Strategy 2015 best side

[Catsmaninamerica]

And what about Vardy?

well yeah exactly. I think if Vardy, Simpson, Clark, Walker and Blitz are all actually fit at the same time, there will be some stiff players. That said, I rekon they will try and do the following.

Clark = Ruck
Simpson (if/when he gets back - but there will be no rush at all) ruck
Blicavs = onballer/wing
Vardy = second ruck to Clark
Stanley = Key defender

 

[Stan The Caddy]

well yeah exactly. I think if Vardy, Simpson, Clark, Walker and Blitz are all actually fit at the same time, there will be some stiff players. That said, I rekon they will try and do the following.

Clark = Ruck
Simpson (if/when he gets back - but there will be no rush at all) ruck
Blicavs = onballer/wing
Vardy = second ruck to Clark
Stanley = Key defender

The only one I have a problem with is Stanley as a KPD. I think we've recruited him as a number 1 ruck to eventually take over from Mac or Clark. But it might take a couple of years for that to happen.

 

[David the Cat]

Cant say I agree mate…….ok…Simpson in the ruck….thats a no-brainer. LEts hope he makes it back.

I know you think McIntosh is cooked, but if he's fit to play after the pre-season, then he'll play. I read some where he will start pre-season with the others.

Clark up forward.
Stanley up forward as a mobile CHF……maybe pinch hit in the ruck....surround the 3 bigs with crumbers..Motlop. McCarthy, Lang, Murder, Blease, ….maybe a draft pick…(Garlett or Pickett maybe?)
Vardy either in Stanley's place at CHF or second ruck…
Blitz….key back.

Closest gets a cyber beer! You in?

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

The only one I have a problem with is Stanley as a KPD. I think we've recruited him as a number 1 ruck to eventually take over from Mac or Clark. But it might take a couple of years for that to happen.

I am not so sure about that - ill tell you why

All our KPD's are 30+ except Taylor. We chased Frawley hard. Stanley has been described by some as being a bit soft. A ruckman can not ever be remotely soft. The nature of the spot is you spend ALL day jumping into a 6ft8 opponent. As a key back, he can learn the ropes from the best. Also, he has closing speed - which is so vital as a key defender. I reckon he plays back myself.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Cant say I agree mate…….ok…Simpson in the ruck….thats a no-brainer. LEts hope he makes it back.

I know you think McIntosh is cooked, but if he's fit to play after the pre-season, then he'll play. I read some where he will start pre-season with the others.

Clark up forward.
Stanley up forward as a mobile CHF….surround the 3 bigs with crumbers..
Vardy either in Stanley's place at CHF or second ruck…
Blitz….key back.

Closest gets a cyber beer! You in?

Mcintosh isnt a matter of being right to start preseason David. His whole season last year showed an inability to push back or forward. He cant jump. He is exposed for closing speed to spoil an opponent. If Mcintosh is our first ruckman, we are ****ed.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Mcintosh isnt a matter of being right to start preseason David. His whole season last year showed an inability to push back or forward. He cant jump. He is exposed for closing speed to spoil an opponent. If Mcintosh is our first ruckman, we are ******.

And they wont play Blitz back. His wheels are too much of an asset. He will be a 6ft6 midfielder. He'll work on his marking and be a roaming link up player who marks.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Cant say I agree mate…….ok…Simpson in the ruck….thats a no-brainer. LEts hope he makes it back.

I know you think McIntosh is cooked, but if he's fit to play after the pre-season, then he'll play. I read some where he will start pre-season with the others.

Clark up forward.
Stanley up forward as a mobile CHF……maybe pinch hit in the ruck....surround the 3 bigs with crumbers..Motlop. McCarthy, Lang, Murder, Blease, ….maybe a draft pick…(Garlett or Pickett maybe?)
Vardy either in Stanley's place at CHF or second ruck…
Blitz….key back.

Closest gets a cyber beer! You in?

And yes. Although im gonna be in Europe on tour next year, so ill see what i can do to get to Switzerland (thats where you are isnt it?) and let you buy me a real beer.

 

[David the Cat]

hahahha…yes..thats where I am…near Geneva…..so if you get there, you get one anyway…..maybe 2

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

hahahha…yes..thats where I am…near Geneva…..so if you get there, you get one anyway…..maybe 2

* it. lets go on a bender...

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Meh... I'm on one as we speak!

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Meh... I'm on one as we speak!

