Pre match: Changes for the Cats game? - All comments here...

[Jamie loves Collingwood]

Good to see Taz in FF and Rocca in CHF. Better to see Cam play well deserved!! Expect Cara and Dutchy to swap. I even expect Maxwell to be dropped for Pendles who could play a role down back and swap with Bucks from time to time.

[Cuthbert Collingwood]

one cloke at a time...

[roar]

With the tired legs from the trip out west, I'd rather have seen one more change; probably Max for Racer or Pendles.

[HieroHero]

I'm hoping Travis Cloke comes in for Maxwell.. Our forward line functions better with him in the side

[Culprit]

I'm hoping Travis Cloke comes in for Maxwell.. Our forward line functions better with him in the side

Travis would come in for Rocca. Rocca did get hurt, they won't risk him if he is not right.

Backs: Lonie Prestigiacomo Clement
Half-backs: H Shaw Wakelin Johnson
Centres: Caracella O'Bree Burns
Half-forwards: Didak Rocca Davis
Forwards: Thomas Tarrant Holland
Followers: Fraser Licuria Rover: Buckley
Interchange: C Cloke Lockyer Maxwell Swan
Emergencies: T Cloke Pendlebury R Shaw
In: Buckley C Cloke
Out: J Cloke O'Brien

[DaVe86]

O'Brien's departure opens up a big question. Do we replace him with a backman or midfielder? With Maxwell, Wakelin, Clement and Presti, i would be thinking midfielder at this stage. I doubt we need J Cloke in defence with those 4 guys. However we are also a ruck down at the moment. Cam has not come in to play a CHF role, he has come in to play a backup ruck with Josh pushing forward. Richards has obviously lost Micks favour here because i thought he'd be given a longer spell. However i am not totally upset with Cam been in the side, he does need another chance. If he does not take it, i doubt we'll see him back this year.

Id think Thomas may be given a rest shortly too, meaning pendlebury will make his debut. Otherwise, Pendlebury will come in to replace Caracella if he cannot find some touch.

[vinnie_vegas69]

We don't need to replace Harry with a backman, because with Harry playing as a man-to-man defender, we've been using Clement as a loose man.

With Harry out, Clement can go back to a more defensive role, and we can use someone else, like Buckley or Caracella as that loose man.

[RudeBoy]

Great to see Cam get a game. He'll provide the perfect support for Josh in the ruck, as well as play a role down at CHF. Maxwell and Wakelin will need to play good games, otherwise Travis might come back at the first opportunity. I think there's a spot for C2 and C3 in our best side.

[Culprit]

We don't need to replace Harry with a backman, because with Harry playing as a man-to-man defender, we've been using Clement as a loose man.

With Harry out, Clement can go back to a more defensive role, and we can use someone else, like Buckley or Caracella as that loose man.

Caramellow is perfect to play the loose man.

[burnsy17]

Good to see J Cloke out of the team.

[Cannibal]

I can't see even Malthouse playing Pebbles at CHF. We've been a totally different side this season with him at full-forward, where he's been kicking an average of 3.3 goals per game. This has set up the small blokes for more goals than they've ever been scoring: Dids has scored 15 goals already (compared to a total of 21 in each of 2004 and 2005) at an average of 2.14 per game, well above his long-term average of 1.33 per game; Magic has scored 10 goals this season (23 in 2004, 11 in 2005), averaging 1.57 per game, also above his long-term average of 1.15 per game.

IMO, we badly missed Travis at CHF last week against the Weagles. He has far more mobility and a bigger tank than Pebbles and is much better suited to CHF. Pebbles is the FF we've been missing (remember also that it was Pebbles who stood up in the 2002 GF with five goals) but he hasn't the stamina to play at CHF, whereas Travis has.

We've played a terrific style of attacking footy and we need to keep playing that style. If we revert to the ultra-defensive style of recent years, we'll make it so much easier for opposition defenses to clamp down and we'll therefore start losing matches again. Keep on the front foot, we're extremely hard to shut down and we're a lock for top four.

[DaVe86]

i think our half forward line should be Rocca, Buckley and Lonie. Geelong flood. Stick our 3 best kicks in the side 55 metres out from goal and make the flood spread a bit, which leaves room for Tarrant on the lead. Taz is a better chance for goal if he is marking it 25 metres out, whereas Rocca will slot one from 60. Make Rocca drag 2 guys with him outside 50, Buckley will drag 2, Lonie will make someone come out to watch him. All of a sudden you have Leon, Tarrant and Caracella with room to lead...with Josh Fraser going to the square for a rest in the ruck.

Best way to open up the flood i think is to put our longest kicks 45-60 metres out from goal and spread the defense. I doubt Geelong will allow Rocca the ball 60 out, and if they do....its going to be a goal

[Snoop Dog]

I tend to agree. I think Trav is a part of our set up that must be viewed more braodly thank kicks and handpasses. Thought what Walls was saying a few weeks ago how Rocca takes the Goal line and next 20, Tarrant from 20-50m and Trav up thru centre was right.

Gives us plenty of options. However Cam has been in good nick and as long as he can lead up the ground in a similar style then I think he's a good choice. He can also ruck a little better than Trav and is more mobile than Richards.

Personally, I think dropping JC was a mistake. Geelongs fwds are very mobile and traditionally do well vs us. JC is good bc he can zone off a man and cut back in front of leadign fwds. He should be there as the replacement for OBrien.....think it will cost us. Equally, if I were his mgr I would have him out of the joint in 12 months. Mick clearly keeps giving him crap matchups that are ruining his career. It will come back to haunt us with Presti at his peak, Wakes on the slide and Clemetn now 30. We dont have a lot of depth for tall backs and a bit SOS coaching would round out JC nicely me thinks.

[DaVe86]

Match Preview below. Have a read and give me some feedback. Thanks

http://www.magpies.net/nick/article/art ... om=&ucat=4&

[Jamie loves Collingwood]

I think that Cam Cloke will fill in the CHF position and Rocca in FF and leaving Taz to LFP