Round 1 V Essendon

[ugg]

There's a NRL match the night before (the GF rematch of all things!) and there's possible rain on the Friday and the Saturday so there's a fairly good chance the ground might not be in great nick on Saturday afternoon.

[Untamed Snark]

There's a NRL match the night before (the GF rematch of all things!) and there's possible rain on the Friday and the Saturday so there's a fairly good chance the ground might not be in great nick on Saturday afternoon.

So normal conditions then?

[aguy]

Ben Mcglynn (hamstring ) ruled out of Saturdays match v Dons by John Longmire . Tippett and Mcveigh ok Heeney likely to debut @superfooty

— Neil Cordy (@neilcordy) March 30, 2015

So benny is out. Hope it doesn't become one of those lingering injuries.

Here's my team:

B: Smith - Richards - Rampe
HB: McVeigh - Grundy - Shaw
C: Bird - Mitchell - Hannebery
HF: K.Jack - Franklin - Cunningham
FF: Goodes - Tippett - Heeney
Fol: Pkye - Kennedy - Parker
INT: Reid - Jetta - Rohan
SUB: Lloyd

Tough to pick some positions. Especially sub. I quite liked towers over the preseason so it's hard not to include him but maybe the experience of shaw is needed initially without malceski there.

[wolftone57]

In answer to Liz; I think Towers and Rohan play differently in that Rohan is very good at the shut down punch whereas Towers will play more body to body. Gazza is more a run straight at the ball, get ball, run like @@@@. Towers on the other hand can finesse quite a bit more and his handball is super. Gaz is not big on HB but kicks more often than not unless he is expecting a give and go. They are both quite good overhead with Gaz a bit better. I don't think they play quite the same game. Towers is better around centre to goal as he is very dangerous if he gets the pill. Gaz is far more dangerous as HB or Winger running from the back.

In footy you need a mix of players and there has been a lot of talk about Mitchell being too slow. But if you look at some of the best players today, they aren't that fast. Sure Gazza and Fyfe are fast but Selwood, Griffin, Hodge, Mitchell etc are not overly quick. But they are all very damaging, for Hodge & Mitchell refer 2014 GF. Tom Mitchell is a very clever young player, which more than makes up for lack of pace. Be VERY thankful we got him.

Benny not playing brings up the question, who comes in? Towers, Heeney? I personally would play them both and look to change the backline. Macca would be one of the players to go back. I think Laids could be partially redundant if they decide he is a third tall defender due to Reid. But if they insist on playing him on the smalls then? I think the last defender's spot is between Laids and Shaw. We have Rohan, Macca, Reg, Teddy, Reid, Ramps, Jetts, Laids and Shaw who can all play through the defence. At least one has to go otherwise we end up too defensive. As I say it is between Laids & Shaw, neither of whom have impressed entirely during the NAB. Shaw has actually impressed the least, seemed slow and his disposal was exceedingly poor.

[Auntie.Gerald]

for me Lloyd to start he is integral to our width of play

Heeney: Sub given most kids we bring in to Snrs start this way

but i am beaten on getting this 22 right !!!!!

B: Smith - Richards - Rampe
HB: McVeigh - Grundy - Shaw
C: Lloyd - Mitchell - Hannebery
HF: K.Jack - Franklin - Cunningham
FF: Goodes - Tippett - Bird
Fol: Pkye - Kennedy - Parker
INT: Reid - Jetta - Rohan
SUB: Heeney

[Dosser]

McVeigh and Tippett have yet to have a hit out. You are saying we start with both of them?

[DamY]

McVeigh and Tippett have yet to have a hit out. You are saying we start with both of them?

It's Round 1.

What could go wrong?!

[Nico]

Interesting. I always think that Lloyd is fairly soft and virtually disappears in hard games (twice last year v the Hawks). I'd definitely rate Lloyd as less aggressive than Cunningham, but obviously neither are in the league of say Benny McG. Jarred Moore is testament to the fact that you need pace, not just aggression.

