WB vs North Gameday March 4th Pre-Season 2023

[josie]

Hannan at FF between Naughton and Lobb is mid season form.

Not a great sign for West.

One Smith , 2 Joneses

Just do not understand Hannan instead of Garcia or West. Oh well, good luck to Mitch and all the others playing.

[josie]

Excited for Arthur Jones. Shown a lot more in training so hope he can take next step. C’mon Arfer, grab a Round 1 debut.

[Grantysghost]

Hannan was a lock. Had a great pre season.

[Uninformed]

It's not exactly the most "match hardened" we'll ever be for a match against the Dees is it? An intra club and a crack at last year's wooden spooners.

I mean, are we really going to learn much?

Would be interested in your assessment of how the intensity and skills compared to our match sim?

[josie]

Hannan was a lock. Had a great pre season.

I watched a fair bit of Wed morning training. Watched small group kicking/keeping’s off, he missed 2 of his 3 kicks. Small sample I know. Hope he proves he totally wrong. I think there’s more upside to West & Garcia and I think we need to develop these young ones soon.

[The Doctor]

Excited for Arthur Jones. Shown a lot more in training so hope he can take next step. C’mon Arfer, grab a Round 1 debut.

Well done by Arty (Arfer) Jones. Looks like he has jumped the queue ahead of West, McNeil, McComb, Rourke Smith at this early stage. the MC must want to have a closer look at him.

[jeemak]

Easty can you put the entire thread content without spaces/ paragraphs in the title please?

[Sam]

I’m hoping West wasn’t picked because he did have an interrupted pre-season

[Happy Days]

Hannan is fine. We got like 15 cool players now, Hannan is the deal with the devil someone made outside the MCG after the 97 prelim.

[josie]

Hannan is fine. We got like 15 cool players now, Hannan is the deal with the devil someone made outside the MCG after the 97 prelim.

Whatchya smokin’ Happy Days?

[jeemak]

Whatchya smokin’ Happy Days?

HD seems like hecould use a higher quotient of tobacco in his mix bowl sometimes, but in this instance I think he's talking sense.

Hannan when fit is useful as a runner, in the air and defencively. I wouldn't pay huge credence to how we've been named, it's likely he'll roam up the ground, do what he can to spread the defence and get in the way until the cavalry arrives to help lock it in.

As for the deal with the Devil, something happened after '97 or '09 that saw us paid back in full plus interest for the '16 finals. The best four and most perfect consecutive games in the history of the sport had to come at a price. And if that price is Mitch Hannan then we got off lightly and possibly have amounts payable to reconcile in our future!

[jeemak]

Team for tomorrow

WESTERN BULLDOGS

B: H.Crozier 9 L.Jones 19 T.Duryea 15
HB: B.Dale 31 A.Keath 42 E.Richards 20
C: T.McLean 16 T.Liberatore 21 A.Scott 28
HF: B.Smith 6 J.Ugle-Hagan 2 A.Jones 32
F: R.Lobb 7 M.Hannan 29 A.Naughton 33
Foll: T.English 44 J.Macrae 11 M.Bontempelli - C 4
I/C: C.Daniel 35 B.Williams 34 A.Treloar 1 S.Darcy 10 O.Baker 13 J.Bruce 17 B.Khamis 24 C.Weightman 3

Emerg: R.West 14 L.Cleary 36 R.Garcia 38 J.Sweet 41

I've been on the Crozier still having life in his career wagon for a couple of years now. I'm not sure how I feel about Crozier still having life in his career but we'll find out I guess. If it means our midfield balance includes Daniel then I'm happy to see how it goes as a variation from the bigger bodied Dunkley who was a terrible user by foot but a weapon in the contest (for some reason someone wanted to trade him ages ago, madness). We can always put Daniel back in defence and roll others through there.

McLean and Scott on the wings seems workmanlike, and not in the way Lachie was workmanlike with his running. To me there's two guys who are wanting to grind out a result for their own careers and the team, who are both neat with disposal as well even if not as prolific with their ball gathering as Hunter was.

Outside of that this looks like a bit of a reward for effort/ performance side, rather than a dress rehearsal side in a lot of ways. Beyond the backline that is (Gardner missing notwithstanding), which looks like how we might want to line up round one.

It's great seeing Arty with some reward/ encouragement after a solid preseason, and Bruce getting a run after putting his hand up to help himself and the team with a role change that looks to be developing.

You don't know until you get to see it in practice, but our depth all of a sudden feels much better and more mature when you have JJ, McNeil (condolences GG), Garcia, West, Cleary, Vandermeer, McComb, Bedendo and R. Smith for whatever reason not fitting into a 26 man squad that looks OK or ready to have a crack.

North by 43 points.

[The Underdog]

Feel like I should point out as he’s been brought up a couple of times that Roarke Smith has a plantar fascia and will miss the start of the season. Not being overlooked on form.
Although he may have been, you know he’ll be in the 22 by finals though

[Go_Dogs]

Somewhat surprised for me:

Jones - legit chance yo forward now? Good on him
Crozier - didn’t think he’d be in. Almost a lock now
Williams - hasn’t nailed a first choice wing spot. Scott has.
Hannan - versatility is king. Looking forward to him finally showing his wares / full potential

[Go_Dogs]

I've been on the Crozier still having life in his career wagon for a couple of years now. I'm not sure how I feel about Crozier still having life in his career but we'll find out I guess. If it means our midfield balance includes Daniel then I'm happy to see how it goes as a variation from the bigger bodied Dunkley who was a terrible user by foot but a weapon in the contest (for some reason someone wanted to trade him ages ago, madness). We can always put Daniel back in defence and roll others through there.

McLean and Scott on the wings seems workmanlike, and not in the way Lachie was workmanlike with his running. To me there's two guys who are wanting to grind out a result for their own careers and the team, who are both neat with disposal as well even if not as prolific with their ball gathering as Hunter was.

Outside of that this looks like a bit of a reward for effort/ performance side, rather than a dress rehearsal side in a lot of ways. Beyond the backline that is (Gardner missing notwithstanding), which looks like how we might want to line up round one.

It's great seeing Arty with some reward/ encouragement after a solid preseason, and Bruce getting a run after putting his hand up to help himself and the team with a role change that looks to be developing.

You don't know until you get to see it in practice, but our depth all of a sudden feels much better and more mature when you have JJ, McNeil (condolences GG), Garcia, West, Cleary, Vandermeer, McComb, Bedendo and R. Smith for whatever reason not fitting into a 26 man squad that looks OK or ready to have a crack.

North by 43 points.

I wonder if with Gardner out it’s now a Bruce v Darce for a spot.
Hannan v Buku
Williams v Baker

A few to be solved for.