Prediction Best 23 - 2026 edition

[Altum Volantes]

Yeah we have put ourselves in a Richie Vandenberg scenario where our captain may not be a good enough footballer to keep his spot in the side on merit alone.

Ok this shit is out of control.

He's never been close to being dropped - I'm talking about in the real world here, not BF.

He had a tough year in 2025 - the team won one game.
He played a number of roles, often away from where he plays his best footy.
He still finished 7th in the B&F and won Best Clubman.

He is in his prime years now - has stuck by the club and played a lot of good footy for us.

Rather than actively hoping the guy fails and is dumped, it would be much better if he can actually recapture his best form and play a key role in the backline, so guys like Josh Lindsay (who has never played a game...), Bo Allan and so forth can develop before being thrown into the AFL...

 

[unty11]

Ok this shit is out of control.

He's never been close to being dropped - I'm talking about in the real world here, not BF.

He had a tough year in 2025 - the team won one game.
He played a number of roles, often away from where he plays his best footy.
He still finished 7th in the B&F and won Best Clubman.

He is in his prime years now - has stuck by the club and played a lot of good footy for us.

Rather than actively hoping the guy fails and is dumped, it would be much better if he can actually recapture his best form and play a key role in the backline, so guys like Josh Lindsay (who has never played a game...), Bo Allan and so forth can develop before being thrown into the AFL...

No where did I say I actively want him to fail. I want him to improve and be a decent player for us for the rest of his career. It's a high performance industry so if you aren't performing someone replaces you. We aren't playing favourites. Me personally I think he's been pretty mediocre player for us over the journey that's just my opinion. He had a bad 2025 in my opinion. I also fully understand he's a great clubman and a great human being it's just we have three mature age rookies coming in like dev and we have starc as well now that can protect the kids and yeo coming back into the side as well. Guys like Bo Allan are going to have another pre-season and probably put on size.

Pointing out Duggan's deficiencies doesn't mean I dislike the guy or wish ill of him it's just my opinion his kicking out of defence was poor and if he doesn't improve he may find himself not in the squad. Competition for spots is a good thing for our club not a bad thing. Either he improves and keeps his spot or he doesn't and someone better will replace him. No player is bigger than the club not even the captain.

 

[Altum Volantes]

No where did I say I actively want him to fail. I want him to improve and be a decent player for us for the rest of his career. It's a high performance industry so if you aren't performing someone replaces you. We aren't playing favourites. Me personally I think he's been pretty mediocre player for us over the journey that's just my opinion. He had a bad 2025 in my opinion. I also fully understand he's a great clubman and a great human being it's just we have three mature age rookies coming in like dev and we have starc as well now that can protect the kids and yeo coming back into the side as well. Guys like Bo Allan are going to have another pre-season and probably put on size.

Pointing out Duggan's deficiencies doesn't mean I dislike the guy or wish ill of him it's just my opinion his kicking out of defence was poor and if he doesn't improve he may find himself not in the squad. Competition for spots is a good thing for our club not a bad thing. Either he improves and keeps his spot or he doesn't and someone better will replace him. No player is bigger than the club not even the captain.

Apologies, I realise directly quoting your post made that a little more personal than I intended.

My point was more that I don't think he is quite as much on the brink as some are suggesting - both as a Best 23 player and as skipper.

 

[Farang83150]

Definitely don't want Duggo to fail but you don't need to a be Rhodes scholar to see that his disposals by foot are below average.

 

[unty11]

Apologies, I realise directly quoting your post made that a little more personal than I intended.

My point was more that I don't think he is quite as much on the brink as some are suggesting - both as a Best 23 player and as skipper.

I think with my initial post comparing him to Richie Vanderberg was a little rough we "may" have put ourselves in a bit of conundrum but maybe duggo has a decent season and makes me out to be an idiot.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Definitely don't want Duggo to fail but you don't need to a be Rhodes scholar to see that his disposals by foot are below average.

Sadly those numbers are pretty similar to other guys playing across half back in this team - including guys like Baker, McCarthy and Maric. If you look across disposal effeciency, kicking effeciency, clangers, turnovers etc Duggan is not standing out amoung players in a similar role for the team.

Having a midfield that in any way functions is also likely to help.

 

[Astro7]

Can someone explain to me - regarding Duggan's poor/dump kicking - apparently he was quite a good kick earlier on in his career? How does someone's kicking skills get worse as they progress through their career, how is that possible?

Is it just poor decision-making, limited footy brain, or panic kicking?
And if many of us here see that he is often a bad dump kicker resulting in turnovers, then surely his team mates and coaches would realise that and try to improve his skills or process? Why doesn't that happen?

 

[PremiershipNo4]

Ok this shit is out of control.

