2004 Starting Lineup

[USAEagle]

I have thought about this quite a lot.

I know there have been other threads about it, but they seem to keep getting hijacked. So I am starting a new one.

I have worked out several ideas.

One included Gaspar at CHB but today WOosha said he is definitely the man for CHF, so....

FF Sampi MacDougal Matera
HF Staker Gaspar Embley
M Chick Cousins Judd
HB Wooden Lynch Hunter
FB Green Glass Wirrpunda
R Gardiner Kerr Fletcher

Int Jones Braun Jakovich Chambers

or this


FF Cox MacDougal Matera
HF Jones Gaspar Sampi
M Embley Cousins Judd
HB Collica Lynch Hunter
FB Green Glass Wirrpunda

R Gardiner Kerr Fletcher

Int Braun Chambers Wooden Staker

OR this

FF Sampi MacDOugal Matera
HF Jones Jakovich Embley
M Chick COusins Judd
HB Hunter Gaspar Green
FB Collica Glass Wirrpunda

R Gardiner Kerr Fletcher

INt Cox Braun Chambers Banfield


The problem is, we seem to have alot more depth, and a lot of guys missed out on a game by half a thought.

I do feel that a fit and firing forward spine of Gaspar and MacDougal will be awesome. Personally, I think MacDougal can be better than Lloyd.

Big statement I know, but in the Melbourne game in Round 21, on his leads he looked like a glider flying effortlessly and he took the overhead marks on the run just as effortlessly. Then down on the Subi end he took a flatfooted pack mark right on the boundary - missed the goal but it didn't matter really. I have seen him kick 50 + metres off one step - and even further off two - after the siren vs Carlton he hoofed one about 65 metres with a kick that looked like Ernie Els golf swing - almost lazy.

THere has to be a place for Wooden in the side. He is the fastest runner, the most tenacious tagger, and can push forwar to kick a 60 metre goal if necessary.

Chambers can kick a goal from anywhere inside 50 at any angle. Definitely deserves a better deal in 2004.

Gaspar is the CHF of the future....WOosha said so today. Just keep his feet healthy.

Jones. It is time for Jones to come into his own. He has almost everything - he takes a good overhead mark, is speedy, can tag if necessary, just needs to straighten up his kicks for goal.

Carroll. He conceivably could do a Lynch this year. Disappear. I thik he will only come in for injury relief.

Braun. I know I had him on the bench but he kicked a sealer goal in at least 3 wins, and nearly won the Geelong Away game. Can only get better.

Banfield. Legend who will see not as much field time this year.

Jakovich. Always a soilid contributor now, and his experience on the field is worth two or three young players.

Staker. The next McKenna. Absolutely poised on the field. NEver saw him panic once.

Glass. See how he does without Macintosh around. Might be just what he needs to move up.

THese are just a few of my thoughts from the offseason.

Roll on 2004!!!

[ozzult]

No doubt that Gaspar will be a really skilled player at CHF, I just have the feeling that we lack the skill by foot and the poise in our backline, especially when it comes to talls.

The thought of Doogs and Gaspar running rings up forward is heartening to any West Coast fan, but does it leave our backline a little susceptible? Maybe Stakes can be moulded for a defensive role, he is definitely tall enough for key position.



All I hope for is Doogs and Gaspar to be on the track for 22 matches, with permanent positions. Too often this season Doogs was sent in the ruck, just when he was looking to do something good up forward. I want to see these guys stay in their destined positions for the whole season.

[Mead]

I think the way to do this is to look first at the people who are pretty much definites, and then the places up for grabs.

More or less certainties: Gardiner, Cousins, Kerr, Judd, Fletcher, Embley, Jones, Wirrpunda, Sampi, McDougall, Matera, Gaspar, Chick.
(22 games if fit)


In the Mix: Jakovich, Banfield, Green, Lynch, Hunter, Cox, Chambers, Staker, Braun, Glass Seaby Selwood
(5-20 games, depending on form and opportunity)

On the Outer: , Wooden, Humm, Collica, Adkins, Hansen, Munro Johnson Edwards Nicoski etc...
(Not guaranteed a game in 2004 by any means. Need to break into the team.)

So we take our 13 certainties, and slot them in where we need them most.