Are you including the GF re Lloyd. If so have another look. He was one of the few players getting to contests. Cunningham was a genuine lost soul and had no idea who he was on. Was really exploited. Yet Lloyd was taken off at half time. Swans supporters I spoke to after the game agreed he should have stayed on.

Lloyd runs to space, plays deep in defence and gets forward often enough. He has far more strings to his bow than Cunningham.

[aguy]

McVeigh and Tippett have yet to have a hit out. You are saying we start with both of them?

Yep. I'm absolutely saying that. Franklin is definitely better with Tippett and Tippett also needs to help pyke. Mcveigh is needed in the backhalf with mal gone. Only reason they haven't played is injury so if they are ready they should definitely both play

[aguy]

Are you including the GF re Lloyd. If so have another look. He was one of the few players getting to contests. Cunningham was a genuine lost soul and had no idea who he was on. Was really exploited. Yet Lloyd was taken off at half time. Swans supporters I spoke to after the game agreed he should have stayed on.

Lloyd runs to space, plays deep in defence and gets forward often enough. He has far more strings to his bow than Cunningham.

Cunningham did kick 15 goals last year. Two less than Reid.

[Dosser]

Yep. I'm absolutely saying that. Franklin is definitely better with Tippett and Tippett also needs to help pyke. Mcveigh is needed in the backhalf with mal gone. Only reason they haven't played is injury so if they are ready they should definitely both play

Neither player would last a half. It sounds like you want to treat this the same way we treated GWS in round 1 last year. As DamY says, what could possibly go wrong?

[undy]

Are you including the GF re Lloyd. If so have another look. He was one of the few players getting to contests. Cunningham was a genuine lost soul and had no idea who he was on. Was really exploited. Yet Lloyd was taken off at half time. Swans supporters I spoke to after the game agreed he should have stayed on.

Lloyd runs to space, plays deep in defence and gets forward often enough. He has far more strings to his bow than Cunningham.

I was including the GF, but my memories are somewhat blurred and it's not a game I really want to look at again. I'm probably wrong , having read your comparison it's something I'll watch for in future tough games.

[aguy]

Neither player would last a half. It sounds like you want to treat this the same way we treated GWS in round 1 last year. As DamY says, what could possibly go wrong?

No not being flippant at all. I guess only the coaching and medical staff at the club Know how fit Tippett and mcveigh are. If they are fit then I think they should play. Obviously that's just my opinion.

I guess it comes down to whether to play two guys who are coming back from injuries ( albeit minor ones which were sustained during preseason). My understanding is that prior to their injuries they had been doing the usual preseason programme but I am happy to be corrected on that.

[ernie koala]

for me Lloyd to start he is integral to our width of play

Heeney: Sub given most kids we bring in to Snrs start this way

but i am beaten on getting this 22 right !!!!!

B: Smith - Richards - Rampe
HB: McVeigh - Grundy - Shaw
C: Lloyd - Mitchell - Hannebery
HF: K.Jack - Franklin - Cunningham
FF: Goodes - Tippett - Bird
Fol: Pkye - Kennedy - Parker
INT: Reid - Jetta - Rohan
SUB: Heeney

For me....
1) Jack out, I don't want to see a repeat of last year, where he plays(for him timidly) with injured ribs week after week. Get him right, then unleash him.
2) Goodes to be sub,he's best suited as a cameo man these days.
3) Let Heeney settle in with a full game. I hate it when debutantes have to wait on the bench, then try to prove themselves in 1 quarter....rarely gets results.

So:
B: Smith - Richards - Rampe
HB: Jetta - Grundy - Shaw
C: Lloyd - Mitchell - Hannebery
HF: Rohan- Franklin - Cunningham
FF: Heeney - Tippett - Bird
Fol: Pkye - Kennedy - Parker
INT: Reid - McVeigh - Towers
SUB: Goodes

[Kelpie_X]

So normal conditions then?

Yeah normal conditions for the dump that is ANZ