Pre Match. Pies v. Blues. All comments please.

[MightyMagpie]

Moore had the third highest Champion Data rating for Collingwood vs Eagles. No chance he will be dropped.

[Presti35]

I wouldn't rush Varcoe back, last thing I want to see is him coming off with another hammy. He needs to be 100% ready, not 99%, 100%!

Sadly, the club is in a spot where we have to bring in players who have not really earned a call up.

Did Sinclair pull up ok, or has he suffered some more concussion?

And of course its very unlikely Langdon will come up after the ankle.

So there are two probable outs: Langdon & Sinclair.

Will there be any omissions?

Broomhead had a very quiet match against WCE. Do we give him another chance? 7 touches and 2 goals. I say he stays in, but he needs to show us his pace and attack on the ball. How was his VFL form going into the WCE game?

Greenwood must show us why we traded for him. This is a big chance for him to get the pill and do something with it. He should go head to head with Gibbs.

Nathan Brown was beaten by Kennedy. The problem against Carlton is that they do not have a genuine FF. Can Reid/Frost cover anything Carlton have up forward? I don't think Brown deserves to be dropped, but is there an opponent for him?

When looking into the VFL:

Last Weeks Best Players: J. White, B. MacAffer, T. Cloke, J. Hellier, B. Crocker, J. Viola.

Two Weeks Ago's Best Players: J. Viola, J. White, J. Hellier, B. Crocker, M. Hore, M. Goodyear.

Goals kicked over the last 2 games: (AFL listed only)
3 Cloke
3 Phillips
3 Wyatt
2 Crocker
1 Wills

So who could come in?:

I thinks it's reasonable to suggest that Cloke will and should play this week. 2 weeks in the seconds should be enough. He needs to get in and kick a bag. Hammer them Clokey.

Jesse White. God I hate to even suggest this. But he would be some chance after 2 good games in the seconds. With the Sack out injured, White will be our back up tall.

Crocker would also come into discussion after 2 good games. He should see some AFL action at some stage if not this week. It'll be interesting to see what he does in the VFL this week, if not named in the AFL. At worst, I think he'd be one of the emergencies.

Brent Macaffer will probably come into discussions after his game last week. He is in the leadership group, but I would rather see him back up his form with another game in the seconds.

I almost forgot, the 2 players who flew over to WA as emergencies:
James Aish and Matthew Goodyear. What do do in this situation? It's a bit rough to fly to Perth and miss a chance to put your case forward. Aish should be in our best 22. I really want to see him get games, but I don't think it sends a good message to drop him and then bring him back after not playing a VFL match. It is possible that either could be considered to replace Sinclair.

Pretty tough to make a call, but after all that, I think we might see, OUT: Langdon, Sinclair. IN: Cloke, Crocker. Emergencies: White, Macaffer, Aish (Feeling horrible for Goodyear).

[piedys]

At least Weitering is out for THEM, and can't embarrass our forward line....

[Jezza]

I saw enough yesterday to convince me that we should beat Carlton comfortably despite losing by ten goals in the end.

Carlton were terrible against Essendon despite their win. I'll be interested to see how Bucks goes against Brendon Bolton as he clearly had the wood over Mick during his Carlton stint, so I wonder if anything will be different this time with Bolton at the helm.

We need to win to keep our season rolling and ensure that our head to head record against Carlton continues to edge closer!

I understand the reluctance to not bring back Varcoe instantly but his absence this season has been evident. He can break the lines and has much-needed pace and class that the current team is desperately lacking at the moment. Cloke hasn't done anything significant in the VFL to warrant a return and Mason Cox is showing enough to retain his spot in the side. At least Cox's presence seems to lift the team at the moment so I'd be happy to keep him in for another week.

Very likely Langdon (ankle) and possibly Sinclair (concussion) won't play this week so some forced changes will need to be made to replace those two.

[Jezza]

[Mugwump]

You never quite know which Collingwood will turn up - but assuming it's our average, we'll win comfortably. Despite the appalling first and last quarters, we showed some good spirit and form in the second and third, and stretched Wet Coats on their home dump. I really think we are not too far away from clicking into some decent form, as the team gets used to playing with each other. Cox and Treloar are starting to look as though they fit in, and Cloke should come in to play a normal CHF role. Getting Adams or Varcoe back would certainly help.

I do not believe that the players are not playing to win, or playing for Buckley. If they had wanted to kill Buckley's tenure, they could have done so on Anzac Day, yet they came out breathing fire. They just need to get a squad with enough experience together to tighten up a plan that can work ok when it is well applied.

[jackcass]

[jackcass]

[jackcass]

[E]

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

I've mellowed a little towards Jesse White. I'd drop Frost who's sadly out of form and bring in White at CHB. I'd tell White that he has 4-6 games in a row in the seniors to prove himself. Play well in those games and he has a contract for 2017. Play poorly and be dropped again and it's goodbye career as an AFL player. I'd use every trick in the coaching manual bar electric shock treatment to get him to concentrate for 100 minutes. I'd have him train alongside Mason Cox and remind him every 5 minutes that Cox has done more in two AFL games than he (White) has done in his 10 year AFL career.

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

[Pies4shaw]

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

[Pies4shaw]