Where and when: Casey Fields, Saturday 22 February, 4.40pm AEDT
Watchlist:
Kysaiah KROPINYERI-PICKETT (MELB) FWD @ $157,800
Melbourne’s FWD line was longing for some spark and speed during their slog of a season in 2019. Cue draft pick #12 Kysaiah Kropinyeri-Pickett. Fits the bill and should walk up at the HF line.
Chayce JONES (ADEL) FWD @ $271,500
Bulked up over the off-season and now excitingly named on the ball this afternoon. He’ll make an assertive case for F3/4 if he can remain in that role.
Rory LAIRD (ADEL) DEF @ $525,800
With Gibbs and Milera now at half-back, the addition of new defensive rookies and the eventual return of Doedee, Laird’s scoring capacity may be in question. Watch closely.
Tyson STENGLE (ADEL) FWD @ $202,000
Of 5 rookies the Crows are deploying today (all of whom are worth watching), Stengle’s the most likely to have solid job security. Looks to be poised fill the small forward vacuum left by Eddie Betts after packing on 5 goals in last week’s intraclub.
Notable Absentees: Max GAWN (MELB), Angus BRAYSHAW (MELB), Harley BENNELL (MELB), Tom DOEDEE (MELB).
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No, rivers, worrell or doedee. Sigh…
Oliver 180 on the cards just to stuff with everyone like last night.
Rivers and Worrell were always going to be in the system for a year or two. For me, Doedee’s absence is the real disappointment. Pretty much becomes impossible to start him if he doesn’t play next Marsh game, right?
I’ve put a line through Roberton & Doedee as I wanted 2 good showings from them.
Mind you I used a grey lead so it’s possible to rub it out, but they would need a really good game in MS2.
My rule is if they played last year they can front up in one of the pre season games, if they didn’t (i.e rookie or injured player) I want they to play both even if it’s only half a game.
If they haven’t played for 2 years (looking at you Doch), IDK, they’d want to be flawless for mine. Doch hasn’t put a foot wrong yet but still not in my side.
Doedee playing u-23s this week with a view to playing next two. Easing him in apparently.
Keen to see where Petracca lines up and how he goes, if MID time is high could make a strong case. It’s time isn’t it??? His 3rd chance at a breakout year, I just want it to happen!
Ten touches in the opening quarter and gave Sloane the don’t argue
Looks good so far
Budget defenders look light on all of sudden with Roberton, Doedee & Young missing for their respective clubs. I might need to a go an extra premium down there at the expense of 6th midfielder, Dusty or Whitfield.
It certainly makes it exciting.
Have my gawn and gawnless team ready to go and now I might need a replacement for Sicily.
Whats happened to Sicily?
Bruised heel. Just not taking any unnecessary risks . All good
Yeah at least he does get a hitout next week too in State or Origin. Sicily is still in my team, I think he is nicely priced
Didn’t buddy have a bruised heel last season?!
Bryce Gibbs takes the kick out. Hmm.
Anyone doing scores?! Happy to for this one
Melbourne Demons: 5.7.37
SC TOG%
Christian Petracca 100 87
Clayton Oliver 59 83
Mitch W. Brown 51 76
Jake Lever 47 95
Nathan Jones* 44 66
Jack Viney 43 70
Sam Weideman 43 85
Jay Lockhart 36 66
Adam Tomlinson 35 84
Michael Hibberd 34 91
Tom McDonald 34 97
Aaron Vandenberg 33 61
Kysaiah Pickett 32 57
Jake Melksham 31 82
James Harmes 29 86
Tom Sparrow 27 60
Christian Salem 25 80
Ed Langdon 25 95
Neville Jetta 22 82
Charlie Spargo 17 61
Luke Jackson 11 67
Alex Neal-Bullen 8 68
Oscar McDonald 5 100
James Jordon
Joshua Wagner
Bayley Fritsch
Adelaide Crows: 7.4.46
SC TOG %
Rory Atkins 64 81
Jake Kelly 58 77
Reilly O’Brien 58 83
Wayne Milera 52 74
Rory Laird 50 85
Rory Sloane 50 73
Matt Crouch 49 73
Chayce Jones 49 73
Brad Crouch 47 75
Tom T. Lynch 43 86
Ben Davis 41 81
Patrick Wilson 39 64
Tyson Stengle 34 75
Daniel Talia 32 76
Billy Frampton 30 75
Lachlan Murphy 29 81
Myles Poholke 27 66
Jordon Butts 27 74
Bryce Gibbs 26 73
Ben Crocker 26 73
Luke Brown 25 76
E. Himmelberg 23 74
Shane McAdam 17 68
David Mackay 9 66
Ned McHenry
Ben Keays
SURELY this performance from Petracca will get it through Goodwin’s head that he needs to be in the middle?
