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

[Haff]

Win this and we finish top 2 and take on Brisbane or Port at the G which hopefully means we play the other the following week.

Cant take the cats lightly but i dont think they're going too well either.

Did we just hit two hungry teams and were 5% off or has the rot set in? Dunno. Im not exactly glass half full and it felt like we'd list a grand final last week. Just cant see how this midfield turns it around without its best cog.

Outs:
Naicos, Murphy, Checkers.

Ins:
Markov, Frampton, Cox.

Sub: Ginivan

Crisp to the middle, more mid time for Adams.

[slangman]

Let’s not forget that the last 3 games the opposition began their preparations for us weeks in advance by resting players in the lead up and in the case of the Hawks, they approached the game as their GF.

I still maintain that Fly should’ve changed his strategy regarding managing players.
If Nick hurt his knee against Port he should have been either rested or managed through game time to not exacerbate the injury. Unfortunately he got a knock on the already troublesome knee and now he is out for 6 weeks.

[mgh3536]

Why does ginnavan play?

Last year was then he hasn’t shown form at all in vfl
The opportunity he had yesterday to stamp his authority on a place in the team 6 possessions and 1 tackle ffs!!

Bianco ruscoe should be ahead of ginnavan

Whe, cox, frampton in

Your selections include WHE, yet he didn't dominate the VFL game. Why are you so quick to apply criteria to one player and then not to another?
We got smashed in centre clearances from the VFL reports. The ball rarely came into our forward line. Of Ginnivan's very limited opportunities, he still managed to create 2 goals.

Because they are different players and play different roles... WHE is a two way player and his form this year has been good, he has freshened up ready to go

[mgh3536]

Why does ginnavan play?

Last year was then he hasn’t shown form at all in vfl
The opportunity he had yesterday to stamp his authority on a place in the team 6 possessions and 1 tackle ffs!!

Bianco ruscoe should be ahead of ginnavan

Whe, cox, frampton in

Your selections include WHE, yet he didn't dominate the VFL game. Why are you so quick to apply criteria to one player and then not to another?
We got smashed in centre clearances from the VFL reports. The ball rarely came into our forward line. Of Ginnivan's very limited opportunities, he still managed to create 2 goals.

Because they are different players and play different roles... WHE is a two way player and his form this year has been good, he has freshened up ready to go

[swooper]

At least for this game I reckon we will be underdogs. A position I much prefer to be in
Go Pies - all is not lost

[Skids]

$1.70 favourites, cats are $2.15

[RudeBoy]

The positive to come out of us losing Nick Daicos and (probably) Mitchell, is that it provides an opportunity for others to step up to the plate. We have 3 games before the finals to see if players like Carmichael, Harrison and maybe even Ed Allen, can play a role for us. They may well surprise a few.

[ANNODAM]

Time will tell, win this & we’ll all have a spring in our step.


Just win Pies!
Whatever it take to get over the line.


54 days until GF Day & it starts with this week!

[Magpietothemax]

Why does ginnavan play?

Last year was then he hasn’t shown form at all in vfl
The opportunity he had yesterday to stamp his authority on a place in the team 6 possessions and 1 tackle ffs!!

Bianco ruscoe should be ahead of ginnavan

Whe, cox, frampton in

Your selections include WHE, yet he didn't dominate the VFL game. Why are you so quick to apply criteria to one player and then not to another?
We got smashed in centre clearances from the VFL reports. The ball rarely came into our forward line. Of Ginnivan's very limited opportunities, he still managed to create 2 goals.

Because they are different players and play different roles... WHE is a two way player and his form this year has been good, he has freshened up ready to go

Ginnivan's role is to score goals, and he did.

[swoop42]

Frampton for Murphy and Markov for Naicos seems the most likely.

If Mitchell is also out injured it doesn't look like WHE did much in the VFL to warrant an immediate recall. If his form isn't demanding selection I'd rather give our youth an opportunity.

If we intend to use McCreery through the midfield more this week then perhaps an actual small forward in Harrison or Ginnivan are an option or is a surprise debut on the cards?

The injury to Naicos should mean Lipinski survives.

While Johnson didn't do much to like given how poor we and the forward supply was against Hawthorn I wouldn't be against giving him another opportunity.

[gurugeoff]

is Kruger available? ( at least he will go in hard until he injures himself)

Can Mihocek play as a back? I'm starting to prefer McStay as he can get off the ground.

[dalyc]

What I’d like to understand is how we are going to fix the cluster that was our forward entry last week. I’m sure the instruction wasn’t for all our forwards to come together in 3 metre circle, so wtf happened?

Earlier in the season we had separation and multiple entry paths.

Ginni only plays if Cox plays. We know he can crumb, well we used to know it.

[stui magpie]

I would be unlike Fly to make a lot of changes that aren't forced. I agree with others, it's not the personnel it's the mindset. Fly mentioned psychology a few times during his post match press conference and the stats show we've been going through the motions since round 9. Winning without effort is a bad habit to get into and it's caught up with us. The trick Fly has to achieve is to get the players switched back on.

So minimal changes for mine.

Frampton in for murphy, Bianco in for Naicos.

If Mitchell is OK, put him back in the guts to win clearences and distribute as he was doing at the start of the season. If he's not, give reef a shot.

Johnson will get another game although Krueger would provide more intensity, I'd like Cox and Ginni in but don't know who to drop for them, so I'll stick with the 2 changes to personnel and a mindset change for the group.

[shawthing]

Did the Blues start the blue print on stopping Collingwood

No Brisbane did in Round 4. It just took until Melbourne for another club to try it. Whoever has played up to the blueprint has beaten us - although both Adelaide and Port should have won. The question is whether Geelong (like us) still have enough cattle.

[shawthing]

The usual suspect negative Nellies are at it again, no wonder I wont take part in that match day thread anymore , so I will leave them to wallow in their own swill. One player does not make a team, sure Nick will be missed, yes, but as my son poiinted out, we had both JDG and Sidey out together for several games, and we still won matches. The whole team had a real bad day at the Office, v the poo and piss, this happens, happens to other teams too, seen it so often. This is a real challenge now for the whole side, and Fly, this match. The Cats did lose to Freo on their home deck, so they are very beatable. They have a few outs too. If we go into this match with a whole new mindset, utter cold blooded determination to stop the rot, throw everything at them, we can win this, I reckon, this is our challenge, to get back to what we were. I still have faith in our team, damned if Im giving up. Woods by 16 points.

Good. Don't then. Stop bleating about it. If you turn up next weekend it shall be noted.