AAMI Community Match vs Melbourne

[LP]

I've got nothing against Newman, but I'd rather have Saad, Williams and docherty as our small/medium backs.

I doubt McDonald or Young get a gig ahead of Doc or Newman, especially if we are running both Pitto and De Koning.

To me Weitering, McGovern, Newman, Saad and Williams are the D50 locks, the last spot is up for grabs and I suspect Doc gets it if they are confident in his fitness and ability to recover each week. Not sure who gets the bench gig, could be McDonald, Williamson or Plowman at this stage. I suspect one of the reasons we saw Williamson and Plowman getting a run forward is the coach testing their utility to fit into the game plan.

I suspect the F50 is BigH, Charlie, SoJ, Kennedy, Owies and one other small, it was probably Durdin until his calf issue, so now that might cause a reshuiffle. Maybe Martin, but more likely Fisher get the last F50 spot. btw., On form Charlie is not really a soda, and it may be that there is a toss up between De Koning and SoJ, given it could be about opposition as much as our own list balance.

Midfield is Pitto, Cripps, Cerra, Hewitt are locks, for the wings I can see LoB should be a lock, for the other wing we might opt for SoJ if he's not getting a F50 gig, he was playing there before our ruck crisis last season. But the same may apply to Kemp, Martin or Fisher they aren't in F50. One of them gets this gig until Walsh returns, I suspect Walsh will start on the wing much of the time this season with a commission to roam to stoppages at both ends of the ground.

It's quite possible Doc ends up interchange and not in the starting D50, he has the engine and agility to fill in anywhere from standing a bigger opponent in D50 to playing a small forward role. Again this may come down to opposition make up. I suspect Williamson is primarily starting on the bench this season simply because of his utility, he has the speed and endurance to play small and the size to play tall, it may be a toss up between him, Ed and Plowman. De Koning should start on the bench, for Rnd 1 I'm not sure who gets the last spot, perhaps Kennedy moves to the bench as the midfield rotation and we play another dedicated small forward type. But it's not impossible some weeks we'll go three talls in F50 or even three talls in D50 subject to opposition. So much depends on our midfield ability to win the footy at stoppages, they win enough footy and we get to set the terms, to the victor the spoils.