Preview R1: Changes for 2025

[Cromulant]

I'm interested to know on what basis do posters think that Laird is (or will next season be) a superior small defender option than Bond?

He wont be in our eyes, thats the whole point.

He'll be in the side whether we like it or not.

 

[1990crow]

I'm interested to know on what basis do posters think that Laird is (or will next season be) a superior small defender option than Bond?

Its not an assessment on their ability, rather the coaching groups likely decision.

 

[kirky]

I'm interested to know on what basis do posters think that Laird is (or will next season be) a superior small defender option than Bond?

Simple - he has won 3 B&Fs - two under Nicks (who coached him underage). Case closed.

Just staggered posters have not understood our selection policy for our ageing players.

 

[skittlebrew]

Just staggered posters have not understood our selection policy for our ageing players.

Exactly. We have a glut at half back flank and yet we still allow 40 year old Smith to roll out his slop.

Laird will play every game.

 

[Coopers]

Yes AFL.com.au writers, please make it true (no Murphy) - swap Nank for Laird and it’s the perfect 22
B: Max Michalanney, Nick Murray, Josh Worrell
HB: Mitch Hinge, Mark Keane, Isaac Cumming
C: Lachlan Sholl, Matt Crouch, James Peatling
HF: Ben Keays, Darcy Fogarty, Alex Neal-Bullen
F: Josh Rachele, Riley Thilthorpe, Taylor Walker
Foll: Reilly O'Brien, Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine
I/C: Jake Soligo, Rory Laird, Dan Curtin, Sid Draper

Emerg: Billy Dowling, Luke Pedlar, Jordan Butts, Luke Nankervis

Solid, but you gotta have Nank in the team. Hard to get him in.

I pick Sholl to go out.

 

[Cromulant]

Solid, but you gotta have Nank in the team. Hard to get him in.

I pick Sholl to go out.

If anyone does its probably Sholl, but this is the time of year Sholl is traditionally in the top handful.

Had a good year last year too.

 

[Coopers]

If anyone does its probably Sholl, but this is the time of year Sholl is traditionally in the top handful.

Had a good year last year too.

Yeah, but Nank.

 

[Cromulant]

Yeah, but Nank.

Yep he's the future, but Sholl deserves his place.

 

[Big Dub]

I'm interested to know on what basis do posters think that Laird is (or will next season be) a superior small defender option than Bond?

If we are after a small lock-down defender, it's between Michalanney (who plays regardless of whether he plays lock-down) and Bond. So not a Laird decision.

Looks more likely to be between Nank and Laird for the last running defender/ wing spot, with Hinge, Cumming and Sholl taking 3 of those spots.

Laird has an extra 10 disposals and c.80m per game at similar disposal efficiency as Nank for 2024. Which would put Laird ahead as at the end of this season. Laird will also be pretty fresh at the start of next season.

But Laird spent a fair bit of time on-ball, which increased his disposals. And I'm expecting Nank to improve and Laird to deteriorate over the season.

So I think that Laird starts but is then overtaken during the season.

There is also injuries and Oscar Ryan that will give and take opportunities from both.

 

[Big Dub]

Yep he's the future, but Sholl deserves his place.

And Nicks needs to make finals to keep his job, so he's not playing many players for the future (unless it's late season over early season improvements).

 

[Cromulant]

And Nicks needs to make finals to keep his job, so he's not playing many players for the future (unless it's late season over early season improvements).

Nank and Sholl were in the same team most of the year.

It'll be a close run thing.

 

[Golumless]

If we are after a small lock-down defender, it's between Michalanney (who plays regardless of whether he plays lock-down) and Bond. So not a Laird decision.

Looks more likely to be between Nank and Laird for the last running defender/ wing spot, with Hinge, Cumming and Sholl taking 3 of those spots.

Laird has an extra 10 disposals and c.80m per game at similar disposal efficiency as Nank for 2024. Which would put Laird ahead as at the end of this season. Laird will also be pretty fresh at the start of next season.

But Laird spent a fair bit of time on-ball, which increased his disposals. And I'm expecting Nank to improve and Laird to deteriorate over the season.

So I think that Laird starts but is then overtaken during the season.

There is also injuries and Oscar Ryan that will give and take opportunities from both.

99/100 times you would be correct with this statement, however, it's worth remembering Laird has been a half back before and is a freakish accumulator. After all, he's put up 27+ disposal averages in the 2016--2019 stretch when he was a half back flanker for us.

Everything with Laird is about the fire being there, and considering how the defensive actions fell off this year, it's certainly a query at this point. If he goes through the motions, he's done. If he's got a chip on his shoulder, well, I wouldn't be betting on any kids overtaking him.

