Selection Dissection: Demon Hunters
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Hawthorn v Melbourne
Saturday July 4, UTAS Satdium @ 1:15pm
As they say in the classics: take the four points and move on. Premierships aren’t won in June and, with percentage out of the equation due to our draw with Collingwood, all we have to do to keep in touch with the top two and top four is win. One point or 100 points, it doesn’t matter!
We face another big challenge this week down at our second home in Tassie against a Melbourne team coming off the bye. We played the Dees less than eight weeks ago and they smashed us in what was arguably our worst performance of the season. We were missing a lot of key players that day, but it was no excuse for how the team played.
This week, we will once again be without some key players. Nick Watson injured his hamstring last week and won’t play. Jarman Impey will again miss with a hamstring injury, while Conor Nash’s neck injury will keep him out for another week. Jack Gunston is the big watch this week. Having missed our last four matches with his “foot” injury, he is finally in the mix to return.
Defenders
The backline had an up and down game against the Giants last week. Despite them missing Jesse Hogan, the Giants still managed to kicked over 80 points and kicked 6.0 from 10 inside 50’s in the third quarter.
With Impey and Weddle both out this week, we will need the backline to improve against the Demons. They are a team that can kick a lot of goals and quickly. Blake Hardwick returned to defence last week and played an excellent game. This week he will need to back it up, as the Demons have quality small forwards in Kade Chandler and Kozzy Pickett when he pushes forward from the midfield.
The Midfield
After a brilliant performance against the Suns two weeks ago, the midfield backed it up again, smashing the Giants. The Jai Newcombe and Will Day combo is firing, whilst Cam Mackenzie continues to improve. He’s putting together an excellent season.
Josh Ward will need to lift a quiet game last week against the Giants. It will be a fascinating watch to see what happens when Nash returns.
This week against the Dees, it will be all about stopping Kozzy Pickett. Finn Maginness played a negating role on him last time and played his role well but that won’t happen this week. Maginness missed last weeks VFL game with back soreness. Stopping Pickett will go a long way to us winning the game this week.
The Rucks
This week will be our rucks biggest test of the season (for the second time) against the games best ruck, Max Gawn. Last time they played against him, Gawn absolutely dominated, especially in the middle and we can’t have a repeat.
Ned Reeves will be a big watch at selection tonight after failing to train on Tuesday and today. If he doesn’t get up, we will be in big trouble, especially in the middle.
The Forwards
Fingers crossed Gunston returns this week because Watson won’t be playing. Without Gunston, our key forwards have struggled.
Unfortunately, Clasher Dear didn’t take his chance last week and will be omitted if Gunston returns. The small forwards have lifted and have been carrying the forward line in recent weeks.
The likes of Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol need to be more consistent. Melbourne’s backline can be exposed, especially by small forwards, so I expect the likes of Dylan Moore, Connor Macdonald, Jack Ginnivan and Jack Dalton to have strong games this week and help us kick a winning score.
Ben Ronke Of The Week
After almost knocking last week’s Callum Brown call out of the park, I’m going with a base hit this week. Harrison Petty to kick three.
What should happen
In - Gunston, Hill (debut)
Out - Watson (injured), Dear (omitted)
B: Hardwick - Barrass - Sicily
HB: B.Macdonald - Battle - Amon
C: Morrison - Day - D’Ambrosio
HF: Moore - Lewis - Ginnivan
F: Chol - Gunston - Hill
R: Reeves - Newcombe - Mackenzie
INT: Meek - C.Macdonald - Ward - Dalton - Perez
Emg: Hustwaite - Dear - Ryan
What will happen:
In - Gunston, Hill (debut)
Out - Watson (injured), Dear (omitted)
B: Hardwick - Barrass - Sicily
HB: B.Macdonald - Battle - Amon
C: Morrison - Day - D’Ambrosio
HF: Moore - Lewis - Ginnivan
F: Chol - Gunston - Hill
R: Reeves - Newcombe - Mackenzie
INT: Meek - C.Macdonald - Ward - Dalton - Perez
Emg: Hustwaite - Ryan - Dear
Depth players: Calsher Dear, Will McCabe, Bodie Ryan, Henry Hustwaite
In the mix to debut: Aidan Schubert, Noah Mraz, Ollie Greeves
Unavailable: Nick Watson, Jarman Impey, Connor Nash, Jack Scrimshaw, James Blanck, Matt Leray, Max Beattie
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Ave age 24.83 (24.87)
Ave games 100.74 (102.43)
(Without Gunston: 24.41/92)
11 players 23 or younger.
4 players less than 5 games.
I am concerned we will go in with too many newbies, just like last time against them, the team balance was all wrong for a team vying for top four.
B Mac, Dalton, Hill, Perez plus another possible out with Reeves, Day still on limited minutes and a particularly precarious Gunston and with Watson, Impey, Weddle, Nash out could leave us too inexperienced/young.