Strategy Our playing list development strategy for Season 2016

[Mattrox]

So far we have used 26 players. In comparison Geelong have used 25, with North, St Kilda and Sydney using 26. Hawthorn have used 27. That indicates that we have been fielding a relatively stable team.

The positive I see is that Milera and McGovern have debuted and young talent like Atkins, Knight and Cameron getting the nod at selection.

List of players here. http://afltables.com/afl/stats/2016.html#1

Of those, you would think VB would only be used again if we copped a few injuries given current form.

As a board we are keen to see Menzel, ROB and perhaps Gore debut; dare we dream that Keath comes on enough to play later in the season. Otten and Shaw would be in the mix too if injuries strike in the back line or Henderson if Seedsman or Smith go down. If we managed to play 31 or 32 players for the season, that would indicate that everyone that can have a crack has had one.

For me Grigg and CEY are a fair way off. I'd like to see Kelly and Wigg really step up in the SANFL. I think Wigg has shown something, but needs to build still. Is it worth putting AFL games into CEY and Grigg with the other players seeming to come on so quickly?

Who do you think can press for selection this year? Why would you select them? Who is closest to pushing for a spot if there are not injuries. And whose cards are stamped already?

 

[Danoz]

I think Greenwood is closer than Keath

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I'd rather see us invest a lot of games in a few players rather than spreading them evenly over a large number of players. Need to centre in on who our best short and long term prospects are and not prioritise our mid-range depth players, regardless of how they're going in the SANFL.

 

[Mattrox]

I'd rather see us invest a lot of games in a few players rather than spreading them evenly over a large number of players. Need to centre in on who our best short and long term prospects are and not prioritise our mid-range depth players, regardless of how they're going in the SANFL.

Which players would you prioritise to get a game, and who should be depth only used to cover for injuroes?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Which players would you prioritise to get a game, and who should be depth only used to cover for injuroes?

The ones we've used so far plus Menzel and Hampton.

Wildcard Greenwood!

If all players are fit and firing it's Lyons, Mackay and Cheney who should be squeezed out.

Depth only - CEY, Henderson, Gore, Kelly, Otten, Shaw, Grigg.

 

[GreyCrow]

Who replaces Cheney?

 

[Scorpus]

Here's how I'd rank it as it stands right now, from most locked into side (10) through to not going to get games (1)

10 - Thompson, Betts, Jacobs, Sloane, Walker, Talia, Smith
9 - Douglas, Brown, Lynch, Laird, Jenkins
8 - M. Crouch, Lever, Seedsman, B. Crouch
7 - Cheney, Hartigan
6 - Mackay, Cameron, McGovern, Atkins
5 - Lyons, Knight, Menzel, Milera
4 - O'Brien, Beech, Henderson, Hampton, Gore
3 - Shaw, Wigg, Kelly, Grigg, Ellis-Yolmen, Otten
2 - Van Berlo, Dear, Greenwood, Keath
1 - Ramsey, Hunter, Lowden, Doedee

10 through to 6 is our current best 22 (with Lyons out and B. Crouch in)
5 through to 1 is our SANFL side

Here's the rankings index:

10 - Won't be dropped under any circumstances
9 - Picked every week
8 - Comfortably best 22
7 - Handy best 22 players
6 - Vulnerable best 22. Most likely to be replaced.
5 - Pushing hard for selection
4 - Almost pushing for selection
3 - Injury cover
2 - Developing young players and cooked senior players
1 - Long way off selection

 

[GreyCrow]

I had at one stage something similar

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Who replaces Cheney?

Hampton eventually

 

[relapse]

I think Greenwood is closer than Keath

I have to agree, Greenwood has been super impressive so far. If we get hit with injuries or our form falls away I would have him close to the top of the list to debut.

