Best 23, Round 1 2024

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Oct 5, 2012
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Western Bulldogs
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Here's my first stab at our 2024 Round 1 side:

B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD JJ
C: Williams Treloar Poulter
HF: Daniel Marra Weightman
F: Lobb Naughton West
R: English Bont Libba
I: Macrae Harmes Duryea Sanders
S: Scott

Fringe: Darcy Buss Clarke Arty Gardner

For taller forward lines, Harmes/Duryea can be swapped with Gardner
 
FB: Coffield - Jones - Richards
HB: Dale - O'Donnell - Johannisen

C: Harmes - Bontempelli - Williams

HF: Treloar - Naughton - West
FF: Weightman - Ugle-Hagan - Lobb

R: English - Liberatore - Macrae

I: Daniel - Sanders - Poulter - Gallagher/Cleary/Scott/Duryea
S: Vandermeer
 
B: JJ L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD Dale
C: Williams Treloar Poulter
HF: Sanders Marra Weightman
F: Jones Naughton West
R: English Bont Libba
I: Macrae Harmes Vandermeer Lobb
S: Daniel

Coffield gets first chance as the mid sized defender with Khamis waiting in the wings. Given Artie a chance as I love his enthusiasm, yet need to turn that into consistent form. Sanders plays from round 1.
 

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FB: Coffield. Jones. Richards.
HB: JJ. JOD. Dale.
C: Harmes. Bontempelli. Williams.
HF: West. JUH. Macrae.
FF : Bendendo. Naughton. Weightman.
R/R: English. Treloar. Libba.
I/C: Daniel, Dureay, Sanders, Lobb
S: Scott.
 
FF:Marra O'Driscoll Naughton
HF:Flea lobb West
C:Williams Sanders harmes
R:English Bont Libba
HBCoffield JOD JJ
FB:Red Jones Dale
Int: Treloar,daniel macrae, darcy

Sub bedendo
 
FB: Richards, Jones, Coffield
HB: Dale, O'Donnell, JJ
C: Poulter, Liberatore, Williams
HF: West, Naughton, Sanders
FF: Weightman, JUH, Lobb
F: English, Bont, Treloar
IC: Macrae, Daniel, two players who force their way in over the pre-season (Bedendo and Gallagher are my hopes, could also be Harmes, Arty, VDM)
Sub: Scott
 
FB: Nick Coffield, Liam Jones, James O'Donnell

HB: Ed Richards, Alex Keath, Bailey Dale

C: Ryley Sanders, Marcus Bontempelli, Bailey Williams

HF: James Harmes, Aaron Naughton, Caleb Daniel

FF: Rory Lobb, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Cody Weightman

R: Tim English, Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar

I/C: Sam Darcy, Anthony Scott, Jack Macrae, Jason Johannisen

SUB: Vandermeer/Bedendo/West

I wouldn't have Keath in but we need a 3rd tall, and I would take him over Gardner - Need a small lockdown defender as well and if Coff can't do that job than Duryea could come in, though hopefully not
 
FB: Buku Jones JJ
HB: Richards JOD Dale
C: Williams Libba Bedendo
HF: Daniel JUH Weightman
FF: West Naughton Lobb
R: English Bont Treloar
INT: Macrae Sanders Gallagher Coffield
Sub: Harmes/Scott
EMER: Harmes, Scott, Darcy, Keath, VDM, Poulter

Typing this team out, the depth isn’t as strong as I thought it was. We’re really relying on some fringe/younger types to really step up to make sure it’s okay (Buku, Bedendo, Gallagher, Coffield etc.)
 
I reckon our depth is the best we have seen for decades.

FB: Coffield Jones Richards

HB: JJ Keath Dale

W: Williams Macrae Poulter

C: English Bont Libba

HF: Jones Naughton West

FF: Weightman JUH Lobb

Int: Daniel, Sanders, VDM, Trelor

Sub: Bedendo


Depth

FB: Duryea Gardner Cleary

HB: Busslinger JOD Gallagher

C: Baker Bramble Freijah

R: Smith Harmes Garcia

HF: Artie Croft Scott

FF: Clarke Darcy Khamis

Sub: McNeil/O’Driscoll
23rd: Jaxon Cooney
 
Starting to feel like Sam Darcy is the Cameron Green of the Bulldogs. We know he’s the future but it’s not obvious how to fit him in the present team without doing something unnatural with selection. Here’s hoping his form demands selection this year but I don’t think he and Lobb can play in the same team if Naughton, JUH and English are fit.
 
Round 1

B- Richard’s-Jones-JOD
HB- Dale- Darcy- JJ
C- Williams-Bont- Bendendo
HF- West-Naughton- CD
F- Lobb- JUH- Weightman
R- English-Libba-Treloar
Int- Macrae, Sanders Coffield
Poults Laith
Next in Gardiner/Keath(Backs) Clarke/Scott(fwd) Gags/Baker (mids)
 
FB: Richards, Jones, Coffield
HB: Dale, O'Donnell, JJ
C: Williams, Macrae, Treloar
HF: West, Naughton, Harmes
FF: Weightman, JUH, Lobb
F: English, Bont, Liberatore
IC: Daniel, Sanders, Scott, Poulter
Sub: Bedendo/Gallagher

Darcy is first in if we have an injury to a key forward or English but I don't like just plonking him on the bench on talent alone. Have seen a lot of those round 1 team in the media doing it. I don't see where he fits in when every tall is fit. He will eventually replace Lobb but at moment he's not there, no rush with him either.

