Changes for Round 10 v Brisbane

[I?m-uninformed2]

So Liz is onto it in a lot of ways.

I like the structure of Rampe playing third or fourth tall as he is an excellent release and kick player, as brilliant as he is generally.

But also, I remember reading a couple of pieces after our lost final against GWS in 2016. They all made the point our defence looked disorganised and lacking calm and direction. They also dropped strong hints that even the coaches felt Mills? direction (even in his first year to seasoned players) was something that anchored the Swans defence and badly missed.

He apparently has an outstanding football brain and that?s evident in the way he plays and positions himself. Hence, the coaches have probably been loathe to move him out of defence given its importance to our game plan.

We are about to find out just how exceptional he is....

[wolftone57]

Did Mills trip over the same offending set of chains? Those bloody things are dangerous. I've had my own fight with them, I was sober it was on the way in so don't start, tripped and fell, grazed my knees,huge bruise below my right elbow. All because I misjudged them because I have a stigmatism in my eyes (only see verticals in one eye and horizontals in the other). One eye was on my friend the other on the chain. Didn't quite work. Even today I'm very wary of them.

Stoddart will provide some manic run and contest in the air. He's very good in the air I noticed. A very interesting selection. I wonder if that was to stop Lions run out of defence, same as Gaz. A pity Gaz is in such dreadful form but it is understandable with all the emotion and situational incidence influencing his psyche. I don't think I would have handled it all so well but I bet he's churning up inside. I wish him well and hope time will heal the pain.

The Marsh inclusion stands to reason.

This is a danger game. They will want to maintain their momentum. The Lions area much better side at home than away and like Cats their ground is not easy to play on especially if it rains. The Gabba is like a fortress and they even beat some of the better sides there in the last few years. Unfortunately they lost to the lower sides. So we need to be on our game Saturday. I wish we had more afternoon games at home.

[CureTheSane]

What's the measuring stick you would use to determine if has had a poor game. I would suggest that he, like all players, are asked to perform a role within the team. If the coaches are happy that he performed that role to THEIR satisfaction he keeps his place. Specific roles are not just measured by possessions.

Either present tome the role the club have given him and that they are satisfied that he is performing, or I will simply default to my opinion, based on what i see, just like everyone else.
Seems the club ended up having the same opinion regardless.

[liz]

It will be interesting to see whether Rohan flies up to Queensland to play NEAFL or if they're giving him a week off to stay in Sydney. It must have been a tough few weeks for him, not just dealing with the grief of losing a child, but also just adjusting to having a newborn in the house. Maybe a week to freshen up will be good for him.

And this week is a good week to replace him with a skinny youngster (if Stoddart is a like for like replacement) given the Lions have a very young side. Stoddart may not be as physically challenged as he would playing an older, more physically hardened side.

[wolftone57]

If there's a silver lining to the Mills injury - and it's not really silver; more like dull pewter - it is that we (and more importantly, the coaches) will see how the defensive unit goes without Mills' excellent reading of the play and marking. While he's mostly been very good in that role, his talents are being under-utilised. I've noticed commentators over the last couple of weeks starting to question why he's not yet graduated into the midfield, and asking whether he's plateaued.

It could be that the coaches haven't been that taken by his midfield work at training, but I think a more likely explanation is that he's become too valuable in the role he's been doing. Now someone else will have to perform that role for the rest of the year, whether that's Marsh, or we revert to a taller structure with one (or even both) of Melican and Aliir in the backline and Rampe doing more of the Mills role. Or maybe it will open the way for a true half-back flanker to force their way in and add some pace to the defence - whether that's Stoddart (in time), or maybe COR.

I imagine the coaches will try a few looks over the rest of the season, but hopefully, by the time next season rolls around, the memories of Mills as a central cog in the defence will be in the distant past and he can start to find his way in the midfield, where he belongs.

I think selection of players will depend on how we can get an advantage in the match ups and how tall or small a teams goes. Footy is not about picking your best 22 any more it is about having a best 28-30 that can be relied upon to play a role. This means coaches are moving away from the picking the so called best 22 and looking at a more holistic model. By that I mean picking players who have either a particular skill set, a height advantage or able to play on dangerous smalls. The saying horses for courses comes to mind. I think we have done this a few times this year and last year but got it wrong on several occasions too. If we can get this right we might see many players rotating through the team enough to give the older players like Macca, Jack, Joey, Reg & Sinclair (due to the stress on his body) etc a rest. Young guys like Aliir, Maibaum, Cameron, Dawson, Robbo, O'Riordan, Fox, Ling & co- will probably get game time

[waswan]

Deflated
hopefully its a surprise round 22 apperance
going to be hard with out him

[Matty10]

The Mills injury sucks nuts. Two off-field injuries in two years is a bit much.

