Pre Match: Magpies v. Bulldogs - All comments please

[Dave The Man]

Big Up Foward.

Rocca, Fraser, Cloke and Bryan

[stui magpie]

Hows this for a game plan.

Play just like we have in the last few weeks except kick straighter.

[dish]

i think you might be onto something there Stui

[Johnson#26]

My suggestion would be to get out and bash their runners early...

hard physical contact at every opportunity on Gilbee, Cross, McMahon, Eagleton etc... Just bash them every time the opportunity presents itself.

Burnsy'd be the key in that regard. How I love that guy and how he bleeds for the cause.

With the pace factor, Jonno is a must to stay in the side.

Think of their defence, in particular their talls - Harris, Hargrave, Wight. Handy, but no star quality, and the latter two are still light on when it comes to weight. This sometimes forces Gilbee and Morris to play above their height.

So, if we lined up with Rocca, Travis, Medhurst (who can play tall), and one of Bryan and Fraser (one rucking one up in attack), we can stretch them for height. You then throw a guy like Neon Leon up there along with Dids and potentially Brodie, and we can stretch their defence. Even Egan, as a 'maybe', could stretch their backline.

We saw Tooves kick three goals as a floating forward against Richmond, can he repeat the dose?

Speaking of which, the pace of Tooves and Dicky will be vital in running down their midfielders.

Bang, crash and hard tackling - WE CAN WIN!

How's this for a match up - Tooves on Akermanis?

[skaman]

Im fairly confident at this early stage. I cant see any Dog stopping a rampaging tall forward line of Pebbles, Trav, Big bully Bryan and Frase.
Mark my words, these pups are going to get more than smacked hard with a rolled up newspaper! We will more than match them with our run. Dids is getting better and better with every week. Backline will be as solid as ever. Tough as all F#@%. Brodes will take no prisoners and will be better for the run. Our young , exciting guns will be hard to stop. No hiding places Doggies. Revenge for last year WILL be remembered and you are up for a hell of a beating. Time is nigh. Get 'em Maggies. No prisoners. As much as it is nice to say,"just a win would do". I now want to see a Pie side rub it in and go for percentage on this one. I believe we can do it!

[ad4eva]

If last week was a danger game, then this week... In patches during the Dees game they were downright scary with their run. At least at the Dome its a smaller ground which gives us more chance to lock them down.

yeah the dogs in the past have owned us on the wide open space of the G

a heavy tag is not only required for scotty west but for daniel cross. both tearing it up at the moment.

we have to restrict the run off their half back from gilbee and mcmahon, thats when they are at their most dangerous and they isolate johnson.

if we can get the ball in early to our forwards, hopefully with the inclusion of medhurst we are very dangerous.

[black&white blood]

run run run

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

I like Stui's idea

[eddiesmith]

Leave the forward line open, set up a defensive zone of sorts around the centre square to stop them running it out of defense and by leaving plenty of room it allows us to pick out Rocca, Cloke and Bryan in 1 on 1 contests which they have clear height advantages with Dids and Leon roaming for crumbs

Biggest danger is having too many in our forward line and leaving a foot race down the dome if they clear it

[ad4eva]

For mine... providing Medhurst is all good to go and Clement isnt...
IN: Davis, Medhurst, Goldsack
OUT: Dick, Iles, Wakelin

Dick needs some time in the two's. His slight body isnt quite up to it just at the minute. Having said that hes been good for his time in the side. Medhurst doesnt come up, he stays in.

Iles was servicable however i think Goldsack has earnt his debut and matches up well with blokes like Mitch Hahn, he can go on ball and float forward.

Wakelin is out because of match ups. Presti would probably take the tall timber down there, or possibly take Johnson.

Davis is under pressure to perform. Has to snag a couple and make himself more dangerous. I dont think we can fit Didak, Medhurst, Davis and Dick in the one side.

If Medhurst is right to go, he comes straight back in. Pretty dangerous and plays as a third tall.

MATCH UP'S
Brad Johnson - Harry O'Brien, if not possibly Presti or either of the Shaws.

Mitch Hahn - Tyson Goldsack. Has the height and pace to go with him. Either of the Shaws are an alternative.

Adam Cooney - Alan Toovey. Gotta stick tight, Cooney's a real match winner.

Daniel Cross - Tarkyn Lockyer. In great form and will win his own ball. Gotta watch him in the packs and he links up really well.

Scott West - Brodie Holland. West always dominates against us. Have to go with him every step of the way.

Jason Akermanis - Rhyce Shaw. Will run off Aker and make him work harder defensivly.

Who they may go with:
Anthony Rocca - Brian Harris.
Travis Cloke - Ryan Hargrave.
Alan Didak - Dale Morris.

[Mossi]

just thinking about the last time we met them. from the second quater they killed us out of the centre, putting heaps of pressure on our halfbackline. They opened us up and made every kick count. We could'nt get clean ball into our foward line and the few times we did Taz just could'nt put em through the sticks and we had no scoreboard pressure.
8 months later:
Ryce is back to 2005 form
Heath is in All Australian form
Harry has landed
Tooves has brough hardness and youth into the midfield
Trav is flying
Rocca is back
Daisy has picked up from where he left off
Pendles is setting up the plays
Burnsey is 22 all over again
Jock is clicking again
Bryan has brought more hardness into the side
Dutchie is itching to get into it
Dick's smile is catching
Obes has more mates getting in and under
Dids has two legs and not one and a bit
Most importantly the "collectiveness" of this side is awsome

so as stui sais if we keep playing this way and maybe kick a little straighter we can send these dogs yelping on Sunday.

[rowdypies]

Might be an idea to start brodie on the bench in case he gets a bit excited at the centre bounce like last time we played them.

[HAL]

What is your real name?

[jackcass]

Our biggest problem this week will be stopping B Johnson.

With no Clement, who will get the task?

Many will suggest Heath Shaw, but Johnson will try pull him back to the goal square to remove Heath's running off the half back line.

Harry is the only possible suggestion. He's good in the air, and very quick off the mark.

However, what about plan b? What if Harry doesn't work out.

By all reports, Goldsack was close to best on ground again yesterday, so if he were to get a game, he may very well find himself on Johnson.

Toovey could be another option.

[Dark Lord]

Our biggest problem this week will be stopping B Johnson.

With no Clement, who will get the task?

Many will suggest Heath Shaw, but Johnson will try pull him back to the goal square to remove Heath's running off the half back line.

Harry is the only possible suggestion. He's good in the air, and very quick off the mark.

However, what about plan b? What if Harry doesn't work out.

By all reports, Goldsack was close to best on ground again yesterday, so if he were to get a game, he may very well find himself on Johnson.

Toovey could be another option.

Maxwell?