Unofficial Preview 2015 Best 22 - Your opinion

[Brant]

Who is everyone putting ahead in the pecking order between Anderson and O'Rourke? If one spot opens up in the midfield which of those 2 is more likely to get the nod?

Add Whitecross to that list I think. Very hard to know how he'll come back but I'm sure he'll be given every chance. Whomever it is, will likely need another string for their bow. Shiels is really our only mid who doesn't go forward (Langers kinda does). O'Hawk can play HBF (& we need to replace Burgoyne) & WX can play HBF/HFF (I much prefer him HFF). I'm not sure how Jedi will play FP/HFF, but he'll have to a bit as Breust, Popeye & Rioli roll through the middle.

 

[WWSD]

Add Whitecross to that list I think. Very hard to know how he'll come back but I'm sure he'll be given every chance. Whomever it is, will likely need another string for their bow. Shiels is really our only mid who doesn't go forward (Langers kinda does). O'Hawk can play HBF (& we need to replace Burgoyne) & WX can play HBF/HFF (I much prefer him HFF). I'm not sure how Jedi will play FP/HFF, but he'll have to a bit as Breust, Popeye & Rioli roll through the middle.

I personally don't want to see Cyril in the midfield anymore. That's not to say he isn't a good midfielder, but history has shown that every time he plays in the midfield he gets injured. I would rather see him become a permanent small forward, and by doing that it would then allow Breust to spend more time in the midfield. Luke Breust could be end up being like Robbie Gray type player dominating in and around the clearances and pushing hard up forward kicking goals.

 

[cryptor]

Who is everyone putting ahead in the pecking order between Anderson and O'Rourke? If one spot opens up in the midfield which of those 2 is more likely to get the nod?

Seems to be more coming out of the club about O'Rourke but that could just be because he's new.
We won't know for sure until the pre season games start. I think you could throw Hartung and Woodward's names in there as well.

 

[Wandering Hawk]

Interesting article about best 22.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2015-01-01/same-22-dont-bet-on-it

 

[tommyk72]

Add Whitecross to that list I think. Very hard to know how he'll come back but I'm sure he'll be given every chance. Whomever it is, will likely need another string for their bow. Shiels is really our only mid who doesn't go forward (Langers kinda does). O'Hawk can play HBF (& we need to replace Burgoyne) & WX can play HBF/HFF (I much prefer him HFF). I'm not sure how Jedi will play FP/HFF, but he'll have to a bit as Breust, Popeye & Rioli roll through the middle.

Shiels' second string is tagging. I personally think this is a talent in itself, that requires exceptional discipline and sacrifice. We actually don't have that many of them now that Sewell is gone. The only ones who I think are top notch taggers are Shiels and Langers (his third string). Popeye and Duryea can mark men, but haven't demonstrated that they are competent shut down taggers yet.

That's now an interesting position for the hawks. I'd prefer to see Langers in an attacking midfielder role. So for me Shiels is now our number one tagger. Maybe this is where Anderson/O'rourke get their gig.

 

[tommyk72]

I personally don't want to see Cyril in the midfield anymore. That's not to say he isn't a good midfielder, but history has shown that every time he plays in the midfield he gets injured. I would rather see him become a permanent small forward, and by doing that it would then allow Breust to spend more time in the midfield. Luke Breust could be end up being like Robbie Gray type player dominating in and around the clearances and pushing hard up forward kicking goals.

I think Cyril does a lot in the middle, particularly at centre bounces. The game has shifted now a little now. We have midfielders who contest the bounces, then midfielders who run all day. I can see Cyril being in 5+ bounces a game, then moving forward with another player playing on the ball. I think our team now transgresses the traditional setup. Can't wait to see our tactics in 2015!

 

[cryptor]

Interesting article about best 22.

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2015-01-01/same-22-dont-bet-on-it

If we hadn't picked up Frawley there'd have been a decent chance we could have lined up round 1 as we did in the GF.

What I find most interesting from the article is not that premiership teams have never lined up with the same 22 again but that they rarely line up exactly the same prior to winning a flag (outside of other finals).

Goes to show that due to players unexpectedly improving and dropping off over the course of the season that it's unlikely your players with the highest peaks will all be peaking at the same time. It'll come down to which 22 players are in the best form in any given week. Just like how at times in 2014 Sewell was in better form than Langford but when the music stopped that final time Sewell was without a chair.

