Prediction Round 1 2021 best 22 team

Jun 9, 2001
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Fogarty Street
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North Melbourne
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Would much rather see Kyron or Perez getting experience as starting defenders and learning from their mistakes that you might expect from an under 20 year old developing player rather than playing the worst 200 gamer in history "deer in the headlights" Atley who still plays like a first year player

You need some experience back there and he provides run.

I agree he provides many WTF moments and usually from brainfreezes rather than any exciting risk-taking but I'm hesitant to strip more maturity out of the side.
 

Instincts

Cancelled
Sep 21, 2020
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Would much rather see Kyron or Perez getting experience as starting defenders and learning from their mistakes that you might expect from an under 20 year old developing player rather than playing the worst 200 gamer in history "deer in the headlights" Atley who still plays like a first year player
It also has to be considered that Hayden got more syd barker votes per game than Atley, you can guess who the coaches will pick first from this.
 
Jun 7, 2019
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I reckon these hypotheticals turn on whether people pick them according to their personal preferences (AKA biases), or whether they are picked according to the way football teams actually work.

For example, Lachie Young will play Round 1 over Perez and Hayden, because first team football will have been part of the pitch to him to sign. Young had options - he did have an offer from Bulldogs - and chose us, and I've got no doubt selection was part of the discussion. In describing the trade period, we even got a hint from the club - in explaining his recruitment, Young was described as 'under-utilised' at Bulldogs, and they didn't mean under-utilised at VFL level

Barring injury, I reckon its odds on Young will be in the starting 22
 

TurnoverMerchant

Vanilla Campaigner
Jul 11, 2019
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I must say that our predicted forward line looks packed to the brim with young talent! Is that the youngest forward line in the comp?
 

Just4Kicks

Team Captain
Oct 21, 2013
306
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I have created an excel list with our current players and their roles (in my opinion), contract end date and age. Helped me a lot to get a view of our current list. Please help yourself to it. I was too lazy looking everybody's contract length, you will have to do that yourself if you want it :) I picked the players I expect to play based on exposed form last year and history, counted 16. There will be some hotly contested positions, which is great!
 

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7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
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North Melbourne
I reckon these hypotheticals turn on whether people pick them according to their personal preferences (AKA biases), or whether they are picked according to the way football teams actually work.

For example, Lachie Young will play Round 1 over Perez and Hayden, because first team football will have been part of the pitch to him to sign. Young had options - he did have an offer from Bulldogs - and chose us, and I've got no doubt selection was part of the discussion. In describing the trade period, we even got a hint from the club - in explaining his recruitment, Young was described as 'under-utilised' at Bulldogs, and they didn't mean under-utilised at VFL level

Barring injury, I reckon its odds on Young will be in the starting 22

You cant see all three playing in the same team? We would want 7 backline options in a 22. Tarrant, McKay, Corr, LMac seem like automatic selections. Young, Perez, and Hayden could be the other three.
 

disco_cowboy

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Feb 18, 2020
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Xerri should be starting 22, if only for at least the first few rounds.

Keen for him to get some games and realistically we should be trying to get as many as we can now.

He may not be the best 2 kpf / ruck chop out on the list but why give games to walker? Love him but unless he is filling positions in the backline I just don't see the point using him forward unless we have literally nothing else.

Also, dont waste mckays time forward if we want him to take over from tarrant in the future. Just let him develop.
 
Jun 7, 2019
5,138
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You cant see all three playing in the same team? We would want 7 backline options in a 22. Tarrant, McKay, Corr, LMac seem like automatic selections. Young, Perez, and Hayden could be the other three.
Look, I agree in time they may well, but - despite the knockers - Atley will be preferred to Hayden and Perez in the first instance. I think the 7 for the first game will be Tarrant, McKay, Corr, McDonald, Atley, Young and Hayden (playing more as the lockdown)

In general, the young fellas - Xerri, Mahony, Perez etc - got their games for experience last year; assuming there's not another injury crisis, they will go back to the 2s to hone their craft
 

7577969923

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 20, 2018
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Look, I agree in time they may well, but - despite the knockers - Atley will be preferred to Hayden and Perez in the first instance. I think the 7 for the first game will be Tarrant, McKay, Corr, McDonald, Atley, Young and Hayden (playing more as the lockdown)

In general, the young fellas - Xerri, Mahony, Perez etc - got their games for experience last year; assuming there's not another injury crisis, they will go back to the 2s to hone their craft

Perez in particular would not be dropped after the first few games he plays at the back end of last season. Considering he was coming back from 18 months out from a knee reconstruction and he should get a high-quality pre-season in then you would hope he is even more ready for AFL football by round 1. If it is a 50/50 decision between Perez and Atley, I would expect them to play Perez.