Looked fit enough now, there was some puff piece about him specifically changing his training to be able to play more midfield, this is also a contract year.
Looks like Petracca has finally arrived 🙂
Davis and Wilson
looking like good rookie options if they make R1
Only issue with Petracca is how Brayshaw affects the midfield balance when he returns.
Just a lazy 157 points for Petracca at 3/4 time
Good luck keeping him out of your team everybody
Every year Petracca promises a break out year, a special role and midfield time , (Steele anyone?). Every year we get burnt. The real truth is he is not silky with the ball and will allow easy turnovers in a dangerous position which you dont want to see in a mid. Coaches hate that. Has he finally tydied up his game?
Let’s see how the Dees play with Brayshaw in the team in the remaining 2 games. Then Peccraca will be SC relevant again if he plays pure mid as a FWD.
Though I agree with taking caution he has NEVER done anything like this in pre-season before.
THREE QUARTER-TIME
Melbourne Demons: 11.10.76
SC TOG%
Christian Petracca 158 87
Clayton Oliver 104 84
Nathan Jones* 94 61
Tom McDonald 93 93
Jack Viney 86 69
Aaron Vandenberg 78 67
Sam Weideman 66 83
Ed Langdon 62 93
Christian Salem 58 83
Adam Tomlinson 55 87
Jake Lever 50 97
Michael Hibberd 49 89
Mitch W. Brown 45 73
James Harmes 44 88
Jay Lockhart 43 61
Tom Sparrow 38 60
Jake Melksham 36 84
Kysaiah Pickett 35 68
Charlie Spargo 23 61
Neville Jetta 23 84
Oscar McDonald 14 100
Alex Neal-Bullen 13 67
Luke Jackson 10 63
James Jordon 1
Joshua Wagner 1
Bayley Fritsch
Adelaide Crows: 9.7.61
SC TOG%
Wayne Milera 81 74
Chayce Jones 73 69
Rory Atkins 72 80
Brad Crouch 71 70
Reilly O’Brien 67 81
Matt Crouch 67 64
Daniel Talia 62 81
Ben Davis 54 81
Jake Kelly 53 78
Patrick Wilson 52 64
Bryce Gibbs 50 76
Myles Poholke 50 67
Tyson Stengle 50 76
Jordon Butts 48 79
Rory Laird 48 55
Rory Sloane 48 47
Tom T. Lynch 47 79
Billy Frampton 41 80
Ben Crocker 40 75
Lachlan Murphy 31 76
E. Himmelberg 31 71
Ben Keays 27 31
Luke Brown 24 77
Shane McAdam 24 67
David Mackay 16 72
Ned McHenry 16 29
INJURIES:
Nathan JONES – sore shin
Rory SLOANE – out – iced left hip
Matt CROUCH could be in trouble (shoulder to Oliver’s chin/throat)
Anddddd petracca is now relevant
FULL TIME
Melbourne Demons: 15.13.103
SC TOG%
Christian Petracca 188 86
Tom McDonald 139 94
Clayton Oliver 136 83
Jack Viney 120 70
Aaron Vandenberg 100 71
Nathan Jones 96 46
Christian Salem 87 83
Sam Weideman 82 81
Tom Sparrow 77 60
Ed Langdon 76 95
Adam Tomlinson 72 91
Michael Hibberd 70 87
Mitch W. Brown 66 74
Jake Lever 66 97
Jake Melksham 64 85
Jay Lockhart 57 65
James Harmes 54 86
Kysaiah Pickett 43 70
Charlie Spargo 33 67
Alex Neal-Bullen 23 68
Neville Jetta 23 82
Luke Jackson 22 59
Oscar McDonald 21 100
Bayley Fritsch
James Jordon
Joshua Wagner
Adelaide Crows: 10.10.70
SC TOG%
Wayne Milera 103 73
Brad Crouch 99 70
Rory Atkins 95 85
Reilly O’Brien 95 69
Matt Crouch 85 64
Daniel Talia 80 86
Chayce Jones 74 69
Bryce Gibbs 66 74
Myles Poholke 63 73
Jake Kelly 62 77
Tyson Stengle 61 75
Patrick Wilson 59 64
Ben Crocker 59 75
Tom T. Lynch 59 78
David Mackay 56 76
Jordon Butts 55 80
Ben Davis 55 79
Billy Frampton 54 77
Rory Laird 49 41
Rory Sloane 49 35
Ben Keays 44 45
Luke Brown 40 75
Ned McHenry 37 42
E. Himmelberg 33 76
Lachlan Murphy 31 74
Shane McAdam 23 67
Now I understand how all the Bont owners felt when the selection was no longer a POD. It’s a bit of a mixture of justification and disappointment.
