Prediction Best 23 - 2026 edition

[Barrybran]

B: Hough - Edwards - Ginbey
HB: Starcevich - Young - Duggan
C: Duursma - Yeo - Davis
HF: Graham - Waterman - Schoenberg
FF: Duff-Tytler - Shanahan - Cripps
R: Flynn - H.Reid - McCarthy
INT: Baker - Kelly - Hewett - Newton - A.Reid

I don't see Baker on the bench and would still like to see him moved forward to open up a spot for Lindsay in defense. Doing so would push Cripps to the bench and likely Newton out of the side, though we would have the option to phase Cripps out instead of Newton (ideal). Kelly is still on the cusp but he looked hungry yesterday. He needs to stay in a position where he's kept hungry. Maric stiff to miss out - he's been pretty good the last couple of years.

There's a lot of interchangeability with positions. Some good depth shaping up with Dewar, Allan, Macrae, Robertson, Brock, Hall, Williams x 2 all waiting in the wings.

 

[eaglespremiers]

B: Hough - Edwards - Ginbey
HB: Starcevich - Young - Duggan
C: Duursma - Yeo - Davis
HF: Graham - Waterman - Schoenberg
FF: Duff-Tytler - Shanahan - Cripps
R: Flynn - H.Reid - McCarthy
INT: Baker - Kelly - Hewett - Newton - A.Reid

I don't see Baker on the bench and would still like to see him moved forward to open up a spot for Lindsay in defense. Doing so would push Cripps to the bench and likely Newton out of the side, though we would have the option to phase Cripps out instead of Newton (ideal). Kelly is still on the cusp but he looked hungry yesterday. He needs to stay in a position where he's kept hungry. Maric stiff to miss out - he's been pretty good the last couple of years.

There's a lot of interchangeability with positions. Some good depth shaping up with Dewar, Allan, Macrae, Robertson, Brock, Hall, Williams x 2 all waiting in the wings.

Lindsay to the HBF, Duggan to the WAFL.

 

[Barrybran]

Lindsay to the HBF, Duggan to the WAFL.

Not going to happen just yet

 

[Shueygod]

We need a distributor in the back half, too many poor/average kicks there if Baker plays down back. I’d move him into the forward line, think it’s better for team structure.

FB: Ginbey - Edwards - Starcevich
HB: Hough - Young - Lindsay/Dewar
C: Allan - Reid - W.Duursma
HF: Hewett - Shanahan - Schoenberg
FF: CDT - Waterman - Baker
R: Flynn - McCarthy - Yeo
Int: Graham - A.Reid - Kelly - Cripps/Newton - Duggan

EMG: Robertson- Lindsay/Dewar - Macrae - Brock - Maric

My main concern with this side is whether there will be enough pressure in the forward line. Baker forward would go some way to fixing that.

 

[sharps24]

We need a distributor in the back half, too many poor/average kicks there if Baker plays down back. I’d move him into the forward line, think it’s better for team structure.

FB: Ginbey - Edwards - Starcevich
HB: Hough - Young - Lindsay/Dewar
C: Allan - Reid - W.Duursma
HF: Hewett - Shanahan - Schoenberg
FF: CDT - Waterman - Baker
R: Flynn - McCarthy - Yeo
Int: Graham - A.Reid - Kelly - Cripps/Newton - Duggan

EMG: Robertson- Lindsay/Dewar - Macrae - Brock - Maric

My main concern with this side is whether there will be enough pressure in the forward line. Baker forward would go some way to fixing that.

Would be good to see Lindsay down there as often as possible and agree Baker needs to play forward, I think we have to persist with Maric as the distributor down back if McCarthy moves to the centre. Its to big of an ask for a rookie to become our primary distributor out of defence. Dewar doesn't seem suited to defence, his creativity and polish seem to abandon him under the pressure down there he's far better attacking forward of centre.

 

[ReturningHawk]

We need a distributor in the back half, too many poor/average kicks there if Baker plays down back. I’d move him into the forward line, think it’s better for team structure.

FB: Ginbey - Edwards - Starcevich
HB: Hough - Young - Lindsay/Dewar
C: Allan - Reid - W.Duursma
HF: Hewett - Shanahan - Schoenberg
FF: CDT - Waterman - Baker
R: Flynn - McCarthy - Yeo
Int: Graham - A.Reid - Kelly - Cripps/Newton - Duggan

EMG: Robertson- Lindsay/Dewar - Macrae - Brock - Maric

My main concern with this side is whether there will be enough pressure in the forward line. Baker forward would go some way to fixing that.

