Prediction Best 23 - 2026

[TiAn_]

Treloar has played a huge amount of football off half forward as the +1 at the contest, this wouldn't be any different.

Averages more goals per game than Vandermeer across their careers too. Much better forward craft than Vandermeer, sadly.

 

[Mr. Walker]

My biggest worry about Treloar is his durability. Ability to get the ball and use it well is a given. It’s just his body holding together. He is in the best 23 for me, but not the best 18 if we want him available each week. I’m not sure a permanent bench player can survive in the modern game? Maybe three weeks on, one off.

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

If fit Trelor is an A grader. He has had these kinds of injuries all through his career and even though he might need to be managed - he makes us better and like Libba - they should play unless someone better pushes them out.

Having said that, with 23 players now we have great coverage of a player goes down and at the dogs - we have arguably the best rotation in the league with:

Bont Richards Libba

Kennedy Trelor Sanders

Friejah Hynes West

Harmes Garcia Gags

In defence there are more questions - we need to build for an uncertain future with the kind of coverage we have in the mids AND also try and add talent to that part of the ground.

In 2016 this was clearly the plan - around unknowns in the key positions we put 5 stars:

Bob* from HFF

Boyd* from midfield where he was a star but we had coverage

JJ* from Wing and forwards

On top of stars in Wood* and Morris*.

I don’t recall the stats from that year but feel
Like we were very hard to score against?

Today - we have Dale as the only star in our backline. We will need to ship some quality back and back those better players to work out what to do better than OK players or third stringers.

 

[BomToydd]

Not saying Treloar should be left out but a forward line with him, Naughton, Darcy and Croft is so slow and would put our midfield and defence under so much pressure with how easily teams would be able to rebound. Think he would be best played in short spells through the middle and only forward when we've got 2 or 3 other smalls playing forward with him who are capable of covering his poor defensive running and tackling

 

[BomToydd]

Croft is showing a lot more skill, versatility and effort in his 2 games and on the training track than Jamarra. He is in the best 22 next year every day.

No way. He had his flaws but Jamarra was a genuine match winner before he went off the rails. Would definitely have Croft in the team and think he has potential but at the same stage of his career Jamarra had already won a match off his own boot against the reigning premiers

 

[Foxman98]

Not saying Treloar should be left out but a forward line with him, Naughton, Darcy and Croft is so slow and would put our midfield and defence under so much pressure with how easily teams would be able to rebound. Think he would be best played in short spells through the middle and only forward when we've got 2 or 3 other smalls playing forward with him who are capable of covering his poor defensive running and tackling

Treloar Croft and Naughton are all quick and agile not sure where you've got this idea from

 

[stefoid]

we need to do well in our first difficult 8 matches. We throw our best players at that block of games.

During the next block we can manage older players and reward younger players who performed well in the VFL

 

[BomToydd]

Treloar Croft and Naughton are all quick and agile not sure where you've got this idea from

Treloar was quick, but even then he's always been poor defensively. Never see him chase and tackle properly. He was so slow in the VFL grand final and with his age and injury history he's likely to continue slowing down

Naughton and Croft are quick for their height but doubt they'd be up there with the elite forwards in terms of pressure acts and tackles inside 50. Just the role they play as tall forwards limits the amount of pressure they can apply

 

[blagodellago]

Treloar was quick, but even then he's always been poor defensively. Never see him chase and tackle properly. He was so slow in the VFL grand final and with his age and injury history he's likely to continue slowing down

Naughton and Croft are quick for their height but doubt they'd be up there with the elite forwards in terms of pressure acts and tackles inside 50. Just the role they play as tall forwards limits the amount of pressure they can apply

 

[Testekill]

Treloar was quick, but even then he's always been poor defensively. Never see him chase and tackle properly. He was so slow in the VFL grand final and with his age and injury history he's likely to continue slowing down

Naughton and Croft are quick for their height but doubt they'd be up there with the elite forwards in terms of pressure acts and tackles inside 50. Just the role they play as tall forwards limits the amount of pressure they can apply

Naughton's ability to provide pressure on the ground is why we have the luxury of multiple tall forwards in one line up. Naughton is elite in that regard for tall forwards, it's our small forwards who let us down.

 

[Here we go dogs]

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Does that list take into account finals?

I’m gobsmacked Shannon Neal is on that list.

I’m very surprised by a few there (not naughton).

 

[stefoid]

theres 4 geelong players = that feels more like system to me than individual effort.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

I'd definitely have a fit Weightman in the best 23 but I thought there's been reports that he hasn't been on the track yet this preseason. By round 1 he won't have played in 18 months

There's no doubt Treloar is a better player than Jones and Vandermeer but I'm not sure playing better players out of position just because they're better players necessarily makes for a better team. He couldn't play a role as a forward better than them.
And I feel like Croft is in a lot of people's starting forwards over better players just because of his height

Nothing to do with height. He will break out next year big time, will end up being what JUH was meant to be long term

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

No way. He had his flaws but Jamarra was a genuine match winner before he went off the rails. Would definitely have Croft in the team and think he has potential but at the same stage of his career Jamarra had already won a match off his own boot against the reigning premiers

Thats so not true. When JUH did that against .Melbourne was not in his first free games. Crofts first propper year is next year

 

[JohnnySteel]

I personally think Croft actually fits our side better than JUH due to his versatility to play ruck & even wing when not forward.

