I think Mitch is a certainty for round 1, unless injured. But I don’t think he’s got many credits in the bank, he wouldn’t want to be out of form for too many weeks.
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Bigman’s Training Reports
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I think Mitch is a certainty for round 1, unless injured. But I don’t think he’s got many credits in the bank, he wouldn’t want to be out of form for too many weeks.
“But what other options did they have? Who else was ready?” Rinse and repeat.
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Kane McGoodwin
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Fair. Needs to find more consistency. Gather he was one of a few carrying an injury & we hardly rested him. Has not been in top 10 in B&F in the past 2 years, so slipping down our rankings.
So who has been in out top 10 the past 3 seasons...
3 - only 4 players
Dawson 1st, 1st, 1st
Keays 4th, 1st, 9th
Rankine 6th, 8th, 4th
Laird 8th, 6th, 2nd
2
Soligo 9th, 3rd, -
1 in 2025
Thilthorpe 2nd
Worrell 3rd
ANB 5th
Keane 7th
O'Brien 10th,
1 in 2024
Michaelanny 4th
Fogarty 5th
Rachele 7th
Crouch 9th
Sholl 10th
1 in 2023
Walker 3rd
Hinge 4th
Murphy 6th
Smith 7th
Jones 8th
Milera 10th
Fair to say Dawson, Keays, Rankine & Laird.... despite what some think are locks.
Add Soligo & Rachele who would have been top 10 again 2025 if not for injury.
Thilthorpe, Worrell & Keane all stars on the way up.
Michaelanny & Fogarty hopefully have a year more like 2024, as went backwards for consistency this year.
Interestingly both Hinge & Milera only had a top 10 finish in 2023, so both at risk if form drops.
Rest are fringe or delisted... except ROB who may be under pressure with new rules.
I think votes per game is a better guide. Max and Rach in expect would bags the 2025 top 10. TT in 2024 too.
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Gtowncrow
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I get the apparent unfairness of the A and B teams mentality but there is genuine benefits for the B team guys.
Firstly, to break into the team, they need beat their opponents in the A team. Beating them in match sim is a thorough test against AFL proven standards. Therefore, a well tested and deserved promotion if and when it happens.
Secondly, the B teams make up all the reserves for the AFL team. By playing against them continuously means the injury promoted player has the best possible preparation to play against AFL opponents.
Lastly, the B teams get to grow skills and knowledge about their game by 'failing' against the better team. Coaches and players both get exposed and these weaknesses become a window of opportunity.
It might look harsh but the two teams, and particularly the B team, would actually benefit rather than just random positioning of different players. I'm all in favour of selected promotions and demotions for micro coaching purposes but generally, I think our two tiered system has benefits.
Drugs Are Bad Mackay?
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We've been doing it for years and years so have seen the benefits
They do it so that the A team are in synch with their positioning, structure, adherence to game plan, gelling. And have some witches hats (exaggeration) to practice against. They're looking to hone match days, drill everything into the players. Prepare alongside the players they'll be playing with during the season.
We (fans) look at the practice games very differently. We're looking to see who plays well, who's putting their hand up for selection. I feel that the coaches look at them quite differently
Playing in uncompetitive teams isn’t the development or selection advantage you seem to think it is. How many B team players have overtaken an A team player during an offseason? It simply doesn’t happen.
It’s fools gold, slightly less valuable than Firepower. It sums up our entire philosophy, ignore opposition influence on our game style, we’ve practised it this way all preseason, we’ve proven it works. If it breaks down, it’s us, not them, we just need to work harder and do it better. It’s been 15 years of this idiocy.
Gtowncrow
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Did anyone learn anything complicated without failing in early attempts.
Doesn't happen.
We've all had many 'skinned knees' building our wisdom.
imagine how good west coast will be this year then. They’ve been getting premium development for 3 years now, presumably they’re near flag favourites.
