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

[westernpie]

Expecting a win,but no thumping 20-40 pts
Could be like last year when it was close up to half time ,and then we broke away.
Also we are getting screwed over here in the West again with no coverege of the match,thanks to Fox and Ch7 showing the Freo/Rich live against each other.WTF

[RudeBoy]

I'm expecting an absolute thumping of the filth. I want a 10 goal plus victory, and I reckon we're a good chance to deliver it.

[magpiemike]

Westernpie, we were talking about that very thing today, no coverage of the greatest rivalry in sporting history, instead we have to watch a foredrawn conclusion in the dorkers/tigirls match. I'll be huddled around my computer for 3 hours listening on AFL Gameday Live. So, catch ya on the chatline.

[stui magpie]

I want Heater on Eddie Betts...im sick of this overrated hack kicking a bag against us.

OK, I take your point. And just like you I'm tired of seeing Betts take us for a few easy goals. BUT .... I'm not sure I'd want to waste Heater on him. Heater gives us more value when he plays on the worst small/medium forward, because Heater likes to play off his man and hammer the oppo club with his run out of defence and his accurate, creative passes.

Do we really need to waste Heater on Betts? Can't we find someone else who is good enough to shut him down, but not so good that we would miss his attack out of the backline?

Actually, I wonder if a good matchup for Betts wouldn't be ... wait for it .... you will all say I'm crazy .... but I'm thinking about playing Toovey on Betts. Tooves has the pace, he's tall enough to be difficult for a Betts to mark against overhead, and Toovey must know that, with the likes of Clarke, Goldsack, and Holland out of the side at present, he is battling to find a role within the senior 22 that one of the other players can't do better. Tooves needs a role he can call his own, and being a pacy shut-down tagger might just be exactly right for him.

Let's remember Toovey's problems last year, when he had a few kicked on him - but, if I remember correctly, those goals came when Toovey was matched up against a player too tall for him. There are defenders who can play well on taller forwards - Wakes, Clement, Harry, and even (to some extent) Heater are examples - and there are defenders who really need to stick with their own size.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and (imagining I'm the coach) say, "Alan Toovey, this is your big chance. Your task is to go to Eddie Betts and shut him down. I don't care if you get a kick for yourself or not, I'm not even going to look at your stats, I'm only going to look at Eddie Betts' stats. I want Betts to be a non-contributor to Carlton's scoreline. That's your job. You're quick, you're taller than he is, and you can read the play. If you can shut down a gun forward like Betts the way that Racer shuts down gun midfielders like Black, you'll get more senior game time with us this year."

If he could own the job of taking the oppositions small forward each week and stopping them, he'd have a spot in the team every week as one of the few specialists in the team.

[mel_kay39]

Expecting a win,but no thumping 20-40 pts
Could be like last year when it was close up to half time ,and then we broke away.
Also we are getting screwed over here in the West again with no coverege of the match,thanks to Fox and Ch7 showing the Freo/Rich live against each other.WTF

My tv week says channel 7 will play our game at 3pm. Not live of course, but where did you get your information from? I hope they haven't changed their programming!

Ins: Goldsack, Clarke
Out: Toovey, and it's kind of hard to pick anyone else! Perhaps Johnson?

[John Wren]

Club president Eddie McGuire was hardly able to hide his joy at the prospect that his club could be the one to force such an ignominious record on the long-time rival.

"We take it one game at a time against Carlton. It hasn't crossed my mind at all," McGuire told the assembled media when asked about the significance of the record.

He then added, in a stage whisper: "Every waking moment."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/b ... 92434.html

[ktszyu1]

Harry gave Betts an absolute bath last year in round 7.
Wakelin will take the resting ruckman or Waite when he goes forward.
Brown to take Fevola.
Goldsack to take Fisher.
Heath to take the resting midfielder.
Maxwell to take... whoever else there is.

Wow, our backline really should spank their forward line.[/b]

And our forward line should absolute tear their backline apart. The only problem is the midfield. Although, it's always better on paper than it is in reality... because despite being so much better, we never smash them.

