NEAFL Practice Matches

[wolftone57]

I agree with almost all of that. The only thing I don't is your apparent confidence that Kieren Jack will miss round 1. I always understood both that he would be a close run thing, but that he didn't need to play this NEAFL game to play rd 1.

Looking forward to seeing Florent play rd 1. Well done, lad.

I read or heard somewhere that KJ had a setback and won't be ready until after round 2. For the life of me I can't recall where I heard it.

[ugg]

NEAFL.com.au match report

North East Australian Football League: Sydney overpowers Students in wet conditions

[bloodspirit]

Thanks ugg. Really appreciate your match reports as ever, especially details about how individual players are travelling.

Ludwig, persuasive analysis, especially the first few paragraphs! I would love to see Dawson get a run but wonder if he is ready for the step up to AFL, especially after injury-limited pre-season. I'm doubtful that Edwards will be selected Round 1 (especially not if they select Towers) and possibly not even Foote.

I'm intrigued that Cameron didn't do much rucking. This suggests to me that, for the time being, Sinclair remains in our top 3 rucks. Once we have two rucks playing AFL then Cameron will get more ruck time at NEAFL level so that he is ready to step up if injuries require it and this will also give him the opportunity to move up the pecking order as he works on his rucking and his tank (which may also be a limiting factor for him at present). I can't see them selecting Cameron as a 4th tall in the front half for the AFL side, especially with the importance we place on putting defensive pressure on in the forward 50.

It's been said before, including, very possibly, by me, but the silver lining to having so many of our best 22 injured is that we get a look at and get some game time into some of our other fringe players. I'd rather be carrying injuries at this stage of the season than running into finals (sadly the two are not mutually exclusive). Can't wait for the footy to begin. I'm not currently a subscriber to Foxtel or afl.com.au so have been fairly footy deprived, although I have enjoyed watching some AFLW and am even considering travelling to Brissy for the AFLW GF (I've got a mate up there who I'd like to visit too).

I can't say who but I suppose there is a real chance one of Foote, Fox, Edwards, Hayward, Rose, Cameron is going to get a game. It's also likely that at least one of Towers or Harry C will play. Looking a little less rosy for Laidler and Maibaum however.

I will be thrilled if Melican gets his debut. We've been watching him a while but I confess my focus drifted away a little later last year when he had been plagued by injury problems so I've perhaps been caught napping with his strong JLT season even thought I had been waiting for it for much of the past two years. I perhaps had concluded it was going to take him another year. A back six of Reg, AA, Melican, Rampe, Swampy, Smooch and with Lloyd, Jones and Mills also splitting their time back and midfield (or wing in Lloyd's case) looks pretty good to me. Hopefully Rampe will cover for Macca in the fingerpointing/quarterback department, with support from Reg and Smooch, and we won't miss a beat. One of those players (most likely Swampy or Louis) might miss when Heeney returns and Jones/Mills are less required midfield.

[dimelb]

I'd rather be carrying injuries at this stage of the season than running into finals (sadly the two are not mutually exclusive).

bloodspirit, among your thoughtful comments about the new season, it was the comment I've quoted that struck most forcibly. I have come to think of it as the main reason why we missed out on the 2016 Flag: the Doggies got their injured back just in time and we didn't, indeed we added to them! I sincerely hope things go a bit more our way this season.

[wolftone57]

Thanks ugg. Really appreciate your match reports as ever, especially details about how individual players are travelling.

Ludwig, persuasive analysis, especially the first few paragraphs! I would love to see Dawson get a run but wonder if he is ready for the step up to AFL, especially after injury-limited pre-season. I'm doubtful that Edwards will be selected Round 1 (especially not if they select Towers) and possibly not even Foote.

I'm intrigued that Cameron didn't do much rucking. This suggests to me that, for the time being, Sinclair remains in our top 3 rucks. Once we have two rucks playing AFL then Cameron will get more ruck time at NEAFL level so that he is ready to step up if injuries require it and this will also give him the opportunity to move up the pecking order as he works on his rucking and his tank (which may also be a limiting factor for him at present). I can't see them selecting Cameron as a 4th tall in the front half for the AFL side, especially with the importance we place on putting defensive pressure on in the forward 50.

It's been said before, including, very possibly, by me, but the silver lining to having so many of our best 22 injured is that we get a look at and get some game time into some of our other fringe players. I'd rather be carrying injuries at this stage of the season than running into finals (sadly the two are not mutually exclusive). Can't wait for the footy to begin. I'm not currently a subscriber to Foxtel or afl.com.au so have been fairly footy deprived, although I have enjoyed watching some AFLW and am even considering travelling to Brissy for the AFLW GF (I've got a mate up there who I'd like to visit too).

I can't say who but I suppose there is a real chance one of Foote, Fox, Edwards, Hayward, Rose, Cameron is going to get a game. It's also likely that at least one of Towers or Harry C will play. Looking a little less rosy for Laidler and Maibaum however.

I will be thrilled if Melican gets his debut. We've been watching him a while but I confess my focus drifted away a little later last year when he had been plagued by injury problems so I've perhaps been caught napping with his strong JLT season even thought I had been waiting for it for much of the past two years. I perhaps had concluded it was going to take him another year. A back six of Reg, AA, Melican, Rampe, Swampy, Smooch and with Lloyd, Jones and Mills also splitting their time back and midfield (or wing in Lloyd's case) looks pretty good to me. Hopefully Rampe will cover for Macca in the fingerpointing/quarterback department, with support from Reg and Smooch, and we won't miss a beat. One of those players (most likely Swampy or Louis) might miss when Heeney returns and Jones/Mills are less required midfield.

