Pre match. Pies v. Dees - All comments here

[Johnson#26]

Well, its supposed to piss down on Monday, so losing Taz might not be quite as bad as if it was a bright sunny day. Anyway, we're going to win the appeal.

Please let it rain! We always play better when it does!

Assuming Tarrant loses appeal the following changes could be made for this week:

Gees whose gonna play on the forward line?

Still a good team, but obviously will struggle to kick goals. We will have to slow the whole game down, hold onto the ball till someone is free, make them come at us and hope 12 goals is enough to win. Can be done!

C.Cloke, Fraser and....Clement. Clemo was a forward in his time at Freo and was a dangerous player. Even Lonie. We need a real spark. Is it time for Morrison? McKee as a decoy forward? Maxwell as a forward? Walker? Even Cole? Or even...Ben Kinnear? Every option has to be expolored is one or both are missing. Richards will have to push forward at every oppotunity and let Jason Cloke to some ruck work around the ground.

Or do we go with a small forward line to surprise them.
HF: Didak, Davis Swan
FF: Buckley, Fraser, Lokan.

Good or bad idea?

Its times like these you wish you had Molloy...

[CHF]

The midfield is where it will be won and lost. Richards is a young Jeff White and we will all notice the similarities.

Holland vs Yze
Licuria vs Bruce
Buckley vs Johnstone
Burns vs Green
Woewodin vs Thompson
O'Bree (if he plays) vs McDonald

Up forward:
Lokan vs Brown
Shaw vs Vardy
Tarrant (if he plays) vs Broadbridge (interesting but possible)
Rocca vs Nicholson
C.Cloke vs Lamb (see Broadbridge)

Down back:
Wakelin vs Neitz
Presti vs Ward?
Cloke loose man
Johnson vs Robertson
Lonie vs Davey

When is Darren Jolly back for the Dees?

I don't see many of these matchups happening.

Yze will sweep in the defence and will play off the HBF for most of the game with only limited time in the middle. He will pick up one of your forwards. No idea who at the moment. Bruce will split his time 50/50 between the forward Flank and the middle. If Licuria picks him up I would expect him to stay forward more. Not sure Johnstone will play, but if he does I doubt we would allow that matchup to last long. Burns on Woewoden may happen, but I think Woewoden may pick him up at some time. I could see Burns playing on Thompson. Will O'Bree play?

No idea who will play up forward for the Pies yet so matchups will have to wait till we see who is available. Vardy will not play back there. And Rivers will. If Tarrant plays I think he will be picked up by Rivers. Lamb won't play.

Wakelin on Neitz is a given.
We then have the other forwards for Melbourne. Miller, Robertson, Vardy, Davey and possibily Holland. If it is going to be wet then we may stay small up forward with green moving to a forward pocket. Ward will not play forward as he is a back and I doubt he may play. I have not seen enough of Collingwood to predict many defensive matchups and to an extent it depends on how much they have to re-jig their side with injuries and suspensions.

[Dids20]

If Rocca and Tarrant are both out I doubt we can kick enough goals to beat the Dees(hoping for rain). Our midfield doesnt have the attacking ability to go forward and kick goals like a west coast. So to try and beat them in a shootout would be pretty stupid our best option is to shut them down especially ther midfield.
Midfield Games n Goals
Licuria- 127 - 39
Woewoduin - 174 - 85
O Bree- 115- 46
Buckley- 212- 205
Hardly a potent offensive threat, the players listed above probably need to kick one each. We have enough forwards to kick goals, but probably not enough talls. I would go with Streth in the ruck pretty much unchanged unless Whites really dominating. With C2 and Fraser up forward. Some other marking options up forward could be Buckley and Maybe Lockan(he used to be a full forward).I would love to see Morrison get a game but i doubt its going to happen. The starting forwad line woudl look something like this.
CHF-- Buckley Cam Cloke Didak
FF-- Holland Fraser Lokan
For the defensive matchups i would have Wakelin vs Neitz and Jimmy vs Robbo with presti maybe on Miller/ Holland and Cole vs Davey

[shackleton]

forecast for Monday is!

Cold, wet and windy across TAS, VIC and southern NSW as a strong cold front moves through.

If so i think we are a show even without Rocca and Tarrant! Put Cam Cloke in the goalsquare get a hand on the ball and start praying that Neon Leon can have his day in sun..... Maybe play Brodie in a pocket as well.

What we want is a rugged affair with some of the silky skilled players at Melbourne brought back to McGough's skill level, physically we are stronger, harder and more experienced in the midfield and if it rains, watch out for a BOG from McGough and a comfortable win for the pies.

Would MM play Rocca if he was 80% fit and play him deep in the forward line? is it worth risking him yet? Is this game a must win?

