Prediction Starting Best 22 2017

[Brains Trust66]

My side for round 1

Fb: Geary , Brown , Dempster

HB: Savage , Carlisle , Roberton

C : Newnes , Armo , Roo

HF : Billings , Paddy , Weller

FF : Membrey , Bruce , Wright

R : Hickey , Steven , Steele

I/C : Ross , Gresh , Dunstan , Gilbert.

E : Acres , Longer , Mich


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[tubthumper]

Not sure if anyone would be interested, or whether something similar has even been done already…..
Thought I’d put together a table of the selected team for each game from 2016.

This all came about after deciding to rewatch the Round 17 game against Melbourne and noticing Sinclair, Wright & Minchington all selected in the same side, when talk here suggests that this year they’ll all be competing for the one spot.

The idea here being to try to gain some insight as to what we might be likely to see in 2017; which fringe players are competing with each other, who was/is favoured for that spot, or what sort of team mix Richo was looking to adopt for specific opponents, etc.

Feel free to draw and discuss your own conclusions.

 

[StCicatriz]

In a congested pressure situation when the ball gets to Ross I relax. He nearly always makes the best decision.

Great call

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I'm pretty confident that this will be the team that lines up for us in round one

B: Dempster, Brown, Geary
HB: Savage, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Riewoldt, Armitage, Newnes
HF: Weller, Bruce, Billings
F: Wright, McCartin, Membrey

Foll: Hickey, Steven, Steele
Int: Dunstan, Ross, Gilbert, Gresham

Painfully close: Acres, Webster, Lonie, Sinclair, Stevens, Longer, McKenzie

Personally I'd leave out Gilbert and Dempster for Acres and Webster but Gilbo doesn't get dropped and Richo's comments flat out dismissed the idea that Dempster was dropped for form or structure, and he has enough runs on the board in the honesty department to be taken at his word for now.

 

[#gosaintas]

Acres and Webster should be playing seniors...

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Great work tubthumper.
So in the backline we had Gilbert , Roberton , Webster, Montagna, Savage, Geary, Dempster, and Fisher play just about as many games as they could.

I guess its safe to say that of that lot, Fisher gets replaced by Carlisle.
So then the question is whether one of Gilbert or Dempster will be replaced by Brown, or whether another role will be created for Gilbert.

McKenzie seems to have been the replacement for injured Webster.

It looks like the mix changed when players were forced out or dropped.
For example, they didn't bring in a back flanker every time Webster was dropped, probably re-assigning the roles of the players already selected and bringing in Templeton of something.

Webster seems to be high up the pecking order, and its hard to think that any of the new players we have will have changed that.

 

[gringo2011]

Seb has a breakout year. Next minute he's not best 22?

Get off the LSD ffs.

Even if we bring in a gun, I'd be pushing out Joey before Seb.

I reckon Dunstan would be first out before Seb. They are miles apart still.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...2=16&type=A&pid1=3663&pid2=3935&fid1=S&fid2=S

 

[gringo2011]

Ross was an inside mid as a junior and what we drafted him for but his stats suggest he is purely outside now

He needs to work on his inside game to be effective there

I think they asked him to play outside, I think his natural game is more of an inside role but he's changed a lot to become what we needed already.

 

[Glen Buterol]

I reckon Dunstan would be first out before Seb. They are miles apart still.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/...2=16&type=A&pid1=3663&pid2=3935&fid1=S&fid2=S

Seb had Armo covered last year too....

 

[aussierulesrules]

Seb plays a very important role for us. Basically the same role that BJ played so much in 2010, which is starting in the guts, but being the guy who is generally in there to receive the quick little handball and be the one to distribute it by foot.

Now of course his kicking isn't as good or long as BJ's, but it did improve considerably from his previous years and was damn good and effective.

He also started to break the lines a bit with his run and carry and of course he went head-to-head with Dangerfield and Dusty in our 2 games v them and got the max 10 coaches votes in each one, which is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Sheepey]

This point gets laboured and I know we get ridiculed (even by some on our board), but even though it would never happen I would still have Acres over Dunstan. I just think our midfield is a bit one paced excluding Steven. Armo, Steele, and Dunstan are all great contested ball winners and extractors and Ross is a great user, but there isn't really that line breaking x factor pace. Acres provides that in spades.

Obviously the selection committee knows more than we all do and will choose the best team accordingly, but I reckon Acres is simply too good to play in the 2s

 

[aussierulesrules]

Dunstan played a terrific game in JLT1, but that was the game where Steele only played 35% game-time. Steele upped his game-time considerably in the next two games and showed that he is already better than Luke, which presumably cost Luke some game time and time in the middle in those two games and his output diminished and the problem with that is that Luke doesn't really have the versatility to play anywhere but in the middle. So if Steele has now shot past Luke in the pecking order, it does open up the question of whether we're in a position to carry Luke if he's only playing about 65% game-time, when we could play Acres instead, who can play in the middle, on the wing, or up forward and play closer to 80% game-time.

I guess for Luke to keep getting games, he has to be doing so well in the middle that we're able to leave the likes of Steven, Armo and Ross out of there more than usual and play them on the wing, or up forward more and for us to not lose anything overall as a result.

