Opinion Pick your Round 1 side

[Claude Balls]

Murdoch wasn't in my side before this match, and he sure ain't in it afterwards. I find it more than surprising that his name figures so often above despite his woeful display. Is in just about every team as far as I can tell...

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

They'll play Cockatoo early in the season whether his form warrants it or not IMO, just to get the weight of expectation off his back. There's been a lot of media about him since being drafted at 10, and that he's in the #5 would suggest that there is a lot of implied pressure for him to succeed. Lang looks about ready too.

 

[Teriyakicat]

lets pick someone for the specific purpose to tag mitchell
it isnt rocket science

he kills us everytime

have we EVER tagged him?

 

[meto]

Yep and the one opponent where pace isn't an issue. Just need to be strong and disciplined... Ling used to get him every time they met

Now I'm amazed! Good point, I wonder why?

 

[bulletproof]

I'd like to see Stanley in for Mcintosh. Otherwise I like the catempire team.

Walker is stiff but I can't find a spot for him either.

 

[TheJimmyCartel]

B: Bews Lonergan Rivers
HB: Enright Taylor Mackie
C: Motlop Caddy Duncan
HF: Kersten Clark Lang
F: Stokes Hawkins Bartel
R: Simpson Johnson Selwood
Int: Stanley Guthrie Blicavs Kelly

This is more probably what I'd want to see, but would only be the case if a few things go our way in the next two NAB games. SO many variables though.

Depends where HMac is at and if Stanley can come in and have an impact. I actually think Stanley is an enormous piece of the puzzle this year for us. It's arguable that Simpson and Hmac could be both cooked and we're faced with Stanley and Blicavs in the ruck, which will suck and it's pretty much Good Night, Irene. On the flipside, if one of Simpson or HMac can get back into reasonable form and have Stanley playing a good role as 2nd ruck, we could actually have
pretty decent ruck combo.

Another interesting one for me is Kersten. Definitely looked like more mobile again yesterday and though he did a few good things around the ground, which is a good start after he was struggling to get involved late last year while struggling with his knee. I still think he has the goods just needs to figure out how to create his own space around the two giants, he could play a very important role if he can figure it out. Alternatively, Walker will be snapping at his heel I imagine, which is a pretty solid backup plan.

I have my concerns about Murdoch, actually wouldn't be surprised to see him miss out on Rd 1 with the likes of Lang, Gregson and Cockatoo showing much more natural ability to get involved in the contest. Have been a fan of Murdoch, think he has some great assets. Only need to remember his last qtr vs the Hawks a while back to see what he's capable of but really seems to struggle to get involved and then makes basic errors, real confidence player. A decent spell in the VFL to find some solid form might just be the best thing for him at the moment.

See how the next two games unfold!

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

They'll play Cockatoo early in the season whether his form warrants it or not IMO, just to get the weight of expectation off his back. There's been a lot of media about him since being drafted at 10, and that he's in the #5 would suggest that there is a lot of implied pressure for him to succeed. Lang looks about ready too.

Think that stuff's overblown, to be honest. People don't really GAF...perhaps the year immediately after.

As far as I'm concerned, you can only pick guys that played yesterday and players that are absolute certainties, barring injury at this stage, so I'm not considering Stanley, Walker, Blease, Jansen, Menzel, GHS, McIntosh, Vardy, Cowan, and Thurlow, off the top of my head, for the 22.

B: Bews, Lonergan, Rivers
HB: Enright, Taylor, Mackie
C: Stokes, Selwood, Guthrie
HF: Motlop, Clark, Duncan
F: Lang, Hawkins, Kersten
R: Simpson, Johnson, Bartel
I/C: Kelly, Smedts, Blicavs, Cockatoo

Next in line:
Small defender: Thurlow - if fit. If not, probably a case of bringing someone else in another position and moving the deckchairs...not many obvious candidates.
Tall defender: Kolodjashnij, Delaney - if fit
Inside mid: GHS, Gore, Jansen, Hartman
Outside mid: Hartman, Blease, Cowan
Tall forward: Walker, Stanley, Vardy
Small/medium forward: Murdoch, Blease, Hartman, Gregson

I'd consider a back pocket spot, both forward pockets, first ruck, and the four interchange guernseys as genuinely week-to-week propositions, as it stands. So seven places that are yet to be cemented, barring injury, or something extraordinary.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Well, we've now seen some actual footy so I'm already starting to look ahead to Round 1 on Easter Monday.

