Prediction 2022 Best 22 Teams and discussion

Oct 5, 2004
16,154
2,551
Sydney
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Swan Dist, Rockets, Glasgow Rangers
Just looking at these best 22's has me excited. We could finish 3rd or 13th, I think if Fyfe/Brayshaw/Darcy/Taberner/Serong all play 20+ games we play finals.

We've never had more options down back. Our midfield has 2 Brownlows, a rising star winner, our next captain and a future AA ruckman. Our forward line isn't fantastic but there are options.

IMO if we land a couple of 200 gamers in the top 10 we're looking at a lot more wins than losses over the next decade.
 
Aug 22, 2018
1,035
1,054
AFL Club
Fremantle
B: Logue - Hamling - Ryan
HB: Young - Pearce - Walker
C: Collyer - Fyfe - Aish
HF: Sturt - Lobb - Clark
FF: Switta - Tabs - Treacy
Ruck: Darcy - Brayshaw - Serong

bench : Cox, Brodie, Walters, Shultz, Mundy

probably Robinson Crusoe here with Clark at HF but from what I’ve seen he‘d smoke a HF role. Think Brodie will take Tuckers spot in B22
 
Last edited:

theGav56

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 11, 2004
29,350
29,318
Bali
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Fremantle
B: Logue - Hamling - Ryan
HB: Young - Pearce - Walker
C: Collyer - Fyfe - Aish
HF: Sturt - Lobb - Clark
FF: Switta - Tabs - Treacy
Ruck: Darcy - Brayshaw - Serong

bench : Cox, Brodie, Walters, Shultz

probably Robinson Crusoe here with Clark at HF but from what I’ve seen he‘d smoke a HF role. Think Brodie will take Tuckers spot in B22
Mate... you retired Mundy. Cruel.
 
Nov 29, 2011
3,872
7,106
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Cockburn Doctors
Braden Quartermaine and Mark Duffield select Fremantle Dockers’ best 22 ahead of 2022 AFL season
Mark Duffield and Braden QuartermaineThe West Australian
Thu, 21 October 2021 5:35PM

Did Will Brodie, Jordan Clark and Griffin Logue make Fremantle's best 22 from Mark Duffield and Braden Quartermaine.'s best 22 from Mark Duffield and Braden Quartermaine.

Did Will Brodie, Jordan Clark and Griffin Logue make Fremantle's best 22 from Mark Duffield and Braden Quartermaine. Credit: AFL Photos

The trade period is done and dusted, so The West Australian’s football experts Mark Duffield and Braden Quartermaine pick their best 22 for Fremantle ahead of the 2022 AFL season.
Mark Duffield’s Team
B: Luke Ryan, Alex Pearce, Griffin Logue
HB: Hayden Young, Brennan Cox, Heath Chapman
C: Jordan Clark, Nat Fyfe, Darcy Tucker
HF: Michael Frederick, Matt Taberner, Michael Walters
Forwards: Sam Sturt, Rory Lobb, Lachie Schultz
Rucks: Sean Darcy, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong
Int: Brandon Walker, Travis Colyer, Josh Treacy, David Mundy
Medi Sub: James Aish
Emergencies: Liam Henry, Joel Hamling, Will Brodie, Sam Switkowski

Most of us think Fremantle are heading in the right direction but if there is a concern, it is that they are creeping rather than sprinting in that direction.
With that in mind, if I was picking their round one team I would be bold, even a bit ballsy, and this team places a strong emphasis on youth and speed. Speed all around the ground has been a great point of difference for Melbourne and Richmond in recent seasons.
The motto to start 2022 for Fremantle? Speed kills.
There are tough calls made in this team. Joel Hamling isn’t in it after two years out:
You are not playing all four of the Dockers tall defenders in the rare event that they are all fit and Griffin Logue’s efforts a couple of times on Brisbane’s electric small forward Charlie Cameron tell me he is the best “third tall” at the back.
Heath Chapman starts the season in this team if fit. He was good early last year and will be better and stronger after another pre-season.
That means Geelong recruit Jordan Clark plays on a wing and it’s worth backing Darcy Tucker to return to his best form on the other wing.

