Team Mgmt. 2018 Best 22

May 6, 2007
39,093
22,782
South East Suburbs
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Essendon
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Hope this is the right thread.

Nice job with Smith, saad and stringer.

You guys will be very fun to watch next year...speed all over the park. Will easily be the paciest team in the afl.

I'm interested to see which way things go...whether essendons speed and run overwhelmes and breaks open some teams, or if your smaller bodies especially in the midfield and perhaps lack of inside mids will hurt.

Saw article on afl website today say essendon have a very small midfield with Smith, Merritt, parish, McGrath etc. Heppell one of the only bigger body mids.

But watching the rebound with mckenna, kicking to McGrath, handball to the running saad, pass to Smith, over the top to tippa to kick to fantasia running into goal will be sublime!

We should be fine enough with Heppell, Myers, BJ, Myers all in there, whilst Langford should be allowed more midfield minutes after an initial development year as an inside mid.


If anything, it appears we are looking to break open teams from behind the ball as we did in 2017.
 
May 6, 2007
39,093
22,782
South East Suburbs
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspurs, Melbourne Vixen
Myers will be depth only in 2018. He was lucky to eek out 15 games this year - and there were plenty of ordinary ones amongst those...

As an inside midfielder, he will be selected before Goddard & Langford whilst being a useful best 22 player as a utility.
[coming from one of his biggest critics]
 

Bombers36

Premiership Player
Jul 15, 2008
3,442
1,465
Keilor East
AFL Club
Essendon
As an inside midfielder, he will be selected before Goddard & Langford whilst being a useful best 22 player as a utility.
[coming from one of his biggest critics]

Big call Yoda...

BJ second in the Crichton this year hard to see Myers getting a run before him
Langford - who is still only 20 - has waaaaay more upside than the injury prone Myers - I'd be prepared to bet a fair bit of money that he plays more games than Myers does in 2018
 
Jun 11, 2007
34,086
29,320
Victoria
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Bayern, Milan, Boston Celtics
Baguley Hartley Ambrose
Saad Hurley McKenna
Zaharakis Heppell McGrath
Stringer Daniher Smith
Fantasia Hooker AMT
Bellchambers Parish Merrett
Goddard Gleeson Stewart Laverde
looks about right, though i think Bags may lose his spot to Gleeson at some stage next year.
that brings Langford in as an onballer. Smith will be the same.

Small changes:
Gleeson Hartley Ambrose
Saad Hurley McKenna
Zaharakis Heppell McGrath
Stringer Daniher AMT
Fantasia Hooker Stewart
Bellchambers Parish Merrett
Goddard Langford Smith Laverde
 

bombreys

Club Legend
May 8, 2015
2,962
2,007
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Essendon
As an inside midfielder, he will be selected before Goddard & Langford whilst being a useful best 22 player as a utility.
[coming from one of his biggest critics]

Langford possibly at the start of the year, but Goddard is selected ahead of Myers every time.
 

bombreys

Club Legend
May 8, 2015
2,962
2,007
AFL Club
Essendon
Big call Yoda...

BJ second in the Crichton this year hard to see Myers getting a run before him
Langford - who is still only 20 - has waaaaay more upside than the injury prone Myers - I'd be prepared to bet a fair bit of money that he plays more games than Myers does in 2018

I think Myers starts the year in the best 22, but if his form continues the way it was this year (not that it was shocking, but it wasn't great), I think the form player of Langford/Laverde replaces him.
 

hurlygurdy

Premiership Player
Apr 15, 2013
3,277
1,960
AFL Club
Essendon
B: Bags Ambrose Gleeson

HB: Saad Hurley McKenna

C: McGrath Heppell Zaharakis

HF: Stringer Daniher Walla

F: Fantasia Hooker Stewart

R: Bellchambers Zerrett Myers

Int: Smith Parish Begley Goddard

I think we can turn the big four into a real weapon this year. JD, Hooker, Stewart and Stringer are all really complimentary players. Particularly if we can get good midfield minutes out of Stringer then the whole thing really hangs together nicely.
 

ghostdog

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 18, 2008
16,006
11,853
gondawanaland
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Essendon
Big call Yoda...

BJ second in the Crichton this year hard to see Myers getting a run before him
Langford - who is still only 20 - has waaaaay more upside than the injury prone Myers - I'd be prepared to bet a fair bit of money that he plays more games than Myers does in 2018
On this year's form, I agree, Beej gets selected before Myers every week. Myers needs a huge preseason to try and recapture his pre-saga form. I'd prefer if he were in the side because of his size. It would be great if BJ, Myers, Langford and Laverde could all be ready to go from Round 1, but on current form, I agree both Langford and Laverde have more upside than Myers.
 

ghostdog

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 18, 2008
16,006
11,853
gondawanaland
AFL Club
Essendon
I think Myers starts the year in the best 22, but if his form continues the way it was this year (not that it was shocking, but it wasn't great), I think the form player of Langford/Laverde replaces him.
Thing about Myers is that his form improved as the year went on. Woosha allowed him to play into form so hopefully that trajectory continues over the pre-season and into 2018. We need our big bodies.
 

