TOPIC:

It's anyone's guess what the team will look like this week but all I know is we don't want to be 0-3 after Saturday.  Hopefully we'll get a few back and not lose any as we did against Claremont when Dewar and Stainsby were late scratchings.  A couple of the debutants have struggled and really need more time in the ressies so a more settled and experienced side would be a good thing this week.

I see in The West we'll get Rohde and Dewar back but Marsh is still a couple of weeks away with a hernia and Braut might miss again. Apparently Max and Stainsby will miss out with Covid issues. To make matters worse, the jerkers will get back Black, Meadows and Keitel from Covid so think we'll be up against it.

BC, Mayo on the Locks Mayo podcast listed the following re injuries.
Marsh - available rnd 5 after hernias
Atkinson - knee 1 month away
Braut - foot 2 weeks
Maxy - covid and wrist 1 week
Bryce Mcdonald (a promising colts lad) - been out for 12 months with a knee is very close to being available
Kody Fullgrabe - knee maybe available end of the season.

Given the continued outs to key senior players and the in's for Joondy, I'm expecting we'll be zip n 3 tomorrow night, have no expectations on the team currently so if we get within 30 pts of Joondy it will be a bonus. will need a big second half to the year to make finals, like we did in 2011 when we won 9 of the last 11 to scrape into 4th and made it to the GF. Maybe wishful thinking!! Positive is that we are blooding lots of youngsters which will see us in good stead going forward. That aside we will need to recruit some areas that will be lacking, especially with some of our aging seniors possibly hanging up the boots. A quality ruckman is essential, we have a couple of youngsters but we need an experienced big man to mentor them, someone similar to Jones who dominates the hitouts.

Chad Harris is another one we haven’t seen yet who could be back soon. Was a very good recruit last year and was named in the state squad. I also believe we will ok once we start getting most of these guys available , but still disappointed about what has happened to Mayo and Kennedy in the preseason. Will be a tough game against the Falcons this week! 

Bugger. Giro out now. Good to see Vanirsen and Alone get a run but a very inexperienced side.  Subi by a point.  

FB 8 Angus DEWAR 21 Jordan LOCKYER 56 Isaac CLINCH
HB 24 Jake STERGIOU 36 Aaron HEAL 35 Drew ROHDE
C 26 Chad Harris 1 Leigh KITCHIN 23 Noah ASH
HF 39 Jaimon ALONE 14 Ryan BORCHET 15 Wil HICKMOTT
FF 27 Lewis Putt 18 Ben SOKOL 32 Brandon MATERA

FOLLOWERS
17 Lachlan DELAHUNTY
5 Jordan SNADDEN
13 Liam HICKMOTT

INTERCHANGE
4 Aaron BREMAN
28 Connor FARAONE
33 Bailey MATERA
49 Lachlan VANIRSEN

Ins J. Alone, I. Clinch, A. Dewar, C. Harris, L. Putt, D. Rohde, L. Vanirsen
Outs A. Clinch, K. Eaton, S. Giro, B. Golding, B. Holt, M. La Fontaine, C. Robinson

Apart from La Fontaine who was injured v CL, I assume the rest are Covid? Shame Eaton is out I thought he showed a fair bit v Cl. Giro is a big loss given the strength of the Joondy mids. Backline is starting to resemble last years group apart from Kennedy. Stergiou has been solid and Clinch has some size about him but if we cant break even in the mids we will be in trouble as any semblance of reasonable delivery to their forwards could see Keitel and Knott dominate. Kennedy would usually go to Knott, I would use Stergiou on him as he has good skills and genuine pace, if you give Knott any space he will cut us up like he did v Peelmantle.

Good luck to Geraldton youngster Jaimon Alone...talented sort, good to see him giving WAFL footy a crack.....pity its not with EF, but got a feeling a few Gero boys aren't looking at EFFC as their WAFL destination any more.

Hey BC, are we going to catch up on that beer or what.

Hey mate. Yes, no problems. Where will you be sitting?

Unfortunately Wardman has to play 4 or 5 guys who just aren't up to league standard. That's not to say they won't be at some point, but right now there's a few who are causing turnovers and aren't footy smart enough bringing the rest of the team down. The sooner we get Braut, Marsh, Atkinson, Stainsby, Walters back or at least some of them the better.

On the upside, I thought Dela was superb, Kitch, Harris, Lockyer very good, the Hickmott's ok, Dewar tried hard, young Ash had a crack but pretty much raffle the rest. 0-3 not ideal but I guess we have to keep in mind we've played the 3 strongest teams in the comp. For mine the bye can't come soon enough to give the guys a chance to reset, re-focus and get a few back.