and the medical staff will not want him rucking in the first half of the season! This makes LRT very important.

Has AJ put on some significant upper body muscle bulk in the past year? I have not seen the team train!

[liz]

But somehow I feel that Laidler will make the team, but can't figure who will go out. Maybe they'll give Parker another couple of weeks off and play him in round 2.

I think Laidler and Rampe are probably competing for one spot. Can't see how you can fit both in, especially if LRT is to play.

Obviously we'll get injuries along the way, but with AJ, Goodes and Tippett yet to come, there will be some very good players playing in the magoos this year.

[Reggi]

Not sure Liz. Rampe is more of a runner, he is not a strong third tall which Laidler is. Whilst Rampe is tall in the pre season I noticed they played him more on runners than talls. I think you could play both. Personally I would be surprised if Laidler wasn't a lock for round 1. Teddy and Mcveigh's comments seem to reinforce that. That said tough choices to make this week. LRT may force him out

[Ludwig]

I think Laidler and Rampe are probably competing for one spot. Can't see how you can fit both in, especially if LRT is to play.

Obviously we'll get injuries along the way, but with AJ, Goodes and Tippett yet to come, there will be some very good players playing in the magoos this year.

I does look this way. Ted Richards made some nice comments on Laidler, sort of suggesting that he fits in well along with he and Reg. Macca also had a positive word for him as well. If you take last year's side as a starter, we are looking for someone to replace Dre, who replaced AJ, and I think Laidler is a better fit for that role than Rampe. I'm basing this a bit on Laidler's 2011 form which was quite good. I thought he looked okay in the 2 televised NAB games. The only negative you hear about Rampe's game is his kicking accuracy, but I didn't notice it being any worse than many other regulars, especially if you compare him to the likes of Shaw and Reg. And Rampe can bomb the ball a really long way, which seems to happen most of time anyway.

Back in 2012, when everyone was fit, we played 7 backmen with Ted, Reg, AJ, Mattner, Mal, Shaw and Smith. We in fact kept that structure last year by moving Macca into Shaw's role. We can replicate that this year with Rampe taking Mattner's role and Laidler holding AJ's until he's fit to play senior footy. But this would mean that a midfielder has to go out of the side, and that's hard to find. It's hard enough finding a spot for Cunningham without this back 7 structure, who I think deserves a spot in the side. In the end, I agree that there's only 1 spot for either of Laidler or Rampe.

It may get quite complicated if Tippett doesn't do any ruck work when he returns (due to his knee problem). It either means that LRT will keep a spot in the side or guys like Reid and Buddy will have to chip in with the rucking, because I can't see how we can carry 2 full time ruckmen with all the talent we've got in the side. Hopefully injuries won't have to resolve this problem.