I agree on Mahoney and Xerri. My view is Xerri will be purely a ruckman and is not good enough to be even a stopgap KPF. With Goldy in the team Xerri needs to bide his time and learn his craft in the VFL.

Similar with Mahoney. I think his future is as an inside mid and I hope he will spend time in that role in the VFL team while he builds the physical strength and maturity needed to play that role at AFL level. We shouldn't forget he was the youngest player on a list this year.
 
Would much rather see Kyron or Perez getting experience as starting defenders and learning from their mistakes that you might expect from an under 20 year old developing player rather than playing the worst 200 gamer in history "deer in the headlights" Atley who still plays like a first year player
This

i think this is the year we move on from Atley and play the younger guys ahead of him
 
First crack at a best 22 for 2021...

B: Corr - Tarrant - McDonald
HB: Young - McKay - Hayden
C: Polec - LDU - Scott
HF: Stephenson - Walker - Thomas
F: Taylor - Larkey - Zuuhar
R: Goldstein - Cunnington - Simpkin

Int: Anderson, Dumont, Atley, Ziebell

Didn't consider our prized picks for this season as I think they should earn their spots, but with a big off season a few of them might be pushing for spots early on.
 
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CunnyTarryn

Senior List
Apr 7, 2019
162
150
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North Melbourne
B: Corr, McKay, McDonald
HB: Perez Tarrant, Thomas
C: Dumont, Cunnington, Polec
R: Goldstein, LDU, Simpkin
HF: Stephenson, Zurhaar, Taylor
F: Comben, Larkey, Ziebell
I: Young, Anderson, Hall, Scott

E: Haydon, Atley, EVW, Mahoney, Bonar, W Walker, Turner, Atu, Xerri, J Walker, Tyson, Campbell, McGuinness, Garner
 

Psicosis

Brownlow Medallist
May 7, 2012
13,165
58,685
Bird Rock
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“Pace On Every Line” Best 22

FB - Perez ✔ - McKay - Tarrant
HB - McDonald - Corr ✔ - Hayden ✔

C - Polec - Davies-Uniacke ✔ - Scott
FOLL - Goldstein - Simpkin - Cunnington

HF - Taylor - Ziebell - Stephenson ✔
FF - Zurhaar ✔ - Larkey ✔ - Thomas ✔

INT - Dumont - Anderson - Atley ✔ - J.Walker

EMG - Bonar ✔ - Turner ✔ - Atu ✔ - Young ✔ - Xerri - Garner

I’ve noticed the trend in both Nobles interviews today and Luffs response to Q&A that “pace” “excitement” and “speed” seem to be real trends in the list management strategy. With that I tried to put together a 22 that has pace on every line (✔ are players that I consider to have pace). To me there is still a clear gap in the midfield, granted long term the club would hope that Zurhaar, Thomas and Stephenson will go through there, however no doubt it’s still a priority in this list build.

We appear to be pretty well covered across both back and forward lines now.

*note - I’m sure I left some players out unintentionally
 

JohnRhys

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Aug 24, 2020
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Melbourne
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First crack at a best 22 for 2021...

B: Corr - Tarrant - McDonald
HB: Young - McKay - Hayden
C: Polec - LDU - Scott
HF: Stephenson - Walker - Thomas
F: Taylor - Larkey - Zuuhar
R: Goldstein - Cunnington - Simpkin

Int: Anderson, Dumont, Atley, Ziebell

Didn't consider our prized picks for this season as I think they should earn their spots, but with a big off season a few of them might be pushing for spots early on.

Big like.
 
