Best 22 Round 1 2020

[Snarls Barkley]

FB: Wood, Le.Young, Crozier
HB: Cordy, Keath, Suckling
C: Hunter, Macrae, Johannisen
HF: Lloyd, Naughton, Dale
FF: McLean, Bruce, Wallis
Foll: English, Bontempelli, Dunkley
I/C: Liberatore, Daniel, Lipinski, Duryea

Emergencies: Trengove, Schache, Williams, Dickson

I'm relegating Richards to VFL unless he burns it up in the pre-season. Think it would do him no harm to get some leather poisoning at the lower level for a while, we might get similar improvement to what Lipinski gave us after a stint in the VFL in early 2019.

Smith?

Seeing a lot of teams without Bailey Smith which has surprised me. Thought he was our next best and most consistent midfielder behind the main four (Bont, Macrae, Dunks, Hunter)

 

[Cam1967]

Smith?

Seeing a lot of teams without Bailey Smith which has surprised me. Thought he was our next best and most consistent midfielder behind the main four (Bont, Macrae, Dunks, Hunter)

Agree, in my first 10 picked, nearly even top 5.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Smith?

Seeing a lot of teams without Bailey Smith which has surprised me. Thought he was our next best and most consistent midfielder behind the main four (Bont, Macrae, Dunks, Hunter)

Good point. I had him on a wing in my first draft and eventually swapped that spot for JJ but forgot to put him back somewhere else.

This stuff ain't easy. We have a pretty good list.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Foxsports posted their own attempt at our best 22:

B: Matt Suckling, Alex Keath, Hayden Crozier
HB: Jason Johanissen, Zaine Cordy, Easton Wood
C: Lachie Hunter, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards
HF: Bailey Smith, Josh Bruce, Sam Lloyd
F: Bailey Dale, Aaron Naughton, Toby McLean
FOLL: Tim English, Josh Dunkley, Jack Macrae
I/C: Taylor Duryea, Patrick Lipinski, Caleb Daniel, Josh Schache


Almost identical to my list, except they add in Richards and take out Libba

 

[Northernsoul74]

Foxsports posted their own attempt at our best 22:

B: Matt Suckling, Alex Keath, Hayden Crozier
HB: Jason Johanissen, Zaine Cordy, Easton Wood
C: Lachie Hunter, Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards
HF: Bailey Smith, Josh Bruce, Sam Lloyd
F: Bailey Dale, Aaron Naughton, Toby McLean
FOLL: Tim English, Josh Dunkley, Jack Macrae
I/C: Taylor Duryea, Patrick Lipinski, Caleb Daniel, Josh Schache


Almost identical to my list, except they add in Richards and take out Libba

Has Keath ever player that full back number 1 defender role?

 

[TiAn_]

I don’t have Wallis in our best 22, but I can’t help but think the match committee would have come away from our final thinking Libba and Wallis would have been very handy mature bodies around the ball.

 

[Virgin Dog]

Has Keath ever player that full back number 1 defender role?

Don't think so. I doubt we'd willingly field a side that doesn't have one of Young or Trengove in it. I'd personally have one of Wood or Suckling on the bench and Young on the field at full back

 

[Dog 36]

If Round 1 is against GWS then J.Sweet is in the 22 and starts on the ground.

He will then have 4 weeks off.

 

[ScragCity]

Richards really should be made to earn his spot again. He had a poor season. We all know what he's capable of and it certainly felt like he underperformed. If he doesn't have a significantly better season next year I'll be concerned.

 

[dogwatch]

Richards really should be made to earn his spot again. He had a poor season. We all know what he's capable of and it certainly felt like he underperformed. If he doesn't have a significantly better season next year I'll be concerned.

Agree 100%. This is worthy of a longer discussion.

Richards' 2-year senior career so far has been a tease. He does flashes of brilliant things and has great pace and evasiveness. The problem is he doesn't do them often enough.

You can forgive modest returns from a young mid-sized player in his first year especially when he seldom gets a run in a genuine midfield role. He was a high draft pick (#16) so expectations are understandably much higher than for someone like Callum Porter. Last year (2018) he averaged about 13.6 disposals a game from 21 games (7.9 K, 5.7 HB). That's not great but he showed enough promise for us all to be excited.

This year his stats suggest a drop in his output in a year when you'd be expecting him to really make his mark. He averaged only about 11.7 disposals (6.9 K, 4.8 HB). That's a 14% decline and that drop is mirrored across most other stats categories. I know stats often don't tell the full story and can vary according to his assigned role, but in this case they do reflect the impression I've gained from watching him play.

