Round 1 v Western Bulldogs Pre-Match Discussion

[paddyl90]

First of the year !!

Won't write a long spiel other than post a few questions for discussion!! This time next week will be interesting to see how we all will be feeling.

How much does NAB Cup form mean going into Round 1?

Team wise should be pursue keeping the same line up we used in pre-season and continue rotational policy we have? What changes would you make?

The Dogs..our opposition should we take their pre season form into account? Will they be dangerous in Round 1 or a bit rusty?

Would the exclusion of Brian Lake (who is under an injury cloud and unlikely to play) give us more of chance by having three talls in to expose their weakened defence

Midfield battle - Can we match it do you think ?

Crowd wise - 43,000 members (how many should we get there? Full house?)

Just a few quesstions but lets get the 2011 BT season going!! So pumped!

[Ossie]

Should be a full house, I'll be there.
More of the same from pre-season thanks lads.
Expect Crameri to be officially elevated this week.

B McVeigh Fletcher Myers (hate having him in the backline but with no Pears and Slattery I think he has to be!)
HB Hardingham Hooker Heppell
C Dempsey Watson Zaharakis
HF Monfries Hurley Crameri
F Ryder Gumbleton Davey (is he fit?)
R Bellchambers Stanton Hocking

I Hille, Jetta, Prismall, Melksham

E Howlett (very stiff) Lonergan (very stiff) Hibberd (very stiff)

[Mrs Mercuri]

Hard to believe it all starts next weekend....

I think our NAB Cup form will count for something, we are on a wave of confidence at the moment had have played some really tough matches on decent footy ovals compared to the teams having to play the community prac matches.

The starting 22 will be interesting, with no Pears and Slattery in the back half it seems as though Myers will get a spot. Question marks on Gumby and Davey for round 1 as well but we should have enough coverage for them.

No Brian Lake is a bonus and should see us load up the forward 50 led by Hurley and Ryder. I have a feeling we will play 3 ruckmen... the new sub rule is definately going to help Hille ease into the season proper as well.

Can't wait till Sunday arvo!!!

[filthy2]

We'll win.

I hate these subsidised bastards marginally less than Coll/Carl/rich/Hawth

[Rossoneri]

Don't like our chances, but we really need to win this game.

NAB form counts for SFA at this stage, but hopefully the players have worked out some elements of the game plan and continue to improve.

I'll call it early: We will get smashed by the umpires, we always do against the Dogs (though we do get them on our side in other games)
27-12

Watson to get one free kick.

[j-mac31]

I believe our game last season (the first time) was close to a sell out and given the extra members and it's Hirdy's first game as coach (and our NAB Cup form) I would not be surprised with 50k+.

As for the game, I believe Lake is now more likely to play than not, although he'll obviously be underdone.

It'll be a tough game, but if Bellchambers continues his good form and our midfielders have improved enough (and the new ones are good enough), especially defensively, I think we have a good chance.

[Jazz_84]

very hard one to tip, id love for us to win and i think we can but the Dogs are a good unit and personally i don't know how they are travelling, Lake out or underdone will give Hurley and Ryder/Hille the confidence to attack the ball and go for the leads and grabs

got a feeling they'll win by a kick or 2

[robrulz5]

We are a big chance. Apparently the side the Dogs put on the park against North Melbourne will be there round 1 side.

[Windy_Hill]

am liking our chances and am not quite sure why there is so much buzz around the Dogs this year???

Dont think Gumbleton will get picked. Wouldnt mind seeing Heppell and Hibberd makeing their debuts.

Like Bellchambers in the Ruck with Hille on the Bench as a Sub

[rockhole]

I agree that pre season form can be misleading but if nothing else it would have injected a big dose of what was sadly lacking last year and that was confidence.

I really believe that a large part of the game is played between the ears and if nothing else, the boys should be running on top of the ground.

We also need to look at the operational restructure, the formation of a top management team, new sponsors and a record membership and the abolition of the various factions which were tearing the club apart.

All of these add to the "confidence factor" on top of an excellent pre season.

All amounts to jack shite if we cannot produce the goods, but there should be no lingering doubts about what is happening behind the scenes.

[Royza]

Big chance. I think we will get over the line.

