05-03-2017, 05:26 AM
(05-03-2017, 05:18 AM)crashlander link Wrote:We do not tend to change winning teams much, a trait I do not tend to agree with. I am a 'horses for courses' type. However, we rarely change winning combos but for injury.
We will HAVE to make 2 changes: Silvagni's shoulder will not be risked, while Fisher did a hamstring. I don't think he will be risked either.
Jones, Daisy, Kerridge and Cuningham all have put their hands up over the last fortnight, with Buckley not far behind them. The 'Ins' will probably come from that group, although you never can tell.
With Collingwood's team structure, we MAY decide that Alex Silvagni is one tall too many in defence. It might even be a smart move, as Collingwood's small forwards tend to do the bulk of their scoring. However, I don't see it happening.
At the moment we have Docherty and Simpson as small defenders. As they have been doing some moving into the midfield, having another quick defender for a small forward like Elliott or Fasolo might be useful. That puts Daisy at a disadvantage, as he tends to run off guys rather be a tight defender, just like Docherty and Simpson. Buckley could get a go. Or we could move Smedts down to defence, where he has done well in the VFL. He has the pace and that extra bit of height that helps in marking contests.
I know I ALWAYS double guess the match committee and I often think we have not selected guys for certain jobs. Fair enough. One of my functions as a supporter on a site like this. But our selectors tend to make changes only if a guy is seriously out of form for a number of weeks, when we lose badly or due to injury. None of these makes me certain Alex Silvagni will be dropped.
I agree with all that.
Macreadie may also come straight back in to play the small defender role this week and replace Fisher. He was 'managed' - not dropped - so it will be interesting to see which way they go with him.
I think Smedts needs a good run at it as he could be a good player for us. He has a more mature body and can run all day, and does look dangerous when he gets the ball forward of centre. He looks like a guy still trying to find his place and best spot in our setup. I would persist with him as a wing/hff for a few weeks and then assess where he is at.