Team Mgmt. 2018 Best 22

[Nuggs Bunny]

While I agree with the sentiment, and he was the first "big" name to sign back on, it was actually Buddha who was the first. Funny how history sometimes gets a rewrite...

I never said he was the first.

 

[Lore]

I never said he was the first.

Apologies, I must've misread your post. Lots of people seem to credit Hooker with it every time it comes up, idk why exactly

 

[Ambrosia]

2019 for fun

FB: Saad - Ambrose - Francis
HB: Gleeson - Hurley - McKenna
C: McGrath - Heppell - Guelfi
HF: Stewart - Daniher - Smith
FF: Walla - Hooker - Fantasia
R: Bellchambers - Stringer - Merrett

IC: Zaharakis - Redman - Langford - Parish

Emg: Ridley - Clarke - Colyer - Laverde

Wonder how long it'll take for Begley to get back up to speed. Bloke has one of the higher cielings at the club imo .

 

[mayhem20202]

While I agree with the sentiment, and he was the first "big" name to sign back on, it was actually Buddha who was the first. Funny how history sometimes gets a rewrite...

Whilst hocking was extremely loyal and I love that, he had to resign if he wanted to continue playing afl football, as no one else would have wanted him. Hooker, Hurley, heppell on the other hand had options to go elsewhere, hence why people talk about them resigning and the show of faith that was involved with that


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[citizen-erased]

Post Bye/Season shot team:

Saad Hooker Francis
Ridley Hurley Redman
Smith Heppell Merrett
Tippa Stewart Guelfi
Colyer McKernan Fantasia
TBC Langford Stringer
Laverde Clarke Myers McGrath
E: Ambrose Mutch Long

Quite a small forward line, but it wouldn't be as if Stringer wasn't going to spend time down there.
Langford and Laverde are solid and tall enough to get down there too.

What we get is a lot of continuity from 2018 into 2019 with that side.
Other than Daniher (who replaces one of Stewart or McKernan) and Parish for either Clarke or Myers (which isn't a given either), not a lot of change as we roll from one year to the next.

 

[Bombers1234]

Post Bye/Season shot team:

Saad Hooker Francis
Ridley Hurley Redman
Smith Heppell Merrett
Tippa Stewart Guelfi
Colyer McKernan Fantasia
TBC Langford Stringer
Laverde Clarke Myers McGrath
E: Ambrose Mutch Long

Quite a small forward line, but it wouldn't be as if Stringer wasn't going to spend time down there.
Langford and Laverde are solid and tall enough to get down there too.

What we get is a lot of continuity from 2018 into 2019 with that side.
Other than Daniher (who replaces one of Stewart or McKernan) and Parish for either Clarke or Myers (which isn't a given either), not a lot of change as we roll from one year to the next.

McKenna?

And looks like you're retiring Goddard a tad prematurely for mine.

 

[citizen-erased]

McKenna?

And looks like you're retiring Goddard a tad prematurely for mine.

Zaka too....forgot a couple
Would be a transition
Would be out of step for us to make all those changes in the next 3 games. But over the next 7-8.

 

[Towno78]

It would be great to see all of Francis, Ridley and Redman in the side, but injury aside, I don't see it as possible. Yet all 3 deserve their spot. Perhaps those 3 can rotate between 2 positions in the back half of the year? Ambrose and Gleeson potentially returning then complicates things further.

Saad Hooker Francis
McKenna Hurley Redman
Smith Heppell Merrett
Fantasia Stewart Colyer
Long McKernan Walla
TBC Langford Stringer
Goddard Guelfi Myers McGrath

Ridley Ambrose Laverde Clarke

That side has serious wheels...

 

[Bombers36]

Hopefully we see a line up like this in the not to distant future;-

Francis Ambrose McGrath
Gleeson Hurley Saad
Zakka Stringer Z.Merrett
Fantasia Daniher Colyer
Smack/Stewy Hooker Tippa

TBell Heppell Smith

Bench from: Goddard Langford McKenna Redman

 

[hurlygurdy]

Great sign for next season is that i really have no idea what our best 22 is anymore. We've said similar things before, but largely i think we were referring to having a bunch of older players like Stanton and Hocking as depth. That's not the case anymore and it's become easier to cut and paste the whole list and just delete a couple! I've deleted Bags, Mutch, Clarke, Jerret, Leuy, BZT, Hartley, Brown, Dea, Houlahan. That leaves 29 players who right now might be best 22 when fully fit. Certainly could argue about Green, but when he is in form he's hard to shift. Laverde also is teetering on the brink, but i think we all still assume that he will click sooner rather than later.
1 Andrew McGrath
2 Tom Bellchambers
3 Darcy Parish
4 Kyle Langford
5 Devon Smith
6 Joe Daniher
7 Zach Merrett
8 Martin Gleeson
9 Brendon Goddard
10 Aaron Francis
11 David Zaharakis
13 Orazio Fantasia
14 Jordan Ridley
15 Josh Green
16 Josh Begley
17 James Stewart
18 Michael Hurley
21 Dyson Heppell
23 David Myers
25 Jake Stringer
26 Cale Hooker
27 Mason Redman
29 Patrick Ambrose
32 Travis Colyer
33 Jayden Laverde
35 Matt Guelfi
42 Adam Saad
43 Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
45 Conor McKenna

For the fun of it i would go -

Francis Ambrose McGrath
Gleeson Hurley Saad
Zakka Stringer Z.Merrett
Fantasia Daniher Begley
Stewart Hooker Tippa

TBell Heppell Smith

Bench from: Goddard Langford McKenna Parish

Cannot believe i can't get Redman in! Begley and Francis are a bit speculative, but who can resist?

