Anyone who thinks Hobbs isn’t best 22 is mental.
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I think the only challenge is positional.
If he plays then I think Setterfield, Durham, Perkins or Caldwell will miss.
It’s going to be tight, most of the best 22’s I’ve seen have him either on the bench or missing completely.
I was very much in the heppell is done crew last season until he proved me so wrong. He played really well after Brad had faith he would turn things around.
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I wouldn’t play heppell. He is the exact player we should move past. This is not a pot at him before the usuals get their backs up - he had a good year last year, but for me there comes a time where you just need to move on for the good of the team. I understand he’s a great team man and offer’s a lot with structure, teaching etc but i just see better on field options. We have reid, mckay, redman, mcgrath, ridley & martin as 6 locks down there. I would have the 7th defender as probably Baldwin, or they may look for a bit more run. Either way, i just dont see a spot for him in any defence any way you mix it up
Kelly to me is a lock from training reporters
Menzie will play. He’s our only small forward. Gresham seems destined for that half forward role, essentially just a better Guelfi or snelling
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Agree. Heppell is a plodder. Too slow, gives his opponent too much leg rope and it’s not like he makes up for it by being able to read the play better and impact contests as a plus one. If he’s playing Round 1 and lining up on Ginnivan, load up on him kicking 4+ in his debut as a Hawk.
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Yeah I reckon Heppell is very much borderline.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he is VFL bound, he has seemed to be spending a bit of time on the B team in match sim.
But, I do think that young players need to force him out, I really don’t agree with ‘play the kids’ as a philosophy unless they are demanding selection.
Competition for spots will be red hot, wouldn’t be at all surprised if Heppell gets squeezed out. Having said that, injuries will happen and he is still likely to play plenty of senior footy this year and probably play well.
Why?
They are both average midfielders from a competition point of view. They wouldn’t walk up start for many midfields, except maybe Wce.
If the team needs more forward pressure, id prefer to play an extra small forward. If we play a 2nd ruck or need an extra tall, then thats another bench spot gone. We might decide to play tsatas for this acceleration out of a contest.
There are plenty of scenarios in which one of them dont play r1.
This is just way too harsh.
He had a good year. If he isn’t playing then I don’t think it is a slight on him, more a reflection of increasing competition for spots and others demanding selection.
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I think the shake up of the backline hurts his chances at a gig. We’re essentially running with a new backline with martin, reid and McKay so if there was ever a time to move past him down there, its right now to build that synergy with the backline.
To me going on reports, Baldwin deserves a chance IMO as that 7th defender. I think he’s had a good enough pre season to warrant a look in. I like the idea of another good user down there too, he is a beautiful field kick
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It will be interesting, I just don’t think Baldwin is in the running.
He has seemed a staple in the B team line ups. When Ridley wasn’t available they went with Cox and then when Ridley and Cox didn’t play he still didn’t get a run.
I think it will be someone else.
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I think I saw Lav playing in defence for black in one of the videos from yesterday so looks like Lav is favored over Baldwin for Ridleys role too. Baldwin could be next in line if Mckay or Reid are out though.
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Yeah thats how itll go early i assume, although for me Baldwin has far more upside
His kicking was pinpoint in Dreamtime last year. I couldn’t believe he didn’t get more games after that. I thought the way he went about it down back was a big reason we stayed in that game. I absolutely love Hepp but tend to agree that we need to be a bit more open in selecting the team. Heppell can still add a lot off field whether he plays AFL or VFL.
Was a big Hepp fan last year, thought he played some really solid football but I must agree that I just cant fit him into the team this year.
I have done a mock best team online and there just isnt room for him, nor Kelly, Lav or Baldwin for that matter.
I dont think we are anywhere near the point where picking more senior players for 10% extra output is worthwhile.
The team I have chosen is just full of better options than either Kelly or Hepp imo.
I could see the rationale in picking an extra defender to cover for the ones on the ground, in that case it would be one of Lav, Baldwin or Hepp- again no Kelly for me.
Tsatas would have to start the year in the VFL and his way into the team would be through Hobbs, Caldwell or Setterfield, or injury of course.
Nic Cox just isnt good enough to warrant selection at this point in time, same goes for Davey twins and Caddy who would be competing against Jones for a spot.
This is my team for anyone interested.
Look at that and tell me realistically who should make way for Kelly? Duursma, Durham and Martin are all just better players imo, and all much younger. It makes no sense to pick him.
Like I said above, Hepp, Lav or Baldwin could make a case if we need an extra defender, which we probably would. In which case you have to choose one of Hobbs or Caldwell to miss out.
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How anyone can think that moving a 50 goal DEEP forward to a HIGH forward position is a good idea is beyond me.
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I like the look of your team, but after going to a few training sessions, I can see why the coaches may pick Kelly. He’s looked solid in all honesty in each session I’ve seen and can cover for Martin. The current team you’ve selected has no 7th defender and I think that’s where Kelly will come in as a bench option. If it were me, he’d come in for Harry jones. I’d be content not playing rd 1 with jones or caddy and letting them bang the door down in the twos.
A forward line of Wright, Stringer and Langford is solid enough, with Menzie, Gresham, Perkins and Caldwell/hobbs to rotate through the forward line mix as smalls to help lock the ball in. Adding Harry jones or caddy to that mix might make us just a tad too tall, particularly if we play with two rucks
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Half fowards drift in and out of the forward line, pretty sure thats where Langford played last season no?
Can easily just swap him and Gresham around if it bothers you that much lmao.
Its more the point that this is the starting team, move them around as you see fit.
If Kelly is to play I’d say it is only if he is to play a role that is part of a broader strategy, maybe as others have suggested as defensive cover to allow Martin to go for link up runs and multiple possession chains.
If it’s player vs player he likely misses, but team selection will need more nuance than that.
Also what website did you use to create that team?
yeah, thats why I mentioned that one of the defenders may have to be picked as coverage. I still wouldnt be picking Kelly in that case, I would probably go with Baldwin.
Never really thought about not selecting Jones or Caddy, but I could absolutely see how that may work too.
This is the website 
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