Team Mgmt. An early crack at 2017 best 22

[dazzledavey36]

Ozgur uysal is a very similar footballer to
Michael Evans who played at melbourne. Has solid vfl games where he gets plenty of the footy and loves the hard stuff with tackles and contested footy but also has a few quiet games along the way.

Mate Evans took the year off last year. I doubt Essendon would look at him.. at all!

 

[monty1104]

Mate Evans took the year off last year. I doubt Essendon would look at him.. at all!

Way to misread the post

 

[Andronicus]

What's wrong with Crowley? I'd take him.

Also, it gives us a headstart on accepting suspended drug cheats back into the playing group.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Should change the title thread to "An early crack at 2017 best 22"

 

[Beerfish]

Finally, he just served a suspension for performance enhancing drug use. Given that's the exact reason we find ourselves in this situation, I'd say it would be fairly undesirable from a marketing perspective to have him at the club.

I won't argue with the rest of your post as they may be fair points but this is a s**t reason. It was a tablet for pain relief. He made a terrible mistake but he's done his time and that shouldn't be a reason against.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Need some hard experienced bodies to help the young blokes. Crowley would be ideal. Hope we get Coghlan, he looked impressive few times I saw him. Kelly?Stokes? Cross?

 

[Guardian Hawk]

From an ex-Hawthorn perspective:

Lake - obviously would kill it still but no chance of happening. He only stayed in the AFL the last 3 seasons to win flags (or would have retired). Stated he would go to no other club at the end of last season even though he wanted to play on at Hawthorn. Rule him out I reckon.

Simpkin - good candidate and can play. Sure, he has been delisted twice but pretty unlucky given he was at Geelong at their absolute peak and Hawthorn at their absolute peak. Obviously both had very good midfields with limited opportunities available and when Simpkin got a shot actually performed quite well (and played in a flag). Worse players on Hawthorn's list TBH and Simpkin only delisted as he is a little older and we need youth replacing our guns. A chance as stated he is available to play.

Mirra - Very good at VFL level an untried at AFL level. Captain of Box Hill, plays for VFL rep side and regularly named in Box Hill's best - a side that has played in the last 3 GF's. Smaller defender who is a good decision maker, uses the ball well, shuts down his man and is good leader. Could play on medium talls and 3rd talls as well as small forwards but maybe found out by the very elusive, athletic types like Eddie Betts. May flop at AFL level but worth a shot if a cool head/experience is required in the backline.

 

[monty1104]

I won't argue with the rest of your post as they may be fair points but this is a s**t reason. It was a tablet for pain relief. He made a terrible mistake but he's done his time and that shouldn't be a reason against.

Logically, no it shouldn't be. It's all about perception.

 

[Beerfish]

Logically, no it shouldn't be. It's all about perception.

I was over the perception a couple of years ago.

 

[ghostdog]

Id be inclined to go and try make amends with Elliott Kavanagh before we seek out mature guys.

Was always fighting with Jobe and Heppell for that first possession type. With them now out of the picture, it shapes as a possible career move to come back and give himself the best opportunity.

Not necessarily before finding big bodied players, but should do due diligence. Nick O'Brien?

 

[ghostdog]

Ouch, really wouldn't want to fork out full AFL ticket prices to watch that team run around

Really? The Bombers play in Brisbane how many times a year?

 

[Bombermania]

From an ex-Hawthorn perspective:

Lake - obviously would kill it still but no chance of happening. He only stayed in the AFL the last 3 seasons to win flags (or would have retired). Stated he would go to no other club at the end of last season even though he wanted to play on at Hawthorn. Rule him out I reckon.

Simpkin - good candidate and can play. Sure, he has been delisted twice but pretty unlucky given he was at Geelong at their absolute peak and Hawthorn at their absolute peak. Obviously both had very good midfields with limited opportunities available and when Simpkin got a shot actually performed quite well (and played in a flag). Worse players on Hawthorn's list TBH and Simpkin only delisted as he is a little older and we need youth replacing our guns. A chance as stated he is available to play.

Mirra - Very good at VFL level an untried at AFL level. Captain of Box Hill, plays for VFL rep side and regularly named in Box Hill's best - a side that has played in the last 3 GF's. Smaller defender who is a good decision maker, uses the ball well, shuts down his man and is good leader. Could play on medium talls and 3rd talls as well as small forwards but maybe found out by the very elusive, athletic types like Eddie Betts. May flop at AFL level but worth a shot if a cool head/experience is required in the backline.

Another player from Hawk land that I wouldn't mind looking at is Grimely, seemed to play well at Box Hill but was unable to crack that impressive Hawks side.

Out of your three, I would look at Simpkin and Mirra, I agree that Lake has happily retired to play for Caroline Springs (they might even be able to beat Essendon )

 

[Halftimehero]

So we are pretty much taking on the Carlton recruiting philosophy, lose all our quality and replace them with rejects from other clubs, just they do it by design.

