Yep, agree with BBB above.
I wouldn’t have had any other drafted player in the side round 1. But McGrath is ready to go off the HBF. I don’t know who gets the other flank, but I’d be very surprised if one wasn’t his.
If we go into Rd1 with a HB line of Kelly/Goddard/some other old bloke, then we haven't been paying attention to how you win modern games of footy. There is arguably no position more important for beating the press and giving your team a chance to play attacking footy.http://www.afl.com.au/afl/stats/player-ratings/overall-standings#position/medium_defender
Look at the top 5, Shaw/Burgoyne/Rampe/Williams/Enright. The dogs have Boyd/Wood/johannisen not far away. Top 4 teams have elite play makers off the HBF. Our highest rated player in that position is Kelly who comes in at #33. We must develop players in this position.
One (preferably two) of McGrath/Tippa/Gleeson/oirish must be getting regular gametime on the hbf. If we go in with the dads army setups we are going to get trounced.
I would think Goddard is an elite playmaker off half back? An excellent long kick, good football smarts, knows who to kick to and is a good mark. I don’t see how he isn’t in the same category as Burgoyne, enright and Boyd
Not expecting any of the drafted kids to play round 1. And thats absolutely fine.
McGrath? Like Merrett in his first game against North 2014 (and what an enjoyable win that was) McGrath will line up against the Hawks.
If we go into Rd1 with a HB line of Kelly/Goddard/some other old bloke, then we haven't been paying attention to how you win modern games of footy. There is arguably no position more important for beating the press and giving your team a chance to play attacking footy.http://www.afl.com.au/afl/stats/player-ratings/overall-standings#position/medium_defender
Look at the top 5, Shaw/Burgoyne/Rampe/Williams/Enright. The dogs have Boyd/Wood/johannisen not far away. Top 4 teams have elite play makers off the HBF. Our highest rated player in that position is Kelly who comes in at #33. We must develop players in this position.
One (preferably two) of McGrath/Tippa/Gleeson/oirish must be getting regular gametime on the hbf. If we go in with the dads army setups we are going to get trounced.
I would think Goddard is an elite playmaker off half back? An excellent long kick, good football smarts, knows who to kick to and is a good mark. I don’t see how he isn’t in the same category as Burgoyne, enright and Boyd
In 2010 he was the best at this in the league but that’s a lifetime ago. He isn’t in the same category as those three because he just doesn’t play as well as them, Boyd was AA and Burgoyne is just a freak. His kicking is nowhere near as dangerous as it once was and he is a step slower. Maybe (and it’s a big maybe) he winds back the clock in 2017 but where does that leave us down the track?
Ivan’s idea of doing a best AFL 22 and seeing what is left for the VFL is very instructive in terms of the depth of the side and what might need reinforcing.
In doing this it can clearly be seen, with our new batch of mids (with some HBF potential there also) that the succession planning for the over 30’s is underway for Watson, Goddard, Stanton, Kelly, Hocking and perhaps Baguley.
I am even wondering if the stated similarity of McGrath to Wanganeen might extend to considering him as a dynamic Baguely replacement at least for a time. We are stacking up on midfielders and half back flankers, and McGrath is the only real candidate to replace Baguley at the moment. An unconventional use of a no.1 pick I know, but Wanganeen did win a Brownlow from there.
I am thinking Richards will be perhaps be rookied because we could need tall cover down back, with Hooker, Francis and Brown being good tall options up forward as well. In reality though another ruck prospect for ruck cover is probably needed more, with a view to replacing Smack and Leuey in the short and medium term. I like Devon Marshall for this. The Quarter Back from the US may also be a part of this thinking, but he would have to be able to compete as a ruckman in 2017 for that experiment to work, given the only way to develop a ruckman is in the ruck.
Eades may not be rookied, especially with our small forward cover looking better with Raz, Walla, Green, Colyer and perhaps Conor as well, and also with developing mid cover, the need for these guys to play major mid time is less.
Hepp A would be a welcome alternative for Eades, being a good candidate to fill the back pocket role.
