ThePrez wrote:
we are at, but we as a list is certainly alot better than we are currently playing. Ive spoken about this before but everyone seems prepared to dismiss it because it may go against their arguments.
We have yet to field the same team two weeks in a row this year, be that through injury, through suspension or through down on form, where as you like at the sides that are playing decent footy and there is very minimal changes to their sides from one week to the next.
IMO the Wizzer Cup and the first game against North was the catalyst for our problems we face at the moment. We lost our CHB during the wizzer cup, then we lost our FB in the first game, our FF has been suspended for 2 games, and we have still yet to have all 5 of our spine play in the same team this year.
Livingston
Thorton
Koutafidies
Whitnall
Fevola
have all yet to play a game this season together. That is the catalyst of our team, remove one of them from out sqaud and we struggle.
We may have them all back this week, but we are going to be without our key ruckman, which could hurt us, but against Adelaide who dont have the best ruck stocks i dont think it will hurt us that much, would love to see Bryan given a run for an entire game and see how he handles it.
But even if we lost this week and the 5 players have a chance to play together for a game i will be happy, i dont expect the side to start to settle for a few weeks becuase, with one of those players our, alot of our other players are out of position.
Until this team gets a run
Carazzo Livingston Teague
Houlahan Thorton Lappin
Walker Koutafidies Simpson
Waite Whitnall Deluca
Betts Fevola Chambers
French, Stevens, Camporeale
int Bryan, McGrath, Sporn, Bentick
emg Norman, Prendagrast, Scotland, O'Halphin
when that teams gets a run this year, and we continue to get pumped and continue to lost games without looking like we are a chance, then and only then will i conceed we are struggling as a team, but field that team and we wont struggle.
So Prez, essentially what you're saying is that its not fair because we haven't been able to put our best side on the park - and I agree that the above is close to our best side. Well guess what, every side in the comp has that problem. We don't compete in a vaccum where only Carlton suffers from injuries and suspensions. Melbourne were missing Rivers and Miller on the weekend who are part of their structure as well as being sort of handy players in their own right.
You can't say that if we could put our best 22 on the park in our preferred structure then we would be a good side. We MIGHT be, but you don't know, you haven't seen that team on the park under real match conditions, noone has. I admire your blind optimism but your dream will probably never happen.
It's all about depth Prez. We came out of the Wizard Cup telling everyone who would listen, and especially ourselves, that we now had depth. Well we dont. We have no depth whatsoever, and that makes us the worst list in the league because no team keeps its best 22 on the field past the first 2 or 3 weeks if their lucky (Saints couldn't even manage 1).
Most sides have some depth, we're the only one that goes from competative to 70 point drubbings cause Livo isn't in the back line.
ThePrez wrote:
Deluca - a prime example - has been playing defense and he isnt a backman. He belongs as a pinch hit ruckmen (thought he did well on saturday) and as a tall forward.
Teague is a handy backmen when he is on the 4th or 5th best forward, not when he is on the 2nd, if he was a foot taller, then perhaps he wouldnt struggle.
Whitnall - has to play CHF, we saw how that can work during the Wizzer Cup - if he is playing defense, which he has had to do this year due to injuries, our forward line stuggles.
Teague - so teague can play on the 5th best forward. Well woop de do. Our entire backline is good if it can play on the 5th best forward. There's only one of those every week though.
Whitnall - hasn't played nine games at CHB. He's spent a great deal of time in the forward line for zero return except for a quarter against Essendon* where he didn't even play at CHF he played out of the goal square.
Deluca - you're right, the ultimate example - can't play defense. Worse, makes other defenders around him worse players when he does. Can barely ruck, if you think a quarter against the Dees where they'd shut up shop makes him a ruckmen then you are dreaming. Doesn't use the ball well around the ground. But worst of all, he isn't even that much of a forward. He has no presense, has marked the ball without double/triple grabbing it about once in 9 games.
When Brad Fisher is fit I would have him in my forward line any day of the week and twice on Saturday ahead of Deluca, and since he can't play anywhere else, what would you do with him?
If we are so one dimensional that Deluca can only play as a forward, Teague can only play on the fourth best forward (and we still have noone to play on the third best even if we can keep T-Bird and Livo on the ground), and Whitnall can only play at CHF then we are cactus mate.
If moving players an inch out of their comfort zone means that we may as well have our Auskick team out there then we have the worst list in the comp by light years.