Two talls in defence and Coffield as third is way too go, give us a bit more rebound and kicking out of the backline.

Clarke is my smokey, sounds like he's having a good pre-season and is what we need in the side. Hopefully he goes well in the match sims and pre-season games and forces way in.
 

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Currently my best 22 looks like this;
FB: Coffield L.Jones Khamis
HB: Dale O'Donnell Richards
C: Gags Libba Williams
HF: Harmes Naught West
FF: Lobb Marra Weightman
R: English Bont Treloar
INT: Daniel Macrea Sanders JJ
Sub/emg: Scott Poulter Bramble Darcy
Pretty good side, even without Bailey Smith.
Average age 26.25 ... and a few promising young ones on the fringes. Like Darcy, Croft, Poulter, Bedendo, Clarke etc.
 
How are Harmes and Coffield tracking? I know its traditional for us to play trade-ins immediately and at length, but Im hoping they arent automatic selections.
 
How are Harmes and Coffield tracking? I know its traditional for us to play trade-ins immediately and at length, but Im hoping they arent automatic selections.
Harmes was best on in the intraclub match on the Gold Coast, kicking 4 splitting time between Mid and half forward. Coffield has been playing in the "probables" most intraclubs aswell so looks likely.
 
B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Khamis O'Donnell Johannisen
C: Richards Liberatore Williams
HF: Treloar Naughton A.Jones
F: Lobb Ugle-Hagan Weightman
R: English Bontempelli Harmes
I: Macrae Gallagher Sanders Daniel
S: Scott
EMG. Baker, Gardner, Darcy
 
B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Khamis O'Donnell Johannisen
C: Richards Liberatore Williams
HF: Treloar Naughton A.Jones
F: Lobb Ugle-Hagan Weightman
R: English Bontempelli Harmes
I: Macrae Gallagher Sanders Daniel
S: Scott
EMG. Baker, Gardner, Darcy

When it comes to wingers, I think we play two of Williams, Poulter, Baker, and Freijah. That’s who’s been playing there all preseason, and Richards isn’t a winger.
 
When it comes to wingers, I think we play two of Williams, Poulter, Baker, and Freijah. That’s who’s been playing there all preseason, and Richards isn’t a winger.
All the talk is Richards is a walk-up start in the midfield so I am going with that but not in the centre square as he's yet to prove that he can handle the heat in there.
 
Where has the Duryea love gone? Have other defenders actually shown greater performances in match simulation or is his omission from these sides based on “hoped for improvement “ in others?
It’s not like those financial adds where they say “past performance is not an indicator of future performance”. Past performance is a good guide of how a player could perform and I don’t think you ignore past performance until the proposed replacement actually performs better.
Footnote: I do get that these teams are predictions. I just think Duryea should stay in the conversation. Like everyone here I hope all the pups progress to elite level.
 
Where has the Duryea love gone? Have other defenders actually shown greater performances in match simulation or is his omission from these sides based on “hoped for improvement “ in others?
It’s not like those financial adds where they say “past performance is not an indicator of future performance”. Past performance is a good guide of how a player could perform and I don’t think you ignore past performance until the proposed replacement actually performs better.
Footnote: I do get that these teams are predictions. I just think Duryea should stay in the conversation. Like everyone here I hope all the pups progress to elite level.
Duryea was awful last year
 
I have only 12 lock in players this season. Maybe a bit harsh on some like Bailey Williams if we are to have a good season probably need another 6 to become locks and the locks to justify their status.

ADZ
JUH
Cody
Bont
Jacko
Liam
Red
Libba
Bailey Dale
Astro
Caleb
Tim
 
We will see a lot more during the two preseason games with Hawthorn.

We have a set of players who are either at the end of their careers or had poor seasons last year - perhaps for injury but not always clear.

These are: Macrae, Keath, JJ, Weightman, Daniel and Williams (both Ok but were not settled or AA level they been), Naughton (didn’t progress and looked injured a lot), Smith (no chance this year) and the man of the moment Duryea. Trelor was good when he played but missed a few. That is more than a third of the Team. The lift of these will determine whether we are contending or not.

So a team based on proven performers being back on track would look like:

Weightman JUH Lobb
West Naughty Daniel

English Bont Libba
Williams Macrae Trelor

Dale Keath JJ
Richards Jones Duryea

Int will come below but likely:

Sanders, JOD, Harmes, Coffield

Our constructed growth will come from the following draft, trades and natural progression likely to play games this year.

Draft: Sanders, Freijah look like they could play (Croft, OD, Smith may need a year)

Trade: Coffield, Harmes, Poulter will all play games this year

Natural progression: JOD (will likely play now unless Keath can return to his best and even then probably in 22) Darcy, Gags, Buss, Clarke, Garcia, Bedendo, Arty, VDM and Khamis will expect to be better - a fair chunk of this group will come through this year

Solid back up not expected to get better but capable: Scott, Gards, McNeil, Baker, Bramble


If we assume significant injuries for over 30s team would be something like:

Weightman JUH Clarke
West Naughty Darcy

English Bont Sanders
Bedendo Macrae Freijah

Dale JOD Gags
Richards Buss/Gard Coffield

(Daniel and Williams would still be in squad but as utilities. )
 

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