Strategy 2019 | Let's Construct Our Best 22 | Part 2: Defenders

Which six players should fill the defender positions in 2019?


  • Total voters
    68
May 27, 2006
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78,433
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Results from part one:

1| Clayton Oliver (98.3%)
2| Max Gawn (96.6%)
2| Angus Brayshaw (96.6%)
2| Jack Viney (96.6%)
5| James Harmes (93.2%)
6| Nathan Jones (39.0%)

7| Kade Kolodjashnij (25.4%)
8| Bayley Fritsch (15.3%)
9| Christian Salem (11.9%)

Aaron vandenBerg, Christian Petracca, Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch, Corey Maynard, Jay Kennedy Harris, Jayden Hunt, Oskar Baker, Josh Wagner, Braydon Preuss (<10%).

Part 2 is looking at the defending six:
FB: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith
HB: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith


Please vote for the six players you'd want to fill those positions. :footy:

2016 team:
B: Neville Jetta | Lynden Dunn (vc) | Colin Garland
HB: Christian Salem | Tom McDonald | Tomas Bugg
C: Dom Tyson | Bernie Vince | Angus Brayshaw
HF: Christian Petracca | Cam Pedersen | Dean Kent
F: Jeff Garlett | Jesse Hogan | Jack Watts
R: Max Gawn | Nathan Jones (c) | Jack Viney
I/C: Aaron vandenBerg | Sam Frost | Jack Grimes | James Harmes

E: Billy Stretch | Heritier Lumumba | Jack Trengove

2017 team:
FB: Neville Jetta | Oscar McDonald | Tom McDonald
HB: Jayden Hunt | Sam Frost | Michael Hibberd
C: Jordan Lewis | Clayton Oliver | Dom Tyson
HF: Christian Petracca | Jesse Hogan | Dean Kent
FF: Jeff Garlett | Cam Pedersen | Jack Watts
R: Max Gawn | Nathan Jones | Jack Viney
INT: Angus Brayshaw | Christian Salem | Billy Stretch | Bernie Vince

E: Jake Melksham | Aaron vandenBerg | Tomas Bugg


IN FROM 2016: Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver, Billy Stretch
OUT FROM 2016: Lynden Dunn, Colin Garland, Tomas Bugg, Aaron vandenBerg, Jack Grimes, James Harmes


2018 team:
FB: Neville Jetta | Oscar McDonald | Jake Lever
HB: Jayden Hunt | Sam Frost | Michael Hibberd
C: Angus Brayshaw | Dom Tyson | Nathan Jones
HF: Jake Melksham | Jesse Hogan | Christian Petracca
FF: Jeff Garlett | Tom McDonald | Mitch Hannan
R: Max Gawn | Clayton Oliver | Jack Viney
INT: Christian Salem | Alex Neal-Bullen | Jordan Lewis | James Harmes

E: Cam Pedersen | Bernie Vince | Corey Maynard | Joel Smith


IN FROM 2017: Jake Lever, Jake Melksham, Mitch Hannan, Alex Neal-Bullen, James Harmes
OUT FROM 2017: Jack Watts, Dean Kent, Cam Pedersen, Billy Stretch, Bernie Vince


2019 team:
FB: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith
HB: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith

C: Angus Brayshaw | James Harmes | Nathan Jones
HF: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith
FF: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith

R: Max Gawn | Clayton Oliver | Jack Viney
INT: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith

E: Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith | Nick Smith


IN FROM 2018:
OUT FROM 2018: Dom Tyson, Jesse Hogan
 

Xhoquelin

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I thought OMac did quite well against Ben Brown in our matchup earlier in the year; but Tomahawk just absolutely rinsed him st ground level and on leads. If you’re too slow to defend Tomahawk on a lead or at ground level you just have to be a top endurance player and ideally read the play well like TMac(who has improved out of sight at ground level too).


