Collingwood's best side for 2012

[TheClokes]

Not including Ball, Krakouer and Macaffer in this side because of season ending injuries…

This team below (I think) is the best side Collingwood can place on the park for 2012… So in saying that, is the list still deep enough for Collingwood to still be a contender?

A positive aspect I think is Keeffe’s progress… giving Collingwood the luxury of Tarrant playing as a permanent third tall forward option. In saying this Nathan Brown needs to be in the side.

B: Toovey - Brown - Maxwell
HB: Shaw - Reid - O'Brien
C: D. Thomas - Swan - Wellingham
HF: Didak - Cloke - Beams
F: Fasolo - Dawes - Tarrant
FL: Jolly - Pendlebury - Sidebottom
INT: Blair – Clarke - Johnson – Goldsack

EMRG: Sinclair – Seedsman – Rounds – Buckley – Young – Paine – Keeffe – Wood​

 

[Number 10]

Sticky this thread for a bump when this team does hit the park.

Then we can truely judge:
A: The impact of injuries on our first 3-5 rounds
B: The impact of the media storm
C: The impact of the changing over of coaches (which hasn't happened in most of the players careers, let alone such a botched one).
D: Buckley's game plan.

 

[entourage]

Looks like a pretty damn good side to me, let's hope this side gets out there, knowing our luck with inures, it won't. But once Reid, Taz, Dids, Brown, Johnson are fit and playing we'll look much different....That's more than half our full strength backline

 

[morgues]

Looks like a pretty damn good side to me, let's hope this side gets out there, knowing our luck with inures, it won't. But once Reid, Taz, Dids, Brown, Johnson are fit and playing we'll look much different....That's more than half our full strength backline

That is a staggering thought and one that seems to be constantly ignored. We have been poor defensively this year but a lot of that comes with having to play blokes back there without the luxury of mixing things up. And the injuries force change, which is hard to adapt to.

If I knew that Goldsack was going to be a certain starter down back at the start of 2012 I would have questioned the reality of the world we live in! Nothing specific against him, but it says a lot that he has had to play back - and no chance forward. And if someone told me that Keefe would be one out on Waite or Hampson, I would have shat my pants.

We need some consistency in the backline and some certainty. Perhaps bringing back one at a time is ideal. Bring Brown back for Anzac day, and then Reid, and then Taz or whatever. So maybe we should trickle the returns of our best 22?

 

[entourage]

Agreed, Keefe has been thrown to the dogs (Hamish McLachlan's worst nightmare?) and for the most part has stood up well, but the fact he's been our main full back would've seemed absurd in the offseason, and while he has done well, it's still not an ideal situation. At least when the other boys come back, Keefe will have become a good depth player.

Let's just hope our horror injury run comes to a halt and by round 10 our back line is fit and firing.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Keeffe into the side for Goldsack for mine. I don't rate Goldsack as a consistent and reliable performer, and he showed last week just how fumbly he can be. Keeffe offers much more than Goldsack in the backline.

 

[morgues]

Agreed, Keefe has been thrown to the dogs (Hamish McLachlan's worst nightmare?) and for the most part has stood up well, but the fact he's been our main full back would've seemed absurd in the offseason, and while he has done well, it's still not an ideal situation. At least when the other boys come back, Keefe will have become a good depth player.

Let's just hope our horror injury run comes to a halt and by round 10 our back line is fit and firing.

I really do hope that the baptisms of fire help the young fellas in the long run! Surely it can only be a good thing for their development. Perhaps it may unveil a certain starter? I look forward to the relief we will feel when the players who have been thrown in the deep end are able to be fight to keep their positions.

Keeffe into the side for Goldsack for mine. I don't rate Goldsack as a consistent and reliable performer, and he showed last week just how fumbly he can be. Keeffe offers much more than Goldsack in the backline.

When our starting backline starts to return, the actual opportunity to choose between Keefe and Goldsack will be a bloody blessing! That will be the time that the Pies can really show their might. At the moment we just dont have the luxury!

Now, I wonder if we could uncover a big guy to help out Jolly...

 

[legendstatus]

I think if Keefe builds his confidence and feels like he belongs in the AFL - we could move him to the L Brown role to support Jolly because WOOD is a muppet... Not a bad side, imagine if Elliott & J Thomas explode as well... (if only)

 

[morgues]

Interesting idea there legend, and i guess if reidy/brown/taz are back, then we would have the height depth down back to have Keefe around the ground.

I honestly thought Wood might show something on Friday night. He was one of many that didn't.

 

[TheClokes]

Wood and Jolly cannot play in the same team. Jolly is a ruck-man and nothing else, and Wood is an alleged ruck-man and nothing else. Keeffe as a second string ruck-man is a big NO - he simply doesn't have the football nous to play that role - he will get lost. Keeffe plays his best football in defence with the game in front of him. My hope is Ceglar because he does have the capability of playing forward and pinch hitting in the ruck, however he still needs more development time in the twos. - For me we have no option but to continue with Dawes as the backup ruck.

 

[iGNITER]

B: Toovey - Brown - Maxwell
HB: Shaw - Reid - O'Brien
C: D. Thomas - Swan - Wellingham
HF: Didak - Cloke - Beams
F: Fasolo - Dawes - Tarrant
FL: Jolly - Pendlebury - Sidebottom
INT: Blair – Clarke - Johnson – Goldsack​

EMRG: Sinclair – Seedsman – Rounds – Buckley – Young – Paine – Keeffe – Wood​

Couldnt agree more with that side. Would have Goldy as the sub.

Keeffe stiff.

That side can do some damage.

Let people write us off. We arent done yet.

 

[Visions]

Couldnt agree more with that side. Would have Goldy as the sub.

Keeffe stiff.

That side can do some damage.

Let people write us off. We arent done yet.

Yes it can do some damage IF we can get them onto the park. Out of the above team, 6 or maybe 7 won't be playing this week.

 

[SuperSub17]

Not to have false hope, but wasnt there a rumour that N Brown was going to play late last year had he not injured himself in Arizona? So maybe Krak or Caff could potentially play late in the season? Not trying to be over-the-top optimistic but people certainly do recover from injuries at different rates.

 

[Knightmare]

This year is a team where I want to include 4 key defenders and no no.2 ruckman so the balance isn't easy.

B: Alan Toovey Nathan Brown Chris Tarrant
HB: Heath Shaw Ben Reid Nick Maxwell
CEN: Steele Sidebottom Dayne Beams Dale Thomas
HF: Alan Didak Travis Cloke Dane Swan
F: Alex Fasolo Chris Dawes Jarryd Blair
FOLL: Darren Jolly Scott Pendlebury Sharrod Wellingham
BENCH: Lachlan Keeffe Harry O'Brien Marty Clarke Ben Johnson
EMG: Jackson Paine Tyson Goldsack Jonathan Ceglar

Nathan Brown or Lachlan Keeffe is the interesting question for me. With the form of Keeffe I'm can't not have him in the side. He deserves to be in the side regardless of whoever is available.
N.Brown is starting to get some form back at VFL level and is adding to his rebounding game which is also really promising so I'm not willing to write him off either.

Swan I'd like to see shifted forward. Is getting all his toughes in the back half and is having such limited influence. Really needs to get it in more damaging positions and up forward I think he might have that influence, perhaps on a forward flank.