- Nov 23, 2015
- 11,862
- 17,576
- AFL Club
- GWS
- Moderator
- #1
Congratulations to both St Kilda and GWS, two sides who missed the 8 last season, but improved to make it into finals in season 2023. Both sides have ridden the wave of new coaches - Ross 'The Boss' Lyon for the Saints and Adam Kingsley for GWS - to progress to the finals series. However, the route to the finals has been significantly different for each. For St Kilda, it all seemed to come together early in the year, despite early injuries, and they have never been out of the top 8. In contrast, GWS went 3-7 to start the season, and still sat fourth last in round 12, before going on a 7-game winning streak to hit the 8, then lose two games and drop out, before sealing a spot in the finals by defeating fifth on the ladder in the very last home and away game. A huge effort by Adam Kingsley and the team, setting a number of records along the way, including equalling the most venues in which a team was victorious in a season. In fact, (I think) for the first time ever, GWS has a better away record than a home record. We'll need to call on every ounce of that experience if we are to go deep into September this year. But let's just start with the first game: St Kilda vs GWS at the 'G on Saturday afternoon next.
Here's the AFL.com.au mock team for St Kilda:
ST KILDA
B: Josh Battle, Callum Wilkie, Jimmy Webster
HB: Zaine Cordy, Jack Sinclair, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
C: Mitch Owens, Seb Ross, Mason Wood
HF: Jade Gresham, Brad Hill, Jack Higgins
F: Tim Membrey, Max King, Mattaes Phillipou
Foll: Rowan Marshall, Jack Steele, Brad Crouch
I/C: Liam Stocker, Dan Butler, Cooper Sharman, Marcus Windhager
Emerg: Ryan Byrnes, Hunter Clark, Jack Hayes, Jack Billings
In: Seb Ross, Max King
Out: Hunter Clark, Jack Hayes
UNAVAILABLE: Daniel McKenzie, Zak Jones
They have a solid team with strong scoring capacity across their talls (Max King in particular, who kicked 4 goals to win our 2023 clash), mediums (Membrey, Phillipou and Sharman) and smalls (Higgins, Butler). However, they are the lowest scoring team in the 8, so capacity has not always translated into actual scores. They also have an outstanding defence, which is the best in the league in 2023, led by their AA KPD Callum Wilkie. Their midfield is solid, led by former-Giant Jack Steele, and former-Crow Brad Crouch, but they've had an up-and-down year where they've dominated some games, and been heavily beaten in others. Similar to us. Rowan Marshall has been in excellent form in the ruck, and his duel with Kerien Briggs will certainly be a factor in how this game goes.
For the Giants, there's still three player issues to factor in: Toby Bedford at the tribunal, and Sam Taylor and Finn Callaghan's injuries. If they are all available, that would be close to our best side all year, and I'd see it stack up as below:
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
B: Harry Himmelberg, Jack Buckley, Connor Idun
HB: Lachie Whitfield, Sam Taylor, Lachie Ash
C: Isaac Cumming, Stephen Coniglio, Finn Callaghan
HF: Toby Greene, Jake Riccardi, Toby Bedford
F: Brent Daniels, Jesse Hogan, Daniel Lloyd
FOLL: Kieren Briggs, Tom Green, Josh Kelly
I/C: Callan Ward, Lachie Keeffe, Harry Perryman, Callum Brown
EMG from: Ryan Angwin, Nick Haynes, Matt Flynn, Josh Fahey, Xavier O'Halloran (in, if Bedford is suspended)
In: Sam Taylor, Finn Callaghan,
Out: Ryan Angwin, Nick Haynes, Toby McMullin
UNAVAILABLE: Leek Aleer (toe), Adam Kennedy (knee) + possibly: Toby Bedford (suspended), Sam Taylor (injury), Finn Callaghan (injury)
Although now available, I don't think that O'Halloran pushes his way ahead of the 22 named; realistically, it would be Dan Lloyd, but I think we'll retain Dan. XOH only gets a gig if Toby Bedford doesn't escape the clutches of the judiciary. If Sam doesn't get up, I'd think Haynes would play, while presumably it would be Angwin or Fahey for Finn.
If Taylor is cleared to play, we have an outstanding defensive line-up that rivals Saints, able to both lock down and prevent scores, and rebound and start the orange tsunami. The statistics behind the rise of GWS from midway through the season show a tremendous pressure game - both in the forward 50, and in the defensive 50, with an ability to transition from defence into attack. On the back of our runners such as Whitfield, Ash, Cumming, Bedford and Daniels. Briggs has been a revelation since taking the ruck position, and is tremendous in winning clearances and tackling. The midfield of Green, Coniglio and Kelly - supported by Ward, Callaghan and XOH when available - had been very good overall, albeit having their colours lowered in a few games through out the season. Green leads the comp for disposals and contested possessions, while Cogs and Jelly feature highly in scoring chains. They will need to match up against the Saints with their best.
Having Bedford available will be important. He and Binga add so much to our whole game as well as the forward game, as they add speed and pressure. Hogan needs to reprise his form against the Bombers, where he seemed to drop nothing, and kicked straight. Toby will be an ever-present threat, and hopefully he'll be primed to perform at the G. We need to avoid kicking high bombs into F50, which allows Wilkie to play his intercepting game.
