R19 - Brisbane v Port & Adelaide v Essendon

Back on deck for Round 19! Sorry for the radio silence last round....

This week we have Port travelling up to Brisbane for what should be a regulation victory (surely!).

In the late Sunday game, Adelaide will be looking to bounce back from last weeks loss (gee I haven't had to post that for a while!) with a win and significant %%% boost against bottom side Essendon.

Post away.

Despite having a game against the bottom side this week I think Pyke and co are presented with some tough decisions at the selection table.

With 5 weeks to go it's now time to start thinking about who will deliver in September, and the Cats asked some serious questions last week that weren't answered at all well.

The dilemma is - stick with the formula that's got the team this far? Or make a change or two and give a couple of players a run before finals to ensure the squad is best placed for maximum impact in finals.

McGovern is probably my biggest concern at the moment. He's been very quiet for probably a month now, and while he does bob up at least once a game with an act of top quality, the frequency is probably a little bit scarce now for mine. Meanwhile Harry Dear is coming along quite nicely in the SANFL and may be work a run.

Charlie Cameron is probably the other - again he is bobbing up now and then, and his pressure when the footy is not in his hands is still quite good. But there may be better options getting around the SANFL. Harrison Wigg has come on in the last couple of months, and Cam Ellis-Yolmen has been braining it all year. Both are slightly different players to Cameron, but I can't see why the Adelaide game plan couldn't be tweaked to make the most of them.

Interesting times (in a good way!).

After the disappointing effort last week (though it was really only the third quarter that cost us - we matched it with them on the scoreboard for the other 3), the next couple of weeks are a chance to build some serious percentage.

We need a massive response in the next couple of weeks. 10 goal wins would be the absolute minimum expectation the next 2 weeks (against Essendon and Brisbane). I reckon we could jag a 100+ point win in at least one of these games too.

Would you back the current line up in BT, or make some changes?

I'd be inclined to back the current line up. It's important to keep a settled line up going into finals.

Both sides should have big wins. No excuses not to really.

Milera would be the like for like swap for Cameron but he looks to have run but of steam n the last few weeks and I can't see him getting another game this year. CEY probably deserves a run, it wont disrupt their structures too much.

I think Harry Dear or Jonno beech would be worth a trial up front to give McGovern a spell in the two's.

Rumour has Port considering Lobbe again. Now that finals are over it wouldn't hurt to give the youngsters a run. Unless Lobbe is in their long term plans or they want to give Trengrove a break then I'm not sure why Port would play Lobbe.

UncleHuey wrote:Both sides should have big wins.  No excuses not to really.

Milera would be the like for like swap for Cameron but he looks to have run but of steam n the last few weeks and I can't see him getting another game this year. CEY probably deserves a run, it wont disrupt their structures too much.

I think Harry Dear or Jonno beech would be worth a trial up front to give McGovern a spell in the two's.

Rumour has Port considering Lobbe again. Now that finals are over it wouldn't hurt to give the youngsters a run. Unless Lobbe is in their long term plans or they want to give Trengrove a break then I'm not sure why Port would play Lobbe.

Word is Pyke was just on the radio saying Tex won't be playing this weekend. Guessing that Dear will debut, he's been doing very well in the two's. I think Beech is still on the rookie list so can't be selected.

I'd really like to see CEY. I hope he sticks it out with us despite his lack of opportunity this year, because he's the obvious Scott Thompson replacement and I can't see Thommo going around again next year.

Confirmed on tv moments ago, Walker out

Regulation win by Adelaide on Sunday evening.

Disappointing to drop a few goals in the last few minutes and not have enough % to take 4th spot, but with Walker out and Jacobs out soon after quarter time I thought they did very well to keep the hammer down and come away with a big win.

Now to at the very least replicate Port's effort against Brisbane this week.

Was very surprised at how easily Port did it actually. Brisbane are a rabble. Doesn't make sense to me as they do have some players with a decent level of skill in their team. While they are clearly well of the top 8, they shouldn't be getting flogged like that by a fellow bottom 8 side IMO.