Always Right Match Committee Round 2 V St Kilda

[Happy Days]

Did anyone else have the misfortune of watching the Saints game last weekend? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team place less interest in entering their forward 50, or even with how they moved the ball altogether. RTB is definitely back.

I think we will be much more daring than Fremantle were and hopefully we get much better play out of our key forwards.

[lemmon]

- Buku for Lobb seems a lock. With how hampered Lobb seems, Khamis wouldn't have to do much to make this an improvement from last week. Hopefully he can provide at least a base of energy/making it difficult for opposition.

I don't mind the idea of Buku in, but doesn't it maintain the four-tall forward set-up? I get that Khamis isn't a 200cm monster but he is a mark and kick player - he's never offered much at ground level in the forward line. I struggle to see how he works effectively in that mix, even without Lobb.

My first thoughts are:

Out: Lobb, Jones, Hannan
In: Crozier, West, McLean

[Virgin-Dog]

I struggle to see how Hannan's selection is justified currently. I think he's been unfairly been targeted as a whipping boy in the past, and was probably somewhat underrated by fans for his work at blocking for our talls, but he seems a terrible fit in such a tall forward line. He functions as a pseudo-tall, and is basically stretching that 4 tall forward line to 5 tall forwards.

I'd much rather see a group of high pressure smalls whose entire goal is apply pressure and lock the ball in our forward 50, disregarding scoreboard impact. At least two of McNeil, Garcia and West should really be playing forward (unless we have Baker playing significant minutes forward instead of the wing) if we're going to make this tall forward line work. JJ doesn't apply enough defensive pressure, but is a good finisher, so I'd be okay with keeping him in but we seriously need to replace Hannan with a pressure small.

[GVGjr]

Mitch Cleary

STK can’t take a trick with injuries. Jimmy Webster will miss at least this week with a broken bone in his hand.
Jack Bytel will also miss the game v Western Bulldogs after he was admitted to hospital with a cut to his knee.
Marcus Windhager expected to return.

Tim Membrey at least a month away. Max King at least six weeks away. No concern around Rowan Marshall’s shoulder. Seb Ross faces a fitness test on his calf injury

Bytel would have almost certainly had a run with role with one of our midfielders.

[GVGjr]

I struggle to see how Hannan's selection is justified currently. I think he's been unfairly been targeted as a whipping boy in the past, and was probably somewhat underrated by fans for his work at blocking for our talls, but he seems a terrible fit in such a tall forward line. He functions as a pseudo-tall, and is basically stretching that 4 tall forward line to 5 tall forwards.

I'd much rather see a group of high pressure smalls whose entire goal is apply pressure and lock the ball in our forward 50, disregarding scoreboard impact. At least two of McNeil, Garcia and West should really be playing forward (unless we have Baker playing significant minutes forward instead of the wing) if we're going to make this tall forward line work. JJ doesn't apply enough defensive pressure, but is a good finisher, so I'd be okay with keeping him in but we seriously need to replace Hannan with a pressure small.

Big challenge for the MC to nail the selections. West, McNeil and maybe Garcia would be in with a chance.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Did anyone else have the misfortune of watching the Saints game last weekend? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team place less interest in entering their forward 50, or even with how they moved the ball altogether. RTB is definitely back.

I think we will be much more daring than Fremantle were and hopefully we get much better play out of our key forwards.

It certainly looked like a typical Ross Lyon game. A dull affair that just gets his team over the line.

We have long struggled against his sides though. I'm not sure we have the steadiness and composure to break down his extreme defensive gameplan. Other teams sure will but we (and we did this back in the Eade era as well) often shoot ourselves in the foot.

[Rocco Jones]

I think we will break them. I see us as flat trackers. If a side brings skill + intensity we are cooked but otherwise we are fine. Think we will smash a lot of sides who aren't very good but uncompetitive when a gun side is firing.

[macca]

If we don't address our fwd pressure and ability to trap the ball in the forward half, Lyon would just wait for us to bomb it long into our forward line, the skill error and away they go on the rebound.

[derb]

Our forward line can't house both Buku and Hannan imo.

[GVGjr]

Our forward line can't house both Buku and Hannan imo.

I wouldn't think that is workable for us either.

[Rocco Jones]

Freo's 7 main defenders vs Saints combined for a staggering 81 marks and 188 disposals. The Saints had 2 i50 tackles for the game. I didn't watch much of the game but the stats are staggering.

[Danjul]

If we don't address our fwd pressure and ability to trap the ball in the forward half, Lyon would just wait for us to bomb it long into our forward line, the skill error and away they go on the rebound.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it.

A lot of the problem stems from the ruck contests. We win the majority of the clearances but they are poor quality clearances. This is because we set up defensively and have to battle for the ball. The players are under pressure and therefore indirect. Where Melbourne got the ball deep into the forward zone from the centre we got it to the half forward flank.

Everyone seems to be saying our midfielders were poor. Don’t think so. Gawn put the ball in Petracca’s hand repeatedly when he was moving at close to full speed. Swap ruckmen swap results.

We play a high risk game plan. Handball keeps the players close together, helps the opposition corral them, resulting in poor disposals and tires them out. How else could the Melbourne backline take so many more uncontested marks.

Melbourne kicked it. Gave them direction and speed we could not cope with. Kept them fresh.

We didn’t, result was being pressured and we had the characteristic fade out. Only 2 scoring shots in the last half hour. After a good start we couldn’t get to 10 goals.

None of this is new. We have been doing it consistently for over 12 months and it is getting boring.

Time to play in the style that others use to crush us.

[josie]

So Danjul - do you think we should play Sweet?

[1eyedog]

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it.

A lot of the problem stems from the ruck contests. We win the majority of the clearances but they are poor quality clearances. This is because we set up defensively and have to battle for the ball. The players are under pressure and therefore indirect. Where Melbourne got the ball deep into the forward zone from the centre we got it to the half forward flank.

Everyone seems to be saying our midfielders were poor. Don’t think so. Gawn put the ball in Petracca’s hand repeatedly when he was moving at close to full speed. Swap ruckmen swap results.

We play a high risk game plan. Handball keeps the players close together, helps the opposition corral them, resulting in poor disposals and tires them out. How else could the Melbourne backline take so many more uncontested marks.

Melbourne kicked it. Gave them direction and speed we could not cope with. Kept them fresh.

We didn’t, result was being pressured and we had the characteristic fade out. Only 2 scoring shots in the last half hour. After a good start we couldn’t get to 10 goals.

None of this is new. We have been doing it consistently for over 12 months and it is getting boring.

Time to play in the style that others use to crush us.

If this is truly the case the blowtorch needs to go on Bevo.

To be frank I'm getting stale on Bevo's game plan. It's starting to stink a bit Rhodeish these days, too much emphasis on defence, too static he needs a refresh. Feels like we're pissng the list against the wall.

Last two games have been absolutely abhorrent. He think it's an anomaly but it's actually been the norm for a long period of time.

[mjp]

I think we will be much more daring than Fremantle were and hopefully we get much better play out of our key forwards.

I'm pretty sure they had 65 inside 50's...still couldn't score.