Nov 7, 2020
2,591
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AFL Club
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If we are going to finishing bottom 4, I'd really like to see us do it with this side, they'll be times when those older emergencies are required but I truly hope we go with as many of our 2022 best 22 where possible, even if it makes us slightly worse than we could otherwise be.

B - McDonald - McKay - Corr
HB - Perez - Tarrant - Thomas
C - Polec - Davies-Uniacke - Hollands
HF - Taylor - Comben - Zurhaar
F - Cox - Larkey - Stephenson
FOLL - Goldstein - Cunnington - Simpkin
INT: Anderson - Scott - Hayden - Ziebell
EM: Garner Mahony Bonar Hall Atley Xerri Walker Turner Tyson Dumont WWalker
 

disco_cowboy

Club Legend
Feb 18, 2020
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d
If we are going to finishing bottom 4, I'd really like to see us do it with this side, they'll be times when those older emergencies are required but I truly hope we go with as many of our 2022 best 22 where possible, even if it makes us slightly worse than we could otherwise be.

B - McDonald - McKay - Corr
HB - Perez - Tarrant - Thomas
C - Polec - Davies-Uniacke - Hollands
HF - Taylor - Comben - Zurhaar
F - Cox - Larkey - Stephenson
FOLL - Goldstein - Cunnington - Simpkin
INT: Anderson - Scott - Hayden - Ziebell
EM: Garner Mahony Bonar Hall Atley Xerri Walker Turner Tyson Dumont WWalker
don't mind this.

Thomas in the backline wont happen but i like the thought of it.
Perez starting 22 also ballsy but i really like him and if hes up for it I would play him round 1.
Probably would start Bailey on the wing, Hollands on the bench.
Would swap Comben for Xerri cause I think he desperately needs games.
Anderson starts, takes Taylor spot on high half forward and rotates with LDU.
Cox EM for now and play Mahony.

thats my 2c anyway
 
If we are going to finishing bottom 4, I'd really like to see us do it with this side, they'll be times when those older emergencies are required but I truly hope we go with as many of our 2022 best 22 where possible, even if it makes us slightly worse than we could otherwise be.

B - McDonald - McKay - Corr
HB - Perez - Tarrant - Thomas
C - Polec - Davies-Uniacke - Hollands
HF - Taylor - Comben - Zurhaar
F - Cox - Larkey - Stephenson
FOLL - Goldstein - Cunnington - Simpkin
INT: Anderson - Scott - Hayden - Ziebell
EM: Garner Mahony Bonar Hall Atley Xerri Walker Turner Tyson Dumont WWalker
I wouldn't have draftee's anywhere near there until we actually know who we take.
 

rick sanchez

Draftee
Oct 7, 2020
7
8
AFL Club
North Melbourne
B - Hayden - McKay - Corr

HB - Perez - Tarrant - Thomas

C - Simpkin - Cunnington - Davies-Uniacke

HF - Taylor - Larkey - W. Walker

F - Zurhaar - Comben - Garner

FOLL - Goldstein - Stephenson - McDonald

INT: Anderson - Scott - Polec - Turner
 

GoldSoundz

Debutant
Mar 21, 2007
51
92
Heidelberg West
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Here’s my 1st attempt.

B: Corr - McKay - Atley
HB: Young - Tarrant - McDonald
C: Polec - LDU - Stephenson
HF: Garner - Ziebell - Thomas
F: Turner - Larkey - Zurhaar
R: Goldstein - Cunnington - Simpkin
Int: Anderson, Dumont, Taylor, Perez

Given we’ll have 2 new defenders in Corr and Young, and McKay’s relative inexperience, I opted to be a bit conservative with other Back half selections.
Atley to take the best Small forward.
McDonald to take the best resting Mid(eg Danger/Dusty).
Perez on the pine to support.

Stephenson on the wing to utilise his creativity and ball use. The rest of the midfield picks itself. I would like a defensive wingman capable of taking a contested grab but not sure we have one.

Given current lack of CHF, I’ve named all Half forwards who can take a contested mark. Garner and Turner get the nod over Taylor in the starting 18 mainly for their experience in a pretty young team.

Anderson, Dumont, Ziebell and Thomas to rotate through the middle.

I think there’s enough talent for Noble to work with. I don’t see why they couldn’t aim for 8-12th with this team.
 
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