Review Savage too valuable to be sub

[EyeInTheSky]

Agreed, Savage too valuable as a sub but Clarkson definitely in experimental mode at the moment.

Birchall against the Saints I think.
Could be the long kicking runner we need to exploit the Saints zone late in the game as it will no doubt be a low scoring close one.

 

[Fluro Boots]

I'd like to see Cheney tried as a sub one week. He's a bit of an animal from what i've seen of him at Melbourne. Wind him up on the bench for 2.5-3 quarters, get him angry and let him loose, show us why we recruited him. I know he's been played as backman most of the time but a fresh big bodied maloney style bloke around the ball late in the game might pay off, he might drag a few blokes along with him as well. Could be worth a punt.

 

[satan1]

I'd like to see Cheney tried as a sub one week. He's a bit of an animal from what i've seen of him at Melbourne. Wind him up on the bench for 2.5-3 quarters, get him angry and let him loose, show us why we recruited him. I know he's been played as backman most of the time but a fresh big bodied maloney style bloke around the ball late in the game might pay off, he might drag a few blokes along with him as well. Could be worth a punt.

Agree with this, would like to see guys from box hill given a crack as a sub. If anything to keep their motivation up.

Milne would also make a good choice.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

I think the sub needs to be an impact player.

Someone quick: smith/savage/young

Someone who can impact the game: lewis

There's no point having players like X being the sub.

You want to get value from the 1-2 quarters that the sub is on the ground.

I'm with you MH.

Appreciate subs should be rotated to give people a break, but not sure why we'd use Sav as one after the bye as his pace and kicking are key.

Not a fan of guys like X, WX, etc being subs as just don;t see these guys being able to do enough in a short timeframe.

 

[satan1]

What about guys who may not have the tank for a full game? do you risk not having an early injury?

I reckon with the amount of midfielders we play out of position we have this luxury.

I know they are rookies but Schneider or Wanganeen could be used?

 

[mrcurly]

Sub could also be a good way of extending some players careers, i could see Guerra being used to good effect in that role, a burst player like Crawford would have been a good sub a few seasons back.

Maybe it should really be looked at as the halfway house, you are not playing well enough for the first 21, but not badly enough for a game at BHH.. Birch? or Young?

 

[Brown Blood]

There are a whole range of reasons why a particular player may be chosen as a sub that posters on this forum frankly have little idea of.

The fact is there would have been a strategy behind his selection (it is not as if they pulled his name out of a hat)!

Perhaps they thought he would provide more impact as the sub or perhaps they wanted to give him a rest as he has played all games this year or perhaps they thought it would be better for team balance if he didn't start on the ground or ............?

 

[Hawker55]

We seem to be one of the sides that uses the sub quite well - I think nearly every sub we've made has played quite well (from memory). Except for the Geelong game where Rioli's injury probably affected the game a bit anyway.

 

[WillowSF]

A tough one; and there are a whole range of approaches that could be taken. My preference is to have a senior player as a sub that may not be able to keep up for an entire game but has enough experience to make an impact. I think Bateman, Osborne & Guerra are all good candidates. If someone is struggling for form I don't think being a sub helps. (I'd rather those players (i.e. the likes of Ladson, Whitecross, Lewis, Birchall, Ellis & Murphy etc.) just be dropped to Box Hill or given another opportunity instead.

On Friday Clarkson took a long time to bring Savage on. The result was pretty much done and dusted. When he did come on I was left scratching my head thinking that there were half a dozen players he could have taken off particularly during the third quarter when Rodan and Pearce were having their way with our mid field. Tactically he really struggles on match day. I guess it worked out because Renouf ended up being injured leaving Roughead to ruck the last quarter.

On a separate note, my question is...if Roughead goes down during the last quarter who do we get to contest the ruck? Surely not Hodge. Gilham or Buddy? We are grossly undersized!

 

[mrcurly]

A tough one; and there are a whole range of approaches that could be taken. My preference is to have a senior player as a sub that may not be able to keep up for an entire game but has enough experience to make an impact. I think Bateman, Osborne & Guerra are all good candidates. If someone is struggling for form I don't think being a sub helps. (I'd rather those players (i.e. the likes of Ladson, Whitecross, Lewis, Birchall, Ellis & Murphy etc.) just be dropped to Box Hill or given another opportunity instead.

On Friday Clarkson took a long time to bring Savage on. The result was pretty much done and dusted. When he did come on I was left scratching my head thinking that there were half a dozen players he could have taken off particularly during the third quarter when Rodan and Pearce were having their way with our mid field. Tactically he really struggles on match day. I guess it worked out because Renouf ended up being injured leaving Roughead to ruck the last quarter.

On a separate note, my question is...if Roughead goes down doing the last quarter who do we get to contest the ruck? Surely not Hodge. Gilham or Buddy? We are grossly undersized!

