McStay-out, who comes in?

[RudeBoy]

OK, I've changed my mind.....again.

In all honesty, McStay has only really played a couple of good games throughout the whole season, so his omission should not be disastrous. When we were at our best this season, McStay was not in the team.

So, let's revert to that great winning combination, by bringing Ginni back into the 22 and positioning a resting ruckman up forward.

If Adams is truly fit then he should replace Lipinski, who has been rather disappointing this year, following his shoulder surgery.

Noble deserves to come in as the sub.

[Pies2016]

The most likely way to win this game is to have some sort of ascendency out of the middle and that starts with a competent ruck combination and competent clearance players. Cox and Cameron collectively ( more so Cox ) have been competitive against both Gawn and Briggs, even to the point where we comfortably won clearances against a very strong GWS midfield. This week we take on a very inform McInerney, even if he was hobbling after half time. I don’t see how we keep our ascendency by propping one of our two ruckman in the forward line for extended periods while the other takes McInerney on in 30 degree heat for most of the day. Rotating between ruck and being “ rewarded “ with running leading patterns in the forward line is very different to rucking then resting on the bench. In my previous post I wasn’t advocating McInnes, it was simply an option that no one had mentioned, particularly given the oxygen Krueger had been given as a possible replacement.
From a distance, Frampton easily makes the most sense to me and I’d be a little surprised if it doesn’t happen. The concern with Frampton is whether he gets a game cause he’s good enough or whether he gets selected cause he’s 200cm.
The only good news in all this is, should Payne not come up ( which I keep reading is likely ) the Lions backline looks undersized, with only one defender over 192cm ( Harris ) on the day. Surely you would look to direct the ball in the direction of Gardiner and Lester before Harris, so you want a tall match up that at worst, would halve those contests. Frampton as second ruck and versatile elsewhere if needed, sounds like the most logical replacement to me.
Maybe Ginnivan into the 22 for scoring power and Lipinski out of 22 but retained as sub.

[pietillidie]

^That's part of my thinking, too; I don't want to upset our current ruck rhythm as it's the best it's been thus far under Fly.

Broadly, at least from afar and bearing in mind grand final, dry weather footy, my instinct is that it's too risky to go in with one less tall on a dry day. Coxy is our best ruck, while I think neither Coxy nor Cameron can play a sustained structural role to help Checkers.

I suppose I see the Lions setting up a backline wall being a bigger risk than them dominating the midfield, trusting our mids to get the job done as they're in top form. And you half expect one of those really tight games where the ball spends a lot of time between the arcs as the half backlines dominate, so we will likely need a few grabs from long bombs ourselves.

We also need to hurt them the other way if their forwards kick a few, so we can't let them wall off our forward line.

I'm also assuming Frampers is looking sharp in training and has enough touch, of course. Has anyone been watching him on the track? I also haven't seen enough of Brisbane to anticipate their approach apart from the obvious.

I get the uncertainty we all have, though. I guess it comes down to the finer points of the tactical analysis and data, and the eyes of the coaches at training.

This could do one's head in; I'm glad others are being paid to make the call!

[Gerry Cooper]

^That's part of my thinking, too; I don't want to upset our current ruck rhythm as it's the best it's been thus far under Fly.

Broadly, at least from afar and bearing in mind grand final, dry weather footy, my instinct is that it's too risky to go in with one less tall on a dry day. Coxy is our best ruck, while I think neither Coxy nor Cameron can play a sustained structural role to help Checkers.

I suppose I see the Lions setting up a backline wall being a bigger risk than them dominating the midfield, trusting our mids to get the job done as they're in top form. And you half expect one of those really tight games where the ball spends a lot of time between the arcs as the half backlines dominate, so we will likely need a few grabs from long bombs ourselves.

We also need to hurt them the other way if their forwards kick a few, so we can't let them wall off our forward line.

I'm also assuming Frampers is looking sharp in training and has enough touch, of course. Has anyone been watching him on the track? I also haven't seen enough of Brisbane to anticipate their approach apart from the obvious.

I get the uncertainty we all have, though. I guess it comes down to the finer points of the tactical analysis and data, and the eyes of the coaches at training.

This could do one's head in; I'm glad others are being paid to make the call!

I've never been a fan of the rucking tall forward. Too often you end up with diminished returns in both roles. Leigh Brown is the exception to that but he was an exceptional player all round.

[pietillidie]

Tay ruled out I see, so that's one step towards narrowing down the possibilities.

[Big T]

I'm picking coxy to do another 2018 prelim job with ginni at his feet

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

Frampton is the man, may as well lock this bad boy

[BazBoy]

Good luck Billy Fly & co will give you a roll -one they know you can handle

Do that and that’s all we ask mate.

Go Framp

[Clifton Hill-Billy]

Fly has confirmed Frampton is playing in the grand final, give him a defensive role on Harris Andrews similar to McStay did on May in our first final

[pietillidie]

I'm picking coxy to do another 2018 prelim job with ginni at his feet

I have visions of that, too. The big fella is in fine form, and set for a big one, from giving us first use and messing with their mids, to bagging a few sausage rolls.

[piedys]

Is it too late to pick Kruger instead of Framo now?! lol

[eddiesmith]

Given Murphy was concussed in the first qtr, not having a sub and playing with only 21 players might have been detrimental in the end!

[stui magpie]

Is it too late to pick Kruger instead of Framo now?! lol

Hey, The Frampchise did his job, for 3 quarters at least, which was to stop Andrews. Best 2 possession Premiership player ever.

[Johnno75]

He was there to be a pest on Harris Andrews and if you said before the game 1 kick vs only 2 intercept marks you take it. He probably should have kick 2 goals he just forgot how to catch a ball. But he just annoyed the shit out of him all game, even complaining to the maggots when he gave the holding frees away which were blatant.

Hopefully that shows you the importance of McStay. He is by far our best contested mark forward of centre and had pivotal moments in both the QF and PF. He is no champion but he does what is needed, yet a lot continue to bag him.