Opinion North Melbourne's best 22

Lavy_Panther

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Ok so we're basically half way through the year, so we should know by now most of what our best 22 looks like, i.e. what we'll be taking into September should we make it, providing there is no injuries (big if).

This is what I've got:

B: McMillan - Thompson - Hansen
HB: Atley - Grima - Mullett
C: Gibson - Ziebell - Dal Santo
HF: Harvey - Black - Wells
FF: Tarrant - Petrie - Thomas

R: Goldstein - Cunnington - Swallow

Int: Greenwood - McDonald - Bastinac - Adams

EMG: Nahas - Jacobs - Daw - Firrito - Wood - Tippett - Anthony


The biggest and enduring question mark is that third key forward. I have Tarrant in there in the faint hope that the sticky tape currently holding his body together holds on. However failing that we have a decision to make (and I suspect it may purely be a horses for courses thing):

  • Do we play Daw almost purely because of the assistance he gives Goldstein, or;
  • Do we go with Wood who could be a Jack Gunston type target and get Drew to pick up the slack?
I honestly don't have an answer to this, but at the moment I'm actually leaning towards Wood. For this reason I think we have to play him sooner rather than later to see if he can make the step up. If we select him over Daw it doesn't mean we draw a line through Majak, we just have to know if it can work.

The time it takes to get that group together and go weeks on end being able to play the same team could have a say in if we can win 0, 1, 2 or ? finals.

NB: Can I just say that line up makes me firm. I think for the first time in years I can actually say that we have quality all over the park.
 
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GarnerSmash

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This is what I've got:

B: McMillan - Thompson - Hansen
HB: Atley - Grima - Mullett
C: Gibson - Ziebell - Dal Santo
HF: Harvey - Black - Wells
FF: Tarrant - Petrie - Thomas

R: Goldstein - Cunnington - Swallow

Int: Greenwood - McDonald - Bastinac - Adams
That'll do me.
 

Black2Blue

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It's a great looking side if we can get them all on the park together. And that emergency list have shown they are all more than capable depth through form both in the 1s and 2s. Plus we have the jokers in the pack - Harper, Garner, Delaney - who should all play matches in the latter part of the year. In some ways it is more like looking at a best 32, as this has been critical in carrying us through our worst injury run in years.
 
Pretty spot on LP. My changes would be purely positional. I know you said don't worry about this and I agree but the one distinction I'd make is the centre square 4. This still exists (at least for a few seconds at each bounce) and I think it was critical to our success last year to have the 2 inside - 1 outside combo (eg swallow, Ziebell, Wells were the A team last year, this year Cunners has probably taken Zieb's spot).

B: MacMillan - Thompson - Hansen
HB: Atley - Grima - Mullett
C: Gibson - Wells - Dal Santo
HF: Harvey - Tarrant - Adams
FF: Black - Petrie - Thomas

R: Goldstein - Cunnington - Swallow

Int: Greenwood - McDonald - Bastinac - Ziebell

EMG: Nahas - Jacobs - Daw - Firrito - Wood - Tippett - Anthony


If he continues current form, I could easily see Spud keeping his spot but this team has 7 legit defenders which I think is enough so I don't know who goes out. Nahas could also feel aggrieved for being dropped based on current form. And as much as I like Goldy having a chop out, there is no way I'd pick Daw over a fit Tarrant. Tarrant is a far superior forward and can play CHF whereas Daw, Petrie and Black are all best suited to playing out of the goal square.
 
Regarding Daw v Tarrant, when Tarrant is fit and firing again, is it a case of Tarrant easily in for Maj? Where does that leave Dawry?
As LCynic said, Daw goes back to the VFL and continues his education. He is the long term replacement for Petrie and has a very different game to Taz IMO

He debuted last year and played 6 games (mostly as sub), this year he has played 5 full games and will probably get at least another 4-5 before Taz is ready. That's ok progress IMO. People thinking he was gonna be best 22 this year was premature IMO, especially off a pre-season injury
 

Phillyroo

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This is fun... And I agree on most of the selections above... I guess the problem is, injuries are always gonna happen, so to have the depth that we have is fantastic. The recruitment of Tippet was fantastic, as was Nahas. The sooner Wells, Narni, and Tarrant are available the better. Although does this mean Daw goes out?
 

Psicosis

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FB - McDonald - Thompson - Grima
HB - Mullett - Hansen - Atley
C - Dal Santo - Swallow - Wells
HF - Black - Tarrant - Adams
FF - Thomas - Petrie - Nahas
FOLL - Goldstein - Ziebell - Cunnington
INT - Gibson - Bastinac - Greenwood - Anthony

Problem is, there are a few too many players in that 22 who are quite average by foot.
 
This is fun... And I agree on most of the selections above... I guess the problem is, injuries are always gonna happen, so to have the depth that we have is fantastic. The recruitment of Tippet was fantastic, as was Nahas. The sooner Wells, Narni, and Tarrant are available the better. Although does this mean Daw goes out?
And the key defender depth is now literally gone which sucks a great deal.
 

Lavy_Panther

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FB - McDonald - Thompson - Grima
HB - Mullett - Hansen - Atley
C - Dal Santo - Swallow - Wells
HF - Black - Tarrant - Adams
FF - Thomas - Petrie - Nahas
FOLL - Goldstein - Ziebell - Cunnington
INT - Gibson - Bastinac - Greenwood - Anthony

Problem is, there are a few too many players in that 22 who are quite average by foot.

Probably because you've dropped Brent Harvey.
 
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