He has wheels and a raking left foot but sometimes needs time and space to use it. The only departure from youth and speed is the omission of Liam Henry. Time to challenge Henry to earn his spot.
He hasn’t done quite enough with quite a bit of opportunity.
Sam Sturt gives the Dockers a point of difference in attack. He has the potential to be like Melbourne’s Bayley Fritsch. Injury has meant we have only seen glimpses but, touchwood, he gets through the pre-season and can showcase a forward’s instinct, an uncanny ability to out body bigger opponents and a deadly left foot.
The calls made on James Aish and Nathan Wilson are tough and I thought seriously about Sam Switkowski ahead of Travis Colyer.
Sooner or later you have to move past your middle-of-the-roaders and I would challenge Hamling, Wilson, Aish, Henry, newcomer Will Brodie and others to fight their way into the team.
Braden Quartermaine’s Team:
B: Luke Ryan, Joel Hamling, Griffin Logue
HB: Hayden Young, Brennan Cox, Jordan Clark
C: Michael Frederick, Nat Fyfe, Darcy Tucker
HF: David Mundy, Matt Taberner, Sam Switkowski
Forwards: Michael Walters, Rory Lobb, Lachie Schultz
Rucks: Sean Darcy, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong
Int: James Aish, Sam Sturt Nathan Wilson, Liam Henry
Medi Sub: Travis Colyer
Emergencies: Josh Treacy, Connor Blakely, Ethan Hughes

Pondering theoretical line-ups for Fremantle is a bit like asking who your ideal date would be. You can always dream but it doesn’t mean it’s ever going to happen.
The Dockers have been hampered by long term injuries for so long that team selection has become about who’s available: love the one you’re with.
So there’s a couple of leaps of faith here with Joel Hamling, who has played one game in the past two seasons, and Sam Sturt, who has made four appearances in three seasons. The side also includes Brennan Cox and Michael Frederick off long-term injuries.
Alex Pearce is unlucky to miss the cut, but history tells you the Dockers don’t have all four of their tall defenders available at the same time anyway so it’s a tough call that might not ever need to be made.
I’d like promising youngster Heath Chapman in the back-line, but with similar types Luke Ryan and Hayden Young automatic selections it makes it hard if you’re also playing three tall defenders.

Geelong recruit Jordan Clark made it clear his favourite position is half-back so, given the big investment the Fremantle have made in him, that’s where I would put him.

It’s meant leaving out solid options like Chapman, Ethan Hughes and Brandon Walker but I think every effort has to go towards ensuring the Clark trade is a success so he should play where he’s most comfortable to begin with.

Youngster Liam Henry has been left in the wake of fellow top-10 draft picks Caleb Serong and Young, but the 20-year-old could be ready for a breakout season.

Young forward Liam Henry will have to fight for his spot at Fremantle.

Young forward Liam Henry will have to fight for his spot at Fremantle. Credit: Steve Bell/AFL Photos/via AFL Photos
Henry enjoyed a brilliant summer on the track last year so if he can stack another strong pre-season on top of that and put on a bit more size, he should be well placed.
Having said that, he’s played just three WAFL league matches in his life and allowing him to gain some confidence at the lower level early in the season wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
"Pondering theoretical line-ups for Fremantle is a bit like asking who your ideal date would be. You can always dream but it doesn’t mean it’s ever going to happen." Most accurate thing in there
 

Shaymuhz

Club Legend
Nov 12, 2006
1,118
370
1060 West Addison
AFL Club
Fremantle
Not necessarily my 'best' 22, but I think I would go from 6 to midnight if I saw this lineup come through on the Thursday before R1. Priority is speed and flair, with something to kick to up forward.

