Prediction Best 22 - 2026

[saintmike65]

Whoops!!!

Tough job for the selectors job if miraculously everyone is avallable.

Just proves how tough it is picking a best 23!

 

[saintmike65]

Silvagni Howard Stocker

Sinclair Wilkie Clark

Wilson Flanders Hill

Owens Sharman Hall

Higgins king Ryan

TDK NWM Windhager

Marshall Wood Garcia McCrae Pou.

No Viking...controversial!!

 

[pebblesofsand]

Silvagni Howard Stocker

Sinclair Wilkie Clark

Wilson Flanders Hill

Owens Sharman Hall

Higgins king Ryan

TDK NWM Windhager

Marshall Wood Garcia McCrae Pou.

Good team - maybe lacks a 7th defender?

Personally would love to see one of Trav, Hastie or O'Connell come on enough to fill that role.

Who would I drop - tough question. Wood, Phillipou???

 

[Saints4ever]

No Viking...controversial!!

Oops that was an oversight and not intentional.

Hmm ok Tauru in and now who the hell do I take out.

Really wanted Boxshall and Henry in also.

Competition for spots is going to be tight.

Ok it’s Clark out Tauru in but I’m not happy about it

 

[Saints4ever]

Good team - maybe lacks a 7th defender?

Personally would love to see one of Trav, Hastie or O'Connell come on enough to fill that role.

Who would I drop - tough question. Wood, Phillipou???

I also agree and thought I was missing a 7th defender but decided Windy or Flanders could cover.

It’s almost impossible to come up with a best team now we’ve added so much depth.

No doubt injury will make selection easier.

 

[SaintWrld]

No Viking...controversial!!

I wouldn’t have him as best 23 yet, to be honest. We were gifting kids games last year, and he proved to be a very exciting but very raw prospect, was a liability defensively and with ball in hand. Opposition teams were deliberately trying to isolate him deep, Ross even aluded to this in press conferences.
With our new found depth I would have him developing in the VFL, aiming for 8-10 games of senior footy.

 

[JimmyR20]

I wouldn’t have him as best 23 yet, to be honest. We were gifting kids games last year, and he proved to be a very exciting but very raw prospect, was a liability defensively and with ball in hand. Opposition teams were deliberately trying to isolate him deep, Ross even aluded to this in press conferences.
With our new found depth I would have him developing in the VFL, aiming for 8-10 games of senior footy.

Agree. Gets in with injuries but not a starting 23 player.

 

[Veer Right]

I wouldn’t have him as best 23 yet, to be honest. We were gifting kids games last year, and he proved to be a very exciting but very raw prospect, was a liability defensively and with ball in hand. Opposition teams were deliberately trying to isolate him deep, Ross even aluded to this in press conferences.
With our new found depth I would have him developing in the VFL, aiming for 8-10 games of senior footy.

Showed more then enough star potential that he will be fast tracked through the seniors.

 

[The Punter]

Showed more then enough star potential that he will be fast tracked through the seniors.

This is interesting when juxtaposed with your views on Phillipou. I think both have clear elite traits and clear deficiencies they need to address.

 

[SaintWrld]

Showed more than enough star potential that he will be fast tracked through the seniors.

If you are a serious club you don’t gift games to anyone. The crows didn’t gift games to Sid Draper, they finished on top after the home and away season. Do we want to be a serious club? By the way I would suggest 10 games for a skinny raw key defender would be “fast tracking”.

 

[Veer Right]

If you are a serious club you don’t gift games to anyone. The crows didn’t gift games to Sid Draper, they finished on top after the home and away season. Do we want to be a serious club? By the way I would suggest 10 games for a skinny raw key defender would be “fast tracking”.

Couldn't agree more with you on that point however our opinions on Taurus ability vastly differ. From no pre season and early season training coupled with time out for his VFL suspension i think he did amazingly well when thrust into the seniors for a first year player.

Let's not forget with no Battle or Howard he had to be the main one on one defender at times. I am all in on him and a big fan.

 

[SaintWrld]

Couldn't agree more with you on that point however our opinions on Taurus ability vastly differ. From no pre season and early season training coupled with time out for his VFL suspension i think he did amazingly well when thrust into the seniors for a first year player.

Let's not forget with no Battle or Howard he had to be the main one on one defender at times. I am all in on him and a big fan.

