Was going to be Sydney in Sydney. Will now be Gold Coast away.
A lot of competition for spots!
McGrath Ambrose Francis
McKenna Hurley Saad
Cutler Heppell Redman
Smith Daniher Langford
Tippa Hooker Stringer
Phillips Shiel Merrett
Fantasia Guelfi Gleeson Parish
Laverde Zaharakis McKernan Bellchambers D. Clarke Ridley Ham Zerk-Thatcher Begley Mosquito Snelling Mutch Brown Stewart Hartley Draper Gown McQuillan McBride
[Long Z Clarke Jok]
If we’re going all in to win this thing, McGrath is our best shut down back pocket and we have a lot of similar type mids, so I’m sending him back to play that role (freeing up the Saad/McKenna attacking force). Late in games I would consider pushing McGrath up the ground. I’ve pt Redman on the wing for his delivery going forward, and hope Cutler can make the other wing his, because it’s a position we’ve been lacking in. Part of me hopes someone else comes on in that sort of position.
I believe in Hepp as that traditional “centreman”, winning the ball at the coal face, but also controlling the centre of the ground.
I’ve started Fantasia on the bench because I think we can use him forward, half forward or through the middle, and he’ll be rotating with all of the usual suspects. Daniher at CHF working up the ground, and also playing meaningful chop out ruck minutes. Smith next to Daniher for reasons. Langford as another half forward marking option. Hooker deep forward as the escape valve will rarely be outmarked.
Unsure about the bench makeup. Parish and Fantasia and Guelfi all make sense to me (Guelfi is the classic “fixer” and midfield rotation), Gleeson should be in the side, but positionally I would prefer another midfield runner in that role. Hopefully he can add a bit of midfield craft (and continue to add size) over the off season (wing, centre square, even half forward?), otherwise I’d look at whoever is offering the most through the middle out of Laverde, Begley, Zaharakis, Clarke, Mutch and Ridley. Ham and Snelling possibilities, but they would be a size compromise for what I was trying to achieve.
Interestingly if we have a fit squad (and assuming the 3 at the end are gone), then we have KP depth, and little centre square midfield depth, but our KP depth is ageing. It really is our time now. Premiership clock = midnight.
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I do. I think he’s just one of those guys that will be best 22 all year and be barely noticed. But every week he’s one of the first selected.
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Good point. Love guelfs and had forgotten about him. We don’t know what version of Clarke we will get in 2020. The version that locks down on cripps or cunnington and is best 22, or the latter season version that was struggling to get a kick.
We do need guelfs, clarke, langford or ? to step up and provide some inside mid hardness given we didn’t trade it in.
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Same as every round - the maggots
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I reckon it will be against Sydney. The AFL love this ■■■■. Just hope it is at the 'G on a Friday night (but probably more likely SCG). As long as Joe sits on Rampe’s head, I don’t care.
As long as we beat the (whatever term’s appropriate) out of them. No more weak non-decisions when one of their players blatantly breaks the rules!
B: Ambrose Hooker Saad
HB: McKenna Hurley Redman
C: Cutler Heppell McGrath
HF: Smith McKernan Fantasia
F: Walla Daniher Stringer
R: Bellchambers Shiel Merrett
I/C: Francis Parish Zaharakis Guelfi
Emg: Gleeson Laverde Langford
Would absolutely love to see that forward line up and running.
Those last 1-2 spots on the bench are a bit of a raffle but I think Zaharakis gets first crack and I’ve gone with Guelfi over Gleeson, purely because we have a lot of defenders in the team already and I like Guelfi’s versatility.
TBH, I’m not really sure how a backline with all of Hooker/Hurley/Ambrose/Francis will work. Gleeson could very well get the nod ahead of one of those guys, depending on the opposition.
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hopefully it won’t be ourselves
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Judging off previous Rd 1 performances we’d find a way to lose twice in that scenario
Really like that team nickers.
We really did have a shocking run with injury last year. Having a fit Hurley, Hooker, Heppell, Smith, Raz, Daniher and at least one in-form ruckman will make a world of difference.
If we can replicate the healthy injury lists of Lions/Cats/2017 Tigers then I still believe we can challenge for top 4. Obviously Rutten and Caracella play a huge part in that but I believe we have the talent.
Looking at that squad of 25, it would be nice to somehow add a bit more mongrel and defensive pressure in the draft. We obviously lack a gun big bodied inside mid but I think it’s not 100% necessary with added hardness/ pressure around the edges of the classy ball winners we already have.
Maybe another Frankston back pocket special in the mould of Baguley/Hibberd. Cutler sounds like a hard player too despite his outside style. Possibly an indigenous small forward to add to the mix along with Mozzie. Kysaiah Pickett sounds like a good pressure forward with some added aggression.
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Agree mate, would love a few more blokes who play with genuine aggression and can throw some weight around.
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Yeah, I couldn’t honestly tell you if Draper will debut in round one.
B Saad Hooker Ambrose
HB Hepp Hurley Francis
C Gleeson McKenna Zaka
HF Merrett Daniher Stringer
FF Fantasia Smack Walla
Ruck Belly Shiel Smith
Bench Redman McGrath Parish Clarke
Emerg Langford, Guelfi, Snelling, Lav, Ridley
VFL
B Ridley Zerk Hartley
HB Cutler McBride McQuillan
C Jok Langford Ham
HF Snelling Brown Laverde
FF Mosquito Stewart Draper
Rucks Phillips Begley Guelfi
Bench Mutch Gown Younan Heppell
Our sides generally looks decent on paper however looking forward to the team playing to that potential. Let’s hope 2020 is the year that happens!
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I actually meant to have him on Emergency as
We can’t have Hooker, Hurley, Francis and Ambrose and only 3 will play each week
And 1 of Gleeson/Ridley/Redman/Guelfi as bench player as 7th defender
Putting Mcgrath, Hurley, Heppell in backline who all read the play well, increases the damage of Francis and Hooker in the air and Saad running out of defence on Connors wing, means we can set up the ground better and protect the turnover if it occurs.
Our wings need to be offensive and defensive to work in Ruttens game plan!
Stringer starts at clearances and drifts forward causing a mismatch and our 6th forward Smith, parish, Merrett come through the midfield
Saad - Zerk - Gleeson
Redman - Francis - Conor
Zerrett - Hep - McGrath
Walla - Langford - Stringer
Raz - Joey - Lav
Draper - Shiel - Smith
Parish - Clarke - Guelfi - Moz
Pull the trigger
ouch.
That’s throwing the kids in the deep end and bringing out the curtain for some of the old timers.
Cutler replaces Clarke or Guelfi
Phillips in unless Draper comes good
Legit swapped those two out for Draper and Clarke.