Spent basically the entire year named on a HFF. Doesn’t mean he played there all the time. HFF’s are basically just another midfielder these days, it’s about having as many blokes who can rotate through the midfield as possible and when they’re not on the ball they’ve gotta go somewhere else.
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Myers is ahead of Guelfi for the time being, but you’d hope by the end of the year Guelfi’s overtaken him.
5th in the b&f? Horribly overrated by the voting panel. You should have a chat with them and point out what he’s doing wrong.
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I’d prefer it the other way round.
I’d love to hear how Tippa got so many votes early. On form he should have been very close to being dropped.
Still though, he improved out of sight late in the season and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t continue his awesomeness next year.
A fully fit and firing Tippa being our fifth or sixth most effective forward?
We should be so lucky.
And we’d be kicking cricket scores.
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Wait… Australian cricket scores. Is that a good or a bad thing?
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The most pleasing thing for mine is that just about everyone seems to agree on the back line with Francis, Hurley, Hooker, McKenna, Saad, Gleeson starting and Redman/Ridley rotating through
A settled defence is key to a premiership and if this group stays fit then our back 7 picks itself
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Haha yes OK selector.
Laverde will play seniors if he’s not injured.
Stewart will once he has sorted out his touch.
Ambrose is a best 22 backman.
Walla is a match winner. Same as Stringer albeit both can be inconsistent.
I’d be surprised if Ambrose, Stewart and Laverde are not playing senior footy next year. Very surprised.
I think Clarke would be on IC instead of Mynott
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I’d want Myers to find another gear again this year. Has much needed attributes if he can continue to grow again.
I skipped him because I wasn’t sure where to put him, and forgot to go back.
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Agree with your method here choppy, but Gleeson has to get back to what he was and compete with an improving ridley & redman for a spot. Of course we all love Azza, but he is also competing with other improving young backs and ambrose for a 3rd tall position. Myers is also fringe, so I’d say 17 are locks (unless their form falls away) and 5 spots are open.
Francis is a lock mate. In 5 games he became our best intercept defender and his ball use from the back half is ELITE.
You could argue the others but this one ain’t even a discussion point.
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You’re not keen in playing an All Australian defender in defence? Hooker plays in defence this year again. Flirted with him up forward. Didn’t work. Ambrose is back up. Offers nothing offensively out of defence. Good lock down type no doubt but we won’t win a flag if he plays too many games.
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The Martians have landed… Francis not a lock! FMD.
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I doubt you can fit Hurley, Hooker, Ambrose & Francis into the same backline. You guys seriously underrate how highly regarded Ambrose is as our best lock-down tall defender. Azza has to continue to improve to lock in a permanent spot, and he has some serious competition.
He’ll play most games because best 22s only exist in our imagination.
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I think with Francis intercepting with Hooker, Hurley plays tighter.
Not sure Ambrose has ever offered the marking and attacking characteristics that re needed in defence these days (especially post BJ).
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I can see this happening too, if:
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Gleeson and Francis are dominant as intercept defenders to protect Hurley and Ambrose against bigger forwards
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We’re connect to play JD as 2nd ruck
I’m not certain either of those two things will happen though
For Stewart to play imo we have to be prepared to play JD second ruck or Stewart has to bring is ruck work on in Leaps and bounds because his ruck work is thoroughly putrid ATM. Alternatively we could rethink his role and play him on the wing/ruck rover. I actually wouldn’t mind at all if we tried that.
Lav is tricky. If he’s fit, huge if, he’s clearly behind stringer, langford and Myers as mid/medium fwd. If he gets his body right maybe he could displace Myers but I’m not sure lav brings to the midfield what Myers does. Could be very dynamic for us if he did though. If Stewart gets retasked as a mid that also makes things tricky for lav.
Ambrose kinda depends on the form and fitness of Gleeson and Francis. If they’re fit and hooker is back I don’t see Ambrose in the side. If we restructure with hooker forward there is room for ambo.
Our defence is looking great, very good mix of intercept marking, rebound attack and defence.
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B: Francis Hooker Saad
HB: McKenna Hurley Gleeson
C: McGrath Heppell Zaharakis
HF: Parish Daniher Smith
F: Fantasia Stringer McDonald-Tipungwuti
Foll: Bellchambers Shiel Merrett
Int: McKernan Brown Myers Langford