TOPIC:

I thought we were a monty last time we played this mob but a sook from Nesbitt, a few returning players including a Norm Smith medalist and current club captain, and hey presto...they go from a laughing stock to knocking us off.   I can see some wholesale changes to their seniors as a result of the capitulation to NM but don't expect senior players to drop back to their ressies...more likely fringe guys.  But we can't control the 22 who run out against us on Saturday so let's focus on our team.  Probably not too many changes although Fullgrabe didn't finish the game against Perth so expect someone like Atkinson or similar to take his place.  I'd still like to see Golding in for young Hickmott and that's probably just about it for me.  We need to tidy up our forward line structure as it's a bit one dimensional for my liking with the long bomb happening all too often.  Borchet weeks away as he was still on crutches last Saturday so maybe his younger brother, Breman or Narkle to come in for Bailey Matera although I don't think that's going to happen unfortunately.  Very difficult to tip this one until we see who travels to Adelaide for WCE but based on form, I think we'll win by a couple of goals.

The selection panel are not particularly adventurous and will be less so as we get closer to finals as they try and settle the line-up, Thats all well and fine but the last 3 weeks we have had a few passengers and lack the ability to change tactics when required, that showed up v SD when we continually dropped the footy on Notte and Ercegs heads and they grabbed everything. We need to go in faster lower and more direct, too many handballs are putting the last receiver under pressure, it's like watching WC at times. More movement from the forwards so more options for the mids and they need to hold the forward structure. Time and again the backs and mids won the footy only to look up and see an almost empty forward line. Need a tall and a couple of smalls in and around the forward 50 most of the time, that leaves 3 extras to push back when required. If Dela, Matthews and Putt are our rucks and if the conditions are fine I'd be tempted to play all three as we do lack height especially if we have to front up against Vardy & Williams again who dominated. Have one rucking, one at FF in the square and doing inside 50 rucking and one on the bench in a rotation, if wet then just have Dela and one other. Essential they bring in Golding, way past time to see what he can bring as out mid stocks are quite thin, if they blanket Kitch we are in real trouble.
The ground was soggy and boggy last week and will be more so come Saturday as 2 more fronts are forecast to come through, so we need to keep it simple and direct and hope that WCER have to play Simmo's roundy roundy garden high possession game which wont be suited to any sort of wet conditions as their senior team has proven time and again.

I thought about the three rucks myself, but am wary of their lack of forward nous- even Della is a better mid than forward. Atkinson up forward might be a better option. Gotta get more out of Braut. For me, that's the key. He might be a better distributor than forward. 

in any case trying the three rucks is worth a try. Being able to kick long and not get outmarked is a key facet. Unfortunately, rucks often don't really help in that regard. But it used to work with Phil Scott. 

Braut into the mids, bring in Atkinson to help with the ruck and up forward, Braut will add enormous grunt at the stoppages handy when playing against fulltime pro's who spend half their lives inside gyms.

Can Braut cover enough ground to play mid? Again, worth a try.  

Boggy Leederville probably lends itself to a simple going forward strategy.  use the corridor carefully and sparingly. No Matera style kicks around the  corner. 

I'd love to see Atkinson running off half back as an attacking defender. He did it last year and kicked a couple of goals from memory and seeing him crashing through the middle was a sight to behold. We've probably only got Haydn Kennedy as a link up defender to supplement the mids but reckon Atkinson could take on that roll as well. The forwards to me seem to be working as individuals and not as a group. You don't see a lot of blocking to free up a leading player or someone like Nick Martin sacrificing his own game to lock down an intercept marker like Notte or Erceg. It's that sort of teamwork which needs to happen and is sadly lacking at the moment.

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No Matera at all. If his name wasn't MATERA this would not even be a discussion....... He wouldn't have played league football. Even the older brother is ordinary.

EDIT: I was wrong....matera has kicked 1.8 this season.....Faraone has kicked 14.11.....let's drop Faraone

They seem to be playing different roles LH with Matera spending more time in the midfield.  He's averaging just over 14 disposals a game but agree, if he's going to be used as a mid and not a small forward, Golding or similar would be a better option.

Matera junior has passed the ball well at times, I have to say. He adds a bit of pace. Kicking for goal, not so good. He needs to improve there.  Matera senior is finding his feet in the team, getting a fair bit of the ball,  but turning it over a bit. Imo, he should take the simpler, usually longer,  option. Subi generally should. Stoppages are our strength, or used to be. 

footy is a hard game. You hesitate to critique , but I suppose that is the supporter's prerogative.  Part of the fun of the game. 

This team doesn't tell us much without the ressies playing as well.

FB 8 Angus DEWAR 36 Aaron HEAL 2 Kyle STAINSBY
HB 10 Koby FULLGRABE 21 Jordan LOCKYER 35 Drew ROHDE
C 26 Chad Harris 12 Gregory CLARK 31 Wil HICKMOTT
HF 33 Bailey MATERA 25 Michael BRAUT 28 Nicholas MARTIN
FF 9 Max WALTERS 18 Ben SOKOL 32 Brandon MATERA

FOLLOWERS
42 Oskar MATTHEWS
1 Leigh KITCHIN
7 Harrison MARSH

INTERCHANGE
20 Jakob ATKINSON
17 Lachlan DELAHUNTY
53 Benjamin GOLDING
13 Liam HICKMOTT
19 Nick MENEGOLA
37 Connor Patterson
27 Lewis Putt
40 Joshua ROBBINS

Of those listed on the interchange, the only certainties imho would be Dela and Robbins.
Come on Coach show some selection balls and bring in Golding and Atkinson.