Temptation is to leave Hooker back, but if you have the intercept marking of Gleeson, Francis and Hurley, it does look like it could work.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Annnnd let's do it again... just cos

B: McKenna - Hooker - Gleeson
HB: Goddard - Hurley - Saad
C: McGrath - Myers - Smith
HF: Fantasia - Daniher - Langford
F: Tipungwuti - McKernan - Stringer
R: Bellchambers - Heppell - Merrett
I: Colyer - Guelfi - Zaharakis - Baguley

 

[eth-dog]

Ambrose - Hooker - Gleeson
McKenna - Hurley - Saad
McGrath - Myers - Merrett
Fantasia - Daniher - Smith
Walla - Stewart - Stringer
Bellchambers - Heppell - Langford
Guelfi - Zaharakis - Goddard - Parish

 

[fishardansin]

I am refining my 2019 team! ... if only I could have a go on the match committee!!

I am thinking back to the great Hawthorn team of the mid 80s to early 90s, as well as Essendon, Brisbane and Geelong in the 2000s. They had a few very good talls, a couple of zippy little players but the vast majority of the team were basically tall mids. I think we can have a team like that too. I think we have 4 excellent 3rd tall defenders and two of them can run like a wingman, Gleeson and Redman. This means we can set up a fantastic zone to lock it in. Having these two, Francis, Ridley, Hooker and Hurley all ringing our forward 50 when the ball is inside our forward 50 will be very menacing for the opposition and make them think twice about throwing it on the boot under pressure.

Merrett and Smith are little terriers around the ball, Zaka adds a lot of run. Langford, Myers and Laverde add a lot of size to the midfield as well. Stringer, Tippa and Fantasia can all add to the midfield but should spend 90% of time on ground up forward. Just bursts in the middle to either change it up in there or give them a chance to get their hands on it a bit more.

I still have faith that Stewart is our lead up forward long-term and Daniher is a genuine CHF. Stringer playing close to the goal square as an old fashioned FF makes all of this possible. We have two gun small forwards in Tippa and Fanta who can also both lead at the ball. The 6th forward can either be a terrier like Baguely or someone who is part of our midfield rotation. I would prefer it to be part of our midfield rotation and Smith, Zerrett and Parish are all capable of being a little terrier.

To have an attacking defence you need lockdown defenders who can hurt the other way. Hurley, Hooker, Saad and Mckenna provide all of that. Ridley is a good medium sized player who can take a 3rd tall or a small. If we play a team like Collingwood presented us Hurley can also play on a small as well. Hurley is a much better player when he has a man to beat and then gets off him occasionally. This changes the game for the attacking player too because they have to think defensively about him. Hooker has also demonstrated for many years that he can beat his man and then sag off on occasion to intercept. Francis is going to be a gun intercept mark and I want him to spend as many years as possible sharing the field with Hurley and Hooker. I also envisage him graduating to be a lockdown 2nd tall who gets off his man like Hurley should be now, as well as capable of taking a small in a pinch. Saad and McKenna can lock down on players as well as provide devastating run out of defence. Having two of them makes it hard for the opposition to stop both of them. Ridley is a great 6th defender because he can take a 3rd tall or a small and chip in with intercept marks.

Backs: Hooker, Hurley, Francis, Ridley, Saad, McKenna
Forwards: Daniher, Stewart, Stringer, Fantasia, Tippa, MID (see next line)
Mids: Bellchambers, Heppell, Zerrett, Smith, Zaka, Langford, Laverde, Myers, Redman, Gleeson, McGrath

I see Zerrett, Smith and McGrath rotating through the forward line as that terrier. We have Parish and Guelfi as depth for that role, possibly Colyer as well if he can have an injury-free preseason.

If Goddard is to make the side it is at the expense of Myers. I am also happy if he starts the year ahead of Laverde who can start the year in the VFL playing midfield but will work into the side ahead of either Myers or Goddard by the midway point.

This team has a lot of flexibility too. If Bellchambers goes down Stewart or Daniher can cover him in a pinch. If a big bodied mid goes down then Stringer can push onto the ball and Francis can go forward to cover him, with a wingman going back to cover Francis. If a small defender goes down McGrath can go back.

We need MASSIVE running preseasons for Stringer, Laverde, Francis and Stewart. Stewart needs to abandon the idea of being a power forward and become that lead-up player, as well as get back to help with the zone. Our small forwards need to also help with the zone, but be at the front of it to break forward when we win the ball back. I want Daniher and Stringer to stay forward of the ball when we're defending it to make it more difficult for the opposition to have an 18 man press.

If we can get a big preseason into that side and then maintain a lucky injury run throughout the year I personally believe that is a top four list and the only team I fear is an injury free and cohesive GWS in 2019. We could also look at trading Colyer + Dea + 3rd round pick for Carlton's 2nd round to have a pick 10 and pick 20 in this draft to add more class into this list.