Opinion Round 1 2016 - Best 22

[robbieando]

If Papley is playing when would he need to be upgraded?

Anytime before 5pm Thursday would be my guess

 

[garyrohan8]

i don't see how nankervis is regarded as a replacement for reid. i'd go for abe davis ahead of him (can go forward and back and even play in the middle). nankervis should be regarded as competing with sinclair.

laidler is solid but lacks athletic ability and pace to play off his opponent and at the same time can't stand even a third tall forward, eg, gunston. i'd like to see davis groomed to take over his spot. for me laidler is a real nowhere man.

on sinclair, we should of got more out of that trade (wce won by a mile).

i would also have hewitt ahead of lloyd (my critique of lloyd can be seen elsewhere : i won't go into it again as i don't want to upset 'little johnny').

mglynn needs neafl time before he plays seniors.

papley is definitely ahead of robinson and rose but not necessarily b.jack in my opinion.

even though he hasn't lived up to expectations when fit rohan is best 22 easily.

i think having newman in the team would free up rampe to either play on the third tall or go through a wing.

cunningham should be played at half forward or half back and kept out of the midfield unless he is tagging someone.

we can't keep playing steady players like laidler, robinson and lloyd ahead of the development of players like davis, hewett, hiscox and allir and expect to progress, especially when we have a few injuries.

if you have pace (cunningham) and or good diposal (newman) you jump ahead in the queue.

 

[CD__]

we can't keep playing steady players like laidler, robinson and lloyd ahead of the development of players like davis, hewett, hiscox and allir and expect to progress, especially when we have a few injuries.

I'll ignore the unnecessary smart-alec comment but I disagree with the comment RE steady players. Given the transition phase we are in at the moment we need guys like Laidler and Lloyd as much as ever. They're probably never going to break any games open but they are solid, serviceable contributors who will allow kids such as Mills, Hewett, Papley etc to come in under less pressure.

We've never gifted games to players who don't deserve them and Davis, Hiscox and Allir seemingly haven't done enough to be considered for a debut yet.

 

[grimlock]

Xavier Richards hurt in yesterday's reserves game. Went limping off and didn't come back on. Coming out for the second half he had ice strapped to his buttocks area.

 

[garyrohan8]

the whole idea of 'gifting' games at this level is dubious. it appears you are more likely to be blooded in the seniors if you serve a need the team requires. you could argue many instances of the swans 'gifting' games to players who have done nothing special in the reserves because the team needed, eg, a key defender (x.richards) or a small forward (rose). it worked a little better in the latter case (for one game). whereas other players haven't been blooded/gifted a game (hewett) as he plays a position we are well stocked in.

the depth of our list is poor (trade ban has really hurt us in this area). in the past we've traded in mature players to address this rather than bottoming out and developing youth. we have been forced in a way from our usual modus operandi and unless we develop some of these players mentioned we are really going to drop off in the years to come when everyone thought we would be competing for flags with buddy in his prime. sure, heeney and mills are guns, but they're just going to replace the likes of mcveigh and jack. the bottom third of the list is what worries me.

 

[Tedeski]

Xavier Richards hurt in yesterday's reserves game. Went limping off and didn't come back on. Coming out for the second half he had ice strapped to his buttocks area.

Some wishes have been granted. Won't have to watch him play now.

 

[RW]

Some wishes have been granted. Won't have to watch him play now.

To be fair to those posters, there are still question marks over his ability to make it as a key defender. The hope is that this thread can generate a robust discussion of each player's strengths and weaknesses.

 

[garyrohan8]

Some wishes have been granted. Won't have to watch him play now.

these sort of comments are absurd to me. surely you can criticise players without wanting them not to play well. i'd love nothing more than robinson, lloyd, x.richards etc to excel as afl players, it just doesn't look likely to me from what i've seen in the seniors.