Sockeye

Team Captain
Aug 13, 2014
430
425
AFL Club
Essendon
Woosha wants Joey out of the ruck. Could we do a Richmond Grigg ruck/wing sort of thing with Paddy? And yes I remember the debacle against Natnui, but just as a back up to give TinkerBell a spell during matches? I think he gives us some much needed aggression around the packs and a running mobile second ruck seems like a successful developing trend. For periods of a game TBell takes centre bounce then drifts forward and Ambrose rucks around the ground with Parish playing his wing. Doggies were also similar in 2016. He can always go back in to defence if we need the matchup.

Bags Hartley Gleeson

McKenna Hurley Saad

Ambrose Heppell Smith

Parish Daniher Fantasia

Walla Hooker Stewart

Bellchambers Stringer Merrett

Goddard (m)
Zaka (m)
Begley
Raffle ticket

Stringer rotating with Walla and Zaka. One thing from Sydney final was that Walla can have a real presence in midfield. We looked more like it in the second half when Walla had stints on ball.

Still hard to find the right balance. Last two premiers, on a basic level, have two key backs a key forward and 15 mids.
 
Oct 2, 2012
5,274
8,566
Adelaide
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Essendon
Other Teams
Boston Celtics, Miami Dolphins
Woosha wants Joey out of the ruck. Could we do a Richmond Grigg ruck/wing sort of thing with Paddy? And yes I remember the debacle against Natnui, but just as a back up to give TinkerBell a spell during matches? I think he gives us some much needed aggression around the packs and a running mobile second ruck seems like a successful developing trend. For periods of a game TBell takes centre bounce then drifts forward and Ambrose rucks around the ground with Parish playing his wing. Doggies were also similar in 2016. He can always go back in to defence if we need the matchup.

Bags Hartley Gleeson

McKenna Hurley Saad

Ambrose Heppell Smith

Parish Daniher Fantasia

Walla Hooker Stewart

Bellchambers Stringer Merrett

Goddard (m)
Zaka (m)
Begley
Raffle ticket

Stringer rotating with Walla and Zaka. One thing from Sydney final was that Walla can have a real presence in midfield. We looked more like it in the second half when Walla had stints on ball.

Still hard to find the right balance. Last two premiers, on a basic level, have two key backs a key forward and 15 mids.
No room for the 2017 RS?

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
 
The idea of Stringer as a pack bursting midfielder going forward while resting and booting snags is making my loins quiver.
 

Sockeye

Team Captain
Aug 13, 2014
430
425
AFL Club
Essendon
No room for the 2017 RS?

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk
My mistake, there sure is. McGrath in for raffle ticket.
Sure is going to be some competition for spots next year.

Really liked the look of McNiece too before his injury. Bit of a forgotten player.

More interested in people's thoughts on how to best utilise Ambrose and if he could play mid/second ruck.
Seem to recall woosha alluding to a plan where Joey stays forward and wondering how that would look. Surely we wouldn't play Luey and Bellchambers so he must have some other ideas up his sleeve?
 
Sep 2, 2008
63,165
37,760
Melbourne
AFL Club
Essendon
Hope this is the right thread.

Nice job with Smith, saad and stringer.

You guys will be very fun to watch next year...speed all over the park. Will easily be the paciest team in the afl.

I'm interested to see which way things go...whether essendons speed and run overwhelmes and breaks open some teams, or if your smaller bodies especially in the midfield and perhaps lack of inside mids will hurt.

Saw article on afl website today say essendon have a very small midfield with Smith, Merritt, parish, McGrath etc. Heppell one of the only bigger body mids.

But watching the rebound with mckenna, kicking to McGrath, handball to the running saad, pass to Smith, over the top to tippa to kick to fantasia running into goal will be sublime!

If there is a gun inside mid on the market next year i can see the club going after him apart from Rockliff there weren't any mids available this year.
 

parishfanclub

Team Captain
May 21, 2016
597
253
AFL Club
Essendon
Baguley Ambrose Hurley
Saad Hooker McKenna
McGrath Heppell Zaharakis
Stringer Daniher Begley
Fantasia Stewart AMT
TBC Merrett Parish
Smith Myers Goddard Langford/Laverde
 

RearNaked

Premiership Player
Oct 4, 2011
3,783
4,005
Gold Coast
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
TEAM MIR!!!!!!!!!
Gleeson,hooker,ambrose
Saad,hurley,McKenna
McGrath,heppell,zacka
Smith,stewart,stringer
Razzle,daniher,walla
Tbell,zerrett,Goddard

Myers,parish,Laverde,langford/colyer/fridge

Probably left someone out
 

Bomberbuzz1

All Australian
Apr 29, 2016
720
339
AFL Club
Essendon
My mistake, there sure is. McGrath in for raffle ticket.
Sure is going to be some competition for spots next year.

Really liked the look of McNiece too before his injury. Bit of a forgotten player.

More interested in people's thoughts on how to best utilise Ambrose and if he could play mid/second ruck.
Seem to recall woosha alluding to a plan where Joey stays forward and wondering how that would look. Surely we wouldn't play Luey and Bellchambers so he must have some other ideas up his sleeve?
I would rather Stewart as 2nd ruck, he's getting bigger and stronger. He also stated he played midfield before a growth spurt so should be able to find it after completing the ruck contest.
He won't star in the role but is a better option than ambrose and protects Daniher from an unnecessary injury.
 
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