FB: Wirrpunda _________ ________
HB: Chick _________ __________
C: Embley Judd Fletcher
HF:Jones Gaspar Sampi
FF:Matera McDougall ________
R:Gardiner Kerr Cousins

Most of those are no brainers which any eagles fan could pick. Only things which are down to my opinion are- Chick in defence, I think this is the way to go, because it takes advantage of the best elements of his game- that he's good overhead for his size and tackles very well, and adds nous and experience to what will
be the least experienced part of our team
Gaspar/McDougall forward combo- thats what Woosha thinks, who am i to argue with him :)... Embley/Judd are obviously goiing to rotate onto the HFF.

Anyway, that leaves uf 9 places to fill in the team- imo, round one should look like...
FB: Wirrpunda Glass Hunter
HB: Chick Lynch Green
C: Embley Judd Fletcher
HF:Jones Gaspar Sampi
FF:Matera McDougall Jakovich
R:Gardiner Kerr Cousins

Int: Cox, Braun, Banfield, Staker

a monster CHB in Lynch, who could switch forward with Gaspar or McDougall if necessary. Hunter the third tall defender, Green is probably the next best flanker.

Jakovich the third tall forward adding a bit of grunt to the packs alongside the lankier McDougall and Gaspar. Braun and Selwood provide the midfield/defence options, although realistically Banfield would probably get a gig ahead of Selwood. Personally go for the latter though, who is bigger, quicker, and more versatile, and has time on his side. Staker functions as a wonderful tall utility, who can play pretty much any position in the field, anywhere along the spine, on the flanks or even as an Embleyesque winger.

[Streaker]

FF -- Staker--McDougall-- Matera
HF-- Embley-- Hansen -- Chick
M ---- Judd --- Cousins-- Wirrpunda
HB-- Selwood -- Lynch -- Hunter
FB --- Green --- Gaspar -- Sampi

R--- Gardiner-- Kerr-- Fletcher

Int Jones Braun Cox Glass

In an effort to minimise injury I would have Gaspar at Full Back.

Sampi was as good as Wirrpunda in the back half last year and I would like to see him take over Wirra's role.

Wirrpunda on a wing would give us so many more options going forward. The torpedo from the wing to the goal square would add a new dimension to the game.

Matera and Chick both fight hard to lock the ball in the forward line.

Staker is creative and has good hands, another forward marking option.

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by West Coast Stre

HF-- Embley-- Hansen -- Chick

Int Jones Braun Cox Glass


Hansen before Glass in the starting line up....please explain?

[Streaker]

Originally posted by no1bankteller
Hansen before Glass in the starting line up....please explain?

Gaspar is the better option for Full Back and Hansen is the better option for CHF.

Glass isn't a Forward and I have explained my reason for Gaspar at Full Back.

Happy Pauline. ;)

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by West Coast Stre
Gaspar is the better option for Full Back and Hansen is the better option for CHF.

Glass isn't a Forward and I have explained my reason for Gaspar at Full Back.

Happy Pauline. ;)

Ok...

Still puzzed but I trust you know what you do :confused: :cool: :)

[USAEagle]

Gaspar is a forward.

Woosha said so.

Full Stop.

His name is Travis, not Darren.

[Streaker]

Originally posted by USAEagle
Gaspar is a forward.

Woosha said so.

Full Stop.

His name is Travis, not Darren.

Where did he say this?

[Milenko]

There's no full stop about it.

He is more likely to play at CHF, granted, but even Woosha has conceded that he may have to slot in at CHB given that Jakovich is on his way out, and Lynch in my opinion is not mobile enough for CHB. Staker potentially if he beefed up, but he seems more of a taller flanker.

[USAEagle]

The West Australian, Thursday, back page, "Operations Gaspar".

[daddy_4_eyes]

FB: Wooden Glass Wirrpunda
HB: Hunter Carroll?? Staker
C: Judd Kerr Embley
HF: Sampi Gaspar Jones
FF: Matera McDougall Chick
R: Gardiner Cousins Fletcher

I: Jako, Banfield, Braun, Cox

FB: Glass picks himself. No better option. Wooden is fast and would be suited to a pocket (as opposed to a tagger). Could probably swap him with Humm. I'd love to see Wirrpunda play further up the ground, but his rebound and ability to block the hole are invaluable. If we get a rebounding CHB, I'd love to see wirra on a wing or HFF.

HB: Hunter is exciting, and could maybe even be placed at CHB. Staker could be our 3rd tall, while CHB is up for grabs. Carroll get the spot purely because none of the other talls have shown anything there.