Ive been off the piss for a while. Its actually an amazing feeling... but a Swiss bender... im excited...

 

[Stan The Caddy]

Yeah I go through my phases, but if I went on a holiday to Europe lets just say that I'd be going through a phase that I am currently going through now.

 

[Turbocat]

exactly. and mate i think we need him as a ruckman far more than a forward. Walkers finals series has me very excited. He deserves first crack i reckon. And Menzel and Kersten get to fight it out for the 3rd spot

I'm have mixed feeling about Clark's recruitment and some of it probably relates to these issues. There was one period when he played full time in the ruck for Brisbane ,and showed elite form yet has he shown the durability to play ruck for long? My memory of his form showed he was impressive but more of a very high end #2 , and the last thing we need is another Royal Daulton ruck man.

As a forward he has shwon more than Walker atm , yet I too was happy enough just to persist with 34. For all the dialogue about us not having a second option , Walker kicked 3, should have been 4 in that North game. Plenty on here down graded him in their eyes after his Freo Final the year before , surely that performance was enough to show that a young KPP with 20 odd games was worth a full time spot.

A lot of ?????

I have just about wiped Simpson and Hmac from our best side , nothing else makes sense. And what about Vardy?I have to believe they have done more than just get height to the club , there must be a plan. A new vision that our playing stock can run with.

Stanley must fit somewhere. Blitz too is still young and is still learning , the recruitment of Stanley almost fits into a " The kid Blitz is good , wish I had another one" mindset. So does Blitz go back , and start playing deeper , does Stanley play more the ruck roll? Clark the more talented forward of the three playing next to Hawkins?
or
If Clark is perfectly fit , does he play ruck more , with Stanley beside Hawkins ,and Vardy will have to out perfrom Stanley for a game? Maybe the club were not happy with Vardys recovery?

There is lots of questions...but the one obsevation you made about ruck is still true. One our most dire needs , we have added height and yet im not sure we have solved our issue.

The best 2015 side? Good luck with that , im really struggling to see where all the pieces fit in the jigsaw , and ruck and forward is not the only questions...how we can get games into Thurlow, Kolo and Bews while keeping our old defense , and have we added support for Selwood..or do we over rely on him again while getting quick games into our junior mids like Lang , Jansen and Hartman.

 

[4quarter_cat]

I think everyone on here is over rating Vardy. No slight on him, just that on recent performances Walker is now ahead of him. Vardy will have to get himself right and perform before he can get back into the team. I know there is alot of hype surrounding them, but realistically the onus is on stanley and clark to do the same.

As others have noted, clearly the club is making some changes to the way we play, and so none of us have a snowflakes chance in hell of predicting anything more than Hawkins will play in the forward line, until we see some structures and who is fit in the NAB challenge.

 

[4quarter_cat]

Possible Rucks - Simpson, H.Mac, Clark, Stanley, Walker, Blicavs, Vardy

Possible tall forwards - Hawkins, Walker, Vardy, Kersten, Clark, Stanley, Blicavs(smokey)

 

[flatcat]

It's good- and I think it's exciting that were all so divided- because t means there are genuinely 30 players that could make a case to be best 22. Personally - I'd LOVE to see Clark ruck. He was AA ruck in 2009- he's mobile athletic and knows how to play AS A RUCKMAN- no "teaching" him as we've done with blitz and even Simpson to a degree (his around te ground stuff) HMAC is cooked. Finished - done. So we need a capable elite or at ruck. And Clark is the only player on our list IMO capable of really being able to own that title. I also in really think walker deserves 10 games straight at CHF, with Kersten or Menzel playing the 3rd tall alongside. An finally I'd love to see Hartman play every week. I love his hardness, his size as his second efforts. And he has polish.

love your taste on Hartman. The combination of size, speed, aggression and skill are very enticing. Love to see him come back from pre season with stronger body and bigger tank. With that and being more comfortable in the seniors, watch out. I think it's more likely he will be ready to show his real potential in 2016. But love to see him get more games and no injuries in 2015.

 

[flatcat]

There's a bit of this post that I disagree with.
But it's the bolded that concerns me.

It suggests that our 30th player 'might' be the equal of our 11th player.
I'd much prefer our top 18 to be absolute locks, with 12 fighting for 4 spots.

Our top 18 isn't anywhere near as good as it was 3 years ago in my opinion.
I could easily pull 5 out of my team and swap them with someone else. It's a concern for me.