I expect to chop and change my views on this after the next two NAB games but I'll give it a go now anyway.

The winner today for mine was Lang who should now be knocking on the door for more senior games. He has versatility, class and poise in his favour. Seems to be more in the frame than others like Hartman, Jansen, etc.

Here goes:

B: Bews Lonergan Rivers
HB: Enright Taylor Mackie
C: Motlop Caddy Duncan
HF: Kersten Clark Murdoch*
F: Stokes Hawkins Bartel
R: McIntosh Johnson Selwood
Int: Kelly Guthrie Blicavs Lang

*I can't find a spot (yet) for Smedts or GHS but another game like today's from Murdoch will have one of them replace him in my side.

GHS next player in. But I can't have Murdoch. Smedts, definitely. The youngsters are very encouraging. And Lang looks very good. For 2016! lol

 

[TEDDY24INC]

I will eat my hat if GHS is not in the line up Easter Monday, barring injury he will be best 22 rnd 1. People are worrying about our lack of clearances already after 1 game and then leaving this bloke out of the 22, baffling.

 

[catempire]

I will eat my hat if GHS is not in the line up Easter Monday, barring injury he will be best 22 rnd 1. People are worrying about our lack of clearances already after 1 game and then leaving this bloke out of the 22, baffling.

What is his injury status?

 

[TEDDY24INC]

What is his injury status?

None I hope, just assuming he was managed against GC. Suppose we will see if he is or not when the adelaide game rolls around

 

[year of the cat]

I think we need to be looking to move away from the same back 6 that we've had for the past couple of seasons and inject a bit of pace. A Lonergan/Rivers/Taylor/Enright/Mackie backline is too slow for me. I'd be giving Mackie an early season rocket. He was crap last year and apparently wasn't any better yesterday. If Thurlow was fit he'd be my replacement but alas injury has curtailed his start to the season.

 

[catempire]

None I hope, just assuming he was managed against GC. Suppose we will see if he is or not when the adelaide game rolls around

I'm the opposite. If a best 22 player wasn't playing yesterday (which GHS is, IMO) I'm assuming there's an issue.

 

[catempire]

I think we need to be looking to move away from the same back 6 that we've had for the past couple of seasons and inject a bit of pace. A Lonergan/Rivers/Taylor/Enright/Mackie backline is too slow for me. I'd be giving Mackie an early season rocket. He was crap last year and apparently wasn't any better yesterday. If Thurlow was fit he'd be my replacement but alas injury has curtailed his start to the season.

I thought Mackie was fine yesterday.

The key deficiency in the backline is stopping small forwards. Start with that - by including Bews - and the rest will work itself out through rotations.

 

[TEDDY24INC]

I'm the opposite. If a best 22 player wasn't playing yesterday (which GHS is, IMO) I'm assuming there's an issue.

Possibly, how are we to know though. Maybe they are managing workloads, for instance GHS, Selwood and Cowan come in next game and out go Stokes, Kelly and Bartel...

 

[bulletproof]

Looking at our squad, the only part of our side that is over exposed to our ageing demographics is the backline. I think Caddy, Guthrie, Motlop and Duncan should improve more than Johnson slips in the midfield.

The forward line last year was basically Hawkins, with a contribution from Bartel. When you consider we have added Clark, I don't think we are any worse.

The real question is, can the back 6 hold it together this year? I think they have another season in them with a few minor personnel tweaks. The real pain might come next year, unless we rebuild a backline quickly around Taylor.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I will eat my hat if GHS is not in the line up Easter Monday, barring injury he will be best 22 rnd 1. People are worrying about our lack of clearances already after 1 game and then leaving this bloke out of the 22, baffling.

