2010 Best 22

[Squizz]

I'm not sure if these are real statistics or some crap Sheeds made up.

If he gets caught out, he'll just blame the martians anyway.

 

[Defacto]

is it football season yet? cant wait!!!!!1 loving the depth in the list we now have a great 2nd tier of players which means we dont have to burn out the rookies and can develop them properly. also means we can manage injuries alot better.

he's my side:

B (Baker/Gwilt), Dawson, Blake
HB (Raph/Smith), Fisher, Gilbert,
C Dal Santo, (Hayes/Stevens), Ray
HF McQualter, Reiwolt, Lovett
F (Milne/Miles), Kozi, Scheinder
R Gardiner, Montagna, Jones
IC (King/McEvoy), Gram, Goddard, Armitage

EMG: Geary, Eddy, Peake, Gwilt

Reality is Smith wont be ready to go, so we need to slot him in when he is ready. probably 2011.

King needs to be phased out with mcevoy and stanley/pattison. i think stanley is a long term prospect so pattison is like to get in before him.

Milne is also getting on so we need to start looking who is the long term replacement for him. i'd like to see milne rested and miles come in for a couple of games this season. the same for lenny hayes (we all know he is a champion) but we need to rest him a couple of games each season (non crucial games) where we can bring in stevens (he'll be a champion).

 

[JA27]

If Misson has had a good look at him, and considers him odds on to get better, then the gamble is probably no worse than picking some kid and hoping that he will improve enough to play AFL level.
I think it was Sheedy who said on the radio the other week, that 50% of first round draft picks will go on to play 50 games, and 50% of that half will go on to play 100 games. I assume the amount of 3rd round picks is less.
( I'm not sure if these are real statistics or some crap Sheeds made up ).

not trolling...

i have heard that misson is very confident in relation to jesse smith. he thinks it has something to do with his running style and is in the process of getting him to change it by a few degrees somehow.

im not going to pretend i want to see st kilda win any games next year, especially round 3, but i do want to see young footballers given every chance to show how good they can play and not be torn down by injuries.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

is it football season yet? cant wait!!!!!1 loving the depth in the list we now have a great 2nd tier of players which means we dont have to burn out the rookies and can develop them properly. also means we can manage injuries alot better.

he's my side:

B (Baker/Gwilt), Dawson, Blake
HB (Raph/Smith), Fisher, Gilbert,
C Dal Santo, (Hayes/Stevens), Ray
HF McQualter, Reiwolt, Lovett
F (Milne/Miles), Kozi, Scheinder
R Gardiner, Montagna, Jones
IC (King/McEvoy), Gram, Goddard, Armitage

EMG: Geary, Eddy, Peake, Gwilt

Reality is Smith wont be ready to go, so we need to slot him in when he is ready. probably 2011.

King needs to be phased out with mcevoy and stanley/pattison. i think stanley is a long term prospect so pattison is like to get in before him.

Milne is also getting on so we need to start looking who is the long term replacement for him. i'd like to see milne rested and miles come in for a couple of games this season. the same for lenny hayes (we all know he is a champion) but we need to rest him a couple of games each season (non crucial games) where we can bring in stevens (he'll be a champion).

I'm not sure what will happen with rucks at VFL level this year.
Assume McEvoy Gardiner will be the normall combination ( though I wouldn't rule out King getting selected if he gets fully fit ).
That leaves Stanley / Pattison / King all available for Sandy, as well as Blake McGrath who did really well in the reserves last year and is probably nearly ready for seniors. I'm assuming King would take a rest if this is happening.

By the way, if you ever meet Jack, you'd better not call him Stevens or he will think your a D***head.
And Miles for Milne WTF?

 

[Squizz]

Assume McEvoy Gardiner will be the normall combination (though I wouldn't rule out King getting selected if he gets fully fit).
That leaves Stanley / Pattison / King all available for Sandy, as well as Blake McGrath who did really well in the reserves last year and is probably nearly ready for seniors. I'm assuming King would take a rest if this is happening.

Wouldn't mind if Kazak plays off half forward. We need to find a forward (not just Lynch who is too short to be a main target) to replace Kosi / Roo in time. Both Macca and Kazak are nice kicks, but Macca is probably too slow for FF at AFL (notwithstanding he was pretty good there in the game against Hawthorn in Tassie).

 

[karmafree]

Have a look at the GF team, who would you drop?
For me it would be. Milne, Clarke, King, probably Dempster, obviously Ball. Now the tough ones. Blake too stupid and mistake prone, and .........Baker! Love the guy, but its downhill from now. Don't be fooled by effort against Stevie J.
That leaves 6-7 spots up for grabs. To many to change? Maybe, but we don't win the flag by staying still. Who you replace them with gets worked out over the first 15 weeks of the season. Try them all.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Baker can have my babeis

Why would u drop Ball man?