[3rd degree]

One tactic for sunday, suck Cameron Cloke into fights, he is dumb and will give away a lot of 50s.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

No change for me. I thought Tooves did ok last week if you look beyond the one or two errors, which weren't costly. Don't meddle with a winning formula I say. If it's horse for courses then fine, I'm sure MM has it figured.

[Zakal]

I want Heater on Eddie Betts...im sick of this overrated hack kicking a bag against us.

OK, I take your point. And just like you I'm tired of seeing Betts take us for a few easy goals. BUT .... I'm not sure I'd want to waste Heater on him. Heater gives us more value when he plays on the worst small/medium forward, because Heater likes to play off his man and hammer the oppo club with his run out of defence and his accurate, creative passes.

Do we really need to waste Heater on Betts? Can't we find someone else who is good enough to shut him down, but not so good that we would miss his attack out of the backline?

Actually, I wonder if a good matchup for Betts wouldn't be ... wait for it .... you will all say I'm crazy .... but I'm thinking about playing Toovey on Betts. Tooves has the pace, he's tall enough to be difficult for a Betts to mark against overhead, and Toovey must know that, with the likes of Clarke, Goldsack, and Holland out of the side at present, he is battling to find a role within the senior 22 that one of the other players can't do better. Tooves needs a role he can call his own, and being a pacy shut-down tagger might just be exactly right for him.

Let's remember Toovey's problems last year, when he had a few kicked on him - but, if I remember correctly, those goals came when Toovey was matched up against a player too tall for him. There are defenders who can play well on taller forwards - Wakes, Clement, Harry, and even (to some extent) Heater are examples - and there are defenders who really need to stick with their own size.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and (imagining I'm the coach) say, "Alan Toovey, this is your big chance. Your task is to go to Eddie Betts and shut him down. I don't care if you get a kick for yourself or not, I'm not even going to look at your stats, I'm only going to look at Eddie Betts' stats. I want Betts to be a non-contributor to Carlton's scoreline. That's your job. You're quick, you're taller than he is, and you can read the play. If you can shut down a gun forward like Betts the way that Racer shuts down gun midfielders like Black, you'll get more senior game time with us this year."

Well, i think Betts is their worst small forward...just not against us because we just ignore him most of the time.

However i was also thinking Toovey IF he stays in the side. Betts will probably be a little too quick (agile) for him, but that doesn't mean he cant do a job on him. Toovey isnt a poor reader of the play, and Carlton can't provide pinpoint delivery to save their life. The Tooves is smart, and the Blue is innacurate.


Something people are missing re Toovey, is the role of a tagger...a specialist tagger of the Brett Kirk mould. We dont have one. Brodie used to be, but doesnt seem to be able to get a game at present. Rhyce is a sort-of tagger, but there are a lot of players he isnt suited to. Clarke is too good to be a tagger, and the same goes for Pendles and Daisy.

Similarly, Swan can do it, but you waste his clearance winning ability.


This is where i think Tooves HAS A CHANCE of earning his spot in the side. IF he can develop his game around becoming a classical "shut-down" type tagger who can bludgeon thru packs with the ball every now and then....even if its only to deliver a 25m kick or a quick handball to a Pendles/Dids/Daisy...he could become quite useful.

In my opinion, he is Licuria Mark II. Slightly quicker, slightly better kick, lots of heart and run. It remains to be seen whether our skill level has increased enough to make Toovey a complete liability...but i think this is the role he should focus on filling.

[Zakal]

No change for me. I thought Tooves did ok last week if you look beyond the one or two errors, which weren't costly. Don't meddle with a winning formula I say. If it's horse for courses then fine, I'm sure MM has it figured.

Notwithstanding my above post, if Goldsack is right to go, I cant agree with Toovey holding his spot ahead of Goldy, regardless of long-term goals.

[panga]

In: Clarke
Out: Anthony

[Podpicken]

Yes, Panga, agree

[Dave The Man]

In: Clarke
Out: Anthony

Must be Suspecting a Wet Game

[1eyedpie]