News Injuries & Suspensions

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Do interpret this as suggesting you dont think Dylan Stephens is best 22 with the recent departures?
I honestly don't know right now, lots of moving parts for Sydney.

Dawson vacates a wing.

Heeney's role is a huge question, does midfield mean genuine midfield or a more wing based role? Last year he moved to high half-forward and wing over the last 6 or so games, he could well just take Dawson's wing role essentially (he'd thrive in it) or he could move into the actual midfield where he should be even better, would like him to play as a genuine centreman because his marking is exceptional for a midfield and he uses the ball very well.

Assuming Heeney is inside you've got basically a high HF/wing role and a genuine wing role open. Hewett leaving means that genuine mid role is open for Heeney. Talk is JPK will also play more forward, so, I expect we see another genuine inside midfield role probably flip to 70/30 with JPK as opposed to being more of an 80/20 the last few years in JPK's favour.

I'd lean that Gulden is probably the reason for that change and the guy who takes that role.

So basically I'm thinking Heeney/Gulden replace/switch for Hewett/JPK.

We have Florent, McInerney and Stephens that for mine are our genuine wingers on the list, Stephens has shown more than the other two as having an ability to actually push through midfield as well but that's very limited exposure and as much the other two showing the don't have it.

I'd say right now though that Stephens is in our best 22 but probably on the INT and given how little Horse has trusted him or given him chances, that's a precarious spot.

FWIW I think our best 22 looks something like this right now:

B - Rampe T. McCartin Cunningham
HB - Lloyd Reid Blakey
C - Florent Heeney McInerney
HF - Gulden Franklin Hayward
F - Papley McDonald Ladhams
R - Hickey Mills Parker
Int - Kennedy Rowbottom Stephens Ch. Warner

EMG: Fox O'Riordan Melican Campbell

Those last couple of spots I think have a lot of potential names going through them. Two rucks seems likely, Horse has always liked it when he could.

FWIW I'd rather Campbell than Rowbottom, who I still find to be a very limited player but Horse loves him.

Right now you've got Florent, Mills and Rowbottom all sketchy for round 1, so basically Stephens goes from 21-22 on the list to 18th or so and he'd have a spot to lose. Not dissimilar to Jordon last year having a chance while Viney was out and making the most of it. Basically he's a bigtime boom or bust pick.

Hopefully preseason will show us a bit more.
 

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It would be good to have a list of all the players who have caught covid ?
Time consuming exercise for little benefit as we will not be privy to certain information that clubs have not or will not disclose. But this serves as a necessary reminder about possible risk mitigation strategies such as keeping an eye on the amount of players you have from any given side throughout the season to ensure you are not heavily reliant on one or multiple sides in comparison to others.
 
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Rowbottom’s disposal is even worse than Taranto’s. It’s horrific.
A poor man's Taranto would actually be a pretty fair comparison for him actually.

He can find the ball, he tackles well, he's not a bad forward but he doesn't have the pace, acceleration or strength to get into space and his skills in close are, as you put it, horrific. Can never question his effort but he's that guy that I think you want leading the reserves and popping up for a game or two when there are injuries rather than in the best 22.

Given I don't think he's really got the potential to improve much I'd personally much rather we were playing Stephens (who could be special), Campbell (ditto) or even the Wicks/Ronke types so that Gulden/Heeney can play midfield (Rowbottom forward also an option) but every time we're putting midfield development minutes into him hurts me a little bit!

Love him to prove me wrong as he seems like a really nice kid but needs more than that!

Florent has at times been really good but he's so inconsistent and more than a little bit flakey as a player and I've never found it easy to get around the flakey players :LOL: I think he does enough things right that he's worth playing though.
 
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I honestly don't know right now, lots of moving parts for Sydney.

Dawson vacates a wing.

Heeney's role is a huge question, does midfield mean genuine midfield or a more wing based role? Last year he moved to high half-forward and wing over the last 6 or so games, he could well just take Dawson's wing role essentially (he'd thrive in it) or he could move into the actual midfield where he should be even better, would like him to play as a genuine centreman because his marking is exceptional for a midfield and he uses the ball very well.