[CHF]

Melbourne would not have any peoblems playing in the wet on Monday. We played well in it last week with the likes of Thompson, McDonald, Read and McLean outstanding for us in close.

Unlike last season, I think you will find we have a much harder edge to our play and when we don't have the ball we exert a hell of a lot of pressure on the ball carrier.

No real problems for us in the wet.

Edited - please don't quote the previous post - bbmods

[GlovemanGayfer]

Our losses hurt us greatly but I still think we have a chance. I like the very small forward line option with Holland back. I remember his game against the eagles and he was everywhere. I think it is a good idea having him out of the centre too as they have been getting their act together in the last few weeks and it seems silly to mess with it. Then if that fails we can put C-DUB at FF and let him pull in some more one handers.

White v Richo is a worry. Richo has been fantastic and will continue to get better but this is the first time he has played someone like himself.

Aaron Davey seems to control a lot of Melb's momentum. Last year I would of thought BJ but this year perhaps Richy as BJ is playing in a more creative role.

I think that our tackling improved greatly last week and will be the key to this game. If we allow Melbourne no space then we will be ok. If they are allowed to break tackles and be creative then we only have oursleves to blame.

Again though it seems to be a pattern this season that when we have a set back we allow a young guy a chance to prove themselves. This game has the same feel about it. It might destroy us but it might also give us a tonne of confidence if we get up.

[Joel]

I'm pretty downbeat about this game now. I was expecting us to put in a real show, provided Taz and Rocca were playing, and hopefully Bux, but thats all out the window now.

Hopefully we can play some inspiring football. Remember, our season is still on the line, and we must do anything, and everything to keep on winning.

[rORy=)]

Hi all, another Demons supporter here who is interested in getting a Pie perspective. Firstly, some great posts here; certainly more analytical, insightful and rational than most other supporter message boards I’ve seen this year!

I’m extremely relieved that Taz is out – he always kills us. I think, given his and Rocca’s (probable) absences the Dees are playing well enough to win the match, but I’ve sat through too many miserable defeats at the hands of the Magpies to consider this one any sort of gimme.

Will the Magpie army be out in force? I’m going with a Collingwood mate, who doesn’t want to book because it’s not the Pies’ home game and he reckons it’ll be too expensive – would prefer to spend that money on beer! I can’t say I disagree, but I would like to be able to get into the match.

I think this one will be a close one – Dees by two goals.

[Joel]

I think Holland should start on the bench, and play some game time in the forward line (tell him he has to kick goals, or he will got back to the Williamstown). OR, perhaps he should start instead of Leon, in the pocket, and then if need be a little stint in the middle.

Having said that, we may have to use him as a tagger at some stage. But, I think we have been alright without him in that role in the last couple of weeks, so I reckon down forward.

[Blanch]

No Tarrant, no Rocca, no 4 points. It's a simple equation. They are our two players who can send the d's backline whimpering. Anything else is makeshift. Let's be honest, Tarrant has won our last few games almost single handed. They others have contributed but he's been the polish and class that has been able to finish for us.

We should be taking the tarrant decision to court....take it as far as it needs to go to get him off. Our run depends on it.

[Joel]

Blanch, unfornately, I think that last option is out. That's what the appeals process is for.

[droche 2004]

Bucks trained well and should play, SEN 4.05pm

GO PIES

WE ARE NOT A ONE MAN TEAM.

Plus he will get off come Thursday, so if we are a one man team we will have our one man back.!!!!!!

I have confused myself.
GO PIES

[Johnson#26]

I don't see many of these matchups happening.

I know. I forgot about Holland, Miller & Rivers. They're all reletively new players and they just slipped my mind.

As for Holland starting, start him on the ground for a bit of passion and anger.

[Daks]

I'm pretty confident Tazza will get off...

As for the game against Melbourne, i'm still fairly confident. We have the backmen to match on Neitz and the like, and our midfield is even stronger with the inclusion of Bucks and maybe Dutchy. I've never taken the Dees seriously because no matter what the circumstance, we always beat them by a huge margin. Even though we are depleted, we will still win. Pies by 23

[trav20]

I'm pretty confident Tazza will get off...

As for the game against Melbourne, i'm still fairly confident. We have the backmen to match on Neitz and the like, and our midfield is even stronger with the inclusion of Bucks and maybe Dutchy. I've never taken the Dees seriously because no matter what the circumstance, we always beat them by a huge margin. Even though we are depleted, we will still win. Pies by 23

You must be young. You've obviously forgotten 2000. You've forgotten losing finals to the Dees in the early 90's and perhaps you're not aware that 6 of our 12 flags came from beating the Pies in Grand finals.

We've won 6 of 7 at the 'G' this year, including Carlton by 104 points (they beat you0 and you've won 1 of 4.

Our team this year is vastly different to what you've encountered before. Enjoy the experience.