Team Mgmt. An early crack at 2017 best 22

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I can see any of the following play round 1 next year:

McGrath, Bellchambers, Parish, Watson, Stanton, Daniher, Z Merrett, Gleeson, Goddard, Francis, Zaharakis, Baguley, Fantasia, Hurley, Heppell, Leuenberger, Myers, Bird, Hooker, Brown, Ambrose, Langford, Colyer, Laverde, Hartley, Hocking, Howlett, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Stewart, Kelly, Dea

That's 31 players. We have genuinely the best depth we've had in the past 12 years.
Bird is no chance

Howlett & Stewart unlikely imo
 
Bird is no chance

Howlett & Stewart unlikely imo
I wouldn't say Bird is no chance, most definitely unlikely but not no chance. Round one is often a reward for those who go the extra mile in the preseason, so i wouldn't be ruling anyone out. Best 22 by seasons end? Bird and Howlett have no chance in my opinion.
 
Yawning reading most of these backlines.

One of McGrath or walla has to play back and for me I'd have both. Having some Leg speed and delivery out of defence is non negotiable in the modern game. Why people would be throwing Stanton up as a back option has got me stuffed.

Also pretty over hearing about hooker forward because he wants to play forward. He's an elite back, we have other options forward and where he wants to play is irrelevant. Where the team needs him is the only thing that matters in footy.
 

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Yawning reading most of these backlines.

One of McGrath or walla has to play back and for me I'd have both. Having some Leg speed and delivery out of defence is non negotiable in the modern game. Why people would be throwing Stanton up as a back option has got me stuffed.

Also pretty over hearing about hooker forward because he wants to play forward. He's an elite back, we have other options forward and where he wants to play is irrelevant. Where the team needs him is the only thing that matters in footy.
Why wouldn't you?
 
Yawning reading most of these backlines.

One of McGrath or walla has to play back and for me I'd have both. Having some Leg speed and delivery out of defence is non negotiable in the modern game. Why people would be throwing Stanton up as a back option has got me stuffed.

Also pretty over hearing about hooker forward because he wants to play forward. He's an elite back, we have other options forward and where he wants to play is irrelevant. Where the team needs him is the only thing that matters in footy.

Well you better get used to hearing about Hooker playing forward, thats where he will be playing.
 
Yawning reading most of these backlines.

One of McGrath or walla has to play back and for me I'd have both. Having some Leg speed and delivery out of defence is non negotiable in the modern game. Why people would be throwing Stanton up as a back option has got me stuffed.

Also pretty over hearing about hooker forward because he wants to play forward. He's an elite back, we have other options forward and where he wants to play is irrelevant. Where the team needs him is the only thing that matters in footy.


In the last four years there has been a clear focus, in terms of the attributes of most of the draftees, on run (speed, endurance and power).

It's just seems to strange that, despite the clear path forward, all we will do is revert to what has not worked in the past.
 
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+ McKenna and Green as wildcards who could come into calculations.

Begley, Clarke, Draper, Eades, Long, McKernan, McNeice, J.Merrett, Morgan, Mutch, Redman, Ridley.

Some pretty bloody handy players not even getting a game in the seniors. Bodes well for the future
Was meaning to add McKenna to that. Make it 32.
Bird is no chance

Howlett & Stewart unlikely imo
Huh. I reckon Bird is a better chance than you think. For me:

Two of Ambrose/Stewart/Brown/Bellchambers play and 2 miss out. Right now I'm leaning towards Bellchambers and Stweart playing.

Then I think McKenna, Dea, Howlett, Bird are the next most likely to miss out. Which leaves 4 more absentees. Hocking (unlucky), Kelly, and then two of Stanton/Langford/Gleeson/Parish. Just not sure which ones. So that leaves us with:

Hooker - Hartley - Baguley
McGrath - Hurley - Francis
Zaharakis - Heppell - Colyer
Langford - Daniher - Fantasia
McDonald-Tipungwuti - Bellchambers - Stewart
Leuenberger - Z Merrett - Watson
Myers - Parish - Goddard - Laverde

Em: Brown - Stanton - Gleeson
 
Why wouldn't you?

Because There's about 10 guys who'd play the same roll better. Goddard and kelly clearly better options if you want an older head. Then there's a raft of kids who would be better for a number of different reasons depending on the player
 
A clear focus, in terms of the attributes of most of the draftees, is run (speed, endurance and power).

It's just seems to strange that, despite the clear path forward, all we will do is revert to what has not worked in the past.

100%
 
Because There's about 10 guys who'd play the same roll better. Goddard and kelly clearly better options if you want an older head. Then there's a raft of kids who would be better for a number of different reasons depending on the player
Stanton I feel would be a lot more damaging than Kelly in that role, only Goaddard I'd have before him there.
 
Well you better get used to hearing about Hooker playing forward, thats where he will be playing.

I know. Doesn't mean I agree with it and there's a bit of a whiff of 'I wanna play forward so that's where I'm playing' tail wagging dog style.
 
