jim wrote:
bondiblue wrote:
jim wrote:
bondiblue wrote:
IN: Harry Charlie Docherty Williams Martin McGovern Cerra
OUT: Owies (Susp) Durdin (inj) Motlop Binns Lord Carroll Moir
If Durdin is fit to play, he's in for Fantasia
Cowan Weitering Gov
Saad Young Newman
O.Hollands Cripps Acres
E. Hollands McKay Cincotta
Williams Charlie Kemp
Pittonet Hewett Walsh
Docherty Kennedy Martin Fantasia
Cerra
Motlop Binns Lord Moir Carroll Boyd Marchbank
We bring them all in at once we lose. Being half fit, out of form started our slump.
Yeah I know where you are coming from jim, but there's a lot of buts on both sides of the argument.
As mentioned previously, I expect anyone who is named to be fit for purpose. Form is separate from that. I don't blame the selection of Cottrell and Cerra for our form slump. That's just an excuse. Momentum swings have happened to all teams throughout season 2024 and that was part of that. Personally, I feel we were selecting players who were not fit to play let alone fit to play for 4 quarters. Eg Charlie standing in the goal square waiting for the high bomb since the GWS game. So much hard work further up the field only to be wasted by a long bomb to a player with ankle issue.
The way I would like to look at it is if we leave all our kids to play and give their all, performing a team role as best as they can, to give us another honourable loss (like we did vs 14th placed Saints), we will lose against the higher ranked> Hence I am going with hardened bodies and experience and I'm assuming players are over their injury and have been conditioned to play footy.
Doc is the one example. He's been training for 6 weeks and the last 3 weeks full on and standing out. Do we play Lord, Binn s or Carroll before Doc? I wouldn't. As its turned out, he's come through.
Cerra hasnt been sitting idle, nor has Martin, nor has Williams (who only felt hammy tightness)
I'm going with fit experienced players vs fit novices learning their roles whilst their bodies are being developed for the rigours of AFL footy. It goes up a level in Finals.
Let the men play.
Cerra has struggled due to reoccurring injuries, certainly not Martin and leave a fit Pitto in, instead of TDK, to take on the Big O. Williams though will have decent match fitness. Our slump started when we brought back half fit, out of form big names. I have Gov, Williams, Harry and Charlie back. West Coast won the 2018 flag with 6 top blokes out. Thing is they had a fit team that played
As for Doc, there's lot more stress on it during a game, even more so in a big final, with the twisting and turning under real pressure. I didn't want him in until next year. He's done 3 knees already, just 6 months since the last one, so he can be a little prone to them, hasn't played in 6 months, then coming in for a big final. Surely we can all see the risk.
Wouldn't be like Carlton to rush blokes back only for repeat injuries this year, surely.
Its easy to say unfit players caused the slump, but difficult to prove imo.
Its difficult from where we sit to know who is fit for purpose and who is not.
I can agree that Harry, Williams, Gov will return because they weren't badly injured. Tightness is not a tear.
The risk is easy to see from where we sit, so I get you.
But, to say Cottrell and Cuningham ... led to the slump? Cerra? Martin? Really? Wasn't anything else?
Cottrell and DeKoning were selected for the GWS game. DeKoning after a week's break.
I just can't see how
one Cottrell can have that loss lumped on him let alone blamed for the beginning of the slump, but some do.
Cuningham came into the team against NM after a few games in the VFL. We won that game too.
Cerra looked great at HB against NM and Port, and we beat North and lost the Port game after a 5 day break. He played 5 full games without doing a hammy.
Cerra wasn't as bad as some suggest. Sure he may not have been in 2023 form, but he was much better than anything the kids have produced in the last 2 weeks imo.
Experience is the mother of all learning. That's a what I believe, and I will let the MC decide on who is fit to play 4 quarters in a Final than spook myself.
Doc has proven himself at training. He's proven himself in the past coming back from long lay offs and performed well. There's risks for every player going out there to perform and survive injury. Doc is ready to play. Hence his selection. Maybe the Meds know better. I can see why you would err on the side of caution. His ACL op was different to the traditional hammy tendons used to repair. We will see.
Where I share your fear is looking back at the Hawks game when left with no bench due to mass injuries. I get it. Roll the dice? Some will say yes, some will say no. No one is right. Its the big unknown.
We have to win this. There is no tomorrow. My point is the kids who played last game, albeit fit, are not, and were not the answer. We have to bring in better players. Four is a good start (Doc, Harry, Willo, Gov) I hope its more (a fit Charlie and a fit Cerra after a 5 week break)...and if Durds plays I hope the strapping on his shoulder holds it in place.
I'm dreaming of a win, with or without Charlie and Durds.
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