Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

[mjp]

Right.

Big game vs Essendon ahead.

Over the past two weeks our effort has been #AWESOME. (Hopefully we can agree).
Our energy and general will to compete has been #AWESOME.
Our ability to connect the lines has - at times - been #HORRIBLE.
Our ability to defend in transition has wavered between #AWESOME and #HORRIBLE...with the #HORRIBLE moments seemingly all being bunched together (well, they were on my TV set).

I have seen calls for Gallagher and Busslinger etc to debut this week. I sincerely don't think this is the time. Right now, we need to DOUBLE DOWN with the team who has performed pretty well without getting the results over the 3-weeks since the bye. West plays, Garcia plays etc. You can say what you will but if we choose NOW to blow it up and it goes awry, well...I don't think that's smart coaching or responsible team selection.

This game is IMPORTANT. We are only a couple of 'details' away from getting it right, and we have (I simply HAVE to believe this) been working on those details since November. Have we got them right yet? Well, clearly we haven't. But sticking fat and believing that with every small failure comes a small learning...and therefore the turnaround comes CLOSER.

I know this is probs not going to be a popular post as there is a lot of pent up frustration right now, but tipping all of the toys out of the cot in search of the next great saviour? That's NOT the answer. Right now, our team is our team. Stay the course. Believe we are good enough to beat Essendon (we are). And go out and get the job done.

[anfo27]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Agree with everything except 'we've been working on those details since November'. Proof is in the pudding. Only the Collingwood game did i see a side committed to moving the ball quickly & taking the game on. No surprise its the best our forward line has looked all year. Our forwards need this game style to flourish. Why is it so important against Collingwood & not an issue any other week?

[MrMahatma]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Don’t disagree. However, would it really be that bad a call to play Buss over Keath?

[mjp]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Don’t disagree. However, would it really be that bad a call to play Buss over Keath?

I'm going with dreamers pick kids.

If you want to pick Buss (who I am reliably informed is called Buzzzzzz) over Keath then go for it. But don't tip all the toys out. So you make a change - great...no need to make 5. Saying the team is suddenly going to be changed with Busslinger, Gallagher, Cleary, Khamis and Jones? I'm not there yet.

[mjp]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Agree with everything except 'we've been working on those details since November'.

As I said mate, "I simply HAVE to believe this".

There's no other thing rn but to trust and support...

[anfo27]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

As I said mate, "I simply HAVE to believe this".

There's no other thing rn but to trust and support...

Honestly mjp, you coach, does it seem to you that the pies game it was an emphasis to play that way & not an emphasis for any other game?

[whythelongface]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Whilst I get what you are saying about keeping the relative same line up there needs to be some change to say ‘what you are dishing up is just not good enough’. Sure 5 changes is probably too much and throwing in a 19 year old underdone key defender is probably not advisable but we need to make some change. Players need to be rewarded for effort in the 2’s especially if those in the 1’s are playing below expectations. There are a couple of forced changes for JOD and McNeil but on top of that maybe 1 or 2 more - Khamis deserves his chance and he is no worse than others who have been selected but in the end we will probably go with Lobb and Bruce. We need to do something to enable us to win.

[The Doctor]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Right.

Big game vs Essendon ahead.

Over the past two weeks our effort has been #AWESOME. (Hopefully we can agree).
Our energy and general will to compete has been #AWESOME.
Our ability to connect the lines has - at times - been #HORRIBLE.
Our ability to defend in transition has wavered between #AWESOME and #HORRIBLE...with the #HORRIBLE moments seemingly all being bunched together (well, they were on my TV set).

I have seen calls for Gallagher and Busslinger etc to debut this week. I sincerely don't think this is the time. Right now, we need to DOUBLE DOWN with the team who has performed pretty well without getting the results over the 3-weeks since the bye. West plays, Garcia plays etc. You can say what you will but if we choose NOW to blow it up and it goes awry, well...I don't think that's smart coaching or responsible team selection.

This game is IMPORTANT. We are only a couple of 'details' away from getting it right, and we have (I simply HAVE to believe this) been working on those details since November. Have we got them right yet? Well, clearly we haven't. But sticking fat and believing that with every small failure comes a small learning...and therefore the turnaround comes CLOSER.

I know this is probs not going to be a popular post as there is a lot of pent up frustration right now, but tipping all of the toys out of the cot in search of the next great saviour? That's NOT the answer. Right now, our team is our team. Stay the course. Believe we are good enough to beat Essendon (we are). And go out and get the job done.

Darcy, McNeill and JOD have been ruled out. Who replaces them? Some of those young fellas have form.

