Changes for Rnd 19 vs essendon

[Melbourne_Blood]

My critics on Red and White have said that in obsessed with electric pace. That Laidler one had nothing to do with strategy. It was simply about a player not able to win the one on one through poor pace. If it was Rohan, Jones or Towers that ball would have been pushed to the boundary line or a tackle executed.

The astroid has hit and Laidler is a dinosaur looking for the last piece of greenery.

You cannot be slow in the modern game unless you are a pure inside midfielder like Sam Mitchell or Kennedy or a 200cm key forward like Tippett.

That little turd Pop is quick and slippery, Would've taken a huge effort for Laidler to get him. Can't write off him off because of that. His first half was probably his best in red and white colours I thought.

[Ampersand]

My critics on Red and White have said that in obsessed with electric pace. That Laidler one had nothing to do with strategy. It was simply about a player not able to win the one on one through poor pace. If it was Rohan, Jones or Towers that ball would have been pushed to the boundary line or a tackle executed.

The astroid has hit and Laidler is a dinosaur looking for the last piece of greenery.

You cannot be slow in the modern game unless you are a pure inside midfielder like Sam Mitchell or Kennedy or a 200cm key forward like Tippett.

Ridiculous! As has been pointed out Nick Smith suffered an almost identical fate as Laidler last year with Puopolo. Are you saying every player who isn't as quick as Puopolo should be dropped? Grundy, Smith, Richards, Malceski et al would be all be out according to your absurd standards.

Give it a rest, mate. I'm tired of reading your silly opinions.

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God forbid a player try and cover a loose player for their teammates lest they end up dropped from the side.

[barry]

What did Laidler do to Gunston? At the game I saw Gunston hunched over for awhile. Did he punch him in the stomach?

There was a 5 minute period there where hawthorn went the knuckle. Reminded me of the Lake incident, but the umps didnt penalise them like they did when they played north. We couldn't capitalise.

Game day showed only grainy footage. Laidler should get off, unless gungston squeals.

[Ludwig]

I think Laidler has done well this year, but we may want to try a back six that includes Rohan in lieu of Laidler to add a bit more speed. Rohan also has a big leap. Sometimes I think with Grundy and Laidler we are a bit too slow for slick and quick sides like Hawthorn. Other sides it probably doesn't make as much difference.

[aguy]

I think Laidler has done well this year, but we may want to try a back six that includes Rohan in lieu of Laidler to add a bit more speed. Rohan also has a big leap. Sometimes I think with Grundy and Laidler we are a bit too slow for slick and quick sides like Hawthorn. Other sides it probably doesn't make as much difference.

Ludwig I'm with you. I think that is what I was trying to say earlier but you've put it very nicely

[Matt80]

Ridiculous! As has been pointed out Nick Smith suffered an almost identical fate as Laidler last year with Puopolo. Are you saying every player who isn't as quick as Puopolo should be dropped? Grundy, Smith, Richards, Malceski et al would be all be out according to your absurd standards.

Give it a rest, mate. I'm tired of reading your silly opinions.

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God forbid a player try and cover a loose player for their teammates lest they end up dropped from the side.

You should be more respectful of a diversity of views. This is the sort of talk I would expect from the Kremlin in the 50s.

I like quick players. Grundy and Richards are not super quick but do a great job for the team. If Rampe did not have great pace you would have marked the Gunston goal in the book. Rohan's chasing led to some rushed Hawks entries.

Some fans get excited by boundary line dribble goals. I get excited by big tackles, chases and unrelenting defensive pressure. The Buddy goal from 70m was a magic moment and I fainted and fell in my seat (true story) when Malceski snapped the ball over his shoulder in 2012. What should never be forgotten was the 100 plus tackles that got Nick to that moment.

[Bloody Hell]

I also thought Towers played a good quarter of footy.

That said, we should be looking to solidify our best 22 over the last rounds and, for mine, Laidler has been an important part of one of the best back 6's in the comp. People that want to drop him because of one dud match up against a high tackle magnet are thinking with their hearts not their heads.

Laidler will play an important part in our finals campaign. Towers will not.

No - people want to drop hm to fit a firing Rohan into the team.

Laider was recruited as depth, and depth he is. No disrespect to Laidler - he has performed his role for the team admirally, but would you prefer a No.6 draft pick or a Carlton reject.

[Bloody Hell]

If I had read the next page....what they ^ said.

[Hartijon]

Laidler was mismatched on Popa for pace. Longmire gave Stewie Dew a serve after that incident for not correcting the imbalance.However if the delivery had been in the air Laidler would have outmarked Popa and we all would be writing about the good game he had.The worst case scenario eventuated however. He doesn't deserve to be dropped for this. Rohan is simply doing what is expected of him at last and his recovery seems complete.Towers was terrific picking up the intensity and pace of the game so quickly.IMO they will go for Shaw as the only change .

