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Strategy 2025 | Let's Construct Our Best 22 | Part 2: Defenders

Which six players should fill the defender positions in a pre-2025 Best 22?

  • #1 Steven May

    Votes: 31 96.9%
  • #3 Christian Salem

    Votes: 8 25.0%
  • #4 Judd McVee

    Votes: 30 93.8%
  • #8 Jake Lever

    Votes: 26 81.3%
  • #17 Jake Bowey

    Votes: 7 21.9%
  • #20 Xavier Lindsay

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • #22 Blake Howes

    Votes: 6 18.8%
  • #24 Trent Rivers

    Votes: 24 75.0%
  • #25 Tom McDonald

    Votes: 10 31.3%
  • #26 Jed Adams

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • #27 Marty Hore

    Votes: 2 6.3%
  • #35 Harrison Petty

    Votes: 23 71.9%
  • #39 Ricky Mentha

    Votes: 1 3.1%
  • #40 Taj Woewodin

    Votes: 3 9.4%
  • #45 Andy Moniz-Wakefield

    Votes: 11 34.4%

  • Total voters
    32
  • Poll closed .

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Results from Part One:

1| Max Gawn (91.2%)
1| Clayton Oliver (91.2%)
3| Christian Petracca (67.6%)
3| Ed Langdon (67.6%)
5| Jack Viney (64.7%)
6| Caleb Windsor (61.8%)
---------------------------------
6| Trent Rivers (61.8%)
8| Harvey Langford (38.2%)
9| Xavier Lindsay (11.8%)

Harry Sharp, Kynan Brown, Jack Billings, Will Verrall, Tom Campbell, Tom Sparrow, Bailey Laurie (<10%).

Tiebreaker for 6th place means that the middle six stays the exact same as last year's vote and that Rivers has to go through the Defenders vote now.

Part 2 is looking at the defending six:
FB: Back Pocket | Full Back | Back Pocket
HB: Half Back Flank | Centre Half Back | Half Back Flank

Please vote for the six players you'd want to fill those positions. Voting ends Feb 14th.

Framework: We are pretending that everyone on the list is fit, uninjured and unsuspended, the only thing holding players back being age and inexperience. This isn't a Round 1 team either, just the Best 22 team against a random opponent in random weather conditions in a random round.

In the poll above are every player I've seen listed as a defender in either DreamTeam, SuperCoach and/or the Best 22 thread... Happy Voting! :smallfooty:

Post-2009 team:
B: James Frawley | Matthew Warnock | Colin Garland
HB: Jamie Bennell | Jared Rivers | Cameron Bruce
C: Cale Morton | Colin Sylvia | Aaron Davey
HF: Jack Watts | Matthew Bate | Brad Green
F: Ricky Petterd | Liam Jurrah | Austin Wonaeamirri
R: Mark Jamar | Brent Moloney | Jack Grimes
INT: James McDonald | Stefan Martin | Nathan Jones | Sam Blease

E: Brad Miller | Neville Jetta | John Meesen

2016 team:
B: Neville Jetta | Lynden Dunn (vc) | Colin Garland
HB: Christian Salem | Tom McDonald | Tomas Bugg
C: Dom Tyson | Bernie Vince | Angus Brayshaw
HF: Christian Petracca | Cam Pedersen | Dean Kent
F: Jeff Garlett | Jesse Hogan | Jack Watts
R: Max Gawn | Nathan Jones (c) | Jack Viney
INT: Aaron vandenBerg | Sam Frost | Jack Grimes | James Harmes

E: Billy Stretch | Heritier Lumumba | Jack Trengove

2017 team:
FB: Neville Jetta | Oscar McDonald | Tom McDonald
HB: Jayden Hunt | Sam Frost | Michael Hibberd
C: Jordan Lewis | Clayton Oliver | Dom Tyson
HF: Christian Petracca | Jesse Hogan | Dean Kent
FF: Jeff Garlett | Cam Pedersen | Jack Watts
R: Max Gawn | Nathan Jones | Jack Viney
INT: Angus Brayshaw | Christian Salem | Billy Stretch | Bernie Vince

E: Jake Melksham | Aaron vandenBerg | Tomas Bugg

IN FROM 2016: Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver, Billy Stretch
OUT FROM 2016: Lynden Dunn, Colin Garland, Tomas Bugg, Aaron vandenBerg, Jack Grimes, James Harmes