C: Judd and Embley on the wings provide run, height, and a lot of attack. Kerr in the center provides the stability and support in the packs.

HF: Gaspar at CHF because he has shown the most promise there and has fantastic marking ability. Would be wasted at CHB IMO. Sampi on one flank as his talents are wasted deep in a pocket, and Jones on the other side to provide a bit of an opposite to Sampi (Sampi being the flare, Jones being the no fuss Mr. Get The Job Done).

FF: Matera and McDougall explain themselves. Chick is there to provide the grunt. I'm hoping he can get some fitness up and play more in the center, but atm I'm not gonna take a guess on that.

R: Gardiner, needs to ruck as much as possible to keep our midfield at its peak. Should be rested in the forward line when the game is won. Cousins and Fletcher are natural selections there IMO.

Bench: Jako is an automatic selection. Nearing his end, but still valuable to the side. Braun deserves a spot in the team, but i couldn't fit him on the field. Cox is an automatic selection for obvious reasons. The only dilemma is Banfield, though you can't leave a 200+ experience player out of the team.





That'd be my team. Banfield is borderline, needs to reinvent himself to stay ahead of a few others. Carroll is in the team for lack of other proven KPP, though I imagine Hansen, Johnson, Lynch and Seaby would all be in contention for a spot (with Gaspar possibly to drop back). Morrison would be a shoe in if he gets back to his best.

Munro, Humm, Adkins, Selwood and Chambers will be fringe players. Get a game here or there depending on weather and injuries, but will basically struggle to get a proper game. Too much class in our midfield to fit them in (check out our forward and backline to see some other midfield options. These guys are really down the pecking order).

[Streaker]

Originally posted by USAEagle
The West Australian, Thursday, back page, "Operations Gaspar".

If you are referring to this article then you may like to read it again.


Operation Travis: Eagles play safe
By Mark Duffield

WEST Coast has put promising key position player Travis Gaspar in pre-season cotton wool in a bid to protect him from injuries which have threatened his career.

Gaspar, 22, will have a specially modified training program this summer aimed at getting him fit for AFL football without aggravating the injuries which have restricted him to 21 matches in three seasons.

The rangy younger brother of Richmond star Darren, Gaspar is rated as the Eagles' best key position prospect and the player most likely to hold down centre half-back or centre half-forward. But he played only five games in 2003 because of stress fractures in his feet and hamstring problems.

He walked laps and did stationary skills rather than join teammates for a light session on the firm McGillivray Oval playing fields yesterday when West Coast officially started training.

Coach John Worsfold confirmed that Gaspar, known to overtrain at times in the past, would be kept tightly in check.

"We have to rely on medical advice for what the best program is for Travis to be able to play football," Worsfold said.

"We have got no doubt that with his work rate he is always going to be fit enough. It is just monitoring what he actually does."

Asked if next year was make or break for Gaspar given his injury problems, Worsfold said: "To a degree it is. I have got no doubt that if he gets himself right he will play good AFL football. If he is injured then that has to be assessed at the end of the year."

"But he has got the qualities to be a very good AFL footballer in the future. We are hoping that begins next year for us."

"He is on a restricted training program from now with a few other players as well."

Despite his injury problems, Gaspar still sits at the front of a queue of young West Coast players likely to get the chance to play any of the four key positions next season.

The departure of David Haynes, Ashley McIntosh and Troy Wilson, and the likelihood that Glen Jakovich will be used in different roles next season puts the Eagles in the unusual - for a top eight team - position of having all four key berths up for grabs.

Gaspar, Andrew McDougall, Ashley Hansen, Paul Johnson, Quinten Lynch and Darren Glass are the leading contenders.

Worsfold is confident that Lynch, Hansen, Gaspar and McDougall in particular will stand up to AFL football next season and indicated that Jakovich remained an option for a role down the spine.

"We haven't pushed guys into those positions in the last two years because we have been happy to give everyone the opportunity to show what they can do," he said.

"We have done that a fair bit. We are aware how Jako can play and how Travis Gaspar can play and McDougall has shown that he can play at AFL level, as has Lynch."

He said Hansen was "tracking extremely well" after two pre-seasons and two full seasons of WAFL.

Ben Cousins, Phil Matera, David Wirrpunda, Drew Banfield and Chad Fletcher missed yesterday's session but are expected to join in training during the next two weeks.

