Pre-Match: MAGPIES v Bloos - all comments here....

[BHPIE]

For those of you calling for C1 to be dropped,..... Get a replay of the last 4 games,...THEN watch them ....slowly,,,,,Then you will see apart from the ess game ,has earned his spot.
So stop talking out of your arses ,and get a grip.

[Jamie loves Collingwood]

IN: Tarrant, Presti, Lonie,
OUT: O'Brien (inj), J.Cloke (terrible), Iles

This assumes no supspensions to Johnson or Burns and no injury to Holland. Brodie seems affected by his achilles. His kicking is wayward and has no penetration.

J.Cloke won the game for us. figureatively speaking he set up Buckley for his speccy. MM will play J.Clo.

In: Lonie, Pendlebury, Davies
Out: Buckley, O'Brien, Iles

Give Taz another week rest and he'll come out firing v the roos and be in full force come finals.

[lawboy]

Unfortunately I saw from the 2nd row of the MCG J.Clo's game against Essendon.

He had Courtney Johns (who is a raving hack) kick 3 goals on him in a half (who didnt get a kick after halftime when the move was made) and the one mark Hird took inside 50 for the half was when Clement and Cloke swapped their men and Hird marked uncontested in front of Cloke.
He was then benched and came on at CHF where for the upteenth time he gave us absolutely nothing. Yes, he took some good defensive marks in the first half but when your direct opponent kicks 4 on u in a half - u are getting flogged.

In better news last week's game was the first game in history we have won when MM has done his ever predictable move of swinging either Wakelin or J.Clo forward in the last quarter as a last resort.

In: Lonie, Pendles, Rowe, Presti
Out: Harry, Bux, Iles, J.Clo

[eddiesmith]

He didnt swing Jason forward in the last qtr, Jason was still playing at half back at that stage just running forward and delivering perfectly to Bucks

But we all know the worst defender on the night will never get bagged on here

BTW can someone tell me how many goals Jason had kicked on him on Friday night? My count was 0...

[maggies2003]

4 changes:

Out: Maxwell, Obrien, Rocca, J.Cloke
In: Presti, Pendles, Davies, Fanning

Yeah, good one. Out three defenders and a forward. In one defender, one ruckman and two midfielders.

The team has to have balance.

O'brien is definitely out. Lonie should be in.

If Bucks is rested then either Taz or Pendles in.

Wakes seems to get injured too much for my liking at the moment. Presti if fit is sure to be back in and Wakes will probably make way for him.

Out: O'Brien, Buckley, Wakelin
In: Lonie, Tarrant/Pendlebury, Prestigiacomo

ok than. you want reasons..:

Rocca out: Not winning ruck contests, and when pushed forward negated our forward line rather than enhancing it. Therefore Fanning in purely for ruck contests when frase needs a rest.

Cloke & Maxwell: Purely on form, why play them when they arent playing good footy. We have the defenders to cover for them. and with Presti coming back allows for these players not to be missed.

Pendles & Davies: Match up better with the way Carlton play.. Enhance our midfield. enables holland, johnson buckley and co to push forward more often..

[favourites 2008]

Bucks wont play this week. No point resting him the week after its this week he will get the most rest (16 days break), looks like harry wont come up and i think isles will make way. Maxwell is the other player on thin water.

In

Presti, Pendles, Lonie and Rowe/Richards

Out

Harry, Maxwell, Bucks and Isles

Rocca is the other player looking very flat and could prob do with a week of to rev himself up for finals.

[MK]

Bucks is fit....we need all the chance of winning + any percentage welcome!!! If game time is an issue at this stage of the season, let MM play him for say 60 minutes instead of the regulation 85 minutes......

We still have to beat Carlton yet...let alone playing good finals footy!

[Trezegol]

We cannot afford to rest anyone.

We still have an opportunity to get a top four spot, how can we be resting players? Did Buckley look like he needed a rest?

Rocca is the most important player at the collingwood football club. He's our barometer. U rest him, ur admitting that u can't finish in the top four.

