2021 best 22 (and sub)

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jackess

Cancelled
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Aug 10, 2005
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B: Gardiner Andrews Lester
HB: Rich Payne Starcevich
C: McCluggage Lyons Bailey
HF: Rayner Hipwood McCarthy
FF: Cameron Daniher Coleman
Ruck: McInerney Zorko Neale
Bench: Berry, Robertson, Ah Chee, McStay/Martin/Fullarton

Unlucky Answerth
 

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Johnny Bananas

Premiership Player Hater
Sep 10, 2010
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B: Gardiner Andrews Lester
HB: Rich Payne Starcevich
C: McCluggage Lyons Bailey
HF: Rayner Hipwood McCarthy
FF: Cameron Daniher Coleman
Ruck: McInerney Zorko Neale
Bench: Berry, Robertson, Ah Chee, McStay/Martin/Fullarton

Unlucky Answerth
Answerth in for Lester. I also think Cockatoo is a serious chance to crack the team. And if Coleman could make best 22 within a season, you'd think his even more talented brother will be a chance too.
 

M Malice

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Aug 31, 2015
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For me from the Prelim to round 1 2021 >

Outs- Stef Martin, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Grant Birchall, Mitch Robinson.

Ins- Joe Daniher, Darcy Gardiner, Keidean Coleman, Deven Robertson/traded in A grade mid.

Daniel Rich, Jack Payne, Darcy Gardiner.
Brandon Starcevich, Harris Andrews, Callum Ah Chee.

Oscar McInerney, Jarrod Berry, Lachie Neale.
Jarryd Lyons, Hugh McCluggage, Zac Bailey.

Charlie Cameron, Eric Hipwood, Cam Rayner.
Linc McCarthy, Joe Daniher, Keidean Coleman.

Dayne Zorko, Ryan Lester, Daniel McStay, Deven Robertson/traded A grade mid.

CEY not up to it. Stef cooked. Move on from Birchall. Mitch has been fantastic but I think we have better options now.

Feels like we desperately need another A grade mid traded in to match it with the absolute top sides in big sudden death finals.

Rayner to play a bit more time on ball, Fullarton to put pressure on McStay, Answerth to fight for a back 6 spot, Bailey/McCluggage/Starcvich on the wings, Zorko to spend more time forward.
 

davemc_lions

Premiership Player
Aug 21, 2013
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Bench: Berry, Robertson, Ah Chee, McStay/Martin/Fullarton

Unlucky Answerth
Close I go Bench
Berry, Cockatoo, Ah Chee, Fullarton

So Mitch, Martin, McStay,Birchall and CEY out from tonight
Danhier, Gardiner, Cockatoo, Coleman and Fullarton in
 

Maroon Monsoon

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Oct 1, 2019
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Thank God someone put this thread up, was just thinking about which young guys come in for us next year. Based on where things stand and assuming we get daniher id be running the following in week one:

FB: darcy - Harris- Lester

HB: Richy-starc-noah

C: bailey - lyons - clugga

HF: Coleman - hippy - cam

FF: Charlie - daniher - linc

RR: oscar - zorko - neale

Int: Berry - payne - Fullerton - ah chee

Id expect to see a few other young players rotate into that in the first half of the season as there's competition for spots. Expect well be seeing T Berry, Dev, witho, and probably dan all get a run early on, and I'd be very happy if any of the first three performed well enough to lock down a spot. Its weird how loaded we are that I reckon we have maybe 27 or 28 players you could argue deserve to be in the best 22
 
Never been happy with Birchall playing and to think that we may lose Witherden as a consequence.
Witherden is under contract. If we lose him it's because we aren't invested in keeping him.

It's a separate discussion whether that's the right call.
 

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Oct 13, 2015
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B: Gardiner Andrews Starcevich

HB: Rich Payne Ah Chee

C: McCluggage Berry Bailey

HF: McCarthy Hipwood Rayner

FF: Zorko Daniher Cameron

R: Big O Neale Lyons

Int: Answerth McStay ??? ???

For me the starting 18 is pretty straightforward. I'm confident McStay will be in the team Rd 1 too and I expect Noah to be the 7th defender.

Last 2 bench spots are the question mark. We really need another mid to come into the team and make an impact - I'm hoping this can be Dev Robertson. Mitch robbo probably starts the season in the team too but ideally cockatoo gets his body right (assuming we get him).
 
From tonight's match, I'd go:

Out: Stef Martin, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Grant Birchall, Jack Payne, Ryan Lester

In: Joe Daniher, Keidean Coleman, Nakia Cockatoo, Darcy Gardiner, Marcus Adams

If we're able to trade in another top line midfielder, I'd probably put them in for Mitch Robinson.
 
May 26, 2007
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I think to improve as a side next year, we need players over taking Robinson, Birchall and Martin from the best 22. Making the assumption that we bring in Daniher and possibly Cockatoo, these are my thoughts (mix of what I think will happen and what I would like to see happen).