 

[Glen Buterol]

This point gets laboured and I know we get ridiculed (even by some on our board), but even though it would never happen I would still have Acres over Dunstan. I just think our midfield is a bit one paced excluding Steven. Armo, Steele, and Dunstan are all great contested ball winners and extractors and Ross is a great user, but there isn't really that line breaking x factor pace. Acres provides that in spades.

Obviously the selection committee knows more than we all do and will choose the best team accordingly, but I reckon Acres is simply too good to play in the 2s

Word.

Steele looks a more versatile & productive version of Dunstan. Whilst Armo & Ross simply get more of the ball.

Dunstan apparently is very good with the team orientated 1%s but the eye says he's behind the other mids comfortably.

Acres brings something completely different to the table while also having the ability to play Dunstan's pure mid role. He can take a mark up fwd, break lines & influence scoring chains.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

This point gets laboured and I know we get ridiculed (even by some on our board), but even though it would never happen I would still have Acres over Dunstan. I just think our midfield is a bit one paced excluding Steven. Armo, Steele, and Dunstan are all great contested ball winners and extractors and Ross is a great user, but there isn't really that line breaking x factor pace. Acres provides that in spades.

Obviously the selection committee knows more than we all do and will choose the best team accordingly, but I reckon Acres is simply too good to play in the 2s

No they aren't.
They might be the best we have, but i wouldn't describe any of our players as great ball winners and extractors.
Only Steven was in the top 50 contested ball winners last year.
Dunstan was 94th, winning a similar amount of it to Nick Dal Santo.

Clearances, both Steven and Armo were top 50 last year ( Steven was top 20).
Seb was 55th. Hickey had more than Dunstan who was 75th.

Steele, we'll have to see.

However , Dunstan did play two excellent pre-season games, and may have won himself a spot off the back of those.

 

[The Punter]

Acres definitely provides a point of difference as a midfielder - he finds space where there is none. The club has appeared to have taken a specific approach with Acres which is he has to earn his spot. With the particular performance of Steele and Dunstan in the pre-season they feel he is just on the outside of the 22 right now.

There are about 30 blokes who I have no questions really about them playing.

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

His last kick against Sydney in JLT 3 was pretty average wasn't it. I do agree with your sentiment though I feel more relaxed when he has the ball as well. He also is often playing a neo-tagging role at stoppage against the best opposition mid as well which is structurally important for the team.


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He does a good job on Keanu every time we play them but Morpheus seems to get off the leash!

 

[gringo2011]

Acres definitely provides a point of difference as a midfielder - he finds space where there is none. The club has appeared to have taken a specific approach with Acres which is he has to earn his spot. With the particular performance of Steele and Dunstan in the pre-season they feel he is just on the outside of the 22 right now.

There are about 30 blokes who I have no questions really about them playing.

Acres is elusive and freakish but probably a bit flashy for Richo who prefers your meat and potatoes players who will make a heap of tackles and defend like their life depended on it. Ross Lyon always had a few guys like Fyfe who were given licence to run free and let off some of the defensive duties because of the intangibles. Hopefully Blake can learn it or given licence.

 

[StCicatriz]

Acres is elusive and freakish but probably a bit flashy for Richo who prefers your meat and potatoes players who will make a heap of tackles and defend like their life depended on it. Ross Lyon always had a few guys like Fyfe who were given licence to run free and let off some of the defensive duties because of the intangibles. Hopefully Blake can learn it or given licence.

acres isnt what i'd call flashy or skilled. his skills are pretty meh IMO

he doesnt have the ball use or smarts of say a savage, billings etc.

 

[Flandersss]

acres isnt what i'd call flashy or skilled. his skills are pretty meh IMO

he doesnt have the ball use or smarts of say a savage, billings etc.

Agreed but he's just about un-tackable, underrated quality IMO

 

[#gosaintas]

acres isnt what i'd call flashy or skilled. his skills are pretty meh IMO

he doesnt have the ball use or smarts of say a savage, billings etc.

Savage can only run straight ahead and boot it or he will torch a teammate on the lead. Billings will chip the ball or kick a point. Acres runs angles and plays completely differently. Strange comparisons I reckon. Savage has no composure at all. Acres the same. With Billings, that's about all he's shown so far although hoping for more. Acres can mark. Billings can mark. Savage can't.

 

[StCicatriz]

Savage can only run straight ahead and boot it or he will torch a teammate on the lead. Billings will chip the ball or kick a point. Acres runs angles and plays completely differently. Strange comparisons I reckon. Savage has no composure at all. Acres the same. With Billings, that's about all he's shown so far although hoping for more. Acres can mark. Billings can mark. Savage can't.

acres cant mark, check out his stats.

 

[#gosaintas]

acres cant mark, check out his stats.

I don't need to check his stats. I've seen it. The guy can take a grab. As can Billings although he hasn't really shown it yet. But of the 3, I guess Acres misses out which is a pity but a good sign of where we're at. He will get his chance. But really... surely we're not going to see the Gilbert and Dempster spud show. If yes, get a seat on the wing and fly for your marks. They specialise is OOF no pressure drop punts.

 

[hayes]

Dare I say it Ross is a class mid now. Who would've ever thought that. Never rushed, makes good decisions and hits guys on the chest. If Billings can give us another one of them then we are well and truly in business.

 

[Glen Buterol]

acres cant mark, check out his stats.

If I had to guess I'd say you are not a fan mate?

 

[JG22]

acres cant mark, check out his stats.

He can mark that's for sure, can't kick tho