AFL
Bags^ Hartley Brown
McGrath Hurley Kelly^^
Zaka Watson^^ Colyer
Leuey Hepp Zerrett
Langford Joe Walla
Fanta Hooker Francis
Goddard^^ Hocking^ Parish Stanton^^
^^ = over 30
^ = turning 30 in 2017
VFL
Dea Richards** Ridley
Conor Ambrose Gleeson
Howlett Myers Long
TBC Bird Morgan
Redman Stewart Laverde
Begley Smack* Green
Jerrett, Clarke, Mutch, Eades**
- = probable rookie pick
** = possible rookie pick
B: Mark Baguley - Michael Hartley - Aaron Francis
HB: Andrew McGrath - Michael Hurley - James Kelly
C: Travis Colyer - Jobe Watson - Brent Stanton
HF: David Zaharakis - Joe Daniher - Kyle Langford
FF: Orasio Fantasia - Cale Hooker - Anthony Tipungwuti
FOL: Matthew Leuenberger - Dyson Heppell © - Zach Merrett (vc)
INT: Goddard - Parish - Myers - Hocking
EMG: Bellchambers, Laverde, Ambrose, Gleeson, Howlett, Brown, McKenna, Morgan.
That’s a pretty ■■■■■■ strong team!
- The main question marks are on Francis and McGrath to see if they can handle the rigors of AFL footy. But they are immensely talented so I will back them to do so. Having the quick rebound from McGrath really does balance the side out alot. Can’t see many forward lines taking many marks with that backline.
- We have speed and outside run all over the field from McGrath, Colyer, Stanton, Zaka, Fantasia, Tippa, Merrett, Goddard and Parish. The great thing is they all win their own footy and can be moved all over the field depending on the opposition and game situation.
- Personally I would love for Bellchambers, Laverde, McKenna and even Morgan to force their way in to the team with great form but I have them just on the fringe at the moment. Alot depends on injury and the ability to get a consistent run at it.
Overall I think its a great balance of youth, experience, speed, inside grunt and flexibility. Plus that backline has the aerial ability to match Geelongs. I’m aware the team will take some time to gel and learn the game plan but you can’t deny that we have a very strong team on paper. Not to mention the majority of our squad could all step into the senior team and be relied upon to do a solid job. I’m lid off on our chances for 2017!
B: Mark Baguley - Michael Hartley - Matt Dea
HB: Marty Gleeson - Michael Hurley - James Kelly
Emg: Ambrose, Francis, McGrath, McKenna
C: David Zaharakis - Jobe Watson - Brent Stanton
FOL: Matthew Leuenberger - Dyson Heppell © - Zach Merrett (vc)
INT: Goddard - Parish - Myers - Hocking
Emg: Bird, Howlett, Jerrett, Smack,
HF: Travis Colyer - Joe Daniher - Anthony Tipungwuti
FF: Orasio Fantasia - Cale Hooker - Tom Bellchambers
Emg: Langford, Laverde, Green, Brown
B: Mark Baguley - Michael Hartley - Matt Dea HB: Marty Gleeson - Michael Hurley - James Kelly Emg: Ambrose, Francis, McGrath, McKennaC: David Zaharakis - Jobe Watson - Brent Stanton
FOL: Matthew Leuenberger - Dyson Heppell © - Zach Merrett (vc)
INT: Goddard - Parish - Myers - Hocking
Emg: Bird, Howlett, Jerrett, Smack,HF: Travis Colyer - Joe Daniher - Anthony Tipungwuti
FF: Orasio Fantasia - Cale Hooker - Tom Bellchambers
Emg: Langford, Laverde, Green, Brown
I like this style of best 22 with multiple emergencies for each part of the ground as just putting 22 players in 22 different positions isn’t realistic at all these days really, the team can be so fluid week to week and as for something like the centre bounce team I have Leuenberger Watson Heppell and Merrett like almost everyone else but how many bounces will they realistically contest together, only a small portion I think
B: Mark Baguley - Michael Hartley - Matt Dea HB: Marty Gleeson - Michael Hurley - James Kelly Emg: Ambrose, Francis, McGrath, McKennaC: David Zaharakis - Jobe Watson - Brent Stanton
FOL: Matthew Leuenberger - Dyson Heppell © - Zach Merrett (vc)
INT: Goddard - Parish - Myers - Hocking
Emg: Bird, Howlett, Jerrett, Smack,HF: Travis Colyer - Joe Daniher - Anthony Tipungwuti
FF: Orasio Fantasia - Cale Hooker - Tom Bellchambers
Emg: Langford, Laverde, Green, Brown
It’s a nice layout.