Stanton I feel would be a lot more damaging than Kelly in that role, only Goaddard I'd have before him there.

In what regard would he be more damaging? Kelly a smarter footballer, better defensively, better decision maker, same pace (both slow), more reliable kick (though you wouldn't want either being our main distributor)
 

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In what regard would he be more damaging? Kelly a smarter footballer, better defensively, better decision maker, same pace (both slow), more reliable kick (though you wouldn't want either being our main distributor)
Stanton is a better ball winner, bigger and more acurate kick(imo) and this is most likely Kelly's last year where as I think Stanton could play this role for a few years and pretty much be our Matthew Boyd
 
The Club will be having a crack at a flag before Jobe and BJ hang up the boots, but I thought I'd just have a look at our list beyond that, so here is a 2020 best 22. I have taken out Watson (35), BJ (34), Kelly (36), Stanton (33), Baguley (32), Bird (31), Howlett (31) and Hocking (32). Leuenberger (31) is touch and go. JMerrett and McKernan are highly unlikely to be on the list.

Age at the start of the season is in brackets. I've marked players in green if they are proven to be worth a place on a premiership list and likely to still be in 2020, orange for those that aren't yet proven but are a good chance to be in 2020, red for those that have a lot of work to do between now and then.
FB McKenna (23) Hartley (26) Francis (22)
HB Gleeson (25) Hurley (29) Dea (28)
R Leuenberger (31) Heppell (27) ZMerrett (24)
C Colyer (28) Myers (30) Zaharakis (30)
HF Laverde (23) Daniher (26) Fantasia (24)
FF Stewart (26) Hooker (31) McDonald-Tipungwuti (26)


INT Langford (23) Parish (22) McGrath (21) Long (24)
EMG Brown (29) Morgan (24) Redman (22)


Depth:
KPD - Brown (29) Ambrose (28)
Small/med def - Ridley (21) McNiece (27)
Inside mid - Mutch (21) Clarke (21) Begley (21)
Outside mid - JMerrett (27) Morgan (24)
KPF/Ruck - Bellchambers (30) McKernan (29) Draper (21)
Small/med fwd - Green (27) Redman (22) Eades (23)

A few things really stand out here:
- Justification for the profile of our most recent draftees. They make up the entirety of our depth of inside mids and small/med defs going forward. Rucks too, when you consider McKernan is mostly off the list.
- Next draft we must pick-up at least 1 KPF and 1 ruck to develop. Preferably a ruck who can play forward or vice versa in there. Also desperately need 1 or 2 outside mids, preferably with pace, when you consider JMerrett will most likely be gone, and Long/Morgan still have big question marks over them.
- Stewart going all Josh Bruce on us will go a very long way to making us a premiership contender.
- Even when you consider Hooker purely as a KPF, we are flush with quality KPD depth. It would not surprise me to see an Ambrose/Brown type request a trade for more opportunity in the next 1-2 years, which would be fair enough as they are good enough for most best 22s.
 
I know. Doesn't mean I agree with it and there's a bit of a whiff of 'I wanna play forward so that's where I'm playing' tail wagging dog style.
He was thrown forward when he wanted to play back, yet he did it without fuss for the team and to great effect. Saying there is something that stinks with him now wanting to play forward is a shocking thing to say. There is no better clubman than Cale and he'd be playing back if that is where the team needed him. But it's not.
 
Stanton is a better ball winner, bigger and more acurate kick(imo) and this is most likely Kelly's last year where as I think Stanton could play this role for a few years and pretty much be our Matthew Boyd

Keep hearing that - next Boyd.... Completely different players. rediculous.
 
The Club will be having a crack at a flag before Jobe and BJ hang up the boots, but I thought I'd just have a look at our list beyond that, so here is a 2020 best 22. I have taken out Watson (35), BJ (34), Kelly (36), Stanton (33), Baguley (32), Bird (31), Howlett (31) and Hocking (32). Leuenberger (31) is touch and go. JMerrett and McKernan are highly unlikely to be on the list.

Age at the start of the season is in brackets. I've marked players in green if they are proven to be worth a place on a premiership list and likely to still be in 2020, orange for those that aren't yet proven but are a good chance to be in 2020, red for those that have a lot of work to do between now and then.
FB McKenna (23) Hartley (26) Francis (22)
HB Gleeson (25) Hurley (29) Dea (28)
R Leuenberger (31) Heppell (27) ZMerrett (24)
C Colyer (28) Myers (30) Zaharakis (30)
HF Laverde (23) Daniher (26) Fantasia (24)
FF Stewart (26) Hooker (31) McDonald-Tipungwuti (26)


INT Langford (23) Parish (22) McGrath (21) Long (24)
EMG Brown (29) Morgan (24) Redman (22)