Surely Hough starts in the middle?

You've posted all over this forum that his 14 games as a mid were rated so highly. What's going on?

 

[Shueygod]

Surely Hough starts in the middle?

You've posted all over this forum that his 14 games as a mid were rated so highly. What's going on?

You struggle with comprehension, nowhere have I said I blindly follow player ratings. I watch players and form my own opinions with my eyes.

Following me around like a lost puppy because I pointed out clear flaws in your logic is fun though

 

[txbyhull]

Surely Hough starts in the middle?

You've posted all over this forum that his 14 games as a mid were rated so highly. What's going on?

What is bro doing here

 

[Shueygod]

What is bro doing here

He’s upset because he used player ratings to prove Hough is poor and then didn’t like when those same player ratings said Hough was a better centre square mid than Nash

For some reason he’s taken my example for the unreliability of player ratings as a personal endorsement on Hough as a midfielder and thus saw me naming him in defence as a “gotcha”.

 

[Keys]

Surely Hough starts in the middle?

You've posted all over this forum that his 14 games as a mid were rated so highly. What's going on?

This is the West Coast board so looks like you’ve “returned” to the wrong nest

I appreciate your interest in our best 23 but unless you want to provide a constructive opinion on it, I suggest you keep your squabbles to wherever it is they started. Because it wasn’t here

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

With McCarthy emerging as a midfielder a fit Yeo, and Kelly in better form Schoenberg having a good intraclub as a half forward Hewett’s at risk of being squeezed out of this team.

I honestly would not be surprised if he starts the season outside B23, especially given his own interrupted pre-season.

B Starcevich Edwards Hough
HB Ginbey Young Duggan
C Duursma Yeo Davis
HF Schoenberg Shanahan Kelly
FF Newton Waterman AReid
R Flynn HReid McCarthy
IC Long *Allan Lindsay CDT Graham

*If Baker was available either Allan would go out of the team.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Surely Hough starts in the middle?

You've posted all over this forum that his 14 games as a mid were rated so highly. What's going on?

I think he is too good for a back pocket but we simply have no back pocket at all outside of a 19 year old Grego who isn’t really ready at all and Tom Cole who is on his way out. Our lock down defenders is a big area of weakness so when he went into the midfield it was robbing Peter to pay Paul . With McCarthy going into the midfield it’s a better fit, especially when we run Lindsay and Baker down back to play the half back roles which is alot more ideal then chucking Hough into the midfield to play Tom Cole at back pocket

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Post intra club I think

FB: Hough, Edwards, Ginbey
HB: Starcevich, Young, Baker
C: Davis, Reid, Duursma
HF: Schoenberg, Waterman, Yeo
FF: Newton, Shanahan, CDT
R: Flynn, McCarthy, Graham
I/C: Duggan, Kelly, Lindsay, A.Reid, Allan

Think CDT can just play a forward only role to leave Reid to play backup ruck and drift around at CHF too. Yeo to play half forward and swap with Graham, Schoenberg starting. Davis and Duursma nailed on the wing spots which is great to finally see. Lindsay to play Round 1 ahead of Maric.

 

[stallon]

Would be good to see Lindsay down there as often as possible and agree Baker needs to play forward, I think we have to persist with Maric as the distributor down back if McCarthy moves to the centre. Its to big of an ask for a rookie to become our primary distributor out of defence. Dewar doesn't seem suited to defence, his creativity and polish seem to abandon him under the pressure down there he's far better attacking forward of centre.

Sheezel and Daicos both started as their clubs main distributors in defence in their first years.

 

[jdisc]

Post intra club I think

FB: Hough, Edwards, Ginbey
HB: Starcevich, Young, Baker
C: Davis, Reid, Duursma
HF: Schoenberg, Waterman, Yeo
FF: Newton, Shanahan, CDT
R: Flynn, McCarthy, Graham
I/C: Duggan, Kelly, Lindsay, A.Reid, Allan

Think CDT can just play a forward only role to leave Reid to play backup ruck and drift around at CHF too. Yeo to play half forward and swap with Graham, Schoenberg starting. Davis and Duursma nailed on the wing spots which is great to finally see. Lindsay to play Round 1 ahead of Maric.

DY not in your best 23?

 

[stallon]

With McCarthy emerging as a midfielder a fit Yeo, and Kelly in better form Schoenberg having a good intraclub as a half forward Hewett’s at risk of being squeezed out of this team.

I honestly would not be surprised if he starts the season outside B23, especially given his own interrupted pre-season.