2018 team:
FB: Neville Jetta | Oscar McDonald | Jake Lever
HB: Jayden Hunt | Sam Frost | Michael Hibberd
C: Angus Brayshaw | Dom Tyson | Nathan Jones
HF: Jake Melksham | Jesse Hogan | Christian Petracca
FF: Jeff Garlett | Tom McDonald | Mitch Hannan
R: Max Gawn | Clayton Oliver | Jack Viney
INT: Christian Salem | Alex Neal-Bullen | Jordan Lewis | James Harmes

E: Cam Pedersen | Bernie Vince | Corey Maynard | Joel Smith

IN FROM 2017: Jake Lever, Jake Melksham, Mitch Hannan, Alex Neal-Bullen, James Harmes
OUT FROM 2017: Jack Watts, Dean Kent, Cam Pedersen, Billy Stretch, Bernie Vince


2019 team:
FB: Neville Jetta | Steven May | Jake Lever
HB: Michael Hibberd | Oscar McDonald | Christian Salem
C: Angus Brayshaw | James Harmes | Nathan Jones
HF: Christian Petracca | Sam Weideman | Alex Neal-Bullen
FF: Jake Melksham | Tom McDonald | Aaron vandenBerg
R: Max Gawn | Clayton Oliver | Jack Viney
INT: Bayley Fritsch | Kade Kolodjashnij | Charlie Spargo | Jordan Lewis

E: Mitch Hannan | Braydon Preuss | Billy Stretch | Sam Frost

IN FROM 2018: Steven May, Sam Weideman, Aaron vandenBerg, Bayley Fritsch, Kade Kolodjashnij, Charlie Spargo
OUT FROM 2018: Dom Tyson, Jesse Hogan, Jayden Hunt, Sam Frost, Jeff Garlett, Mitch Hannan


2020 team:
FB: Neville Jetta | Steven May | Marty Hore
HB: Michael Hibberd | Jake Lever | Christian Salem
C: Ed Langdon | Jack Viney (vc) | James Harmes
HF: Christian Petracca | Jake Melksham | Bayley Fritsch
FF: Kysaiah Pickett | Tom McDonald | Sam Weideman
R: Max Gawn (c) | Clayton Oliver | Angus Brayshaw
INT: Aaron vandenBerg | Nathan Jones | Adam Tomlinson | Mitch Brown

E: Luke Jackson | Jayden Hunt | Harley Bennell | Jay Lockhart

IN FROM 2019: Ed Langdon, Marty Hore, Kysaiah Pickett, Adam Tomlinson, Mitch Brown
OUT FROM 2019: Jordan Lewis, Oscar McDonald, Alex Neal-Bullen, Kade Kolojashnij, Charlie Spargo


2021 team:
FB: Michael Hibberd | Steven May | Trent Rivers
HB: Christian Salem | Jake Lever | Adam Tomlinson
C: Ed Langdon | Jack Viney (vc) | James Harmes
HF: Luke Jackson | Sam Weideman | Bayley Fritsch
FF: Kysaiah Pickett | Ben Brown | Charlie Spargo
R: Max Gawn (c) | Clayton Oliver | Christian Petracca
INT: Angus Brayshaw | Jayden Hunt | Jay Lockhart | Tom McDonald

E: Jake Melksham | Bailey Laurie | Neville Jetta | Oskar Baker

IN FROM 2020: Trent Rivers, Ben Brown, Luke Jackson, Charlie Spargo, Jayden Hunt, Jay Lockhart
OUT FROM 2020: Neville Jetta, Marty Hore, Jake Melksham, Aaron vandenBerg, Nathan Jones, Mitch Brown


2022 team:
FB: Trent Rivers | Steven May | Jake Lever
HB: Jake Bowey | Harrison Petty | Christian Salem
C: Ed Langdon | Jack Viney (vc) | Angus Brayshaw
HF: Kysaiah Pickett | Tom McDonald | Alex Neal-Bullen
FF: Charlie Spargo | Ben Brown | Bayley Fritsch
R: Max Gawn (c) | Clayton Oliver | Christian Petracca
INT: Luke Jackson | James Harmes | Tom Sparrow | Adam Tomlinson | James Jordon (sub)

E: Jayden Hunt | Michael Hibberd | Luke Dunstan

IN FROM 2021: Harrison Petty, Jake Bowey, Alex Neal-Bullen, Tom Sparrow, James Jordon (sub)
OUT FROM 2021: Jay Lockhart, Michael Hibberd, Sam Weideman, Jayden Hunt


