AFL Elimination Final 1 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs Sydney

[JonDorotich]

Motlop should be starting in the team, Marchbank is a strange selection imo.
As I said previously I would have wanted Kennedy in the team..
Dow is unlucky and if he doesnt play finals will be elsewhere next season imho.

Cunningham, Owies and Marchbank very lucky to be selected, but all can play, so fingers crossed

I would have found room for Motlop and Dow to provide a bit more foot speed

[DJC]

Yet it was Gawn and Petracca that brought Melb back into the game and neither is quick.

I’m pretty confident that we’ll have reasonable conditions for night footy tomorrow but, if it was wet and slippery, wouldn’t you opt for strong, steady players over smaller speedy players.

[laj]

Cunningham, Owies and Marchbank very lucky to be selected, but all can play, so fingers crossed

I would have found room for Motlop and Dow to provide a bit more foot speed

I'd have gone Motlop and Dow for Cunningham and Marchback. Cunningham then would have been my sub.

[LP]

I’m pretty confident that we’ll have reasonable conditions for night footy tomorrow but, if it was wet and slippery, wouldn’t you opt for strong, steady players over smaller speedy players.

I think we have some of the most mobile and capable big men in the AFL, it's our natural advantage and I think we must leverage it. No matter the weather, I'd hate to have to line up on Charlie or Harry inside F50, they have terrific recovery even when they don't clunk it, and Owies and Cunningham have smarts.

We're not going to win a foot race against the likes of Papley and Gulden, so best to make sure they don't get it on the outside.

So who's the Sub?

[ElwoodBlues1]

Yet it was Gawn and Petracca that brought Melb back into the game and neither is quick, smalls weren't so influential that the Filth felt compelled to use Ginnivan until the dying minutes and if the Dees had kicked straight it might have been a different story.

Good players in good form, that is what is needed in finals, recipe football doesn't cut it.

I think the Filth made a mistake, when they subbed Cameron out Cox tired and Gawn came into the game which nearly cost the Filth. Gawn starts taking the pill out of the ruck and feeding the runners on the outside but they couldn't kick straight.

Petracca is a strong contested Mid, one of the best and very suitable for those conditions, agree on the Cameron sub out.....was a mistake as Cox who had rucked well was knackered.

[LP]

Who's our Sub?

I think it has to be Dow, can come into the Mid and allow a reshuffle if needed with guys like Hewett or Cerra going to flanks.

The team we've picked looks strong, and it looks flexible, lots of aerobic capacity that  might be the difference in heavy conditions as it's often the players who can push to space or close space on repeat efforts that get the job done.

[Mantis]

Petracca is a strong contested Mid, one of the best and very suitable for those conditions, agree on the Cameron sub out.....was a mistake as Cox who had rucked well was knackered.

I think LP took my comment as load up with fast small players. Gawn taking control is the best ruck in the league that you play no matter what the conditions. Not forgetting he is one of the fittest players in terms of endurance. Even though he is huge in size. Petracca is one of the most electric players and a size that can play against tall, small, fast, or strong players. He has to play. Mind you he didn’t do much in the first half. Oliver was almost non existent in the first half. Melbourne fed their talls with poor delivery in the first 3 quarters. Melbourne struggled to have crumbing players pick up the spoils. Melbourne under high pressure struggle. Every side does. They just fail to rebound as well as some sides do. Collingwood showed this tonight. Just as we did when we played them both when the heat is on. They both drive hard in the last quarter but if you establish a decent lead before the last quarter, you are a chance to win. Petracca can only do so much. Same goes for Gawn. My comment was based on a first half of football. A trend. I wouldn’t want us to fully load up with tall marking targets that fail once the ball comes to ground. We still need hard bodies in the middle. This appears where the game is won. At the stoppages which is one of our strengths. Faster running types to carry the ball on the rebound might help us win. Defence, middle of the ground and forward. Don’t bet Charlie will kick a bag of 5 goals, and Harry doing the same. They will bring the ball to ground often and then starts the sh@t fight for the ball. The same goes in our defensive 50m. We can’t load up with the tallest line up we have. Unless there is some leg speed and ability to clear the ball forward. Collingwood are genuine and have a balanced squad. They are the side to beat. Them and Brisbane which we haven’t won against recently or probably long term. We have beaten Collingwood with tough pressure footy. We have to beat Sydney next, which is not a choice thing. It just has to happen no matter what. To potentially see Collingwood in a grand final on the final stage. Oops, I just took off the lid.

[BluePhantom]

Motlop for Cunningham
Hollands for Marchbank
Cunningham sub  :

[LP]

The last thing we can do is be predictable.

If we listened to the scribes we would have traded TDK, rucked Pitto and played SoJ in 2nd ruck, that was a month or two back, now the very same people tell us we must play TDK solo and in the absence of SoJ 2nd ruck Harry leaving Pitto out. The people making these comments aren't tacticians they are weathervanes.

Thankfully our MC do not listen to the media / social media screamers, of course if we fall to get up they be "I told you so" like the options they offered were better, but nobody is better placed or more experienced than Voss and that includes nearly all of the media types, maybe Hodge has the license to make genuine critique, the others not so much as most of them failed to impact finals.

On Motlop, I think it's wise he sits out for the first final, if he has one clear shortfall it's work ethic / aerobic capacity and in finals work ethic is non-negotiable, you've got to be prepared to run your guts out! If we get past this final then bring Motlop in when those opposition legs are just a tad more rubbery and he can have a real impact.

[LordLucifer]

Why is Motlop not playing ??

Wet greasy conidtions with plenty of talls in the team, we need some smaller guys crumbing the fall of the ball.