Best 22 2019 - Round 1

Good side JR.

I reckon the only place I disagree is I would play JD out of the goal square and I’d have Smack (or Brown - toss up for me) at CHF.

Lav on the bench in place of Fridge would be the other change but would be very happy to see either get a full season in.

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Cheers. I almost went that way as well, as I am a fan of Lav and reckon he has some decent upside (if he has an injury free run at it). There’s some kinda X-factor about Fridge that I like, though. I also found it hard to have Bags as an emergency, given his reinvention as a pressure forward in 2018. Competition for spots is gunna be fierce, which is a bl**dy good position to be in.

Why does any of what you said make him a problem?

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Because Chris is trying to complete his best 22, and Marty is a point of conflict between what Chris thinks should happen, and what champion data is telling Chris the best 22 should be.

It’s a moral issue affecting his inner soul.

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Ye but so many people complained about his kicking woes which were annoying throughout 2017 and 2018 but when Hooker is on fire he is, I remember when we versed north in 2017 and he kicked like 5 goals in the last quarter

You were right about this being an unpopular opinion @edarotag and I see a few wiser heads have put you in your place. And rightly so!

Throwing out a creative way of playing an extra mid. All I know is that with Gleeson we haven’t achieved fark all … I’m not pinning that on one guy, but I am not convinced that Gleeson makes us better. Especially after a year off.

By the way, aren’t you an ex Collingwood supporter?

So by that same logic Jobe is ■■■■ because we didn’t achieve anything when he was playing.

Come on mate. Lift.

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We played an extra mid (instead of dedicated small fwd) through a fair chunk of the Hird years and I would argue it held us back, more than anything.

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Lol, I am not sure that’s the leap I’d have made. I am not nearly convinced that we are a better team having Gleeson in it.

I just won’t subscribe that Gleeson is good enough to be an automatic inclusion in my team. I tried to make a case that we could cover him by moving mids around to cover him, and play an extra mid.

As I am sure that you will agree, a midfielder is more valuable than a defender, so by resting a mid in the back line like Hep/McGrath, then maybe we can roll an extra mid (maybe Langford or Laverde to step up more).

Its bold, and I don’t think it will happen. I do think that there is a rose coloured glasses looking back on Gleeson and his form around this place. My personal view is that I think his ceiling is depth.

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fair enough. I think we have a more rounded and balanced team compared to the Hird years with enough specialist position players.

I think our weakness is mids, and we have gone out to address that and we are batting deeper than we have in a long time there. I think there is scope to go stronger again - hence me throwing out an idea (even if crazy!)

Question is do we have a more rounded team because of, or despite of, playing a pretty standard structure?

Any side that doesn’t have seven backs can’t possibly be Best 22 in the real world.

No one can play six backs for the full 100 odd minutes without an interchange/ rotational option.
Your side may start like a house on fire but they’ll be overrun by the third quarter.

Playing or “resting (after a midfield stint) Heppell or McGrath in the backline takes too much away from our best midfield, which should be a strength. We don’t just outnumber the opposition with our potential mids - we match or thrash them head to head in quality. When other teams are using their fifth or sixth best mids we’re throwing any of Hepp, McGrath, Langford, Smith, Fanta, Tippa, Parish, Stringer & Zaharakis at them.

So given Hurley, Hooker, Saad, McKenna & Francis are a lock there’s two spots up for grabs.
Gleeson may not be fit, but definitely in mix if ready.
Redman possibly even more doubtful for Round 1 unfortunately.
Ridley a contender.
Guelfi a contender.
MacNiece also has to be considered given the first two injuries.
Bags- offers more as a forward these days.

Blitz would explode if Long was chosen off the HBF for Round 1, but explains why he’s reportedly training with the defence.

Bit of a quandary.
But that’s how I’ll judge at peoples Best Round One 22’s

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Long will be a half back if anything. Bit simpler to read & get into the game than wing and I feel that’s where he struggles.

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I would hope and expect that our preseason games will be the best indicator.

Stop being reasonable and wanting to watch players before making definitive judgements about their football future.

Ps - I agree that looking for changes / improvement in players, their starting positions, and patterns of play is one the delights of preseason- no points to lose, and plenty of excuses for a good player having a slow start.

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Paging @Alan_Noonan_10

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He’s ■■■■■■ exciting when he’s on song.

Probably no point. Some schools have broken up for the holidays so we’ll be getting random genius like this for the next 8 weeks. This is how modern language is evolving. Kids in the playground/schoolyard challenge each other by saying, “C’mon, I’ll verse you”.

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Quatrains, haiku, or iambic pentameter?