Prediction 2026 Best 23 Discussion

[King Huskii]

The season hasn't even started and we are still debating the fact that OMeara and Banfield are clearly not best 23.

JL unfortunately thinks so

 

[Boomer93]

The season hasn't even started and we are still debating the fact that OMeara and Banfield are clearly not best 23.

JL unfortunately thinks so

The state of origin selectors also thought Jaeger was best 23. He performed pretty well in that too.

Jaeger has his limitations but people are very harsh on him imo. Considering how weak our wing options are hes rightly inside our best 23 atm. I trust him far more than Johnson, Erasmus, Noddy or Sharp on the wing, and the first 2 are also currently in the 23.

 

[King Huskii]

The state of origin selectors also thought Jaeger was best 23. He performed pretty well in that too.

Jaeger has his limitations but people are very harsh on him imo. Considering how weak our wing options are hes rightly inside our best 23 atm. I trust him far more than Johnson, Erasmus, Noddy or Sharp on the wing, and the first 2 are also currently in the 23.

He's ahead of Sharp as Sharp can't kick and NOD not much better. I'd much prefer Johnson and Erasmus to JOM. They have more upside.

 

[Jezzitizle]

No point debating whether Jom gets a contract yet, it will come down to what happens in season.

I do wonder though whether players in our midfield are given roles that aren’t going to give them touches - covering opposition players spitting out the front of a stoppage, picking up the man of one of our guns like people used to do for Fyfe, clogging up critical space to stop quick oppo plays etc etc.

Pretty hard to identify without knowing those instructions, if there are any.

 

[Boomer93]

He's ahead of Sharp as Sharp can't kick and NOD not much better. I'd much prefer Johnson and Erasmus to JOM. They have more upside.

Erasmus and Johnson both have more upside but we arent rebuilding anymore, we need to win games of footy. If the grand final was tomorrow i would be picking JOM over both 100%. This may change as the season progresses however i think its pretty harsh to judge JL for picking his best side right now.

 

[Docker82]

Erasmus and Johnson both have more upside but we arent rebuilding anymore, we need to win games of footy. If the grand final was tomorrow i would be picking JOM over both 100%. This may change as the season progresses however i think its pretty harsh to judge JL for picking his best side right now.

All three were picked last week and I'm not sure we're have any additional midfielders to bring in.

We played with 23 most of the game last week btw with Draper making a cameo appearance in the second half.

Think there's a very high chance we don't differ much in terms of the types of players we pick for round one. The changes will be an injured player returning for a depth player that plays the same role.

 

[pK75]

The season hasn't even started and we are still debating the fact that OMeara and Banfield are clearly not best 23.

JL unfortunately thinks so

Except banners wasn’t in the 23, came in as an emergency when Worner was pulled out last minute.

 

[Boomer93]

All three were picked last week and I'm not sure we're have any additional midfielders to bring in.

We played with 23 most of the game last week btw with Draper making a cameo appearance in the second half.

Think there's a very high chance we don't differ much in terms of the types of players we pick for round one. The changes will be an injured player returning for a depth player that plays the same role.

Yeah i agree, im pretty sold on this line up atm and i think JL is too:

Ryan Cox Chapman
Clark Pearce McVee

Wagner Serong Omeara
Jackson Brayshaw Young

Reid Treacy Switkowski
Bolton Voss Amiss

Walker Johnson Erasmus Frederick Darcy

-

HBF: Banfield, Simpson, Worner
KB: Draper, Mcdonald
M/Wing: Odriscall, Sharp, Sweid
HFF: Dudley, Murray
Ruck: Cox


My point was that im getting a bit tired of seeing JL hammered for picking guys like Jaeger, when Jaeger should imo be picked ahead of players that are already in the side, nevermind those outside the 23.

People keep calling JL safe with selections when he has proven plenty of times he is willing to take risks when he thinks he should, even when the stakes are highest, like Amiss for the elim final. Dudley got picked plenty of times despite struggling with cardio. Murphy Reid debuted rd 1. He has played with 3 key fwds and 2 rucks when the general consensus was it wouldnt work.

JL isnt risk averse imo, he just picks what he thinks gives us the best chance of winning that week, and most of the time that is going to be the experianced option.

 

[Duz97]

Yeah i agree, im pretty sold on this line up atm and i think JL is too:

Ryan Cox Chapman
Clark Pearce McVee

Wagner Serong Omeara
Jackson Brayshaw Young

Reid Treacy Switkowski
Bolton Voss Amiss

Walker Johnson Erasmus Frederick Darcy

-

HBF: Banfield, Simpson, Worner
KB: Draper, Mcdonald
M/Wing: Odriscall, Sharp, Sweid
HFF: Dudley, Murray
Ruck: Cox


My point was that im getting a bit tired of seeing JL hammered for picking guys like Jaeger, when Jaeger should imo be picked ahead of players that are already in the side, nevermind those outside the 23.