The words that are between the " and " are what Worsfold said the rest is what Mark Duffield wrote. I have highlighted what Woosha said so that you can see he never said Gaspar was a forward.

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by daddy_4_eyes
FB: Wooden Glass Wirrpunda
HB: Hunter Carroll?? Staker
C: Judd Kerr Embley
HF: Sampi Gaspar Jones
FF: Matera McDougall Chick
R: Gardiner Cousins Fletcher

I: Jako, Banfield, Braun, Cox

FB: Glass picks himself. No better option. Wooden is fast and would be suited to a pocket (as opposed to a tagger). Could probably swap him with Humm. I'd love to see Wirrpunda play further up the ground, but his rebound and ability to block the hole are invaluable. If we get a rebounding CHB, I'd love to see wirra on a wing or HFF.

HB: Hunter is exciting, and could maybe even be placed at CHB. Staker could be our 3rd tall, while CHB is up for grabs. Carroll get the spot purely because none of the other talls have shown anything there.

C: Judd and Embley on the wings provide run, height, and a lot of attack. Kerr in the center provides the stability and support in the packs.

HF: Gaspar at CHF because he has shown the most promise there and has fantastic marking ability. Would be wasted at CHB IMO. Sampi on one flank as his talents are wasted deep in a pocket, and Jones on the other side to provide a bit of an opposite to Sampi (Sampi being the flare, Jones being the no fuss Mr. Get The Job Done).

FF: Matera and McDougall explain themselves. Chick is there to provide the grunt. I'm hoping he can get some fitness up and play more in the center, but atm I'm not gonna take a guess on that.

R: Gardiner, needs to ruck as much as possible to keep our midfield at its peak. Should be rested in the forward line when the game is won. Cousins and Fletcher are natural selections there IMO.

Bench: Jako is an automatic selection. Nearing his end, but still valuable to the side. Braun deserves a spot in the team, but i couldn't fit him on the field. Cox is an automatic selection for obvious reasons. The only dilemma is Banfield, though you can't leave a 200+ experience player out of the team.





That'd be my team. Banfield is borderline, needs to reinvent himself to stay ahead of a few others. Carroll is in the team for lack of other proven KPP, though I imagine Hansen, Johnson, Lynch and Seaby would all be in contention for a spot (with Gaspar possibly to drop back). Morrison would be a shoe in if he gets back to his best.

Munro, Humm, Adkins, Selwood and Chambers will be fringe players. Get a game here or there depending on weather and injuries, but will basically struggle to get a proper game. Too much class in our midfield to fit them in (check out our forward and backline to see some other midfield options. These guys are really down the pecking order).

Does that mean you do not rate Green? I would like to know your opinion as to why? Is it just that there are too many players ahead of him?

[daddy_4_eyes]

Originally posted by no1bankteller
Does that mean you do not rate Green? I would like to know your opinion as to why? Is it just that there are too many players ahead of him?

Its not that I don't rate him, its that I didn't see him in my best 22. I selected players based on the positions that needed to be filled, and with Hunter and Staker on the half back flanks, and Banfield on the bench, I didn't see a spot for him.

A question right back at ya, who would you drop from my team in place of Green? Wooden would probably be a prime candidate, but I dunno if Green would fit into a pocket.

[quiksilva]

He proberly forgot him ;)

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by daddy_4_eyes
Its not that I don't rate him, its that I didn't see him in my best 22. I selected players based on the positions that needed to be filled, and with Hunter and Staker on the half back flanks, and Banfield on the bench, I didn't see a spot for him.

A question right back at ya, who would you drop from my team in place of Green? Wooden would probably be a prime candidate, but I dunno if Green would fit into a pocket.


You make a fair point! I have really just critiqued everyone elses choices regarding this thread without really offering up my opinion up for scrutiny.

Well for the record here it is...

FB: Chick Glass Wirrpunda
HB: Hunter Gasper Green
C: Judd Kerr Embley
HF: Sampi Lynch Staker
FF: Matera McDougall Jones
R: Gardiner Cousins Fletcher

I: Jako, Selwood, Braun, Cox



FB line:

Chick - I think that he is tailor made for a Chris Johnson type role. He would be extreamlly accountable and is very good overhead. In fact he could even match up on a tall. Also very tough and good kick of the footy.

Glass - the best option at full back and I expect big things for him next year.