FB: Ryan, Pearce, Cox
HB: Walker, Logue, Chapman
C: Frederick, Young, Henry
HF: Switkowski, Taberner, Walters
FF: Sturt, Lobb, Fyfe

Ruck: Darcy, Brayshaw, Serong
Bench: Mundy, Treacy, Clark, Wilson

Walters, Fyfe and sometimes Switta rotating through the middle + Mundy and Clark off the bench should gives us cover there without needing to run C-graders like Blakely or Tucker. Also means there's a spot for Brodie or Valente if they can put together a decent pre-season.

Obvious one out of position is Young, but I saw enough last year of him moving through traffic that I'd be throwing him in as the Cerra replacement given how stacked we are down back.

Like I said, probably not best 22 but fmd it'd be exciting
 

Scham

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 19, 2004
22,432
20,451
AFL Club
Fremantle
Not necessarily my 'best' 22, but I think I would go from 6 to midnight if I saw this lineup come through on the Thursday before R1. Priority is speed and flair, with something to kick to up forward.

FB: Ryan, Pearce, Cox
HB: Walker, Logue, Chapman
C: Frederick, Young, Henry
HF: Switkowski, Taberner, Walters
FF: Sturt, Lobb, Fyfe

Ruck: Darcy, Brayshaw, Serong
Bench: Mundy, Treacy, Clark, Wilson

Walters, Fyfe and sometimes Switta rotating through the middle + Mundy and Clark off the bench should gives us cover there without needing to run C-graders like Blakely or Tucker. Also means there's a spot for Brodie or Valente if they can put together a decent pre-season.

Obvious one out of position is Young, but I saw enough last year of him moving through traffic that I'd be throwing him in as the Cerra replacement given how stacked we are down back.

Like I said, probably not best 22 but fmd it'd be exciting

A good side that's crying out for a nimble, clever small forward.
 

Heart Of Purple

All Australian
Mar 26, 2018
676
815
AFL Club
Fremantle
A good side that's crying out for a nimble, clever small forward.

There’s a few options in that side but nothing proven.
Walters could get back to his best or he could drop further.
Sturt/Switowski have both shown the capability but not really had a run at it.

You’d hope we pick up a small/medium forward in the draft to add to this mix.
Release blokes like Crowden/Western to play their preferred position on ball (even if it’s in the twos) and get some natural forwards in.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

wakojako

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 15, 2020
6,117
9,708
AFL Club
Fremantle
FB: Ryan, Cox, Logue
HB: Young, Pearce, Walker
C: Tucker, Serong, Clark
HF: Sturt, Treacy, Colyer
FF: Walters, Taberner, Schultz
Fol: Darcy, Fyfe, Brayshaw
Int: Mundy, Lobb, Chapman, Aish

I’d love to see this team out there. A fair bit of positional versatility on the bench too
FB: Ryan, Cox, Logue
HB: Young, Pearce, Walker
C: Freddy*, Serong, Clark
HF: Sturt, Treacy, Colyer
FF: Walters, Taberner, Schultz
Fol: Darcy, Fyfe, Brayshaw
Int: Mundy, Lobb, Switta*, Brodie*

I think I'd drop Tucker to Peel to make him earn his spot back.
Ideally you'd like Aish to join Hughes as depth
Chapman to develop at Peel
 

theGav56

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 11, 2004
29,350
29,318
Bali
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Fremantle
FB: Ryan, Cox, Logue
HB: Young, Pearce, Walker
C: Freddy*, Serong, Clark
HF: Sturt, Treacy, Colyer
FF: Walters, Taberner, Schultz
Fol: Darcy, Fyfe, Brayshaw
Int: Mundy, Lobb, Switta*, Brodie*

I think I'd drop Tucker to Peel to make him earn his spot back.
Ideally you'd like Aish to join Hughes as depth
Chapman to develop at Peel
Tucker needs to earn his spot at Peel, but Brodie is best 22?
 

wakojako

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 15, 2020
6,117
9,708
AFL Club
Fremantle
Tucker needs to earn his spot at Peel, but Brodie is best 22?
They are different positions. Tucker/Freddy are interchangeable and whomever impresses most in preseaon I'm happy to place on the wing round 1. Brodie is an inside mid and can slot straight into b22 based on his vfl performance.
 

wahooo

Club Legend
Oct 9, 2019
1,905
3,228
AFL Club
Fremantle
They are different positions. Tucker/Freddy are interchangeable and whomever impresses most in preseaon I'm happy to place on the wing round 1. Brodie is an inside mid and can slot straight into b22 based on his vfl performance.
Freddy is overrated on this board.

