Preview Best 22, 2019

[harry000]

How good does it feel not having to put "Draft Pick 1" on the bench in an attempt to create a best 22.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I don't think he's a smart enough footballer to play forward personally, he's more straight line than agile.

Agree, let him use his athleticism to defend and run off his man.

 

[Johnny Karate]

B: Jetta - May - Hibberd
HB: Salem - Lever - Fritsch
C: Harmes - Brayshaw - vandenBerg
HF: Petracca - T McDonald - Nibbler
F: Spargo - Weideman - Melksham
R: Gawn - Oliver - Viney
I: Jones - KK - Preuss - Lewis
E: O Mac - Hannan - Hunt - Garlett

 

[ponsdale]

B: Jetta - May - Hibberd
HB: Salem - Lever - Fritsch
C: Harmes - Brayshaw - vandenBerg
HF: Petracca - T McDonald - Nibbler
F: Spargo - Weideman - Melksham
R: Gawn - Oliver - Viney
I: Jones - KK - Preuss - Lewis
E: O Mac - Hannan - Hunt - Garlett

Interesting. You've solved the OMac v Frost argument by putting neither of them in your starting 22. You're asking Lever and Hibberd to play taller?

 

[Johnny Karate]

Interesting. You've solved the OMac v Frost argument by putting neither of them in your starting 22. You're asking Lever and Hibberd to play taller?

That’s the gist of it.
I concede that my 22 most likely won’t come to fruition. I haven’t given up on either O Mac or Frost but went for the 22 that I feel has the most upside.

 

[Scythe94]

That’s the gist of it.
I concede that my 22 most likely won’t come to fruition. I haven’t given up on either O Mac or Frost but went for the 22 that I feel has the most upside.

Just a waste of Lever imo. May will take the best forward, but the best teams have more than one option, and Lever is flawed as a one-on-one defender.

Take a look at the legitimate tall forwards in each team’s likely best 22:

West Coast: Kennedy, Darling, Vardy
Collingwood: Cox, Mihocek
Richmond: Riewoldt, Lynch
GWS: Cameron, Patton, Himmelberg
Geelong: Hawkins, Ratugolea
Sydney: Franklin, Reid, McCartin
Hawthorn: Roughead, Gunston, Schoenmakers
Essendon: Daniher, McKernan
North: Brown, Wood
Port: Dixon, Lycett, Westhoff
Adelaide: Walker, Jenkins, Fogarty
Western Bulldogs: Schache, Boyd
Fremantle: Hogan, Lobb, Taberner
Brisbane: Hipwood, McInerney, McStay
St Kilda: McCartin, Bruce, Membrey
Carlton: McKay, Curnow, McGovern
Gold Coast: Day, Wright

Not saying that these are all good players by any stretch, but from my count, that’s nearly two-thirds of teams in the league playing three bigs up front, meaning for those games we’ll be matching them up with May (193 cm, 102 kg), Lever (195 cm, 92 kg) and Hibberd (186 cm, 93 kg). Far too small I think, and it takes our two best loose/rebounding players away from their best role.

Think Oscar (196 cm, 100 kg) plays and takes the second best tall/resting ruck. Despite his form towards the end of the year, I believe Frost will be the odd man out (although he’ll play early in the year while Lever gets up to speed).

 

[Johnny Karate]

Just a waste of Lever imo. May will take the best forward, but the best teams have more than one option, and Lever is flawed as a one-on-one defender.

Take a look at the legitimate tall forwards in each team’s likely best 22:

West Coast: Kennedy, Darling, Vardy
Collingwood: Cox, Mihocek
Richmond: Riewoldt, Lynch
GWS: Cameron, Patton, Himmelberg
Geelong: Hawkins, Ratugolea
Sydney: Franklin, Reid, McCartin
Hawthorn: Roughead, Gunston, Schoenmakers
Essendon: Daniher, McKernan
North: Brown, Wood
Port: Dixon, Lycett, Westhoff
Adelaide: Walker, Jenkins, Fogarty
Western Bulldogs: Schache, Boyd
Fremantle: Hogan, Lobb, Taberner
Brisbane: Hipwood, McInerney, McStay
St Kilda: McCartin, Bruce, Membrey
Carlton: McKay, Curnow, McGovern
Gold Coast: Day, Wright

Not saying that these are all good players by any stretch, but from my count, that’s nearly two-thirds of teams in the league playing three bigs up front, meaning for those games we’ll be matching them up with May (193 cm, 102 kg), Lever (195 cm, 92 kg) and Hibberd (186 cm, 93 kg). Far too small I think, and it takes our two best loose/rebounding players away from their best role.