 

[Mostyn]

I'm interested to know on what basis do posters think that Laird is (or will next season be) a superior small defender option than Bond?

The multiple All Australians are probably a part of it.

 

[Danger in Texas]

The multiple All Australians are probably a part of it.

“will next season be”

 

[Danger in Texas]

99/100 times you would be correct with this statement, however, it's worth remembering Laird has been a half back before and is a freakish accumulator. After all, he's put up 27+ disposal averages in the 2016--2019 stretch when he was a half back flanker for us.

Everything with Laird is about the fire being there, and considering how the defensive actions fell off this year, it's certainly a query at this point. If he goes through the motions, he's done. If he's got a chip on his shoulder, well, I wouldn't be betting on any kids overtaking him.

Very much agree with the second paragraph. If Laird senses his place in the 22 is genuinely under pressure, I suspect he’ll really pull his finger out

Whether that’s enough to counter his consistently waning athleticism is another story

 

[Big Dub]

Very much agree with the second paragraph. If Laird senses his place in the 22 is genuinely under pressure, I suspect he’ll really pull his finger out

Whether that’s enough to counter his consistently waning athleticism is another story

When the end comes, it tends to come quickly.

I think those 2 preseason games will be really important for a number of players, both on the way up and on the way down.

I think Laird starts the season in the 1s, for a variety of reasons. Whether he gets a contract for next year is a very different proposition.

 

[adelaidecrows]

When the end comes, it tends to come quickly.

I think those 2 preseason games will be really important for a number of players, both on the way up and on the way down.

I think Laird starts the season in the 1s, for a variety of reasons. Whether he gets a contract for next year is a very different proposition.

I think Laird will be on our list in 2026. At only 31 and 32 in 2026 he will at least have 2 years. There is a lot of throw the old out very quickly on this thread and its just not going to happen. Both Laird and Crouch will play every game next year barring injury and at least most of 2026 depending on form and injury. I truly think this is more wishful thinking than anything resembling reality.

 

[Floating Doughnut]

When the end comes, it tends to come quickly.

I think those 2 preseason games will be really important for a number of players, both on the way up and on the way down.

I think Laird starts the season in the 1s, for a variety of reasons. Whether he gets a contract for next year is a very different proposition.

The end comes quickly indeed and I tend to think the penny drops twice in the career of some elite players.
Once as a junior, cracking into the team and holding your spot and sometimes near the end when you lose a little bit of zip but are able to prolong and re invent yourself . Reckon Laird had a year to forget in more ways than one but think we will see him have a very good year in the backline. His ego got belted last year, expecting a big start from him.

 

[SugarShane]

Yes AFL.com.au writers, please make it true (no Murphy) - swap Nank for Laird and it’s the perfect 22
B: Max Michalanney, Nick Murray, Josh Worrell
HB: Mitch Hinge, Mark Keane, Isaac Cumming
C: Lachlan Sholl, Matt Crouch, James Peatling
HF: Ben Keays, Darcy Fogarty, Alex Neal-Bullen
F: Josh Rachele, Riley Thilthorpe, Taylor Walker
Foll: Reilly O'Brien, Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine
I/C: Jake Soligo, Rory Laird, Dan Curtin, Sid Draper

Emerg: Billy Dowling, Luke Pedlar, Jordan Butts, Luke Nankervis

Soligo starts on field for me. Peatling to the bench with a bit of shuffling.

And yes in a dream world Nank replaces Laird.

 

[Coopers]

Yep he's the future, but Sholl deserves his place.

Yeah, but Nank

 

[40porpoise]

This is perfect. Sub rotates between dowling pedlar nank and jones

 

[Coopers]

Looks like Murph better get hold of DMac's polaroids.

Surely they still work for blackmail material?

 

[crows dude]

“will next season be”

His All Australian Seasons have been BP and HB in 2017 and 2018. He will still rack up the touches there

 

[Bob Neil]

Just in case anyone was wondering there are 8,628,768,931 possible combinations for selecting 23 players from a squad of 44.

Then having selected the team, they can field 39,171 different combinations of 18 players on the ground at any one time from a total of 23 players.

Is it any wonder Nicks can't get it right!

 

[Danger in Texas]

His All Australian Seasons have been BP and HB in 2017 and 2018. He will still rack up the touches there

That was 6-7 years ago

He won’t be the same player (at least physically) in 2025, last year he showed that he was finding it harder to create space with the ball, which is almost essential for a rebounding defender in today’s game