I'm leaving him out, because of the reasons of my post (that he's still a fringe senior player and that he has no exposed 2015 form). You'll struggle to find a bigger GHS fan on here than me, but even so, I couldn't to find a spot for him in our best fifteen players, given full (or close to full) availability. And if you're not in the best fifteen on March 1, you're not a lock for the best 22 in Round 1, as far as I'm concerned. As soon as he plays a practice game, I'll consider him and he could easily walk straight into my side, once he's played in the preseason.

 

[year of the cat]

I thought Mackie was fine yesterday.

The key deficiency in the backline is stopping small forwards. Start with that - by including Bews - and the rest will work itself out through rotations.

I didn't see the game and was only going on a report from one of the posters on our board. Bews is a must. I still think we need more run though. The other five are akin to Dad's Army.

 

[catempire]

I didn't see the game and was only going on a report from one of the posters on our board. Bews is a must. I still think we need more run though. The other five are akin to Dad's Army.

A bloody good army. The envy of pretty much every other team.

The transition beyond these players must happen in 2015 but they will still be the core of the back six.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I didn't see the game and was only going on a report from one of the posters on our board. Bews is a must. I still think we need more run though. The other five are akin to Dad's Army.

It might be old, but it's the same lineup as 2011 (Taylor, Mackie, Enright, Lonergan), with Rivers in for Scarlett, Bews for Wojcinski, Blicavs or possibly Stanley for Milburn and probably Smedts (or maybe one of the newbies) for Josh Hunt. I'm not saying the current version is better, but I don't think it's any slower. As long as the pressure from the midfield is up to scratch and they're not just putting it on a platter for their forwards time and again, our defenders' collective strengths (positioning, their collective IQ, ability to work as a unit and peel off, aerial ability and...well...their strength) can be maximised.

 

[year of the cat]

A bloody good army. The envy of pretty much every other team.

The transition beyond these players must happen in 2015 but they will still be the core of the back six.

Against Hawthorn I don't think they'd be as exposed for pace as their lineup isn't super quick, but when we play Port or GC (with their full lineup) they will look like a bunch of pensioners stepping out of a tourist bus.

We agree that the transition must happen this year. I'd just be including 2 "new" faces in that back six from round one.

 

[year of the cat]

It might be old, but it's the same lineup as 2011 (Taylor, Mackie, Enright, Lonergan), with Rivers in for Scarlett, Bews for Wojcinski, Blicavs or possibly Stanley for Milburn and probably Kolodjashnij/Delaney/Thurlow for Josh Hunt. I'm not saying the current version is better, but I don't think it's any slower. As long as the pressure from the midfield is up to scratch and they're not just putting it on a platter for their forwards time and again, our defenders' collective strengths (positioning, their collective IQ, ability to work as a unit and peel off, aerial ability and...well...their strength) can be maximised.

I think the game has changed a bit since then MC. The game is faster than it was in 2011. Of course midfield pressure is crucial, but with our midfield also lacking by comparison now to the top midfields we are hardly going to be holding an advantage here either. Whilst our back six has been awesome, it's not now. Time marches on.

 

[Daniel McL]

Motlop...

Damn it! Knew I would forget someone!
Ok whoever goes better out of Cockatoo & Murdoch next NAB game, we drop the one who plays worse for Motlop.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

A bloody good army. The envy of pretty much every other team.

The transition beyond these players must happen in 2015 but they will still be the core of the back six.

The thing is, it's a back seven. One of the spots on the bench can go to a dedicated defender. Add Stanley, Thurlow, Smedts, Cowan, Kolodjashnij or Blicavs in as one of the seven players to go through there (not sure how quick Delaney is, to be honest), it starts to look a lot quicker and more agile.

 

[catempire]

The thing is, it's a back seven. One of the spots on the bench can go to a dedicated defender. Add Stanley, Thurlow, Smedts, Cowan, Kolodjashnij or Blicavs in as one of the seven players to go through there (not sure how quick Delaney is, to be honest), it starts to look a lot quicker and more agile.

Sure, I agree. And the 7th usually is a quicker player (relative to the "slow" 5). It is shaping as Smedts but I reckon Thurlow and other midfielders will also be in the mix.