People keep calling JL safe with selections when he has proven plenty of times he is willing to take risks when he thinks he should, even when the stakes are highest, like Amiss for the elim final. Dudley got picked plenty of times despite struggling with cardio. Murphy Reid debuted rd 1. He has played with 3 key fwds and 2 rucks when the general consensus was it wouldnt work.

JL isnt risk averse imo, he just picks what he thinks gives us the best chance of winning that week, and most of the time that is going to be the experianced option.

I’d prefer to play tobyn over jom because if we can win games early while he’s getting use to afl level his potential to be a mannagh type out weighs joms output come finals

 

[Lach72]

I’d replace him with Lachie Neale. Besides Bolton who I don’t think inspires people to go to the next level. None of our players have or know how to win a flag. Neale can help

Wouldn’t be against it

 

[pK75]

Yeah i agree, im pretty sold on this line up atm and i think JL is too:

Ryan Cox Chapman
Clark Pearce McVee

Wagner Serong Omeara
Jackson Brayshaw Young

Reid Treacy Switkowski
Bolton Voss Amiss

Walker Johnson Erasmus Frederick Darcy

-

HBF: Banfield, Simpson, Worner
KB: Draper, Mcdonald
M/Wing: Odriscall, Sharp, Sweid
HFF: Dudley, Murray
Ruck: Cox


My point was that im getting a bit tired of seeing JL hammered for picking guys like Jaeger, when Jaeger should imo be picked ahead of players that are already in the side, nevermind those outside the 23.

People keep calling JL safe with selections when he has proven plenty of times he is willing to take risks when he thinks he should, even when the stakes are highest, like Amiss for the elim final. Dudley got picked plenty of times despite struggling with cardio. Murphy Reid debuted rd 1. He has played with 3 key fwds and 2 rucks when the general consensus was it wouldnt work.

JL isnt risk averse imo, he just picks what he thinks gives us the best chance of winning that week, and most of the time that is going to be the experianced option.

I tend to agree, a couple of years ago Aish was a lock despite others with more upside coming through, then one day he wasn’t and spent the rest of the year at Peel. The onus is on those coming up to displace those in the team, we are not gifting games anymore.

 

[King Huskii]

Erasmus and Johnson both have more upside but we arent rebuilding anymore, we need to win games of footy. If the grand final was tomorrow i would be picking JOM over both 100%. This may change as the season progresses however i think its pretty harsh to judge JL for picking his best side right now.

Imo they are better players than omera

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Bit of weird thought, as they are all good defenders in their own right. But i cant help but feel that 99% of our speed of ball movement issues are due to having Ryan, Pearce, and B Cox in the same team.

Is there a spot for all 3 in our B23?

 

[Jezzitizle]

Bit of weird thought, as they are all good defenders in their own right. But i cant help but feel that 99% of our speed of ball movement issues are due to having Ryan, Pearce, and B Cox in the same team.

Is there a spot for all 3 in our B23?

Pearce seems to play on a bit, especially when we need to take the game on.

Ryan and Cox tend to get a lot of their possessions very deep, don’t think they go more slowly than other sides. Both in contests where it isn’t so easy to just play on.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Pearce seems to play on a bit, especially when we need to take the game on.

Ryan and Cox tend to get a lot of their possessions very deep, don’t think they go more slowly than other sides. Both in contests where it isn’t so easy to just play on.

Funnily enough, since my post i saw an interview where JL said pretty much the same thing as this. We go faster when we win possession closer to goal. I suppose its why we look so bad and slow when we lose contested ball around the ground.

 

[_007_]

Last b23 before season 2026

FB: Walker Pearce Simpson
HB: McVee B Cox Chapman
C: Wagner Young Clark
HF: Reid Treacy Switkowski
FF: Amiss Voss Bolton

R: Darcy Serong Brayshaw

I: Jackson Ryan Frederick Erasmus Johnson

E: O'Meara McDonald Murray Worner M Cox

 

[Stevooo3940]

Get this team on the park and we are booking tickets to the big dance;
FB: Walker Pearce Ryan
HB: Clark Cox Young
C: Erasmus Brayshaw O'Driscoll
HF: Scerri Treacy Reid
FF: Dudley Voss Amiss
Ruck: Jackson Serong Bolton
Bench: Wagner McVee Johnson Switta/Murray Darcy/Cox