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Longmire saying that Franklin is going in for minor finger surgery and will be out for two weeks, maybe three. Could be better, could be worse. I guess that will give McDonald a chance to shine in his home town. His contested marking in the VFL game on Saturday, should see him recalled to the top side.
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A bit nervous playing the Eagles at their ground.
If Parker is struggling with a groin injury I would rest him, put Kennedy back in the centre.
Ins : McDonald, Papley (if fit ), Wicks,
Out : Franklin, Parker, Ronke (if Papley plays)Comment
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AFL site is also reporting that Papley's not yet ready.
Buddy to undergo surgery, star goalsneak Tom Papley to miss againComment
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At least Nic Nat won't be playing which gives Ladhams a chance to impress.Comment
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Ins : McDonald, Amartey, Ronke
Out : Franklin,McLean, Kennedy (sub)
McDonald and Amartey have little chance against WC KPDs, but McLean has no chance with the kind game he plays. Frankly, I don't think it makes much difference which 2 of the 2 possible KPF players are picked. We can't bomb the ball in against McGovern and Barrass.
Kennedy need to go. Ronke and Bell did okay and other options to take their place are few.Comment
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What worries me most with an inexperienced forward line is not so much the one-on-one contests (though that may prove an issue) but how much we potentially lose shape. Good key forwards develop synchronicity of how to work collectively to provide leading lanes and space for one another - yet how often have the collective we're likely to have this week done it as a group? Bugger all. It'll require good coaching to give them simple instructions on their role.
But it'll also require a far better ball movement than we've had the last two weeks to even give them half a chance. That stodgy play will leave them sitting ducks. McGovern in particular has been exceptional since round one. If we're chipping it round with a lack of overlap or just bombing it in, we'll lose all shape up forward as the forwards get sucked up the ground in search of an easier mark and kick. The more that happens, the more McGovern and co feel happy to sag back.
It's time to run boys. Pace on the game gives our forwards a chance to lead on and isolate their defenders, opens up f50 entry options between long and short effective kicks, and reduces the decision time and capacity their defenders have time to pluck the ball out of the air.'Delicious' is a fun word to sayComment
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I’m interested to know why several posters are suggesting Kennedy become the medical sub. That is a role we hope we do not have to use. And if so, neither the team nor Kennedy himself benefits from sitting on the bench.
When double Brownlow winner Adam Goodes lost form near the end of his career, and the club suggested he be selected in the old sub role (which almost certainly would have involved at least a quarter of play), Goodes himself requested he be dropped back to the Reserves. He wanted to play full match time to allow himself the chance to regain form. And that’s what happened. After several Reserves matches he returned to the senior team and was a strong contributor for the rest of the season.
I recall Longmire talking of his admiration for Adam’s humility.
The other obvious example is O’Keefe. He didn’t return to the seniors and ended his career at the end of the season. But in the meantime he provided a wealth of leadership and on-field coaching to the mainly junior players in the Reserves. And later Ryan said that while he wished he had been able to finish his career at the senior level, he realised that the leadership & coaching experience he gained in the Reserves had been invaluable for his post-playing career.
And in both cases it opened a Seniors spot to younger players.
Isn’t that a better way to go forward? Unless the coach believes Kennedy is still warming up to be a strong contributor in the Seniors (something we all would love to see). In which case, leave him in the team.Comment
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I was at the R1 game last year v Lions. Our tall forwards that day were Reid, McLean and Logan, who was on debut. Up against them were Andrews and Payne, with Starcevich and Lester also playing tall.
From about the second quarter, our rapid ball movement created plenty of opportunities for our talls to lead into space. McLean kept Andrews out of the play, reducing his ability to intercept and cut off our raids. We won convincingly that night.
This is what we need to do. Our ball movement has been much slower this year and disposals less precise. We have also been making many more errors and gifting turn overs. Our forward 50 issues are largely related to the delivery in, not who we have in there. McLean has shown he can take the opposition's key forward out of play and will need to do this to Barrass or McGovern. If we can get our ball movement right, our F50 will improve.Comment
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Watch the replay of us vs WC at Kardinia Park last year. From memory our game plan was to kick it into the forward line where ever McGovern wasn't! Or something like that :-)
The game plan would definitely ban kicks to a forward contest.Comment
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We had 32 inside 50s for 15 scores in one half of footy when we met at Kardinia last year. Even if they all went to McGovern, we still would've kicked enough to win, just through sheer weight of numbers. Our midfield was rampant that day. And that's where it will be won or lost on Friday night.Comment
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We have certainly struggled to get that breakaway game going this season and to use the corridor. Perhaps the answer lies in bringing in one or two of the midfielders from the Seconds? I think Stephens would be be well suited to the open spaces in Perth. One of Roberts or Sheldrick too? Its a risk but we have to get our movement going. McInerney, Ollie and the Chad are critical there. As is the Lizard off half-back. Our stoppage work has been average to poor also, and that's where the movement starts. A great challenge for our movement guru, Pike.Comment
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I see where you’re coming from Meg. It is always difficult to know what to with a Champion player nearing the end. Though Joey may need a few games to get going, I don’t think it is a case of losing form- rather one of losing pace, which in his case he can’t afford. I don’t think moving him to the reserves will help, and he is almost a liability in our team. It hurts to say that as he always gives his all but sadly I’ve come to realise that he is now in our bottom 3.
So a med sub makes some sense, as if he comes on at a later stage in a game, opposition may be tiring a bit and he can hold his own. I really don’t want to see him in the two’s Meg.Comment
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I think Joey has still made important contributions this year, in particular during the fourth quarter on Saturday.
He took an important contested mark and also won a contested ground balls and facilitated exits from defence with a release handball.
That combination - contested marks and the ability to win contested ground balls and get away a release handball through his strength - are still pretty valuable and I think he has a greater impact on winning than alternatives not in the team.
Those moments can be seen here:
https://www.afl.com.au/stats/stats-p...D_M20220140403.Comment
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