 

[Vindicater]

B: Baguley Hartley Gwilt

HB: Gleeson Brown Goddard

C: Jerrett Zerrett Parish

HF: Fanta McKernan Zaka

F: Edwards Daniher Langford

R: Luenberger Laverde Bird

I: Cooney Francis Ambrose Dempsey

I think we can beat Carlton and maybe Brisbane.

 

[no passengers]

B: Baguley Hartley Gwilt

HB: Gleeson Brown Goddard

C: Jerrett Zerrett Parish

HF: Fanta McKernan Zaka

F: Edwards Daniher Langford

R: Luenberger Laverde Bird

I: Cooney Francis Ambrose Dempsey

I think we can beat Carlton and maybe Brisbane.

Trollers never prosper

I'm a troll.

 

[Harlequin]

Well handled folks on dealing with the Troll

 

[eth-dog]

Well handled folks on dealing with the Troll

Maybe you should have just edited his post and made him seem like a dickhead as a warning.

 

[mike14]

Really? The Bombers play in Brisbane how many times a year?

No idea, ive just moved back to Melb

 

[Harlequin]

Maybe you should have just edited his post and made him seem like a dickhead as a warning.

Good idea

 

[eth-dog]

Good idea

Just at times like these it will serve as a warning. Plus it allows the rest of us to have a little chuckle if we're feeling down

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Good idea

Although I might have gone with something more like "you're right, that team would comfortably beat Carlton" but each to their own.

 

[Andronicus]

Although I might have gone with something more like "you're right, that team would comfortably beat Carlton" but each to their own.

I thought the idea was to make them look like a dickhead, not seem balanced and insightful.

 

[BrunoV]

Honestly, putting aside the pain I feel for the players, I am genuinely excited about the season. On paper I'm not sure that things are as bad as they seem, though the emotional toll could destroy the season before it starts.

It's will be a roller coaster of results but it will be fascinating to see how our genuinely talented younger group of players handles the season. Without running out the old cliches about playing the kids, this could really accelerate the development of some players who would have struggled for game time (but on who our long term success will be built - anyone who has read my ramblings will know I don't see "it" with what would otherwise have been our best 22).

I'm not really talking about the 1st and 2nd year players either. Guys like Jack Merrett (Stanton replacement), Gleeson and Ashby (Hibberd replacement), Edwards (Howlett replacement as small forward) and Fantasia (Colyer replacement) are all ready to be AFL footballers but would almost certainly never have taken the field together in 2016. You'd expect these guys to play 22 games. Each of these guys has shown genuine AFL qualities. I am not sure that it will be long before McKenna is ready to go, he could almost be added to this group. He is a brute of a kid and knows how to win the ball forward and kick goals (which is quite an accomplishment for an Irish recruit - they usually start in defence).

Based on VFL form of Laverde and Langford, and glimpses at AFL level, in 2015 neither is going to be unready for AFL football from round 1 2016. They might not have 22 games in them but as mid-tall forwards who have a run on the ball they will be fine to pencil in from round 1.

Someone like Eades who has the engine could end up a goal sneak for much if not all of the season (this is one of the positions that first year 18/19 year olds can impact in for a season).

Players of the class of Parish and Francis are likely to have played more football than not. Alex Morgan is a relatively mature recruit who has the pace to make an immediate impact at AFL level (players of speed usually slot in to teams more effectively than other smalls).

I am confident that the sum of Daniher, McKernan, Luenberger, Hartley and Brown is of significantly greater value than the perception of the value of its parts. The quality of McKernan's 2015 has been chronically underrated. Gwilt can do a job.

To round out a team and provide depth for the key posts, Jordan Lisle at Port is quite impressive in straight lines and seems to me to have the physicality to play AFL and enables Brown to play in defence. He gave our VFL team a bath in 2015. Guys like Mason Shaw and Giles are players who, given opportunities and their respective talents, could yet make it. Grimley does a lot right at VFL level.

You can't downplay the loss of players as good as Hooker and Hurley but I think we can still provide a good enough spine to build a team around.

The real area of concern is the inside of midfield which has taken the biggest hit. It's also where I struggle to come up with replacements which is a concern because the lighter runners described above will be somewhat reliant on this group. I'd be getting Ambrose in the midfield group immediately if he hasn't already had his training schedule changed. I suppose Cooney and Bird now get games without much in the way of a grumble from me. Hell even my whipping boy Kommer can be thrown in if he can get fit. Dan Coghlan is the standout that I would add from the lower leagues and believe we could pencil in for a year (and who would likely still be on the list in 2017).

Depth will be a problem but, then, it always is.

 

[bombreys]

Not many mentioning Connor McKenna... Not ready?

Thought he looked great in the final game of the season.

 

[Towno78]

FB Baguley Hartley Gwilt
HB Dempsey Ambrose Fantasia
C JMerrett Goddard Gleeson
HF McKernan Brown Cooney
FF Langford Daniher Edwards
R Leuenberger ZMerrett Bird
Int Hams Parish Laverde Zaka
Emg Francis Ashby Eades

Did I forget anyone?
Let's look at the bright side for a moment, at least it won't be a slow side! ☺