The important point is he still got 20 games in 2019 so obviously MC see enough in him. I suspect it's because he has attributes that we really need - speed, agility, flair and good delivery inside 50. He can also suddenly turn an innocuous looking possession about 70m out into a goal, as we have seen a few times already.

At this stage my greatest source of faith in him is simply that Bevo and MC seem to have plenty of faith in him. They're usually pretty good judges. However he'll be 21 in mid 2020 and I reckon his credibility will be on the line. His career can't survive forever on promise.

 

[peterss]

Cordy guaranteed best 22?

 

[Yojimbo]

Cordy guaranteed best 22?

Depends on the blend they choose, last year Bevo switched from Trengove to Lewis Young at full back when
Trengove was negating well, but horrible with ball in hand very late in the season. I think people are not
reading Alex Keath very well as he is more of a tall interceptor, but Bevo could have a different role plan
in the works for him. We could pull out some freaky tall moves next year, but I am not sure they know
what those moves could look like yet. Expect some structural experimentation early in the season, but
what will it look like who knows.

Oh yeah Cordy, I think they rate him internally and Michael Turner from the Geelong football factory rates
him the best full back since Matthew Scarlett to emerge from the factory floor.

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Cordy guaranteed best 22?

I’d imagine so. Hasn’t played VFL since 2017 (has played 52 AFL games since then). Didn’t think he had a great season and the advanced stats suggest he had a pretty poor season too but he came 12th in the B&F so they clearly rate him very highly internally.

I think he’s in our best side but I feel like too often this year he was playing out of his weight division. Keath should help him out a lot. I don’t think Keath is suited as the big lockdown key defender either so I’d play a team with Trengove/Young still with Keath and Cordy taking the next biggest.

We started the year with Cordy as the only “big” defender with Wood and Crozier playing as makeshift key backs (Wood pretty much played key back all year) so who knows what the MC is thinking.

I feel like a back six of Trengove/Young, Keath, Cordy, Crozier, Wood and Duryea, with Johannisen and Daniel (or Suckling or Richards) providing the run and carry can work. A lot of others think it’s too big and slow which I understand and think we can only play two of the bigger defenders. Have no idea how it will play out but I’d be surprised if Cordy wasn’t playing round one.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

This is how I’d like us to line up not how I think we’ll line up.

B: Duryea, Trengove, Wood
HB: Johannisen, Keath, Crozier
C: Hunter, Macrae, McLean
HF: Lipinski, Bruce, Dale
F: Dickson, Naughton, Lloyd
R: English, Bontempelli, Dunkley
Int: Smith, Liberatore, Daniel, West

Leaves out Wallis, Williams, Richards, Young, Cordy, Schache and Hayes.

I’m really hoping that Lynch, Richards and Vandermeer have big off seasons. Would be great to inject some more pace into that team. Would be perfect if we can replace Dickson with a small forward with more c-factor and speed/agility.

The weaknesses in that side I see are these. Physicality/a little of the 3rd letter. With no Gowers and Cordy in that side, it’s really a torch that only Libba carries. We need a bit more.

Ruck. We’re all hopeful on English. Needs to keep taking steps. If he can influence around the ground and get close to breaking even in hit outs, that’s huge for us.

Another wing. The wing role has changed ladies and gentlemen. Of recent times it’s just been filled with midfielder after midfielder. It’s actually a dedicated role now. We have a good one in Hunter. We need another. I like McLean’s ball use. Would like to see him make the other wing his own.

X-Factor small forward. We know the type. The club does too. They’ve chased them - Wingard, Martin, AMT. Couldn’t land one. Unfortunate but we move on. If Weightman doesn’t last until our first pick I’d love to trade our 13 and 53 for two middle picks. The clubs I have in mind to trade with would be Geelong, North, Adelaide, ‘the POWER’, and Brisbane. Grab Taylor with one pick and use the other however we see fit.

 

[ScragCity]

If I ever have to watch Jackson Trengove play at Full Back again I think I'll throw up. I don't care whether it's Keath, Young or even Gardner. Just no more bloody Trengove. Rewatch the Geelong game - he was directly responsible for about four goals due to giving away dumb free kicks and unforgivable turnovers. I'd honestly rather play with no tall defenders than have Trengove back there.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Cordy Young Crozier

Crozier a lock and has been fantastic.

Young was selected over Trengrove in the final and his speed and marking keeps him in front. Same height and weight but could do with some muscle and wrestling training.

Cordy is a far better player as the third man. He is courageous and will leave his player and can play on multiple types. Williams has some advantages if he plays here.