Wirra - the bast creative back pocket in the game.

CHB line:

Hunter - very mobile big man, can play both in BP or HBF I think him and Chick could cause hevoc, expecially when you take into account how hard at the body both players are.

Gasper - two reasons why I would have him as a CHB
1) he is a super talent with a booming kick and would do wonders for our ability to transfer play from the backline. He could cover borh your Rocca's and Tarrant type players.
2) Injury prevention. CHB is bby far less taxing on the body then CHF. More often then not he would be collapsing on a CHF rather then other way around.

Green - simpluy he has done nothing wrong, whils he did not distinguish himself last year he was solid close checking defender. Personally I am slightly dissappointed in his performance as I had him as a next Guy McKenna few years back. I guess I was being a bit over-selous with that one.


Judd, Kerr Embley pick themselves.

CHF line:
Sampi magnificent skills and a very quick player. Playing on a flank gives him and opportunity to run throught the midfield and use his creativity to cause even more damage.

Lynch - big strong body, perfectly suited for CHF...hope he can deliver this year...

Staker - deserves to be on the field and yet I struggled to work out where he should play. Eventually decided FF was the most appropriate position for him. The combination of hight and mobility could cause serious match up problems. Also could rotate with Wirra between BP and FF.


FF line:

Matera Mcdoogal pick themselves.

Jones - I think that this is the best spot for him. He is great overhead and also very tought and determined competitor at ground level. Major problem is tha the cannot kick longer then 40 meters. Hence by playing within the pocket he should be always within range.

Ruck Division picks itself

Interchange -

Jako - for additional experiance if required, and can play a lose man in defence role to perfection.

Selwood - this was a toss up between him and banfirld and I chose to go with youth.

Braun - solid contributorm I can see him and Humm playing a soldi supporting role of the bench.

Cox - improving big man that can effectively back up Gardiner..

[Mead]

Banners is an awkward one. I've watched two Eagles tapes this study (ha ha) week, one was the first derby, the other the Bulldogs draw, shows two incredibly sides of him.

On one hand, when playing on a small forward who leads hard at the ball (Nathan Brown) Banners gets utterly destroyed. He just doesn't have the acceleration from a standing start to stay with them, and there's nothing he can do. Over the last couple of seasons, he's been on the receiving end of some class A rapings by small forwards.

Alternatively, he's pretty handy against small forwards playing a linear crumbing role, because he's dogged, pretty damn smart and extremely strong over the ball. Once the pill hits the ground, he almost always kills it or gets his opponent out of the contest, he did a classic job of this sort against Farmer in the first derby.

Problem is, though, its difficult to see where he fits into the team structure. Wirra plays the sweeper role against crumbing small forwards to perfection, which leaves us in need of a tight checking, very quick small defender who can handle the fast leading small forwards. (Its actually rather good that Phil Matera plays for us, because he would kick 10 goals a match if matched up against someone like Banfield)

So unless you push Wirrpunda out of the backline, Banfield is a bit redundant. Sometimes there'll be forwards he can handle, sometimes he'll be a liability. As with Jakovich, the best place for him is the interchange bench, but I get a bit uneasy about it being more like the team looking for a place to play him, rather than him proving his worth to the team.

[USAEagle]

OK FIne, he didn't say it in that article.

I did hear him say it though while being interviewed on 6PR last week. Probably Sports today on Wednesday or Thursday.

And why shouldn't he be the CHF. He is a strong mark and a long straight kick.

[Milenko]

FB: Chick Glass Wirrpunda
HB: Hunter Gasper Green
C: Judd Kerr Embley
HF: Sampi Lynch Staker
FF: Matera McDougall Jones
R: Gardiner Cousins Fletcher

I: Jako, Selwood, Braun, Cox

no1bankteller, that is the best critique i have seen in a long while. Have to say i agree with every one of your selections. The McDougall / Lynch combo is definitely one to whet the appetite. Also i don't see any role for Jako other than a Cloke-type floating defender. Other than that he is fairly expendable, we have to look to the future.

I would also hope that if Glass struggles Woosha is prepared to experiment with say, Staker or Hansen in defence. Why these guys aren't given a backline role in WAFL is beyond me, given our known deficiencies in this area. I was always frustrated that Woosha never gave a Haynes a decent run in defence, as he performed very solidly in two games he was tried down back (Essendon elim final 02, Brissy game 03). Ah well it's too late now that he's gone to sleepy hollow.

