What we need to do on Saturday Night.

[boneless23]

* Play M Gardiner to allow Kosi a decent crack at FF. This season he has alway looked deflated in the forward 50 from having to run 150m from the back half to get to the contest. He is a power forward that relies on energy to get the ball.

* Ensure Roo and Kosi lead away from each other. Too many times on Sunday did they contest for the same ball. Often they spoiled each other but more often it allowed Roo to be double/triple teamed.

* Honour Gwilt's leads. We need to make his man accountable instead of having the luxury of dropping off and filling the hole.

* Play Gram on Medhurst. This way Medhurst will have to be accountable and run both ways.

* Play Clint Jones on Davis. Tackle him whenever he goes near it and beast him early. If Jonesy gives away a few free kicks early then so be it. We want Davis looking out of the corner of his eye when he goes for the ball. (2002/2003 GF)

* Tag Swan. This is the only hard midfield tag I see necessary. Give Birss the job as they match up on each other quite well.

* Play Armitage in bursts off the bench similiar to how Pies play Swan. He hasn't got a tank yet but is good in tight and can kick goals. Bottom line is THIS KID HAS CLASS. Something others on the list lack.

* Need Dal Santo to drift forward more often. Ref Hawtorn game when he kicked a few from on 50. Need other players to make concerted effort to sacrifce their own performances to block and screen for Dal like Geelong do for Ablett.

* Need to be wary of J Fraser drifting forward and kicking goals. This has to be a theme in the preperation as it is unaccaptable for King to zone off him.

* If things are going poorly in the midfield, play Fisher through there. Free him up from a defensive role totally and roll the dice. It worked about 6 weeks ago but hasnt really been done since.

Therefore the line up for Sat night should be:

Fisher Max Gilbert

Jones Blake Gram

Joey Hayes Birss

Gwilt Riewoldt Schneider

Milne Kosi Harvey

King
Dal
Goddard

X. Clarke Raph Armitage Gardiner (or Rix if Gardiner's body is shot)

The key match ups therefore should be:

Max on Dawes (this kid deserves more respect than we gave him last time)

Gilbert on Anthony (need to run him wide and minimise his set shots. He doesnt offer anything at ground level)

Blake on Cloke

Jones on Davis, Gram on Medhurst and Birss on Swan.

Let Lenny, BJ and Dal run head to head with Burns, Pendlebury, Thomas and Co.

I would appreciate your throughts on these points.

Mat

[matrix]

i dont think burns will play....
i wouldnt bring rix or gards in.

when u havent played for god knows how many weeks u cant just waltz back into a finals side and get up to game speed and skill.....not in finals, no way.
look at X against the cats....nowhere near his best.

agree on the dane swan thing.....a very good player who goes un noticed a bit.
kinda like that sewell (spelling?) from the hawks.

if u can keep davis quiet, swan to not much, smash that little bastard thomas and not let cloke get too many shots on goal i think ya doing alright.

we have much more than they do........how we lost to them the last few time i will never know.
all year i never rated north or the pies.

[johnpeterbudgefanclub]

we have much more than they do........how we lost to them the last few time i will never know.
all year i never rated north or the pies

Interesting comment matrix. Maybe u do have much more maybe u don't. I'd suggest desperation and playing more as a team may have been contributing factors.

[matrix]

we have much more than they do........how we lost to them the last few time i will never know.
all year i never rated north or the pies

Interesting comment matrix. Maybe u do have much maybe u don't. I'd suggest desperation and playing more as a team may have been contributing factors.

cant argue with that jpbfc......
talent can only get u so far...granted.
desperation and the want to win is sometimes more important.


should be a good game........
and maybe if we show some of that do or die desperation and mix it with our talent we will get over the line.
if we dont.......
we will lose to your mob.
this is finals, and there is no tomorrow if u lose.

its gonna be a cracker of a game huh

[Sobraz]

Essentially agree with your post boneless...

We must stop Dane Swan and Leon Davis... These guys have had field days against us in the past 2 years, and if Swan isn't tagged from the outset i will flip my top...

Early domination from these 2 has allowed others like Thomas and Cloke to work into the game and capatilise on our recent feble showings against the pies..

Pound for pound we are better than them... They have a more even 22, with our bottom 3 or 4 really struggling at the top level, but our mid-tier and cream is far superior to theirs... We play our best, we win... Simple..

If we come out with another half-arsed effort against this mob, serious question will need to be asked about the coach's inability to get the best out of his players...

[johnpeterbudgefanclub]

Absolutely mate. I know u guys will certainly be up for it. And our guys r certainly well aware of that. Good to have two Melbourne teams going at it hell for leather on Saturday night.

Who could wish for a better stage.

[St. Luke]

WIN!!!

[bigcarl]

i'd try something daring like bj to full forward and release roo up the ground to chf where he can burn off a few opponents.

a forward line of riewoldt, schneider, milne and bj. give them plenty of space to lead into and concentrate on getting it in there fast.

might as well go down taking risks and playing a few shots.

then again, it's not my head on the block if it goes awry.

also, if we're smashed around the ground as badly as we were on sunday, nothing's going to help.

[saintsRrising]

The Pies PUMPED us in the midfield last time....and the Pies do not nornally do well in the midfield.


We need to strengthen our midfield.