He's never been close to being dropped - I'm talking about in the real world here, not BF.

He had a tough year in 2025 - the team won one game.
He played a number of roles, often away from where he plays his best footy.
He still finished 7th in the B&F and won Best Clubman.

He is in his prime years now - has stuck by the club and played a lot of good footy for us.

Rather than actively hoping the guy fails and is dumped, it would be much better if he can actually recapture his best form and play a key role in the backline, so guys like Josh Lindsay (who has never played a game...), Bo Allan and so forth can develop before being thrown into the AFL...

Oh FFS! He’s 29yrs old, looks to be consistently getting slower, which gives him less time to get boot to the ball, hence some of the shithouse disposals.
There is no way on God’s earth he is in his prime, he should and will be phased out along with Tim Kelly.
For the betterment of the team.

 

[unty11]

Can someone explain to me - regarding Duggan's poor/dump kicking - apparently he was quite a good kick earlier on in his career? How does someone's kicking skills get worse as they progress through their career, how is that possible?

Is it just poor decision-making, limited footy brain, or panic kicking?
And if many of us here see that he is often a bad dump kicker resulting in turnovers, then surely his team mates and coaches would realise that and try to improve his skills or process? Why doesn't that happen?

Firstly early on in his career he did his pcl (I believe) and that impacted his kicking action and he was never as good after that. Secondly he never cracked it into the midfield so was stuck in the backline where the pressure is significantly more. So all his kicks are under pressure and the easy option is just to dump kick it out of their instead of trying to hit up a target.

 

[BSD]

Oh FFS! He’s 29yrs old, looks to be consistently getting slower, which gives him less time to get boot to the ball, hence some of the shithouse disposals.
There is no way on God’s earth he is in his prime, he should and will be phased out along with Tim Kelly.
For the betterment of the team.

He would make a great Captain for the Beagles.

 

[Rivoroo17]

I don't think he plays the same role anymore these days as 5 years ago when he was looking at making a move into the midfield. I remember he used to be silky in the stoppage, his flowing mullet just evading through packs. These days Ginbey and Hough are both better in the stoppage and stronger in 1 on 1 defensive roles and that has pushed Duggo to be a deeper outlet player when he never was strongly attributed to that role. Got to remember Jetta was still taking kickouts until end of 2020, so that naturally put Duggan further up the ground.

R17 against GWS was for me the point he should've been dropped if we had any depth players pushing up the ranks, just go watch him make the same mistakes over and over again getting caught deep with the ball in hand again after a kick in instantly came back forward. Like how many times can you kick it to a pack and watch gws mop it up and immediately move the ball back i50 and then immediately dump kick right back at them. Don't think I've seen an individual senior WCE performance with so many turnovers as he had after that 1st qtr.

If he finds a spot in the b23 it needs to be higher up the ground kicking i50 where his strengths lie with identifying leading lanes and space. His kicking i50 is among our best statistically. Him and Cole are among the most likely in that backline to be overtaken by a youngster next year.

 

[Astro7]

Firstly early on in his career he did his pcl (I believe) and that impacted his kicking action and he was never as good after that. Secondly he never cracked it into the midfield so was stuck in the backline where the pressure is significantly more. So all his kicks are under pressure and the easy option is just to dump kick it out of their instead of trying to hit up a target.

Ok, but ALL backliners are under much the same pressure, yet there are many good backliners. What is it exactly about Duggan that he plays like that? How many years he's been in the backline, why hasn't it been addressed over all those years of preseason and training by coaches. We all see it, they must see it, his teammates know it, hell - even he must know it!?

 

[Altum Volantes]

Oh FFS! He’s 29yrs old, looks to be consistently getting slower, which gives him less time to get boot to the ball, hence some of the shithouse disposals.
There is no way on God’s earth he is in his prime, he should and will be phased out along with Tim Kelly.
For the betterment of the team.

He turned 29 2 days ago.
It's pretty commonly accepted that 'prime years' for most players sit between 26 and 30.

Tim Kelly is 2 and half years older and was dropped twice in 2025.

Don't get me wrong, Duggan needs to bounce back and improve in 2026. I just don't think his card has been marked at this stage.

I'd go as far as saying I think he'll also retain the captaincy, which I am sure will trigger some pretty nuclear melts.

 

[PremiershipNo4]

He turned 29 2 days ago.
It's pretty commonly accepted that 'prime years' for most players sit between 26 and 30.

Tim Kelly is 2 and half years older and was dropped twice in 2025.

Don't get me wrong, Duggan needs to bounce back and improve in 2026. I just don't think his card has been marked at this stage.

I'd go as far as saying I think he'll also retain the captaincy, which I am sure will trigger some pretty nuclear melts.

Ahhh bullshit!

