Always Right Match Committee Finals Edition

[jazzadogs]

We've only got five players who have played every game this year - any guesses?

The five are Bont, Bramble, Bailey's Dale and Williams, and VDM. Not a group many would have picked at the start of the year!

Treloar and English missed one, Duryea, West and JuH played 21.

[Mantis]

My only issue with "maintaining structure" over match ups (I know it's a blend, mostly, but one is always favoured) is Lobb and JOD getting lost on handovers. Especially with Gunston being as crafty as he is, and he is super crafty.

Williams may help out back on the small to mediums if Jacko and Daniel start the game.

Can't see why we would push him back after his best game on the wing all year... think we get him to run around with Massimo and make him accountable.

[Axe Man]

AFL Finals 2024: Adam Treloar confident he?ll be right to go, Will Day pushing for return in blockbuster elimination final

Western Bulldog star Adam Treloar remains confident he will be fit to face Hawthorn in next Friday?s blockbuster elimination final.

The Dogs star played with a tight calf in Sunday?s crunch win over GWS and has been racing the clock since to be fit to meet the Hawks.

He is one of several Dogs to take a light bye week, with goalkicker Jamarra Ugle-Hagan absent from training on Thursday due to illness.

While Treloar couldn?t yet lock himself in for the knockout final, he said he would ramp up his training next week.

?Obviously make the most of the week off, it is nice to have a week off and let the legs relax,? Treloar told media at the AFL Awards night on Thursday.

?Just to put myself in a position to train next week and hopefully train freely and play on Friday.?

Treloar played 22 of a possible 23 games this season in a career year, forcing his way into All-Australian side on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs will miss his drive through the midfield if Treloar doesn?t get up as they battle with a powerful young Hawthorn midfield.

Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen remains working through his own lengthy calf injury in a late bid to return to the senior side, while important forward Rhylee West is also hoping to be passed fit after missing round 24 with a jaw injury.

Day pushing for a return ? but not in the usual way
? Glenn McFarlane

Injured Hawthorn midfielder Will Day will use an unusual location ? Punt Road Oval ? in an effort to push his campaign to prove his fitness for next week?s elimination final.

The Hawks are set to train under lights on Friday night at Richmond?s home training base in an effort to replicate similar playing conditions to what they can expect at the neighbouring MCG seven days later.

The clash with Western Bulldogs will be Hawthorn?s Friday night game since back in 2022 with coach Sam Mitchell keen to get some exposure under the lights for his players.

It?s understood a bid to train at the MCG under lights on Friday night had been unsuccessful.

Day is recovering from a dislocation of his sternoclavicular and faces a race against time to be ready to take on the Bulldogs in the cut-throat final.

He could have his first contact drills in the closed training sessions but won?t be pushed too hard given he will have at least another seven days to prove his fitness.

The club?s head of performance Peter Burge said this week: ?Will has started running and conditioning outside and he?s feeling better.?

?We?ll be progressing his conditioning loads over the week and then reassess when we can start non-contact training, hopefully around the weekend.

?Beyond that, there?s still a few things for us to assess and look at before we progress to full contact training.?

Changkuoth Jiath (calf) has been back in full training and is on track to play for Box Hill Hawks in the VFL this weekend.

[Rocco Jones]

Ok thinking of the players locked in

KPDs: Liam Jones, Lobb and JOD

Small defenders: Dale and Bramble offering rebound/kicking, Doc defence. That's 6.

CBAs: Bont, Adz, Ed, Libba

Wing/can be used as flankers: Macrae, Daniel, Truck. That's 12.

Ruck English

KPFs: Naughts, Marra, Darcy (R2)

Small forwards: Cody.

Ok that's 17. 5 + 1 not totally locked in.


Probably 3 of the spots will have their time mainly spent as a small forward. Pressure a clear priority for at least one of those spots.

Need one to play a fair chunk as a small defender too.

I think the players in contention are: Freijah, Vanders, McNeil, Arty, Gags, Harmes, West and JJ.


VDM, McNeil: do we need to play at least one of them in terms of bringing small forward pressure? Or can one of the other options who will probably bring more elsewhere do enough? Vanders a risk with the hamstring awareness. I am also concerned with how their ability to deal with immense pressure. Would not want to play more than one of them.

Arty, Westy: think there is definitely a spot for at least one of them. Both have a strong ability to hit the scoreboard than the pair mentioned above but can they brining the required pressure to both play?