So we NEED BJ (he can win contested ball and use it well) in the midfield....and not cooling his heels at FF waiting for a ball that will rarely get to him.

[bigcarl]

The Pies PUMPED us in the midfield last time....and the Pies do not nornally do well in the midfield.


We need to strengthen our midfield.

So we NEED BJ (he can win contested ball and use it well) in the midfield....and not cooling his heels at FF waiting for a ball that will rarely get to him.

as i recall it one of the reasons the pies pumped us last time was the lack of another viable marking option in the forward line apart from riewoldt.

gwilt and charlie gardiner have offered very little in the way of goals. gehrig's papers are signed.

[boneless23]

That is why I am trying to think of a way to free up Kosi from his ruck duties...to give us another option.

Against Geelong in the NAB cup he looked ominous as the forward target but hasn't looked likely since. I think the reason for this is that he is always shagged when he runs back into the forward 50

[St. Luke]

Wheel in ol' Rixy

[SainterK]

We are so much taller than them, so use it to our advantage....

Play on at all costs, if we get the clearance then long bomb it in and have our forwards outmark them.

[degruch]

Agree with most things you've mentioned, but can't see M Gardiner coming into the side (slight injuries, lack of form, lack of game time). Otherwise, good thoughts...especially in regard to Davis and Swann. Even if CJ gives a free away every now and then, stopping Davis' run will dry up scoring opportunities for them...particularly if CJ keeps him out around the 50m arc.

Tie up Medhurst, Davis, restrict Swann, then you have Thomas and Cloke to fix up...we're not looking too bad. As long as we put a freakin' leading forward in this time, we should be OK. Of course, on past form, there'll be no Birss and no leading forward other than Roo!?! Surely RL won't do it this time...

[saintsRrising]

The Pies PUMPED us in the midfield last time....and the Pies do not nornally do well in the midfield.


We need to strengthen our midfield.

So we NEED BJ (he can win contested ball and use it well) in the midfield....and not cooling his heels at FF waiting for a ball that will rarely get to him.

as i recall it one of the reasons the pies pumped us last time was the lack of another viable marking option in the forward line apart from riewoldt.

gwilt and charlie gardiner have offered very little in the way of goals. gehrig's papers are signed.

BJ is also not a quick lead...so why would he makea good FF??



I would rather have him drifting forward where he can float in for a mark....that he is good at.


We may lack keey forwards...but we even more lack quality players in the midfield who can use the ball well.

Here is a lit of such players we have without BJ:

* Dal ...who is up and down on form
*Banger...but he is mainly an outside mod and receiver these days...we need players to feed him

*then no one!!!!!





Lenny is a good mid at ball winning...but his ball use his haphazard.

Gram is learning the midfield trade...but one should not confuse his long "roosts' for good kicking.

[rodgerfox]

* Play M Gardiner to allow Kosi a decent crack at FF.

Sorry.

Lost me here.

If Kosi ever lines up at FF again I'll....well....be disappointed.

[bigcarl]

The Pies PUMPED us in the midfield last time....and the Pies do not nornally do well in the midfield.


We need to strengthen our midfield.

So we NEED BJ (he can win contested ball and use it well) in the midfield....and not cooling his heels at FF waiting for a ball that will rarely get to him.

as i recall it one of the reasons the pies pumped us last time was the lack of another viable marking option in the forward line apart from riewoldt.

gwilt and charlie gardiner have offered very little in the way of goals. gehrig's papers are signed.

BJ is also not a quick lead...so why would he makea good FF??



I would rather have him drifting forward where he can float in for a mark....that he is good at.


We may lack keey forwards...but we even more lack quality players in the midfield who can use the ball well.

Here is a lit of such players we have without BJ:

* Dal ...who is up and down on form
*Banger...but he is mainly an outside mod and receiver these days...we need players to feed him

*then no one!!!!!





Lenny is a good mid at ball winning...but his ball use his haphazard.

Gram is learning the midfield trade...but one should not confuse his long "roosts' for good kicking.

sam fisher? wasn't he being used in there with some success for a few games?

here's one from left field. raph clarke.

[matrix]

yes bj is a great kick...and would slot a few at FF if given the delivery
but
we really do need him hitting people on the tit from 45 metres away and setting up some play.
middle or back flank for me.

[markp]

* Play Clint Jones on Davis. Tackle him whenever he goes near it and beast him early. If Jonesy gives away a few free kicks early then so be it. We want Davis looking out of the corner of his eye when he goes for the ball. (2002/2003 GF)

Spot on.... make him hurt.

We gave him way too much latitude last time, as did the crows.

[bigcarl]

we really do need him hitting people on the tit from 45 metres away and setting up some play. middle or back flank for me.

i can see what you are saying and, yes, it would be robbing peter to pay paul to a degree. sort of a chicken and egg argument.

the question is whose tit is he supposed to hit? rooey will have a collingwood defender hanging off each one.

[Griggsy]

they can play with a little more passion for starters

[Sainternist]

Play Gram on Medhurst. This way Medhurst will have to be accountable and run both ways.

Yes, this match would be good to watch. Hope RL puts this into the plans.

Would love to see Killer give that little rat tailed bogan an absolute bath

[Saints94]

Blake might not pull up for saturdays game with what appears to be a wrist injury

[boneless23]

I think Blake has declared himself fit. There was a post earlier saying it was just a jarred wrist.