SNAP !!JSOS has bulked up significantly while he's been rehabbing the knee - if we don't have him training with the backline during the off-season I'll hurl.
Is he exactly what our backline needs? No - we'd love a 200cm bloke with sticky hands, an elite kick, incredible acceleration and the ability to read the play like Magnus bloody Carlsen.
But he's on the list already, he's as tall as many other "key-ish" defenders, he has excellent field kicking and game sense, and he gives 120% every game he plays. Plus he's spent enough time forward that he can be swung up there if we need to change things up or cover an injury in-game, and he's passable as a supporting ruck rotation.
If he was fit, I'd be playing him ahead of Kemp and Marchbank without question. I think that by next season his spot up forward will be almost impossible to reclaim, he's simply not dangerous enough as a third tall to draw a tall defender, and I think we're better off with a variety of smalls at the feet of Charles and Harry rather than playing an average third tall forward for the sake of some height.
Repurpose JSOS as a defender - start Weitering, Gov and JSOS down back, play Kemp off the bench as a utility at both ends, retain Young as our contracted depth option (coverage for Weitering missing, or two of the other three). Draft and develop a KPD with a late/rookie pick behind that lot.
Focus our early draft on speed and/or ball use at the coalface and ahead of the ball. Xavier Lindsay, Joe Berry, Tobie Travaglia, Taj Hotton, Cooper Hynes, Cristian Moraes - there are plenty of options.
JSOS, Weitering, Cowan
Saad, McGovern, Newman
Hollands*, Cripps, Acres
TDK, Walsh, Hewett
Hollands, McKay, Williams
Motlop, Curnow, Owies
I/C: Kemp, Cerra, Cincotta, Fogarty
SUB: any of Boyd, Kennedy, Carroll, Hollands*, Cottrell, Durdin, Fantasia, or the developing kids (Moir, Wilson, Binns etc.)
*Wait and see on Doc, but I'd consider him taking Hollands' wing on his return.
Jack is way too good of a footballer to not have in Best 22. I reckon he would excel at FB because he plays taller than he is (I'd imagine him being Scarlett like) and he is very good one on one (has held his own against bigger Rucks).I would expect Jack to perform very well as a lockdown Backman. I'd try him at FB and move weiters to CHB as intercept
Absolutely best 22 and KPD waiting to happen.