Opinion Predict The First Premiership Side

[Matchu]

The first 22 to win a flag for the Suns and why. You must justify your decisions eg. the Suns get Buddy through a trade/free agency and lose which players as a result. You can include players you feel the Suns will draft in the future as x but again, you must justify how it would occur. I believe it'll be the 2015/2016 side that get the first flag so I will go with what I believe they will look like then.

2015/2016 Premiership Side
FB: Tape, Schade, Wilkinson
HB: McKenzie, Thompson, Harbrow
C: Martin, Swallow, Shaw
HF: Ablett, Lynch, Matera
FF: Sumner, Dixon, Bennell
R: Smith, O'Meara, Prestia

Int: Russell, Nicholls, Day/May, Hunt (sub)

Back 6: Feels like a nice all round back line. I expect all the older guys like Murphy to be pushed out by that stage and the younger ones to be playing really well. Schade to have locked a spot as fullback and Tape to play as a third tall in the back line. McKenzie and Harbrow to play swing man like rolls off the half back line. I feel Harbrow will have been pushed out of the midfield by that stage and will go back again. Wilkinson to get better with games under his belt and really use his physical advantages by then.

Middle 6: Martin and Shaw to use their pace off either wing and complement each other well. Swallow, O'Meara and Prestia to build a strong trio in the middle of the ground that will be the envy of any team in the AFL. Smith to be the number 1 ruckman. Nicholls on the bench will be used as a rotation player for Smith who will go forward at times and vice versa.

Front 6: Ablett and Matera playing as small forwards off the half forward line and may push up in the midfield from time to time (Matera more likely than Gaz). Lynch to have locked down his position as the big center half forward. Sumner and Bennell playing in either forward pocket. Dixon to become the full forward goal kicking machine by then, Jack Riewoldt style.

Bench: Russell to become a utility by that point. Nicholls will be used as a second ruckman in the rotation. I couldn't decide whether Day or May will be the one to kick on and keep their place in the team but I believe one of them will. Hunt the sub for his explosive impact.

Unlucky Ones:
Brennan - probably not on the list by then but won't be good enough to make the team if he is.
Warnock - Unfortunately will be too old and probably delisted.
Bock - The same as Warnock.
Brown - The same as Warnock and Bock.
Gorringe - Will be traded in my opinion.
Stanley - Will be overtaken and will struggle to break into the team by then.
Hall: Inconsistency will cost him a spot.
Hutchins: Not quite good enough to keep a spot, may be traded to a Melbourne-based club by then.
Rischitelli - Won't keep his spot.
Broughton - The same as Rischitelli.

So that is what I believe will happen to the team by 2015/2016 when they (should) win a flag. You look at the team and it is scary how good they could be. Have a go at predicting what you think will happen. Just make sure you give some justification.

 

[Scotty_222]

The first 22 to win a flag for the Suns and why. You must justify your decisions eg. the Suns get Buddy through a trade/free agency and lose which players as a result. You can include players you feel the Suns will draft in the future as x but again, you must justify how it would occur. I believe it'll be the 2015/2016 side that get the first flag so I will go with what I believe they will look like then.

2015/2016 Premiership Side
FB: Tape, Schade, Wilkinson
HB: McKenzie, Thompson, Harbrow
C: Martin, Swallow, Shaw
HF: Ablett, Lynch, Matera
FF: Sumner, Dixon, Bennell
R: Smith, O'Meara, Prestia

Int: Russell, Nicholls, Day/May, Hunt (sub)

Back 6: Feels like a nice all round back line. I expect all the older guys like Murphy to be pushed out by that stage and the younger ones to be playing really well. Schade to have locked a spot as fullback and Tape to play as a third tall in the back line. McKenzie and Harbrow to play swing man like rolls off the half back line. I feel Harbrow will have been pushed out of the midfield by that stage and will go back again. Wilkinson to get better with games under his belt and really use his physical advantages by then.

Middle 6: Martin and Shaw to use their pace off either wing and complement each other well. Swallow, O'Meara and Prestia to build a strong trio in the middle of the ground that will be the envy of any team in the AFL. Smith to be the number 1 ruckman. Nicholls on the bench will be used as a rotation player for Smith who will go forward at times and vice versa.

Front 6: Ablett and Matera playing as small forwards off the half forward line and may push up in the midfield from time to time (Matera more likely than Gaz). Lynch to have locked down his position as the big center half forward. Sumner and Bennell playing in either forward pocket. Dixon to become the full forward goal kicking machine by then, Jack Riewoldt style.

Bench: Russell to become a utility by that point. Nicholls will be used as a second ruckman in the rotation. I couldn't decide whether Day or May will be the one to kick on and keep their place in the team but I believe one of them will. Hunt the sub for his explosive impact.

Unlucky Ones:
Brennan - probably not on the list by then but won't be good enough to make the team if he is.
Warnock - Unfortunately will be too old and probably delisted.
Bock - The same as Warnock.
Brown - The same as Warnock and Bock.
Gorringe - Will be traded in my opinion.
Stanley - Will be overtaken and will struggle to break into the team by then.
Hall: Inconsistency will cost him a spot.
Hutchins: Not quite good enough to keep a spot, may be traded to a Melbourne-based club by then.
Rischitelli - Won't keep his spot.
Broughton - The same as Rischitelli.