And Milne is amazing.

Raahrharhah

 

[warrior_4]

Have a look at the GF team, who would you drop?
For me it would be. Milne, Clarke, King, probably Dempster, obviously Ball. Now the tough ones. Blake too stupid and mistake prone, and .........Baker! Love the guy, but its downhill from now. Don't be fooled by effort against Stevie J.
That leaves 6-7 spots up for grabs. To many to change? Maybe, but we don't win the flag by staying still. Who you replace them with gets worked out over the first 15 weeks of the season. Try them all.

You sir are a moron....

for one there is no way that baker will get dropped...have you seen the final series that he had...(well if you watched then maybe you wouldn't post this crap)

two milne will not get dropped unless someone can come in and add 50 goals a year which is highly unlikely....

clarkes spot will be under threat the most by several players which include (miles, smith)

this is my best 22

B: Gilbert, Dawson (Johnson), Baker (Dempster)
HB: Clarke (Smith, Miles), Blake, S.Fisher
C: Gram (Geary), Hayes, Montagna
HF: Lovett (Eddy), Riewoldt, Schneider (steven)
F: Milne (heyne, Walsh), Koschitzke, McQualter (Lynch)

Foll: Gardiner, Goddard, Dal Santo
Int: King (McEvoy) , Ray (Peake,Winmar), Jones, Armitage

the players in brackets will be challenging and being borderline selection pending nab cup and pre season...

the bold players are unlikely to be pushed out of the squad or challenged by others.......

there are around 11 players that would be walk up starts to the 22 in my opinion and the rest of the squad will be challenging for the remaining 11 spots

 

[karmafree]

Improvement is what we are after. As mentioned I love Baker, he can't improve anymore. Love Milne, he can't improve anymore and goes missing in the big games. Ball at the Pies.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

You sir are a moron....

for one there is no way that baker will get dropped...have you seen the final series that he had...(well if you watched then maybe you wouldn't post this crap)

two milne will not get dropped unless someone can come in and add 50 goals a year which is highly unlikely....

clarkes spot will be under threat the most by several players which include (miles, smith)

this is my best 22

B: Gilbert, Dawson (Johnson), Baker (Dempster)
HB: Clarke (Smith, Miles), Blake, S.Fisher
C: Gram (Geary), Hayes, Montagna
HF: Lovett (Eddy), Riewoldt, Schneider (steven)
F: Milne (heyne, Walsh), Koschitzke, McQualter (Lynch)

Foll: Gardiner, Goddard, Dal Santo
Int: King (McEvoy) , Ray (Peake,Winmar), Jones, Armitage

the players in brackets will be challenging and being borderline selection pending nab cup and pre season...

the bold players are unlikely to be pushed out of the squad or challenged by others.......

there are around 11 players that would be walk up starts to the 22 in my opinion and the rest of the squad will be challenging for the remaining 11 spots

I would have thought it is a bit premature to say that Winmar and Walsh will be pushing for selection. I agree with the rest though.
I think Baker will be good as long as he can keep his body right, and Dempster is the logical replacement if he is injured.

 

[Squizz]

Blake too stupid and mistake prone, and .........

Baker! Love the guy, but its downhill from now.

Blake was 9th in the B&F in a team which lost 3 games for the year. Yes, his bloopers can be bad but they were few and far between this year. Stats:
2009: 446 disposals, 20 frees for, 26 against
2008: 327 disposals, 21 frees for, 36 against

Who is taking the small defender role off Baker? Dempster at 191cm (notwithstanding he is quick) is not suited to playing on the short people. Geary and Eddy may be able to take this role, but they are some way back from Baker's current standard. Baker averaged 13.5 possessions and 3.5 tackles per game. Conceded only 15 frees in 24 games whilst minding guys who make a living by staging for frees.

 

[ILY Leonard]

Improvement is what we are after. As mentioned I love Baker, he can't improve anymore. Love Milne, he can't improve anymore and goes missing in the big games. Ball at the Pies.

what about hayes? some wud say he wont improve much anymore (theyre wrong but u kno)

what is the point of dropping guys who've peaked for improving players if it results in a net loss in standard? improvement will come from kosi, lovett, gram, fisher and others who weren't at their peak last year.

btw who says we need to improve? we were good enough to win the flag this year, and if wed got to play sides like melbourne 2000 or port 07 instead of one of the best line ups in history we would have.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

what about hayes? some wud say he wont improve much anymore (theyre wrong but u kno)

what is the point of dropping guys who've peaked for improving players if it results in a net loss in standard? improvement will come from kosi, lovett, gram, fisher and others who weren't at their peak last year.

btw who says we need to improve? we were good enough to win the flag this year, and if wed got to play sides like melbourne 2000 or port 07 instead of one of the best line ups in history we would have.

