Current best 22 if fully fit

[Daniel B]

Self explanatory. Go.

 

[scaryness]

Defence:
Rampe
Aliir
Brand
Mills
Lloyd
Dawson

Mids:
Parker
Kennedy
Florent
Hewett
Cunningham
Rowbottom
Blakey
Naismith

Forwards:
Franklin
Heeney
Hayward
Papley
McCartin
Reid

Then the last two spots based on whoever young players are in form at that moment, or matchup specific selections

 

[Daniel B]

Brand

I don't know much about this bloke, but he only played 5 games last year before being delisted by the Hawks. Should I be worried that he's in our best 20?

 

[caesar88]

I don't know much about this bloke, but he only played 5 games last year before being delisted by the Hawks. Should I be worried that he's in our best 20?

Maybe, but you should also be worried that if it's not him, it would be Melican, who was pretty ordinary last year. His good games were pretty impressive, but his bad... **** me. Ultimately we're better off if both guys find form and are driving each other to perform better. Competition for spots is what we want.

Brand's a big unit, will be like Reg Grundy in that he's not gonna be doing anything flashy, just taking his opponents out of the game through his body work. If he can do that regularly, then there would be no worries at all. Round 1 was a good start for him.

 

[The King!]

lot of spots are up in the air at the moment, shaping year for us

taylor on 3 years would want to be in it

 

[caesar88]

lot of spots are up in the air at the moment, shaping year for us

taylor on 3 years would want to be in it

Not sure I agree that it's a shaping year for us if you're talking about the ins and outs of the best 22. If anything the last few years, even 2016 when we were flying but brought in Mills, Hewett, Papley, Aliir etc, were the shaping years. It feels like this year we already have a clearer idea of what the team will look like for the season than we have in any other year.

If you look at our 22, I think the following players you'd expect to be in our 22 for the next 3-5 years: Aliir, Blakey, Dawson, Florent, Hayward, Heeney, Hewett, Lloyd, McCartin, Mills, Papley, Parker and Rowbottom. That's 13 blokes. Not many rebuilding sides can say they've already got such a clear idea of what the nucleus of their future team will look like. Carlton have been rebuilding for years and I don't think at any point they could've named more than half a dozen players who they could say with certainty would form part of their future.

So personnel-wise I think we've already done a lot of the shaping.

 

[The King!]

Not sure I agree that it's a shaping year for us if you're talking about the ins and outs of the best 22. If anything the last few years, even 2016 when we were flying but brought in Mills, Hewett, Papley, Aliir etc, were the shaping years. It feels like this year we already have a clearer idea of what the team will look like for the season than we have in any other year.

If you look at our 22, I think the following players you'd expect to be in our 22 for the next 3-5 years: Aliir, Blakey, Dawson, Florent, Hayward, Heeney, Hewett, Lloyd, McCartin, Mills, Papley, Parker and Rowbottom. That's 13 blokes. Not many rebuilding sides can say they've already got such a clear idea of what the nucleus of their future team will look like. Carlton have been rebuilding for years and I don't think at any point they could've named more than half a dozen players who they could say with certainty would form part of their future.

So personnel-wise I think we've already done a lot of the shaping.

I don’t think rowbottom mccartin and even Blakey have locked down spots as promising as they are

But I think we agree, maybe just using shaping differently

I would agree 10 fine say 13 have established with reasonable certainty spots

There’s almost half the side left to battle for, that’s what I meant , it’s about seeing who else steps up and adds their name.

 

[caesar88]

I don’t think rowbottom mccartin and even Blakey have locked down spots as promising as they are

But I think we agree, maybe just using shaping differently

I would agree 10 fine say 13 have established with reasonable certainty spots

There’s almost half the side left to battle for, that’s what I meant , it’s about seeing who else steps up and adds their name.

Those three haven't locked in spots yet, but I think it's clear they've shown enough to be worth persisting with for the next three years at least and should only get better.

The other half you speak of will probably be a lot of trial and error, ie McInerney vs Stephens, Gould vs O'Riordan, Brand vs Melican, Ronke vs Gray, Taylor vs Cunningham etc. So it's a shaping year for those guys personally who all want to claim available spots. In some cases it's not as black and white as one vs the other but generally it will mean some guys get edged out.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

The other half you speak of will probably be a lot of trial and error, ie McInerney vs Stephens, Gould vs O'Riordan, Brand vs Melican, Ronke vs Gray, Taylor vs Cunningham etc

Not sure whether this is the right approach. I see Gray as a great pick up and do not see him competing with Ronke. Melican was arguably among the worst KPDs in the comp last year. Gould and COR are different body shapes and would have different roles.

 

[caesar88]

Not sure whether this is the right approach. I see Gray as a great pick up and do not see him competing with Ronke. Melican was arguably among the worst KPDs in the comp last year. Gould and COR are different body shapes and would have different roles.

They will inevitably be competing for spots, even when both are in the senior team. Gray & Ronke play similar roles, as do McInerney & Stephens, Brand & Melican.. as for Gould and COR, I think Gould would be playing as an intercepting and rebounding defender. COR is his most logical counterpart in that role.

Ultimately it's a good thing though if these guys all play with the knowledge there's someone breathing down their neck who is equally capable.

 

[The King!]

brand so far is a massive upgrade on melican, really like his game

 

[BloodySwan]

brand so far is a massive upgrade on melican, really like his game

Plus he looks like Alex Johnson

 

[Citrus22]

brand so far is a massive upgrade on melican, really like his game

Yep, can actually take an intercept mark rather than spill to the opposition who then run through for a goal...

 

[zyzzbruh]

brand so far is a massive upgrade on melican, really like his game

Don't mean to be a negative Nancy on something that everyone's showing positivity for, but I don't see what everyones seeing in Brand. Marsh 2.0, who was average af but everyone seemed to like cause he popped up with a couple of defensive marks each game. It takes defenders the standard of reg, ted, ramps, Smith, Malco, Shaw etc to have a premiership worthy defence. Not buying any of these mediocre fill-in backmen.