Mega Thread 2012 - your best 22's, your forward structures and team set-ups

[dipper86]

Great team but we cannot play Hale, Bailey and Roughead

Why is that? It was pretty much our structure early last year before we had all our injuries. Renouf has now been replaced by Bailey.

I used to think that this structure was too top heavy, but with midfield dominance we could really stretch some teams....besides it didnt hurt Geelong -Pods Hawkins Ottens West.

Would also be very surprised if Whitecross is not considered best 22

I would also be surprised, I like him a lot as a player, I'm very much conflicted between Bateman Whitey and Suckers

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

A team with no Lewis and no Stratton.

Essendon spy????

 

[PenAndPaper]

No Lewis!

Ah i did have him in but was then supposed to swap him for Smith must have forgotten, the joys of this much depth.

Stratton isn't better than any of the other backs defensively except Guerra but his kicking is too valuable even if he lets his opponent kick a few.

Most Hawks supporters i know hate Tom Murphy but he is among the best if not the best defenders in the team. He nullifies the small forwards week in week out and the last time he had a bag kicked on him was when he was played at fullback (out of position), yes sometimes his kicking can let him down but he is too valuable in the shutdown role.

Also no im not an Essendon spy, if i was i would have said to play Bruce in the backline
stand by no Stratton for now because i can't kick any of the others out of the backline

 

[harliquin]

Stratton isn't better than any of the other backs defensively except Guerra but his kicking is too valuable even if he lets his opponent kick a few.

You're kidding me?

 

[Argy]

Great team but we cannot play Hale, Bailey and Roughead

Well, injury has ruled out Bailey already

 

[Baz_hawk]

My round 1 team

FB: Stratton- Boumann - Suckling
HB: Gibson - Shoenmakers - Birchall
C: Savage - Sewell - Smith
HF: Gunston Franklin - Puopolo
FF: Breust - Hale - Rioli
Fol: Lowden - Hodge - Mitchell

Int: Lewis - Shiels - Whitecross | Osborne

Emg: Murphy, Guerra, Bateman

Assuming Roughie and Gilham aren't available come round 1

Who did i miss? lol

 

[Cynic]

My round 1 team

FB: Stratton- Boumann - Suckling
HB: Gibson - Shoenmakers - Birchall
C: Savage - Sewell - Smith
HF: Gunston Franklin - Puopolo
FF: Breust - Hale - Rioli
Fol: Lowden - Hodge - Mitchell

Int: Lewis - Shiels - Whitecross | Osborne

Emg: Murphy, Guerra, Bateman

Assuming Roughie and Gilham aren't available come round 1

Who did i miss? lol

Lowden versus Jolly will be a blood bath.

Not one of those defenders can play on a small, of which Collingwood have a few, Gibson maybe but I can't think of too many occasions in which he has.

 

[WWSD]

Round 1 team.

B: Guerra Boumann Stratton
HB: Gibson Schoenmakers Birchall
C: Shiels Mitchell Lewis
HF: Whitecross Franklin Burgoyne
F: Puopolo Roughead Rioli
R: Hale Hodge Sewell

INT: Smith McCauley/Lowden Savage Young (Sub)

EMG: Murphy Bateman Osborne

Both Boumann & Schoey have to play IMO, I mean we just can't go with Gibson and Stratton as our main defenders. So now the question is who goes to Cloke & Dawes and who plays on Jolly when he goes forward? This is when Boumann and Schoenmakers now come in handy, with Gibson 3rd man up and Stratton there as well. That's how we should set up!

 

[PenAndPaper]

You're kidding me?

That came out wrong, i mean he isn't better than any of the other full defensive players, aka Gilham, Gibson, Murphy. I would have all of those three ahead of him, the other three are more attacking defenders and i don't think Stratton is suited to that role. He just isn't a better option than Gilham, Gibson or Murphy imo

 

[La Vache]

Hmmm I think I'd bring Gunston and Lowden in for Stratton and Max

Guerra - Boumann - Suckling
Burgoyne - Gibson - Schoenmakers - Birchall
Smith - Lewis - Whitecross
Hodge - Franklin - Gunston
Rioli - Puopolo

Hale - Mitchell - Sewell

I. Lowden, Savage, Shiels, Breust.

Em - Stratton, Murphy, Osbourne

 

