Eagles v Norwood July 3 Maughan Thiem Kia oval

Sunday 3 July
Seconds 11.10
League 2.05

Hopefully some of our injured players are returning this week

This will be a tough game.

Norwood are in form and we struggled to beat them earlier in the season.

I agree we will need to get some injured players back

Best I can do this weeks in

IN: T. Menzel, Ballenden, McFarlane

goddy11 wrote:

Mickyj wrote:Best I can do this weeks in

IN: T. Menzel, Ballenden, McFarlane

3 good ins.

Very good in’s

goddy11 wrote:Poor results for our underage teams. Lets hope that trend does not continue today.

I wondered how many of our U18s were in the state teams

Okay I'm finally ready to wave the white flag on season 2022. At best we may sneak into 5th spot but it's clear we will be just making up the numbers.

As Goddy has stated, the lack of height killed us. There isn't really anything we can do about it. Ballenden will make some difference. But in addition to him we need another tall player down there. I'd even go as far as saying our backline is also too short Thompson might be our tallest player down there and he'd be only about 192cm, Lehmann would be shorter and Duval wouldn't even be 190cm. They got monstered today by a couple of Norwood forwards in the 195cm/100kg+ range.

We seem to have a team all over the ground in the 180-187cm range.

We are being forced to play players of this height in positions they are not suited. It's not their fault. It's the circumstances but it means our structure is all wrong. Players get the ball on the halfback line and look forward and don't know where to kick it because there is no obvious tall target. Do they kick it to Firns (our 185cm CHF) and expect him to take a pack mark or do they kick it to Much who is taller but is our midfielder? They only time we can kick goals is if we rush it forward without hesitation and get it to Menzel on the lead or in a 1 on 1 tussell. Whether Sheedy can reinvent our team plan in the short time we have left I don't know. But it's clear we can't win the Premiership playing the way we are.

Thought D Menzel, Knights, Sinor and Goldsworthy were our best today. Goldy in particular has finally got back into form. As much as I'd love to have him delivering the ball to our forwards from the wing or half back line I think he plugs the necessary hole as our small forward - the role Rowe and Stengle played over the last two years. This year we have been lacking that kind of player. Hardie, Mead and Comma have been tried but they are not agile or have the goal sense. Beecken tried to ignite the team today at times with some run off the backline which was great to see even if it didn't always come off. Disappointing games from Comma, Pudney and Hoile all of whom probably need a few weeks in the reserves.

We still need to keep picking our best side each week until we can no longer make the finals. But we probably need to give a player like Cooke a crack who, while too skinny at the moment, is probably the only tall forward player we have in our entire squad. Would Wheare get a game? He's been around for a few years and kicks a few goals each week in the reserves without setting the world on fire. Lukac had a crack earlier in the year but not at all convinced he will ever be a forward - if he does make it I think it will be as a ruck.

Without stating the obvious we need to recruit solely key players for next season. Midfielders need not apply. We need physically ready players in the following positions (two key defenders, two key forwards and a ruck) plus probably a developing kid 19-20 years of age in each of those positions as well who could hopefully learn their craft across a few years. Will we get all that in one big recruiting spree? Unlikely but hopefully the process has commenced with our recruiters tracking players across the Amateurs, country leagues and intestate leagues (Tasmania and Qld in particular).

As much as I agree regarding everyone's assessment regarding height etc our efforts particularly at home have been dire.
Do we have the personnel? Most likely not. I have been more concerned about our lack of genuine intensity, whether home or away I don't think it is about being the hunted. I do not care who is fit/available but the club needs to find some real vigour to make the finals. Right now at best we are a genuine 5th

We need to really hope Ballenden is fit. McLeod deserves a chance. I’d also put Wheare in for a bit more toughness, aerial ability and bite than what Hardie, Goldy, Lonergan or Comma are showing up forward. Do not waste Mutch in playing him as a key position player. McFarlane as well, if fit, needs to come in because besides Knight and Beecken - we had no runners today. Not impressed with Allmond. Duval also just coasting along and we’d be better off suring up our last line with Rowland than Duval.

