Bingo. A simple shepherd is often the difference between a kick hitting a leading forward lace-out or going out on the full. It can't be emphasised enough how important this is.
A. Selwood - Glass - Brown
Butler - Mackenzie - Hurn
Rosa - Kerr - Houlihan
Embley - Kennedy - Lynch
LeCras - McKinley - Waters
Cox Masten Priddis
Ebert Swift McGinnity NN
Defence
Moving Butler to half back has been a great move. He's added quality disposal to complement Hurn's and has surprised me with his spoiling. He loves bolting off to provide an option as well. I think he's saved his career in the process.
Brown has looked bloody good up forward, particularly with his ability to play on and move the ball quickly, but against quality opposition (namely Adelaide) we were exposed for a lack of run out of defence. Spangher made up for this the following week, but against a weaker opponent. I like Brown at both ends, but for now, I think we need his courageous dash in the backline.
Glass and Mackenzie are automatic selections for the key defensive roles IMO. Glass has had a great year and Mackenzie started very well, before niggling injuries and general soreness reduced his effectiveness. After another full pre-season Mackenzie will be able to hold his form deeper into the season.
A. Selwood is a vital cog in our midfield rotations and will be required through there, but he also has the ability to shut down quality forwards. Given our history of getting torn apart by these little bastards, Selwood should spend a fair bit of time down back.
Hurn is on his way to AA honours with his powerful legs driving his body through tackles and then unleashing a 60m laserbeam to a team mate in space. Shannon's quads are an unstopppable force.
All our smaller defenders have the capacity to add to midfield rotations, which I think is a great advantage.
Wings
Rosa seems to have put on a fair bit of size this year and is attacking the contest far more agressively, which is good because he needed to. I'm now much more confident when he has the ball in his hands. His kicking is reasonaly reliable, but he needs to flatten it out a bit more. I believe that next season he will become a very good player.
Houlihan has shown himself to be a running machine that can have multiple possessions as the ball moves down the ground, which is vitally important in outnumbering opponents around the ball and creating overlaps etc. He definitely needs to improve his kicking, but very few young players have complete games from word go. I can see him getting us over the line, with his endurance, in some very important games, in the future. More often than not, finals are won by the team with the more run in their legs in the last 15 minutes.
Ruck
Cox gives us an additional outside midfielder and NN gives us an additional inside midfielder, both will at a minimum breakeven in the hitouts. It's possible we could have the two AA ruckmen next season. I can't wait to see what these two produce next season. Not to mention Lynch who has proven to be more than capable as a back-up.
On-ballers
Kerr - I think we are going to see a return to the Kerr of old. No longer required to do all the work by himself, he can be used in bursts to have a dramatic impact on the game with his aggression and explosiveness.
Masten - Showed he can become a very polished player either at the bottom of packs or running onto a handball and executing a bullet pass. I think he will form a major part of the foundations of our midfield. I think he will spend large minutes in the middle and that will enable other players to have a greater impact.
Priddis - Like Robert De Niro, he doesn't play a great variety of roles, but those he plays, he plays bloody well. There's talk about the young guys pushing Priddis out of the team, but I see it differently. I think the young mids will enable Priddis to play an even more specific role and get on with what he does best, taking the ball off the opposition and giving it to team mates. He hasn't bombed one out of a contest for a while now.
Ebert - I like midifelders that know how to use their body in a marking contest and Ebert can do that. He's definitely looked slow at times this season, but I wonder how much of that is due to the effects of OP and whether an unrestricted pre-season will have him moving on top of the grass a bit more next year. He's not backward in coming forward either, which we need.
Swift - After Cousins turned 20 years of age, I started putting a bet on him for the Brownlow at the beginng of every season. It proved a good strategy. I'm going to do the same for Swift. I remember the first time I saw his u/16 footage and thought "typical junior footy stuff, where the most developed kid just dominates". I also thought that missing out on 2 years of footy at such a vital point in a player's development may have lasting negative effects on his game. I was wrong on both counts. Seems a complete player with plenty of pace and will gain size in the next couple of years.
McGinnity - The last player selected in my 22, but got a position because we need someone to play a defensive role in the midfield, but who still has the ability to contribute with clearances and reliable disposal.
Midfield Rotations: A. Selwood, Butler, Hurn, Embley, LeCras
Forwards
Lynch - I like Lynch well up the ground and using his endurance and long kick to its maximum. Named HFF, but I'd like him presenting to our defenders moving the ball out of D50.
Kennedy - Our club's first true CHF and looking great. Has improved from non-selection at the beginning of the season, to automatic selection by the end.
Embley - easy selection. In the forward half so he can kick goals.
LeCras - as above
McKinley - easily our best FF and should be played there. If that means we don't have an option for a long bomb, good, stop bombing the ball in and look for a lead.
Waters - could play a role as a defensive forward. I like Beau and believe we need a bloke like him in the team, but I also like our defensive 6 as I have named it. Not known for his great field kicking, Beau's actually a bloody good kick for goal.
Overall, I think that is a team capable of making the 8, if things go our way. can't wait to see how they go next season.
) Just for him to develop. Everyone talks about the fact he doesn't kick the ball a lot, but I couldn't care less. His vision within packs, and his ability get the ball & to handball it to a guy in space is incredible for a guy his size. He'll start kicking the ball soon, we just have to give the confidence to do so. How many young ruckmen kick the more more than handball. Not many.
