Practice Match: Blues v Pies, Fri 24 Feb

[LP]

Cancelled due to the heat?

Maybe, but they have now scheduled full practice matches for both VFL and VFLW anyway, so it's not like they are going to be short of game time.

Anyway, given our parlous injury state as it is currently published, we might struggle to field a VFL team on the same day as the AFL! :o

[DJC]

We are playing VFL and VFLW intraclub practice matches straight after the AFL game, I gather that is why we don't have 6ths.

Sorry I wasn't up to speed, it seems that plan has been scratched.

The VFL game is going ahead - several of the players in the AFL squad are going to back up in the VFL game.

The squad is:
1 Jack Silvagni
3 Jesse Motlop
4 Lochie O'Brien*
5 Adam Cerra
7 Matthew Kennedy*
9 Patrick Cripps
10 Harry McKay
12 Tom De Koning
13 Blake Acres
14 Oliver Hollands*
15 Sam Docherty
20 Lachie Plowman*
23 Jacob Weitering
24 Nic Newman
25 Zac Fisher
26 Lachlan Cowan
29 George Hewett
30 Charlie Curnow
33 Lewis Young
35 Ed Curnow
36 Josh Honey*
39 Alex Cincotta*
42 Adam Saad
45 Alex Mirkov*

Asterix (not the Gaul) means playing in both games.

Pitto, Big Durds, Dow and Kemp are just playing in the VFL.

[kruddler]

For an insight into who the coaches have as 1's players...

Here is the 17 players playing 1's only
and 7 players playing both (which you'd think makes them fighting for a spot)

FB - Newman - Weitering - Plowman
HB - Saad - Young - Docherty
C - Acres - Cripps - O'Brien
HF - Fisher - C. Curnow - Kennedy
FF - Silvagni - McKay - Motlop
R - De Koning - Cerra - Hewitt
INT - E. Curnow - Cowan - Honey - Hollands - Cincotta - Mirkov

Players not playing in either...
Walsh
McGovern
Marchbank
Martin
Cuningham
Owies
C. Durdin
Fogarty
Boyd
Cottrell
Lemmey

[DJC]

For an insight into who the coaches have as 1's players...

Here is the 17 players playing 1's only
and 7 players playing both (which you'd think makes them fighting for a spot)

FB - Newman - Weitering - Plowman
HB - Saad - Young - Docherty
C - Acres - Cripps - O'Brien
HF - Fisher - C. Curnow - Kennedy
FF - Silvagni - McKay - Motlop
R - De Koning - Cerra - Hewitt
INT - E. Curnow - Cowan - Honey - Hollands - Cincotta - Mirkov

Players not playing in either...
Walsh
McGovern
Marchbank
Martin
Cuningham
Owies
C. Durdin
Fogarty
Boyd
Cottrell
Lemmey

I’m not sure how much you can extrapolate from  team selection for an unofficial practice match.  Selection in one or both squads may depend more on where players are at with their fitness and training loads than on whether they’re pencilled in for Round 1.

The team selected for the practice match against the Swans should be closer to the mark, but I wouldn’t rule out an unexpected selection or two for Round 1.

A lot will depend on whether “automatic” selections like Martin, MGovern and Pittonet get up.

[kruddler]

I’m not sure how much you can extrapolate from  team selection for an unofficial practice match.  Selection in one or both squads may depend more on where players are at with their fitness and training loads than on whether they’re pencilled in for Round 1.

The team selected for the practice match against the Swans should be closer to the mark, but I wouldn’t rule out an unexpected selection or two for Round 1.

A lot will depend on whether “automatic” selections like Martin, MGovern and Pittonet get up.

FWIW, Pittonet is playing VFL....but is still on the recovery side of things.

Other than that, the 17 selected would probably be best 22 based on the players we have available, so i don't think our side can get much better with what we have at our disposal.
Who is playing VFL that you would have in the 1's at the expense of one of those 17?

[DJC]

FWIW, Pittonet is playing VFL....but is still on the recovery side of things.

Other than that, the 17 selected would probably be best 22 based on the players we have available, so i don't think our side can get much better with what we have at our disposal.
Who is playing VFL that you would have in the 1's at the expense of one of those 17?

Yes, those 17 players would have to be front runners for selection in Round 1 but we still have McGovern, Martin, Marchbank and C Durdin who are all said to be available for selection.  If fit, McGovern and Martin will come in, and possibly Marchbank.  Then there's Pitto and probably only Kemp and Carroll of the VFL only players.  Who goes out?  A couple of unlucky players.

[laj]

So far so good. De Koning looking good. A couple of really good marks.

[blueday]

any ground level pressure in the fwd line would be nice....

[laj]

Some things don't change. Carlton taking their foot off the gas.

[Gointocarlton]

If our tactic this year is high loopy kicks into the fwd line, we are in for a looooooong year kids.