Opinion Selection and Geelong's best 22

[Gaz_Brownlow]

Surely we have to put our best 22 together this week.

The Swans game will be a great hit-out and enable us to get our structures right against a team who will be desperate to win to stay in finals race. If we play our best 22 this week then we can rest a few sore bodies after a big hitout against the Pies and let the people battling for the fringe spots get desperate to secure a top 22 place (i.e. Menzel, Mooney, Byrnes, Hunt, Milburn).

 

[David the Cat]

Plagiarism, my lawyers will be in touch

I will use the "great minds think alike" defence!

 

[thecatattack]

Plagiarism, my lawyers will be in touch

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Are we going to put our best 22 out there this week, or are we going to **** about for another round?

Probably the latter, much as some of us would like to see the former.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

B: J. Hunt, Lonergan, Scarlett
HB: Enright, Taylor, Mackie
C: Wojo, Bartel, Varcoe
HF: Chapman, Mooney, Johnson
FF: Stokes, Pods, West

R: Ottens, Selwood, Corey

Bench: Kelly, Ling, Byrnes, Christensen (Sub)

Apologies to Duncan, Menzel and Hawkins.

I really want Christensen to play, but I can't think of anyone else who can be the sub.

Varcoe and Wojo to start on the wings and to push back into defence every time the ball goes down there and to back their pace to bring the ball out quickly.

I think Byrnes is critical with his work rate and speed and if we utilise Wojo/Varcoe coming out the back half, moving it quickly and kicking it long I think Byrnes will be able to get over the back of the press for some easy scoring opportunities.

I'd like to see Christensen play over Mackie but there isn't anyone else who can play off a back flank without subtracting their influence from where they'd normally play.

Interesting.

Byrnes is very helpful I will admit, particularly when forward pressure is something we could and need to improve on. I just don't think you can trust his body to handle 4 quarters in a final though after the year he's had. Probably first emergency for mine, with Duncan still in.

Mooney over Hawkins is something you could make a good case for either of them, although I'd say Hawkins has the inside running if he plays well this week.

Josh over Milburn is a big call although on his form from last weekend I can see it as a fair one. I reckon there's only room for one of them as Wojo's pace will be really important.

I know what you mean about not being able to find a sub, but Bundy just HAS to play given his form and what he's brought to our midfield. If that's the way we line up, probably Duncan sub for me, or maybe Stokes. Wojo would be an ideal sub to come on when everyone else is tired and use his pace, but I don't think we have enough pace in the initial 21 to be able to drop him back to sub.

 

[pinion]

we all thought it was an odd team selected this week .... but perhaps we just stumbled on our best 22. give or take corey and maybe stokes

 

[David the Cat]

Anyone who left Menzel, Duncan, Christensen or Varcoe out of our best 22 need to go back to footy school.

Honestly....

 

[SJ]

I guess Menzel played back because of the missing Scarlett, Mackie and Milburn - but I see him as such a dangerous forward.

I think a brilliant forward set up composes:
- Podsiadly and Hawkins as the key talls
- Johnson and Menzel as medium types who can mark, can play higher up the ground but are also lethal at ground level
- Chapman, Stokes, Christensen, Byrnes rotating through a couple of the small positions.

I don't care what defence you have, no team would be able to cover all bases there.

I really feel that goals will be at a premium in September and that Menzel (if fit - and he'd have to play Round 23 and 24) has the capability to kick goals when needed in a tight final at the MCG.

Yep there we go.

 

[Hoffy95]

I wish tonight was a tight final.

 

[Jef Costello]

CScott said Stokes is best 22 after the game. Assume for Byrnes?

No way do any of the three kids come out for mine (and many of us it seems). Need the speed, energy and dynamism it's one of our best edges from previous years.

He made no mention of Joel Corey when he mentioned Stokes and Lonergan as probable returns to the side. Mooney was a maybe l think. Lets hope he just forgot JC....

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

Mooney in or not? The future is Hawkins and the kids but you can't deny that Mooney deserves a right to play even though it could back fire on us because he's done everything right to play and has done for years for us. Tough, tough decisions to be made by the coaching panel this week upsetting for a few unlucky guys who'll miss out

 

[SJ]

Byrnes won't play next week.