So that is what I believe will happen to the team by 2015/2016 when they (should) win a flag. You look at the team and it is scary how good they could be. Have a go at predicting what you think will happen. Just make sure you give some justification.

also have to think of the recruits we could get in that time..
hopefully some high draft picks and a few mature agers

 

[Dammit]

I reckon you've gone too tall Matchu with Nicholls on the bench. Reckon it's between him and Smith tbh.



Backline:
- Warnock and Thompson holding down the key posts.
- Murphy and Wilkinson the lock down defenders
- McKenzie the offensive distributors
- Swallow creates and break lines

Midfield:
- Nicholls to have cemented himself as the clear number one
- Ablett, O'Meara and Prestia is our clutch go-to clearance team
- Russell and Shaw to run their guts out all day through the middle
- Harbrow to push up into the midfield from half-back
- Martin to do the same from half-forward

Forwards:
- Dixon the big boy inside 50
- Lynch leading up as he target on the wings
- Sumner the leading option with space to work in
- Bennell the crumber/forward pressure specialist

Bench:
- Lonergan as part of the midfield rotations
- Brennan and Stanley the utilities
- Matera as the influential sub

Emergencies:
- A. Hall and Boston on the fringe
- Smith there just as a backup tall

Miscellaneous:
- Brown and Bock have hung up the boots due to nothing being left in the tank
- Rischitelli, Day, and May moved on
- Tape, Hutchins, Hunt all pushing for selection

 

[Matchu]

I reckon you've gone too tall Matchu with Nicholls on the bench. Reckon it's between him and Smith tbh.

Fair call. I did feel like I was going slightly tall when picking the team but I felt like the coaches would want to push for a tall line up given a lot of them came through the '92 class. I like your line up and think you make some interesting points.

I find your choice of Warnock staying at fullback intriguing. He'll be 31/32 in 2015/2016 and I felt that a 23/24 year old Tape will have overtake him and pushed him out by then. I also thought, by that time, Schade would have been given a serious go ahead of one of the older guys like Murphy/Warnock. I know you have a soft spot for the older guys but I just feel like it will be a similar situation to Lonergan this year, he had no previous AFL experience but would almost definitely be picked ahead of a guy like Rischitelli.

Also found it interesting that you think Ablett will still be cutting it in the midfield at 31/32. Not that he couldn't do it, I just think the midfield depth will push him into a permanent forward move. We seem to agree on most things which is positive I would have thought.

 

[Dammit]

I reckon we could challenge next year! I guess I made it with thoughts towards a finals side 2014.

I'd back Warnock in to still be playimg until the end of 2016 for sure. I look at him as a less injury prone version of Shane Wakelin.

Haha what is this 'soft spot for the older guys' business? I just genuinely rate both Warnock and Murph haha. Tape is just too much of an unknown for me. I'm just not 100% sold. Yet.

With Ablett, that's just the A-Team midfield. Even at 45, if I needed a centre clearance to win a flag I'd have him in the middle!

But yeah, we pretty much agree with everything.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Surely Swallow will not end up as a long term half back flanker, I know he has had some injuries but he is better than that

 

[Dammit]

Better than that? How do you mean?

Your back flanks are the 2 (or 1) most important positions these days, I reckon.

 

[Sunny_]

Swallow will return to the mids at some point, but he's obviously not 100% right at the moment. Look at all the bandages across his knee/leg. Not the sign of someone in perfect nick.

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

Swallow will return to the mids at some point, but he's obviously not 100% right at the moment. Look at all the bandages across his knee/leg. Not the sign of someone in perfect nick.

I have been thinking that too. Doesnt look as fast as he did in 2011.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Better than that? How do you mean?

Your back flanks are the 2 (or 1) most important positions these days, I reckon.

Not saying its not important, I just think he has more to offer

 

[Matchu]

I think Swallow is an interesting one. He is doing quite well in the back line but you'd think he'd rather be playing in the midfield. Prestia was back there earlier this year and did enough to break back into the midfield. The problem for the Suns, now that they have depth, is being able to convince players to stay that won't be put in positions they want to play. I firmly believe Prestia's move back into the midfield had some bearing on his decision to re-sign. Swallow is off contract next year and would no doubt walk into most midfields in the comp. Welcome to the life of an AFL club I guess.

 

[Bagels]

Don't forget swallow played many good games off half back in the under ages championships so its not totally foreign to him

 

[1990crow]

FB: Tape - Thompson - Broughton
HB: Shaw - Day - Harbrow
C: McKenzie - Swallow - Bennell
HF: Martin - Dixon - Russell
FF: Matera - Lynch - Sumner
R: Nicholls - O'meara - Ablett
B: Prestia - Lonergan - Stanley
S: Hunt/This years top pick

 

[TheJaegerBomb]

I cant imagine our side without Hall. Love having him in the side. So electric.

 

[Iva Bigun]

Don't forget swallow played many good games off half back in the under ages championships so its not totally foreign to him

This is true but as Matchu said he would walk into many midfields (Melbourne would give up plenty of $$$$$ to get him) , so it is about whether he is happy to play HBF as much as his ability to do so.