2004 or 2021

[Sneeky]

Problem for me is having most of our spine coming back from injury after extended layoffs. Hinkley will throw Lycett back in, Mckenzie and Dixon will both come in also underdone. Full fitness and I think we'd be in with a crack.

That, and we need to be a 3 goal better side with these umpires

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Na, Finlayson and Marshall are improvements from a tall forward perspective. Wines, Rozee, Butters, Rioli, Aliir, Houston, SPP, Bergman all make that team easy. Then you're haggling over the last spots with Boak & Burton

I held off on commenting about your selections until after the finals - because what you do in September counts big time.

Wines 2021 version gets in not 2023 or arguably pre 2021.

Butters and Rozee get on the bench at best in 2023 not 2021 version.

Finlayson and Marshall are too soft to play the team of the 21st century in a grand final. Could you image them against Mal Michael or Leppitsch. They would eat them up.

I'm not dropping one of Lade or Brogan to play against Mr September Clarke Keating as they always played a 2nd ruck - McDonald, Charman and McLaren thru their dynasty in their GFs.

Houston 2023 version is close, 2021 he had a pretty good season, but I'm not dropping Wilbur, Monty, Shaun or Hardwick for him.Bergman not even close. Burton, too many critical errors.

Boak 2013-17 version gets in. 2021?? Maybe.

Aliir initially I thought yeah he is better than Bishop, but he can't play loose man in defence when you have Lynch, Brown and Brayshaw and he has a very poor one on one contest record and he doesn't give you running drive out of the backline.

I'd have peak Dixon over Thurstans. 2021 Dixon won so many games for us in the last quarter from Rd 8 onward. I put up a whole of stats in the Toast - Big ****ing Dix thread before the mods stupidly merged it with other threads and now I don't know where to find them.

The only guy who comfortably makes the 2004, and in the starting 18 that has played in the Hinkley era is Robbie Gray.