You'd think Corey and Lonergan have to play.

Stokes is a possible.

But hard to find two more to make way.

 

[AM]

Byrnes won't play next week.

You'd think Corey and Lonergan have to play.

Stokes is a possible.

But hard to find two more to make way.

The coach said in his presser Stokes is in our best 22. Bit surprising. But there you go.

 

[SJ]

The coach said in his presser Stokes is in our best 22. Bit surprising. But there you go.

Coaches say a lot of things.

He might be though.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

it's a shame because Hawthorn aren't the quickest side and they definitely lack explosive midfielders and having Christensen, Duncan, Varcoe, Wojak and Byrnes all play tonight was very evident in our ability to find space. The two or three guys who do come into the side aren't the quickest of players so we gonna lose that edge but Corey is arguably our best midfielder. Stokes always plays well against Hawthorn for some reason

 

[AM]

it's a shame because Hawthorn aren't the quickest side and they definitely lack explosive midfielders and having Christensen, Duncan, Varcoe, Wojak and Byrnes all play tonight was very evident in our ability to find space. The two or three guys who do come into the side aren't the quickest of players so we gonna lose that edge but Corey is arguably our best midfielder. Stokes always plays well against Hawthorn for some reason

They are much quicker than when we last played 'em.

Love Mitch but wouldn't call him quick btw

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

Duncan is quick, much quicker than Kelly, Corey and Ling
They haven't got a quick midfield at all imo, guys like Sewell, Mitchell, Hodge, Bruce. But Burgoyne, Lewis and of course Riloi can cause concerns

 

[Gladbaqs]

Duncan is quick, much quicker than Kelly, Corey and Ling

Not quicker than Kelly.

The selectors have gone from having a difficult task to having an impossible task. Menzel, Hunt and Wojcinski weren't supposed to play so well!

Stokes and Lonergan are hard to squeeze in now. The balance was perfect.

I guess Lonergan will play, but...Duncan out? That's crazy talk. Maybe Milburn? The other backmen love him there.

I give up.

 

[catempire]

The coach said in his presser Stokes is in our best 22. Bit surprising. But there you go.

Coaches say a lot of things.

He might be though.

Stokes has had a career best year and only went out because of injury. He is a lock to return next week.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Anyone who left Menzel, Duncan, Christensen or Varcoe out of our best 22 need to go back to footy school.

Honestly....

Agree, by gee we have real competition for spots, but those guys must stay.

And Hawkins was good too, and West.

Very tough week at selection.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Byrnes won't play next week.

You'd think Corey and Lonergan have to play.

Stokes is a possible.

But hard to find two more to make way.

It's a tough one.

On form I reckon Stokes is definitely best 22.

But really on tonight, Menzel Bundy Duncan Hawkins and West are all in next week.

Which means if you want to bring three in you've probably got to drop Milburn and Josh, not that either did anything wrong, but who else could go? Are they going to be prepared to drop 5 defenders, and play Wojo as the 6th? Or does Lonergan come in for one defender, and the other stays instead of Stokes coming in so we can maintain the same number of defenders? Tough decisions to make.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Mooney in or not? The future is Hawkins and the kids but you can't deny that Mooney deserves a right to play even though it could back fire on us because he's done everything right to play and has done for years for us. Tough, tough decisions to be made by the coaching panel this week upsetting for a few unlucky guys who'll miss out

There's no room for sentiment when there's a flag to win, you just have to pick the best 22, and you couldn't drop Hawkins after tonight.

Sorry Moons, but no game.

 

[TheYid]

I'd say Lonergan in for Milburn, Corey for Byrnes.

 

[TheYid]

There's no room for sentiment when there's a flag to win, you just have to pick the best 22, and you couldn't drop Hawkins after tonight.

Sorry Moons, but no game.

I think Moons would be in for Hawkins if they needed a hit up player.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I'd say Lonergan in for Milburn, Corey for Byrnes.

Agree.

No Stokes?