Hopefully this is a great game, with both teams performing at their peak, and GWS winning in the end. It can be won and lost in any of the three lines, but if GWS brings the best they've produced in 2023, then we most certainly have the capability to beat the Saints. If the boys can be buoyed by Toby's AA outcomes, and if Slammer, Snooze and Finn are all there, and AK can pull out another coaching gameplan masterpiece, then we can progress to week 2.
What are other posters' thoughts: where will it be won or lost in your view; and if Slammer, Snooze and Finn don't play, who comes in for the, in your opinion?
Here's the AFL.com.au mock team for St Kilda:
ST KILDA
B: Josh Battle, Callum Wilkie, Jimmy Webster
HB: Zaine Cordy, Jack Sinclair, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
C: Mitch Owens, Seb Ross, Mason Wood
HF: Jade Gresham, Brad Hill, Jack Higgins
F: Tim Membrey, Max King, Mattaes Phillipou
Foll: Rowan Marshall, Jack Steele, Brad Crouch
I/C: Liam Stocker, Dan Butler, Cooper Sharman, Marcus Windhager
Emerg: Ryan Byrnes, Hunter Clark, Jack Hayes, Jack Billings
In: Seb Ross, Max King
Out: Hunter Clark, Jack Hayes
UNAVAILABLE: Daniel McKenzie, Zak Jones
They have a solid team with strong scoring capacity across their talls (Max King in particular, who kicked 4 goals to win our 2023 clash), mediums (Membrey, Phillipou and Sharman) and smalls (Higgins, Butler). However, they are the lowest scoring team in the 8, so capacity has not always translated into actual scores. They also have an outstanding defence, which is the best in the league in 2023, led by their AA KPD Callum Wilkie. Their midfield is solid, led by former-Giant Jack Steele, and former-Crow Brad Crouch, but they've had an up-and-down year where they've dominated some games, and been heavily beaten in others. Similar to us. Rowan Marshall has been in excellent form in the ruck, and his duel with Kerien Briggs will certainly be a factor in how this game goes.
For the Giants, there's still three player issues to factor in: Toby Bedford at the tribunal, and Sam Taylor and Finn Callaghan's injuries. If they are all available, that would be close to our best side all year, and I'd see it stack up as below:
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
B: Harry Himmelberg, Jack Buckley, Connor Idun
HB: Lachie Whitfield, Sam Taylor, Lachie Ash
C: Isaac Cumming, Stephen Coniglio, Finn Callaghan
HF: Toby Greene, Jake Riccardi, Toby Bedford
F: Brent Daniels, Jesse Hogan, Daniel Lloyd
FOLL: Kieren Briggs, Tom Green, Josh Kelly
I/C: Callan Ward, Lachie Keeffe, Harry Perryman, Callum Brown
EMG from: Ryan Angwin, Nick Haynes, Matt Flynn, Josh Fahey, Xavier O'Halloran (in, if Bedford is suspended)
In: Sam Taylor, Finn Callaghan,
Out: Ryan Angwin, Nick Haynes, Toby McMullin
UNAVAILABLE: Leek Aleer (toe), Adam Kennedy (knee) + possibly: Toby Bedford (suspended), Sam Taylor (injury), Finn Callaghan (injury)
Although now available, I don't think that O'Halloran pushes his way ahead of the 22 named; realistically, it would be Dan Lloyd, but I think we'll retain Dan. XOH only gets a gig if Toby Bedford doesn't escape the clutches of the judiciary. If Sam doesn't get up, I'd think Haynes would play, while presumably it would be Angwin or Fahey for Finn.
If Taylor is cleared to play, we have an outstanding defensive line-up that rivals Saints, able to both lock down and prevent scores, and rebound and start the orange tsunami. The statistics behind the rise of GWS from midway through the season show a tremendous pressure game - both in the forward 50, and in the defensive 50, with an ability to transition from defence into attack. On the back of our runners such as Whitfield, Ash, Cumming, Bedford and Daniels. Briggs has been a revelation since taking the ruck position, and is tremendous in winning clearances and tackling. The midfield of Green, Coniglio and Kelly - supported by Ward, Callaghan and XOH when available - had been very good overall, albeit having their colours lowered in a few games through out the season. Green leads the comp for disposals and contested possessions, while Cogs and Jelly feature highly in scoring chains. They will need to match up against the Saints with their best.
Having Bedford available will be important. He and Binga add so much to our whole game as well as the forward game, as they add speed and pressure. Hogan needs to reprise his form against the Bombers, where he seemed to drop nothing, and kicked straight. Toby will be an ever-present threat, and hopefully he'll be primed to perform at the G. We need to avoid kicking high bombs into F50, which allows Wilkie to play his intercepting game.
Hopefully this is a great game, with both teams performing at their peak, and GWS winning in the end. It can be won and lost in any of the three lines, but if GWS brings the best they've produced in 2023, then we most certainly have the capability to beat the Saints. If the boys can be buoyed by Toby's AA outcomes, and if Slammer, Snooze and Finn are all there, and AK can pull out another coaching gameplan masterpiece, then we can progress to week 2.
What are other posters' thoughts: where will it be won or lost in your view; and if Slammer, Snooze and Finn don't play, who comes in for the, in your opinion?
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