I love when irrelevant players dominate pre season games! People will jump on left right and centre and watch them stink it up in the real stuff. Petracca at the top of this list.
Petracca had a day out
Thought TMac worked his way into it and was excellent, particularly second half.
Chayce JONES looked very good/composed and was a little unlucky with a couple of calls.
Milera everywhere but not that tidy
McHenry showed signs in a half of footy only.
Think ROB will be getting more than a chop out from Himmelberg and Frampton
Pickett looked exciting but won’t score well enough in his role.
Anything else / other thoughts anyone
When Gawn comes back, Oliver is going to post some huge scores…
hope so.
Tracca doing what he does best.
Lights up the pre season competition to only let everyone down in the home and away, TRAP!
He;s never done this in pre-season has he? I mean he’s played well before but not like this.
Petrappa!
Laird?
first half only. not flash.
Did anyone see Pup interview SuperMax at half-time?
Gawn reckons “he’s three weeks into his five week program” but then “may have a hit next week” – just found it confusing, but am still not convinced I’ll be starting him.
AS, He is apparently ahead of time in his rehab but they dont want to take any chance bcoz they want him ready for R1. He is also keen to get game time but the medical team are refusing to take a risk which could be a sign he will start the season slowly with managed TOG. They are keeping a lid on it which is making me wonder what are they hiding. I dont think we’ll see him in Marsh Series. I still have him but getting nervous
A major issue with Petracca IMO, is that he’s always been able to win his own ball, but he does a lot of u-turns, often just throws it on the boot without finding a target, and has an up-and-under kicking style which results in poor I50 entries. All of those traits are great for a forward with goal sense playing inside the 50m arc, but less so for a midfielder trying to the deliver the ball effectively.
It may be that he’s just a better forward than he is midfielder. He’s also behind midfield-only players Oliver, Viney and Jones, plus Brayshaw. Melbourne’s major issue is scoring and keeping the ball inside 50, so if Petracca has elevated his game over summer, he’s likely to be more valuable and dangerous as a forward.
Petracca can be a better mid than he is forward. BUT he is a better forward than Brayshaw, Viney, Harmes, Jones, Oliver etc. Consequently Petracca will be sent forward to do a job that others can’t do as we as he can.
Not sure what to read into Petracca and Bont… both absolutely on fire but as they say “preseason form is an oxymoron”
Pumba – Both will spend time forward because they are better forward options than their team mates. Therein lies the risk.
No real risk in the Bont – 4th highest scoring mid last year with 2524 points – take that all day long. The issue is whether you start him or not, depending on your bye structures …
Petracca has to seriously come into consideration this year as he is listed as a FWD. He looked far better yesterday than he has in the past – IF he can keep that up, playing a lot of mid minutes (debatable maybe with Brayshaw yet to come back) and with the lack of MF options this year, he may be worthy of a spot.
I doubt I start him, but he’s one to watch for sure …
Sorry, Macca. Don’t think you can characterize someone as having “no real risk” when they’re gonna cop De Boer twice by R13. Just a matter of whether absorbing those two tagged scores is worth it.
Hey GD! Going great mate with the preseason threads!
I don ‘t think Bont will have to worry about DeBoer – I reckon he may go to either Dunk or Macrae rather than Bont – especially if Bont plays up the ground?? Looking at last year, his low scores of interest are:
R11 – 73 v Eagles in Perth
R18 – 70 v Saints (Steele?)
R22 – 90 Giants in Sydney (not sure if Deboer went to him?)
So I don’t think DeBoer hurt him to any great extent or will this year? As long as he plays 22 games, he will still score in the top few mids I reckon … he has a high ceiling with 9 scores last year 120+ …
Based on last night’s match, with Danger almost playing a solo mid role without Joel and Mitch etc to help, I’m more worried he may be able to be closed down by opposition midfields!!
Completely agree about Petracca being a FWD… had he been mid only, I’d be impressed by his score but not lured like a moth to flame.
As a FWD, given his competition, I’d be lying if I were to say I’m not tempted. Albeit with a burn likely incoming…
I think there are some differences to previous year with Petracca, has changed his body shape he looks so much small through the legs, he’s coming off a really decent second half of last year in a really bad team & its a contract year.
Thoughts on Vandenberg, guys?
100pts with 70% TOG. Cheap fwd/mid option at $248k…
IF he can play the first six games, he should be a good pick.. with his injury history, could be a trap.
See how he goes in Marsh2 and if he lines up in Rd1.