I love him too and do not doubt that he will be great on a wing in time. For mine, unless Freddy has a ripper preseason, he starts behind Tucker. Would definitely have Freddy at Peel instead of Tucker.

Whether or not Freddy may find a way into the forward line is a different question. I think it's far more likely Freddy will see more game time up forward this year than on the wing.
 

wakojako

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 15, 2020
6,117
9,708
AFL Club
Fremantle
Freddy is overrated on this board.

I love him too and do not doubt that he will be great on a wing in time. For mine, unless Freddy has a ripper preseason, he starts behind Tucker. Would definitely have Freddy at Peel instead of Tucker.

Whether or not Freddy may find a way into the forward line is a different question. I think it's far more likely Freddy will see more game time up forward this year than on the wing.
Happy for him to develop as a winger at Peel. He's not a natural forward and we need to stop playing those types of players on the forwardline.
 

Schauermann

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 27, 2011
7,310
5,005
Hamburg
AFL Club
Fremantle
I am a fan of Darcy , Not because I think he is a great player .
But his attitude is exemplary . He will be a very good player for us this year , And we will be very happy that he was not part of the Clarke trade.
Somehow agree. Mitch Robinson was never a superstar. But became very good in his role at Brisbane. Can see Tucker do a similar thing.
 

Ysaye

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 10, 2005
5,146
6,599
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Fremantle
How many B- (or worse) players were in our 2013 side that got pretty close to a flag? 5? 6? 7? 8?

No one actually attempted to answer the question so I will give it a go, bearing in mind there is no objective definition of what a B- player is:

1. Matt DeBoer
2. Nick Suban
3. Cameron Sutcliffe
4. Daniel Pearce
5. Chris Mayne
6. Zac Dawson
7. Tendai Mzungu

So seven would be my answer. Was tempted to throw Ryan Crowley in there too.
 
Nov 30, 2018
6,929
17,171
AFL Club
Fremantle
No one actually attempted to answer the question so I will give it a go, bearing in mind there is no objective definition of what a B- player is:

1. Matt DeBoer
2. Nick Suban
3. Cameron Sutcliffe
4. Daniel Pearce
5. Chris Mayne
6. Zac Dawson
7. Tendai Mzungu

So seven would be my answer. Was tempted to throw Ryan Crowley in there too.
Zac Clarke, Alex Silvagni and Jack Hannath were all named or emergencies in the GF too. That’s 10 out of 25. Lee Spurr a great clubman but he’s on the fence of b and c grade too
 

Docker82

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 21, 2013
8,661
14,219
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
No one actually attempted to answer the question so I will give it a go, bearing in mind there is no objective definition of what a B- player is:

1. Matt DeBoer
2. Nick Suban
3. Cameron Sutcliffe
4. Daniel Pearce
5. Chris Mayne
6. Zac Dawson
7. Tendai Mzungu

So seven would be my answer. Was tempted to throw Ryan Crowley in there too.

The same Chris Mayne that made the All Australian 40 in 2013? There’s also no way Crowley, Mzungu or Pearce weren’t playing at a much higher level in 2013.

We’ve got to judge on 2013 alone. If we do Neale and Spurr are way below the three I’ve listed above. What they did after 2013 is irrelevant to this conversation.

Also you missed the biggest spud that played that day - Zac Clarke.

Either way it’s too many borderline players. I say that Crowley, Mzungu and Pearce were way better than the others in 2013 but they’re the sorts that are bottom six in most Premiership sides. All we needed was one or two decent players (Ballantyne comes to mind) to have howlers and we’re ****ed.
 

