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No Oppo Supporters 2023 General AFL Discussion - incl. AFL Grand Final

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Why can't Wicks become a defender ?
My question would be why? He showed early on and again in several games later this season, that he can be a good to elite pressure forward.

I'd rather just keep him there, form and injury dependent, then draft someone for the defender role to be ready when Cunners and Fox go. Which we had done with Rankin, Vickery, now just Vickery. Maybe Magor stays down back too.
 
My question would be why? He showed early on and again in several games later this season, that he can be a good to elite pressure forward.

I'd rather just keep him there, form and injury dependent, then draft someone for the defender role to be ready when Cunners and Fox go. Which we had done with Rankin, Vickery, now just Vickery. Maybe Magor stays down back too.
Just saying it's worth a try , he doesn't do enough forward
 
Cmon', Wicks is a fine, nice generally effective player but he has not shown to be an 'elite forward' even when narrowing it down to 'elite pressure forward'

After six years on the list he is still not even best 22 - tho clearly it is a strong team.
 
Cmon', Wicks is a fine, nice generally effective player but he has not shown to be an 'elite forward' even when narrowing it down to 'elite pressure forward'

After six years on the list he is still not even best 22 - tho clearly it is a strong team.
That's not quite what I said. I said he has shown he can be a good to elite pressure forward. He was considered elite in the first half of 2021, and he was good after he came back from his suspension this year. There was a lot of time in between those two periods, and despite a few good games here and there, he was inconsistent or out of form. I didn't even have him in my Best 22 at the start of 2022 and copped a lot of heat.

That's why I said he "can be" good to elite, and the signs later this year were promising. Also, we have no-one better in that role at this point, though I wouldn't mind Campbell moving forward.

Also, he was Best 22 for most of 2021, and more relevant, the latter stages of this year, so I'd say he's a strong chance to be Best 22 come Round 1. And it's 5 years, he wasn't drafted at 18.
 

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That's not quite what I said. I said he has shown he can be a good to elite pressure forward. He was considered elite in the first half of 2021, and he was good after he came back from his suspension this year. There was a lot of time in between those two periods, and despite a few good games here and there, he was inconsistent or out of form. I didn't even have him in my Best 22 at the start of 2022 and copped a lot of heat.

That's why I said he "can be" good to elite, and the signs later this year were promising. Also, we have no-one better in that role at this point, though I wouldn't mind Campbell moving forward.
Campbell and Gulden on opposite wings , elite kicking , this is better off the daft thread
 
Also, he was Best 22 for most of 2021, and more relevant, the latter stages of this year, so I'd say he's a strong chance to be Best 22 come Round 1. And it's 5 years, he wasn't drafted at 18.

He was not elite in 2021.

If there are 10 more wrestling incidents maybe he makes the team. Elsewise its reserves all year. Three talls, Heeney and Hayward, Papley.. Pretty straight forward. Most mids can rest forward and focus on pressure

Not really a factor as a projection. Clarke was selected (bizarrely) for more games than Wicks and was then promptly de-listed (thankfully)
 
He was not elite in 2021.

If there are 10 more wrestling incidents maybe he makes the team. Elsewise its reserves all year. Three talls, Heeney and Hayward, Papley.. Pretty straight forward. Most mids can rest forward and focus on pressure

Not really a factor as a projection. Clarke was selected (bizarrely) for more games than Wicks and was then promptly de-listed (thankfully)
Fine, he was very good in the first half of 2021, easily Best 22. One of the better small forwards in the comp at the time.

Not sure what Clarke has to do with it. I said Wicks was Best 22 for the last part of this year, which is a fairly relevant factor considering we were in decent form to make finals, and this is literally the set of games preceding Round 1 next year, so being Best 22 currently will count for more than what happened in 2022, or the first part of this year.
 
Fine, he was very good in the first half of 2021, easily Best 22. One of the better small forwards in the comp at the time.

Extremely generous.

Team selection has been poor
Wicks isn't a part of the first choice forward group, there are other options with more all round games and aren't limited to one position that should be prioritised
 
Extremely generous.

Team selection has been poor
Wicks isn't a part of the first choice forward group, there are other options with more all round games and aren't limited to one position that should be prioritised
Nope, not extremely generous. I guess I'll just side with what I saw back then, what this board was raving about, and what even the Swans-ignorant AFL media were talking about.
 
Nope, not extremely generous. I guess I'll just side with what I saw back then, what this board was raving about, and what even the Swans ignorant AFL media were talking about.
11 disposals, 0.8 goals in a good (finals) team doesn't match as 'among the better small forwards', there would've been probably -2 per team contributing more substantially.

Regardless, that will be 3 seasons, and he hasn't improved and is not in our best team.
 
11 disposals, 0.8 goals in a good (finals) team doesn't match as 'among the better small forwards', there would've been probably -2 per team contributing more substantially.

Regardless, that will be 3 seasons, and he hasn't improved and is not in our best team.
Again, he is a pressure forward, using disposals and goals is superficial.

Again, I said first half of 2021. There's a reason why I said he wasn't in my Best 22 at the start of 2022, and it was because he dropped off.

He is in our best team currently. Whether that changes over the summer and into next year, we'll see.
 
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I rate Wicks. He's not a superstar, but provides pressure and can also hit the scoreboard. His game involves supporting the other forwards which he does well.

I always wonder with a player in Wick's position. Who isn't paid as well as the others, and plays a supporting role. How does he go about doing all the team stuff while also bringing himself into the game more.

I feel like he plays a pretty selfless game. And to some extent, players in that position need to be selfish every now and again to stake their place in the best 22.
 
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Re Wicks, I get the reservations about him but for me it always goes back to the same thing.

The whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts.

We just look a better team when Wicks is up and about in our front half. It feels really clear and visible to the eye in ways that aren't apparent with some other players.
 
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Re Wicks, I get the reservations about him but for me it always goes back to the same thing.

The whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts.

We just look a better team when Wicks is up and about in our front half. It feels really clear and visible to the eye in ways that aren't apparent with some other players.

I agree that we are better balanced side with him in it - my hope is that Konstanty comes on in a big way over preseason to give us the same kind of ferocious pressure and tackling alongside crisper ball use and goal nous. Under the most pressure, that's the part of Wicks' game that I fear will always just hold him back from being the top notch, well-rounded small forward we need.
 
Re Wicks, I get the reservations about him but for me it always goes back to the same thing.

The whole needs to be greater than the sum of its parts.

We just look a better team when Wicks is up and about in our front half. It feels really clear and visible to the eye in ways that aren't apparent with some other players.
This is how I feel about Wicks. When I create a best 22 it's easy to overlook him, but when he's in the side you don't want to drop him.

If he did more selfish work he could very well standout but we do perform better when he's in the team
 

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Looking at our best 22 ahead of next season, I actually think Wicks would be a good sub. In a similar mould to how Ginnivan did it for Collingwood this season.

It's time we stop with the tall sub for cover (who doesn't even come on sometimes) and go for impact, Wicks could do this pretty much better than anyone imo.
 
AFL has floated with clubs a Sydney-focused split round to begin the 2024 season, with both the Giants and the Swans to host blockbuster standalone fixtures across an earlier weekend of action.

While it's been beneficial for me being based in SA these days, I thought it was an opportunity lost for the AFL to grow the game not having Gather Round in Sydney. People would've jumped at the chance of going to Sydney for the footy.

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