Last Practice Match v Sydney

[Lods]

Hollands, Cowan and Cincotta have to start somewhere, so why not round 1?

There's probably no right answer to that question because players are individuals who adapt to situations in different ways.

We could play them... all three, and all could be hits....we'd go a fair way towards winning if that's the case.
But if we had all three struggle we'd be in a bit of strife.

One of the luxuries we've lacked in the last 20 years is the ability to introduce new players at a controlled, reasonable managed rate that's best for their development.
Surrounded by experienced players to support and encourage them would be the perfect introduction.
Instead we had young players like Gibbs and Murphy basically thrown to the lions, with sometimes disgraceful levels of support and protection.
Murphy got knocked silly in his first year.
That's no longer the case.
We have experience and big bodies on just about every line.

It's a structure that is perfect for introducing young players on managed game time.
I guess the question will be...how many can it support.

[Baggers]

I'm going into 2023 with the same concerns as 2021, 2022... Player availability and lingering doubts over the same blokes as the past...Ed C, TdK, Plowman, LoB, Fisher.  Too many mistakes or not enough impact.

Hard to disagree with those five, Professory. In both games Fisher, Ed and LoB failed to impress in terms of consistency. Had moments, but if we're a finals proposition, we must have consistency. I cut TDK some slack owing to age and how bigger blokes take longer but to be coldly objective, he, too, is inconsistent. I've already got Cincotta and Cowan ahead of Plowman.

[Macca37]

I'm going into 2023 with the same concerns as 2021, 2022... Player availability and lingering doubts over the same blokes as the past...Ed C, TdK, Plowman, LoB, Fisher.  Too many mistakes or not enough impact.

I have the same concerns.  Also, our ruck worries me.  To me Pittonet is a hard worker who on his best day will break even with the opposition ruck.  It's said that his second and third efforts are very good, but the top sides have ruckmen who can restrict those opportunities.

And where are we going to play TdK?  Is he a ruckman or a forward?  In any event, if one of them is injured, the cupboard looks bare.

[kruddler]

Can we take Hollands and Fisher into Rnd.1?

Fisher is the only bloke who can actually tackle dusty though. Did it twice in one game a few years ago, despite the fend-off, so bogger bodies is not an issue.
I didn't see Holland take any backwards steps, but his benefit is gut running and 2nd efforts. If he gets the ball, bonus.

IMO Fisher plays. Good up forward. Adds something different through the middle if required. Works will with his mate Cripps.

Hollands (and Cowan) bring some much needed enthusiasm and manic pressure. They'd do well to be introduced to a 85k crowd in round 1.
If we get no injuries, i'd back one of them in to get subbed off too, chances are they will most likely tire a bit at the death.
But exposure is required, so R1 it should be.

[tonyo]

My biggest concern is our inability to manage transition plays, going both ways.

At our end, we get trapped in our back pockets and can't get the ball out, then we dump it to a 50:50 and hope. 

And we still get murdered on the slingshot when it's coming the other way.  When it's coming down fast, the only backman that doesn't look like a statue is Saad.  That's why I think we need to groom Cincotta to give us some more back half leg speed.

[Gointocarlton]

The biggest concern for me was ball use. It was terrible quite frankly:
- Missed targets (easy ones).
- Long, high, loopy kicks to no one.
- Around the corner/over the shoulder, high kicks in hope to no one.
- Hand balls to stationary team mates or team mates in a worse position or under more pressure.
Put all the game style stuff and personal available aside, I feel the performance on Friday from a ball movement point of view was unacceptable.
If we use the ball like that in the coming weeks of the season proper, we will get annihilated.
Sydney used fast., precise, short kicks to move the ball unimpeded. Nothing complicated or cute.