For me, Day goes back to provide a big body and experience and Luko forward as a running CHF and Corbett doing the contested stuff. Graham on the bench and no Swallow
4 key defenders?
Day can move forward if we need and Graham needs games if he is part of the future. I don’t really see Ballard as a key defender
Charlie is 196cm i reckon with 5 more kilos he is a KPD.
Would love to see Day go back to the defense but I don't think the club want to go there.
Unlikely to happen by round 1
He’s working on it
Buddas is a good kick he just needs to adjust his decision making under pressure, that's his problem. He gets rushed to easilyI don't understand why so many fans here are skeptical about our defense.
My opinion is that our defense performed well despite easily the youngest and least experience in the competition. In a lot of games we were 1-2 quarters under pump and our defense kept us in it. Just watch the first quarter against Tigers or the 3rd quarter against Fremantle. I believe SUNS allowed most I50 in competition. Despite that our defense stood up to pressure and played zone well.
Check out the age and games at the start and end of the season. Crazy. Even now only one player played > 50 games. There is a huge potential for growth there as bodies mature and experience comes. Only up from now on.
Collins - 26, 27 -> 40
Luko - 20, 21 -> 38
Budarick - 19, 0 ->15
Powell - 21, 20 -> 35
Bowes - 22, 42 -> 59
Ballard - 21, 32 -> 48
Graham - 20, 3 ->10
KPD
Collins is a rock there despite it was his first full season and played only 27 games when season started. He did tire late.
Ballard was still growing and according to reports is actually now 197cm. You got to be careful with putting on weight while still developing. He is easily a KPD. A couple more pre-seasons in the gym and he will be hard to beat. Already watch him to out-body Eagles Kennedy and Darling in round 2. Yes, he still makes mistakes.
Graham is only 20 year old kid. He showed improvement and again like Ballard he is our KPD in 2 years.
Not sure why people want to move Day back. He will continue to be a side-kick to King next year. If one of them gets injured, I suspect Luko to move forward. Luko is ultimately forward and as he gets stronger he will move there as a high forward/wing.
Rebounding defenders
For me Powell could be our rebounding defender if SUNS want him to be. He has a great kick and reads the game well and has a decent speed. The other one would be be Markov if he makes it or Budarick who is smart and has a great speed too. I am a bit suspect about Budarick's kick.
And then there is Towey and Farrar
Burgess , hombsch is not that young, can also go mid season draft ,draft one send Thompson to LTI if Collins go down and he still not up .
neither are half the player Collins or Thomson is though are they.
I think you know the answer. Based on last last year our KPD would be Ballard + Graham. Question is do you believe the replacement would do the job? I expect not
Best 22 and depth different , nobody knew Balta until injuries and retirement of Richmond players cause them to expose him at one stage .As jirik13 said he expect not , then you won't test out Balta type of players in AFL.
Callum Wilkins a rookie st Kilda pick now best 22 , marshall a rookie draft ruck men come good . Collins delisted by Fremantle and played a good season with werribee .
We probably should have recruited Jack Payne from Brisbane. That would fill a hole in our list with a guy that looks up to it, is unlikely to leave Queensland and is still young (21). The Lions probably wouldn't have asked for much in return either.
briztoon what do you think about this statement?
Pretty sure the Lions response would have been gtfo.
But if he’s not getting a game we should go after him if we will give him game time
Who do you expect Payne to jump ahead? It looks to me like Andrews/Gardiner are pretty settled, still young KPD combo and it seems to me that Fagan does not like to play 3 tall defenders.
Gardiner to third tall role. Payne FB. Lester to the reserves as our backline on field coach.
I always find it amusing when supporters just assume the players will do whatever the club wants them to do and and will completely ignore their own aspirations to play regular AFL footy. The truth of the matter is most players will consider their options if they are given greater opportunities elsewhere and that's why we could/should have pursued Payne right now. We can essentially offer him a best 22 spot right now as a key defender and he wouldn't have to bide his time in the reserves anymore like he has been over the last three years.
I think there are a number of teams that could do with a big key defender.
