Changes for round 18 - Freo

[AB Swannie]

Maybe Knoll is not up to it yet and would have embarrassed himself and the team.

Agree. Knoll would get smashed in the ruck and provide nothing else around the ground. You don’t just play your tallest player just like you don’t just play your fastest player. They have to provide a package.

[chammond]

We have problems in anumber of positions around the ground, but they are mostly attributable to inexperience and injuries, i.e. the same problems every team experiences from time to time.
The one area where we are unique is that we do not have the capacity to consistently kick a winning score, no matter how well our midfield/defence plays.
The Swans currently average 11 goals per game, but this is skewed by the input of Franklin, Dawson and Sinclair. If we take their contribution out, Sydney's average puts us level with the Suns. If we then adjust for Reid only contributing say 50% of his time in the forward 50, that puts us down to 8 goals a game. Then allow for the fact that opposition coaches are well aware that Papley is now our only consistent goalkicker, and our goal potential drops to . . . . . who knows???
The reason why this is such a problem for us is that we have no back-up goalkickers coming into replace our injuries/loss of form. Our midfield may step up against Fremantle, win the clearances, and also contribute half a dozen goals to get us over the line, but the smart money suggests we'll kick 7 or 8 goals, and lose by 20 odd points.
The four players coming in this week have just 7 career goals between them (Fox). My guess is that McLean will spend a fair amount of time in the forward 50, because he is one of the few players who can take a contested mark AND kick a goal from a set shot.

[rb4x]

I can only surmise that Knoll is injured as otherwise it would have been a nobrainer to bring him in. His form in the NEAFL was fair and good at South Adelaide. He is a strong mauling type of ruckman who could have negated somewhat the Freo ruck advantage at ball ups and throw ins but would be expected to be well beaten at centre bounces.

Maybe the match committee believed the rumour that Sandilands was out. Freo kept very quiet that Fyfe was going to be out and they would have known that for some time. It would not be Swans like to not tell us if a player was injured (sarcasm intended).

If a ruck has little competition at ball ups and throw ins they can direct the hit outs to their onballers. If they are needing to compete harder to get the hit out then they have less direction in their hit out and it is much easier for the onballers to shark their hit out.

Another concern is that Perth Stadium has a hard surface and is developing a reputation for causing injuries. It will not be great if at then of the day we add Aliir or Reid to our injury list.

[MattW]

Maybe Knoll is not up to it yet and would have embarrassed himself and the team.

Yes, exactly.

I just watched the NEAFL highlights from last week and you can see why McLean was picked: crashes the pack, can clunk a mark, competes. He'll provide a target forward, allowing Reid and Blakey more space on the lead and proving crumbling opportunities for Papley and Hayward.

[giant]

I’m hoping McLean is going to spend significant time in the ruck. But it’s unlikely.

Really? I'm surprised at this view, I assumed he has been chosen as the #1 ruck.

EDIT: Now see his stats, kinda assumed he was bigger than that. Also hadn't dawned on me that Sandi was in addition to rather than a replacement for Lobbe and Darcy. Though presumably in absence of Hogan one of those will be playing extensively forward. Certianly going to be the battle of contrasting styles!

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Menzel should of come in for him.
Hayward has been one of my faves the last 2 years but he's been appalling for the second half of this year, he needs to regain form and confidence

Couldn't agree with this more. Will is desperately out of touch and to keep picking him seems cruel. Would have kept Jack myself.