Great point Willows - and exactly who was playing on the Rodent when he started scuttling about getting under our defenses? He seemed to be unmanned.

I was wondering why Bateman or Smith wasn't given a run with task to reduce the damage, they had the toe to keep with him. Savage would also have been a good matchup - sadly for Rodan (and fortunately for us) Buddy was able to save the day with a huge dose of Ratsac in that big tackle.

As for the ruck dilemna, yeah - we are in deep trouble if we lose a big guy.

I look at the GC and cannot believe how much we struggle to find a big guy, perhaps it is due to a refusal to throw inexperienced players in at the deep end. Many of the quality ruckmen in the past would debut in their teens, Madden was 16, Scott 18 from memory, Salmon about the same. These guys were scrawny and developed in the 1's - not playing reserve grade or VFL. Ruck play has not changed overly in the current game, it still requires similar attributes, in fact you can get away with being more basketballer in build than footballer, there is less brawn or mongrel required due to the namby pamby umpiring that stops the Scott style of wrestling with elbows flying everywhere.

GC are proving it can be done, they are a raw group of players, and sure they run out of puff after 3 and a bit quarters, but i don't see Renouf rucking the full game lately either. Bring on Lowden or Bailey - even as a sub to ruck for a quarter! Best way to accelerate their development, Lowden should be looked at given his VFL form.

 

[lethalselbow]

Except senior AFL footy.

I wouldn't mind Bateman as a sub, I know he is experienced and important, but his gut-running deep into a erd or 4th quarter would be vital, especially if he was fresh from the bench.

lol.

Whitecross has a long way to go in my opinion, too. He had a few clangers early against Port, but did come good. I'm finally seeing why he's on the list.

 

[Coathanger]

The one constant I'm seeing at the moment,is that subs from all teams are struggling to come to grips with the pace of the game for their first few touches. Hence the later they come on in the game the less productive they have been(perhaps not Savage,but Guerra struggled).

I think that is why the trend of subbing 5 mins before 3qtr time has been used, to try and give them that touch going into the last qtr.

How the Dogs or any team expect a first gamer to produce as the sub astounds me.

My tip this week is Youngy to be the sub!

 

[Davo23]

I like Savage, but posters here are judging him on 4 disposals?

Yes, 3 kicks and one handball!

I think he has a bright future, but to suggest that he had a stellar game, and therefore is an automatic inclusion in the best 21, doesn't make sense. He certainly has talent, but that alone doesn't make him a regular.

He is very promising, and if he continues to improve, he will certainly be an important part of the club.


.

 

[Rumblah#16]

I like Savage, but posters here are judging him on 4 disposals?

Yes, 3 kicks and one handball!

I think he has a bright future, but to suggest that he had a stellar game, and therefore is an automatic inclusion in the best 21, doesn't make sense. He certainly has talent, but that alone doesn't make him a regular.

He is very promising, and if he continues to improve, he will certainly be an important part of the club.


.

You realise he came on with 7 minutes to go, yes?

 

[grizzlym]

Probably a more pertinent question is will Carko continue to rotate the sub? Because that's the strategy he's gone with so far this season, and Savage was merely next man up.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Probably a more pertinent question is will Carko continue to rotate the sub? Because that's the strategy he's gone with so far this season, and Savage was merely next man up.

Inflexible is Clarko so the answer is pretty much a yes. It is BS.

 

[Brown Blood]

Or some posters are.

 

[Roby]

Or some posters are.

LOL!

 

[DannyJ]

Don't mind the rotating of the sub. Gives guys a rest, and with the increased game time needs to be used to good affect in two ways

i) Game situation. Needs to be used for an injured player or bringing on a impact player that can 'change the game'.

ii) Can rest up your players that have slight niggles

Note: We haven't mastered the rule. However, we will get better as the season goes on. I hope

 

[Hawkamania!]

GC are proving it can be done, they are a raw group of players, and sure they run out of puff after 3 and a bit quarters, but i don't see Renouf rucking the full game lately either. Bring on Lowden or Bailey - even as a sub to ruck for a quarter! Best way to accelerate their development, Lowden should be looked at given his VFL form.

This suggestion has merit.

 

[BlackByrd]

This suggestion has merit.

Agreed. Especially as it looks like Renouf will be out this week. Would probably prefer to see Bailey as sub over Lowden just to give him a taste

 

[Mitchemx]

Can't possibly bring Bailey or Lowden is as sub. What happens if a midfielder goes down with injury?

 

[BlackByrd]

Can't possibly bring Bailey or Lowden is as sub. What happens if a midfielder goes down with injury?

What happens if Rough or Hale go down this week?

The coaches would never go for it, but would be a good way to give them a taste of AFL footy.