Think Oscar (196 cm, 100 kg) plays and takes the second best tall/resting ruck. Despite his form towards the end of the year, I believe Frost will be the odd man out (although he’ll play early in the year while Lever gets up to speed).

I don’t doubt that I’m in the minority. My feeling is that Gawn and Fritsch can drop in the hole to intercept mark when required. Ideally we’re smacking other teams through the midfield enough to blunt opposition attacks. The sweet spot we were in from Round 6 through 11 and round 22 to the semi we only had two key defenders in O Mac & Lever and then O Mac and Frost. I don’t accept the unequivocal notion that Lever is a poor one on one defender. I accept the 6-6-6 and tactics could change structures and tactics but how many other teams play with 3 key defenders or players 193+?

Adelaide have Talia and usually one of Keath/Hartigan.
Brisbane have Andrews and Gardiner (McStay sometimes but tends to swing forward)
Carlton have Marchbank and Weitering
Collingwood have Dunn/Goldsack and maybe Moore
Essendon - Hurley, Francis and Hooker (when he’s not playing forward)
Fremantle - Pearce, Hamling (Johnson retired, maybe Logue will play)
Geelong - Taylor, Henderson, Blicavs, Henry (they were way too cumbersome down back)
Gold Coast - Thompson (previously May, probably Hombsch now)
GWS - Haynes, Davis (occasionally one of Tomlinson, Corr, Finlayson or Taylor)
Hawthorn - Frawley, Stratton
North - Thompson, Tarrant
Port - Jonas, Howard (occasionally Clurey)
Richmond - Grimes, Astbury & Rance
St Kilda - Carlisle, Brown
Sydney - Allir, Grundy & Rampe
West Coast - Barrass, McGovern (Schofield played the GF because Sheppard was injured)
Western Bulldogs - Morris, Trengove/Naughton

The beauty of May’s recruitment is we can either play with 2 or 3 talls down back. Lever’s injury means O Mac & Frost will have an audition period to see if they can cut it. I expect Oscar will be there but it’s not my preference at this stage.

 

[Xhoquelin]

I don’t doubt that I’m in the minority. My feeling is that Gawn and Fritsch can drop in the hole to intercept mark when required. Ideally we’re smacking other teams through the midfield enough to blunt opposition attacks. The sweet spot we were in from Round 6 through 11 and round 22 to the semi we only had two key defenders in O Mac & Lever and then O Mac and Frost. I don’t accept the unequivocal notion that Lever is a poor one on one defender. I accept the 6-6-6 and tactics could change structures and tactics but how many other teams play with 3 key defenders or players 193+?

Adelaide have Talia and usually one of Keath/Hartigan.
Brisbane have Andrews and Gardiner (McStay sometimes but tends to swing forward)
Carlton have Marchbank and Weitering
Collingwood have Dunn/Goldsack and maybe Moore
Essendon - Hurley, Francis and Hooker (when he’s not playing forward)
Fremantle - Pearce, Hamling (Johnson retired, maybe Logue will play)
Geelong - Taylor, Henderson, Blicavs, Henry (they were way too cumbersome down back)
Gold Coast - Thompson (previously May, probably Hombsch now)
GWS - Haynes, Davis (occasionally one of Tomlinson, Corr, Finlayson or Taylor)
Hawthorn - Frawley, Stratton
North - Thompson, Tarrant
Port - Jonas, Howard (occasionally Clurey)
Richmond - Grimes, Astbury & Rance
St Kilda - Carlisle, Brown
Sydney - Allir, Grundy & Rampe
West Coast - Barrass, McGovern (Schofield played the GF because Sheppard was injured)
Western Bulldogs - Morris, Trengove/Naughton

The beauty of May’s recruitment is we can either play with 2 or 3 talls down back. Lever’s injury means O Mac & Frost will have an audition period to see if they can cut it. I expect Oscar will be there but it’s not my preference at this stage.

Think you’ve forgotten about a lot of players from each team. Josh Walker at the Lions, Scharenberg at the Pies, Plowman/Jones at the Blues, Clurey is best 18 at the Power. Taylor is best 22 for the Giants, if he wasn’t injured he probably would’ve played against Collingwood. Probably at least half of the teams play with 3 tall defenders.

