Pick the NAB cup starting 22?

[AFLOnline]

Fairly difficult, as it's hard to tell which players will and will not play, whether Ross wants to go all out for the win like last year or rest most of our best players like 2007. My guess is it will look a little something like this:

FB: Leigh Fisher, Zac Dawson, Raphael Clarke
HB: Jason Gram, Matt Maguire, Jarryn Geary
C: Xavier Clarke, Luke Ball, Brendon Goddard
HF: Adam Schneider, Nick Riewoldt, Nick Heyne
FF: Stephen Milne, Tom Lynch, Jack Steven
R: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Nick Dal Santo
Int: Sam Gilbert, Eljay Connors, Farren Ray, Michael Gardiner
Emg: Steven Baker, Robert Eddy, Ross Tungatalum, Clint Jones.

Notable people left out: Lenny Hayes, Justin Koschitzke, Max Hudgeton, Leigh Montagna, Jason Blake and Steven King

I'd love to see this team play. It shows plenty of youth and inexperienced players, but also incorporates a couple of our stars which is more than capable of winning us games. The people left out are already either fairly established best 22 players or are injury prone and Ross Lyon won't risk them for the NAB. I think by letting a couple of our new recruits debut in the NAB it will give us some indication of who can play where in the home and away season and also show us 'where they're at' skill-wise.

Looking forward to it. Would love to hear your explanations

EDIT: A couple of these players ripped up the NAB last year, e.g: Geary getting 30 odd touches against Geelong last year in that 5 point win.

 

[Jimmy 35]

FB: Steven Baker, Zac Dawson, Raphael Clarke
HB: Jason Gram, Matt Maguire, Jarryn Geary
C: Xavier Clarke, Luke Ball, Brendon Goddard
HF: Adam Schneider, Nick Riewoldt, Nick Heyne
FF: Stephen Milne, Justin Koschitzke, Jack Steven
R: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Nick Dal Santo
Int: Sam Gilbert, Eljay Connors, Farren Ray, Tom Lynch
Emg: Leigh Fisher, Robert Eddy, Ross Tungatalum, Clint Jones.

put Kozi in and Baker, Ive heard some good things from Kozi and Bakes in the Pre season training i wanna see how they'll play out, otherwise unchanged

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I'm not sure that it was Ross rather than the players who went all out for the win last year. Ross game most of the young guys a good run then.

It is tricky because you want to win, but you also want to blood the youngsters, and you also want to work out your best starting 22 for the home and away season.

Round 1 shoudn't be a terribly easy win and it is interstate.
( I think NAB cup has an 8 man bench but I could be wrong ).


FB: Leigh Fisher, Gilbert, Baker
HB: Gram, Matt Maguire, Sam Fisher
C: Xavier Clarke, Ball, Dal Santo
HF: Heyne, R Clarke, Koschitski
FF: Milne, Lynch, Steven
R: Goddard , Jones , Gardiner
Int: Miles , Begley, Howard, Ray, Armitage ,Eddy, McEvoy, Dawson.
Emg: Blake, Riewoldt, Hayes ( Best emergency list ever ).


Baker needs some decent game time after last year.
I put Chips in becasue it wont help anyone get experience if John Brown plays and walks over our defence. Dawson already has a crappy reputation after someone put him on Rocca. ( I think we should alternate Hudgeton and Chips in the NAB games ).
Riewoldt out , the team needs to be less relient on him. Kosi in, he needs to find some form and confidence.
Don't think Macca is ready for full time ruck yet, though I don't mind if he has a go, and I'd like to see him play forward.


Off topic , does Eljay weigh more than 65Kg yet?

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

FB: Leigh Fisher, Gilbert, Baker
HB: Gram, Matt Maguire, Sam Fisher
C: Xavier Clarke, Ball, Dal Santo
HF: Heyne, R Clarke, Koschitski
FF: Milne, Lynch, Steven
R: Goddard , Jones , Gardiner
Int: Miles , Begley, Howard, Ray, Armitage ,Eddy, McEvoy, Dawson.
Emg: Blake, Riewoldt, Hayes ( Best emergency list ever ).

Now I'm all for experimenting with line ups in the NAB cup but Goddard rucking and Michael Gardiner roving just may be taking it a little too far.

 

[Squizz]

I know Gardi's been going well in pre-season, so fair enough to put him down as the rover! BJ can do anything - no surprise to see him in the ruck.

