Prediction 2016 NAB Challenge Line-up Greater Western Sydney vs Western Bulldogs Thursday Feb 25th

[GrahamSmith]

Just wondering how people think our side will look throughout the NAB challenge. With what happened to Libba last year, what do you think the side will look like this time around?

 

[VitalDread]

Normally first round is mainly new players
round 2 and 3 will be almost full squad

 

[Dogsman16]

Wouldn't take any of Bont, Libba, Stringer, Murphy, Wood, Boyd, Dahlhaus, Morris, and probably some of the other experienced players like Picken, Minson, Dickson etc. Think its an opportunity to throw our 16 - 35 players to see whos improved significantly. No risks should be done with key/star players.

Team I'd like to see

FB: Biggs, Roberts, Cordy
HB: Adcock, Hamling, Suckling
C: JJ, Stevens (c), Hunter
HF: McLean, Redpath, Dale
FF: Daniel, Boyd, Adams
R: Roughead, Dunkley, Jong

Int: (From memory think we are allowed 6)
Campbell, Hrovat, Webb, Prudden, Honey, Collins,
Emg: Williams, Goetz, Williams

Suckling and Adcock to provide some leadership/experience

We have some serious depth (Stringer, Wood, Bont, Moz, Murph, M.Boyd, Dahlhaus, Wallis, Macrae, Libba, Dickson, Picken, Minson) to be rested/kept safely on the side for a week.

 

[King Bont]

Where is it being played ?

 

[Dogsman16]

Where is it being played ?

Sydney.

 

[Dry Rot]

Sydney.

Canberra IIRC.

 

[Dogsman16]

Canberra IIRC.

Ahh yes Manuka is now Startrack oval. My mistake.

 

[dogwatch]

I'll be there.

 

[Wizard17]

Just play mostly the new kids in the preseason games.

Keen to see Dunks and Collins get a go.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

I would expect:
NAB1 in Canberra to be experimental with untried/fringe players
NAB2 in Craigieburn to be carefully managed with half-games only to key players
NAB3 at Etihad to be close to a full dress-rehearsal for R1.

Would like to see Hamilton and the new draftees get a run, at least during NAB1.

 

[TempleKelvington]

I think the usual way is to play whoever has done the work, whoever is in form. Then as the games progress manage the workloads. I don't think they will worry about age and resting up the older guys. Selection will be based on fitness and readyness.

Who I'd like to see play and when is different matter. Want to see the kids as much as possible.

 

[Pugz89]

I like the fact we have the Pies in NAB 3 again. Remember how the full dress rehearsal went last year? Hoping for more of the same this year

 

[Doggy Dan]

Remember when we spanked the Christ out of Collingwood in NAB last year? I left that night thinking WOW are Collingwood incredibly sh*t or are are we on the verge of something here. Turns out we were witnessing the first glimpses of a remarkable year!

 

[fargy]

How we managed it last year:
played a reasonable strength team first game (remember all the Tigers supporters telling us their seconds nearly beat our best team and how we were in for a horrible year ahead while they were certainties for the flag?), played mainly kids the second game (the guy betting on the Dee's from Hunters account), and pretty close to the round one team against the Pies (when we all started to think hang on, I know that was a preseason game but geez it was impressive, will we be a lot better than originally thought?).

Difference this year is our first game is in Canberra so we may go young early and build the team through the next two.

 

[King Harold]

I'll be there.

Might be there as well DW.

 

[grubdog]

I can't see Bont, Roughead, Libba, Murphy, M Boyd, Morris, Minson, Wood, Stringer or Pickens getting a game until NAB 3. It is not like there is any real incentive to win away from home except to get a few fringe members to sign up.

 

[doggies ftw]

Remember when we spanked the Christ out of Collingwood in NAB last year? I left that night thinking WOW are Collingwood incredibly sh*t or are are we on the verge of something here. Turns out we were witnessing the first glimpses of a remarkable year!