FB: Gardiner - Payne - Ah Chee
HB: Rich - Andrews - Starcevich

I think our best line-up is Payne or Adams and Andrews taking the two key forwards with Gardiner as the third defender rotating between resting ruckman/midfielders. I've gone for Payne, but realistically I think Adams will get the first shot. Rich is obviously a lock, and my hope is for Starcevich to expand his offensive game to provide another different attacking option. I've got Ah Chee as our lock down small defender, though it could easily be Answerth. The 7th position is tricky, and there's a few different type of players that could come in. I think right now that spot is Birchall or Lester's and it's on Answerth/Ah Chee/Witherden to push past him. All four are very different types of players, I think it'll come down to form and what role we've got planned for Starcevich.

C: McCluggage - Berry - Bailey
R: McInerney - Neale - Lyons

Robbo has been fantastic for us, but he's struggled this year. It's harder to forgive throwing the ball blindly on the boot when his overall impact is down. I'm not sure if Bailey has the tank for it, but if he does I can see him filling the wing opposite McCluggage, with Starcevich another option potentially. Berry needs a big off-season, but I think he'll take more of Zorko's midfield time next year. Still have question marks around whether we have the consistent ball winners that you need to continually contend.

HF: Rayner - Hipwood - Zorko
FF: Cameron - Daniher - McCarthy

I think Zorko will play less midfield time next year, and assume the HF/midield role that Berry has been playing this year. Daniher gives our forward line a different look and straightens us up considerably. Hopefully we now have Daniher under the high ball with Cameron at his feet as opposed to Cameron trying to do everything himself. It would be good to see Rayner get some more midfield time because I think we need a different look in there at times, and he has that potential.

INT: Lester - Robertson - McStay - Cockatoo

Like mentioned above, I have Lester as our 7th defender, but with Ah Chee and Witherden also competing for that spot. Playing Daniher as the second ruck gives us the flexibility of playing an extra versatile key position player, and it sounds like McStay will get first crack at it. The one I can see pushing for this spot is Fullarton at some point.

I think we need another contested ball winning midfielfer, and I might be wrong, but I don't think Berry is necessarily that player. I think Berry's best position might be as a first receiver from the players at the bottom of the pack. We evidently rate Robertson quite highly given what we gave up to get him, and I can see him being that type of contested ball player (from admittedly limited viewing) with his quick hands in the contest and ability to read the play. There's a few others like Smith and Joyce who could push hard with a good pre-season.

I think for the last spot we need someone that can play predominantly on the wing and half forward, but also be dynamic when played in the midfield. It seems like Cockatoo is a player that fits that description, and we tend to back players in that we bring in from other clubs. On paper he seems to have the potential to fill this role, but consistency and keeping fit will be the key. Other contenders for this position could be Coleman (especially if Rayner can take the next step and spend more time in the midfield), Hinge (if we're after more of a defensive option on the wing) or Berry jnr.

FB: Gardiner - Payne - Ah Chee
HB: Rich - Andrews - Starcevich
C: McCluggage - Berry - Bailey
R: McInerney - Neale - Lyons
HF: Rayner - Hipwood - Zorko
FF: Cameron - Daniher - McCarthy
INT: Lester - Robertson - McStay - Cockatoo

So from tonight's side:
IN: Gardiner, Daniher, Cockatoo
OUT: Birchall, Martin, Ellis-Yolmen
 
B: Gardiner Andrews Starcevich
HB: Rich Payne Ah Chee
C: McCluggage Lyons Bailey
HF: Coleman Hipwood McCarthy
FF: Cameron Daniher Zorko
Ruck: McInerney Rayner Neale
Bench: Fullarton, Berry, Answerth,Robertson

Not entirely confident on this, but I reckon there's a significantly better chance of Cockatoo being in our 22 for round 1 next year than Dev. Reckon Nakia is a player we'll want in the best 22 from the moment he's fit.
 
Nov 11, 2010
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Not entirely confident on this, but I reckon there's a significantly better chance of Cockatoo being in our 22 for round 1 next year than Dev. Reckon Nakia is a player we'll want in the best 22 from the moment he's fit.

Can see why. He’d add a hell of a lot. I’ve left him out despite being pretty confident of us landing him because he hasn’t nominated us publicly just yet.
 
From tonight's match, I'd go:

Out: Stef Martin, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Grant Birchall, Jack Payne, Ryan Lester

In: Joe Daniher, Keidean Coleman, Nakia Cockatoo, Darcy Gardiner, Marcus Adams

If we're able to trade in another top line midfielder, I'd probably put them in for Mitch Robinson.

Adams over Payne seems like a fantasy at this point, particularly after Paybe just played the game of his career predominantly manning a smaller opponent.
 

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