Harmes, Gags: Harmes did well today and Gags laid 9 tackles vs GWS. Both have spent a lot of their time in the middle either in AFL or VFL. How do they go if playing mostly forward? Harmes got 30+ touches but how does that fit into what we need for the EF? He brings experience and toughness. I am concerned Gags will clanger it up.

Freijah, JJ: Hawks bring a big with their small forwards, how much of a priority is having a specialist small defender? JJ looked rusty and was out of the games for bits today but I also liked how he broke lines. Obvious a risk to play him but his experience could be huge in such a pressure atmosphere. Feels harsh to have Freijah dropped but does he fit our needs?

I think I'd go with Arty, Harmes, JJ, Freijah and McNeil in terms of reliability and need.

Meaning:

In: Harmes, JJ
Out: Vanders, Gags

[Rocco Jones]

Ha I’ve settled down

In: West, Harmes
Out: Vanders, Gags


Sub: Arty or Harmes

West potentially to Sicily.

[GVGjr]

Id like West to go to Impey.
Sicily does pose a challenge though

[The Adelaide Connection]

The early forecast is for quite heavy rain just in time for the bounce. This might change as we get closer (the days leading up have already dramatically changed their outlook).

Question is- do we change our team if it?s going to be super wet, or back it in like we did against Geelong?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Does rain suit us better or them?

[SonofScray]

How has Harmes worked his way back into calculations?

Haven't been following the twos and have a set against him, so need to have it explained just how he's managed to get a mention?

[josie]

How has Harmes worked his way back into calculations?

Haven't been following the twos and have a set against him, so need to have it explained just how he's managed to get a mention?

I was at VFL game yesterday and he was I think best on ground for us. Tough, uncompromising, reasonably quick (I think his footy smarts help make him look quicker). Also watched replay of VFL game a fortnight ago and he was pretty good in that too. So it’s his form, hardened body plus experience including finals that is putting him in the frame. Other woofers like me were impressed in yesterday’s game by Buss, Coffield and Arty too. I also really liked JJ - just so smooth and skilful. Would be a risk though with JJ’s injury history but it’s a good quandary for MC.

I think Keath was poor and I think he would not be an option, unless 2 or even more backs were unavailable.

[jeemak]

How has Harmes worked his way back into calculations?

Haven't been following the twos and have a set against him, so need to have it explained just how he's managed to get a mention?

37 touches and a couple of sausage rolls yesterday.

[Grantysghost]

It's notable that Sanders hasn't really been mentioned for consideration. It's a long season for a young kid, I thought he looked a bit flat yesterday.
He has a long career in front of him so I'm ok taking our time.

[bornadog]

I was at VFL game yesterday and he was I think best on ground for us. Tough, uncompromising, reasonably quick (I think his footy smarts help make him look quicker). Also watched replay of VFL game a fortnight ago and he was pretty good in that too. So it?s his form, hardened body plus experience including finals that is putting him in the frame. Other woofers like me were impressed in yesterday?s game by Buss, Coffield and Arty too. I also really liked JJ - just so smooth and skilful. Would be a risk though with JJ?s injury history but it?s a good quandary for MC.

I think Keath was poor and I think he would not be an option, unless 2 or even more backs were unavailable.

Nicely summed up Josie, echoes my thoughts as well. His finals experience will be a big help to the team

[Mofra]

I was at VFL game yesterday and he was I think best on ground for us. Tough, uncompromising, reasonably quick (I think his footy smarts help make him look quicker). Also watched replay of VFL game a fortnight ago and he was pretty good in that too. So it’s his form, hardened body plus experience including finals that is putting him in the frame. Other woofers like me were impressed in yesterday’s game by Buss, Coffield and Arty too. I also really liked JJ - just so smooth and skilful. Would be a risk though with JJ’s injury history but it’s a good quandary for MC.

I think Keath was poor and I think he would not be an option, unless 2 or even more backs were unavailable.

Harmes to Sicily. Surely in in our plans?

[hujsh]

It's notable that Sanders hasn't really been mentioned for consideration. It's a long season for a young kid, I thought he looked a bit flat yesterday.
He has a long career in front of him so I'm ok taking our time.

It's not like he's ideal for the fwd/mid role and the quartet of Bont/Libba/Treloar/Richards is pretty untouchable.

He started really well yesterday and I could see traits that would serve him well once he's settled at AFL level but didn't really see much after the first quarter where it looked like he ended a bit flat (someone mentioned they were putting work into him which is also great because then he's learning to deal with a tag.)