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[theGav56]

Griffen V Bradley V Clarke

Sibosado V Faulks

Mzungu V Crichton V Bollenhagen

For me those seem like the most likely scenarios for players to become best 22 players next season. They are perhaps competing directly with each other.

Anyway, I am very curious to hear from posters, especially those getting down to training, as to the likelihood of any of these players cracking the 22.

Personally I am pretty much assuming that if we land JA he will be best 22 so haven't included him in the debate (and am unsure who he directly competes with), and I think Mz would have a pretty fair chance especially with Roger going down.

I am desperate for Sibo to make a move this year due to his talent, and hope that he shows great form pre-season.

 

[Lach72]

I don't really see Mzungu competing with Chricton and Bollenhagen.

Chricton and Bollenhagen will be more occasional mids with HF more likely.

Mzungu will be more BF with midfield run, swapping with Broughton.

Bollenhagen is more suited to he sort of role Hill plays, I think, which will make things difficult.
Chricton is an interesting one. His ball use is good. If he can get more of it and continue putting on some weight, Palmer should be worried, particularly if Barlow and Mundy stay fit.

With Ballantyne and Walters also able to run through the middle we have a varied bunchm, with pace and skill

 

[duncs]

Would see Sibo and Faulks being up against Grover for that FB spot, or Silvagni for a 3rd tall down back. Faulks more suited as a lock down defender, Sibosado as probably a 3rd tall and rebounding defender

 

[Sailor]

Whichever way you look at it competition for places is going to be intense this year.
Players need to grab any chance that comes up in the NAB cup or they may well be out for an extended time.

Having seen Griffin on the track I think he will get first grab at being a forward/ruckman with sandi doing the centre and defensive work. This is one tall and solid unit.

Clarke should benefit from another year with EP although no doubt he would relish any opportunity to get a first team game.

Kep is probably sweating on injuries. As might Johnson be.

Muz Buzz will most likely be in the back mix pushing for Roger's place. Opportunity is a wonderful thing and I expect his to do well.

Crighton does it for me: end of story. Can play, will play.

Bollenhagen is interesting. It's all there, height, pace, superb skills: just need to see more on a consistent basis. Has a star up there somewhere, just needs to turn on the power. Could be battling with a host of players trying to get into that forward line midfield mix.

Midfield is tight. Mundy, Hill, Morabito, Barlow, Crowley, Palmer, De Boer, Crichton, Ibbo ++++

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

from what i have seen of griffen so far, he would have both clarke and bradley covered

 

[salim malik]

Faulkes is improving all the time and with Siba still in the rehab group Faulkes would be well in front .
Dont leave Mellington out of discussions for an early berth, the boy has definately got something special.

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

Faulkes is improving all the time and with Siba still in the rehab group Faulkes would be well in front .
Dont leave Mellington out of discussions for an early berth, the boy has definately got something special.

these mellington reports are really encouraging. big-bodied, kicks goals, great defensive pressure. sounds perfect for our game plan.

 

[Nickos66]

I really hope we don't get some bitter players looking for options elsewhere this time next year. That's the only drawback from having decent depth.

 

[willoblue]

Muz Buzz will most likely be in the back mix pushing for Roger's place. Opportunity is a wonderful thing and I expect his to do well.

please, please, please don't give Mzungu that nickname.
i am a coffee snob & would rather drink muddy water than the stuff they serve up as coffee.
anyway, back on topic.

the fact that we have options all around the ground means that pressure will always be on players to perform.

i know all coaches have their pets, but Harvey seems to be one for picking on merit. Even his backing in of McPhee was vindicated by his form as the season wore on.

for mine, I would like to see DeBoer & Crichton pushing for midfield spots in 2011.

 

[theGav56]

i know all coaches have their pets, but Harvey seems to be one for picking on merit. Even his backing in of McPhee was vindicated by his form as the season wore on.

I think that is debateable. Your point re McPhee is an example of him backing a player on reputation, not merit, and he has done it with several other players including MJ and Headland. Plus of course his very first game as senior coach. He also pulled in Mark Johnson and wanted to re-sign J Carr for two years, both decisions based on reputaion rather than merit.

FWIW I think coaches need to back experienced players on occasion, and as happened with McPhee, it can reap rewards. We are moving into a different time frame from the last 2 seasons. Sure we are still developing, but I expect the club to be less willing to throw a player like Pitt in than they have been.

 

[theGav56]

With what has happened to our team in the last few seasons it is difficult to say what is "normal", but I think it is unusual to have more than a couple of changes to a teams best 22 each year. We are already expecting JA to be one of those changes, and Grif seems a fair chance depending on the selection circumstances and whether the powers that be see him as insurance, or part of a team plan to play 2 ruckmen. I also find it difficult to see Mz being drafted at his age unless there is a pretty strong chance that he will give the early rounds a nudge for selection, and Roger out for me is making his selection a virtual no-brainer.

