Changes for the Pies

[Nico]

Hanners doesn't play well in the wet and he had better get used to being tagged every game.
Cunningham is an incredibly outside player and appeared to disappear when the rain came. One great spoil doesn't make a season Harry.
Laidler had some ok stats but got beaten in contests time and again. Like the rest of our backs he couldn't keep his feet.
Rohan 5 kicks and 4 handpasses. Wasted up forward and should now be put into the fray to see how he cuts it. Use his pace for goodness sake. He has to start getting some serious stats.
2 rucks appear to be the go and you can't bring Tippett back and throw him into the ruck first up. Doesn't make sense to expect him to ruck given he will be down on match fitness.
I would drop Laidler and Cunningham. Who knows who comes in but one ought to be a ruck and Jack if fit. With ROK starting on the bench (ludicrous selection) and Jack out it is no wonder our mids got done. We can't underestimate the importance of K.Jack.

[Ludwig]

Laidler had some ok stats but got beaten in contests time and again. Like the rest of our backs he couldn't keep his feet.

I watched the replay and he didn't get beaten in any marking contests. As far as I could tell, he was never beaten in any situation inside the defensive 50, no goals were kicked on him and I don't think he missed a target by foot. He did nothing spectacular, but was one of our most solid players. Can't imagine who would take his place anyway.

[Auntie.Gerald]

In - K.Jack, Tippett
Out - Liadler, ROK

Go tall in forward line - Tippett, Franklin, Reid

Tall in Backline - Grundy, Richards, LRT

Ruck Options 60% Pyke, 20% Tippett, 20% LRT

Keep the speed - Rohan, Jetta, Cunningham ( Sub) Shaw, Mglynn

Improved midfield effort from Kennedy, Jack, Mcviegh, Hannas, Bird, Mitchell and Parker!

My gut feeling is that our coaches are considering the best way for us to be a GF winning team is to get a season of games into a couple of players that will be critical in match ups come finals time.

So keeping the speed makes a lot of sense to me also...........the fall back is that we can always go back to slower in and under players mid season onwards anyway if not a successful strategy going for speed!

Well speed worked for GWS anyway

[ernie koala]

LRT to follow Jesse White into the ruck and into attack!

I agree with this.

LRT can't match White for speed or raw skill...but his combativeness will unsettle White, and win out in the end.......I hope ( he says thinking back to the Adelaide game last year).

Lets hope invisible Jesse shows up.

[Swansinger]

The key change is off-field and has flown under the media radar : unlike last week , I will be at the game and will shout us to victory.

[mcs]

The key change is off-field and has flown under the media radar : unlike last week , I will be at the game and will shout us to victory.

+1 for this Ill be at every game from now till the bye with the exception of Freo in Rd 5 and the Dawks in Rd 8.

Someone will have to make up for me at those two, but for the rest of them, if they attempt to play that c**p again, they'll be hearing about it from the bleachers. I might even bring along my computer Keyboard that is a bit worse for wear after mysteriously flying across the room after McVeigh did that kick in - if anyone does anything that stupid again, it'll be flying towards them

[Captain]

Depends on how far down the list you go. Lloyd, Robinson, Perris, Jones are all small, running type players. None has the speed of Jetta (or even BJ or Cunningham) but they are all small running players. It's questionable whether Towers is small but he's about the same height as Biggs and he is certainly quick (ala BJ or Cunningham).

My point is that all of these are a long way off AFL standard, let alone playing valuable roles in assisting us winning us a flag.

[liz]

My point is that all of these are a long way off AFL standard, let alone playing valuable roles in assisting us winning us a flag.

Says who? They've not been given a shot yet. Lloyd and Robinson, in particular, played some darned good footy last year. Towers needs to get more involved but has some good attributes, and he's the kind of player that might find it easier to make an impact in the more structured nature of a senior team than in the reserves, where the team tends to be made up of whoever is available and has lots of players rotating in an out.

Jones I can definitely see playing some senior footy later in the year, while Perris was close to BOG for the Swans in the NEAFL grand final last year. He might be a bit small at the moment, but there are plenty smaller playing for other teams.

[aguy]

Clearly we need jack in there with Kennedy on the inside. I would also leave ROK in the starting team. His experience combined with macca was lacking on the weekend. Also think we need to bring Derickx in to support pyke in the ruck. That means LRT out. And I would leave Cunningham out even though I thought he had a decent enough game. I was tempted to leave Rohan out but I think his potential is huge and he needs to game time in the seniors. Reid was quiet on the weekend but he has looked very good in the preseason and buddy needs him up front. Long term when tipper comes back I think tippet buddy in the forwards with tippet backing up pyke. I think Reid plays swing for LRT and probably then don't need laidler down the back. That gives room for goodes and can play with jetta Rohan and Cunningham to provide that outside run.

And most importantly we have to get back that freo style never five up intensity that was missing. In reality I think missed to old wise heads of Bolton and ROK In the midfield both coming out of defence and also for our forward entries. It's easy to underestimate the decision making abilities and calmness that those experienced heads bring

[GongSwan]

What we need is another ruckman to take the heat off the Moose. He needs to be able to spend 20% in hte ruck and the rest ranging around the goal square, at least until Tippett comes back. If AJ ends up on the LTI, elevate Perris for some more midfield depth, the sooner we get a few games ointo this kid the better

[Plugger46]

No doubt Pyke needs assistance but as it stands, I doubt anyone has great confidence in Derickx, Naismith or Nankervis. Maybe we can sneak by with one of them until Tippett's ready to go. Either way, it's hardly ideal.

[aguy]

No doubt Pyke needs assistance but as it stands, I doubt anyone has great confidence in Derickx, Naismith or Nankervis. Maybe we can sneak by with one of them until Tippett's ready to go. Either way, it's hardly ideal.

I think Derickx looked okay in the trial games. So id give him a go. The other option is to go straight to Naismith. I think he is our future ruck man and he's huge so maybe we bite the bullet and get him match hardened in the afl like collingwood have done with Brodie Grundy

[aardvark]

The other option is to go straight to Naismith. I think he is our future ruck man and he's huge so maybe we bite the bullet and get him match hardened in the afl like collingwood have done with Brodie Grundy

Yep +1. Its gotta happen sometime.

[dimelb]

No doubt Pyke needs assistance but as it stands, I doubt anyone has great confidence in Derickx, Naismith or Nankervis. Maybe we can sneak by with one of them until Tippett's ready to go. Either way, it's hardly ideal.

True, it's not ideal, but it's a better choice than using LRT in the ruck.
And I like GS's notion about Perris, going purely on reports and not having seen him, but if he is as exceptional as we are led to believe, we could use him.

[aguy]

True, it's not ideal, but it's a better choice than using LRT in the ruck.
And I like GS's notion about Perris, going purely on reports and not having seen him, but if he is as exceptional as we are led to believe, we could use him.

So what is your suggestion about the ruck instead of LRT. Who would you put in as a second ruck man