I like the idea of improving, but you are right it is a team and you can't simply drop players who have peaked.
Football is a team sport and it is the team that needs to improve. If you want to replace Baker, you need to find someone better than him. I dare say if we suddenly hade another Jones , Baker would not get a game.
There are far more places to look to for the improvement.

And don't be fooled. It is tactics that won a lot of the games for us this year, and the other teams will be far more awake to it.
We need to be better at scoring ( I don't mean Riewoldt needs to kick straighter, I mean we need more ability at creating scoring shots, less through Riewoldt ).
I also thought teams like Essendon made our kicking to targets and marking skills look dreadful.

 

[Squizz]

I also thought teams like Essendon made our kicking to targets and marking skills look dreadful.

And showed that we lack a nippy forward who is strong overhead.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Didn't everyone say we couldn't improve before the start of this season?

 

[Half Back Pocket]

I like the idea of improving, but you are right it is a team and you can't simply drop players who have peaked.
Football is a team sport and it is the team that needs to improve. If you want to replace Baker, you need to find someone better than him. I dare say if we suddenly hade another Jones , Baker would not get a game.
There are far more places to look to for the improvement.

I disagree....

Jonesy looks vulnerable when he gets dragged deep into defence....Bakes does not. He looks more vulnerable when he gets dragged into the mid-field.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Didn't everyone say we couldn't improve before the start of this season?

I didn't , which means that everyone didn't or that I'm nobody. Could be either really.

Fair comment HBP.

 

[StFly]

Improvement is what we are after. As mentioned I love Baker, he can't improve anymore. Love Milne, he can't improve anymore and goes missing in the big games. Ball at the Pies.

Improvement across the board comes not from one but from many, you do not expect Lenny Hayes to improve because he is already deemed a gun player, but since he cannot improve would you drop him as well despite his best being too good? Yet the axe falls to Baker because he has plateaued and you are not fooled by the games he played.

How else is he meant to impress you then?

Cannot improve.
Cannot play well enough, because when he does you dismiss it.

Your good is either damned good or you're out the door for potential in your eyes and that simply does not work at a footy club. Baker shuts down small forwards, he did his job and he did it well. Blake was our CHB, clumsy or not he did his job, remove these two elements and you better be damned sure of your replacements because potential will not stop a CHF tearing the backline a new one, it will not stop one like Chappy without a bung leg kicking 5+ when it matters. Potential improvement will get you sweet didly squat but a pounding.

Milne, is both fortunate and unlucky. Yes his finals were horrible, but you cannot say he went missing. In any other scenario with the amount of times he had a shot on, or was in a position to be, like in a fair few of the "big games" he merely tries to the point of screwing up entirely. We've all been there, you want that draw to get in, 2 hours ago you've tried everything so you try force, in the end might be too much and you break something, might be too little and you dent something because you tried too hard to get that drawer into that slot and ended up screwing it up in the process.

It's a criticism of Grams, kicking the ball too bloody hard so it's a mongrel punt.

That we know what Milne is capable of.
That we know what Baker is capable of.
That we know what Blake is capable of.

Does not mean that they cannot surprise us and further improve their game. As long as their opponent gets 1 possession, 1 1%er, a player can improve to further limit them.(Defenders) As long as you kick 1 behind, 1 OOF, miss 1 tackle, 1 assist forwards can improve.

Because they are errors, faults or mere chance in the strive for perfection to dominate the opposition in front of you in every allowable capacity. This is the part where you dismiss it and say it's unattainable so why bother, and the part where I retort that its not the destination but the journey which makes people what they are today. And that is always looking for tomorrow, and always looking for perfection.

So they can't improve. Bullshit.

 

[karmafree]

To StFly.
Wow! What an epic reply. I really didn't need 20 replys to my email. I love the passion of you guys, but make note at least 4 of those I named will not be there come finals next year.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I sense I'm looking into the Nexus...

Do not worry Piccard...

 

[Persevering Saint]

On more serious matters...

I would love to see some Irish cream this year in the forward line. Height, speed, strength, X-factor. He's not going to have flown out from Ireland for 20-odd games on windswept Sandringham oval - he will be VERY aggressively looking to take a spot.

If Baker is under any threat from anybody, I suspect it's Mini (if he can shut down people in the forward line, he can do it in the backline), but seriously, that will only happen if Bakes gets injured or REALLY drops down on form. I have made the idiotic mistake of dismissing Bakes before as "past-it" - not again.