B Starcevich Edwards Hough
HB Ginbey Young Duggan
C Duursma Yeo Davis
HF Schoenberg Shanahan Kelly
FF Newton Waterman AReid
R Flynn HReid McCarthy
IC Schoenberg *Allan Lindsay CDT Graham

*If Baker was available either Allan would go out of the team.

Id be surprised if Hewett is left out for any reason other than being injured/underdone

Regardless of how some players are performing hes still probably 4th in line for most talented young players on our list, and hes not a kid anymore

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Sheezel and Daicos both started as their clubs main distributors in defence in their first years.

I like this idea for Lindsay. You could see a clear direction was to get the ball into Lindsay’s hands whenever possible. He ended up with quite a few disposals and I don’t think he got many of them himself (which is fine).

McCarthy moving into the midfield does mean there’s a spot for a distributor down back, and Maric was very hit and miss with his ball use last year.

 

[txbyhull]

My thing with Lindsay is that you see teams with above average midfields be able to have a relatively unaccountable half back distributor role for the accumulators with good disposal. A guy like McKercher's role is what we need to be giving to Lindsay to start off his career while he develops physically. In his juniors he was always a smart defender with body positioning and timing rather than a physical one, so I am not overly concerned immediately. Let the kid use the weapons that we drafted him for. Cannot fathom Bakes in the backline...

 

[Doashuey]

Sheezel and Daicos both started as their clubs main distributors in defence in their first years.

Yep I have been big on Lindsay starting Rd 1. Watching the intraclub just reinforced that, I reckon he could have a very similar debut season to Sheezle and give the Rising Star a real shake. We need his kicking out of defence, he is a point of difference.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

Id be surprised if Hewett is left out for any reason other than being injured/underdone

Regardless of how some players are performing hes still probably 4th in line for most talented young players on our list, and hes not a kid anymore

Hewett is in year 4 now. At some stage being talented it’s just not enough. He really needs to start putting runs on the board, and so far there’s a lot of blokes who have made a much stronger case for a R1 spot than Hewett has over the pre-season.

We still have next week against Freo and an another game against Port, so there’s plenty of time for things to change but right now I don’t have him in the 23.

 

[stallon]

Hewett is in year 4 now. At some stage being talented it’s just not enough. He really needs to start putting runs on the board, and so far there’s a lot of blokes who have made a much stronger case for a R1 spot than Hewett has over the pre-season.

We still have next week against Freo and an another game against Port, so there’s plenty of time for things to change but right now I don’t have him in the 23.

What i mean is its not ability or anything thats holding him back this preseason. Its injury.
If he got an injury during the season he would be straight back in once recovered.

Hewett was embedded in our starting side and probably still is, until he does something to lose that spot.

He hasn't done anything to lose it yet

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

What i mean is its not ability or anything thats holding him back this preseason. Its injury.
If he got an injury during the season he would be straight back in once recovered.

Hewett was embedded in our starting side and probably still is, until he does something to lose that spot.

He hasn't done anything to lose it yet

A lot has changed since last year in terms of our list, availability and form.

It’s not like Hewett knocked it out of the park last year. He had a couple of stand out performances and some really average games too.

I already spoke to this in my original post . A healthy Yeo, in form Kelly, McCarthy playing midfield would all be in front of him as a mid, and you could argue Schoenberg based off the intra club and pre-season noise would be short odds for a round one spot, same for Newton, and Graham would be a R1 lock, unless his hammy isn’t right in time.

It just doesn’t leave a whole lot of room to be honest.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

What i mean is its not ability or anything thats holding him back this preseason. Its injury.
If he got an injury during the season he would be straight back in once recovered.

Hewett was embedded in our starting side and probably still is, until he does something to lose that spot.

He hasn't done anything to lose it yet

Schoenberg taken his spot in my opinion. He can earn it in the WAFL

 

[Elite Pete]

Schoenberg taken his spot in my opinion. He can earn it in the WAFL

I thinking we might only go with one of the players that have been training in the wing this pre season. Duursma and Bo and Hamish play WAFL.

Dev, Schoenberg, Hewett play a bit of wing, mid, forward.

2 more games to see what happens I guess.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I thinking we might only go with one of the players that have been training in the wing this pre season. Duursma and Bo and Hamish play WAFL.

Dev, Schoenberg, Hewett play a bit of wing, mid, forward.

2 more games to see what happens I guess.

I’ll roundhouse kick McQualters extended family in the jaw one by one if he does that. Davis and Duursma are locks for Round 1