macca69
10 Aug 2006, 09:55
We have been in excellent form in the last few weeks, just peaking at the right time, as opposed to last year when we fell away just before the finals. It's going to be a tough few weeks for the selection committee with Cox, Hunter and Nicoski due back soon and a few guys in excellent WAFL form, and the experience of guys like Banfield will also be valueble. Assuming everyone was fit and available for the first week of the finals what would be our lineup?
Mine is
Wirra Glass B. Jones
Nicoski Graham Hunter
Embley Stenglein Braun
Cousins Hansen Staker
Sampi Lynch Chick
Cox Judd Kerr
Fletcher, Waters, Butler, Seaby
Emg - Selwood, Armstrong, Banfield
A lot can happen between in a month of footy, but depending on the opposition, this is how I would like us to go. Very hard on Selwood, but I just couldn't drop anyone else. I think that with Stenglein and Chick, we don't need another player who is capable of negating an opposition gun. He also doesn't offer us enough offensively in comparison to guys like Butler and Fletcher. He did a good job on Milne, but there are plenty of guys in the side that can play as small defender. I think Selwood has been pretty good this year, but I think he is our 23rd best player at this stage.
Armstrong has been solid since coming into the side, but hasn't done enough to cement a spot in our 22 IMO.
Very hard to leave out Banfield also. He has been very good, and has done his job week in week out. There are just others who are now ahead of him, as they offer us more offensively.
B. Jones may be the one who gets dropped, but I feel his form since returning to the side has been excellent and is the perfect matchup for someone like O'Laughlin, Robertson, Welsh, Buckley who tend to give our backline a fair bit of trouble.
Are we going in a bit too tall with that lineup? I personally don't think so, unless it's wet. But if we do feel we are too tall, then one of Seaby, Staker or Graham may miss. If we had to drop a tall, I would be leaning towards Seaby, but if Cox gets injured we would be screwed.
Some people may feel Nicoski may have to come back through the WAFL. But prior to his injury he was one of our best, most consistant players for the first 11 rounds or so. He would have been in AA contention IMO and has to come straight back in.
People have been calling for Embley to be dropped, which is pretty stupid to say the least IMO. While he isn't in great form. Embley has had a tendancy to get injured 4-6 weeks out from the finals, seems to happen every year. I suspect Woosha has kept him up forward to ensure he is fit come finals time. I suspect he will play on a wing once the finals are under way and will be somewhat underestimated by the opposition (even by some Eagles fans). He is a key component for our finals success and nothing positive will come from dropping him. Dropping your match-winners a few weeks out from the finals is just stupid.
Some people also want Staker to be dropped also. Staker's value to the side is underated and he tends to stand out when he has a poor game. Lyon's comments on him last week may have attributed to a somewhat negative attitude towards him, but Staker has been very good for us this year. He and Hansen seem to work well together and he doesn't deserve to be dropped after a poorish game on a smaller ground, when his opponent had a pretty good game.
Waters spot may have been a little shaky before the Saints game, but there is no way he will be dropped now. Woosha loves him, and his hardness at the ball is invalueble.
I didn't rate Butler all that highly prior to the season starting, thought the hype surrounding him was a little unjustified, although I am very happy to be proved wrong. He has been excellent since coming back into the side and is just a classy footballer. Seems to have a lot of time when he has the ball, and his disposal and decision making seems to have improved a fair bit. He is definately a best 22 player now.
In the absence of Cox Seaby has improved a fair bit. I think he is a better tap ruckman than Cox, some of his hitouts have been exceptional over the past few weeks. He has a lot of potential and could turn out to be as good as Cox.
What do you guys think is our best 22?
Mine is
Wirra Glass B. Jones
Nicoski Graham Hunter
Embley Stenglein Braun
Cousins Hansen Staker
Sampi Lynch Chick
Cox Judd Kerr
Fletcher, Waters, Butler, Seaby
Emg - Selwood, Armstrong, Banfield
A lot can happen between in a month of footy, but depending on the opposition, this is how I would like us to go. Very hard on Selwood, but I just couldn't drop anyone else. I think that with Stenglein and Chick, we don't need another player who is capable of negating an opposition gun. He also doesn't offer us enough offensively in comparison to guys like Butler and Fletcher. He did a good job on Milne, but there are plenty of guys in the side that can play as small defender. I think Selwood has been pretty good this year, but I think he is our 23rd best player at this stage.
Armstrong has been solid since coming into the side, but hasn't done enough to cement a spot in our 22 IMO.
Very hard to leave out Banfield also. He has been very good, and has done his job week in week out. There are just others who are now ahead of him, as they offer us more offensively.
B. Jones may be the one who gets dropped, but I feel his form since returning to the side has been excellent and is the perfect matchup for someone like O'Laughlin, Robertson, Welsh, Buckley who tend to give our backline a fair bit of trouble.
Are we going in a bit too tall with that lineup? I personally don't think so, unless it's wet. But if we do feel we are too tall, then one of Seaby, Staker or Graham may miss. If we had to drop a tall, I would be leaning towards Seaby, but if Cox gets injured we would be screwed.
Some people may feel Nicoski may have to come back through the WAFL. But prior to his injury he was one of our best, most consistant players for the first 11 rounds or so. He would have been in AA contention IMO and has to come straight back in.
People have been calling for Embley to be dropped, which is pretty stupid to say the least IMO. While he isn't in great form. Embley has had a tendancy to get injured 4-6 weeks out from the finals, seems to happen every year. I suspect Woosha has kept him up forward to ensure he is fit come finals time. I suspect he will play on a wing once the finals are under way and will be somewhat underestimated by the opposition (even by some Eagles fans). He is a key component for our finals success and nothing positive will come from dropping him. Dropping your match-winners a few weeks out from the finals is just stupid.
Some people also want Staker to be dropped also. Staker's value to the side is underated and he tends to stand out when he has a poor game. Lyon's comments on him last week may have attributed to a somewhat negative attitude towards him, but Staker has been very good for us this year. He and Hansen seem to work well together and he doesn't deserve to be dropped after a poorish game on a smaller ground, when his opponent had a pretty good game.
Waters spot may have been a little shaky before the Saints game, but there is no way he will be dropped now. Woosha loves him, and his hardness at the ball is invalueble.
I didn't rate Butler all that highly prior to the season starting, thought the hype surrounding him was a little unjustified, although I am very happy to be proved wrong. He has been excellent since coming back into the side and is just a classy footballer. Seems to have a lot of time when he has the ball, and his disposal and decision making seems to have improved a fair bit. He is definately a best 22 player now.
In the absence of Cox Seaby has improved a fair bit. I think he is a better tap ruckman than Cox, some of his hitouts have been exceptional over the past few weeks. He has a lot of potential and could turn out to be as good as Cox.
What do you guys think is our best 22?