That was awesome. We'd been building up to it all preseason, all the little details about how we were going to take the game on and play exciting footy and what not. Got a few glimpses of it in the first two games but not much and then it clicked in the pies game and you just knew it was going to be a good year.

 

[TempleKelvington]

The word is we will have close to full strength first NAB, then rest a few for NAB 2, and then pretty much round 1 team for NAB 3.

FB: Morris,Roberts, Boyd
HB: Murphy, Hamling, Wood
C: JJ, Wallis Macrae
HF: Stringer, Redpath, Dalhaus
FF: Daniel, Boyd, Dickson
R: Campbell Bontempelli Picken

Int: Roughead, Suckling, Hrovat, Stevens, Adams, Hunter
Emg: Webb, Minson, Biggs

Adcock just misses out on the squad. I think as good as Liber was that he could be eased in, prob play limited time NAB 2 and then full hit out in last round. No need to over do it with him.

 

[McCraeBF]

FB: Morris,Hamling, Wood
HB: Murphy,Cordy, JJ
C: Dale, Wallis ,MaCrae
HF: Stringer, Redpath, Dalhaus
FF: Daniel, Boyd, Dickson
R: Campbell Bontempelli Picken

Int: Roughead, Suckling, Hrovat, Hunter,Williams,McLean
Emg: Webb, Minson, Biggs

 

[Super Hans]

Smith has said that NAB1 will be close to our best team then we'll go from there.

 

[Toastman]

It's a really good surface at Manuka at this time of year, if a little hard, so probably a good one for not causing injuries. The low stands mean that you don't have too much difference across the surface unlike the grounds with big stands where one wing will only get half as much, or less, sun than the rest of the surface.
I wouldn't be surprised if we went with the best team in the first one and then managed the load in the second and third games depending on how the guys come up.

 

[Doggy Dan]

Bev said on Saturday we will go in at pretty much full strength game one, play all the kids game two and full dress rehearsal game 3.

As soon as the markets come up for NAB 1 I am going to smack my entire Sportsbet account onto us!

 

[SammoSammo]

Having last year relocated back from Melbourne (yay) to Canberra (boo) I cannot wait for this match!

 

[the conch]

Wouldn't take any of Bont, Libba, Stringer, Murphy, Wood, Boyd, Dahlhaus, Morris, and probably some of the other experienced players like Picken, Minson, Dickson etc. Think its an opportunity to throw our 16 - 35 players to see whos improved significantly. No risks should be done with key/star players.

Team I'd like to see

FB: Biggs, Roberts, Cordy
HB: Adcock, Hamling, Suckling
C: JJ, Stevens (c), Hunter
HF: McLean, Redpath, Dale
FF: Daniel, Boyd, Adams
R: Roughead, Dunkley, Jong

Int: (From memory think we are allowed 6)
Campbell, Hrovat, Webb, Prudden, Honey, Collins,
Emg: Williams, Goetz, Williams

Suckling and Adcock to provide some leadership/experience

We have some serious depth (Stringer, Wood, Bont, Moz, Murph, M.Boyd, Dahlhaus, Wallis, Macrae, Libba, Dickson, Picken, Minson) to be rested/kept safely on the side for a week.

Think you need an experienced leader for fwd, backs and middle. Say Wood, Roughie good, say adcock to play fwd

 

[Dogsman16]

Think you need an experienced leader for fwd, backs and middle. Say Wood, Roughie good, say adcock to play fwd

To be honest I really just want to see the young kids play, make sure none of our stars get injured and that the club could use it as a bit of a bonding trip for the new/young players in the team.

In particular I'd be wrapping up Bont and Stringer in bubble wrap for the next 3 weeks. Doesn't seem as though the coaching staff share my views though.

I hate GWS us much as anyone but I dont hate them that much to feel as though we need to smash them in the NAB cup and potentially risk injury to one of our guns.