Team v Cats: Bytel and Geary for Jones and Ryder

[kosifantutti]

Jones managed

Phillips, Ryan Abbott, Shane Savage and Dylan Roberton have been named as emergencies.

Late change Ryder out. Phillips back in.

[saintsRrising]

IN
Saints
Jack Bytel,
Jarryn Geary

Cats
Brandan Parfitt,
Gary Rohan,
Jake Kolodjashnij

OUT
Saints
Ed Phillips (Omitted),
Zak Jones (Rested)

Cats
Lachie Fogarty (Managed),
Sam Simpson (Managed),
Zach Guthrie (Managed)

[skeptic]

Thought Savage would have waltzed back in given he’s such an incredible player and Long is terrible

Surprised there aren’t more changes... thought we might have rotated a few and rested them after a short turnaround

[saintsRrising]

Emergencies are:
[30] Ed Phillips,
[27] Ryan Abbott,
[5] Shane Savage,
[17] Dylan Roberton

So if Paddy is a late out it may be Abbott in.

[saintsRrising]

Unless Esava Ratugolea is a late in it looks like the Cats are going with only Hawkins as a tall forward and Stanley as their sole ruck.

Hopefully Paddy is back at his best for if we can through him and Marshall win the ruck it will assist in negating the Cats midfield group.

[Devilhead]

The boys must be feeling ok ..... except Jones

[bigcarl]

Lots of people saying let’s rest a few up, but how players would actually put their hand up for a breather?

They all want to keep or improve their spot in the pecking order as I understand it.

And what are the consequences of telling a player he has to have a week off?

Never been a fan of flirting with form ... not since 2009 when we rested half the side. It may have cost us momentum.

I get that this is a very different season and we have only a three-and-a-half day break going into this one, but the thing is, the players want to play.

[saintkid]

Jones will be missed tomorrow night. He has been fantastic in our midfield, hard at it and one of the driving forces behind our success.

[The Fireman]

Jones will be missed tomorrow night. He has been fantastic in our midfield, hard at it and one of the driving forces behind our success.

yep. big loss especially against the Cats.

[CURLY]

Dunstan
Hannebery
Ross
Jones

Our starting midfield decimated

[The_Dud]

Posted in the other thread...

I think Phillips is a bit stiff, but I suppose he was only a late replacement for Geary.

Not too worried about Seb being out, I think he’s becoming more a depth player this year.

[bigcarl]

I wonder if they’ll play Bytel as a like-for-like replacement for Jones or move Clark or someone into more of a midfield role?

[The_Dud]

I wonder if they’ll play Bytel as a like-for-like replacement for Jones or move Clark or someone into more of a midfield role?

Would love to see Clarke in the midfield more, but then again he does so well across half back.

Hopefully they tell Bytel to just go for it and not worry about stuffing up, let’s see what he’s got!

[bigcarl]

Dunstan
Hannebery
Ross
Jones

Our starting midfield decimated

Yes, It’s a worry. You need mature, hardened AFL bodies around the ball. Ross is still on the injured list, no doubt, or he would have been selected. He’s not even an emergency.

Good luck to Bytel. It is going to be a baptism of fire against the Cats midfield - if he lines up there.

[saintspremiers]

I’m pleased Ratogalea is not playing - he’s dangerous.

Who is going give Stuv a bit of stick?

[The_Dud]

I’m pleased Ratogalea is not playing - he’s dangerous.

Who is going give Stuv a bit of stick?

After how ‘tough’ it was for him last year, I think just the sight of St Kilda jumpers will bring him to his knees!

[saintbob]

Baptism of fire for Bytel, but I hope he acquits himself well.

[shanegrambeau]

Dunstan
Hannebery
Ross
Jones

Our starting midfield decimated

Yes, It’s a worry. You need mature, hardened AFL bodies around the ball. Ross is still on the injured list, no doubt, or he would have been selected. He’s not even an emergency.

Good luck to Bytel. It is going to be a baptism of fire against the Cats midfield - if he lines up there.

Yeah, but...

Dunstan (mediocre player, debatable best 22)
Hannebery (chronically injured)
Ross (disposal weak, barely top 22?)
Jones (had a few great games, had some quiet ones, called c grader on this board)

It's not exactly the Beatles, if you know what I mean.

[saynta]

Dunstan
Hannebery
Ross
Jones

Our starting midfield decimated

Yes, It’s a worry. You need mature, hardened AFL bodies around the ball. Ross is still on the injured list, no doubt, or he would have been selected. He’s not even an emergency.

Good luck to Bytel. It is going to be a baptism of fire against the Cats midfield - if he lines up there.

Yeah, but...

Dunstan (mediocre player, debatable best 22)
Hannebery (chronically injured)
Ross (disposal weak, barely top 22?)
Jones (had a few great games, had some quiet ones, called c grader on this board)

It's not exactly the Beatles, if you know what I mean.

we have won 7 out of 10. And are currently 3rd on the ladder ffs.

[saintbob]

I wonder if they’ll play Bytel as a like-for-like replacement for Jones or move Clark or someone into more of a midfield role?

I hope they let him loose in the midfield and don’t play him in a forward pocket like they did Byrnes.

[skeptic]

I wonder if they’ll play Bytel as a like-for-like replacement for Jones or move Clark or someone into more of a midfield role?

I hope they let him loose in the midfield and don’t play him in a forward pocket like they did Byrnes.

The thing is... there’s nothing in his skill set as reported that suggests he could be anything other than an inside mid.
Playing him in a forward pocket would appear to be a sure fire recipe for failure.

Hope he gets a run in the middle even if he is schooled a little

[bigcarl]

Dunstan
Hannebery
Ross
Jones

Our starting midfield decimated

Yes, It’s a worry. You need mature, hardened AFL bodies around the ball. Ross is still on the injured list, no doubt, or he would have been selected. He’s not even an emergency.

Good luck to Bytel. It is going to be a baptism of fire against the Cats midfield - if he lines up there.

Yeah, but...

Dunstan (mediocre player, debatable best 22)
Hannebery (chronically injured)
Ross (disposal weak, barely top 22?)
Jones (had a few great games, had some quiet ones, called c grader on this board)

It's not exactly the Beatles, if you know what I mean.

There will never be another Beatles, but that is all debatable.

Ross is a dual B&F, albeit out of form pre-injury.

Hannebery is a highly-decorated player. I don’t think there much doubt on his ability if he can get on the park.

Dunstan, I think you under-rate. There will be a few clubs eying him off as he seems to have been displaced by Jones. Solid, serviceable and mature-bodied.

Jones I think has been very serviceable in most games, though he looked off the pace Thursday.

None of them is a really flashy outside player. They are all good in and under types.

You probably don’t play all four of them - it would make the team too slow - but underestimate the lack of that type of player at your peril.

Don’t get me wrong. Very happy to see Bytel get his chance - he sounds a very promising player - but I think that has been forced on the club through injuries to the above.

[samuraisaint]

Only thing we can hope for is that Geelong's older players feel the pinch.

If we try to play the game between our two flanks and play the wing instead of going through the centre corridor, we're a chance.

But, geez, that midfield going up against Dangerfield, Selwood and Steven...

[shanegrambeau]

I actually suspect Dunstan is best of the bunch at this juncture, in terms of giving immediate value to the team - a team that is so far advanced to what it was eight months ago, but us usual, I've gotta be honest, a lot of it is based on what I hear here and from various media pundits, Garry Llyon etc.

[Saintmatt]

The boys must be feeling ok ..... except Jones

Remember that Zac has already missed with a hammy this season. Reckon it’s just to make sure it’s not stretched to the brink before another compressed block of games against good teams.