Yes no doubt, I still can’t squash about 26 into 22
Over who?
There will be a 7th defender there on bench so that leaves 3 spots.
Is he ahead of:
Myers?
Langford?
Parish?
I don’t think so. He’s out of the 22 IMO basically awaiting an injury to Stringer or Langford.
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I’d have him before Myers, we have a lot more midfield depth now.
But as not everyone will be available so I think both will play
Lav will not be playing ahead of Myers in midfield in 2019.
Can put Mark Stevens house on it.
Lav hasn’t even had a season in VFL for his midfield development as yet. Hopefully this occurs this year however.
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Actually thinking about it if it was simply a choice of Lav or Parish I would probably have Lav in before Parish as well, with a 3 way rotation between Stringer, Langford and Laverde, between the forward line, midfield and bench.
But I also think Parish will fit in somewhere even if it’s on the bench.
If we were talking strictly as midfielders I agree with you, but I see Laverde playing much more forward, similar to Stringer
Bench is meaningless, if you have no injuries all 22 will play over 70% game time.
Yep, agree. All 22 GWS players will be very disappointed when the EFC team is announced.
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Does anyone know when the tickets go on sale for the game? I have already booked my plane and hotel ticket. Just need a ticket for the game now
I’d have Begley ahead of Laverde. Come at me.
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It’s a tough call in my opinion. Could legitimately go either way.
Laverde is a couple of years older, and has struggled to be a consistent senior player mainly due to injury. But he has by all reports had a wonderful pre-season and is ready to go.
Begley is younger, but has had recent injury issues. As such, I don’t think he is quite as primed for 2019 as Laverde is just at this time.
Both players have played at least one excellent quarter of AFL football. Both players are yet to really have what I would consider a breakout game. So they both have talent. Which one wins… I don’t know.
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I agree with you. Toughest call out of the lot for me. For me there’s something about Begley though. And i feel way more comfortable when he has the ball in hand than when Laverde does. These tough decisions are a great problem to have though 
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That’s a pretty good summary. We were discussing this at training today, I think Laverde is a better mark and Begley a better kick and tank, it could go either way depending on team dynamics.
But who knows, they may both end up being in there. It’s always fascinating looking back and seeing the difference in the best 22 threads from the start of the season to the end, there’s always 4 or 5 different names
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My guess:
McKenna Hooker Saad
Francis Hurley Guelfi
Zaharakis Heppell McGrath
Tippa Daniher Fantasia
McKernan Stringer Baguley
Bellchambers Smith Merrett
Shiel Myers Langford Parish
Time and time again people are not picking a 7th defender when we always do.
The running demands of the modern game mean that rotations need to occur for the running players in particular and it’s not taking a midfielder out of their main rotation to do so. That 7th also gives cover to the wingers/mids.
Guelfi for mine at present seems most likely
B: Saad Hooker Francis
HB: ??? Hurley McKenna
7th - Guelfi
Based on preseason form and fitness thus far that open spot will either be Ridley or Ambrose (with a likely switch of Francis to the HBF and Ambrose/Hurley then plays 3rd tall).
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Assuming a full list minus Gleeson and Redman at this stage I suspect it will look like this.
Saad hurls Ambrose
McKenna hooker Francis
Zaha hepp Merrett
Tbell Shiel McGrath
Smith JD Fanta
Stringer smack tippa
Myers langford parish Guelfi
Fwiw I think this feels a smidge top heavy and i’d very much like to have one more runner in. Begley perhaps.
Of that were the side the 5 spots most likely to come under pressure are Myers langford parish Guelfi and Ambrose.
The next in line (fitness permitting) would be Gleeson, Ridley, Redman, Begley, Bagley, lav, jok, dea, long, ham
That’s ignoring KP depth.
The toughest selection/structural decisions are going to be around the third tall/medium defenders and the amount of size we carry on the middle
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I’d probably have Brown in before Rambrose just for his flexibility to play both ends. But everyone else looks good
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#bigguysneedreststoo
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I think it’s close, but I share your concern about a top heaviness, particularly in the backline.
Remember GWS won’t have Patton.
So it’s the Ambrose position to swap out.
If Gleeson or Redman make a late fitness charge they’re in.
Otherwise, unpopular as it may be on Blitz, it’s got to be out of Ridley, MacNiece, Dea or Long.
Bags comes in if any of the mids / small forwards have a fitness cloud.
Laverde and Begley are biding their time
Why would you have Hurley FB and Hooker CHB? Hooker can’t run and Hurley doesn’t play on gorillas.
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