 

[Bonscott1980]

I reckon litherland and hartung will have a big year

 

[Baz_hawk]

January attempt...

FB: Stratton Lake Suckling
HB: Gibson Frawley Birchall
Ce: Smith Langford Hill
HF: Breust Roughead Hodge
FF: Gunston Hale/McEvoy Puopolo
Fol: Ceglar Mitchell Lewis

Int: Rioli, Burgoyne Shiels | Sub: Anderson

Emg: Hale/McEvoy Woodward Duryea

Few subnotes:

• Hartung will be in the side but I reckon he wont be in straight away unless he shows a lot in the NAB games.
• WhiteX seems to be a fair way off so we will more than likely ease him in through BH
• Ceglar I think will be hungrier than ever and force his way into the number 1 ruck position
• O'Rourke will take time, only in his third year and will still be learning our game plan
• Litherland & Spangher will need to perform at BH for a spot. Tough going if you are a back man at the moment.
• Schoey will need to improve a lot to get a gig, came off a knee reco last year so hopefully he can find some extra agility and improve his awareness. Good size for a forward but needs to add a lot to his game.
• Webster, Willsmore, Brand and Sicily I expect to see at some point during the season if they can remain injury free.

Who'd I miss? lol

 

[JD1992]

I think Cyril does a lot in the middle, particularly at centre bounces. The game has shifted now a little now. We have midfielders who contest the bounces, then midfielders who run all day. I can see Cyril being in 5+ bounces a game, then moving forward with another player playing on the ball. I think our team now transgresses the traditional setup. Can't wait to see our tactics in 2015!

With Cycril he is very good at centre bouncers.
I would open up each quarter with cyril starting middle then after bounce basically fwd, with one other centre bounce in the quarter the same. Rest Cyril every 5th game and keep his hammys from over fatiguing

 

[threesixpio]

With Cycril he is very good at centre bouncers.
I would open up each quarter with cyril starting middle then after bounce basically fwd, with one other centre bounce in the quarter the same. Rest Cyril every 5th game and keep his hammys from over fatiguing

Has Cyril almost always done has hammy later in the game? Maybe he should back off around the third qtr or so

 

[tommyk72]

Has Cyril almost always done has hammy later in the game? Maybe he should back off around the third qtr or so

Would you play him with the thought that he's always going to be a 3 quarter game player and sub him off. Your danger then is that people might get injured and he's playing full games (which, of course he can, just would impact the ability to manage him).

 

[threesixpio]

Would you play him with the thought that he's always going to be a 3 quarter game player and sub him off. Your danger then is that people might get injured and he's playing full games (which, of course he can, just would impact the ability to manage him).

Oh sorry - I meant only midfield up until that point. No midfield past half way through 3rd quarter.

 

[Prudster]

Oh sorry - I meant only midfield up until that point. No midfield past half way through 3rd quarter.

Will reducing his midfield time really mitigate the risk that much? He is still going to be sprinting around the forward line, and since defensive pressure is his biggest asset, he will still run hard to chase and close down opposition players. Iirc, a fair portion of his hamstring injuries have come while playing forward, or at least as a forward but with the forward line opened up (ie. Cyril has gone further up the ground, but not technically a midfielder).

I don't recall him doing a hammy at a centre bounce, and he is unlikely to be getting up to a full sprint in those situations. The problem seems to be when he's got to run a distance and really stretch himself. I wonder if we could use him at centre bounces, but have him move back forward for secondary stoppages, or when the ball is around the ground.

 

[Hodginator]

Stopped by the Swans board because the first day back at work motivation factor is a little low and I figured it would be entertaining. Turns out their best 22 thread for 2015 has just become a thread about how to match up against the Hawks.

 

[Roger Rogerson]

Stopped by the Swans board because the first day back at work motivation factor is a little low and I figured it would be entertaining. Turns out their best 22 thread for 2015 has just become a thread about how to match up against the Hawks.

Geez post #946 pays Mitchell very little respect!! If there has ever been a bloke to get a hard ball it is Mitchell!! What a massive flog of a poster.