 

[Vader]

Here's how I'd rank it as it stands right now, from most locked into side (10) through to not going to get games (1)

10 - Thompson, Betts, Jacobs, Sloane, Walker, Talia, Smith
9 - Douglas, Brown, Lynch, Laird, Jenkins
8 - M. Crouch, Lever, Seedsman, B. Crouch
7 - Cheney, Hartigan
6 - Mackay, Cameron, McGovern, Atkins
5 - Lyons, Knight, Menzel, Milera
4 - O'Brien, Beech, Henderson, Hampton, Gore
3 - Shaw, Wigg, Kelly, Grigg, Ellis-Yolmen, Otten
2 - Van Berlo, Dear, Greenwood, Keath
1 - Ramsey, Hunter, Lowden, Doedee

10 through to 6 is our current best 22 (with Lyons out and B. Crouch in)
5 through to 1 is our SANFL side

Here's the rankings index:

10 - Won't be dropped under any circumstances
9 - Picked every week
8 - Comfortably best 22
7 - Handy best 22 players
6 - Vulnerable best 22. Most likely to be replaced.
5 - Pushing hard for selection
4 - Almost pushing for selection
3 - Injury cover
2 - Developing young players and cooked senior players
1 - Long way off selection

Agree that VB is cooked, but the reality is that he's probably a 5 in the selectors' eyes. He's been on the emergency list for the last 3 games running. That indicates he's closer to selection than anyone in group #4.

Not sure why Grigg is in Group #3. If Lowden is in Group #1, then Grigg should be there as well.

 

[relapse]

Who replaces Cheney?

In the long term, Doedee. I didn't realise until this year how important a lock down small defender was to our list and now I can see exactly why we drafted him.

 

[Scorpus]

Here's what I think our depth looks like in every position. The further up the chain you are, the closer you are to getting an AFL game in that position. Eg. the first player listed outside our AFL players would be first in line for a call up if there were an injury in that position. The second is second in line.

Green are AFL best 22 players

Tall Defender: Talia, Lever, Hartigan, Shaw, Otten, Keath
Medium/Small Defender: Brown, Laird, Cheney, Kelly, Van Berlo, Doedee
Half Back/Wing: Smith, Seedsman, Henderson, Hampton
Half Forward/Wing: Lynch, Atkins, Mackay, Knight, Menzel, Beech
Medium/Small Forward: Betts, Cameron, McGovern, Milera, Greenwood
Tall Forward: Walker, Jenkins, Dear, Ramsey
Ruckman: Jacobs, O'Brien, Lowden, Hunter
Midfielders: Thompson, Sloane, Douglas, M. Crouch, B. Crouch, Lyons, Gore, Ellis-Yolmen, Grigg

No doubt some of these positions will be disputed but it's a general guide

 

[Scorpus]

Agree that VB is cooked, but the reality is that he's probably a 5 in the selectors' eyes. He's been on the emergency list for the last 3 games running. That indicates he's closer to selection than anyone in group #4.

Unfortunately I agree

 

[GreyCrow]

Hampton eventually

8 weeks away? Can the bf army wait that long?

 

[Vader]

How much of our Cheney problem is caused by a lack of a genuinely quick small defender? Cheney's not slow, but he's not quick either. Even so, he's got Brown & Laird covered for pace by a fair margin. Cheney kept up with Poppy in the race for the ball on Friday - he couldn't beat him, but he kept up. Laird lost a similar contest by 5m earlier in the game.

Cheney isn't ideally suited to playing on a lightning quick small forward... but when our other small defenders are only slightly quicker than treacle, he's the man who gets the job - and the criticism when he can't get the job done.

 

[cmndstab]

Here's what I think our depth looks like in every position. The further up the chain you are, the closer you are to getting an AFL game in that position. Eg. the first player listed outside our AFL players would be first in line for a call up if there were an injury in that position. The second is second in line.

Green are AFL best 22 players

Tall Defender: Talia, Lever, Hartigan, Shaw, Otten, Keath
Medium/Small Defender: Brown, Laird, Cheney, Kelly, Van Berlo, Doedee
Half Back/Wing: Smith, Seedsman, Henderson, Hampton
Half Forward/Wing: Lynch, Atkins, Mackay, Knight, Menzel, Beech
Medium/Small Forward: Betts, Cameron, McGovern, Milera, Greenwood
Tall Forward: Walker, Jenkins, Dear, Ramsey
Ruckman: Jacobs, O'Brien, Lowden, Hunter
Midfielders: Thompson, Sloane, Douglas, M. Crouch, B. Crouch, Lyons, Gore, Ellis-Yolmen, Grigg

This is a good list. It really highlights that we're relying on Walker and Jenkins. On every other line, we have players I am confident could come in and perform at AFL level. Not sure I like the idea of Walker out injured and Dear or Ramsay coming in...

