I’m feeling some very mixed emotions towards today’s game. I think anxiety would be my overriding emotion because we don’t know if the team we saw get smashed by West Coast last week is the one that is going to turn up to the MCG today. I’m also feeling excitement because it’s our first home game in a month. And whatever you think about the team’s current form, there really is nothing like being at the G’ watching the boys in red and blue run around.
To team news first, and as expected there are a number of changes. Here’s how we will line up:
EMG: Joel Macdonald, Michael Newton, Neville Jetta
Jared Rivers, who is out with an ankle injury, is the only forced change and Matthew Warnock comes in to replace him. We will certainly miss Rivers, who has been our best defender this season, aside from Garland. We are facing what I consider to be the most promising young forward line in the league. Kurt Tippett, Taylor Walker and Chris Knights can all take marks and kick goals. More on them later.
As for the omissions, I don’t think you can argue that any of the three did not deserve to be dropped. But then again, who didn’t based on last week, aside from Garland, Bail and Watts? Once I saw Stef Martin was out, I was almost positive Michael Newton would be making his season debut as a forward/ruckman. I was therefore surprised to see Addam Maric included alongside Ricky Petterd and Matthew Bate instead of Juice. While it is certainly risky going in with just Mark Jamar rucking on his own, I think a bit more mobility around the ground could be the way to go. If he goes down we will be looking at possibly Lynden Dunn or Colin Sylvia, who I remember competing in a ruck contest a few years back and winning it well. Maybe Liam Jurrah could do a bit of ruck work as well.
Ricky Petterd and Matthew Bate both had to come in after last week’s forward line debacle, and I think they will provide good leading targets in the forward 50 as well as being able to push up the ground and create space for Jurrah. They will also hopefully take some pressure off Brad Green, who has been struggling for form so far this season. I agree with Supermercado from Demonblog on this one, he should be played almost exclusively inside the forward 50. And for christ’s sake man, lead towards the middle, not the boundary!
As for Cale Morton and Jamie Bennell, well Morton needs to go back and find form with Casey. He needs to go back to basics, because that is what is letting him down at the moment. His kicking skills, once his best attribute, are now really letting him down and he has become a liability. There has been quite a bit of talk recently about whether going back to the VFL really does enable players to get into AFL standard form because the pace is so much quicker. For me, I think Morton is one who would benefit from a stint with Casey as it will allow him that little bit of extra time to make his decision and then execute the skill correctly. Let’s hope he can do it because he is a talented player who is letting the team down at the moment.
Regular readers will know that I am a big Jamie Bennell fan. I know a lot of people think otherwise, but I think he adds something to our team that no-one else does, in that he is very skilled, very quick and can play forward, back and in midfield. I hope he is back in the team soon.
As I said earlier, we face today what I consider to be the most promising forward line in the competition. As well as Tippett, Walker and Knights, they have Patrick Dangerfield who could possibly be quicker than Aaron Davey, they have Richard Douglas who can kick goals and also win plenty of ball, and they have Scott Thompson, who’s departure at the end of 2004 is one that still pains me to this day. I say it every week, the way to stop their forwards is to stop the supply. We are almost dead last in the competition for inside 50′s conceded and it really is not good enough. Not enough of our midfielders are accountable enough defensively, and it is something that will need to be significantly improved from last week.
We know all about our record against them at AAMI Stadium, but our record against them at the MCG is not too bad in the last few seasons. I think. Well we beat them here last season after a terrible first half, but are not likely to get away with a start like that, or the starts against Brisbane and West Coast today. Our foot must be on full throttle right from the start. There are plenty of things we can analyze, plenty of stats that we will need to win, but overall the attitude must be one of desperation, hunger and mercilessness. Last week’s performance was unacceptable, especially the first quarter, and the supporters will most certainly not be in a forgiving mood today. This is the biggest game of Dean Bailey’s career, and he needs the players to stand up for him. If they can’t find any motivation for this game, I think the executioner might well be sharpening his axe.
It’s time to get our season back on track. No more excuses. And most of all, I just want to write a happy post match blog for once.
Come on Melbourne!