[Streaker]

Originally posted by USAEagle
OK FIne, he didn't say it in that article.

I did hear him say it though while being interviewed on 6PR last week. Probably Sports today on Wednesday or Thursday.

Are you sure? :D




Originally posted by USAEagle
And why shouldn't he be the CHF. He is a strong mark and a long straight kick.

Good qualities to have as a backman.

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by Milenko
no1bankteller, that is the best critique i have seen in a long while. Have to say i agree with every one of your selections. The McDougall / Lynch combo is definitely one to whet the appetite. Also i don't see any role for Jako other than a Cloke-type floating defender. Other than that he is fairly expendable, we have to look to the future.

I would also hope that if Glass struggles Woosha is prepared to experiment with say, Staker or Hansen in defence. Why these guys aren't given a backline role in WAFL is beyond me, given our known deficiencies in this area. I was always frustrated that Woosha never gave a Haynes a decent run in defence, as he performed very solidly in two games he was tried down back (Essendon elim final 02, Brissy game 03). Ah well it's too late now that he's gone to sleepy hollow.

Firstly thanks for the compliemnt it does my ego no end of good.

Second I too agree with everything you said above.

Staker can just about play anywhere on the ground and if Glass is not carefull he may become our next fullback. I favorably compare Staker to Silvagni at this stage of his career, I mean the guy is a super smart player and a great athlete. He just needs to put on size.

I do also like an idea of playing him of the flank as number of people on this board have mentioned in the past. His mobility for his size would allow us to create fwe mis-matches either in defence or forward line.

As far as Haynes is concerned, this is a mute point now but I and number of other people on this post share the same disappointment that you have expressed.

I do not know much about hansen, as I have not seen him play live, I live in Vic. But have read few articles on thewest website and he seems to be a very good mark and considering that we struggled last year to take a contested mark in our forward or backline perhaps he should be given a go this year.

[Mead]

Hansen is a big lump of a lad. At WAFL level he takes a very nice contested mark. Size and agility wise, he's probably limited to being a fairly linear full forward.
From what I saw of West Coast at training at the start of this year, that ability extends against players of AFL size and strength. He's pretty good in the packs, I remember seeing him take some huge marks over Jakovich in an intraclub.

However, in the preseason game he played (iirc, v Hawthorn?) He looked pretty inexperienced and consistently led under the ball. Dunno if I'm reading too much into this, but I get the impression he's better in a pack situation than when leading straight at the ball.

As for Staker, I've had bigger wraps on him than anyone from day one, but I'm not sure we'll see as much of him this year as some people think. I get the feeling his development may go down the same track as Lynch- given a few games to give him a taste for AFL action and so he can show he can play, then a year of WAFL development before he breaks back into the side. Long term, I can see Staker as a truly outstanding key defender, but he needs a huge amount of development before he's strong enough to take that role. We're underselling him if we play him as a flanker- if his form is good enough to earn a spot in the side, so be it, but the way I see it, give him at least 4 solid months in the WAFLl next year, a heck of a lot of weights, and then reintroduce a fresh Staker mk II in the month before the finals, at which he point he'll be bigger, stronger and hungrier than he is now.

As for the Gaspar/Lynch question, I don't think anyone knows who will end up where. Lynch has some incredible attributes on his side, but is still bloody raw, and I don't think he has the brain to play CHF at this stage. Still a bit of a 'if in doubt, jam it on my boot and kick it 80m in a random direction' type player.
My personal feeling, is that Seaby may very well be the way to go at full forward, which would allow McDougall to push up the ground to CHF, and Gaspar to CHB. All I can say is anyone who hasn't been paying attention to Seaby at WAFL level is in for a shock- he has an element of pure class about his game that perhaps the other young bloods like Lynch and Hansen don't- looks an awful lot like a young Michael Gardiner.

Doogs is probably wasted at full forward- he is quick and agile enough to push further up the field and give top class defenders nightmares. Add to that the fact that he is a very accurate kick classically booming kick from 55 out, and I think it goes without saying he's probably better at CHF than FF. We have a few big lads who could probably put their name down for FF, but CHF is a lot harder to play, and its generally where you need the most quality.

