Game Day. Pies v. Dogs. Late changes, comments.

[derkd]

Latest markets have the Dogs as favourites now ($1.75 to $2.08].

The Marvel factor and our injury list likely tips the ledger in their favour. The biggest fascination will be whether our system holds up well despite the high number of changes.

the greatest test of our system is to remove the sum of the parts. will it fall to bits? or do we have enough structure to hold?

[Magpietothemax]

Tonight is a momentous challenge.
The absence of Pendles is the crowning misfortune for us.
The structure onfield is so frequently calibrated and fine tuned in real time by our veteran superstar.
I fear that the system might find it just too hard to function to the necessary level this evening without his presence and with such an inexperienced team.
We thought a victory over Freo last week would have been extraordinary. So it would have, and it very nearly occurred.
A victory tonight though would be on another level even compared with that.
I will never write this team off because it possesses a level of self-belief, synergy, resilience and will to win that I believe is equalled by no other club in the competition.
But tonight the path to victory might require a superhuman effort, and our team is, ultimately, "only" human.

[Magpietothemax]

Frampton or Johnson must play forward we need someone to being the ball to ground.

Would not be playing Frampton forward. He and Moore are meshing a special defensive rapport to replace the one we lost when Murph retired. There is just no reason to disrupt that process, when we have both AJ and Howe both capable of playing forward.
I am wondering if both AJ and Howe will both play forward in fact (at least some of the time). AJ may occasionally take forward half ruck contests to give Cameron some rest, while Frampton may likewise do so in our D50.

[dalyc]

I'd give Macrae a simple job, to run with Bontempelli all night. Of course, he'd be outsized by the Bont, but he doesn't have to beat him, just limit his influence.

this isn’t a simple job. Limit the influence of arguably the best player in the competition while conceding height, weight, toughness and experience? Sounds bloody hard to me.

[swoop42]

Winning with lots of injuries is one thing.

Being able to still do that when one of those injured is Pendlebury is another we're about to discover.

We're not only down the player tonight, we're down Pendlebury the coach also.

[BEAMER09]

Winning with lots of injuries is one thing.

Being able to still do that when one of those injured is Pendlebury is another we're about to discover.

We're not only down the player tonight, we're down Pendlebury the coach also.

Unfortunately but it's a great test for the club to play without Pendlebury and see what we got and who can take over as he doesn't have long to go.

So who will step up knowing there is something there very soon...

[Magpietothemax]

As far as the midfield battle goes, the Dogs have lost two of their preferred mids (Richards and Liberatore), and Liberatore is a dour inside mid while Richards has recently been starring for them, so it is hollowed out like ours. Even at full strength, I don't know that we have a player who could successfully "run with Bont". I think it is more about our mids as a group achieving ascendancy.
I have read an article by King analysing our midfield brilliance in recent games. He attributes our recent brilliance in clearance to the superb form of Naicos, Crisp, Pendles and Cameron. He describes how we have been creating space for Naicos to go head to head with the opposition's best player without interference from others, backing Naicos to win most of such contests. We are missing Pendles tonight so it will have to be another player or players - maybe Sullivan and McCrae, combining and working in tandem with Crisp and Naicos to continue this strategy. As Pendles won't be there to direct, I think Crisp will have a major leadership responsiblity with our young inexperienced mids. Limiting Bont can't be done by a single individual: it will be done only through an overall team strategy.

[Jezza]

This will be one of the best wins in the McRae era if we can pull it off.

The optimist in me says we'll win and our system will hold up regardless of personnel.

[piffdog]

I wonder what capacity the mobile supercomputer (Nick Daicos) has to direct traffic as a Pendles replacement? I am sure that's what he would be aspiring to at some point in future... Dry run tonight.

[The Black and White Lion]

All I can wish for tonight is a win and no more injuries

[Magpietothemax]

Fly has submitted another crazy line up, with AJ playing centre apparently, with Frampers and Howe both in the forward line, and a half back line of small defenders!!

[lazzadesilva]

Frampton or Johnson must play forward we need someone to being the ball to ground.

Would not be playing Frampton forward.

Under normal circumstances, I would agree but we have to resort to desperate measures at this time. He and Howe will definitely play forward at some stage during the game. We have no other major marking options.

[Damien]

Howe and Ash both forward I reckon. Lachie Shultz and Bobby to both have blinders. Hope Will Parker gets a start to show what he can do. I know it’s a bit of a downer going into this but imagine how pumped so many of these young boys will be with the opportunity presented to them. I reckon Fly will have them ready to run through brick walls!

[Magpietothemax]

Lippa to run rings around his former team tonight.

[Piesnchess]

After a few too many whiskies on a TGIF Friday night, I am utterly convinced we can achieve a magnificent victory by 9 points, upon what I actually base that conclusion on I have no friggin idea. Go Woods ! !