We will tag Vics, says Dream Team coach
Dream Team coach Mark Williams has declared his team's resolve to defeat Victoria would extend to tagging the Big V's biggest names in the AFL's 150th anniversary match on Saturday night at the MCG.
In contrast to the widely-held perception that the game would be an exhibition of little lasting significance, Williams said he would not give his opposition a free run at the ball, instead preferring to plot a path to victory.
"I guarantee it won't just be trying to kick 90 goals each, there's no way they'll just let our forward line loose by itself and we're not going to let their onballers run away either," he said.
"So there's going to be some players playing run-with roles, but at the same time the quality of the players means you can't shut one person down.
"I've got people assessing the opposition right now and writing up some plans.
"You only get four or five days between games anyway, so it's almost a normal game for us in regard to trying to look at who they are and what they might do.
"There's a stack of players from both sides who know each other - Cameron Mooney may well play on Scarlett and it'll be great to see which one of those two is best."
Williams can call on one of the competition's elite run-with players in Port Adelaide's Kane Cornes.
The Dream Team's motivation will partly come from a desire to transcend their status as a patchwork team, designed simply as a convenient opponent for Victoria.
"If there was only one game then I can understand why it's Victoria, but the fact is they tried to set it up so we really couldn't push the state bit versus Victoria," Williams said.
"I know the Victorian crowd are going to come there and reckon they'll just waltz over the top of us, but that's not going to be the way.
"The passion and strength of commitment the players have shown, the fact is they're coming, and we're coming to beat the Vics without any doubt, and 80,000 people will be very disappointed to walk away and see they're not as good as they think they are."
There will remain doubts over which stars will be available to play right up until the first bounce on Saturday, but Williams was confident he would have the likes of Ben Rutten, Lance Franklin and Adam Cooney at his disposal despite injury concerns.
"Buddy (Franklin) has indicated he wants to play and I'll expect him to play that's for sure, and with him and Mots (Daniel Motlop)and all the Aboriginal contingent it will just be a wonderful game," Williams said.
"I've had managers of players saying 'this guy is definitely going to play' and I'm very happy to play them given the fact their clubs haven't said they're putting their careers in doubt.
"I'm an experienced coach, I understand the clubs' concerns and I certainly have them with my own players but it's a one-off in 150 years and we're mindful of having people from a variety of clubs managing the players."
With an expanded seven-man interchange, Williams reckoned he would try to give each player around 75 per cent gametime.
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