Wood Keath JJ

Probably the easiest line to pick. Presuming Keath is back from injury.

Wood didn’t have his best year but is solid and still a way in front of Khamis and LaYoung as mid defender with intercept marking. R.Smith is a long way behind

JJ was a bit disappointing last year - didn’t impose himself as he did in previous seasons. Only really Richards and Lynch may be considered by Neither as good yet.

Hunter Macrae Smith

What a fantastic line young but huge quality and impact. Smith has emerged as a star and currently gone past Richards (but Richards also has a brilliant first year so let’s see). But Richards will play in this rotation with West and now Vandermeer showing good signs. Lin Jong still good depth and can play a role.

For midfield we are really talking about 8 players that constantly interchange so starting line up about balance than quality or game time.

English Bonti Libba

ENGLISH and Bont pick themselves. Dunkley deserves to start but will play as many minutes as the other. At the start I want someone mean who will tackle like a person possessed. Brilliantly Dunkley and Smith a pretty good rotations.

Lloyd Naughton Dale

Became a very effective team towards the end of the year - very good scoring and All run completely different patterns so don’t get into each other’s way.

Dickson Bruce Wallis

All new from the end of the year but what great additions. All average note than a goal a game and Wallis can go into the guts if we need more grunt.

Dickson if fit is out best forward - but I hope Naughty and Bruce pass him this year with 50 goal seasons. Injuries will likely impact him and Greene and Gowers pushing to get a go. Greene could be a real surprise - even in AFL he gets a lot of great shots through great separation.

Wallis probably most controversial- but he is home straight in front of challengers - performs ugly but gets the job done and will lock the ball in and out pressure on as an elite tracker.

Dunkley, Richards (as above) Scache will relish the risk forward and run and run and last position for utility line Duryea or Suckling

We finished our in the 8 with top 4 form on road home and this is a better team - exciting!

 

[Euku]

Schache kicks goals and gets better ever game is 22 and is completely different to bruce and Naughton we will play all 3 talls no doubt

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Schache kicks goals and gets better ever game is 22 and is completely different to bruce and Naughton we will play all 3 talls no doubt

Agree I meant for him to come of bench with Dunkley, Richards and Duryea/Suckling.

Having him on one wing and ENGLISH on the other for defensive links will be magic. They clear to runner who hit Naughton and Bruce. Can’t wait to see that linkup - haven’t seen similar for a really really long time!

 

[ivan rassmussen]

How come no one has Jack Martin in their team...?!

 

[Euku]

B: Wood Young Crozier
HB: Daniel Keath JJ
C: Hunter Macrae Lipinski
HF:Schache Naughton Wallis
FF: Dale Bruce West
R: English Bont Dunkley
IC: Richards, Libba, McLean, Smith

 

[jacob17]

So many posters have failed to include our premiership defender (yes i know he played as a CHF in the grand final) Zaine Cordy not only on the feild but not in the team period.

This baffles me.

It really does make me wonder what you all see when you watch a game of football.
What is the problem with Cordy?

Now that Keath is in the team Cordy doesn't have to play on the biggest FWD every week and will be a better contributor and overall player as a result.
He is very good at the things that aren't always on the stats sheet and i think that gets lost sometimes especially with supercoach and the like.

 

[Mojorisin]

think we will be playing with no "key defender" in the usual sense.
Think we will have young, wood, keath and crozier all with the license to roam the back 50 and take intercept marks while cordy distracts the most dangerous forward

 

[Euku]

So many posters have failed to include our premiership defender (yes i know he played as a CHF in the grand final) Zaine Cordy not only on the feild but not in the team period.

This baffles me.

It really does make me wonder what you all see when you watch a game of football.
What is the problem with Cordy?

Now that Keath is in the team Cordy doesn't have to play on the biggest FWD every week and will be a better contributor and overall player as a result.
He is very good at the things that aren't always on the stats sheet and i think that gets lost sometimes especially with supercoach and the like.

I found it really hard to not put cordy in i considered him instead of wood or young and honestly i think he is great and underated but had a bad end to last year and young played well wood is the captain

 

[Euku]

think we will be playing with no "key defender" in the usual sense.
Think we will have young, wood, keath and crozier all with the license to roam the back 50 and take intercept marks while cordy distracts the most dangerous forward

Agree and think its a good move may take a little time to come together though

 

[Mojorisin]

Fb. Wood cordy keath
Hb. JJ young Daniel
C. Macrea libba Hunter
Hf. B.smith naughton dale
Ff. Lloyd Bruce Dickson
R. English dunkley bont
Int. duryea lipinski crozier McLean