[Bornadog]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Darcy, McNeill and JOD have been ruled out. Who replaces them? Some of those young fellas have form.

If we stay with the OPs Philosophy, then Lobb, Baker and McLean come in.

Make no mistake, our luck has run out with other teams also losing. Lose this and we are out of the 8.

Hell every poster wanted to drop Lobb last week for Darcy and look how that turned out.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Darcy, McNeill and JOD have been ruled out. Who replaces them? Some of those young fellas have form.

Darcy - > Lobb is a no brainer
JOD hmmmm Dons don't have many talls I'd go for a smaller player maybe upgrade Garcia from sub.
McNeil well he can't be replaced but Baker comes in, also Khamis needs to be rewarded.

Maybe Khamis as the sub that can impact either end late.

So in : Garcia, Lobb, Baker, Khamis (sub).

[azabob]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Darcy - > Lobb is a no brainer
JOD hmmmm Dons don't have many talls I'd go for a smaller player maybe upgrade Garcia from sub.
McNeil well he can't be replaced but Baker comes in, also Khamis needs to be rewarded.

Maybe Khamis as the sub that can impact either end late.

So in : Garcia, Lobb, Baker, Khamis (sub).

Why not consider Khamis as Darcy replacement. Let English ruck 90% of game time.
Khamis is too one dimensional to be the sub.

[Mantis]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Darcy, McNeill and JOD have been ruled out. Who replaces them? Some of those young fellas have form.

Given his form, or lack thereof you would think that Doc needs to be replaced too.

[ledge]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Right.

Big game vs Essendon ahead.

Over the past two weeks our effort has been #AWESOME. (Hopefully we can agree).
Our energy and general will to compete has been #AWESOME.
Our ability to connect the lines has - at times - been #HORRIBLE.
Our ability to defend in transition has wavered between #AWESOME and #HORRIBLE...with the #HORRIBLE moments seemingly all being bunched together (well, they were on my TV set).

I have seen calls for Gallagher and Busslinger etc to debut this week. I sincerely don't think this is the time. Right now, we need to DOUBLE DOWN with the team who has performed pretty well without getting the results over the 3-weeks since the bye. West plays, Garcia plays etc. You can say what you will but if we choose NOW to blow it up and it goes awry, well...I don't think that's smart coaching or responsible team selection.

This game is IMPORTANT. We are only a couple of 'details' away from getting it right, and we have (I simply HAVE to believe this) been working on those details since November. Have we got them right yet? Well, clearly we haven't. But sticking fat and believing that with every small failure comes a small learning...and therefore the turnaround comes CLOSER.

I know this is probs not going to be a popular post as there is a lot of pent up frustration right now, but tipping all of the toys out of the cot in search of the next great saviour? That's NOT the answer. Right now, our team is our team. Stay the course. Believe we are good enough to beat Essendon (we are). And go out and get the job done.

It’s more that we are running out of defenders , ODonnell and Darcy out, we have to make two changes, what have we got left in the twos ? I was hoping JJ might come back in. But we need another tall down back, Lobb ? Otherwise it’s Bruce who hasn’t been good at all this year. Busslinger has shown a bit, one new one isn’t a throw the baby out with the bath water.

[mjp]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

Honestly mjp, you coach, does it seem to you that the pies game it was an emphasis to play that way & not an emphasis for any other game?

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking?

Are you saying we played well vs Collingwood or poorly? And what specific 'emphasis to play that way' do you mean?

I thought what we did vs Collingwood was not that dis-similar to what we have done most weeks...we're a good team and don't really get beaten badly...we just need to tidy up some of the errors to turn close losses (Syd, Pies, GC, PAx 2, Geelong) into wins. We haven't lost by > 22 points since R#2 and in fact our losses have been -14, -7, -22, -22, -12, -2...this is why we are all frustrated because we are literally INCHES away.

[Mantis]

Re: Dreamers pick kids - AKA let's not over-react at selection this week...

I thought what we did vs Collingwood was not that dis-similar to what we have done most weeks...we're a good team and don't really get beaten badly...we just need to tidy up some of the errors to turn close losses (Syd, Pies, GC, PAx 2, Geelong) into wins. We haven't lost by > 22 points since R#2 and in fact our losses have been -14, -7, -22, -22, -12, -2...this is why we are all frustrated because we are literally INCHES away.

I'm not sure we are, we're a team that can compete with anyone in the competition and can take it right up to them and even dominant for periods, but good teams perform more consistently throughout a game than we do so we're just a competitive team.