Depth:
KPD - Brown (29) Ambrose (28)
Small/med def - Ridley (21) McNiece (27)
Inside mid - Mutch (21) Clarke (21) Begley (21)
Outside mid - JMerrett (27) Morgan (24)
KPF/Ruck - Bellchambers (30) McKernan (29) Draper (21)
Small/med fwd - Green (27) Redman (22) Eades (23)

A few things really stand out here:
- Justification for the profile of our most recent draftees. They make up the entirety of our depth of inside mids and small/med defs going forward. Rucks too, when you consider McKernan is mostly off the list.
- Next draft we must pick-up at least 1 KPF and 1 ruck to develop. Preferably a ruck who can play forward or vice versa in there. Also desperately need 1 or 2 outside mids, preferably with pace, when you consider JMerrett will most likely be gone, and Long/Morgan still have big question marks over them.
- Stewart going all Josh Bruce on us will go a very long way to making us a premiership contender.
- Even when you consider Hooker purely as a KPF, we are flush with quality KPD depth. It would not surprise me to see an Ambrose/Brown type request a trade for more opportunity in the next 1-2 years, which would be fair enough as they are good enough for most best 22s.

By 2020 I'd hope Francis is too good to be our dedicated 3rd tall defender. I'd like to see him given that role this year but by 2020 with his talent he should either be a dominant utility imo.
 
I can see any of the following play round 1 next year:

McGrath, Bellchambers, Parish, Watson, Stanton, Daniher, Z Merrett, Gleeson, Goddard, Francis, Zaharakis, Baguley, Fantasia, Hurley, Heppell, Leuenberger, Myers, Bird, Hooker, Brown, Ambrose, Langford, Colyer, Laverde, Hartley, Hocking, Howlett, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Stewart, Kelly, Dea

That's 31 players. We have genuinely the best depth we've had in the past 12 years.
And there are players missing from your list that may come on in leaps and bounds such as Redman, McKenna and Long that were far from disgraced at AFL level. In fact, McKenna looked ready to go at AFL level finally getting his run and carry together. Green is also very handy. Hopefully McKernan gets back to his 2015 form.

According to scribes we have more depth than any other side in the 8.
 
The Club will be having a crack at a flag before Jobe and BJ hang up the boots, but I thought I'd just have a look at our list beyond that, so here is a 2020 best 22. I have taken out Watson (35), BJ (34), Kelly (36), Stanton (33), Baguley (32), Bird (31), Howlett (31) and Hocking (32). Leuenberger (31) is touch and go. JMerrett and McKernan are highly unlikely to be on the list.

Age at the start of the season is in brackets. I've marked players in green if they are proven to be worth a place on a premiership list and likely to still be in 2020, orange for those that aren't yet proven but are a good chance to be in 2020, red for those that have a lot of work to do between now and then.
FB McKenna (23) Hartley (26) Francis (22)
HB Gleeson (25) Hurley (29) Dea (28)
R Leuenberger (31) Heppell (27) ZMerrett (24)
C Colyer (28) Myers (30) Zaharakis (30)
HF Laverde (23) Daniher (26) Fantasia (24)
FF Stewart (26) Hooker (31) McDonald-Tipungwuti (26)


INT Langford (23) Parish (22) McGrath (21) Long (24)
EMG Brown (29) Morgan (24) Redman (22)


Depth:
KPD - Brown (29) Ambrose (28)
Small/med def - Ridley (21) McNiece (27)
Inside mid - Mutch (21) Clarke (21) Begley (21)
Outside mid - JMerrett (27) Morgan (24)
KPF/Ruck - Bellchambers (30) McKernan (29) Draper (21)
Small/med fwd - Green (27) Redman (22) Eades (23)

A few things really stand out here:
- Justification for the profile of our most recent draftees. They make up the entirety of our depth of inside mids and small/med defs going forward. Rucks too, when you consider McKernan is mostly off the list.
- Next draft we must pick-up at least 1 KPF and 1 ruck to develop. Preferably a ruck who can play forward or vice versa in there. Also desperately need 1 or 2 outside mids, preferably with pace, when you consider JMerrett will most likely be gone, and Long/Morgan still have big question marks over them.
- Stewart going all Josh Bruce on us will go a very long way to making us a premiership contender.
- Even when you consider Hooker purely as a KPF, we are flush with quality KPD depth. It would not surprise me to see an Ambrose/Brown type request a trade for more opportunity in the next 1-2 years, which would be fair enough as they are good enough for most best 22s.
Don't think Ambrose will go. Woosha is a huge fan. The mongrel backman that can run all day and take out a key forward. He will be a critical part of our next premiership team. And he will be even better next year.

Heppell said that he even took him out at training. Just needs to be trained to not belt our guys on the training track.
 
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By 2020 I'd hope Francis is too good to be our dedicated 3rd tall defender. I'd like to see him given that role this year but by 2020 with his talent he should either be a dominant utility imo.
Certainly hope so, could be anything by then.
 
I would be very surprised if Stanton was able to develop into a more accountable player at the age of 30. Stranger things have happened though.
 

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