Changes for R12 v Saints

[RogueSwan]

...
I have noticed last few weeks having extra speed has created a challenge for the opposition to matchup .......it has also meant Ollie Florent has had more space and becoming a very important transitionplayer for us already !!!!

He could end up playing a similar role to Lloyd but as the next link in the chain up the ground. Good vision, good kick and seems to have more time and space than others (like Macca and Heeney)

[MattW]

I think Stoddart may be playing while Rohan and now Papley get a break. When they're both back in (with Ronke in too), I suspect he'll go out.

I would be happy to see Cameron in, playing mostly forward, while Reid is out. However, I doubt they'll tinker with the ruck situation for this game especially, particularly with Sinclair getting forward and kicking a couple on Friday. It may be a possibility against the tall West Coast.

As I've said, I think Aliir should play if Melican isn't. Longmire's comments recently suggest Marsh has his spot.

[Blood Fever]

I think Stoddart may be playing while Rohan and now Papley get a break. When they're both back in (with Ronke in too), I suspect he'll go out.

I would be happy to see Cameron in, playing mostly forward, while Reid is out. However, I doubt they'll tinker with the ruck situation for this game especially, particularly with Sinclair getting forward and kicking a couple on Friday. It may be a possibility against the tall West Coast.

As I've said, I think Aliir should play if Melican isn't. Longmire's comments recently suggest Marsh has his spot.

Marsh is more than adequate and deserves a run at it. Should have played in 2016 GF. Neither McVeigh nor Mills were 100 per cent in that game and Marsh played competently in semi v Adelaide and Prelim v Cats

[swansrob]

I agree - and when you consider his history of injury, it doesn?t seem the obvious spot for him to play. I wondered if he put his hand up mid week to play in the ruck and that is the reason he got back into the side.

Towers? bigger body seems a better fit for centre bounce work (regardless of whether he would be capable of negating the opposition ruckman or not).

Towers and Rohan are the same height, but Towers is 4 kilos lighter...

[Markwebbos]

I think Stoddart may be playing while Rohan and now Papley get a break. When they're both back in (with Ronke in too), I suspect he'll go out.

I would be happy to see Cameron in, playing mostly forward, while Reid is out. However, I doubt they'll tinker with the ruck situation for this game especially, particularly with Sinclair getting forward and kicking a couple on Friday. It may be a possibility against the tall West Coast.

As I've said, I think Aliir should play if Melican isn't. Longmire's comments recently suggest Marsh has his spot.

Agree with all of that. I was keen to get Aliir in ready for Darling / Kennedy but that may not be necessary. Watched the Weagles v Richmond game and WCE used their height advantage very effectively.

Swans have moved to a smaller-faster Richmond-esque forward line and ruck but I worry we?ll be exposed like the Tigers were. So wouldn?t mind seeing a bit more height in the side:

IN: Cameron, Towers
OUT: Stoddart, Newman

[penga]

Is it time to put the onus on the coaches for Rohan's lack of perceived impact (in fantasy)? He has all the tools to be an excellent footballer, and maybe it is time for the coaches to design a role for him to utilise those tools.

[Markwebbos]

Is it time to put the onus on the coaches for Rohan's lack of perceived impact (in fantasy)? He has all the tools to be an excellent footballer, and maybe it is time for the coaches to design a role for him to utilise those tools.

I think they?ve been trying to figure that out since they drafted him

[mcs]

Is it time to put the onus on the coaches for Rohan's lack of perceived impact (in fantasy)? He has all the tools to be an excellent footballer, and maybe it is time for the coaches to design a role for him to utilise those tools.

I think they have been trying to do that for a long while now. Maybe at the end of the day, he will never fulfill the very high hopes everyone had for him when he was taken so early in the draft. That isn't to say he will be judged as a 'dud draft pick' - far from it.

[Gary]

I love to watch Gary do something spectacular ... i.e. 3/5 times a year ... but doubt there has been an allrounder with as low a disposal count to play 100 games in the last 50 years ... hope I'm wrong but it seems we are content with the occasional flash of brilliance in defence or attack. They keep picking him, so I guess I am either missing something or other players are too greedy for the ball.

[bloodspirit]

I think they have been trying to do that for a long while now. Maybe at the end of the day, he will never fulfill the very high hopes everyone had for him when he was taken so early in the draft. That isn't to say he will be judged as a 'dud draft pick' - far from it.

Indeed, players that play 100 games (and counting) aren't usually considered 'duds'. (Unless perhaps you are setting the standard as a top 10 draft pick and comparing him to other players that could have been selected in his place (in this case: Gawn, Carlisle, Daniel Talia, Melksham, Fyfe, Menzel, Astbury, Josh Thomas etc.)

[707]

Melican injured his other hamstring last week, 3-4 weeks again :-(

Dawson & AJ listed as test, Dawson was NEAFL runner last Friday night, AJ must be being monitored.

EDIT: just realised that may be last weeks injury list on the AFL website as it's undated, a lot of other clubs are dated today, we wait I suppose.

[stevoswan]

Melican injured his other hamstring last week, 3-4 weeks again :-(

Dawson & AJ listed as test, Dawson was NEAFL runner last Friday night, AJ must be being monitored.

EDIT: just realised that may be last weeks injury list on the AFL website as it's undated, a lot of other clubs are dated today, we wait I suppose.

AJ played in the 2's on the weekend.

[Ludwig]

We have a number of options at selection that should be fine against the Saints, but we will have to be more discerning for the Eagles game.

We have many options for non-KPPs, but we should use these opportunities to prepare for depth at KPP positions. The 2 players we should play this week are Aliir and Cameron, probably replacing Marsh and Stoddart.

I stand by my position that Rampe is not best utilised as a KPP and we can get a lot more value out of him if he can play in the zone part if the defence, especially as the loose man. The ball is always coming in the forward line with long kicks regardless of whether a team has a tall or short forward line. All other things being equal, it's better to have a taller player than a shorter one in defence. This would conform with the NBA trend toward favouring players with 'length', a reference to a combination of height and wingspan regarding the player's ability to defend space on the court, including in the air.

Richmond's premiership gained with a short forward line has been front-running this trend of late, but is an ephemeral state of play which could change quickly if teams with taller forward lines find greater success. We should be prepared for this eventuality.

[AnnieH]

I'm going... hope the swans turn up too.
Again, percentage is key. We lost an opportunity last week to have a crack. Hopefully, this week they can better it.

[O'Reilly Boy]

Out: Stoddard, Newman
In: Towers, Cameron

Time to start talling up a bit. I'm sympathetic to the idea of Aliir in for Marsh, but also think that they play different roles, and that Marsh needs more time to work into the intercept HB role. Towers needs to be in the team for his guile and height (and workrate), and surely its time to get games into Cameron, both to give Sinclair time out of the ruck (and in the forward line) and as insurance against potential injury to Sinclair.

Stoddard's done nothing wrong, and I can't wait to see him over the next few years, but I think that a couple of games under his belt is where he needs to be. He's had a taste, will rip it up at NEAFL, and put plenty of pressure on the likes of Florent, Hayward (who seems to be setting up in back half of field at centre bounces). Stoddard will probably settle in at HBF as a linkman, with the capacity to get forward and kick goals, as we've seen.

I've been a fan of Newman, but he just doesn't seem to fit in the set-up. His natural position seems to be off HBF or up on a wing, but he just can't offer the pace that we are going with in those roles at the moment.

Papley to have another break. If the coaches really want him in, Rohan out. But I want Rohan in the team.