He has raw talent and his ability to close space, his aggression to the contest, and his ability to time his leap to meet the ball at the highest point is all elite at AFL level. I’m not disregarding that.
But his decision making, skill level and craft leaves a lot to be desired, he would have directly cost us up to 3 goals per game due to this.
I don’t remember a time when he was taking the oppo’s best defender over hammer and wilkie either like u say?
We have depth now, let him develop his flaws, 10 games at senior level is fine.

 

[saintmike65]

Showed more then enough star potential that he will be fast tracked through the seniors.

He's stronger now, first preseason and looking very good

 

[stfan]

He's stronger now, first preseason and looking very good

Is he mainly training with the forwards now?

 

[Significant]

SENIORS

FB: Travaglia, Caminiti, Wilkie
HB: Sinclair, Silvagni, Hastie
R: De Koning, Flanders, Windhager
C: Wilson, Wanganeen-M, Wood
HF: Hall, Marshall, Sharman
FF: Ryan, King, Higgins
IC: Owens, Phillipou, Garcia, Macrae, Tauru

RESERVES

FB: Fincher, Howard, O'Connell
HB: Clark, Barratt, Stocker
R: Dodson, Dow, Carroll
C: Byrnes, Boxshall, Henry
HF: Butler, Armstrong, Hill
FF: Collard, Keeler, Said
IC: Banfield, McDonald, Wanganeen(?)

 

[Sully111]

Silvagni Howard Stocker

Sinclair Wilkie Clark

Wilson Flanders Hill

Owens Sharman Hall

Higgins king Ryan

TDK NWM Windhager

Marshall Wood Garcia McCrae Pou.

This is a good side imo

I'd be tempted to swap Tauru for Clark and Boxshall for Wood.

With Clark, Wood, O'Connell, Hastie, Keeler, Henry, Hammer etc putting pressure on players to hold their spot.

 

[saintmike65]

Is he mainly training with the forwards now?

No he's been a defender in drills...Caminiti forward

 

[Ads734]

Honest question, how much of our success depends on kings health. To me that’s a problem untill one of Keeler , Camaniti or imo Tauru become really quality fwd targets

 

[Anythings_sipposible]

Post Draft and Trade Period Best 23s

Seniors

FB: Stocker Howard Wilkie
HB: Sinclair Silvani Clark
C: Wilson Flanders Windhager
HF: Ryan Sharman Hall
FF: Higgins King Marshall
R: TDK Nas Macrae
INT: Phillipou Owens Hill Garcia Wood

Reserves

FB: LOC Caminiti Barrat
HB: Hastie Tauru Fincher
C: Byrnes Boxshall Banfield
HF: Henry Keeler Butler
FF: Collard Richardson (VFL) Campigli (VFL)
R: Dodson Dow Travalia
INT: Carrol Armstrong Said Maginness (VFL) Mackenzie (VFL)

Emg: Peckett (VFL) Behnk (VFL) Galimberti (VFL) McDonald (Studying hard hopefully)

Those are two very well balanced teams. The VFL team is very young, which may be a problem. Hopefully over the next few years we can recruit some ex-AFL guys to add a bit of experience there. The seniors seems to be missing maybe a second tall forward and a solid medium defender. I'd love to see us go hard at one of Walsh, Butters or Bailey next year. Apart from that, it's amazing how much our list profile has changed over the last few years. We've gone from having a bunch of GOPs and triers, to having some genuinely elite level prospects!

 

[Bill Crouse]

Honest question, how much of our success depends on kings health. To me that’s a problem untill one of Keeler , Camaniti or imo Tauru become really quality fwd targets

I might be in the minority saying this, but I don't think key forwards are that important.
Sure, a great one will win plenty of home and away games, but in grand finals I think it is usually mids, small forwards and even Wilkie/ Harris Andrews type defenders that tend to influence the game more.

King also hasn't played in a lot of our best wins over the last 3 years (Fremantle this year, Geelong and Sydney last year, and the Bulldogs in 2023), and we have kicked 9 goals in a quarter twice when he hasn't been playing (Hawthorn 2023 and that quarter this year).

We also now have a stronger depth of talls, who should be a lot more developed compared to 12 months ago. This time last year Marshall wasn't a forward, Sharman had a career best year of only 18 goals, Keeler hadn't played an AFL game, and Dodson and Tauru had only just been drafted. Caminiti should also have learnt plenty of forward craft this year from the likes of Darcy and Cadman.

Ty Gallop is a premiership player... I think we should be able to cope.

 

[stfan]

Honest question, how much of our success depends on kings health. To me that’s a problem untill one of Keeler , Camaniti or imo Tauru become really quality fwd targets

In terms of 2026 a fit and firing Max King will make it much easier for us to be a successful team, and especially if you want to be winning finals.