I agree that Johnson is there for if Blake or Dawson get injured or fall out of form, but both of those things would be surprising.

I would LOVE to see Dubbya playing in Round 1. Would really love it. However, Mission is a great fitness person, but he ain't a miracle-worker.

Expect great things from Armitage this year. Great things.

Expect opposition players to groan every time they see Clinton Jones walking next to them at the first bounce.

Expect Brett Peake to get a chance, and then to take it - he will show why you can't judge a player without factoring in his coach or the forward line he's kicking into. By year's end, we'll have somebody coming on here with the name, "Peake2Riewoldt", because that is going to happen this year, over and over and over and over again.

Expect Beeg and Lovett to alternate between the forward line and the midfield, and opposition teams to hate either of those options, "GET Goddard out of the forward line! Stop Lovett running through the flank!"... "No! Another goal to Lovett!? Who the hell is on Goddard in the centre?!"

Good times, my friends... good, sweet times.

 

[Plugger35]

And showed that we lack a nippy forward who is strong overhead.

They might be able to use Peake in a forward role. He is quick and is a pretty good kick for goal, although he's probably not all that strong overheard from memory. He'd be more of a crumbing forward pocket type.

Anyway I'd expect Milne & Schneider to remain our first choice small forwards, initially at least. However there are still question marks about their ability to stand up in the big games. They were both pretty disappointing during the finals, particularly the GF, so it wouldn't hurt to look at some other options.

I guess Heyne might be a chance to step up into that small forward role next season too. Not sure what his development has been like and whether he's ready to make an impact at AFL level yet. Likewise Lynch, although he'd be more the lead up marking forward type from the looks of him.

Overall I can't see there being too many changes to our GF line up. Of our new recruits, probably only Lovett automatically demands a spot in the starting side. The rest will need to impress in the pre-season to get a chance.

Also think McEvoy should be a chance to start ahead of King or at least be in a rotation with King & Gardiner and getting more regular senior games. Still have serious doubts about Raph Clarke's ability under pressure too, so unless he improves there may be an opening for someone else to come into the backline. Not sure whether Jesse Smith will be ready to play next season but he'd seem to be the logical replacement.

 

[dg102]

I think Dempster will have a break out year. Hopefully he can have a full preseason.This year he came back from a reco and played reasonably well. He has the potentional to be a really good player.

This year was a really good break out year for alot of players. Jones, Gilbert, Shnides, Gards, McQualter, even Geary to some extent.

Next year I wanna see Dempster, Raph, Armitage, McEvoy, Eddy and Kosi and Goddard all have break out years. Some of these guys were really good last year but i believe they can have even bigger impact next year.

We have an amazing list atm, so much talent. Im expecting big thing next year. GO SAINTS! Just wish it wasnt so long away

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

Haha, if Goddard has a break out year...

But yes, I reckon he can be even better. I reckon he would have hurt the most from that loss. He has amazing amounts of passion and love for the jumper (especially from a flipping Carlton supporter!!1).

Goddard, Lenny and Roo...if those guys can take it up another notch...well I'm sure the result would be equivalent to dividing by 0.

 

[Squizz]

They might be able to use Peake in a forward role. He is quick and is a pretty good kick for goal, although he's probably not all that strong overheard from memory. He'd be more of a crumbing forward pocket type.

Anyway I'd expect Milne & Schneider to remain our first choice small forwards, initially at least. However there are still question marks about their ability to stand up in the big games. They were both pretty disappointing during the finals, particularly the GF, so it wouldn't hurt to look at some other options.

I guess Heyne might be a chance to step up into that small forward role next season too. Not sure what his development has been like and whether he's ready to make an impact at AFL level yet. Likewise Lynch, although he'd be more the lead up marking forward type from the looks of him.

Think Peake will be off half-back or the wing. I'm trying not to get too excited as some people think he's rubbish. But we have lacked pace and long kicking, an he and Lovett bring exactly that to the table.

Still think that marking forward is the missing link. Whilst Milne & Schneider seem to combine OK at times, having the two of them and Mini operating in the same F50 just doesn't seem to land a killer blow to the opposition. Mind you, the three of them had enough shots on goal to be the difference in the GF - about 8 shots for two goals?

Heyne is clever, but does not have the engine yet for AFL. Lynch still has work to do on this overhead marking (was pretty good otherwise).

With Kazak's pace and long kicking, he could be a chance to get introduced to AFL as a forward. Don't think he is anywhere near ready to impact as an AFL ruckman (even if he bulks up during pre-season).