[Juddamania]

Originally posted by Mead
Doogs is probably wasted at full forward- he is quick and agile enough to push further up the field and give top class defenders nightmares. Add to that the fact that he is a very accurate kick classically booming kick from 55 out, and I think it goes without saying he's probably better at CHF than FF. We have a few big lads who could probably put their name down for FF, but CHF is a lot harder to play, and its generally where you need the most quality.

Exactly what I was thinking. FF limits him, perhaps its better Doogs at CHF and Lynch or Gaspar at FF. And with his accuracy from 50out, like against the Demons, should be better suited to that position.

[Milenko]

Some interesting thoughts. It seems that most people have pencilled in McDougall, Gaspar and Lynch into the starting line-up, now it's just a question as to where Woosha positions each one of them in the trouble-spots of FF, CHF and CHB.

Another quandry amongst the coaching staff would have to be our use of rucking talls. Gardiner and Cox would be certain starters, but to have talent-laded kids like Seaby and Johnson running around in the 2's is an enviable position for the club. I, like most, would love to see Seaby get some game-time but it is hard to make a case for 3 ruckman in the one team, unless one of the ruckmen became a permanent forward (Cox/Seaby/Johnson).

Cox has done some useful things up forward (a couple of left-foot snaps spring to mind) and is an accurate kick, maybe he could put his hand up for a forward pocket position.

Seaby i must admit i've only ever seen him rucking as i don't follow West Perth much, so he is an unknown quantity up forward to myself. Maybe someone else could comment.

Johnson came to the club renowned for his ability to switch between rucking and forward, and had some success for Swans with a few handy bags of 2/3 goals. Nevertheless he still looks raw, and is likely to spend the vast majority of the season developing in the WAFL, as seems to be club policy.

IMHO Woosha will start the season with Gardiner and Cox only, with McDougall / Gaspar / Lynch able to pinch hit if required.

[Streaker]

With Gaspars foot problems I wouldn't like to see him do any ruckwork.

This year I would like to see us have a policy of not playing injured players. Playing Jakovich, McIntosh and Gardiner during the last two or three games was a ridiculous decision and one we should learn from. Having Lynch, Hansen and Seaby on the sidelines when we knew Gardiner couldn't ruck was absurd.

[Au_Blue#24]

here's mine

F: Staker Doogs Matera
HF: Sampi Lynch Jones
C: Chick Kerr Embley
HB: Collica Gaspar Wirrpunda
B: Green Glass Morrison

R: Gardi, Cus, Judd
Int: Cox, Fletch, Braun, and either Jak/Banners/Wooden


Comeon - thats a bloody good side huh ??

[Mead]

Originally posted by Au_Blue#24
here's mine

F: Staker Doogs Matera
HF: Sampi Lynch Jones
C: Chick Kerr Embley
HB: Collica Gaspar Wirrpunda
B: Green Glass Morrison

R: Gardi, Cus, Judd
Int: Cox, Fletch, Braun, and either Jak/Banners/Wooden


Comeon - thats a bloody good side huh ??

What no huntaaa?!

[Au_Blue#24]

Bloody hell ! forgot hunter - I only put Morrison in as a optimistic choice. Take him out and replace with hunter. Morrison, if he shows something, may take banners spot on the ic. I'd also like to see adkins on the park as well.

[noodle]

how about McDougall at CHB? the only thing that i could see holding him back from that position is his body size.

[noodle]

ok my go

FB: Wirrpunda Glass Hunter
HB: Morrison Gasper Green
C: Embley Fletcher Judd
HF: Jones McDougall Chick
FF: Matera Lynch Sampi
R: Gardiner Kerr Cousins

Int: Jako, Braun, Cox, Staker

the only one that i'm unsure about is Gasper at CHB. I would rather he was at CHF but I think he is our best option to play there.

Another player that I would expect force his way into the starting 22 would be Seaby. I can't see us playing with 4 ruckmen though so it would be at the expense of Gardi, McDougall or Cox.

[Juddamania]

My shot! :D

FB: Wirrpunda Glass Chick
HB: Hunter Gaspar Green
C: Embley Judd Cousins
HF: Staker McDougall Jones
FF: Matera Lynch Sampi
R: Gardiner Fletcher Kerr

Int: Braun Cox Jakovich Banfield/Humm/Morrison

Pretty much similar to most of these (aren't may combinations left!:rolleyes: )

Alternatively, Lynch and Doogs could swap, Gaspar could swap with either and use one of the bench players as CHB. Jones could swap with one of the centres.