But King is not the only factor which will be important to be a genuinely good team in 2026.

A fit and firing Max King will make it easier for the result of our forward (Small, third-talls and talls) to play there role. If if King does not kick a huge back he will not only draw the No1 Defender, but other backs will be mindful of him (ie FB spoils and or bodies King, for them to then gather the ball).

Marshall, Caminti, Keeler, or even the Viking, will not be likely to achieve in place of King if Max is out.


WHERE DO WE HAVE AN EDGE?
We will not be successful if we do not have an overall good team, playing effective football. We have to outperfom our opponents, but where do we have an edge?

RUCK = YES
If TDK plays like he can, then with the new rules we may well have the No1 ruck and ruck combination with Marshall in the AFL.

MIDFIELD = NO, BUT BETTER THAN 2025
Compared to the AFL's best likely midfields in 2026 even with Nas, Flanders and Hall all going through our midfield now we will most likely still be a rung below the AFL's best midfields. Lions and Suns both just have so much elite midfield talent.
Though who knows maybe Nas will just have a freakishly good 2026, combined with Pou, Windy, Garci and Boxshall all have major step-ups in impact.

WINGS = COMPETIVE
We have ample options here. Wilson will hopefully step-up. Henry looks to be fit and confident again. Then we have Wood, Windy and Hill.

BACKLINE = COMPETIVE
With JSOS and Howard (important option to have for when we oppose the real tall forwards) both able to play our backline should be one of the better ones in the AFL in 2026. Webster's replacement needs sorting, but Stocker is capable and Hastie, LOC and others are options like Hunter Clark. Wilkie and Sinclair both are elite.

Our backline may not be the best in 206, but it will not be a weakness.

FORWARDS = AN EFFECTIVE KING COULD HELP TO PROVIDE ONE OF THE BEST FORWARD LINES =YES
FORWARDS = NO KING = OK, BUT LACKING COMPARED TO THE BETTER TEAMS
A fit and firing Max King, will just makes the forward line much better. Marshall, Camintii, Sharman, Owens all will not have to play on the No1 Defender and will have more freedom. Ryan adds another offensive small forward option. Higgins and Ryan together will make opponents nervous. Butler probably only a depth player now in 2026.

We can still kick goals without King, but having him there will just make it so much better.
Having our forward line absolutely buzzing along will help to offset our midfield not being as good as some teams.

Overall we should have a much better balanced and higher quality team in 2026. Moreseo if more of youth can step up a notch or two.

 

[Saints43]

FB: Silvagni Howard O'Connell
HB: Nas Wilkie Sinclair
C: Ryan Windhager Wilson
HF: Sharman King Hall
FF: Butler Marshall Higgins
Foll: TDK Macrae Flanders

Int: Hill, Tauru, Phillipou, Caminiti, Owens

Travaglia, Boxshall, Henry, Garcia, Wood, Clark, Collard, Dodson, Keeler, Stocker, Hastie, Byrnes.

 

[ThomasR]

13 locks IMO
backs: Silvagni, Sinclair, Wilkie
mids: Flanders, NWM, Hall, Windy
fwds: King, Higgins, Ryan, Owens
rucks: TDK, Marshall

everything else up for grabs. would love to see Boxshall on a wing

 

[malevu]

It's always interesting to play this game preseason but in reality it always seems like we have half a dozen best 22 go down injured in Jan/Feb. Usually with mid to long term injuries. I'll wait till about a week out from week one to make my prediction.

It's not a case of being pessimistic. I guarantee everyone's best 22 predictions this time last year would've included Max King

Multiple players found. Use birthday to differentiate. eg [PLAYERCARD="23/11/1962"]Joe Smith[/PLAYERCARD]

. How did that turn out?

Personally, I think of all the predictions for next season the importance of Kings return to his best is the most pivotal.

 

[saintmike65]

13 locks IMO
backs: Silvagni, Sinclair, Wilkie
mids: Flanders, NWM, Hall, Windy
fwds: King, Higgins, Ryan, Owens
rucks: TDK, Marshall

everything else up for grabs. would love to see Boxshall on a wing

Macrae a lock...best first possession mid we have
Tarau a lock, as i believe will be Phillipou and Wilson
Ones to watch - Fincher, Boxshall, McConnell, Henry.
Interesting VFL players- Campigli, Bailey McKenzie, Billy Richardson