 

[Scorpus]

This is a good list. It really highlights that we're relying on Walker and Jenkins. On every other line, we have players I am confident could come in and perform at AFL level. Not sure I like the idea of Walker out injured and Dear or Ramsay coming in...

If Walker was out, I think what would actually happen is we'd shift Lynch to a more forward role and have him play alongside Jenkins and McGovern. Then we'd bring in an extra wing/forward player like Menzel who could also hit the scoreboard.

If Jenkins was out I think it would be similar, except there's a possibility we'd play an extra ruck we could rest in the forward line, like O'Brien. However we didn't do this last year when he was injured, instead playing Lynch and Walker as the main talls.

 

[dude316]

Hampton eventually

What's he like defensively? I haven't really seen him play other than when he kicked three goal against us once.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

8 weeks away? Can the bf army wait that long?

If we're winning!

 

[Deaneus!]

Who replaces Cheney?

Biden

How much of our Cheney problem is caused by a lack of a genuinely quick small defender? Cheney's not slow, but he's not quick either. Even so, he's got Brown & Laird covered for pace by a fair margin. Cheney kept up with Poppy in the race for the ball on Friday - he couldn't beat him, but he kept up. Laird lost a similar contest by 5m earlier in the game.

Cheney isn't ideally suited to playing on a lightning quick small forward... but when our other small defenders are only slightly quicker than treacle, he's the man who gets the job - and the criticism when he can't get the job done.

Is it worth giving Charlie a run back there?

Also, Charlie was at the reserves game on Sunday. He should be dropped, for his appalling fashion sense. I thought he was Zoolander at one stage.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Without gifting games - guys that are potentially wanted by other clubs need a little bit of opportunity to make a statement that they can play at the level

The main ones in this category are CEY and Henderson - both good enough to be selected at some point this year ... Both also unlikely to be around next year . If neither plays this year we get nothing in free agency compo for hendo and very little in trade for CEY. Don't gift them games but pick them when time is right , form is good etc

In terms of development I think ROB needs to debut this year even if sauce needs to be rested for 1 game just to give him a taste and for us to find out

Knight and Lyons in same category as guys that need games when we can give them for further development

Milera plays when fresh and fit

Menzel, Beech - would like to see them get a look at some point this year

Guys developing for next year and beyond include wigg , dear, greenwood, Keath, doedee and Kelly . All will likely see out year in SANFL

Depth only - otten, shaw, ramsey ( happy to give him another rookie year if he keeps his 2016 form up)

Forget - lowden

 

[Jeffcrowe]

This is a good list. It really highlights that we're relying on Walker and Jenkins. On every other line, we have players I am confident could come in and perform at AFL level. Not sure I like the idea of Walker out injured and Dear or Ramsay coming in...

We are certainly due to draft a KPF with our first pick if possible

 

[Jeffcrowe]

How much of our Cheney problem is caused by a lack of a genuinely quick small defender? Cheney's not slow, but he's not quick either. Even so, he's got Brown & Laird covered for pace by a fair margin. Cheney kept up with Poppy in the race for the ball on Friday - he couldn't beat him, but he kept up. Laird lost a similar contest by 5m earlier in the game.

Cheney isn't ideally suited to playing on a lightning quick small forward... but when our other small defenders are only slightly quicker than treacle, he's the man who gets the job - and the criticism when he can't get the job done.

Vader - brown is one of the quickest guys on our list

Laird - not so

 

[Bicks]

In the long term, Doedee. I didn't realise until this year how important a lock down small defender was to our list and now I can see exactly why we drafted him.

That said, Tom is not small and I don't think he was just recruited specifically to lock down on the Rioli, Bruest, Ballantyne, Le Cras, Walters, Elliot, Wingard's etc of the AFL, I can also see him getting the job on the Stringer type mobile medium/talls that are too nippy for Talia and Hartigan.