Changes for Round 10 v Brisbane

[caj23]

Hmmmm. This asks more questions than it answers.

My best guess is that Marsh is actually replacing Mills in defence and Stoddart is replacing Rohan. Marsh will be a like for like replacement while Stoddart will play a slightly different role with Ronke and Paps doing most of the pressure forward work. This will leave Stoddart to play more on the wing with some time running off half back but with no major one-on-one defence role.

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.

The bolded bit is the thing that stands out for me. I'm astounded that Newman isn't considered to be in our best 22

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The bolded bit is the thing that stands out for me. I'm astounded that Newman isn't considered to be in our best 22

Or that Towers wouldn't offer more as a like for like replacement for Rohan??

[Markwebbos]

Last year Horse used to give an (admittedly vanilla) explanation of why players were dropped.

Now we have no idea why Aliir, Towers, Newman, Rohan etc aren?t playing.

I suspect if Newman was quicker he?d be in the side every week.

Gaz coukd be a reflection of what many say on here. He doesn?t do enough. Who knows really?

I hope Stoddart starts as well as Ronke

[AnnieH]

Bloody Millsy!!!
Now who is going to be in the right place at the right time.
I can smash these kids for playing like kids!!!
We're really going to miss this one.

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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.

Harley said they had a toy gridiron ball they were throwing around on their way back from a cafe in the RAS precinct... when idiot tripped over either a curb, or a grate in the curb.
Bloody kids.

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I once got a spiral fracture of the fibula (the small bone leg) and my leg was broken in 9 places... all from jumping from the bottom step of a ladder on a boat going from the bridge to the deck. The boat lurched as I landed... big crack... eight screws and two plates later, I could walk.
It took six months to get the metal out and my foot/lower leg has never been the same.
It doesn't take much.

[Meg]

It doesn't take much.

Agree, it doesn?t take much to get a serious break. I slipped on an oil patch crossing the road, fell backwards in such a way that my leg bent under me and the weight of my body fell on my ankle. The Orthopedic Surgeon said I had as bad a break as he had ever seen. Two plates, wire, screws, took two years before I walked without limping. To this day, almost 20 years later, my ankle swells up if I stand for several hours.

I fear Callum?s rehab could be long and painful.

[Meg]

Ps: don?t ever nip out to the shops leaving your dinner in the oven - lying in the emergency admissionS area of St Vincent?s I had to ask the police to go to my apartment to turn off the oven! Could have set the place on fire eventually.

[Matty10]

Ps: don?t ever nip out to the shops leaving your dinner in the oven - lying in the emergency admissionS area of St Vincent?s I had to ask the police to go to my apartment to turn off the oven! Could have set the place on fire eventually.

Are you okay?

[Meg]

Are you okay?

[emoji3] yes thank you, the Ps related to my previous post re breaking my ankle 20 years ago. Fortunately I don?t think Callum would have had his dinner in the oven!

[stevoswan]

Really bad news re: Mills. Our boys need to be more careful! I read it in the Hun at morning tea at work this morning.....swore loudly and then had to explain to co workers why I was so pissed off. They didn't care.....the bastards!

[Beerman]

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.

Yep. They should just sit at home and watch TV. Oh wait...soccer player Rio Ferdinand suffered a tendon strain in his knee after leaving his leg propped on his coffee table for too long while watching TV, and goalkeeper David James pulled a muscle in his back reaching for the TV remote. Not to mention David Beasant who was out for 8 weeks after dropping a jar of salad cream on his toe.

Sometimes, bad luck just happens.

[KSAS]

Agree, it doesn?t take much to get a serious break. I slipped on an oil patch crossing the road, fell backwards in such a way that my leg bent under me and the weight of my body fell on my ankle. The Orthopedic Surgeon said I had as bad a break as he had ever seen. Two plates, wire, screws, took two years before I walked without limping. To this day, almost 20 years later, my ankle swells up if I stand for several hours.

I fear Callum?s rehab could be long and painful.

This starting to give me shivers like when Jamie Lawson broke his leg against the Tigers at the MCG back in 94 I think (I was there). Little did I know seeing him stretchered off the ground that he would never play again. Speedy Gonzales was a crowd favourite at the time.

[stevoswan]

I can understand Marsh in for Mills but Newman must be wondering where he stands 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.

This is such a good post, it's worth reading several times. I think this is exactly what will happen, projecting the impact of Mill's injury into next season. It's a big loss, but perhaps comes with more than just a pewter lining. We have a number of defenders that need some AFL exposure. By year end we will hopefully have a better idea of what our defensive structure will look like heading into the next few seasons. I'm sure Liz is right that when 2019 rolls around we will see Mills in the midfield where he belongs.

[ugg]

I can understand Marsh in for Mills but Newman must be wondering where he stands now.......

Newman hasn?t been playing in defence for some weeks now. Judging by Longmire?s comments a few weeks ago he is a winger and is fighting guys like Florent and cunningham for a spot

[707]

Newman hasn?t been playing in defence for some weeks now. Judging by Longmire?s comments a few weeks ago he is a winger and is fighting guys like Florent and cunningham for a spot

Thanks Ugg, reckon he'll be looking for a trade for more opportunities. Can only hope for a good return but best is likely a few spots upgrade on a second rounder. Newman is too good to just be playing ressies.

[CureTheSane]

I'm seeing another piece to the "AJ Returns"puzzle here.
One backman down, bit of a rejig and next thing you know.....