Our current top 25 in order

[flamingEMBERS]

I reckon Masten would fly the kite. You would be tending the rabbits.

thats not very nice. Why are you trying to get between me and Masten.

 

[Broken_Chairs]

Hardly chalk and cheese.

You described Bennell as "a pacey small defender, that can spend some minutes in the midfield". You could say pretty much the same of Yeo, although he's medium rather than small. With that in mind, I expected Yeo to be slotted straight into the back six ahead of Bennell.

tbh i'd expect yeo to rotate with ellis/hurn, while bennell holds down a small forward.

i think you're placing too much importance on where players are placed in the team selection. being selected on the bench doesn't indicate you're not best 22. further, the positions players are named in don't mean a lot in terms of where they're actually going to play.

 

[Ian Dargie]

i think you're placing too much importance on where players are placed in the team selection. being selected on the bench doesn't indicate you're not best 22.

Of course not. Naitanui, for example. But I still think Yeo had done more to be locked in than Bennell, who is still very much a fringie in my view.

further, the positions players are named in don't mean a lot in terms of where they're actually going to play.

Well, Bennell was named in a BP, which is where you expect him to play, isn't it?

 

[Broken_Chairs]

Of course not. Naitanui, for example. But I still think Yeo had done more to be locked in than Bennell, who is still very much a fringie in my view.

of course yeo's a lock and bennell's fringe.

i have no idea where your argument is going. all i can say is - if the match committee decide we need a small defender with some pace for whoever it is we're playing, then bennell seems like the likely choice at this point, because we have few players who fit that description.

Well, Bennell was named in a BP, which is where you expect him to play, isn't it?

sigh, of course bennell's going to play there predominantly. my point was - who cares if bennell's named on the field and yeo on the bench, it's no indication of who's the better player or necessarily what role they're going to play in the team.

 

[Ian Dargie]

of course yeo's a lock and bennell's fringe.

i have no idea where your argument is going. all i can say is - if the match committee decide we need a small defender with some pace for whoever it is we're playing, then bennell seems like the likely choice at this point, because we have few players who fit that description.

My point is merely that I was surprised to see Bennell named. Apparently, you find that contentious.

sigh, of course bennell's going to play there predominantly. my point was - who cares if bennell's named on the field and yeo on the bench, it's no indication of who's the better player or necessarily what role they're going to play in the team.

Oh no! Please don't sigh.

Basically, I didn't think Bennell was seriously in the mix.

 

[LordHaart]

My point is merely that I was surprised to see Bennell named. Apparently, you find that contentious.

Oh no! Please don't sigh.

Basically, I didn't think Bennell was seriously in the mix.

I think it's more of a case of there not being many others in the mix of small defenders. The dogs have a good cadre of small forwards so just playing Yeo there wouldn't necessarily be enough either, having another defender who can play small is sensible. Based on that, I wasn't surprised to see Bennell in the team. However, I would be surprised if he gets named against every side (unless he plays a miraculously good game this week).

 

[Ian Dargie]

Had a few guys go backwards this year.

 

[DickDunn]

Bumppppppp. Can't be bothered ranking individually but here's how I'd place our best 25 (assuming no injuries) in tiers of quality. Note this is based on performance, not potential, and it's biased towards recent performance:

Shuey
Kennedy
Gaff
Mitchell
Priddis
McGovern
Naitanui

Sheppard
Lycett
Barrass

Darling
Wellingham
Hill
Cripps
Butler
Sheed
Hurn
Schofield

Yeo
Duggan
Jetta
Redden
LeCras
Hutchings
Masten

The first tier is excellent and the second not far behind - it's beyond that where it gets worrying.

At their best, third-tier players like Wellingham, Cripps and Hurn can all be damaging, especially when they have a clearly defined role - and all generally perform at a reasonable level even when they're not killing it. But there's only one midfielder - Sheed - who I'd place in that category.

The others - Yeo, Duggan, Jetta, Redden, Hutchings - either haven't performed at a high enough level or still require development. Here's hoping they take the next step next season

 

[amazingjoshy]

Lycett isnt better than Hurn and Darling

 

[eaglespremiers]

Naitanui way too low. Clear top 3 for mine.

 

[Patron]

Shuey
Kennedy
Gaff
Mitchell
Priddis
McGovern
Naitanui

Sheppard
Hurn
Barrass
Darling
Yeo

Schofield
Lycett
Wellingham
Cripps
Butler
Sheed
Lecras

Hill
Duggan
Jetta
Redden
Hutchings
Masten

It's an okay list. I think it's missing one or two quality players though to seriously challenge. Could be top 4 though.

 

[Eaglespur]

Shuey
Kennedy
Gaff
Mitchell
Priddis
McGovern
Naitanui

Sheppard
Hurn
Barrass
Darling
Yeo

Schofield
Lycett
Wellingham
Cripps
Butler
Sheed
Lecras

Hill
Duggan
Jetta
Redden
Hutchings
Masten

It's an okay list. I think it's missing one or two quality players though to seriously challenge. Could be top 4 though.

Swap Yeo down for Wellingham for me. Considering they both had ordinary 2016s and Yeo in fact was probably less than ordinary this year. Wellingham's 2015 was excellent and would put him ahead.

 

[ioppolo]

Our top three would be JK, Shuey and Naita but in no particular order

 

[DickDunn]

Naitanui way too low. Clear top 3 for mine.

Try reading the post again

 

[eaglespremiers]

Try reading the post again

Re-read. Doesn't change my opinion.

 

[DickDunn]

Re-read. Doesn't change my opinion.

Cool comprehension!

 

[Eaglespur]

Our top three would be JK, Shuey and Naita but in no particular order

Gaff has to be a close 4th

 

[ziad]

Our top three would be JK, Shuey and Naita but in no particular order

While I like this, NN has won us more games, for example against GC -he was a beast and the goal just bonus. I suggest the same against the Hawks, we fell away after his injury.

 

[liam123]

Sheed has to be higher I think his importance is very understated on this board.

Anyways please don't bump Dargie stuff too often it's depressing

 

[Jandamarra]

Sheed has to be higher I think his importance is very understated on this board.

Anyways please don't bump Dargie stuff too often it's depressing

You'd hope that by the end of next season, a top 10 based on performance would include Sheed. I'm pretty bullish about his prospects to be honest, as long as injuries are kind i can see him having a pretty good season next year.

 

[kid_a]

Just doing a top 10-
Kennedy
Shuey
McGovern
Nic Nat
Gaff
Mitchell
Barass
Priddis
Shep
Hurn

 

[avishka5]

am i the only one who finds shep overrated?

 

[ioppolo]

am i the only one who finds shep overrated?

Name someone better to do the same job he does.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

am i the only one who finds shep overrated?

Yes. Bad call.

 

[avishka5]

Name someone better to do the same job he does.

Yes. Bad call.

don't get me wrong i love him and he plays with his heart n soul but i just rekon fans overrate him. Just reading some of the posts above some people rate him above guys Hurn and Darling. Shep had a great 2015 but his 2016 was pretty average. His defensive work is excellent but offensively he's not as great and he along with wellingham not providing us defensive run kinda hurt us. As a midsize defender you are not only expected to excell defensively but also provide some offensive run. Going back to the point of him being rated above guys like darling and hurn. Both have had many seasons of great performances and both those guys had good years this season. Jack shat the bed a bit in the final but 44 goals as a second fiddle forward was good. Bunga started slowly but was the only defender that provided decent run from defence.