Danger game this one but I think the team has matured enough to the point where they will all know this. Their rucks and backs are their weaknesses so I'd be trying to stretch them as much as possible in that area.

Krueze should dominate the ruck but should also spend more time up forward against their weak backline. Jacobs is important for us this week as he will probably get more time in the middle.

Hendo in for Waite and Browne for Lucas is most likely. Bower or McLean will both play if they are fit but that looks unlikely.

Jammo plays best at FB so he will take Roughead...which then leaves Franklin. We'll have to rotate Thornton, White and maybe even Hendo on to him.

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HENDERSONALENKO......YOU BEAUTY!!!!!

on Bullants form

1. Henderson in for Waite as a leading Forward
2. Robinson in for Houlihan (if required) as a defensive Half Forward
3. Kerr in for Lucas on the Wing / Midfield

This is about as close to like for like as there is on the list.

Then the last one to cover is White - here we are bit short with Bower and Walker in recovery.
It may take a juggle with Browne is a defensive role and Gibbs filling in to cover on the HBF.

Lets hope the injuries/suspension do not mean all 4 have to be replaced. It is likely that at least 2 will be out.

I am looking forward to Laza's review and tip for the match.

That's if Hawthorn is trying this week.

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T E A M

I shall summon him at once..

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Koperek.

And summoned, I have been. I wasn't really planning on visiting this site this week. It's not as much fun as it used to be (i.e. now that we suck and you guys got good).

I'll provide something a bit more substantial later on when I have the chance, but as I just said to my good friend TheSwan, for me this week feels like waiting for major surgery. It'll be reasonably messy, there's likely to be some complications, it'll hurt like hell afterwards (wish someone could give me a general anaesthetic about Sunday lunchtime), but there's just no avoiding it unfortunately.

ah, the old reverse psychology trick!

I wish that was the case Rexy, believe me, but we couldn't beat an egg right now (I guess, by extension, that means an egg > Richmond).

Well, there's no way we'll be taking this game lightly. We need to be at our best to beat Hawthorn.
Look forward to your preview.

Waite out for two.

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http://www.thesauce.com.au: 2011 Player Partner of Andy Collins

Waite out for two.

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http://www.thesauce.com.au: 2011 Player Partner of Andy Collins

Was expecting three so that's not that bad a result IMO.

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"One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree with you only if they already agree with you. You do not change people's minds." - Frank Zappa

BYO vaseline

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T E A M

Yeah take it. Hawthorn and West Coast. Time for Henderson to step it up!

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Koperek.

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As mentioned earlier, i wouldn't mind seeing armfield on Rioli. I was at the hawthorn game yesterday and he looked proppy walking the sidelines.

That allows AJ to go to Mitchell.

I think we're a bit helped this week by our poor record against Hawthorn, it would have been a little easy for the focus to lose a bit of sharpness this week, but that record will keep everyone's attention at the right spot.

Sounds like we'll need the full seven days to get over yesterday.

Hawthorn yesterday were extremely static and error prone. They prevailed yesterday as much because Richmond ran themselves into trouble as any quality performance of Hawthorn's. Burgoyne is clearly underdone massively and him playing seniors is a desperation move on their part. I would be looking to abuse him running hard the other way, and physically he's not there yet.

I am thinking JR has the physical tools to run with Hodge. Carrots I am not so sure about (probably better off taking care of Burgoyne). Although given Gibbs' recent role selection, he would seem to be a monty for running with Hodge wherever he goes.

In: Hendo, Grigg
Out: Waite, Lucas

Cyril is quick we know this but his little speed steps is something I have never seen before. We need someone who can not only keep up with him when he is on the burst running into space but someone who wont get sucked in to his side steps and backward flips etc.

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Koperek.

Depending on who pulls up sore, we might even be looking at 4 changes this week.

But the two obvious are Lucas and Waite out.

I'd be tempted to include a ruckman in place of Waite, to really compound Hawthorn's woes and stretch them for height down forward. Just pop one of them forward, one on the bench and one in the ruck.

I'd also be tempted to play... Wiggins.

He's been playing well in the seconds and has the hard-body you need against the Hawks.

I think Army is actually quick enough to fall for the side steps and still get him

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"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Rioli's game yesterday was one of the worst 4-goal performances you're likely to see. For the past month he has been a shadow of the player the football world knows he can be. You're right to show him respect, but don't go overboard in the amount of time you spend planning for him right now. You'd have half a dozen players capable of shutting him down at present, and I would think Armfield is an appropriate match-up.

You guys need to get serious - if you come to play (and I see nothing to suggest that you won't), you should and will win by 10-12 goals. If you're a little bit off, you'll still be given numerous chances to redeem yourselves. Hawthorn have been killed at the stoppages all year (including by Richmond...Richmond for f**k's sake!), and now come up against arguably the best midfield in the league. Roughead and Franklin become virtually irrelevant if Carlton win it out of the guts every time, and current form suggests that they will. The one thing I can say is that our best three midfielders (Mitchell, Sewell, Hodge) had not played together once this year until yesterday. Add Burgoyne (who, undoubtedly, will be better for the run) and we start seeing a bit more class in the clinches. While I expect our midfield to perform better than they have, it's too big a gap to make up in one week.

There's many, many aspects of this game that I'm not looking forward to. The one thing that I am looking forward to is seeing Hodge and Judd on the same field again. Two guys who have it in their powers to dictate the course of a game. You just have to appreciate stuff like that because (probably with the exception of Franklin) they have an ability that nobody else on the ground will have.

Incredibly, Hawthorn look like they won't have to make any forced changes for the first time in living memory. What I would like to see is the following:

IN: Shiels, Osborne
OUT: Ellis, Suckling

Hard to make much more of an assessment etc at this early stage of the week. Looking forward to following this thread and reporting back later in the week with something better.

is gibbs strong enough to take buddy?
buddy is nothing special in the air and gibbs can position himself as well as anyone (except when trying to tackle motlop 10m from goal....).
and he can run with and off buddy. but does he have the strength?