2023 team:
FB: Jake Bowey | Steven May | Jake Lever
HB: Angus Brayshaw | Harrison Petty | Christian Salem
C: Ed Langdon | Christian Petracca | Lachie Hunter
HF: Charlie Spargo | Tom McDonald | Alex Neal-Bullen
FF: Kysaiah Pickett | Jacob van Rooyen | Bayley Fritsch
R: Max Gawn (c) | Jack Viney (vc) | Clayton Oliver
INT: Brodie Grundy | James Harmes | Tom Sparrow | Trent Rivers | Michael Hibberd (sub)

E: Kade Chandler | James Jordon | Joel Smith

IN FROM 2022: Lachie Hunter, Jacob van Rooyen, Brodie Grundy, Michael Hibberd (sub)
OUT FROM 2022: Luke Jackson, Ben Brown, Adam Tomlinson, James Jordon (sub)


2024 team:
FB: Judd McVee | Steven May | Jake Lever
HB: Jake Bowey | Adam Tomlinson | Trent Rivers
C: Ed Langdon | Clayton Oliver | Caleb Windsor
HF: Kysaiah Pickett | Jacob van Rooyen | Alex Neal-Bullen
FF: Shane McAdam | Harrison Petty | Bayley Fritsch
R: Max Gawn | Jack Viney | Christian Petracca
INT: Jack Billings | Tom Sparrow | Kade Chandler | Christian Salem | Lachie Hunter (sub)

E: Kynan Brown | Bailey Laurie | Charlie Spargo

IN FROM 2023: Caleb Windsor, Judd McVee, Adam Tomlinson, Shane McAdam, Jack Billings, Kade Chandler
OUT FROM 2023: Brodie Grundy, James Harmes, Michael Hibberd (sub), Angus Brayshaw, Charlie Spargo, Tom McDonald

2025 team so far:
FB: Back Pocket | Full Back | Back Pocket
HB: Half Back Flank | Centre Half Back | Half Back Flank
C: Ed Langdon | Jack Viney | Caleb Windsor
HF: Half Forward Flank | Centre Half Forward | Half Forward Flank
FF: Forward Pocket | Full Forward | Forward Pocket
R: Max Gawn | Clayton Oliver | Christian Petracca
INT: Interchange | Interchange | Interchange | Interchange | Sub

E: Emergency | Emergency | Emergency

IN FROM 2024:
OUT FROM 2024:
Adam Tomlinson, Alex Neal-Bullen, Lachie Hunter (sub)
 

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Riv to midfield. I put Howes in place of Riv. I thought he showed enough last year to deserve first crack
Agree - I had Rivers in my starting six midfielders - but prefer Rivers at HBF if not midfield.
 
I went for Wo-Ju over AMW, but would be happy with either. Think the extra runner back there would be handy, especially if Riv is up the ground more
I'm not convinced Woey jnr has what it takes at AFL level. Just looks a class below. Glad you have confidence in him as I'd love to see him succeed. He certainly has the drive and work ethic, I'm just not sure he has the weapons to be a starting 22 player. I think a spot in that back 6, particularly off half back flank is an open position. There's a number of players who could roll through that spot. As long as it's not Salem I'll be happy.
 
I'm not convinced Woey jnr has what it takes at AFL level. Just looks a class below. Glad you have confidence in him as I'd love to see him succeed. He certainly has the drive and work ethic, I'm just not sure he has the weapons to be a starting 22 player. I think a spot in that back 6, particularly off half back flank is an open position. There's a number of players who could roll through that spot. As long as it's not Salem I'll be happy.
I tend to agree on WoJu, however I'm happy to wait until he hopefully gets a decent run this season before calling it.
 

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Riv to midfield. I put Howes in place of Riv. I thought he showed enough last year to deserve first crack
and a fraction taller. I went with May, TMc and Petty... plus McVee, Lindsay and Bowey.

Not so confident in Lever's ability to get the ball moving offensively, and he's a liability with the ball deep and under pressure.

McVee, Lindsay and Bowey give us the future for attacking ball movement.
 
I'm not convinced Woey jnr has what it takes at AFL level. Just looks a class below. Glad you have confidence in him as I'd love to see him succeed. He certainly has the drive and work ethic, I'm just not sure he has the weapons to be a starting 22 player. I think a spot in that back 6, particularly off half back flank is an open position. There's a number of players who could roll through that spot. As long as it's not Salem I'll be happy.
Fair. It is more hope than confidence at this stage, but if he doesn't get stuck as permasub I'm hoping he shows more/settles into a role.
 

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I decided to be sensible this time after going a bit crazy with my midfield.

Mentha and Adams scream All Australians.

Lindsay is an automatic selection given he's neither Salem or Bowey.

Lever needs some time to develop at Casey working on his one on one defending.
 

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Strategy 2025 | Let's Construct Our Best 22 | Part 2: Defenders


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