AFL Rd 7 2022 Pre Game Prognostications Carlton vs North Melbourne

[ElwoodBlues1]

Does Mirkov get a run or do with go with TDK and JSOS as backup? If McKay doesn't get up for this week then I'd think Mirkov plays so that TDK can spend a bit of time forward as well?

Nth have two big rucks and Goldstein is quality so IMO Mirkov plays to at least provide a contest and spell TDK.
Xerri is more the Pittonet style of ruck who is solid and a contested type  but wont be dominating many games unlike Goldstein who has good ruck skills and can be a nuisance down forward.
Mirkov can bang bodies with Xerri and TDK can jump over Goldy and thats how I'd be playing it...

[laj]

Nth have two big rucks and Goldstein is quality so IMO Mirkov plays to at least provide a contest and spell TDK.
Xerri is more the Pittonet style of ruck who is solid and a contested type  but wont be dominating many games unlike Goldstein who has good ruck skills and can be a nuisance down forward.
Mirkov can bang bodies with Xerri and TDK can jump over Goldy and thats how I'd be playing it...

Levi would suddenly be handy. While no issue saying his time was up here at the end of last year we do have a lack of ruck depth with him gone, which suddenly shows up now. Now he is up on the GC enjoying the sun and certainly having a good year thus far. Actually looking like a forward with some presence.

[Mav]

Mirkov can bang bodies with Xerri and TDK can jump over Goldy and thats how I'd be playing it...

We should have Goldstein covered when he goes forward: Lewis Young stands at 2.01m, the same as Goldstein. It's in our interests to develop Young as quickly as possible as a tall defender. This is exactly the sort of challenge we should throw his way and I expect Goldstein will still beat him in a few one-on-one contests as he's a bigger body and has the benefit of years of AFL footy behind him. We just need to support Young with a bit of team defence: a few decent blocks wouldn't be a bad idea and putting pressure on the kick into F50 wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[ElwoodBlues1]

We should have Goldstein covered when he goes forward: Lewis Young stands at 2.01m, the same as Goldstein. It's in our interests to develop Young as quickly as possible as a tall defender. This is exactly the sort of challenge we should throw his way and I expect Goldstein will still beat him in a few one-on-one contests as he's a bigger body and has the benefit of years of AFL footy behind him. We just need to support Young with a bit of team defence: a few decent blocks wouldn't be a bad idea and putting pressure on the kick into F50 wouldn't be a bad idea either.

I'd expect Coleman Jones who had a blinder in the VFL to come in for Nth and they might also include another tall in Charlie Comden on the bench with Larkey a bit sore so I would expect Young will have to take Coleman Jones initially.
Hoping Harry plays as with his brother Ben out for Nth they are light on for tall defenders with Tarrant now at Richmond.
Id expect our mids to dominate and keep the ball at our end which should help our defenders even if we get a few matchup problems down forward for Nth. One player who needs watching when he plays forward is Tarryn Thomas who ripped us a new one last time and is that awkward size where Newman would probably have to take him and thats problematic for me..

[Mav]

At the risk of unleashing the apocalypse, Plowman might be an option on Thomas. Maybe Stocker.

[ElwoodBlues1]

At the risk of unleashing the apocalypse, Plowman might be an option on Thomas. Maybe Stocker.

Not sure if Plowman had him last time ?

[WASurfer]

Tend to agree with you EB....if neither McGovern or McDonald are available, Young has to play back....and we can't afford TDK to get monstered and knocked around again...or Silvagni in the ruck for that matter either. I'd be playing Mirkov and then resting TDK forward at times.

Our midfield should dominate but we did that against Freo too....5 of the leading possession getters were Carlton players. Without McKay they haven't got a lot of talls down back apart from Walker who's not that big anyway. Silvagni playing forward will make it even harder for them.

But Ziebell and Zurhaar forward worries me. Not sure we have players to match up too well on them as both of them are strong in the air. Parks may well get a reprieve for that reason alone.

[pinot]

Mirkov isn't ready imo.. Durdin was picking up at most 6-7 possessions at VFL then got a call up no way he was ready then and no way he is ready now. I am not the biggest fan playing youngsters too early. We have a long history burning youngsters too fast.
TDK needs to put on his boy pants and compete.. Hayes is doing it for Port I am sure Tommy will cope and perform.

[shawny]

Larkey kicked a bag last time then posted i think with Zurhaar some smartar5e comments on social media regarding Weitering not making the AA squad so I hope we get the points and rub their nose in it.

Ziebell is a danger man IMO - while he has been down on form he is a smart player who is very hard at the man - we need to pay very close attention to him as he is exactly the type of player that in the past even when out of form play a big match and turn there form around against us.

Overall, our mid's even with a losing ruckman will give our forwards plenty of entries. Our smalls in Fisher, Martin, Owies and Durdin  must kick a bag of goals between them as they wont get much easier then this week.

I expect to win this one fairly comfortably and any loss will really make me wonder.
     

[capcom]

I expect to win this one fairly comfortably and any loss will really make me wonder.

@Shawny ... reckon it will do a LOT more than make you "wonder"