Ysaye

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 10, 2005
5,146
6,599
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Fremantle
The same Chris Mayne that made the All Australian 40 in 2013? There’s also no way Crowley, Mzungu or Pearce weren’t playing at a much higher level in 2013.

We’ve got to judge on 2013 alone. If we do Neale and Spurr are way below the three I’ve listed above. What they did after 2013 is irrelevant to this conversation.

Also you missed the biggest spud that played that day - Zac Clarke.

Either way it’s too many borderline players. I say that Crowley, Mzungu and Pearce were way better than the others in 2013 but they’re the sorts that are bottom six in most Premiership sides. All we needed was one or two decent players (Ballantyne comes to mind) to have howlers and we’re ****ed.

The issue is whether a player is defined as a "particular level" based upon their overall capability to influence a game, or their performances at a point in time? The latter is highly influenced by the team which they are in and the earlier point; For mine if I put the same Mayne, Crowley or Mzungu in 2013 into a not high performing team and they are probably much less well performing players.

When people say Logue is "a spud", or Tucker is only a "B grade" talent, I honestly don't know what that means. I can more easily judge them on what they are capable of doing or not. Are players like Logue and Tucker capable of being players in a premiership side? Sure. Afterall, Melbourne had these players in the team who arguably had similar or lesser levels of capability: Spargo, Petty, Sparrow, Bowey, Neal-Bullen, Hibberd, Langdon, Rivers?

But yes I did forget Zak Clarke - he was so forgettable....
 

poshman

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 13, 2006
6,412
7,802
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
One of the questions of the year surrounds Walters. Before anyone gets cranky - yes he has been a great player.

There are a couple of huge things we need answered and to understand so we can mange the list well:

1 - was last season due to a poor preseason?
2 - was last season the beginning of a sharp decline?
3 - was it due to a poor preseason but we can expect him to be better this year.
4 - due to poor preseason, he will improve but slowly decline.
5 - is he no longer a fwd / mid? Is he now a Mid who can go fwd?

IMO there were groups of games where he was very poor. Sometimes players who have reached his levels decline and we can be harsh on their performance even though what they produce is better than most. Last season, due to injuries I am not sure we had a better option. He finished the season in the 22 so unless he is horrible during preseason he should be in the 22. Having said that on form for small/mid sized forwards he was probably equal 4th on performance.

If his best position is as a mid, then I am not sure he goes higher in the pecking order. He could play Cerra's role (cover), but that would possibly be at the expense of the top ten pick midfielder we bring in.

If we are going to contest for finals this season I don't think we can try to play him into form. Are people here backing him as a B22 lock up forward?
 

Bring back Drum

Mundy4Hundy
Jul 8, 2019
3,380
10,231
AFL Club
Fremantle
One of the questions of the year surrounds Walters. Before anyone gets cranky - yes he has been a great player.

There are a couple of huge things we need answered and to understand so we can mange the list well:

1 - was last season due to a poor preseason?
2 - was last season the beginning of a sharp decline?
3 - was it due to a poor preseason but we can expect him to be better this year.
4 - due to poor preseason, he will improve but slowly decline.
5 - is he no longer a fwd / mid? Is he now a Mid who can go fwd?

IMO there were groups of games where he was very poor. Sometimes players who have reached his levels decline and we can be harsh on their performance even though what they produce is better than most. Last season, due to injuries I am not sure we had a better option. He finished the season in the 22 so unless he is horrible during preseason he should be in the 22. Having said that on form for small/mid sized forwards he was probably equal 4th on performance.

If his best position is as a mid, then I am not sure he goes higher in the pecking order. He could play Cerra's role (cover), but that would possibly be at the expense of the top ten pick midfielder we bring in.

If we are going to contest for finals this season I don't think we can try to play him into form. Are people here backing him as a B22 lock up forward?
Unless injury prevents it, he starts. Interestingly I thought his last game this season when he got injured was his best effort game, but things didn’t go right for him on the day.
If he brings that effort week in week out, I’d back him to get back to his best.
 
Back