cecil89 wrote:
Blue Sombrero wrote:
I think Gibbons will play on the back of his game the other night from limited touches.
Fasolo hasn't shown anything yet. There is no guarantee he will play JLT2.
And I don't think Kreuzer is as good as Phillips. If he doesn't win the tap, there will be less opportunity for him top get involved in the clearance follow up if the ball gets clear as fast as we are anticipating. Kreuzer's best work is in the stoppage-based scenarios, of which there will be a lot fewer. I have never been a fan of Kreuzer's tap work and it will be more important than ever. 30 odd times a game at the centre bounces says to me that Phillips should play.
The evidence (Phillips playing 41 games in 7 years, Kreuzer averaging more disposals, hitouts, clearances, tackles and pretty much everything else, Phillips never averaging more than 8 touches in a season, never getting more than 14 touches in any game) would suggest Kreuzer is a better player than Phillips.
Kreuzer can't get both feet off the ground any more. At the centre clearances with the 6-6-6, I think he will be exposed. We saw it as soon as Lobbe went into the ruck in the 4th against Essendon*. They got 5 goals in 5 minutes because Lobbe couldn't get the tap.
It didn't matter as much before because with a few exceptions, the tap in the centre resulted in an ugly pack and that's where Kreuzer got his clearances. The AFL has legislated to remove the very area in the centre at least, where Kreuzer is king. Ignore that at your peril. Past stats are all very well. Phillips has been injured a lot and played behind Mumford, who was very durable. On those occasions he has been asked to play in the seniors, he's done OK. We won the game last week on the clearances. Phillips had a lot to do with that. If Kreuzer gets a game next week, we will have a better indication.