Always Right Match Committee R21 vs GWS 2025

[Critter]

Busslinger was caught on the hop a couple of times. Agree though, not sure he should be dropped.
He seriously needs to have a Thilthorpe transformation physique wise over pre season. He is so bloody skinny.

He is skinny but the thing about him is that his upper skeletal structure is good. He has good broad shoulders that could carry a lot more muscle than they currently do.

I’m not qualified to give advice upon physical development, but it seems to me that he sure he needs to spend a searching pre-season that in the gym to build muscle. To me his future is as a backline anchor, a lock-down KPD… not an interceptor. He’s not fast but he’s fast enough. It’s his lack of body strength that seems to play against him succeeding in such a role.

He needs to be able to hold ground and match his opponent in one-on-one contests. Too often he shifts ground and loses positional advantage.

If he's not happy in playing a primarily defensive role then I feel his future is limited. It’s crunch time for him. His natural talents are insufficient to hold down an attacking KPD role so he needs to augment them.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

In: Harmes, Khamis
Out: Poulter, McNeil

Gut running is cool and all but personally I’m into tangible contributions.

This.

Neither should be on our list next year, regardless of the shortfalls of our list.

Not sure Khamis did a lot wrong to be dropped in the first place.

[Rocco Jones]

In: Harmes, Khamis
Out: Poulter, McNeil

Gut running is cool and all but personally I’m into tangible contributions.

I hear you but are the contributions tangible to Bevo and the MC? I think it needs to be a balance between the defensive/system stuff and offering offence.

With LMN, he had 7 tackles I think. 3 I50. I'd keep him. Definitely have concerns on how little he offers us offensively.

With Poulter, I wonder how much we saw him as being a bit of foil for Darcy and Naughts who killed it. I know it will be significantly harder vs GWS, Darcy/ Naughts worked beautifully. If he helped with that, we keep him. I am not saying he did, wonder if he had the type of game that was a tick based on instructions from the coaching team,

Vanders out for Harmes for mine.

[Hotdog60]

Buku needs to take a leaf out of Naughton's game and do repeated efforts. I like Buku and would like him in the side but if the ball hits the deck, he doesn't chase that hard or not capable to chase hard.
Baker probably played the best game for the season but that's a low target to beat but his run and strength could be handy against GWS as long as he keeps it simple.

I think no change this week.

[doggies ftw]

He is skinny but the thing about him is that his upper skeletal structure is good. He has good broad shoulders that could carry a lot more muscle than they currently do.

I’m not qualified to give advice upon physical development, but it seems to me that he sure he needs to spend a searching pre-season that in the gym to build muscle. To me his future is as a backline anchor, a lock-down KPD… not an interceptor. He’s not fast but he’s fast enough. It’s his lack of body strength that seems to play against him succeeding in such a role.

He needs to be able to hold ground and match his opponent in one-on-one contests. Too often he shifts ground and loses positional advantage.

If he's not happy in playing a primarily defensive role then I feel his future is limited. It’s crunch time for him. His natural talents are insufficient to hold down an attacking KPD role so he needs to augment them.

Bingo, it’s pretty clear from watching him at VFL over the past two years that he’s a genuine FB. I know it wasn’t really what we expected (well I didn’t at least) when we drafted him. But that’s what he is, he just doesn’t have the strength yet to play that role successfully but he will in time hopefully. I actually think his one on one craft is pretty solid, he’s just not strong enough so gets outbodied at times. His reading of the play and positioning is great, and I think his contested marking will come along with more strength too, he gets to a lot in the correct position but doesn’t have the core strength to stand his ground and clunk them.

He really needs to model himself on Weitering. People should have a read of this thread and the things that were said about him early days https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...#post-55023369

it’s eerily similar to what’s said about Buss, gun key defenders being written off in their early 20s is a tale as old as time. Lake, Rance etc Sam Collins was even delisted, it’s the hardest position on the ground and most key defenders, especially the FB types take until their mid 20s

[westbulldog]

Re "With LMN, he had 7 tackles I think. 3 I50. I'd keep him. Definitely have concerns on how little he offers us offensively."

