Opinion WB BigFooty Consensus Best 22: Which 4 players make up our starting onballers (3 + 1 ruck)

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Aaaaaaaand we're back! For three years now we've voted on the Western Bulldogs' best 22 for the year ahead to establish a "consensus" BigFooty lineup to generate some discussion.

You know the drill by now: a number of players that I feel are relevant to the current section of the ground will be placed into a poll. You are to vote for as many players as is required.

For example, we'll be picking the back line from now until Sunday, so you should vote for two back pockets, two half backs, a full back and a centre-half back. New polls will be put up every few days. Below is a tentative schedule:

Back line: NOW - 12:01am Sunday 2nd December
On-ballers: 12:01am Sunday 2nd - 12:01am Wednesday 5th
Wingmen: 12:01am Wednesday 5th - 12:01am Saturday 8th
Forward line: 12:01am Saturday 8th - 12:01am Tuesday 11th
Interchange: 12:01am Tuesday 11th - 12:01am Friday 14th
Alteration period: 12:01am Friday 14th - 12:01am Monday 17th

Feel free to discuss the selections on the thread but make sure you vote in the poll to ensure that your vote is counted. Only votes from Western Bulldogs supporters will be considered.

Again, in this poll we're selecting two back pockets, two half backs, a centre-half back and a full back. If you believe I've missed anybody that should be eligible in these positions, let me know and I'll add them in.


2016 Lineup
FB: Morris - Roberts - Boyd
HB: Murphy - Hamling - Wood
C: Hunter - Liberatore - Macrae
HF: McLean - Stringer - Crameri
FF: Dickson - Boyd - Dahlhaus
R: Roughead - Wallis - Bontempelli
I: Picken - Johannisen - Suckling - Stevens

2017 Lineup
FB: Dale Morris - Marcus Adams - Matthew Boyd
HB: Jason Johannisen - Easton Wood - Robert Murphy
C: Lachie Hunter - Marcus Bontempelli - Jack Macrae
HF: Jake Stringer - Travis Cloke - Stewart Crameri
FF: Tory Dickson - Tom Boyd - Clay Smith
R: Jordan Roughead - Tom Liberatore - Luke Dahlhaus
I: Liam Picken - Caleb Daniel - Shane Biggs - Mitch Wallis

2018 Lineup
FB: Dale Morris (100 votes) - Marcus Adams (83) - Easton Wood (113)
HB: Jason Johannisen (73) - Jackson Trengove (96) - Shane Biggs (93)
C: Lachie Hunter (58) - Marcus Bontempelli (90) - Bailey Dale (23)
HF: Luke Dahlhaus (87) - Josh Schache (81) - Toby McLean (82)
FF: Tory Dickson (74) - Tom Boyd (104) - Liam Picken (85)
R: Jordan Roughead (60) - Tom Liberatore (73) - Jack Macrae (64)
I: Caleb Daniel (52) - Mitch Wallis (43) - Zaine Cordy (27) - Josh Dunkley (23)

2019 Lineup so far
FB: D. Morris (63 votes) - A. Naughton (68) - E. Wood (62)
HB: J. Johannisen (61) - Z. Cordy (62) - H. Crozier (51)
C: x - M. Bontempelli (101) - x
HF: x - x - x
FF: x - x - x
R: J. Trengove (61) - T. Liberatore (61) - J. Macrae (86)
I: x - x - x - x

 

[Sharkey66]

Are we assuming everyone is fit and including those under injury cloud like Picken?

 

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

Easiest line for mine. For me there’s a pretty clear 7. Naughton, Wood, Cordy, Moz, JJ, Crozier, Williams.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Are we assuming everyone is fit and including those under injury cloud like Picken?

Assuming all are fit.

Picken's a tough one. I'd suggest that we take his concerns into consideration in deciding on him, i.e. if you're confident he makes it back with good enough form to be in our best side pick him. If you're apprehensive, don't. I guess in short, assume he's been passed fit to play, but consider his concussion history, how much footy he missed, his age, etc.

 

[BEaston]

Thanks for running again Dan, always a bit of fun

 

[The Original Swooper]

Early trend suggests the back 6 is ‘fait accompli’. And I have no issue with that. The forward line is going to be the fun element.

Naughton & Cordy the standout talls both now and for the future. Wood and Morris contribute the experience. Jj & Crozier the run and carry. Jj probs the only ?. May be better value upfield nd we do have several options for that spot.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Easiest line for mine. For me there’s a pretty clear 7. Naughton, Wood, Cordy, Moz, JJ, Crozier, Williams.

