Depth

[PAfolwr]

We think we have the best depth in the AFL. Is it true?

Name your 10 best players outside your starting 18.

 

[skywalk750]

West Coasts best 10 players not making starting 22 would make starting 22 on any other team quite easily

 

[JeffDunne]

The best 18 is rather subjective as Harv’s and Thomo often start on the bench. But these are all players outside our best 18 last season that could step up this year.

Cain Ackland/Barry Brooks (one will probably be in the starting 22)
Raphael Clarke
Matthew Ferguson (*)
Aaron Fiora
Sam Fisher (*)
Leigh Fisher (although when fully fit in the best 22)
Jason Gram
Mark McGough
Leigh Montagna
Allan Murray
Justin Peckett
Dylan Pfitzner

(*) be surprised if at least one of these two isn’t an automatic selection by seasons end.

 

[Unwritten_Law]

Starting 18:

B: Hunt Scarlett Sanderson
HB: Milburn Harley Mooney
C: Tenace Ling Kelly
HF: S. Johnson Playfair Kingsley
F: Chapman Ottens Ablett
R: King Corey Bartel

10 best outside of starting 18 (no particular order):

Wojcinski
Enright
Riccardi
Byrnes
Callan
Gardiner
Haynes
Mackie
Koula
D. Johnson

Off the top of my head...probably forgetting someone.

 

[m.diddy]

why don't you put ports in?

 

[JeffDunne]

Off the top of my head...probably forgetting someone.

The other Ablett boy?

 

[Unwritten_Law]

Seeing as though he hasn't played a game...not yet.

 

[POBT]

Port and then daylight.

 

[rampantswan]

The other Ablett boy?

Who knows???

 

[Z_K]

Outside the 18, off the top of my head.

Stevens
McKernan
Firrito
Urch
Grima
Harding
Baird
Sansbury
Chad Jones
Corey Jones

Probably missed about 16 blokes. Our twos have been excellent for a few years, with minimal impact from Port M listed players. Our 3rds won the flag by 10 goals.

North have excellent depth, but our top end is not good enough.

 

[OllieGrieve]

Starting 18
B. Norman Livingston Carrazzo
HB. Lappin Thornton Teague
C. Chambers Stevens Walker
HF. Waite Whitnall Houlihan
F. DeLuca* Fevola Fisher*
Rucks French Kouta Camporeale
*Injured but in best 18

Ten outside of starting 18.
Davies
Scotland
Bannister
Sporn
Prendergast
McGrath
Morrell
Johnson
Betts
Wiggins

 

[PAfolwr]

why don't you put ports in?

Didn't have time then. Here goes.

As someone has already said, picking 18 is a bit subjective. Primus and Francou would be starting 18 players if fit, but we do not know yet.

Using or winning GF team as the base for the 18, we have lost Carr from the 18, plus Hardwick and Schofield from the bench. The other 2 off the bench players were Mahoney and Kingsley.
Out of those two Mahoney had the greatest impact, so he stays.

Our next 10 would then be (in no particular order),
Kingsley, Primus, Francou, Salopeck, Ebert, White, Shattock, Walsh, Poulton and Cochrane.
Mostly picked on experience, not potential.

However, I expect that all to change somewhat this year, with Surjan, Chaplin, Pettigrew and perhaps Gillham getting in there. We actually have high expectations on a couple of these players.

No idea about the newbies. Hopefully they will get a chance to develop in the SANFL, wrt both body and skills, at a "leisurely" pace without too much pressure placed on them.

 

[Mead]

i think a most interesting way to look at is the backup units rather than who is or isn't in the 22. Have a look at who would be the direct backups if you couldn't use other players in the first 22.

For example, West Coast have fantastic depth in the midfield, and pretty good depth up forward- (not that our forward line is that good, its just that most of the 4-5 up and comers we have a pretty similar in production at this stage, so its not really a big deal who is playing)

I'd say our 'A' midfield is

R:Gardiner Kerr Judd
C:Fletcher Cousins Embley

and our backup would be
R:Cox Braun Stenglein
C:Butler Waters Wooden
Cox is first ruck quality, Stenglein and Braun are quality players, Butler and Waters are guns in the making- I would be pretty happy fielding that midfield six in a premiership season game if we had to- pretty much every one of those guys deserves to be in the starting 18 if a place was abailable.


Up forward, the best combination atm (assuming Gardiner were playing in the ruck in our hypothetical best 22) is something like
HF: Sampi Gaspar Staker
FF: Seaby McDougall Matera

The backup unit would be
HF: McConnell Hansen Morton
FF: Adkins Smith R. Jones
Neither of those lineups looks awesome but there's not a lot between the first and second units, so depth isn't a huge issue. Inexperienced backup HF line has a decent prospect in Hansen, and two very very highly rated kids in Morton and McConnel who are yet to get a go. Adkins plays the small forward very well, Jones has lost his place in the A team due to woeful form, and Smith may or may not be a big pickup for us this year, but most of those guys could get a first team gig without embarassing themselves.


Defence is where the enormous hole in our depth is apparent.
HB: Hunter Lynch Banfield
FB: Chick Glass Wirrpunda

Backup
HB: Green Beeck B.Jones
FB: Nicoski Graham Selwood
Really struggling to select a backup defence without moving Hunter or Staker in. Brett Jones and Nicoski are quality, Selwood has real potential, but the backup kpps are a joke- Graham is a stringbean of a kid, Beeck is a slightly undersized ruckman being played out of position, both of those guys would get destroyed by decent forwards.

We're pretty much two players deep in most positions bar the backline, where it gets pretty shonky after the first six. Would be interested to see what other teams' second 18 would be.

 

[Pessimistic]

Port's is very good. Unlike most premiers they had a fair few injuries in 2004.

They obviously know how to manage the salary cap better than anyone

 

[Unwritten_Law]

Depth in positions:

Defence

B: Hunt Scarlett Sanderson
B: Rahilly Egan Rooke

HB: Milburn Harley Mooney
HB: Enright Spencer Callan

Smalls/mediums we have plenty of depth. KP defenders we would struggle a bit. The recruitment of Egan eases the potential pain of losing Scarlett or Harley.

Midfield

C: Tenace Ling Kelly
C: Wojcinski Koula Riccardi

R: King Corey Bartel
R: Blake Prismall D.Johnson

Good midfield depth. Hunt, Milburn, Enright, Callan, Mooney can rotate from the backline. Ablett, Chapman, S.Johnson, Byrnes from the forward line. Blake highly rated but raw ruckman.

Forwards

HF: S.Johnson Playfair Kingsley
HF: Mackie N.Ablett Gardiner

F: Chapman Ottens Ablett
F: Byrnes Lonergan Haynes

Much the same as the backline. Smalls/mediums we are pretty much ok, but we would really struggle if we missed KP forwards. N.Ablett and Lonergan have potential and McCarthy is crap.

Conclusion: Poor to average KP depth, otherwise pretty good depth overall. Very even list.

 

[nananana catman]

Off the top of my head...probably forgetting someone.

Probably Rooke and Chambers deserve a mention, have played a few games at AFL level and go well at VFL level