I would -
swap Francis with Brown. To me, Brown is a far better intercepting back man than anything else, and we need Francis up forward as a bullocking 3rd tall more than back, where we have Hurls.
swap TBC with Langford. That will give us different looks up forward, with JD, CH, KL, OF, Walla - very hard to match.
B. Baguley Hartley Dea
HB. Kelly Hurley Mcgrath
C. Zaharakis Watson Colyer
HF. Tippa Daniher Langford
F. Orazio Hooker Laverde
R. Luenberger heppell z.merrett
INT. Goddard, Stanton, Hocking, Parish
Dea/ambrose/brown to raffle that third tall role dependant on form
B: Baguley - Hartley - Dea
HB: McGrath - Hurley - Kelly
C: Goddard - Watson - Colyer
HF: Zaka - Daniher - Francis
F: Fantasia - Hooker - Tippa
R: Burger, Heppell, Zerrett
Bench: Parish, Laverde, Hocking, Langford
Emg: Ambrose, Bellchambers, Myers
There is no difference between Ainsworth and McGrath! same height , I don’t know about the others dud Essendon drafted. but see who the rest of the club drafted,BenLong to St Kilda & k Kirby collingwood ready made players.
Danger danger
High voltage
There is no difference between Ainsworth and McGrath! same height , I don't know about the others dud Essendon drafted. but see who the rest of the club drafted,BenLong to St Kilda & k Kirby collingwood ready made players.
Right on, it has always amazed me how little Woosha has learned about football in his 238 games as a player and 303 games as coach. He really needs to employ you as a consultant.
There is no difference between Ainsworth and McGrath! same height , I don't know about the others dud Essendon drafted. but see who the rest of the club drafted,BenLong to St Kilda & k Kirby collingwood ready made players.Right on, it has always amazed me how little Woosha has learned about football in his 238 games as a player and 303 games as coach. He really needs to employ you as a consultant.
You can always tell a troll by the smell as you go over the bridge.
FB: Bags Hurley Ambrose
HB: Kelly Brown McGrath
C: Zaka Myers Goddard
HF: Colyer JD Langford
FF: Fantasia Hooker Watson
Foll: Leui Heppell Zerrett
Int: Tippa, Stants, Bird, Parish
Hurley and Hartley are both FB. Don’t see them both in same side.
Francis was gifted games when we were missing a dozen players. He is grossly unprepared for senior AFL football. Laughable to suggest he is best 22. Will not play more than 3-4 games in 2017.
Bird was excellent in 2016. Ahead of Hocking and Howlett for mine.
Bird ahead of Hocking?
There aren’t too many players that make Hocking look quick but Craig is one.
Hocking is a better kick of the footy too. Bird lacks any real penetration in his kicking. He’s a little more capable in the forward half as well, Heath.
Bird has a crack and put in a good shift last year. He’ll get a few games throughout the year but he will be behind a few IMO.
If we go into Rd1 with a HB line of Kelly/Goddard/some other old bloke, then we haven't been paying attention to how you win modern games of footy. There is arguably no position more important for beating the press and giving your team a chance to play attacking footy.http://www.afl.com.au/afl/stats/player-ratings/overall-standings#position/medium_defender
Look at the top 5, Shaw/Burgoyne/Rampe/Williams/Enright. The dogs have Boyd/Wood/johannisen not far away. Top 4 teams have elite play makers off the HBF. Our highest rated player in that position is Kelly who comes in at #33. We must develop players in this position.
One (preferably two) of McGrath/Tippa/Gleeson/oirish must be getting regular gametime on the hbf. If we go in with the dads army setups we are going to get trounced.
Yes for sure Hibbo sure will be missed.
FB: Bags Hurley Ambrose HB: Kelly Brown McGrath C: Zaka Myers Goddard HF: Colyer JD Langford FF: Fantasia Hooker Watson Foll: Leui Heppell Zerrett Int: Tippa, Stants, Bird, ParishHurley and Hartley are both FB. Don’t see them both in same side.
Francis was gifted games when we were missing a dozen players. He is grossly unprepared for senior AFL football. Laughable to suggest he is best 22. Will not play more than 3-4 games in 2017.
Bird was excellent in 2016. Ahead of Hocking and Howlett for mine.
Credit for being different though.
I do dislike Goddard on the wing though. Cannot forget how Reiwoldt, that great winger, comprehensively towelled him up.
McGrath looks like the only one likely to be best 22 next year and even then he will have to push out Gleeson, Kelly, Baguley, Walla or myers for that role.