Changes for Rnd 2 V Port.

[aardvark]

Outs. Cunningham, Towers
Ins. McVeigh, Mitchell

Goodes to sub for the rest of the year.

[ernie koala]

Outs. Cunningham, Towers
Ins. McVeigh, Mitchell

Goodes to sub for the rest of the year.

+1

[MattW]

Outs. Cunningham, Towers
Ins. McVeigh, Mitchell

Goodes to sub for the rest of the year.

I'd be a little worried about the loss of pace with those changes. Just McVeigh for Cunningham for me.

I agree Goodes should be sub for a while at least. He looked unfit; unclear yet whether that's because of light pre-season or he's finished. It was a bit sad, though.

[jetts32]

In some circumstances I don't mind that change, but against port we need all the speed we can get.


You've effectively dropped too fast players for slower players against the fastest and hardest running team in the AFL at the moment.

When's Mcglynn going to be ready? Could use his grunt and speed.

I don't disagree with putting in Mcveigh and Mitchell obviously, just need to keep speed.


PS. Did anyone else notice Jetta's improved work rate? Didn't get a massive amount of the ball but was at it all day.

[Zlatorog]

All assumptions aside, shouldn't we wait for a weather forecast first? It says cloudy at the moment, but you never know.

[Ampersand]

I think Reid should be dropped to the 2's to play defence until he finds some (any) form. Can't afford to carry him and his 10 ineffectual possessions a game anymore.

I know people will point out the one or two occassions his spoil saved a win or draw, but that's the whole purpose of the loose man in defence and I don't think that makes him special. I think Laidler showed yesterday that he could perform the swingman role and actually put some points on the board while at it.

From Longmire's comments in the presser I don't think Towers will be dropped, as much as au want him to be. After the GF and yesterday's performance I have sincere doubts about his adaptability as coach. It seems like they go in with a team and game plan and keep doing the same thing come hell or highwater, conditions and scoreboard be damned.

[Matt80]

Outs - Parker, Laidler

Ins - McVeigh, Mitchell

Parker may need a week out after that massive collision. You bring in another inside midfield extractor in Mitchell. This keeps the team balance of having three pure inside midfield extractors.

Laidler was excellent, but we can't afford to lose any pace against Port and we have other back line
options.

Towers to Sub.

Sam Reid should tag Westoff for the whole game. He looked good when put on Goddard. Reid has to limit Westoff's influence around the ground.

We need to keep the game in tight, on the boundary line and not let the play open up.

I would then back Franklin, Tippett and Goodes to kick a score against the Port key defence, who are not A-Graders.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Outs. Cunningham, Towers
Ins. McVeigh, Mitchell

Goodes to sub for the rest of the year.

hhhmmmm

after the first 3 games of 2014 I have a little more patience when judging our team and indv players

Goodes will play better in dry conditions but i agree that no Lloyd yest until the 4th qtr just appeared to be crazy ???

I hadnt taken into account the impact that Rampe can have in the midfield and that worked a treat yest in the last qtr in particular

OUT: Towers
IN: Macca

[jetts32]

Everyone quick to discount Reid, yes he didn't have much influence on the offensive side.

But did you realise Goddard was dominating until Reid went to him?

[Matt80]

Everyone quick to discount Reid, yes he didn't have much influence on the offensive side.

But did you realise Goddard was dominating until Reid went to him?

That is why I think Reid could have a future as a mega sized tagger. Did the job on Goddard. You could also play him on the following:

- Fyfe
- Mundy
- Westoff
- Bontepelli
- Watts
- Ryder
- Hodge
- Lewis
- Bartel
- Gibbs
- Dangerfield

These guys are all essentially big midfielders who can dominate their opponents over-head. Reid if he stays close to them, makes it harder for them to impact the game overhead. When you get a boundary line scenario, Reid can then jump third man up and disrupt the flow on how these big midfielders get the ball in tight from their ruckman.

As his confidence improves he will then use his mark and leap to deploy some offensive pressure against the midfielders he is tagging.

[aguy]

This really is difficult. On last nights performance I think Cunningham and Goodes were the worst two on the field. However I think goodes deserves and needs more chances than a wet heavy rain affected match before going the way of ROK. While Cunningham was pretty ineffectual I agree with Matt80 that we could really be shown up for pace without him against port adelaide.

Heeney on the other hand was outstanding for a debut and so much improvement to come.

Towers was serviceable but didn't set the game alight.

Lloyd showed why he has to start. I was wrong when I chose him for sub like the coaches did.

Shaw looked pretty lively and was one of our better players in an atrocious first half.

Rohan did his job ok but needs to improve. Jetta looked good and was one of the cleaner swans gathering the ball off the ground. Looked good especially on the wings.

I think mcveigh should come in and play across half back again like two years ago releasing rohan and jetta down the wings. Long term I wonder about developing Cunningham in defence Instead of rohan but that for another discussion.

My changes for this week

OUT: Towers
IN: Mcveigh

Cunningham to sub. He can provide the pace later in the game when we are tiring against a fast port adelaide. I suspect goodes would be Sunstituted off again.

Mitchell just needs to bide his time. He is very close but I don't think I'd bring him in just yet against port adelaide unless Parker isn't fit after his concussion

[Melbournehammer]

Out goodes. In mcveigh
Out Cunningham in Mitchell.

We are carrying goodes. He isn't playing accountable footy and he isn't chasing. I was doubtful about that decision until i watched the game again this morning. There was a passage early in the first quarter when he was playing on heppell at a stoppage on our forward fifty and he just let him go. He is already getting run off in the forward line. His left footed kick in the second quarter was terrible.

I can see him playing sub. But I doubt whether it makes sense.

Mcveigh will be short of match fitness and we may be carrying him as well. It might be better to wait a week with goodes in the ones and get mcveigh to play in reserves.

I like Cunningham as a player. But he was lost last night. He might actually be a dry tracker. But I think most teams are sitting on the pyke to Kennedy at the front of the pack. I think changing things around by having a second ball winner may help the team.

People are constantly looking to drop our hff (me being one of them). But it doesn't matter whether you are towers, Cunningham, rohan or whoever. We are so buddy conscious that the ball goes his way far too often. The change to kick it to Tippett made buddy more dangerous (he really is a natural rover rather than tal forward) as well as making Tippett what he should be. If we can do the same with towers rohan, Reid etc where they can go by hand to buddy streaming past and kicking from 40-60 he might just kick the ton

[Cosmic Wizard]

What about Pike??

Not setting the world alight by any means.

We have several young ruckmen, I think maybe we should start giving them a go along with Tippet.

We need mobile ruckmen like Brisbane Martin, not slow big men.

And one last chance for Goodes, our forward line is way to top heavy with him there.

[Scottee]

I think Cunningham has lost his way and is playing without any confidence. The remedy for that is the reserves, not throwing him to the wolves against Port. BJ would be better if we need some speed.

Jetta is almost in that category as well and did not seem too keen to take on contests yesterday but I guess he will be given another crack on the big ground in the dry.

Stopping the Port runners who are strong, agile, fast and can read the play is probably the biggest challenge for the game. Maybe the Rampe to the midfield idea will have some impact. That weakens the backline but we don't seem to have any other options.

Mitchell for Parker. McVeigh back via the ressies, its been too long. McGlynn probably not ready. Give Goodsey another shot but it is a worry.

Overall, BJ for Cunningham and Mitchell for Parker. Wish I knew more about the ressies practice game result.

[Doctor]

Hard to know how we'll go on a dry Adelaide Oval v a sodden Stadium Australia. Some of the comparisons are valid and some aren't. I do agree that we'll need speed though.