Pre-Match. Pies v. Swans. All comments.

[K]

Noticed a pre-match thread hadn't been created yet, so I thought I'd get ahead of Donny and start one.
...

Good job, Jezza!

One of the biggest match-up headaches for us is who has the physical attributes to counter a player that is 195cm - 80kg athletic, skill-full and runs like a whippet in Nick 'the lizard' Blackey. He's a generational talent.
...

Sheesh... 195cm. Didn't know he's that tall. Maybe that's why he always looks hunched over...

24 years old but looks as old as his old man (57). When they're out together, folks ask if they are brothers:

'“The dude who served us asked if we were brothers,” Nick said.

“Dad was like ‘yeah, yeah, he’s my younger brother.’ He was happy with that!”'

(Nov, 2018)

[mgh3536]

How many chances you have give someone to know ash Johnson isn’t worth pursing as opposed to McInnes

[piffdog]

Howe, MacRae in,
Noble, Mitchell out

[piffdog]

Dean gets another run and we’ll look a little better with Howe back in the back line. Will get more out of Moore due to the latter’s inclusion.

Hope Macrae isn’t the sub - I’d go with Markov as #23.

[David]

Quite surprised that Noble is the one to make way given how average a number of others were last week. Otherwise, Macrae and Howe are both decent ins, and I agree that Markov should be sub.

What these changes suggest to me is that McRae isn't panicking, and wants to persist with whatever planned structure they had going into last week, which is clearly dependent on players like Cox and Johnson performing. I guess that's fair enough, but I do hope he has a Plan B up his sleeve if things continue not to work.

(Wonder if there's any chance we see Howe up forward?)

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

Happy with this weeks changes and makes sense Howe Fin in for Mitchell I thought Mitchell was needing a rest
The other one I’ll have in there is noble and maybe entertain bring in Frampton in for Johnson bill can play up forward
But I guess I’m not the selectors
Happy and now bring on the Swans
Please now win pies as we are unfurling our flag

[K]

And Macrae has been left out...



... of WB's team.


How 'bout a trade to the Pies?

[stui magpie]

Noble was the obvious out for Howe, Dean covers Murphy's role.

Mitchell is the 2024 Tay Adams, being slowly pushed from the midfield to half forward. Fly wanted to reward Fin and get him into the 22, some old bloke has to make way. There may be more of this over the season, circa 2010 when the young blokes got a chance and never relinquished their spots.

[The Black and White Lion]

Well Noble out is a surprise. Pretty sure the pies scored more goals whilst he was on the ground instead of the incumbent midfield kicking long to congested forwards throughout the first 3 quarters.

Cox very lucky. The coaches worried about the Grundy factor perhaps and want insurance for Cameron going down.

either way great to see Macrae get a turn and hope the midfield come to play this week changing angles, hitting up forward leads and kicking the ball to our forward's advantage.

[Born to Pie]

Hope Macrae isn’t the sub - I’d go with Markov as #23.

I'd probably go with WHE due to his versatility

[swoop42]

Being able to get his hands on the ball inside the contest will be one measuring point for Macrae but if he's to give himself a chance of superseding the likes of a Mitchell then it'll be all about him displaying his supposed improved running capacity garnered over the Summer.

If he can show an improved ability to spread from a contest, run to space to make himself a link in transition or push hard forward to provide an option then suddenly he's putting a gap on Mitchell in some areas and makes the selection decision for the coach harder.

[Magpietothemax]

I am guessing that Noble was omitted because we are bringing in Howe as a much needed tall defender, and then one of Noble/Markov becomes superfluous to the defence.
I am happy that Dean gets another go. I think that the presence of Howe will be of great assistance to him because Howe will be giving him constant direction and guidance.
AJ has been given another chance because the coach was blaming our insipid and ineffectual ball movement as much as AJ himself for his lack of impact in the forward line. I think Fly's focus during the week would have been on challenging the mids, and the half backs, to lift their accuracy and workrate, and reinvigorate our ball movement.
I think this is good coaching...it shows his confidence in a team that, afterall, won the Premiership last year. You don't lose yhour head and eject players after just one game in a team that last year showed it was capable of the most massive turnarounds and the most massive determination.
It is great that Finn gets his chance...his role will be to go in and under, as per Mitchell, and get the ball out to us on the outside. I don't think he has to run and spread so much as to just get the ground ball and feed it out...we have brilliant outside run through the midfield. Good luck to Finn - I hope he has a ripping game. It wouldn't make sense for him to be sub, I am sure he will be in the starting 22. Sub will be either WHE or Markov...think I prefer WHE, as it gives him a rest, and he is extremely versatile.

[Donny]

In: Jeremy Howe, Finlay Macrae.

Out: Tom Mitchell (Managed), John Noble (Sub.