The Friday Scramble: NAB wk2

So we are now into the part of the NAB cup where we can really sit back and make a valid judgement on these guys, no more of these basketball last touch out of bounds stuff, no more short halves and swapping players for the second game.  We will get to see all of our locks, maybes and smokies get a run around for the full 100 minutes (as long as they don’t get a vest!).

At this stage of the preseason there isn’t a great deal we can do apart from sit back and take in all the stats and data we can.  Unfortunatly not all of the games this week and next will be televised so we will need to rely on reports of the games and the observations of people we trust who will be at the games (e.g. Tbetta at the WCE v Port game in Mandurah).

So what should we be looking for this week?  Here are a few of the things that I will be taking note of (on replay’s unfortunately as I will not be able to see a fair few of the games live on TV)……

• Who will the GWS wheel out this week?
  This will be the most intriguing thing to watch this week with Sheeds having the most to gain from having his best 22 running around together for a few weeks before the real stuff starts.  However, we all know Sheeds never does what he is supposed to so the odds of us seeing that final lineup will be slim.  However, we will get to see how well some of the guys we all hope will be our Rookie Cash Cows cope with a full game against good opposition.  They are up against the Hawks down in Tassie so I am sure that Warnie, Calvin and Roy will be there to get us the scoop on who are the standouts.
• Which of the Rookie Listed guys will get a full game?
  This is the time for these guys to stake their claim for any of the spots that are left on senior lists, and if we see some of these guys getting a full game this would be our best indication that they are going to be under serious consideration for that upgrade.  Don’t be discouraged though if your smokey rookie gets a red vest at 3 quarter time, as the coaches won’t want to wear these guys out just yet.
• Who can back it up?
  I am sure we all tinkered with our teams this week and put in those guys that did really well over the first round of the NAB, but one game does not a season make (Warnie, how is my english there 10/10?).  We need to see continued production, dare I remind you all of Beau Muston from 2010?
• Is that guy lost?
  Where on the ground are these guys really playing?  One thing that coaches like to do in the preseason is throw blokes around.  Last week we saw some guys out of position, but we should see that settle a bit this week.

Is Feb 29 cursed?

To steal a phrase from Ed, What a Big Week it has been in Dreamteam!  Mark down Feb 29 2016, next time we have a leap day in the calendar, because if it is anything like it was this year, it will be absolute carnage!  We had the now well documented injures to Jack Grimes, Jono Brown, Anthony Morabito and… oh yes, Charlie Dixon.  As Tbetta said on twitter, pick the odd one out!  At least 3 of those blokes were all popular in a lot of teams and Grimes was a lock in a hell of a lot of teams.  As we now know Browndawg is out for 6 weeks which pretty much rules him out of your starting side (and if not, find that delete my team button before you embarass yourself).  Grimey is only out for a couple and SHOULD be back for NAB4, but you watch, I have no doubt he will miss that game.  Morabito is now ruled out for the first round of the real stuff, I can see that dragging on too.  As for Charlie, no idea, didn’t bother researching his injury.

Not a great deal more to report this week, but as we get closer to the real stuff, I will have a lot more for you heading into each weekend.

Jump in the comments and let us all know what you are most looking forward to this week and what you think will happen.  I personally think the injury curse will continue to strike, I am just hoping that it doesn’t hit my DT or Port Adelaide (we are not that good already and need all the help we can get).

Happy Rookie Gazing.  See you on the twittervine @pkd73