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Found myself writing a post about how Fremantle's forward line is full of these 188-191cm medium sized forwards, and as such Davies seems a perfect matchup for a few of them and should stay in on this basis.
Then I started listening to the review of last night's Port vs. Collingwood game and how Malthouse was willing to play all three rucks in Wood, Jolly and Brown to ensure all were properly equipped to play a role at notice come September, regardless of the team structure, so confident was he about the win.
Whilst I'm not quite as confident about a win, "round 25" should be the goal here, and there's still too many question marks about things that Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn have a much clearer idea about, and we're slightly ahead of West Coast, mostly on the basis of better squad depth.
I define these question marks as to being definitely in our best 22 come week one of the finals. I have these as Armfield, Bower, Carrazzo, Curnow, Davies, Hampson, Henderson, Houlihan, Joseph, Lucas, McLean, o'hAilpin, Russell, Thornton, Tuohy, Waite, and Warnock. I'm rating them on any of form, ability and fitness/ability to get back in the side. In summary, that's 17 blokes playing for 8 spots. Short of the worst injury and suspension crisis possible over the next 4 weeks, we're not going to see 8 changes to the side that played Melbourne for first week of finals. You could even add Ellard to that list, but I just don't see the MC dropping him. They seem to rate him highly enough.
* - Do we make the decision on Houlihan a few weeks early? Perhaps keeping him around like St Kilda did with Steven King "just in case"?
* - Is giving o'hAilpin a go in the next two weeks a futile exercise, given we know what we get from him, and it's already looking hard to bring back the 3 talls ahead of him in Waite, Jamo and Hampson?
* - Do we put Russell on ice for next year if the knee is continuing to play up? A half fit Noof isn't matching the current output of Laidler, Duigan or Tuohy. No game this week means he's not coming in next week on the basis of form but possibly to give Duigan a rest. I don't think they'd give him just the one game (Saints) either. Time is running out.
* - Carrots probably comes back in this week. One midfielder has to go. Houlihan/McLean/Joseph the contenders. If one of the first two go out, you'd think thats them done for the year. I'd prefer to back McLean in this week on a ground that doesn't suit him, and probably one that we'd be with a view to play at in week two. If he struggles against an inferior midfield in Fremantle, he shouldn't be in contention to play against the Eagles in the finals, simple as that.
* - Both Armfield and Joseph are brought in sporadically when a job needs to be done and matchups suit. Assuming we've got our full team to play with, do we pick the one horse, or is it a case of right form/right time? Armfield's been preferred for most of the year, but Joseph is in the 22 and there's questions over Army's ankle. Is that enough to warrant a position being taken?
* - Did the match committee put the Bower cue back in the rack after the Collingwood game? I reckon White gets a game or two in the coming weeks, depending on how Jamo's rehab goes, and whether there's a view to phase Hendo into playing up forward again. Playing the last 15-20 minutes up forward yesterday makes me think there might be. Ratts seems to like White and picks him where possible, Davies has done everything that's asked of him. I can't see Bower forcing his way back in.
* - Will a call be made on Hampson, or will he, like Bower and possibly Houlihan and Russell, kept around in the twos as insurance, without a direct view to bring him back in? Outside of Sandilands towelling him up next week, I just can't see them dropping Warnock on the eve of the finals.
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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.
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