VFL Round 10: Northern Blues vs Box Hill at Box Hill

[DJC]

Interesting thing for us is the next game is GWS, probably the hardest running team in the AFL. At the moment our preferred "INs" seem to be Silvagni and Jaksch, but the one major criticism against both is that they do not play 4 quarters even at VFL level.

That situation won't improve against GWS which is running top level AFL teams into the ground regularly. So I cannot see us bringing both in for their first game of the season against one of the gold standard clubs.

I don't think many of those advocating for SOJ and Jaksch have seen them live.  I have only seen them once but Baggers is a regular NBs watcher and my observations were similar to his.

While they don't play 4 quarters at VFL level, it seems to be for different reasons.  SOJ works his butt off then has to recover on the bench.  He is really spent when he comes off and it takes him quite a while to get his breath back.  He missed most of last season and really needs more game time to build match fitness.  On the other hand, Jaksch seems fit enough and his best is certainly good enough to be more than competitive at AFL level.  However, at the moment his best is spasmodic and he drifts out of the game.

As LP surmises, playing either against GWS will set them a difficult task and effectively have us a man down for periods of the game.  Of course, Jaksch could train the house down over the next two and come out and play a blinder against GWS.  Stranger things have happened.

Phillips should come in and Jones deserves another run.  As Baggers suggested, Gowers would add some run and hardness to our defence but I suspect that his chance will come later in the season.