Preview Where do we go from here in 2019?

[demondavey]

Was trying to make a best 22 for next year from what we've got on our list, and geez our forwardline looks crap now. Defence and midfield are pretty self explanatory but it feels like we're just shuffling chairs on the titanic.

Jetta May Lever
Hore Frost* Hibberd
Salem Harmes Brayshaw*
Fritsch Weid* Vandenberg*
Melksham TMac Petracca
Gawn Oliver Viney
Jones* Hannan* Hunt* Baker*

Anyone marked with a * could be potentially replaced by a better option outside the club, and considering that is half our forward setup and the whole bench there it doesn't make great reading for our depth. Brayshaw like Tyson last year is a victim of us stockpiling inside mids (Even though Gus doesn't quite play inside like Viney/Oliver he is a better player in the center square than on the wing), I'd be up for trading him ONLY if we can get a quality senior player in return (Trading him for picks would be stupid).

Some thoughts I've got on what we need to reverse the rubbish we've served up in 2019:

- Fritsch plays forward all year none of this defence bulls**t he is too slow and with May/Lever/Hore we've got enough good kicks in defence

- I'd like Salem on the wing but ironically he has played some good footy in the center square too, for someone known for his skills he is an excellent tackler and good in traffic

- Frost probably starts in our back 6 but could easily see us leaving him out against smaller forward setups. Don't think he improves from here considering he turns 26 in a months time, he offers a different dimension with his pace but you have to weight that up against his clangers and awful aerial work. If that back 6 is fully fit AND our midfield is back to controlling the game we can probably protect him enough to carry him and take the good with the bad, but big ifs

- Small forward depth is trash, Hunt has gone better than a goal a game this year, he doesn't have the agility of the good small forwards but is very quick in a straight line and will always give you a contest in the air or on the ground (Garlett probably kicks 10 more goals than Hunt in a full season but you can trust Hunt not to let you down with his effort). Hannan is injury prone and floats in and out of games, when he is fit I really rate him (Recently had shingles which explains some of his poor form) but he isn't fit very often

- I was very skeptical on Vanders last year but geez his last month was super impressive, is like a better version of Jacob Townsend with his physicality. Absolutely want a fit Vandenberg in the team if we're playing finals

- Petracca can start forward but simply has to play more on ball, guy is a monster around the contest with his ability to draw players and release others. Used to think he was better forward but he doesn't quite have the legspeed to get separation on the good defenders, would rather him in the thick of things more

- Oliver we probably judge harshly due to the incredibly high standards he has set (Only just turned 22) but if he is to match guys like Cripps he needs to do one thing: back himself more! All Clarrys issues (Pointless handballs, scared to kick or run with the ball, hacking it forward because he thinks he is about to get caught) stem from him having no confidence in himself. Guy is actually well above average for legspeed, his confidence has gone to s**t this year and it is hurting both his footy and the team. Would be a top 3 mid in the competition if he fixes the above

- Simply have to get 70 goals minimum between TMac and Weid next year (Assuming we don't recruit another KPF) for us to improve. Really feel TMac is a barometer for us, and no surprise this year with his s**t form we've also gone to s**t.

Excellent analysis btw

 

[Topkent]

At the same time I hope - Weed balanced on Petty

If you are gonna balance Weed on Petty
Don't be Petty about the Weed

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Elite?

 

[schmuttt]

Also the club has big decisions to make regarding the midfield. Considering Petracca plays his best footy in there (IMO) we have Oliver/Viney/Harmes/Brayshaw/Petracca competing for spots and aside from Petracca and Harmes they aren't really that different as players.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Also the club has big decisions to make regarding the midfield. Considering Petracca plays his best footy in there (IMO) we have Oliver/Viney/Harmes/Brayshaw/Petracca competing for spots and aside from Petracca and Harmes they aren't really that different as players.

That’s almost half of them

 

[schmuttt]

That’s almost half of them

Then we have three guys competing for the same ball at every stoppage still.

 

[demondavey]

Also the club has big decisions to make regarding the midfield. Considering Petracca plays his best footy in there (IMO) we have Oliver/Viney/Harmes/Brayshaw/Petracca competing for spots and aside from Petracca and Harmes they aren't really that different as players.

Brayshaw will go I reckon

 

[demondavey]

View attachment 714695

Ta

 

[Proper Gander]

If you are gonna balance Weed on Petty
Don't be Petty about the Weed

Nice pun!

 

[Topkent]

Nice pun!

View attachment 714736

You are gonna have to start paying the rock royalties soon

 

[stEdy]

Frost is extremely hot and cold aerially. There's a joke in there somewhere. The fact that hes sometimes unstoppable (3-4 weeks ago now? went on a hot streak of duking everything in his area) is a testament to our development - as he was absolute garbage in the beginning. I think hes versatile enough to play 3rd tall behind May and Lever and can play on smalls (as can May ala Charlie Cameron).

Worryingly, Frosts form and confidence overhead has seemingly gone down with both Lever and May back there which makes me think hes lost his direction having to play 3rd tall. He needs to be able to play this role and know when to go up and went to stay down. Although he doesn't strike me as classically footy smart, this point is crucial. Hopefully it's just a time thing and they jell well as they have the makings of a very capable and skillful defence

 

[Topkent]

Yeah Frost forms seems to have directly correlated with the responsibility and role he is given. With Lever and May back in I'm not sure he know exactly what to do

 

[Cannon82]

Frost is extremely hot and cold aerially. There's a joke in there somewhere. The fact that hes sometimes unstoppable (3-4 weeks ago now? went on a hot streak of duking everything in his area) is a testament to our development - as he was absolute garbage in the beginning. I think hes versatile enough to play 3rd tall behind May and Lever and can play on smalls (as can May ala Charlie Cameron).

Worryingly, Frosts form and confidence overhead has seemingly gone down with both Lever and May back there which makes me think hes lost his direction having to play 3rd tall. He needs to be able to play this role and know when to go up and went to stay down. Although he doesn't strike me as classically footy smart, this point is crucial. Hopefully it's just a time thing and they jell well as they have the makings of a very capable and skillful defence

I thought he and May were going just fine. They had a bad cop, worse cop thing going. Then Lever appeared and it ended up being a bad cop, stroppy cop, weird cop thing.

 

[Proper Gander]

I thought he and May were going just fine. They had a bad cop, worse cop thing going. Then Lever appeared and it ended up being a bad copy, stroppy cop, weird cop thing.

It’s a new look in defensive tactics though. I would like us to persist with bad stroppy weird for more than a week before passing judgement