This is prime
1992 Norm Smith Peter Matera 23
1994 Norm Smith Dean Kemp 25
2005 Norm Smith Chris Judd 22
2006 Norm Smith Andrew Embley 25
2018 Norm Smith Luke Shuey 28


John Worsfold retired at 29
Guy McKenna at 31
Beau Waters at 28
Mark Nicoski at 29
Daniel Chick 33
Lewis Jetta 31

Liam Duggan is slower than every one of those players, getting slower, with average disposal, his days are numbered, and he is 100% not in his prime, he is too slow for the AFL already and will only diminish, you’re kidding yourself in thinking he is in his prime.

Most AFL players are spent by 30 yrs old
I’ve attached some info on sprinting, most people decline from 27 onwards.

 

[BSD]

Starting lineup from what I’ve heard from pre season
- still think we are guaranteed to see Duggan and owies play
West Coast
FB: Starcevich H.Edwards Hough
HB: McCarthy Young Ginbey
C: B.Allan Yeo Davis
HF: Johnston Shanahan Baker
FF: Cripps Waterman Champion
FOL: Flynn Hewett H.Reid
I/C: Graham(fwd), Duursma (mid), Linsday(HB) , Maric (wing), A. Reid (FWD/ruck)

Beagles
FB: Cole J.Williams Greggo
HB: Bazzo Brock Duggan
C: wDewar Robertson S.Allen
HF T.Wiliams B.Williams Rodriguez
FF Owies Barnett, Newton
FOL CDT, Macrae, Gross

CDT and Robertson should be in before the likes of Allan, Davis, Champion and Johnson

 

[bzparkes]

CDT and Robertson should be in before the likes of Allan, Davis, Champion and Johnson

Except for the fact they play completely different positions.

 

[BSD]

Except for the fact they play completely different positions.

So you would rather have those 4 who are totally inexperienced at AFL level in the positions that they do play.
CDT could play fwd pocket instead of champion and Dev won't be playing for the beagles, he will be in the 23.

 

[bzparkes]

So you would rather have those 4 who are totally inexperienced at AFL level in the positions that they do play.
CDT could play fwd pocket instead of champion and Dev won't be playing for the beagles, he will be in the 23.

All 4 of those blokes have more AFL experience than CDT and please don't suggest CDT plays as a forward pocket again...

He'll get his chance, in his proper position.

 

[mattyc75]

CDT and Robertson should be in before the likes of Allan, Davis, Champion and Johnson

If we were going to replicate how Brisbane used Robertson by playing him on a wing instead of Davis or the forward line instead of Johnston we probably shouldn't have wasted a list spot on him

 

[Altum Volantes]

Ahhh bullshit!

This is prime
1992 Norm Smith Peter Matera 23
1994 Norm Smith Dean Kemp 25
2005 Norm Smith Chris Judd 22
2006 Norm Smith Andrew Embley 25
2018 Norm Smith Luke Shuey 28


John Worsfold retired at 29
Guy McKenna at 31
Beau Waters at 28
Mark Nicoski at 29
Daniel Chick 33
Lewis Jetta 31

Liam Duggan is slower than every one of those players, getting slower, with average disposal, his days are numbered, and he is 100% not in his prime, he is too slow for the AFL already and will only diminish, you’re kidding yourself in thinking he is in his prime.

Most AFL players are spent by 30 yrs old
I’ve attached some info on sprinting, most people decline from 27 onwards.

View attachment 2495871

That is some pretty weak analysis pal.

Norm Smith Medal ages (lol what?), a list of guys who retired at a variety of ages, most of them with injury plagued careers and then you add some info on when....sprinters ...decline?

Enough said.

 

[BSD]

All 4 of those blokes have more AFL experience than CDT and please don't suggest CDT plays as a forward pocket again...
He'll get his chance, in his proper position.

Yeah 15 AFL games is a lot of AFL experience between the 4 of them and Dev has more than the 4 and has played in a Grand Final.
Why shouldn't CDT play as a forward pocket as part of his role as a resting ruckman.
Resting a ruckman in the forward pocket has been done for donkeys years, It's a pity you can't get your head around that.

 

[ArdentEagle]

This is the team that'd I'd start with.

No Kelly and Duggan to begin with, A Reid as starting ruck.

Yes the team is young but it has a hard edge, skill, speed, great marks and some very difficult match ups.
As an oppo coach, this is the list I'd least like to coach/play against.


West Coast
FB: Starcevich H.Edwards Hough
HB: Maric Young Ginbey
C: Duursma Yeo Davis
HF: Hewitt Shanahan Baker
FF: Cripps Waterman Newton
FOL: A.Reid McCarthy H.Reid
I/C: Graham, Johnston , Lindsay , CDT , B.Allan

 

[Shazzman]

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