OMac one on one is good now but as an overall defender I’m far from satisfied. I’m happy with him to start the year but I honestly prefer Frost. Frost was exposed in finals because he was forced to do something he isn’t very good at; read the play, impact contests as a third man and take intercept marks. As our designated lockdown defender Frosty is strong and athletic, and whilst his overall defensive IQ might not be as good as Oscar his athletic traits compensate for that. OMac just doesn’t look like he can be anything more than a dour defender like a Prestigiacomo at best and he doesn’t have the leadership that many elite full backs also have.


Having OMac would free May up to play his best role as that Lever esque intercept player, but I don’t think we will win a flag with OMac in this side. West Coast won with McGovern and Barrass taking talls and Schofield as an athletic third tall defender to take the likes of De Goey. We don’t need a lockdown dour defender who isn’t mobile; the current game doesn’t lend itself to those players. They stopped Cox for the most part with a young, smart athletic defender in Barrass and plenty of help from their ruckman. Why wouldn’t May or Frost be able to do a job there; Cox absolutely dusted OMac and Joel Smith in the queens bday clash.


I think OMac is a guy who can play 15 H&A games but Frosty or even young Harry Petty then comes in and wins their spot by finals(Frost should have the FB spot on merit anyway based on his performance last season). If we are doing comparisons between sports OMac is the ZaZa Pachulia/Festus Ezeli of the GS Warriors, and even if we don’t have an Andrew Bogut equivalent to take true behemoth forwards like TMac, we have a Draymond Green type in Steven May worst case scenario.
 
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Fork n Hell

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I've always seen Lever as Frosts replacement in the side and now I see May as O.Macs. Oscars 3cms taller than May but that's probably just down to the size of his massive head. May has him covered in all other aspects imo.
i'm not a fan of 3 tall defenders like most on here appear to be, as most teams don't have 3 tall forwards.
I think Hore can come in and play most weeks as a mid sized interceptor, and have an impact straight away, as he wont find much competition on our list for that spot and being a mature age recruit he's physically ready. if we run into a tall oppo fwd line then by all means bring in another tall, but most weeks it wont be needed.

Jetta May Hibberd
Hore Lever Salem
 

HB17

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FB: Jetta May Hibberd
HB: Salem Frost Lever

Frost and Omac toss a coin for. Went with Frost due to being a better athlete and more interchangeable seeing as our defenders usually defend space rather than one-on-ones.

Considered KK but he still has a bit to prove before taking anyone out of the starting back 6.
 

Topkent

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It will be interesting to see what roles players have. If May comes in and locks down the FB then I'm not sure you can play Omac, he's lock down as well.
Depending on who we play it'll be Frost/Omac and then Lever.

On the other hand they might wanna continue to train Omac as the lockdown and have May and Lever play a little more free.
Frost was our best defender for a period that coincided with our best footy. I'd play him over Omac if I had the choice as i think he offers way more versatility than Omac and his rebound means we don't have to stuff an out of form Hunt into the side to generate run.
 
Feb 15, 2015
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I don't think you're alone - I think two have missed him.

As a mod you should hunt down the other as penance.
I’m guessing that whoever that might be is the same person who selected ANB, JKH and Wagner.

Totally different subject obviously, but where is Cannon?
 
Apr 12, 2014
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It will be interesting to see what roles players have. If May comes in and locks down the FB then I'm not sure you can play Omac, he's lock down as well.
Depending on who we play it'll be Frost/Omac and then Lever.

On the other hand they might wanna continue to train Omac as the lockdown and have May and Lever play a little more free.
Frost was our best defender for a period that coincided with our best footy. I'd play him over Omac if I had the choice as i think he offers way more versatility than Omac and his rebound means we don't have to stuff an out of form Hunt into the side to generate run.

But then you have no one who is playing to lock down a tall. Frost and OMac both have their flaws, there is an argument we can get away with neither of them after Lever is back.
 
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