Best Team to be playing to win a flag

[hurlygurdy]

Myers should improve because he is covering the ground better than he has probably since he was an under-18 (or in his first year or so in the AFL system). Watson unfortunately looks like a necessary evil at this stage as he's quite clearly a step behind what he used to be and he's been at the same level all year. As much as I want him to be a part of any success we have, I doubt that he would be playing if we had suitable replacements. He currently serves a purpose because he is the only genuine grunt that we have in the middle. Merrett and Zaharakis can try to find all of the ball they want but they're part of the midfield that is getting belted so I don't see any reason to think that they are part of the solution to our ball winning woes. The same applies to Goddard.

Watson has always been slow. The difference is that he is out of form and nothing makes a player look slow like being out of form. If he is in form he has the ball for nano seconds before he delivers it, so who cares if he is slow?
As far as Merrett and Zaka etc, I think their work would shine a lot brighter if our true inside mids were firing. We just badly need a Watson type in there and dominating like Kennedy did against us. It makes everyone around them look good.

 

[Bomberbuzz1]

The bolded part is why other clubs should recognise and respect the evil genius of DankenHird. Soon they'll all be sacrificing a year by putting their stars on ice for a season and playing the kids. Then the following season, wowee!

Seriousness, I reckon Hurley, Hooker, Stewart, Fanta, Walla, Green/Begley (depending on time/performance in the 1s), Zerrett, Zaka, Heppell, Goddard, Daniher, McGrath, McKenna, Ambrose, Colyer, Myers, Hartley, TBell, Bags

Add ring-ins next year in place of Watson, Kelly and Stanton.

 

[Vindicater]

Watson has always been slow. The difference is that he is out of form and nothing makes a player look slow like being out of form. If he is in form he has the ball for nano seconds before he delivers it, so who cares if he is slow?
As far as Merrett and Zaka etc, I think their work would shine a lot brighter if our true inside mids were firing. We just badly need a Watson type in there and dominating like Kennedy did against us. It makes everyone around them look good.

Will be interestng to see who can take that role this year.

 

[akiva]

Will be interestng to see who can take that role this year.

I hope someone can...

 

[hurlygurdy]

Will be interestng to see who can take that role this year.

I'm still gutted that Watson didn't find consistency and play on this year. And we will never really know if he could have found that consistency again after another preseason. I think he just found the limits of his enthusiasm for the game.
This year Myers and Heppell will have a brief to beef. I don't think it is overly optimistic to think they have the potential to fulfil that inside role. Myers will probably play more of a protection/interference role to facilitate the smaller guys, while Heppell will probably aim to replace Watson like for like.
I expect they will throw the next biggest body in there along with Myers whoever that might be. BJ, Langford, Begley, Laverde? Depends who's in the side. They will be the second tier of our inside contingent and could well be the difference between top eight vs top four. But i'm reasonably at ease with the likes of Myers, Smith and BJ being at the fall of the ball, whereas i'm salivating at a beefed up Heppell being there with Zach and Parish.

 

[Vindicater]

Reckon Parish will take a big step this year. Will become a ball magnet at the coal face.