McNeil had 2 kicks did not trouble the scoreboard spent 74% of the game on the ground and gained 57 metres(next lowest was Busslinger with 185m gained). Alas it is this level of performance together with that of another 4 or 5 players that will likely see us finish ninth - unless we win everything and other games go our way.

[ReLoad]

our selection debates are always about the bottom few, we are carrying quite a few younger players right now, ones that fade or have serious inconsistencies in their game, which isn't an excuse but is understandable.

As such we MUST selected battle hardened people who can physically impose themselves in contests, be able to stick a tackle and be able to push back when needed.
Players like Harmes as an example, Buku as an impact Sub.

Our season is all hanging on Thursday, its not an eye on the future, its about the now. we need to select a team that gets the job done, not the future job (we've done that plenty already this year)

[GVGjr]

I watched the replay and can't see anything Buss did wrong in his 2nd full game.

My only change is Harmes in and McNeil or VDM out. If Libba is injured, we need to find a replacement which could be Davidson with Sanders playing more midfield time.

You're right but there are a few things he's still a long way off with.
His metres gain from 12 kicks was poor. Exactly half of what JOD produced with just nine kicks.
That slows down a quicker transition out of the back line. He's also still slow to react to opponents leads and that caught him out as well.

I doubt he gets dropped but it was hard to see why he's a better option than Jones.

[Bornadog]

You're right but there are a few things he's still a long way off with.
His metres gain from 12 kicks was poor. Exactly half of what JOD produced with just nine kicks.
That slows down a quicker transition out of the back line. He's also still slow to react to opponents leads and that caught him out as well.

I doubt he gets dropped but it was hard to see why he's a better option than Jones.

No doubt he needs to improve, but I can't critic him too much in his 2nd full game.

[doggies ftw]

You're right but there are a few things he's still a long way off with.
His metres gain from 12 kicks was poor. Exactly half of what JOD produced with just nine kicks.
That slows down a quicker transition out of the back line. He's also still slow to react to opponents leads and that caught him out as well.

I doubt he gets dropped but it was hard to see why he's a better option than Jones.

Metres gained is a pointless stat for even a winger or outside player, it’s beyond worthless for a key defender, if we’re judging him on his metres gained we need to reassess our priorities big time

[GVGjr]

Metres gained is a pointless stat for even a winger or outside player, it’s beyond worthless for a key defender, if we’re judging him on his metres gained we need to reassess our priorities big time

Kicking the ball mainly left or right rather than down the field really slows down the transition out of the back line, key defender or not that is far from ideal and something that has limited his chances for senior games.

There is some media talk about moving Richards back to defense and we while he's not a KPD it probably highlights we need to improve the transition out if defense.

[The Underdog]

Kicking the ball mainly left or right rather than down the field really slows down the transition out of the back line, key defender or not that is far from ideal and something that has limited his chances for senior games.

There is some media talk about moving Richards back to defense and we while he's not a KPD it probably highlights we need to improve the transition out if defense.

Ed in the backline is a strong body, great in the air, elite with ground balls and a super kick with time. He would improve us no doubt. But it’s very much a rob Peter to pay Paul situation.

[NAUGHTY100]

What role is Khamis playing?

You’ve dropped three runners when the Giants game plan is run and gun.

Harmes comes back as one of the runners , and anyway as things stand not much good calling guys runners who dont get the footy .
I get where your comming from but McNeil and Vandermeer have had little or no effect on results in the past few weeks , so lets no fall into the situation where we are gifting guys games who dont deserve them .
Khamis i would have as sub .

[Pleather Sole]

Outs: Vandermeer, McNeil, Poulter

Ins: Harmes, Buku, Davidson
Baker or Davidson to sub

Buss wasn't brilliant but for 2.5 games decent showing. I have doubts that Jones can play out the season. Buss needs games and to adjust to the pace (and protein powder & gym time).

Arty was important against the Giants last year at Ballarat and is a good match to their energy and intensity, however he was in better form having had a few VFL games prior. Think he might be a chance against Melbourne, West Coast, Freo if he can increase his impact playing smallish fwd. At the moment he's up against Dolan, McNeil for that role. Dolan isn't quite ready physically and McNeil isn't executing well like he did early season.

[Bulldog Joe]

I am far from a Poulter fan, but there is no way he should be dropped after playing his best game of the year.