Regularly getting destroyed does precisely zero for development.
crowutopia
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And I don't expect Nank to be in our list post 2027 if he's not getting regular football, other clubs will come knocking
Football is a team sport, though. Suppose you're a young forward looking to break into the side. You are relying on the players up the ground to win the ball, move it down the ground, and put it to your advantage. That is going to happen much less often on the B team than on the A team, regardless of how well you play individually. You could make a similar argument if you're a young defender, and the ball coming into your D50 is of much higher quality than the ball going into the other D50.
Drugs Are Bad Mackay?
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We'll need some players to graduate out of our backline if they want to play or if we want to get some different faces back there
Talls: Murray, Keane, Worrell, Butts. One too many
Mediums/Smalls: Michalanney, Milera, Laird, Hinge, Bond, Nankervis, Cook. Three too many.
Talls: Murray, Keane, Worrell, Butts. One too many
Mediums/Smalls: Michalanney, Milera, Laird, Hinge, Bond, Nankervis, Cook. Three too many.
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What about Edwards and Ryan, both defenders at present too. Can add Jones as his only hope is defence or wing and that’s nearly fully evaporated.
It's the medium smalls that is problematic. All but cook have shown they're capable at afl level. That's why I'd be chasing Nank if I were another club. I reckon bond would have also caught the eye of some recruiters
Drugs Are Bad Mackay?
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Not sure they're on the radar whatsoever
Were either of them even named as an emergency once last season?
If Curtin moves to more of an inside mid / rotating forward role that frees up a wing spot
Hinge and Nankervis have both spent a bit of time on the wing. Enough time for us to understand that they are both much better in defence.
Could wing be the next step in Max's evolution?
I think this highlights a weakness within our strategy. We stockpile capable, Max is the only one that could be high end, but we limit him because he’s the best actual defender. We need to want better than a handful of blokes that can all deliver the same outcome. Laird and Milera aren’t that far ahead of the next man up. We just don’t try hard enough to genuinely improve, we settle for ok.
Other than Laird, none of them are likely to retire soon either. Even Milera is only 28.
I think Max is our only potential A grade, difference making small/medium defender. But we’ve shackled him back there, so we probably don’t lose much if he becomes another mediocre wingman for us.
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Max played a few very different roles in 2025.
I’m really hopeful that we use players where they are GOING TO BE best for our team in finals - nothing else.
That means have multiple NEW options in multiple positions. Not just “let’s throw laird back in the middle”.
We saw Dawson swing forward - good. Max too - also good.
I didn’t see a lot of out next level players getting tried in the heat of battle over any extended period.
I like that Cook is being run through the back half.
I’d love to see Nankervis and Hinge and Taylor tried in different positions DURING the season proper. Taylor in the middle for mine.
Edwards, Ryan and Dowling types just need to get their chance to play. Who knows how good they might be?
The biggest change would be ROB. No doubt. If McAndrew can take that lead spot and show himself to be a footballer … I think that will change us enormously.
But I doubt it’s going to happen.
Golumless
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They probably do, though I do go back to how we've treated guys like Max and Soligo, which does give the inkling that this is probably also used to determine the exact order of the depth chart and this is used to work out who are the kids that matter in our prospect pool. After all, there is no hiding behind gun players when you are the metaphorical witches hats.
PS: to answer the next post, the fact we're using Edwards as a inside mid in the B team is super concerning regarding his standing. Not only that he isn't on the radar, he's further away to being on that radar.
SugarShane
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And let's say you're a young forward who, through a few injuries or suspensions, finally gets a shot in the A team. You get a week or two to stake your claim. But that now involves trying to figure out how to lead and find space alongside 2 or 3 forwards that you never play alongside, and how to lead and present to a bunch of midfielders you never play with.
And we wonder why some of our guys like Curtin looked like a fish out of water in their first few weeks.
Not sure I can remember the thanking anyone for one of them, but given my current position I think I could start
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Well interesting that Laird won it in 2021 and 2022 and last three has gone 2nd, 6th and this year 8th. Will be out of the top 10 in 2026 I feel.