Assuming Heeney is inside you've got basically a high HF/wing role and a genuine wing role open. Hewett leaving means that genuine mid role is open for Heeney. Talk is JPK will also play more forward, so, I expect we see another genuine inside midfield role probably flip to 70/30 with JPK as opposed to being more of an 80/20 the last few years in JPK's favour.

I'd lean that Gulden is probably the reason for that change and the guy who takes that role.

So basically I'm thinking Heeney/Gulden replace/switch for Hewett/JPK.

We have Florent, McInerney and Stephens that for mine are our genuine wingers on the list, Stephens has shown more than the other two as having an ability to actually push through midfield as well but that's very limited exposure and as much the other two showing the don't have it.

I'd say right now though that Stephens is in our best 22 but probably on the INT and given how little Horse has trusted him or given him chances, that's a precarious spot.

FWIW I think our best 22 looks something like this right now:

B - Rampe T. McCartin Cunningham
HB - Lloyd Reid Blakey
C - Florent Heeney McInerney
HF - Gulden Franklin Hayward
F - Papley McDonald Ladhams
R - Hickey Mills Parker
Int - Kennedy Rowbottom Stephens Ch. Warner

EMG: Fox O'Riordan Melican Campbell

Those last couple of spots I think have a lot of potential names going through them. Two rucks seems likely, Horse has always liked it when he could.

FWIW I'd rather Campbell than Rowbottom, who I still find to be a very limited player but Horse loves him.

Right now you've got Florent, Mills and Rowbottom all sketchy for round 1, so basically Stephens goes from 21-22 on the list to 18th or so and he'd have a spot to lose. Not dissimilar to Jordon last year having a chance while Viney was out and making the most of it. Basically he's a bigtime boom or bust pick.

Hopefully preseason will show us a bit more.
What round did McInerney move to defence last season ?
 
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What round did McInerney move to defence last season ?
Was more of a defensive winger position for him. Blakey the one who went into a genuine defensive position when we moved Hewett to the midfield. McInerney took the more sweeping winger role around the same time, so round 15ish. Has played there a few times as a genuine rebounding defender also, wasn't as good in that role, the sweeping wing definitely suited him and I liked him a lot in it. Has good size to get in the way and take some marks floating across and his speed and kicking penetration (if not always the direction of the kicks) is excellent.

Think we've got a very settled back 4 with Rampe, Lloyd, Cunnigham and T. McCartin. Think we'll play a 2nd tall defender more often than not which will be one of Reid, Melican and P. McCartin, imo. Think Blakey will start in the 6th spot and if he stays fit I think he'll do very well there. If we go smaller it's the Fox and O'Riordan pair that make sense. Campbell and McInerney also capable in the position and we could go that way.

If Mills is struggling with fitness it could also be a way to ease him back.
 
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Was more of a defensive winger position for him. Blakey the one who went into a genuine defensive position when we moved Hewett to the midfield. McInerney took the more sweeping winger role around the same time, so round 15ish. Has played there a few times as a genuine rebounding defender also, wasn't as good in that role, the sweeping wing definitely suited him and I liked him a lot in it. Has good size to get in the way and take some marks floating across and his speed and kicking penetration (if not always the direction of the kicks) is excellent.

Think we've got a very settled back 4 with Rampe, Lloyd, Cunnigham and T. McCartin. Think we'll play a 2nd tall defender more often than not which will be one of Reid, Melican and P. McCartin, imo. Think Blakey will start in the 6th spot and if he stays fit I think he'll do very well there. If we go smaller it's the Fox and O'Riordan pair that make sense. Campbell and McInerney also capable in the position and we could go that way.

If Mills is struggling with fitness it could also be a way to ease him back.
Thanks for that , Campbell was the other one I was reading about somewhere a few weeks ago that might play the HB role.
 
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