I like this. Stewart and Laverde fight for a spot.
Laverde at his best gives us more options, and Stewart may be limited with the inclusion of Stringer.
I’d have Langford over Myers, temporarily.
I think I’ve locked down my preference to one of these two line ups.
Team 1 - hooker fwd, no bags, bj 7th defender
Saad Ambrose hurley
Conor hartley Gleeson
Zaha hepp McGrath
Tbell zerret parish
Smith JD Stringer
Tippa hooker Fanta
Langford Begley bj stewart
Team 2 - hooker back, stringer more 3rd tall, bags in
Saad Ambrose hurley
Conor hooker Gleeson
Zaha hepp McGrath
Tbell zerret parish
Smith stewart tippa
Stringer JD Fanta
Langford Begley bj bags
If stringer really clicks as a mid it probably puts pressure on langford’s spot. You could probably leave him out in favour of bj playing more mid and bringing in bags as the 7th defender.
Regardless, selection is very very tight.
Team 1 depth chart
Kp: francis smack brown ridley - lavander zerk
Ruck: luey smack draper - lavander
Small /medium def: bags mcniece dea redman
Inside: Myers Clarke - guilfi, mynott
Outside mid: colyer, Mutch, long,
Medium fwd: lav - houlihan
small fwd: green, jerrett
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Great -1st team.
No mynott for inside mid though - a depth ?
I knew I was forgetting someone. Thanks
I’m not sure how you can say what Lav’s best is. We may have already seen it. But he hasn’t shown any form yet that’s close to Stewart. The bloke needs an uninterrupted run at it to find out. But Stewart’s weakness of contested marking is still a lot stronger than Lav’s of goal kicking. He was woeful when having a shot last season.
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I thought Mutch was more inside?
Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong.
I’m divided on that myself. I think he is a bit inbetween, kinda like hepp
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The TAC cup followers would be able to confirm but pretty sure he played outside/wing?
vFL level he has been used in mostly outside roles where his running ability and great reading of the play was used to advantage. Later in the year he was used more inside where he showed great hunger for the contest and physical contact.
I personally see him being developed more inside at AFL level due to his lack of standout attributes that are required to play outside at the next level.
I really like this team Ivan. Bags just has to get squeezed in there somewhere. I’m not sure how though. It’s a good problem to have.
While I tend to agree, I wouldn’t have early last year. I think McGrath and bj allows us to be a bit flexible with the decision.
To squeeze him in I think you either push hooker back and play 2 tall forwards or leave out langford or Begley. It’s a pretty tough call.
That said, given his age and knee, going a bit younger this year may ultimately pay dividends
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I found it interesting that you selected Ambrose as Fullback. I just don’t see him being successful on that last line of defense. I would’ve thought either Hartley or Hooker who you have playing CHB would’ve been better options in either side. Makes no difference to the final 22… but would be interested in your thoughts.
Your interchanges interest me. In particular the last spot on each bench. In my mind, Stewart and Baguley both have to make the starting 18, or they are unlikely to get selected. Baguley’s spot in the side is on the small forward. He either starts it on field, or he is in the twos. Less so., but similarly with Stewart. He is either the 3rd tall, or he isn’t our best option. Again, interested in your thoughts.
If you want to name Stewart on the field ahead of any of the small/mediums I’ve put there go right ahead. I can see him being used a bit more flexibly this year if hooker stays forward.
I think your underestimating Ambrose a little but these days the difference between full back and half back is pretty marginal and you’d pick the match ups rather than the position really.
As I posted earlier, fitting in bags is more about finding the spot than anything else. We aren’t really going to know if he’s a required player until we see how Saad goes as a lock down defender.
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OUT: Kelly
IN: Saad
Spot found, 7th defender/mid rotation.
Baguley will still be in side regardless of Saad’s inclusion IMO.
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probably yes, but someone is getting left out somewhere, for one of the sss. from my 22 it would probably be langford (who comes in for watson imo) or begley (green)
Those back pocket spots will be very hard to come by. Ben McNiece is hardly rating a mention here but he’s a distinct possibilty of making the team, particularly against a short team like Footascray or Richmond.
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Agreed. There has to be players pushed out of the 22 to accommodate the SSS
On the Begley front, he really only came into side due to injury with Green so at this stage I’d still have Begley in the chasing pack for a spot. Next development phase for him is significant midfield minutes in the 2’s over being parked in a fwd pocket.
With that in mind & maintaining team balance…
IN: Saad, Stringer, Smith … Langford
OUT: Kelly, Watson, Colyer/Green … Myers
Myers & Colyer/Green the likely players to be pushed out.
Stringers clearance work already standing out in training. Can easily step into a cooked Jobes spot.
Will Langford have done enough to force Myers aside over preseason? On the basis of Myers 2017 output alone Langford should be getting priority IMO. Has had his year in 2’s in guts, now it’s time.
I’m unsure if we will stick with a specialist small fwd in Green which allows TIPPA to play higher up ground & Smith goes in main midfield rotations (as planned) … or have Smith play as HFF/mid and keep Colyer on a wing?
My preference is for Green to stay in, keeping that fwd pressure maximized around our 3 talls is vital. Trav’s output on wing easily covered & bettered by any number of players who can hit targets.
If side improves such that Myers & Colyer end up as depth players to call on will be a positive for us.
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It’s not as simple as that. You need to factor in, how many goals the forwardline as a whole kicks without Hooker (including his replacement), not just the goals Hooker himself kicks.
Plus how much more efficient the backline as a whole works with him in it.
You could easily argue, every forward is better for having him in the forwardline, just as every defender is better for having him in the backline.
But then, playing as a defender, his intercept work created plenty of scoring opportunities too.
It’s just too complex to quantify.
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I am pretty much with you Speedy.
Stringer is 192, Langford 192. Begley 188, Hepp 189 They are the 4 big bodies we have available. ( Leaving aside Myers )
Smith at 176 falls into the rover category with Darcy 180, Guelfi 183, and Zerret 180
With Jobe revolutionising the New York coffee scene, there is a spot available for one full time ( on field/on bench) stoppage specialist/midfielder. Who will that be? I am thinking its Smith. He is a a tackling machine compared to Stringer, so probably would help our defensive deficiencies around stoppages.
That leaves Stringer to rest as a forward, where he is potentially dynamite and averages nearly 2x as many goals per game compared with Smith. So if Stringer is 50/50 or 60/40, who should he alternate with ?
My preference would be Begley on 40% mid in the long term. But I think initially Langford will get his chance, since he has been training with the mids, while Begley is still training with the forwards.
FWIW, I am surprised that so many are looking for like-for-like replacements in our Best 22 for next year.
I felt we often had an additional HBF / defender in the side.
I felt we often had one too many slowish inside mid bulls.
Do we have to find out who our clearance king is to take Jobes role. Yes.
Does that have to come from outside last years best 22. No.
Can we then bring in someone that may fill a completely different role. Yes.
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There’s gonna be a lot of pressure from the magoos this year.
I know we say that every year, but this year I think it’s true.
It’s not so much that I hope good form in the seconds is rewarded, it’s more that I hope poor form in the seniors isn’t.
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