 

[Squizz]

Geez - gotta be quick when L2M4G is online.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Geez - gotta be quick when L2M4G is online.

I love the "That's your goal" Avatar Brother Squizz. Ripping stuff.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

OK , I'll let you swap Gardiner and BJ.

I like the Avatar as well, nothing better than Max getting in someones face.

 

[Armitage2Riewoldt]

The GIF's even better.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I'm not sure that it was Ross rather than the players who went all out for the win last year. Ross game most of the young guys a good run then.

It is tricky because you want to win, but you also want to blood the youngsters, and you also want to work out your best starting 22 for the home and away season.

Round 1 shoudn't be a terribly easy win and it is interstate.
( I think NAB cup has an 8 man bench but I could be wrong ).

My 2cents on this is that nothing better prepared our youngsters for the real thing, than getting to the finals of the NAB. Finals in the NAB feels like normal Home and Away - certainly the GF did. I think we were a better team for having won at Adelaide in the NAB GF.

So, what I want is for us to still try to win. Those pointless practice games for NAB Cup losers are just that - pointless. There is very little incentive for either team to go seriously, except for the players to compete with each other for spots.

Oh, and the pay off is pretty cool too.

 

[CHBench]

The Saints are expected to unveil three of last year's national draft selections against the Lions. Joining Begley will be Tom Lynch, the Saints' first pick and 13th overall, and Nick Heyne, the club's third selection and 48th overall.

With Fraser Gehrig's retirement and the long-term hip injury to Jarrd Allen, who will not play this year, teenager Lynch is likely to start as a key forward.

Hutchison yesterday said Jack Steven, 18, would also play against Brisbane after an impressive pre-season preparation.

Despite not having played a premiership-season game, the third-round national draft selection in 2007 is being touted as the club's long-term replacement for retired champion Robert Harvey.

Experienced Saints who are unlikely to play first up for last year's NAB Cup winners include Lenny Hayes, Steven Baker, Luke Ball, Xavier Clarke, Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire, Sean Dempster and Adam Schneider.

However, all, with the exception of Dempster and possibly Maguire, are on target to start the season proper.

Dempster, who had a knee reconstruction in September, is making rapid progress and Hutchison believes he will be available for senior selection by mid-season.

Maguire, who has had a wretched run of leg and foot injuries that have restricted him to just 14 games in the past two seasons, is expected to resume during the March practice-match series.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24986006-5012432,00.html

Great about Dumpster.
Gigantic wrap for Jack Steven.

 

[John Bonney]

I would not take any notice of anything written by this "journalist''who is one of the worst reporting on AFL.Total opinion piece not based in fact or first hand knowledge.Lots of words like expected ,being touted,unlikely,however etc.
Blind Freddy could assume that Begley and the early round draft picks will play in the Nab Cup.Dont all clubs follow this line?

 

[The Punter]

Not available are Lenny Hayes, Steven Baker, Luke Ball, Xavier Clarke, Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire, Sean Dempster, Adam Schneider, Nick Riewoldt & Jarryd Allen.

NAB Cup 2009 teams have 6 interchange and 2 substitutes, who come on for players who cannot return to the field.

Here's my attempt:

B: S Fisher Gilbert R Clarke
HB: Begley Blake Ray
C: Jones Goddard Gram
HF: Armitage Lynch Gwilt
F: Milne Koschitzke Steven
Foll: McEvoy Dal Santo Montagna
Int: King L Fisher Heyne McQualter Eddy Geary
Subs: Howard Dawson

That's not bad, especially for a NAB Cup team.

 

[TassieSaint]

^ Don't reckon Gardiner will get a gig Punter? Personally I'd consider resting King (we know he's a gun) and throwing Gardi into first ruck to prove whether he'll be able to contribute this season, whilst having Big Ben as ruck/forward.

 

[StFly]

Gardi's been strugglign with injuries during his pre seasons though, if it's true that this is the first that he's nto injured I'd almost be tempted to bring him 2nd round if we win first up, just that extra time.

 

[The Punter]

I agree with St Fly, and that is why I left him out. Easily the most accomplished player not selected but, as far as I know, fit.

 

[Squizz]

Will they rest Raph if he is playing the indigenous game interstate a week before?

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Not available are Lenny Hayes, Steven Baker, Luke Ball, Xavier Clarke, Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire, Sean Dempster, Adam Schneider, Nick Riewoldt & Jarryd Allen.

NAB Cup 2009 teams have 6 interchange and 2 substitutes, who come on for players who cannot return to the field.

