Best 22 2019 - Round 1

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
663

Paddy Ambrose best 22 fmd…
Based on previous form and requirement I think the above has the making of the team for round 1… I think there are a couple of further considerations though.

Medium Back - Is Gleeson a lock? Redman (although unlikely to be back), and Ridley are options. Think ideally this role needs to play on that midfielder who drifts forward or permanent medium forward. Ridley is the one here I think based on composure and skill. Oozes class.

2nd Tall - Is Stewart good enough to out Mckernan? Think Mckernans ability to go into the ruck has him slightly ahead here, although Stewart is more flexible on the deck.

Interchange - Ambrose isn’t there for starters.
Parish - Despite my misgivings (largely based on expectations of a top 5 pick) plays as a part of the first midfield rotation, ditto Langford who contunues to show enough, Myers plays (based on last year and the need for another hard body and leadership)
Which then leaves Laverde, Guelfi, Baguley or one of Gleeson or Redman fight it out for the final spot. Think the Guelf gets a gig here based on versatility, and running ability.

664

The floating asterisk.
Puzzled when I saw it beside Zerk.
On the Awful site it’s beside Redman, as “unlikely to play round 1”, along with Fridge.

Fair enough, but there’s no asterisk beside Joe’s name.
What do they know that Blitz doesn’t?

665

Cal twomey busy writing up articles based on th AFL stats guru.

How the ‘old’ Bombers are losing the experience race


Callum Twomey

Dec 30, 2018 8:45AM

Dons’ off-field addition set to spark change

Cal Twomey and Matt Thompson bring you an update on the Essendon’s pre-season

THERE is a statistical anomaly at Essendon that stands out from the crowd.

The Bombers will enter next season as the fifth-oldest list in the competition, which may not surprise given the familiar names and heavy recruiting from rival clubs in the past two seasons.

However, coach John Worsfold will also lead the only club in the AFL next year not to have a 200-game player on its list.

Essendon is mature, but its experience does not match up.

Following the departure of Brendon Goddard, midfielder David Zaharakis has played the most games of any Bomber, with 187 appearances since his debut in 2009.

Across AFL lists for next year, the average games played is 64.

Hawthorn is the most experienced with an average of 80 games, while Gold Coast sits at the least experienced end with an average of 50 games for every player.

Essendon is ranked third last with an average of just 56 games, ahead of only Brisbane and the Suns – clubs which have stocked up on early draft picks and youngsters in recent seasons.

Seven clubs have four or more players who have notched 200 games, with Sydney leading the League with six players past the milestone.

There are 53 players in the AFL to have played 200 or more games, but just six who have crossed the 300-game barrier (Hawthorn star Shaun Burgoyne is the most experienced, starting next season with 358 games to his name).

The last time Essendon started a season without a 200-game player on its list was nearly 40 years ago, when they went into 1982 with Neville Fields (197 games to that stage) as their most experienced player.

There are reasons for Essendon’s jarring numbers.

The majority of Essendon’s core senior players – including Michael Hurley, Tom Bellchambers, Cale Hooker and Dyson Heppell – missed a full season through WADA-imposed suspension in 2016.

Plus, the Bombers have two players who will be 28 at the start of next season – Mitch Brown and Shaun McKernan – who have played just 54 and 62 games respectively.

They have pushed up Essendon’s average age, but through injury and lack of opportunity, have not been able to cement a place at AFL level across their careers.

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666

Thanks for posting that Chris but gee the AFL would have to have the worst media of any sport in the world.

Such a nothing article.

I know there is some great bloggers (Hurling People Now, The Arc, The Roar, etc.) out there but our mainstream media just put up stuff that is directed at the lowest common denominator.

I guess it’s going to happen when you have to be accredited by the AFL itself to report through the mainstream channels.

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667

Its almost like the animal article in the paper on a slow news day.
Cheer up. Only 14 days until the next Blitz training report.

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668

Pablo Escobar Narcos day
b16.jpg680×669 65.4 KB

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669

Yeah, I know its offseason so we will see a lot of this sort of stuff.

There is a handful of posters on here that I rate their opinions far greater than the media. The guys that bring us the train reports are a some of them. What would we do without them.

Figuring Footy was a blog that I really enjoyed but he’s now working for Port Adelaide and doesn’t post any more.

I know the AFL is a difficult sport to provide complete analysis but sometimes I wish they would at least try.

670

Is it? No evidence of injury, and the asterisks are surely not based on an assessment of form (sorry NewLAV).

671

Fair enough if the Awful think Redman is unlikely Round 1.
I think Redman is unlikely too.
It does leave the mystery of the floating asterisk unresolved - why is it beside Zerk in the Blitz version?
And now you’ve mentioned newLav- has the asterisk floated along to him in your version of the article?

672

No idea if newLAV is/will be fully fit come Round One (@S_K?); just that’s he’s a long way from senior selection!

673

This… Absolutely fking pointless.

Almost just an excuse to fill lines.

Oh, … and mention the SAGA players’ lost year and sanctions etc., of course :roll_eyes:

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674

He should be fully fit Round 1, back into competitive work post-Xmas.

He’s a long way from VFL selection let alone senior selection.

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675

He was always going to be a slow burn.

He is a good size and athletic with a bit of mongrel in him.

Plenty to work with.

Has the club indicated how they will use him this year?

676

Not really, no clear direction at this stage that I can see. Expect they will be exploring an amateurs option at this stage.

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677

Not such a bad direction to take if it means he can build his confidence up and play in a more suitable position to his skill set.

I saw quite a bit of him this year in the VFL and he did look out of his depth but his application was good so that’s the first part.

Get his fitness up to the level and continue to work on getting involved more and then bring him back into the VFL.

If he works hard and with a bit of luck he can still make it. For a guy of his size time is still on his size.

Good luck to him.

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678

That was my take from the vfl games I saw. He was working hard, getting to the right places but getting out muscled or out classed. It seemed a really tough way to learn a game.

Amateur level can only help getting the basics right, much more useful experience than what he was getting in the vfl. Move him up when he’s ready.

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679

Watched us dismantle some good sides last year and again on replay so thought I’d have a crack at this. Here goes:

B: Saad, Hooker, Francis

HB: Gleeson, Hurley, McKenna

C: Zaharakis, Shiel, McGrath

HF: Smith, Daniher, Stringer

F: Walla, McKernan, Fantasia

Foll: Bellchambers, Heppell, Z Merrett

INT: Langford, Parish, Laverde, Baguley

Emerg: Ridley, Brown, Redman, Guelfi

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680

I think that’s a pretty safe prediction. Only changes might be Gleeson for Ridley or Redman based off fitness. Maybe Begley or similar for Baguley as an investment in the future. We seem pretty predictable at this stage.

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681

I really wanted to get Guelfi in, think he’s a handy player in a variety of positions. In the end went for Laverde.

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682

Is Myers 5th emergency?