 

[killerspud]

Stratton Lake Duryea

Gibson Frawley Birchall

Smith Mitchell Hill

Burgoyne Gunston Hodge

Breust Roughead Rioli


McEvoy Lewis Shiels


Hale Puopolo Langford

Suckling


Emer: Whitecross Ceglar Woodward/Anderson


I know there is a lot of young talent - but we are back to back reigning premiers and anybody who is going to break into that extraordinary team has to be better than extraordinary

 

[HomerJayS]

Seems to me (my memory is not so good) that we play a new kid early on most seasons. So I'd expect to see a debut in first couple of rounds. Maybe Clarko uses that as an incentive for the newbies (and a kick to the more senior guys to show they've got to improve to keep their spot). Seems to work too!

 

[cryptor]

Seems to me (my memory is not so good) that we play a new kid early on most seasons. So I'd expect to see a debut in first couple of rounds. Maybe Clarko uses that as an incentive for the newbies (and a kick to the more senior guys to show they've got to improve to keep their spot). Seems to work too!

Willsmore.

 

[HawthornHawk]

H&A Side 2015

B: Litherland - Frawley - Duryea
HB: O'Rourke - Stratton - Birchall
C: Hill - Langford - Smith
HF: Hartung - Roughead - Breust
F: Puopolo - Gunston - Rioli

R: McEvoy - Lewis - Shiels

IC: Ceglar - Suckling - Whitecross - Anderson

 

[threesixpio]

H&A Side 2015

B: Litherland - Frawley - Duryea
HB: O'Rourke - Stratton - Birchall
C: Hill - Langford - Smith
HF: Hartung - Roughead - Breust
F: Puopolo - Gunston - Rioli

R: McEvoy - Lewis - Shiels

IC: Ceglar - Suckling - Whitecross - Anderson

Mitch, Hodge, Lake, Burgers and Gibbo in cotton wool? Hmmm...dunno. BUT this team shows our depth and possibilities for rotation to keep the older blokes fresh I spose

 

[MrPremiership]

Seems to me (my memory is not so good) that we play a new kid early on most seasons. So I'd expect to see a debut in first couple of rounds. Maybe Clarko uses that as an incentive for the newbies (and a kick to the more senior guys to show they've got to improve to keep their spot). Seems to work too!

thinking the same thing....hasn't Clarko played a debutant in every Round 1 game since 05?

 

[threesixpio]

thinking the same thing....hasn't Clarko played a debutant in every Round 1 game since 05?

O'Rourke surely if there is one. Hang on - he's not a debutant. Who then? Is Willsmore a forward? Gunstan type or something?

 

[Agent Smith]

O'Rourke surely if there is one. Hang on - he's not a debutant. Who then? Is Willsmore a forward? Gunstan type or something?

He is for Hawthorn. I'd put money at this stage on O'Rourke being the newbie to play round one. That said, I guess Frawley is in the same boat.

 

[CyberKev]

At this stage, allowing for the full list to remain largely ship-shape, you'd think the first choice team is largely chosen, with just a few queries to be worked out.

B: Stratton*, Frawley, Gibson
HB: Hodge, Lake, Birchall
C: Hill, Mitchell, Smith
HF: Rioli, Roughead, Gunston
F: Breust, Ceglar*, Puopolo
Fo: McEvoy, Lewis, Shiels
I: Burgoyne, Langford, Suckling, Anderson (sub)*
E: Schoenmakers, Woodward*, Hartung

The asterisks indicate where I think the question marks lie, and hopefully none of these will be solved through unexpected injuries.

Stratton should be a gimme, but our strong defensive stocks do tend to leave us looking a tad on the tall side, and Stratton could miss to make way for our best genuine small defender option in Duryea, but I don't think its likely.

Ceglar is a bit of a toss-up with Hale, but given the latter has had some fitness issues, it wouldn't surprise to see the ex-Magpie squeeze ahead of him in the pecking order, for the early rounds at least.

The preferred sub could be a number of players, Hartung most prominently.

Essentially the emergency mid could also be a number of options, most obviously O'Rourke.

This would leave a fab seconds side...

B: Miles, Heatherly, Spangher
HB: Litherland, Brand, Duryea
C: Hartung, Simpkin, Miller-Lewis
HF: Schoenmakers, O'Brien, Willsmore
F: Sicily, Grimley, Whitecross
Fo: Hale, O'Rourke, Woodward
I: Pittonet, Webster, Howe, Hardisty

Tatupu & Langford would start out with the Development squad.

All looks pretty good, assuming a lift from our young midfielders in waiting AND, most importantly, that the big number 2 can stay healthy!