 

[Andy_Mac]

B: Jetta - May - Hibberd
HB: Salem - Lever - Fritsch
C: Harmes - Brayshaw - vandenBerg
HF: Petracca - T McDonald - Nibbler
F: Spargo - Weideman - Melksham
R: Gawn - Oliver - Viney
I: Jones - KK - Preuss - Lewis
E: O Mac - Hannan - Hunt - Garlett

Whilst I’d be playing OMac, at the start of last year our KPD’ers were Lever and OMac so it’s highly probable that’s how well start.

 

[Andy_Mac]

B: Jetta - May - Hibberd
HB: Salem - Lever - Fritsch
C: Harmes - Brayshaw - vandenBerg
HF: Petracca - T McDonald - Nibbler
F: Spargo - Weideman - Melksham
R: Gawn - Oliver - Viney
I: Jones - KK - Preuss - Lewis
E: O Mac - Hannan - Hunt - Garlett

Whilst I’d be playing OMac, at the start of last year our KPD’ers were Lever and OMac so it’s highly probable that’s how well start.

 

[Johnny Karate]

Think you’ve forgotten about a lot of players from each team. Josh Walker at the Lions, Scharenberg at the Pies, Plowman/Jones at the Blues, Clurey is best 18 at the Power. Taylor is best 22 for the Giants, if he wasn’t injured he probably would’ve played against Collingwood. Probably at least half of the teams play with 3 tall defenders.

Walker and Jones are probably oversights, however I don’t think they are best 22 in 2019. Scharenberg and Plowman are tall but I wouldn’t call them KPD, similar to T Langdon and Howe. Clurey and Taylor I’d mentioned anyway. Hardly a lot of players by any measure.

Dick measuring about knowledge of other clubs’ players doesn’t change the fact that plenty of teams do play with only 2 tall backs. We did it ourselves for a long time. I have already conceded my best 22 is my preference and probably is a minority view.

While I want them both to be premiership quality I don’t think O Mac or Frost are that just yet. Gawn, T McDonald, Weideman and possibly Preuss are capable of being the big body that stands in the hole to block oppo forwards space and intercept mark/spoil when s**t hits the fan. Salem and Fritsch also read the ball well in the air. Jetta and Hibberd have stood taller opponents in the past and can do so again.
Considering 6-6-6 I would have Lever, May, Hibberd, Jetta and Salem as absolute certainties if all are fit and well, leaving one spot free. I choose Fritsch for that spot over O Mac because of his flexibility.

If Frost or O Mac do step up and become fantastic defenders - happy days. If our deep defensive structures become so tight one of them can just be Astbury - ditto. At the moment I wouldn’t have either in my best 22 for the aforementioned reasons.

 

[Tulip]

Brisbane just brought in Adams as well. Lever would be 100x better at that intercepting role than Fritsch, Frost or Oscar, and Oscar is better at taking a man than Lever. Makes sense to me.

 

[Alpine Lodger]

Brisbane just brought in Adams as well. Lever would be 100x better at that intercepting role than Fritsch, Frost or Oscar, and Oscar is better at taking a man than Lever. Makes sense to me.

Except we are paying Lever 800K a year. Surely we are not paying him that kind of money to be playing as an intercept defender alone. I dont really see his value making him one of the highest paid players in our team unless he can also hold down a key position forward and develop as our centre half back of the future.

 

[Cannon82]

Except we are paying Lever 800K a year. Surely we are not paying him that kind of money to be playing as an intercept defender alone. I dont really see his value making him one of the highest paid players in our team unless he can also hold down a key position forward and develop as our centre half back of the future.

The fact he's on $800k a year doesn't make him a better key defender. Better off playing him in a role that he's good at rather than use him as a garden variety average key tall.

 

[Topkent]

Except we are paying Lever 800K a year. Surely we are not paying him that kind of money to be playing as an intercept defender alone. I dont really see his value making him one of the highest paid players in our team unless he can also hold down a key position forward and develop as our centre half back of the future.

Because intercept marking is more important than nullifying a bloke these days. Teams will kick more generic long bombs into space than at an actual key forward on the lead. Oscar doesn't mark these nor does frost so if the ball hits the ground Its advantage the other team.

Lever does mark them and you can't underestimate that as a weapon

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

How good does it feel not having to put "Draft Pick 1" on the bench in an attempt to create a best 22.

FB: Hibberd May Jetta
HB: Salem Lever Hore
C: Petracca Brayshaw Viney
HF: Fritsch Weideman Anderson/Rowell
FF: Melksham T McDonald Hunt
R: Gawn Oliver Harmes

I/C: AVB Petty Frost Baker