From last years best 22 we have only lost Hase, and I guess theoretically Headland, but he has been missing in action for so long as to be a negligible loss.

 

[Avid_Avenger]

With what has happened to our team in the last few seasons it is difficult to say what is "normal", but I think it is unusual to have more than a couple of changes to a teams best 22 each year. We are already expecting JA to be one of those changes, and Grif seems a fair chance depending on the selection circumstances and whether the powers that be see him as insurance, or part of a team plan to play 2 ruckmen. I also find it difficult to see Mz being drafted at his age unless there is a pretty strong chance that he will give the early rounds a nudge for selection, and Roger out for me is making his selection a virtual no-brainer.

From last years best 22 we have only lost Hase, and I guess theoretically Headland, but he has been missing in action for so long as to be a negligible loss.

And Tarrant. But Grover was covering him (not to the same level of course) for the second half of the year. Grover has the spot until Faulks takes it off him and/or Silvagni starts taking the 1st or 2nd defender.

Like most others, can't wait to see if Sibo can step up into a McPharlin-type role. He seems to be more of a playmaker capable of locking someone down, rather than a lockdown defender.

 

[Lach72]

From last years best 22 we have only lost Hase, and I guess theoretically Headland, but he has been missing in action for so long as to be a negligible loss.

...and Hayden for half the season at least

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

I think that is debateable. Your point re McPhee is an example of him backing a player on reputation, not merit, and he has done it with several other players including MJ and Headland. Plus of course his very first game as senior coach. He also pulled in Mark Johnson and wanted to re-sign J Carr for two years, both decisions based on reputaion rather than merit.

Hmmm. Would agree with this up until Round 10 2009, when I think Harvs really started to genuinely back youth for the most part. He still had the odd occasion when he backed a "favourite" (like the appalling decision to select Headland ahead of Hase in the final against Geelong this year) but it was much reduced from his first 20 games - maybe he became more confident that "unknown" players like Fyfe or Roberton could be trusted to do at least as well as, if not better than, guys he knew like Mark Johnson and Kep?? Or perhaps he just learned to trust Chris Scott and Simon Lloyd??

FWIW I think coaches need to back experienced players on occasion, and as happened with McPhee, it can reap rewards. We are moving into a different time frame from the last 2 seasons. Sure we are still developing, but I expect the club to be less willing to throw a player like Pitt in than they have been.

Definitely agree with this - if you were a new Freo player in 2008 or 2009 (a-la say Luke Pratt) you'd have a much higher chance of getting a go at AFL (regardless of your actual talent) than someone who joins Freo in 2010's drafts.

Back when Head, Browne, Foster, Connelly, BoB, Murphy and declining players like MCarr and HBlack were on our list, almost anyone who had a few great WAFL games was up for a run - now, guys like Kep, Pearce, Clarke, Bucoo and Scham can't even make the emergency list for the emergencies...

Hopefully, though, despite our newly found depth, if Roberts or Lower prove themselves, or Cuckoo Bucoo finds a purple patch of form, they will still be able to get the chance to be selected for the AFL. Worries me a bit that our depth might see us trade or release say a Clarke in 2011 or 2012 only to find him dominating the AFL in 2016.

With what has happened to our team in the last few seasons it is difficult to say what is "normal", but I think it is unusual to have more than a couple of changes to a teams best 22 each year. We are already expecting JA to be one of those changes, and Grif seems a fair chance depending on the selection circumstances and whether the powers that be see him as insurance, or part of a team plan to play 2 ruckmen. I also find it difficult to see Mz being drafted at his age unless there is a pretty strong chance that he will give the early rounds a nudge for selection, and Roger out for me is making his selection a virtual no-brainer.

From last years best 22 we have only lost Hase, and I guess theoretically Headland, but he has been missing in action for so long as to be a negligible loss.

Good points. Though I do think we lose by keeping Scham and "retiring" Hase - Hase was surely able to be of value for one more year, if only as a vet on our list??

And Tarrant. But Grover was covering him (not to the same level of course) for the second half of the year. Grover has the spot until Faulks takes it off him and/or Silvagni starts taking the 1st or 2nd defender.

Like most others, can't wait to see if Sibo can step up into a McPharlin-type role. He seems to be more of a playmaker capable of locking someone down, rather than a lockdown defender.

Agree that Tarrant was a big loss - but having Silv and Sibbo coming through, plus Buccooo and JA joining the list, does give us more flexibility. And then there are Faulks and Shep as options too, though my experience of watching both Faulks (here in the ACTAFL) and Shep suggests that both may find it a challenge to cement a spot.