Changes for R7 vs Gold Coast Guns

[KSAS]

I hope Stephens, Warner & Stoddard are given a block of games and not make judgment calls after just 1 match. Give them chance to learn from their mistakes and develop. This is the year to do it with our wretched injury list. I don't recall Stoddard playing successive games previously? Going by the scratch match report, Elijah, Wicks & Allir were stand outs. Horse mentioned in today's presser Sinclair was a chance to return this week, wasn't sure on McCartin & Reid still requires more run under his belt. No Mention of Brand. Here's my changes:

Out: Kennedy, Heeney, Clarke, Gray
In: Sinclair, Allir, Elijah Taylor, Wicks

Team:
B: Lloyd Rampe O'Riordan
HB: Hayward Allir Blakey
C: Cunningham Parker Florent
HF: Stephens Dawson E.Taylor
FF: Warner MacLean Papley

R: Sinclair Mills Rowbottom

Int: Hewitt, Stoddard, Wicks, Fox

[caj23]

Ouch on those injuries

I guess we can well and truly write the season off now and target the no.1 draft pick

Mills to the middle please, lets play some youngsters and see how they go

[Blood Relative]

Sorry, I'd had a bottle of very good McLaren Vale Shiraz when I penned it :-)

A Molly Dooker, no doubt?

[rickmat]

I would bring back McInernay before Wicks gets a game. Gould may be worth a game too as he is bigger body. But we need some height in both attack and defence and Allie must be back in

[grarmy]

A Molly Dooker, no doubt?

God help us.

[Markwebbos]

Wasn't Aliir rucking on the weekend? I don't see that as a positive sign.

[707]

Can it get any worse? Heeney gone for the year and Kennedy for 6 weeks. Our best 2 players. I hope we can avoid the wooden spoon!

We're effectively (2 wins and 30+%) in front of Adelaide who won't beat anyone this year. No Wooden Spoon but Pick 2 in the ND so we can select the best mid as Crows will take local tall forward Riley Tilthorpe.

Massive challenges coming up for us, expect the mega flood tactics for the rest of the year?

[707]

A Molly Dooker, no doubt?

I can't drink that stuff, it's too "sweet", made for the US market where the consumer likes sweet.

I drink a sort of secret winemakers special that goes to a select circle of people and I'm very happy to have fluked my way into the circle :-) It's as good as any Shiraz made in McLaren Vale but at a very modest cost, nudge nudge, wink wink.

[AnsweredPrayers]

There are alternatives to dropping players when looking to give constructive feedback.
Blakey will no doubt be shown that he's trying to do too much when he gets it. His effort was there in the second half. He was just trying to pull off something incredible with every possession (eg the handball chip and chase) instead of simple wet weather footy. He'll be better for it.

Hayward has huge potential as a defender. Similar type and journey to Sicily. He showed last week he needs to learn a bit more about how to defend with body work. Hopefully that is a focus for him this year.

Fox was very commendable, aided significantly by weather and injury. But he's an option down back. Brand in to take on King.

Even though we got killed in the ruck and played without JPK, we broke even on centre clearances and almost did so in total clearances. So, do we need Sinclair? He offers minimal around the ground, whereas McLean looked more mobile and able to take a mark at either end.

Mills to the middle has to happen now that JPK appears injured. Time to build that future on ball core.

Gray is showing why he was let go. Would Wicks offer more? Obviously we need to keep as many mature bodies in the team as we can, but he's not up to it.

Warner and Stephens need a good run at it. Loved the courage of Warner to kick in board in the wet. Leave them for a month
Same as Stoddart. Needs a proper go at it.

Ins: Reid or McCartin (risky to bring both underdone), McInerney
Out: JPK, Heeney
If Heeney is fit, I'd swap Gray for Wicks or a similar type.

I agree with this. I thought Warner did a few nice things when he got the ball. Looked like he had the class to be a good player at AFL level. He was a bit cocky with the cross field pass and some nice little handballs which I liked.

[Odysseus]

On the thread for yesterday's game, MattW brought attention to an interview Horse gave to Gerard Healy on 3AW:

John Longmire gives an insight into his phone call with Damien Hardwick – 3AW

Horse said [5m 35 secs in] that the side we fielded yesterday was our youngest since 1997. More relevant to this thread, he intimated that it might be even younger this weekend. It's not like Horse to create false expectations, so I'm expecting we might blood another first gamer.

[Melbourne_Blood]

On the thread for yesterday's game, MattW brought attention to an interview Horse gave to Gerard Healy on 3AW:

John Longmire gives an insight into his phone call with Damien Hardwick – 3AW

Horse said [5m 35 secs in] that the side we fielded yesterday was our youngest since 1997. More relevant to this thread, he intimated that it might be even younger this weekend. It's not like Horse to create false expectations, so I'm expecting we might blood another first gamer.

Not necessarily what he was saying I don’t think . We’ve got a 32 & 24 year old coming out of the team in Joey & Heeney, so there’s a pretty high chance the average age of the players coming in will make the team overall even younger. I hope you’re right though, be good to see an E Taylor or Gould get a run.


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[Odysseus]

Not necessarily what he was saying I don’t think . We’ve got a 32 & 24 year old coming out of the team in Joey & Heeney, so there’s a pretty high chance the average age of the players coming in will make the team overall even younger. I hope you’re right though, be good to see an E Taylor or Gould get a run.


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You make a good point. Whoever replaces Joey will be younger, so you're right. Still, I will persist in hope. I'd be glad to see either of the boys you mentioned get a guernsey.

[barry]

Henry out for the season. 2020 is the worst!

- - - Updated - - -

Heeney, not Henry

[TheBloods]

You make a good point. Whoever replaces Joey will be younger, so you're right. Still, I will persist in hope. I'd be glad to see either of the boys you mentioned get a guernsey.

Don't think Kennedy's replacement will be anyone new. Most likely Hewett or Rowbottom.

[Markwebbos]

It would be good if Kennedy's replacement into the Mids could be Mills.

As to his replacement coming into the team, and Heeney - and possibly Gray/Clarke, please let us see some more kids: Mcinerney, Ling etc. but let's not discard any of last weeks inclusions, Stoddart etal need a few games to show what they can do.

The considerable hopes for this year I had preseason lie shattedered by our astonishing injury list. As the season is now well and truly gone, I'll join the "get games into the kids" chorus.