Just one thing. Don't read too much into the Cameron not rucking and Sinclair is. Sinclair, like Naismith had an interrupted preseason. Cameron had a very good preseason and is fit. But if there is another ploy I'd say it was to leave Darcy in the Goal Square to see how that would work. The Hawks did that with Hale on a few occasions when they played the four prong tall attack. It got them a lot of goals, especially with Bruest, Rioli & Poppy at their feet.

[Meg]

bloodspirit, among your thoughtful comments about the new season, it was the comment I've quoted that struck most forcibly. I have come to think of it as the main reason why we missed out on the 2016 Flag: the Doggies got their injured back just in time and we didn't, indeed we added to them! I sincerely hope things go a bit more our way this season.

I agree with this.

I had a bit of an exchange with someone who was lauding the bye before the finals as it allowed teams (aka the Bulldogs) to get their injured players back for the finals. I don't have any big objection to the bye but am unconvinced by this rationale. My point was/is that injuries incurred during the H&A season have no more disadvantage (and possibly less) than ones incurred during the finals. And the Swans were hit with serious injuries during the finals - including sadly early in the GF itself in the case of Buddy (plus he carried a shoulder injury into the GF which we weren't told about at the time).

[mcs]

I agree with this.

I had a bit of an exchange with someone who was lauding the bye before the finals as it allowed teams (aka the Bulldogs) to get their injured players back for the finals. I don't have any big objection to the bye but am unconvinced by this rationale. My point was/is that injuries incurred during the H&A season have no more disadvantage (and possibly less) than ones incurred during the finals. And the Swans were hit with serious injuries during the finals - including sadly early in the GF itself in the case of Buddy (plus he carried a shoulder injury into the GF which we weren't told about at the time).

I think the bye before the final, as we saw last year, can have huge distortionary impacts. Not only on the injury front (the fairypuppies were truly blessed in that regard), but also in terms of momentum - again, the Eagles were severely hampered in my opinion in that regard in week 1, and then the two teams with the bye for winning in week one of the finals hardly enjoyed it in the end either.

I'm not against two byes in the season, but I'd prefer them to be evenly spaced and a general bye for everyone - say after round 8 and round 16, or something like that. That would be much fairer, and completely remove the potential distortion the one before the final creates. But like the twilight grand final, I fully expect the AFL will sweep away any suggestion of changing it on the basis of some vague notion of 'general consensus'.

[Meg]

I'm not against two byes in the season, but I'd prefer them to be evenly spaced and a general bye for everyone - say after round 8 and round 16, or something like that. That would be much fairer, and completely remove the potential distortion the one before the final creates. But like the twilight grand final, I fully expect the AFL will sweep away any suggestion of changing it on the basis of some vague notion of 'general consensus'.

This is the view of the AFL Players Association - and yes I also agree.

[redsox]

I agree with this.

I had a bit of an exchange with someone who was lauding the bye before the finals as it allowed teams (aka the Bulldogs) to get their injured players back for the finals. I don't have any big objection to the bye but am unconvinced by this rationale. My point was/is that injuries incurred during the H&A season have no more disadvantage (and possibly less) than ones incurred during the finals. And the Swans were hit with serious injuries during the finals - including sadly early in the GF itself in the case of Buddy (plus he carried a shoulder injury into the GF which we weren't told about at the time).

I agree with this to a point - When Buddy was not at 100% it exposed the lack of depth- When quarters started with Ted Richards at full forward, the game was up.

depth of the club was generally exposed by the fact that on Grand Final Day some supposed 'big names' were pretty ordinary. (Rohan and Tippet spring to mind and can take 'ordinary' as a complement really)

whilst this club is the envy of most for their ability to regenerate...some high priced-low effort contributions will ask too much of the kids before they are really ready

i think it is fair to acknowledge that the Bulldogs were exceptional coping with the injuries they had to in 2016

[ugg]

Mentioned in the injury report that the reserves are playing the Swans Academy this weekend in a practice game. No other details were given.

[liz]

Mentioned in the injury report that the reserves are playing the Swans Academy this weekend in a practice game. No other details were given.

That would be odd, if true. It would be a mismatch of major proportions. According to this article, the Swans academy team plays the GWS academy on Sunday in Blacktown. The article also relays the results of recent academy games against North Shore. It's hard to ignore Blakey (still a year under age) topping the goal kicking for the Swans with four.

Academy: Sights set on GWS - sydneyswans.com.au

[bloodspirit]

Thanks for the link, liz.

Interesting to see the Academy U16s beat Syd Uni U19s. Also that one of the U16s was called Bayliss - presumably not the progeny of Trevor the long time NSW cricket coach and now England coach, but possibly related?

[ugg]

The #NEAFL wishes to advise the Rd 1 match between @brisbanelions and @sydneyswans has been relocated to Blacktown: https://t.co/05EK8SmKxP

— NEAFL (@neaflofficial) March 30, 2017

[liz]

I realise Sydney's weather isn't quite as extreme as SE Queensland's, but it's been absolutely pelting it down all day today.

Mind you, given yesterday was too hot too comfortably go outside, who knows what it will be like come Saturday.

[ugg]

16 listed players named. Brissie have 20

?Aliir
Cameron
Dawson
Edwards
Fisher
Jack
Leonardis
Maibaum
Melican
Murray
O'Riordan
Pink
Rose
Sinclair
Talia
Towers

Barkley, Gowers, Lee, Lower, Mapleson, Stapleton,