Draft and 2004 Line up

[no1bankteller]

I have made changes to my previous post as per below:

FB: Chick Glass Wirrpunda
HB: Hunter Gasper Waters
C: Judd Kerr Embley
HF: Sampi Lynch Staker
FF: Matera McDougall Jones
R: Gardiner Cousins Fletcher

I: Jako, Selwood, Green, Cox



FB line:

Chick - I think that he is tailor made for a Chris Johnson type role. He would be extreamlly accountable and is very good overhead. In fact he could even match up on a tall. Also very tough and good kick of the footy.

Glass - the best option at full back and I expect big things for him next year.

Wirra - the bast creative back pocket in the game.

CHB line:

Hunter - very mobile big man, can play both in BP or HBF I think him and Chick could cause hevoc, expecially when you take into account how hard at the body both players are.

Gasper - two reasons why I would have him as a CHB
1) he is a super talent with a booming kick and would do wonders for our ability to transfer play from the backline. He could cover borh your Rocca's and Tarrant type players.
2) Injury prevention. CHB is bby far less taxing on the body then CHF. More often then not he would be collapsing on a CHF rather then other way around.

Waters - not enough info on him to make an appropriate judgement, however I just love the sound of this kid. He sounds like an absolute winner and there is a role on the half back flank for him. He is in!

Judd, Kerr Embley pick themselves.

CHF line:
Sampi magnificent skills and a very quick player. Playing on a flank gives him and opportunity to run throught the midfield and use his creativity to cause even more damage.

Lynch - big strong body, perfectly suited for CHF...hope he can deliver this year...

Staker - deserves to be on the field and yet I struggled to work out where he should play. Eventually decided FF was the most appropriate position for him. The combination of hight and mobility could cause serious match up problems. Also could rotate with Wirra between BP and FF.


FF line:

Matera Mcdoogal pick themselves.

Jones - I think that this is the best spot for him. He is great overhead and also very tought and determined competitor at ground level. Major problem is tha the cannot kick longer then 40 meters. Hence by playing within the pocket he should be always within range.

Ruck Division picks itself

Interchange -

Jako - for additional experiance if required, and can play a lose man in defence role to perfection.

Selwood - this was a toss up between him and banfirld and I chose to go with youth.

Green - simpliy he has done nothing wrong, whilst he did not distinguish himself last year he was solid close checking defender. Personally I am slightly dissappointed in his performance as I had him as a next Guy McKenna few years back. I guess I was being a bit over-selous with that one. He loses his starting place on the half back line because Waters to me sounds a lot better.

Cox - improving big man that can effectively back up Gardiner..

Unlucky to miss out:

Braun - solid contributorm I can see him and Humm playing a soldi supporting role of the bench. I do think he will get a lot of game time and I think that last spot would be between him and Selwood. I have chosen Selwood only becasue he is taller and younger but it could really go either way.

 

[Altum Volantes]

I think Brauny deserves to be a pretty much automatic selection in the team for next year after playing his best football in years in the second half of 2003. He'd be well ahead of Selwood at this stage.

Too early to put Waters in there at the moment.

Other than that, pretty good but I'd have Gaspar up forward, and I read that Woosh has a move to the backline planned for Staker.

So yeah Braun in for sure, probably Selwood out. Waters onfield position optimistic but possible if he's an AFL ready player.

Drew Banfield should be in there before Waters at this point. Perhaps Banners on the bench, with Green on a HBF.

 

[noogie_da_sheep]

Waters is the back pocket of the future...braun to come into the side at his expense...for the moment at least

 

[Mead]

I'm optimistic that Waters may very well slot straight in. In terms of physical development, and pedigree, he should be significantly ahead of last year's draftees, and is probably much more AFL ready than someone like Staker (although maybe not as classy as Stakes, of course )

FWIW, though, I like the sound of
Wirrpunda/Glass/Waters
Chick/Gaspar/Hunter,
Which would give us a nice blend of experience and youth, 3 talls and 3 smalls. But realistically, if Waters is not going to be a starting 18 player this year. Even Chris Judd spent most of his rookie year as a bench player getting 10 minutes a quarter.

As for whether Waters actually will end up in the team by round one, I don't think any of us can tell at this stage. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he goes at training, and during the preseason and wiz cup, so I'll reserve judgment till then.

Incidentally, iirc, we play the Bulldogs in round 1? Given the dogs are talking about starting Cooney as a goalsneak to ease him in, if Waters does get a gig in the back pocket in round one, there's every chance that he'll find himself matched up against his best mate and west adelaide co-star! Interesting way to make your AFL debut!

 

[Au_Blue#24]

Waters may be a hard nut in his current environment - but he wont be able to inflict such a presence at afl level - yet.

He needs a few pre-seasons in the gym, so I would'nt be pencilling him in just yet.