If he'd kicked straight against Port, we would have won comfortably.

There will more than likely be only 2 changes for this week.

In: Presti, Lonie

Out: Wakelin, O'brien.

Maybe Pendles for Iles.

[Tannin]

Did Buckley look like he needed a rest?

Yes.

He was doing it hard, and only a supreme captain's effort got him up for the game.

We cannot afford to rest anyone. We still have an opportunity to get a top four spot, how can we be resting players?

If we can't beat the worst side in the comp with a single player rested, then we might as well book that end-of-season trip right now. Don't bother waiting for September. Hell, there are players down at Willy on our list, get them to take on the Shinboners next week and we can beat queue at the airport, take the trip in August.

Only one thing should decide if Buckley has a rest: Buckley's body. If Bucks and the trainers think that a rest is the right thing for him, so be it. We will need Bucks at his magnificent best to take on West Coast in Perth or Adelaide at Football Park, or the Swans in Sydney, or Freo at Subiaco, or Footscray at the G ... whoever we play in the finals, we need to be firing. If we can't play our best side come September, and play them in the best shape we can get them into, we might as well start calling the travel agents right now.

If the other 21 players in our side can't beat Carlton, we have no business being in the top eight, never mind the top four.

[leelee]

I think Bucks can be afforded to rest this week. Its Did's 100th, he'll be firing, and will fire up the rest of the boys!

[Cam]

Like others I'm keen on seeing what a rejigged forward lineup can do.

B H Shaw, Presti, Clement
HB Swan, J Cloke, Maxwell
C R Shaw, O'Bree, Lonie
HF Lockyer, T Cloke, Didak
F Egan, Rusling, Buckley
Foll Fraser, Holland, Johnson
Int Burns, Licuria, Davies, Fanning/Richards

Out: Wakelin, Rocca, Isles, O'Brien (inj)
In: Davies, Presti, Lonie, Fanning/Richards

[melliot]

After watching the Tape, thought Rocca was OK. Below par but better than his last few weeks. If he kicked straight would had 3 goals. and set up the match winner. Got to remeber even when he plays well his stats only just get into double figures.

We need him to get form. Usually does well against the Blues.

Eddiesmith is right. IMO Cloke has been solid. Had a bad one against Bombers. But other games have been good.

But Eddie, maxwell did have a defensive forward role. Balmey said that Cornes would get that type of player in the pregame function. However, not sure he was good at it. Cornes did do a bit. But I like Maxy in the team.

Out:Iles, Bux and Obrien
In: Fanning (or Richards), Lonie and Presti

But worried team is a bit too tall.

[RudeBoy]

What we need now approaching the finals is some stability in our line-up. Having lost Harry and assuming Bucks gets a well deserved rest, there should only be 2 changes to the side.

Out: O'Brien, Bucks
In: Lonie, Presti

My gut feeling is that when Taz comes back in for the last game, that Wakelin will lose his spot. I think that, as of now, J.Cloke has done enough to earn a spot ahead of Wakes.

If Daisy and Leon make it back at some stage, then Iles and Maxwell will probably lose their spots. If rusling continues his good form, then Pebbles will start each game on the bench, and be used sparingly to relieve Josh and to be a pinch hitter down forward if needed.

[MagpieMad]

anyone willing to write a match preview for the website??

[leelee]

Like others I'm keen on seeing what a rejigged forward lineup can do.

B H Shaw, Presti, Clement
HB Swan, J Cloke, Maxwell
C R Shaw, O'Bree, Lonie
HF Lockyer, T Cloke, Didak
F Egan, Rusling, Buckley
Foll Fraser, Holland, Johnson
Int Burns, Licuria, Davies, Fanning/Richards

Out: Wakelin, Rocca, Isles, O'Brien (inj)
In: Davies, Presti, Lonie, Fanning/Richards

I'm liking your idea on this one, giving Lonie and R.Shaw the opportunity to run onto some goals. Maybe even put Pendlebury in. J.Cloke and Swanny on the Half backline will create direct long passing, which is how we need to play...