Although it’s still early. Trades have not been made and the Drafts still some time away, it’s time to start looking at what we have and who may come in to change the dynamics of what we will have in 2024. I will begin by looking at our best 22 team from the players still on our list. From there we can speculate as we lose players in Trades or pick up players in Trades, and then with Drafts and SSPs until filally we reach Round 1 and put up our Best 23. Let’s dream, speculate and analyze.
BEST CURRENT AVAILABLE 22 FOR 2024
B. Cox Weideman McGrath
HB. Hind Ridley Heppell
C. Martin Redman Durham
HF. Langford Reid Hobbs
F. Menzie Wright Stringer
R. Draper Parish Merrett
Int. Caldwell Perkins Setterfield Shiel
INT. Laverde
Any combination posted here is going to be underwhelming and unexciting. However the magnets are spun it’s going to lack X factor as well as genuine toughness and competitiveness.
B. McGrath Reid Baldwin
HB. Hind Ridley Redman
C. Martin Setterfield Durham
HF. Langford Jones Merrett
F. Menzie Wright Stringer
R. Draper Parish Caldwell
Int. Hobbs Perkins Tsatas Cox
SUB. Guelfi
Depending on defensive matchups can swap Hind for Zerk or Laverde.
Looking at any combination that we can field is enough to make me spew in my mouth a little. Sobering stuff.
Our best case scenario is that our 18-23 brigade improve leaps and bounds and stay injury free.
If that happens I could see us having a real tilt at top four…teen.
I want to see all of Cox, Reid, Baldwin, Voss, Tsatas and Davey get games next year (barring injury). Even if they are not quite there if the choice is them or a 30 year old journeyman, play the kid.
Give all of the above a really good crack at it next year so we know what we’re working with for season 2025
McGrath Reid Ridley
Redman Baldwin Cox - Merrett as the 7th
Martin Setterfield Durham
Perkins Jones Menzie
Langford Wright Tex
Draper Parish Caldwell
Hobbs Tsatas Stringer - Sub: Davey
I’d like to see something like this, rather have Jones than a 2nd ruck. (It’s why I’d seriously consider trading Sammy if the offer was right)
I’d like to change our midfield mix as much as possible from the last couple of years, so perhaps try Merrett in the Daicos/Sheezel/Jake Lloyd role as the 7th, adds a quality/high retention kicker in the back half.
I’d like to see Davey develop in a wing/HB role, I’d like to see Tex given more of a go over Snelling and Guelfi as the season rolls on.
The W/L column would not worry me at all if we played a young side like this more often, losing with Hep, Lav, Snell, Hind, Kelly, Guelfi, Shiel, Jake and Phillips is triggering.
Davey is one I’m not confident on. We can’t bring him and just test him in various positions. A specific role needs to be identified for him and he need to compete to get his shot in the seniors.
Damn it I want to see ALL the Daveys! Both twins in the team! Get their dad and uncle back out of retirement! The lead singer of Icehouse! ALL OF THEM!!!
Looking at some pof the teams submitted, I made one huge mistake. I didn’t ionclude Tsatas. He should be there? Who to replace? Maybe Shiel unless he totally dominates in the pre-season. Maybe Laverde out of SUB replaced by Shiel and Tsatas comes in as Interchange. It’s the making of stronger team that what we sam
w late in season '23, and will only improve as somw trades come through and we pick up a couple of good players in the Drafts.
I put Redman in the Centre as we need some extra grunt and run, and it brings him closer to position himself for the long bombs. Weideman at Full Back is totally speculative. If he can’t step and offer something consistent and profitable to the team, by the end of '24 he’s out the door.
To get the best out of the team some experiments are needed.
I hope everyone realizes that all the proposed best 22 is very much like the team that lost massively over the back half of the season.
I would hope that the EFC chase some class players during the trade period. Otherwise it is going to be more of the same mediocrity.
I cannot see how the inclusion of Jones , Weideman or Reid is going to project the team to be a top four contender. We have to come to terms with the fact that the list is shyte.
Good team but lacking another small forward for mine. Maybe Gresham/Davey in for Jones. Wright, Langford, Draper/Bryan and Stringer can cover the key forward spots.
I like Ridley playing half-back. We really need an elite ball user coming out from the backline.