We beat them in Rnd 10 last yr (99-90), after they scored the last 4 goals of the match. That was before our season went to shit.
http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/game ... 00528.html
Their list was full strength & in good form at the time (with the exception of Robert Murphy).
They'll have Murphy back, and will probably add Sherman & Veszpremi to the team.
However, they've lost Harbrow to GC, Hargrave won't play & Lake will be underdone.
That leaves their backline vulnerable, and gives our forwards a major boost. Also, Cooney & Murphy have had limited preseasons.
Our team will differ from that match by not having Atkinson, and also missing the injured Pears. Gumby & NLM probably won't play (Bomber hinted at picking the fittest side: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdnnE5e_ ... ture=feedu), and Davey is a 50/50 chance. Hille looks set to be the sub. So you can add the ins probably from: TB, Hardingham, Hooker, Melksham, Hibberd, Crameri, Heppell, Colyer, Reimers, Williams.

We've generally matched up well with them. They've just been able to run out the games better (and with the help of some favourable decisions).
With the new Hird team & our good lead up from the NAB, I think we can get the jump on them. It's usually better to play these teams early up, when they haven't found their top gear.

Dons by 13.

[filthy2]

AFLSSR subsidised losers #1":

- 5 of their top 10 from their 2010 B&F underdone and not match fit.
- Poor pre-season form.
- President thinks a GF is a pass for Rocket.
- Johnson, Aker, Egerton (whatever) etc gone.
- Poor depth.

US

- Best Coaching Panel in AFLSSR
- Good Pre Season
- Gumby, Hank, Tayte and maybe Frog out of best 22.
- Match fit.
- Stronger
- Better game plan.
- Last year when no defensive plan, early in year at a reasonable strength...flogged them along with the Dawks, Scum, St Faildya...should have beat Geelong first up...disgraceful un-Essendon like losses to Freo, Port, WCE etc......beat 4 out of top 8 when we were shitful....at the top.

If we don't get them Sunday we never will.

[Rossoneri]

I actually think not having Aker, Johnson and Eagleton will help them. They lose the emotional choice with Johnson, he was on his last legs last year and was being picked for sentimental value. Aker was a distraction and Eagleton was kind of along the lines of Johnson, but not to the same degree.

And regardless of your coaching panel, it's the 22 who win and lose games. Admittedly we will have more of a defensive flavour about us but if we continue to miss targets, we will struggle.

What does AFLSSR stand for?

[BenDoolan]

What does AFLSSR stand for?

It's the merge of our communistic football league and the former Soviet Union.

[little_ripper]

It should be a great match, both teams will go in with high expectations.

dons by 3 goals.

hurley to bag 5.

[hillchaser]

Whats the matter with you people ? There is no way Howlett will be omitted. He will start on the ground.

No way Gumby will play. Hardingham deserves a spot in the team but there is talk he may have a slight inury. Hope to see him playing.

Will become very interesting when Slattery and Pears become available again.

[paddyl90]

Hibberd not at training so presume he won't be playing on Sunday

Alwyn Davey and Essendon applying for an arm guard to be worn for Sunday. Remember when Lloyd has his and there was issue when he collected a Hawthorn player who got injured as a result of the armguard. Suffer.

Wonder if McVeigh's missus is ready to pop yet! Not sure if he's in or out this week.

[robrulz5]

Alwyn Davey and Essendon applying for an arm guard to be worn for Sunday. Remember when Lloyd has his and there was issue when he collected a Hawthorn player who got injured as a result of the armguard. Suffer.

The Hawthorn player would have been injured regardless.

[filthy2]

AFLSSR subsidised losers #1":

- 5 of their top 10 from their 2010 B&F underdone and not match fit.
- Poor pre-season form.
- President thinks a GF is a pass for Rocket.
- Johnson, Aker, Egerton (whatever) etc gone.
- Poor depth.

US

- Best Coaching Panel in AFLSSR
- Good Pre Season
- Gumby, Hank, Tayte and maybe Frog out of best 22.
- Match fit.
- Stronger
- Better game plan.
- Last year when no defensive plan, early in year at a reasonable strength...flogged them along with the Dawks, Scum, St Faildya...should have beat Geelong first up...disgraceful un-Essendon like losses to Freo, Port, WCE etc......beat 4 out of top 8 when we were shitful....at the top.

If we don't get them Sunday we never will.

We did