Pre-Match. Magpies v. Demons. All comments.

[RudeBoy]

Assuming Mitchell is not quite right, we should still be able to significantly strengthen our forward line by bring in 3 marking forwards in Krueger, McInnis and WHE.

It will also enable us to return some VFL standard players back to the VFL, namely, Bytel, Johnson and Parker.

Fwiw, I expect Harrison to have a blinder, after his relatively quiet game against the Dogs. I hope Frampton and Howe both play in defence, where they play their best footy.

Darcy Moore needs to lift big time for this one, as he has been below his best for most of the season so far.

Despite missing JDG, Checkers, Elliott, Cox and Mitchell, we still have enough talent to win this. Let's stick it up 'em Pies!

[Johnno75]

At the moment without JDG, Mitchell and Pendles we don’t have any midfield accumulators outside of Nick and Crisp. Nick was on fire early walking out of the centre clearance but the doggies clamped him in the 2nd half and no one stepped up really. We have a few players running 10-12 km a game but only getting the ball 10-15 times. Melbourne will be a vastly different team this week given the occasion and the media heat on their performance last week.

Big game for both teams as the loser will lose touch with the top 8.

[Piesnchess]

Weeeeell , the Mt Buller ski runs are all open and thriving, according to my daughter who lives at Goughs Bay. Shes seen Toff Deeeees fans flood into Mansfield for supplies, Range Rovers roaring around, for several seasons now. Time to beat em, KB, and send the Toffs up to the Chalets, nice and early for a winter romp !

[pietillidie]

^Yep, we need some muscle in the middle so they can't put everything into Nick. I'm still fuming we allowed the Bulldogs to block Nick from the contest in the second half, in addition to tagging and scragging him at every opportunity. And yet the lad still gets eight coaches votes. (Not to mention our own soft fans going on and on about how much better the unmarked, unopposed, physically mature Bontempelli was).

With forwards back, McCreery has to play a midfield muscle role, and we have to look at Bruzzy and maybe a Noble or Schultz using their frames, or they'll do exactly the same thing to him again.

With Coxy out, there's also no one to break the opposition midfield flow tactically, so you know full well it's going to happen again this week, but from the opening bounce.

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

I know Noble has bulked up a bit but not really seeing him in the enforcer role?

[woodys_world69]

Need malthouse in the club for the remainder of the year.
he was instrumental in the "wait and tackle" approach during his coaching years especially in 2010.

Now with the change to the holding the ball rule this is back in vogue.

flip side... during the last 3 minutes of a tight game its going to be harder for us to lock it down

[warburton lad]

Agree with the posts above around supporting Nick Daicos in the middle.

I would certainly slot McCreery in there for support at some stages.

McInnes, Krueger and Hoskin-Elliott will be vital inclusions with Parker, Bytel and Johnson the omissions.

Frampton and Howe must play back as mentioned previously- our back six needs to be very miserly this week.

Whilst I expect Melbourne to rebound from last weekend, we also have much to play for.

If we can win against the Dees and North, we will hit the bye effectively 9 wins and 5 losses. Given our near fatal injury list, this would be an awesome result.

The bye will enable us to rest and heal and get some soldiers back in the trenches.

I certainly remain hopeful of a strong assault on the Premiership if we can make the eight and have most of our senior bodies back in harness.

Floreat Pica

[Charlie Oneeye]

Melbourne go up to Darwin and lose by 15 goals. What a bunch of softies.

We have made 5 changes in successive weeks, and not lost any by 15 goals.

We go in against Melbourne with unforced changes, and likely some good In's.

[Pies2016]

[SLORT]

I'm wondering when IQ is going to get a chance to go midfield? Assuming his brother (who's very similar) gets drafted I would think it may be time to upgrade him. He has the frame to block for Nick. Burst of pace, defensively minded, a good tackler. May be worth a try? For this one perhaps have him and Beau tag-team Petracca?

[Boot]

Interesting thought about IQ being switched from defense into the midfield. Potentially it could be a positive move, however, wouldn't that simply be robbing Peter to pay Paul? IQ has developed into one of the best shutdown defenders in the AFL and his intercept marking, one-on-one strength, reliability and composure in defensive contests, competitiveness and bounce off the half back line is hard to replace. Whereas the on-ball brigade at Collingwood boasts a plethora of options headed by; Nick Daicos, DeGoey, Crisp, Pendlebury, Mitchell, Josh Daicos, Harrison, Lipinski, Sidebottom, Sullivan, Finn Macrae and Ed Allan. Then there is the pressure forwards looking for time in the midfield such as McCreery, Shultz, Elliott, Hoskin-Elliott, Hill and Richards.
I think there is a good amount of evidence now that successful teams are based on a solid defense and the key to Collingwood's defense is based on the reliability and strength of Maynard, Quaynor, Howe and Moore with run off the back flanks being provided by Noble and Markov. Frampton adds to the height and strength to counter large key forwards and Charlie Dean is developing well as another tall defender albeit he needs to work on his strength to better compete in one-on-one contests. I also have high hopes that Will Parker will improve to become another reliable defender with elite disposal skills.

[Pies2016]

^^^

Q was trialled as a mid in the back half of his last year of U18s at Collingwoods request. He was a shadow of the player he was when he went into the midfield. He just sees the game in front of him so much better than the game around him.
People underestimate just how difficult it is to play midfield. Just because you’re on top of your game as a half forward of half back, doesn’t turn you into a competent midfielder overnight.

[Gerry Cooper]

Hmm Quaynor is only starting to find his 2023 form now, so a move to the midfield is likely to degrade that improvement. McCreery is one who should be starting to transition to the midfield, so time in the middle will only help him develop his tank. A more left field suggestion would be to give McInnes a spell in the midfield. That could be interesting.

[K]

[K]

Pie-supporting journo Jay Clark:

"... you worry about Max Gawn's petrol tank rucking solo this year. But the most mystifying letdown of all of Melbourne's headaches at the moment is what happened to that mighty on-ball brigade and, in particular, the depth in there?
...

The Demons rank 14th for clearances according to Champion Data... The Demons have spiralled from second last season to 12th this year for contested possessions and slumped from sixth to 17th for ground balls.

Goodwin has flicked the Rubik's cube around... But they desperately miss Angus Brayshaw..., Docker's ruckman Luke Jackson looks like taking Gawn's throne as the best ruckman in the game and Jack Viney is a warrior but possiby carrying an injury.
...

When the data was punched into the club's computers, they said the chances of losing both finals considering the metrics was 250-1.
...

And ... Nathan Buckley said he didn't think the players were as hard and fit as they should be after catching a glimpse of the players in the rooms post-match.

The claim suggests the Demons are out of shape and Buckley would know..., so he speaks with authority"

(Hun)