Here's my attempt:

B: S Fisher Gilbert R Clarke
HB: Begley Blake Ray
C: Jones Goddard Gram
HF: Armitage Lynch Gwilt
F: Milne Koschitzke Steven
Foll: McEvoy Dal Santo Montagna
Int: King L Fisher Heyne McQualter Eddy Geary
Subs: Howard Dawson

That's not bad, especially for a NAB Cup team.

I hadn't heard of some of the non-availables.

Whats up with,
Lenny? Baker? Ball? Hudgeton? Maguire? Schneider?

If they can't play at the moment the intraclub match is starting to look a bit less interesting.

 

[The Punter]

Unavailables are from Australian article, and I am playing it safe by keeping them out. Lenny, Baker & Hudghton are all 28 or older, and the others are injured or recently injured.

 

[StFly]

I hadn't heard of some of the non-availables.

Whats up with,
Lenny? Baker? Ball? Hudgeton? Maguire? Schneider?

If they can't play at the moment the intraclub match is starting to look a bit less interesting.

Again assuming.

Ball & Hayes are accomplished midfielders and ones we have less depth for straight on the park, since they're accomplished rest em try others in the position and see how the midfield stocks go. We haven't been the club to blood youngsters constantly unless it's been necessary to do so with injury, I'd expect this to change a little with regards to the NAB cup.

Goose, the club might not want to risk the leg unless it's 100% and go the VFL route than the NAB cup route.

Hudghton, the elder statesman, probably using the NAB cup to see if we have a decent FB at years end instead of looking purely on 2nds form.

Baker & Schneider might simply be rested since Bakes is pretty gung ho, wouldn't want him getting rubbed out in the NAB cup.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

If Baker and Goose are intending to play football I think they both could use a warm up.
Don't mind resting Hayes and Hudgeton, but I think we need to retain some smidgeon of our normal team structure.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Part of the question I have is what kind of side will Brisbane be fielding, do we think? This is a quote from the Lions' equivelant thread over on their board, by Kizzel, who seems to know what he's talking about:

I'll take a stab at it..

FB: Sherman Roe Patfull
HB: MacDonald Tyler Collier
C: Dalziell Rischitelli Notting
HF: Proud Henderson Johnstone
FF: McGrath Bradshaw Hooper
F: Clark Power Brennan

INTER: Rich, Selwood, Hawksley, Garner, Stiller, Harding, Polkinghorne, Spackman, King, Banfield



I'm assuming Black, Charman, Brown, Merrett, Leuenberger and the other ruckmen won't be available..



While looking at the playing list I noticed a few interesting facts,

1. Mitch Clark is now listed as 200cm
2. Tom Logan has made it back onto our list lol

http://www.lions.com.au/Season2009/Players/PlayingList/tabid/5184/default.aspx

See, matchups IS an issue here. I don't think Brown will play, for example, but we don't want to put Dawson in as our full-back if Brown is in - it'll just shatter the poor boy. What do we think "The Other Voss" ( ) will do with his side? Will he go for development, testing what he's got, or go for broke?

Or do you think Ross will just say, "Stuff it, we'll just put out our side, and who cares what the Lions do?"... am I thinking too much?

 

[SaintsSeptember]

While it is important to give the Rookies a run during the NAB cup I don't think we should give them too much game time. For example it is not important that we play Dawson because, as a rookie we are not planning on playing him during the year.
Much more relevant to see what the likes of Farren Ray, Colm Begly and the recruits on our main list can do.

 

[goodie23]

While it is important to give the Rookies a run during the NAB cup I don't think we should give them too much game time. For example it is not important that we play Dawson because, as a rookie we are not planning on playing him during the year.
Much more relevant to see what the likes of Farren Ray, Colm Begly and the recruits on our main list can do.

Disagree, it's worth playing the rookies in case we do have to promote them, especially those likely to be promoted first like Dawson and Howard.

Also you should factor in that we can now elevate one rookie mid-year without placing someone on the LTI. If he's not elevated already my money's on Dawson

 

[AFLOnline]

Well for starters, I don't see Proud playing. I can't see them risking JBrown either, not at this stage anyhow. Black is still injured so thats a bonus for us and I'm pretty sure Gilbo or someone can handle Bradshaw, if not, Fisher could take him down no worries. They have a lot of inexperianced players in there, like Risca, Henderson, Tyler and Roe so I think there spine will be a little weak.