Opinion Who fills the role of Zac Williams for season 2018?

[Giant Pete]

What I would do at this stage:

Haynes Davis Corr
Griffen Tomlinson Shaw
Whitfield Cogs Kelly
Greene Cameron Scully
Langdon Patton taranto

Lobb Shiel Ward

Deledio Perryman Setterfield HH

People get caught up on ‘run’ out of D50. Of way more importance is ball use and decision making. Griffen is an excellent user. Defensively he is better than Williams. This formation allows Hopper and Setterfield to play on ball. It also allows for a flexible tall on the pine.

 

[Ellie Aquitaine]

What I would do at this stage:

Haynes Davis Corr
Griffen Tomlinson Perryman
Whitfield Cogs Kelly
Greene Cameron Scully
Langdon Patton taranto

Lobb Shiel Ward

Deledio Griffen Setterfield HH

People get caught up on ‘run’ out of D50. Of way more importance is ball use and decision making. Griffen and Perryman are both excellent users. Defensively Griffen is better than Williams. This formation allows Hopper and Setterfield to play on ball. It also allows for a flexible tall on the pine.

MASSIVE call to drop Shaw.

 

[_GT_]

MASSIVE call to drop Shaw.

Griff listed twice Giant Pete

 

[Giant Pete]

MASSIVE call to drop Shaw.

Oops... fixed.

 

[Raymann]

Is that your view or the clubs?

My view based on yesterday's match practice

 

[Giant Pete]

My view based on yesterday's match practice

Wouldn’t be unhappy with that at all. For what’s its worth, this was my post from last October:

If we want pressure in the forward line, put Scully in there. We have too many outside players as it is.
Scully wouldn’t even come off the field. He can crumb a goal and is a good set shot these days.
This allows someone like Setterfield to come into the team.

 

[Giant Strides]

I'll take a contrary view in regards the speed and ball user aspect. I've acknowledged elsewhere that speed is not the be-all-and-end-all for defenders, but I'd be reluctant to go with a Shaw/Griffen/Perryman combo because there's a decided lack of run/speed there IMHO. I'd also disagree that Perryman's ball use is better than others so as to give him an advantage. Perryman can certainly use the ball well at times, but is also prone to errors at this early stage of his career, and is certainly inconsistent. His disposal efficiency is 72%, whereas Williams was around 76-78% (reflecting his own occasional errors). Griffen is around the same (noting his inside work would tend to drag his averages down), as is Lachie Whitfield, who can be really good except for occasional (& often really inexplicable errors). Adam Kennedy is somewhat maligned IMHO - both his defensive work and rebounding ability are pretty solid, although I accept that he's never going to be a star. His long-term disposal efficiency is the best of the medium defenders at 80%. Stats only tell part of the story, of course, but that probably matches my own relative assessment from observation of their ball use skills.

Personally, I think that Whitfield & Kennedy is the best combo to replace Williams/Wilson in terms of balance of all skills. In regards Raymann's comment on Scully playing forward, I personally would hope not, as moving both wingers seems to make no sense. Dropping Lachie back is fine to me, as it's a role that flows naturally from his existing role, and there's others that can be employed in a similar role. If Kenners is not available for the start of the season, then certainly I can see Griffen (who would probably be my next preference) or Perryman play the role - and I would not be averse to GWS trying Cumming in the role. But I realistically expect we'll take a more experienced option to start with.

I'd certainly like to see Setterfield given a go, but am wary of where Griffen & Deledio will fit in - and who they stop from getting a run. Having the youngsters Hopper & Setterfield as the bench midfielders to support Ward/Shield/Coniglio/Kelly/Scully as the primary midfielders seems to me a balanced set - balanced between inside grunt, acceleration & outside run as well as between experience & youth (as Shiel, Cogs & Kelly surely now qualify as 'experienced').

Haynes Davis Corr
Whitfield Tomlinson Shaw
Scully Cogs Kelly
Greene Cameron Taranto
Langdon Patton ?
Lobb Ward Shiel

Deledio/Griffen Hopper Setterfield Kennedy/Griffen

The ? is because I'd hope for one of the speedy young draftees (Bonar, Daniels or Langdon) to earn a spot, but to start with, they'd need to dislodge de Boer who was excellent in 2017 as a defensive forward (which is surely needed). I've bracketed Deledio and Griffen depending on what happens in the defensive setup, but I'm also wary of Deledio's decline & hope that a youngster pushes him out if his body can't get right.

Whatever happens - the losses have opened up opportunities for guys to grab a fresh chance in terms of position/role within the team. Hopefully someone grasps the opportunity & has a breakout year!

 

[fridgeman]

I would be a big fan of Whitfield spending more time on the HBF and think his ball use and experience would be better than some other options
My thinking for this would be if the defensive set up is mostly experienced players then it sets a solid foundation and they will have spent more time on the field with each other and this should translate to fewer poor turnovers
If a back six is
Shaw Davis Corr
Haynes Tomlinson Whitfield
With the seventh being a mix of Griffen, Deledio and Kennedy throughout the season
Also this move would open up a utility bench spot and depending on preseason form one of Setterfield, Perryman, Bonar and maybe Cumming will get a chance and for me it also depends on a 2 tall forward line

 

[Peacan2323]

Deledio looked good down there towards the end of last year

 

[dlanod]

I'm fine with Whitfield, he looked good out there as the general tonight.

 

[McRobie]

I'm fine with Whitfield, he looked good out there as the general tonight.

Whitfield under rated, I reckon he needs to be used in the mids, he is so classy. Deledio would be my man to run off halfback if a was a Giants man!