Didn't read this until after I voted, I had 5 of those 7, plus Suckling, so I think you're pretty spot on

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Lock it in Ed.

FB: Morris, Naughton, Crozier
HB: Wood, Cordy, JJ

 

[TempletonTheRat]

Will Suckling make the team this year? not looking likely at this stage !!

wasn't in the BF 2017 team yet played every game

wasn't in the BF 2018 team yet played every game until injured (IMO was close to our best player in the first half of last year; Macrae and Hunter the only better ones)

won't be in the 2019 BF team - how many will he play?

 

[Dazb86]

The first 5 pick themselves. Williams over Crozier was close. He's got a slight statistical advantage over Crozier plus he has the 'home grown' bias factor

 

[Yojimbo]

Considering the volume of general defenders we have does anyone else find the spread of votes disturbing ?

 

[rip it up]

I have slipped Daniel in my 6, I already want to change it haha.

I like the idea of him down there with his ball use, I feel he could become a Sam Mitchell type player who could dictate our plays off the half back.

Then I think of what I would do if I coached against and yep we will get slaughted with the ball going to he's opponent every ball movement forward.

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Gee strong consensus so far. Williams will get picked too IMO as a mid or bench rotation.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

This is difficult. I’m going to end up picking Bailey Williams at HB and in the mids.

I do enjoy these kind of things but it’s impossible when the game is so fluid. I reckon Moz is about the only player who has a nailed on fixed position with no chance of switching up.

 

[Testekill]

There's a pretty clear for me also

Cordy, Naughton, Wood, Morris, Crozier, JJ, Williams

I gave the edge to Croz over Williams although that's more because I actually kinda think that Williams is a better mid then half back as crazy as that sounds.

Will Suckling make the team this year? not looking likely at this stage !!

wasn't in the BF 2017 team yet played every game

wasn't in the BF 2018 team yet played every game until injured (IMO was close to our best player in the first half of last year; Macrae and Hunter the only better ones)

won't be in the 2019 BF team - how many will he play?

I think that most of us would happily have Suckling on the bench but not in our starting six defenders.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Voting on our back six has been completed, with the following lineup selected:

FB: D. Morris (63 votes) - A. Naughton (68) - E. Wood (62)
HB: J. Johannisen (61) - Z. Cordy (62) - H. Crozier (51)

This represents the fourth year in a row that Dale Morris and Easton Wood have been selected in the starting six, and the fourth year in a row that Jason Johannisen has featured in the team. Zaine Cordy has been selected for a second time (first time in the starting backline), whilst this is the first appearance for both Aaron Naughton (voted into 97.1% of teams) and Hayden Crozier (72.9%).

Making way from the 2018 team are Marcus Adams (traded), Shane Biggs (retired) and Jackson Trengove (1 vote).

Next in line were Bailey Williams (27 votes), Taylor Duryea (6), Caleb Daniel (5), Ed Richards (5) and Matt Suckling (4).

I'll ask for the poll to be updated for mids ASAP. Once it is changed, please vote for one primary ruckman and three starting onballers (centre, rover, ruck rover).

 

[ScragCity]

I wanna see Williams in the midfield this year even though hes incredible off half back. I think we need him in the middle pushing forward because he kicks goals. Tough decision between Suckling and Crozier. I think a lot of people are underestimating Suckling.

 

[Yojimbo]

No Macrae ?

 

[RedWhite&Blue]

Will Suckling make the team this year? not looking likely at this stage !!

wasn't in the BF 2017 team yet played every game

wasn't in the BF 2018 team yet played every game until injured (IMO was close to our best player in the first half of last year; Macrae and Hunter the only better ones)

won't be in the 2019 BF team - how many will he play?

He was arguably our best player this year and is one of the few players that offers a point of difference in the AFL, let alone our team.
Some people gonna hate no matter what.

 

[Ant_]

Dannnnnnnnnn I added Macrae in based on a bit of feed back we got from twitter

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Macrae omission was my bad - sorry guys. Not sure how I forgot him.

 

[fronkalicious]

thanks for teeing this up Dannnnnnnnn.

 

[Testekill]

I went Trenners, Bontempelli, Macrae and Dunkley. English isn't quite ready to be our number 1 ruck (probably a year away) and I'm not 100% confident naming Libba with his knee injury.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

thanks for teeing this up Dannnnnnnnn.

No worries - the Dogs mods deserve a lot of credit for helping out every year as well. Since I don't mod this board I can't actually edit my own poll, so they're always the ones that reset it for me. Pain in the neck for them I imagine.

 

[LovevShaqBB13]

Bont and Macrae arent in 100% of votes? Boy oh Boy