yeah, i’d lost interest by the time i got to that. might revisit. who am i getting, i’ll revisit.
My go at it…feedback welcome.
McGrath Bzt Kelly Depth: Stewart, Reid
Ridley laverde redman Depth: Mass, Hind
Martin merrett Durham Depth: Setterfield
Langford Weid Perkins Depth: Jones, Snell
Stringer Wright guelfi Depth: Menzie davey
foll: Draper, Parish, Shiel Depth: Phillips
Int: Hobbs, Walla, Heppell, Caldwell
Hobbs, Perkins are definite locks for mine. Perkins more midfield time and all class around goals, Hobbs a future captain and absolute bull.
Stiff and could easily be picked: Massimo, Phillips based on last years form. Obviously Davey is the unknown and could easily be in the side early in the year.
Hind, Stewart, Jones and snelling all missing based on 2022 form and missed games to injury.
One of Hind or Mass has to start over Kelly in my eyes. The back line is just to slow with BZT, Rids, Lav and him in there.
I’d also have to play Setterfield over Hobbs, otherwise we are just rolling in again with the exact same midfield who got shown up at around the ground stoppages.
Then it’s Menzie over Walla untill the great man is fit enough to run out a game
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Back line
Laverde Zerk-Thatcher Kelly
Redman Ridley McGrath
Midfield
Draper Parish Shiel
Martin Setterfield Merrett
Forward line
Langford Jones Stringer
Guelfi 2MP Walla
Int: A Davey Heppell Caldwell Perkins
Sub: Cox
Emg: Cox, Hobbs, Duzza, D’Ambrosio
inj: Tsatas (knee), Weideman (calf), Reid (perenially)
Debut: A Davey
New to Club: Setterfield
Heppell 7th def + wing cover
Langford/Davey/Perkins also wing cover
Davey HFF and FP provide some zip
Perkins HFF / onball/Wing
Jones replaces Weideman while injured.
** probably forgot someone.
Cox as sub allows us to play only 2 talls in forwardline as he could replace a tall when comes on.
Merrett to roll through onball setups also
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I like it - I have pretty much the same team, albeit with Durham in ahead of Menzie.
I find it really hard to split Mass/Hind as well, I think that’ll come down to how they go in the pre-season games.
Ideally, we’d have another taller forward option in the side as well (Jones or even Cox) but both have had interrupted pre-seasons which makes it hard to include them for now. I think initially I had Jones in ahead of Setterfield there.
Here’s what I’ve gone with for now:
B: Ridley BZT Kelly
HB: McGrath Laverde Redman
C: Martin Setterfield Merrett
HF: Guelfi Weideman Langford
F: Stringer Wright Walla
R: Draper Parish Shiel
Int: Perkins Caldwell Heppell D’Ambrosio
Sub: Durham
Emg from: Hind Jones Hobbs Cox Menzie Snelling Tsatas Stewart Bryan
Leaves us with a pretty exciting VFL side as well, assuming everyone is available:
B: Hayes Reid Montgomerie
HB: Hind McBride Lord
C: A.Davey Bernacki Cox
HF: Snelling Jones Menzie
F: Tex Baldwin Voss
R: Bryan Hobbs Tsatas
Int: Phillips Stewart Munkara Szybkowski (?) (+ Conforti Cootee Rasinac Fitzgerald)
(J. Davey inj.)
decided to take a leadership role and set some standards 
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ivan redman
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How I think they’ll line up round one.
Ridley Lav Kelly
Redman Zerk McGrath
Merrett Parish Martin
Perkins Weideman Stringer
Tippa 2MP Guelfi
Draper Setterfield, Shiel.
Hobbs, Caldwell, Langford, Durham.
BACKS
I think we’ll line up like this, however would like to see Kelly forced out by Reid once fit (in the year 2067). Durham likely to play as defensive winger come HBF mr-fix-it.
MIDS
I think they’ll start Setterfield in the 1s and see if this is going to work or not. Issue is, like Parish/Shiel, a pure mid is his best position which hampers poditional rotations. Merrett to push to a wing. Interesting to see who out of Martin and Merrett they would play as the defensive winger.
FORWARDS
If Stringer is fit and applying pressure it makes this team a lot more functional. I’m concerned we’re playing Weide for balance as 2nd ruck over the potential of Jones but think they’ll start Jones in 2s (I dont agree with this but we have no other option for 2nd ruck). I think the balance is way off and would prefer 2MP with Jones and another tall + 3 smalls or Perkins/Lang and x2 smalls. Stringer for all his uniqueness upsets this balance as he is neither tall nor small, but he is a matchwinner. We are better for Menzies/Wanganeen others pushing out Guelf eventually. If Cox can hold down 20% of ruck p/game in the future then he would be worth his weight in gold.
I/C
Again, unbalanced. I struggle to see how Hobbs/Caldwell get enough minutes in the midfield and see Lang/Perkins as better options in the mid/fwd rotation. I just don’t see how they don’t play them. Cox off the bench as a rotating winger would he perfect for his versatility once fit.
Just writing this makes me see how out of whack our recruiting team has been, gaping round holes we’re plugging with square pegs.
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You’re a brave man thinking they won’t play Heppell in round 1!
I don’t mind it at all tbh but I doubt it happens.
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Haha! I know he’s training well, but where do you play him and at the expense of who? The younger guys he’d kick out are equal to or better than him with the benefit of having a future in our team.
If Brad didnt play Hep it would give me the greatest confidence we are finally moving in the right direction.
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Yeah I definitely hear where you’re coming from. I’d have others ahead of him when selecting a back 7 and I’d have 3 wingman ahead of him when selecting that position. Although I concede that you could make a case for him here.
But I just reckon it’s a given that he’ll play from game 1. Hell, he might even still remain captain yet.
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sigh I know.
I just didn’t want to will the prospect further into a reality by posting it. It has Ben Stratten vibes written all over it, granted Hep has more credit in the bank than he did.
I wouldn’t mind putting Drapes at FF for 5-10 minutes for a couple of quarters.
May just clunk a few and would demand attention. Others get off the leash and if the oppo leave him alone in the square it would be very dangerous. If he did kick one he’d be up and about.
Chaos, mayhem and disorder! Ah, my work is done here!?
Especially with the demographic of our key forwards, all of who are almost the same age apart from Wright and Weideman. We are basically waiting to see which of them is the best fit with Wright, and what structure we can go with them. Our midfield is not that bad, the issue is not its demographic, we just have too many similar mids. The backline is well balanced, imo, in terms of age and depth and development (Reid just needs to get his body right) - we need one more medium defender in the mould of Rodman or McKenna. Rhett might be that guy although he seems more like a Kelly type.
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Im not sure how a player shooting off to Vagas on the eve of finals would go in our nanny state. But boy it would be a good shake up from our private school boy image
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Hahah. Well, he is a great rebounder, so it works.
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Rodman in his prime…
Yes, please and thank you.
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Ridley Zerk McGrath
Redman Lav Massimo
Durham Parish Martin
Perkins Stringer Shiel
Langord 2MP Tippa
Draper Setterfield Merrett
Bench: Caldwell Hobbs A.Davey Heppell
SUB: Guelfi
Weideman should overcome his injury and push someone out by round 1
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