Totally agree. Something I've noticed the last couple of years.
Not a huge difference between our 13th and 30th players. In a good side the team should just about pick itself. Players demand selection based on consistent performance. If there's a lot of conjecture about team selection, it's a good sign that you have not got enough bonefide good players. There's lots of opportunities for players to show they are a class above VFL and or can play good afl football. To me this explains this years delistings, like brown and stringer. They had lots of opportunities to show they were a class above VFL or could play good afl football and never did.

 

[Vdubs]

I come from an era , when the coach said jump , and the player said how high. Not sure what era Clark is from but one would hope your right. The question is di we get this guy to solve our ruck woes , or did we get him to be a legit forward option.

Deja-vu Ottens.
I recall that question often.
That ended up being ok for us....

 

[Cat Addict]

Been running this team around and around for days.

Backline looks pretty settled, forward line is harder, as we don't seem to have any specialist smalls so leaving Motlop in there even though ideally he would be nicer up the ground. Here's hoping McCarthy kicks on or Menzel returns strengthening this areas.

Midfield is in transition it seems and is quite young, I see Kelly making way at times and Bartel transitioning out of the mids completely. The thing that sticks out for me is the pace or lack of, and it's why taking Motlop out make it look worse. Caddy has some pace, but a line up of Johnson, Selwood, Guthrie, GHS look fairly "one paced" as they say. Stokes and Duncan are a bit quicker but not what I would call quick. I can't see Murdoch becoming a perminate mid any time soon, but it's someone like this that can provide some spark. Maybe this is where a Hartman/Smedts or potential recruit Blease finds there place in the side. Could even see two of these come in bit it would be at the expense of a Stokes or GHS so I can't see this happening. For this reason I have shifted Mackie to the wing and pushed Blitz back to play a 3rd man role, while still providing some run out of the backline, and put Murdoch as sub so to play more midfield time late in the game when others are tired.

Bews Lonergan Rivers
Enright Taylor Blicavs
Caddy Guthrie Mackie
Walker Clark Duncan
Bartel Hawkins Motlop
H-Mac Selwood Johnson
Int: Stanley, Horlin-Smith, Stokes
Sub: Murdoch
Emerg: (need to fight their way into the side)
McCarthy, Hartman, Blease, Thurlow, Lang

Injury Depth
Kelly, Smedts, Kolo

Emergency Room (could all be potential best 22 if they can be fit and find form)
Kersten, Vardy, Menzel, Simpson, Cowan

 

[catswhiskers]

................................................................................................................
Bews Lonergan Rivers
Enright Taylor Blicavs
Caddy Guthrie Mackie
Walker Clark Duncan
Bartel Hawkins Motlop
H-Mac Selwood Johnson
Int: Stanley, Horlin-Smith, Stokes
Sub: Murdoch
Emerg: (need to fight their way into the side)
McCarthy, Hartman, Blease, Thurlow, Lang

This is close to the structure we need to see. Just lacks pace.

Maybe Thurlow for Blitz (We have to play kids this year). Blitz out or to the bench and McCarthy in to the bench. Kersten for Walker if he (Kersten )has big preseason.

Assumes 100% fitness -we have been running at about 65% for the last two years!

 

[4quarter_cat]

Seems you can separate posters into one of 2 camps:-

The H.Mac & Simpson are cooked camp. (I tend to think this way)
The H.Mac &/or Simpson will play a role.

and then depending on how you see it it affects your whole team structure.

FWIW, I think the chances of us play 3 tall forwards is higher if neither H.Mac or Simpson are selected, as they are by far the least mobile players on our list.

 

[The rabbi]

There is a third camp.

The "lets wait until the pre-season trial games are over and then we can think about the makeup of our best 22 for round 1" camp.

 

[Cat Addict]

There is a third camp.

The "lets wait until the pre-season trial games are over and then we can think about the makeup of our best 22 for round 1" camp.

If I was in camp 3, I wouldn't be going into a thread named 2015 best 22, let alone posting in it, but that's just me.

 

[The rabbi]

If I was in camp 3, I wouldn't be going into a thread named 2015 best 22, let alone posting in it, but that's just me.

Being in camp3 does have it's benefits. We tend not to put players like Frawley into the conversation.

 

[4quarter_cat]

I saw a best 22 the other day with Garlett in it, and was wondering what the smoker had posted