I’d like to think we’d persist with Pudney because he has runs on the board and he can run all day, but his confidence looks shot. I’ve never seen a pair of wingman ball watching as much as Pudney and Hoile today. That 5th goal where Pudney just let it roll through sent massive alarm bells ringing that something wasn’t right in the mental application of the side. Then an effort where it was Hoile’s time to go for a high ball in the middle of the ground and he meekly put one arm out showed he’s not up to the level currently. Yes, it takes extraordinary courage and commitment to play at this level and is why there is such a huge gap between Reserves/Amateurs/Country footy and SANFL.

In for next week:
Ballenden and Wheare up forward.
McLeod on to the wing.
McFarlane for some run.

Out: Hoile, Allmond, Lonergan, Hardie

Aerie wrote:We need to really hope Ballenden is fit. McLeod deserves a chance. I’d also put Wheare in for a bit more toughness, aerial ability and bite than what Hardie, Goldy, Lonergan or Comma are showing up forward. Do not waste Mutch in playing him as a key position player. McFarlane as well, if fit, needs to come in because besides Knight and Beecken - we had no runners today. Not impressed with Allmond. Duval also just coasting along and we’d be better off suring up our last line with Rowland than Duval.

I’d like to think we’d persist with Pudney because he has runs on the board and he can run all day, but his confidence looks shot. I’ve never seen a pair of wingman ball watching as much as Pudney and Hoile today. That 5th goal where Pudney just let it roll through sent massive alarm bells ringing that something wasn’t right in the mental application of the side. Then an effort where it was Hoile’s time to go for a high ball in the middle of the ground and he meekly put one arm out showed he’s not up to the level currently. Yes, it takes extraordinary courage and commitment to play at this level and is why there is such a huge gap between Reserves/Amateurs/Country footy and SANFL.

In for next week:
Ballenden and Wheare up forward.
McLeod on to the wing.
McFarlane for some run.

Out: Hoile, Allmond, Lonergan, Hardie

McFarlane got injured again today.
Hopefully Ballenden comes back but don't count on it.
I don't know that Jack is ready, only a few weeks back he played back on Yorke Peninsula after being dropped from the 2's.

Won't argue with 2 of your outs, the two H's both seem to be down on confidence and had tough days today, might need a run in the 2's to get some confidence, which won't be hard as the team are playing OK footy at the moment.

Nuttsy hasn't had a great year with injury and covid and maybe playing a different sort of role to what we were previously used to, however his ability to kick long is important if he can just get some consistency in his game.
I think Jesse is vital to the team, he's not the quickest out there but he's smart, he doesn't accumulate possessions but he does alot of grunt work, he said on the radio a couple of weeks back he had a slight calf injury, maybe still has a niggle?

Agree it's time for Connor to get a run, he has taken his game to another level this year, especially since Ethan Haylock moved on and he has got to spend more time in the middle.

goddy11 wrote:A missing name. Where has Ethan Haylock gone.

That goal Pudney let in was heart breaking.  His form and run have dropped.

Ethan joined Payneham Norwood Union about 5 weeks ago

Ballenden told me that he has a Hamstring issue and will miss next week, hoping to return the week after against the Bays.

I agree. Have we ever seen a decent run of form from Cameron or McFarlane? They would probably be
in our best side but cannot string games together

Gazz wrote:I agree. Have we ever seen a decent run of form from Cameron or McFarlane? They would probably be
in our best side but cannot string games together

In some respects I'd also put Lonergan into that category.

If he could do a full pre-season and not get injured during the season then he'd probably be much fitter than what he is now and be much more effective. Naturally a solid lad but is clearly carrying too much weight.

Lonergan has very good clean hands though and he adds grunt to our midfield.
Very difficult to dislodge off the ball; especially when he's arse up and head down.
I think he had a pretty solid pre season this year and wasn't carrying any injuries.
Unless he wore himself out on his Honeymoon early in the new year...