 

[Foxman98]

I personally think Croft actually fits our side better than JUH due to his versatility to play ruck & even wing when not forward.

Now that Darcy is the main man Croft and Naughty are perfect 2nd/3rds

Both put on a lot of pressure with great speed and agility at their size but also but can take the contested marks forcing their defender to stay on them

 

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

Treloar was quick, but even then he's always been poor defensively. Never see him chase and tackle properly. He was so slow in the VFL grand final and with his age and injury history he's likely to continue slowing down

Naughton and Croft are quick for their height but doubt they'd be up there with the elite forwards in terms of pressure acts and tackles inside 50. Just the role they play as tall forwards limits the amount of pressure they can apply

This might be one of the worst takes I’ve seen on this forum. Is there a better key forward in the league when it comes to forward pressure than Naughton?

Treloar since being with us has averaged 4.3, 3.2, 5.3, 4.7 tackles.

Not every player has to be a pressure machine to play forward. I’d argue that Naughton, West, Weightman and Darcy is probably the best pressure forwardline in the comp.

 

[JohnnySteel]

Now that Darcy is the main man Croft and Naughty are perfect 2nd/3rds

Both put on a lot of pressure with great speed and agility at their size but also but can take the contested marks forcing their defender to stay on them

Exactly, they work well together. If JUH stayed - we would’ve had to ruck Darcy more (which he is obviously really good at but I think he is more dangerous as a forward) as JUH has played his best closer to goal & previously had no capacity to play higher up for more than short stints.

 

[BomToydd]

Thats so not true. When JUH did that against .Melbourne was not in his first free games. Crofts first propper year is next year

It was in his second season. Croft is into his third season next year and is yet to show anything like that

 

[BomToydd]

This might be one of the worst takes I’ve seen on this forum.

Aren't you the guy who derailed a whole thread defending the Silvagnis?

Treloar since being with us has averaged 4.3, 3.2, 5.3, 4.7 tackles.

Those numbers are probably below average for a midfielder. He's never been a great player defensively. No way he averages that many as a forward

I’d argue that Naughton, West, Weightman and Darcy is probably the best pressure forwardline in the comp.

 

[BomToydd]

Naughton's ability to provide pressure on the ground is why we have the luxury of multiple tall forwards in one line up. Naughton is elite in that regard for tall forwards, it's our small forwards who let us down.

While he may be good at it his ability to apply pressure is kind of limited by the role he plays. Like he's not going to be in the best position to apply pressure when he's trying to find space, making repeats leads, flying for marks and has defenders hanging off him.

With the way teams seem to so easily score end to end goals against us I reckon having all three of Naughton, Darcy and Croft in the forward line together would be more of a weakness for us and a luxury for the opposition.

 

[dogwatch]

Those numbers are probably below average for a midfielder. He's never been a great player defensively. No way he averages that many as a forward

Good discussion.

For the record ...

Average tackles per game for midfielders in 2025 was 3.11
Median was 2.81

So Treloar's historical average was above that each year 2021-2024 (4.3, 3.2, 5.3, 4.7) and over those four years he averaged 4.35. In 2025 he only averaged 1.25 in his four games. But he was struggling with injury and averaged less than 60% game time.

His career average is 4.64.

If you narrow it down to only the AFL's top 100 midfielders (ranking based on Wheelo ratjing points) the average tackles per game is 3.78 and the median 3.61. That's a good deal higher than the number for all midfielders, but Treloar still comfortably exceeded that each year apart from 2022 (and 2025 of course).

As you say, there's no way Treloar would average that as a forward, but then no forwards do.
The 2025 average for forwards (source Wheelo, excluding players they categorise as midfielder/forwards) is 2.16 tackles per game but that includes tackles made outside the 50.
The average for forwards executing tackles inside 50 was 0.78.

For reference here are the 2025 averages for WB players that Wheelo called forwards:

Player----Tackle Avg----Tackle i50 Avg

Rhylee West	3.57	1.70
Aaron Naughton	1.96	1.30
Caleb Poulter	1.86	1.14
Laitham Vandermeer	1.68	1.00
Sam Darcy	1.53	0.59
Lachlan McNeil	1.71	0.57
Josh Dolan	1.18	0.36
Buku Khamis	1.93	0.36
Cooper Hynes	1.13	0.25
Jordan Croft	1.00	0.00

 

[Bald Headed Flog]

While he may be good at it his ability to apply pressure is kind of limited by the role he plays. Like he's not going to be in the best position to apply pressure when he's trying to find space, making repeats leads, flying for marks and has defenders hanging off him.

With the way teams seem to so easily score end to end goals against us I reckon having all three of Naughton, Darcy and Croft in the forward line together would be more of a weakness for us and a luxury for the opposition.

Lad just take the L and move on

 

[BomToydd]

Lad just take the L and move on

Wanna add anything to the discussion or just continue being a bald headed flog?

 

[Spiritof82]

I personally think Croft actually fits our side better than JUH due to his versatility to play ruck & even wing when not forward.

Agree, yes Croft has only played a couple of games but he put in 100% effort, didn't abuse his team mates or stand in the pocket with his hands on his hips watching the ball go past him because he couldn't be bothered to run. I'd take Croft any day over UH.