Post-draft Best 22

If you actually look we almost always play 7 or even 8 defenders (inc half backs):
Baguley Kelly McGrath McKenna(/Stanton earlier in the year) Gleeson Hurley Ambrose/Hartley

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Agreed. So much will depends on what happens with our mids. If we can lift our defensive pressure significantly, then a more attacking backline make sense. If not, then one-on-one defensive skills will be important.

Also, how quickly can Stringer transition to the midfield? If he has to spend a lot of time forward then the forward line starts to look very big and either (i) Stewart has to go or (ii) Hooker moves back.

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They are players rather than spots though.

We often rotated BJ as well.

It’s both, most of the time.
4-5 defenders then 2-4 half back type roles.

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They always have one bench player whose the 7th defender. Usually someone who rotates with the HBF’rs given how much running they do as well as involve themselves in midfield as well.

Kelly was playing that role.

So either it will be Saad who takes it, or he moves to HBF and McKenna is our off the bench def/mid.

I still think Bags holds his spot, McNiece to potentially take over in 2019.

I think you start both those players and relieve them with Bj and mcg

Backs: Gleeson Hooker Francis

HBak: SAAD Hurley McKenna

Centr: Parish Heppell Goddard

HFwd: Orazio Stewart STRINGER

Forwa: Begley Daniher Walla

Rucks: T.Bell Zerrett Zaharakis

Inters: SMITH McGrath Langers Laverde

(E. Baguley, Hartley, Colyer, Myers, Ambrose, McNiece, Mutch, Ridley, C.PARISH, Green, Luenberg, M.Brown, Redman)

‘IF’ Francis gets himself right -as I expect of him over the off-season, I can see Gleeson having enough versatility to play on a small and Francis to play the 3rd tall/intercepter role.
Also have the ability to swing McGrath back as a lock-down, and as much as Saads highlights are offensive, he can be a good accountable defender

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Spot on :dart:

All good, was agreeing with it - like the team, question mark on Hartleys discipline to play his role consistently, but plenty of upside with all but Goddard maybe, in that team. Theres genuine improvement likely with nearly everyone -
hard to say that’s the case many teams in comp…

Just got halfway through, then distracted and thought ‘bugger it I’m not going to post something half-baked’ and deleted. So now posting something quarter-baked…

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Agree. 7 blokes to change through the backline is both a Woosha standard, and a necessity these days, to interchange off the bench. So any best 22 that ignores this is out of whack.
Exactly who the backs are, is and should be, a function of who we’re playing. Sides at the moment seem almost split between tall forward sides, and minimal tall forwards.
So really any best 22 comes in two versions eg 1 vs Richmond, (Reiwold), 1 vs Crows (Tex, Lynch, Jenkins/McGovern) as an example.

I want Hooker fwd more than anyone but for some reason our team on paper looks better and stronger when his name is at FB…

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Yeah i’ve been the same. Didn’t expect Stewart to come on as well as he did last year. Also want Begley to play as much footy as possible. Like the idea of having a dynamic backline where Gleeson/Hurley/Francis can all play on multiple sizes defensively while Hooker gets the ‘big boy’ key Fwd.

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How does the team look better with Hooker back? We don’t have anyone who can play his role up forward. Whereas we have candidates who can play the role (not as well) down back.

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This is insanely hard to do.

I decided to go for a few of the younger guys on the bench as i think they look far more promising than Lang and Lav. we should contact the afl and tell them to extend the bench

B Saad Ambrose Gleeson
HB McKenna Hurley Baguley
C McGrath Heppell Smith
HF Stringer Daniher Fantasia
F Stewart Hooker McDonald-Tipungwuti
R Bellchambers Merrett Parish

I Begley Goddard Zaharakis Mutch

E Green, Hartley, Langford, Laverde

Lang is a fossel at 20 and Lav ( nursing home at 21)

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WOW!

Just had a crack at a best 22 (with a couple of smokies) and with the 3 new SSS additions, it certainly impacts straight away.

Couldn’t find space for Bags, Hartley and the Foetus and Langford and Lav emergencies…

Starts to look like decent midfield depth all of a sudden! (and loads of pace)

Francis Hooker Ambrose
Saad Hurley Irish
Mc Grath Heppel Zerret
Zaka Stewart Raz
Walla Joe D Begley
TBell Stringer Smith
I: Goddard Collyer Parish Myers
E: Langford, Laverde, Mutch

Midfield:
Zerret, Stringer, Hepp, Smith, Zaka, Parish, Mc Grath, Myers, Walla, Raz, Big Boi, Goddard

A best 22 is hard but fun. I would like to think our best 22 depends somewhat on who we are playing. If the Crows run out with three tall forwards we play Hurley, Ambrose, Francis/Hartley/Brown. If we play Richmond Ambrose smashes Reiwoldt and a tall is replaced by a more mobile back. Of course the weather also comes into play. Some teams we may be better to go with four small forwards some might be better with three. It is great we are now getting some depth to be able to take a horses for courses approach.

That’s a tough call against Gleeson considering he did well last year and Francis played what? Francis has to earn his place before he departs and if Gleeson were actually told this he would be a bit disappointed.
As well Laverde and Langford challenging Myers, wouldn’t it be worth getting all 3 fully fit 1st?

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Bit stiff

Yeah he did play well but I feel he is a liability due to his size and build down back, and that he isn’t exactly fast… He doesn’t have the speed to play on smaller forwards like Betts and he doesn’t have the size to take on big/medium forwards like Rohan in one on one contest! He is a great intercept mark though… But were not short on intercept defenders! I just believe Francis is a talent with a higher ceiling that needs a solid opportunity down back, will become a great rebound defender in the mould of Hurley! I rate Gleeson alot more than Ambrose though!!

Langford was fit, Myers was fit only had a finger injury, Laverde missed half the season in a moonboot id say he was the only slightly unfit one

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