[MattW]

It will be interesting to see whether Rohan flies up to Queensland to play NEAFL or if they're giving him a week off to stay in Sydney. It must have been a tough few weeks for him, not just dealing with the grief of losing a child, but also just adjusting to having a newborn in the house. Maybe a week to freshen up will be good for him.

And this week is a good week to replace him with a skinny youngster (if Stoddart is a like for like replacement) given the Lions have a very young side. Stoddart may not be as physically challenged as he would playing an older, more physically hardened side.

I agree that it will be interesting to see whether Rohan plays. Instinctively, it does feel like they are giving him a break - it's an away game, his form has been down, and as you say he's dealing with a lot at home. Also, it's a pretty dramatic step to give Stoddart a game this early - on stats alone he does not seem to have been getting a whole lot of it and still looks pretty slight. (Well done him, though - go well!)

If Gary does play, it will suggest an unhappiness with his game, but I am not sure that it's been so bad as to drop him and then fly him to Brisbane to play reserves. He's an emergency, which kind of speaks against the 'giving him a break' theory, but they could be insuring against the possibility of Stoddart, Ronke or Hayward tripping on their shoelace hopping out of the bus at Kingsford-Smith.

Really feel for Mills. To miss an entire season tripping over throwing a ball around on the way back from the cafe - I could imagine feeling pretty low about that for a while.

[Hotpotato]

If You?re livelihood involves and is dependent on physical activity (and mine does) you have to be really alert and conscious of all your movements.
Walking down stairs, kerb and gutters, riding a bike....
It?s different on the field, you can suffer an injury in a multidue of different ways, but tripping over a chain and horsing around coming out of a cafe.....
that?s careless, high impact (especially on the team) ..... season.
That?s a bloody balls up.

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multitude

[Markwebbos]

I'm all for blooding the young kids when they show they are worth it but it does ask plenty of questions about where Newman, Aliir, Towers, O'Riordan, and even Fox now sit.

With the addition of Ronke to the team, Gaz has lost some of his USP. So I think they?ve used Stoddart as a like for like replacement in terms of speed, which eliminates most on the list above but Stoddart offers more in terms of ball use, which rules out the others e.g. Towers.

Stoddart was the emergency last week wasn?t he, and was mentioned as a standout in the JLT.

He?s the potential to play a link up role between the arcs and deliver inside 50 a la Jetta, which Gaz never has.

Don?t know if either Ronke or Stoddart can play as a lead up FWD but McCartin is doing that.

One positive of #Mills-gate (seriously, how unimpressed must Horse be?) is it may give Marsh the chance for an extended run in the AFL to cement a spot. I?ve long believed he?s the guy to replace Nick Smith when the time comes. Although Melican might be fighting for the same spot right now.

[Ludwig]

If there's a silver lining to the Mills injury - and it's not really silver; more like dull pewter - it is that we (and more importantly, the coaches) will see how the defensive unit goes without Mills' excellent reading of the play and marking. While he's mostly been very good in that role, his talents are being under-utilised. I've noticed commentators over the last couple of weeks starting to question why he's not yet graduated into the midfield, and asking whether he's plateaued.

It could be that the coaches haven't been that taken by his midfield work at training, but I think a more likely explanation is that he's become too valuable in the role he's been doing. Now someone else will have to perform that role for the rest of the year, whether that's Marsh, or we revert to a taller structure with one (or even both) of Melican and Aliir in the backline and Rampe doing more of the Mills role. Or maybe it will open the way for a true half-back flanker to force their way in and add some pace to the defence - whether that's Stoddart (in time), or maybe COR.

I imagine the coaches will try a few looks over the rest of the season, but hopefully, by the time next season rolls around, the memories of Mills as a central cog in the defence will be in the distant past and he can start to find his way in the midfield, where he belongs.

When I read this I thought I was daydreaming and talking to myself.

[nomae]

Does anyone know what actually happened with Mills? There's no mention of the infamous Rampe chain link fences... was he seriously just jogging to catch a ball, tripped and broke his foot? How badly do you have to trip to break your foot??

He is a huge loss, fingers crossed he can make a late season miracle comeback, but not counting on it.

[Markwebbos]

Might Mills injury might be good news for Aliir too, if they need Rampe to be less of a lock down defender?

[Auntie.Gerald]

They are professional athletes our boys but they are still human

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I?m excited for marsh and although Mills has suffered an Unfortunate event marsh has a great opportunity to stand tall

[dimelb]

He?s the potential to play a link up role between the arcs and deliver inside 50 a la Jetta, which Gaz never has.

You didn't see the mark of the round against Hawthorn?