[Melbournehammer]

No - people want to drop hm to fit a firing Rohan into the team.

Laider was recruited as depth, and depth he is. No disrespect to Laidler - he has performed his role for the team admirally, but would you prefer a No.6 draft pick or a Carlton reject.

I love Rohan. You will see numerous examples of this in my posting history. But this is COMPLETELY the wrong way of looking at this.

[Matt80]

I think the situation with Laidler has changed due to Rampe?s phenomenal form. Rampe is comfortably holding down the 3rd tall position and has beaten Jack Darling and Jack Gunston in recent weeks. Rampe?s combination of pace, strength and determination is starting to remind me of Leo Barry. Laidler is now not essential in that 3rd tall roll.

The 4th tall option can now fall to Gary Rohan. His combination of height, leap, chasing ability and electric pace is ideal for the 4th tall option. His upside is enormous. He will soon be charging through the lines and taking intercept marks. You have to ask yourself who do you want when Shaw comes back, Laidler or Rohan.

[Ampersand]

Again, I maintain that Rohan can do what Towers does while having the ability to go back and help in defence when needed.

Laidler is a Mattner-style defender: solid mark, composed under pressure and works hard to offer an extra outlet in defence. He's played 12 straight rounds of solid team footy. Towers, in contrast, has played one quarter of decent football in a fairly one dimensional role.

Thankfully, I think cooler heads will prevail within the club when it comes to team selection.

[Doctor J.]

Ridiculous! As has been pointed out Nick Smith suffered an almost identical fate as Laidler last year with Puopolo. Are you saying every player who isn't as quick as Puopolo should be dropped? Grundy, Smith, Richards, Malceski et al would be all be out according to your absurd standards.

Give it a rest, mate. I'm tired of reading your silly opinions.
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God forbid a player try and cover a loose player for their teammates lest they end up dropped from the side.

Its a crowded corner of the world Ampersand.

[Conor_Dillon]

Laidler's one on one bod?-work and ability to mark instead of spoil when the moment is right shouldn't be underestimated. The only time he should be dropped is when there is blatantly no match-up for him and I don't think this will happen. In saying that I hope for his sake that he doesn't get rubbed out for the Gunston incident because he may find it difficult to slot straight back in given the match committee's tendency to not change a winning side.

I mentioned this in the match-day thread that I personally would like Shaw to come in and for Rohan to move forward. He was brilliant down back against Hawthorn but the main thing we lacked in for the forward half was pressure. The hawks running-defenders stepped around Goodesy and Tip like they were witches hats and this just can't be allowed to happen against a team with their sublime foot-skills. His presence would force the rebounding players to think-twice and rush their decisions and disposals. Also given his recent boost in confidence - particularly in aerial contests - he would provide another marking target and he would be matched up on a much smaller opponent 9 times out of 10.

What are people's thoughts on that? Would be a bit harsh to move him around again after a couple of good games but I think moving forward in the season and into finals it will be necessary. With Tippett being injured we haven't been shown up for lack of forward line pace because the likes of B.Jack have been forced into the team however with Goodes and Tip being our predominant deep targets it could become an issue.

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And that would mean Towers being dropped albeit after showing a bit in the last quarter on the weekend.

[Doctor J.]

I think the situation with Laidler has changed due to Rampe?s phenomenal form. Rampe is comfortably holding down the 3rd tall position and has beaten Jack Darling and Jack Gunston in recent weeks. Rampe?s combination of pace, strength and determination is starting to remind me of Leo Barry. Laidler is now not essential in that 3rd tall roll.

The 4th tall option can now fall to Gary Rohan. His combination of height, leap, chasing ability and electric pace is ideal for the 4th tall option. His upside is enormous. He will soon be charging through the lines and taking intercept marks. You have to ask yourself who do you want when Shaw comes back, Laidler or Rohan.

Interesting you should raise & praise Rampe. My memory of the Laidler/Puopolo mismatch is that it was indirectly caused by a very poor Rampe entry into our forward 50 which went over the heads of all the Sydney forwards to a Hawthorn defender who was able to clear it out the fat side of the ground, over the Sydney defence who had pressed up leaving Puopolo one out. If Rampe had lowered his eyes and hit any of the 4 options that he was presented with, we would have had a shot on goal and extended our 13 point lead. The mismatch would not have happened, and perhaps we could have gone in to half time 19 points up.

Puopolo would have beaten just about every player on our list such was the delivery to him, allowing him ample space to run on to the ball and then into an open goal.