[mattyflux]

Can't believe how many people are leaving Stratton out of the team. For mine, he has the runs on the board and gets first crack. If he struggles with form then Boumann gets a crack at it. I think some people are forgetting how many times he marked opposition F50 entries in 2010, how effective he is by foot, how great his defensive skills are. If we have both him and Gibson in it gives us so much flexibility and rebound. Also remember In Boumanns last two games while he definitely looked great at times, his direct opponent last week kicked half of his sides goals and another guy who is playing his first season in the AFL had 3 shots at goal and took several contested marks in the 2nd half the week before. I think Boumann shows a lot of promise but I'm not sold on him yet. Stratton is a gun. End of story.

 

[TAITA]

Can't believe how many people are leaving Stratton out of the team. For mine, he has the runs on the board and gets first crack. If he struggles with form then Boumann gets a crack at it. I think some people are forgetting how many times he marked opposition F50 entries in 2010, how effective he is by foot, how great his defensive skills are. If we have both him and Gibson in it gives us so much flexibility and rebound. Also remember In Boumanns last two games while he definitely looked great at times, his direct opponent last week kicked half of his sides goals and another guy who is playing his first season in the AFL had 3 shots at goal and took several contested marks in the 2nd half the week before. I think Boumann shows a lot of promise but I'm not sold on him yet. Stratton is a gun. End of story.

Strangely, if I replaced the word "Stratton" with "Murphy" I could make a similar case.

Both are not in great pre-season form at the moment.

It is but the pre-season.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Strangely, if I replaced the word "Stratton" with "Murphy" I could make a similar case.

Both are not in great pre-season form at the moment.

It is but the pre-season.

I agree with this in fact i will go as far as to say all things being equal that schoey is actually ahead of stratton this year for a place in round 1. It has been touted that Gilly be ready to go round 1 so that leaves us with an interesting selection dilemma

 

[Hawkas1988]

I too think it's interesting that Stratton isn't perceived as the same player as he was back in 2010. Wasn't there a thread dedicated to how good of a player he is haha?

He definitely is struggling to reach his 2010 form but he had a horror injury last year so I reckon given time he will return to being the same player and form he showed in 2010.

 

[Goody1971]

I too think it's interesting that Stratton isn't perceived as the same player as he was back in 2010. Wasn't there a thread dedicated to how good of a player he is haha?

He definitely is struggling to reach his 2010 form but he had a horror injury last year so I reckon given time he will return to being the same player and form he showed in 2010.

Yep - all that effort curing cancer and saving the free world from terrorism must have affected his game a bit....he'll be back I'm sure

 

[Hawkas1988]

Yep - all that effort curing cancer and saving the free world from terrorism must have affected his game a bit....he'll be back I'm sure

Haha I know it was a joke thread but for it to be created showed how much he was loved by hawk fans . Now it seems a lot of us don't rate him that highly anymore, which is a shame.

 

[TAITA]

Haha I know it was a joke thread but for it to be created showed how much he was loved by hawk fans . Now it seems a lot of us don't rate him that highly anymore, which is a shame.

Nah, he is still very much loved and admired.

However, when you see the whipping boys getting their continual serve, it is valid to put things in context.

Once the real stuff starts I'm sure Stratts will soon reach those heights again.

 

[Hawkas1988]

Nah, he is still very much loved and admired.

However, when you see the whipping boys getting their continual serve, it is valid to put things in context.

Once the real stuff starts I'm sure Stratts will soon reach those heights again.

I hope so, he was a real bright light for us in 2010. If he can reach that level again then it will go a long way to making our defense one of the best in game.

 

[WWSD]

If we can get Franklin, Roughead and Hale this year kicking something like Franklin 80-85 Roughead 40-45 and Hale 25-30. I would be absolutely happy with that result if it turned out that way. I don't know if we can fit Franklin, Roughead, Hale & Gunston all up forward. Way too tall to set up like that. Gunston missus out. Hale pre season form has been outstanding and he will be so important to were we end up this year. He is in his prime. It's time!

 

[Mr Cyril Rioli]

Call me old fashioned but I'd be taking Ellis and Young before Savage and Smith. I was of this opinion prior to watching both practice matches in Tas and their performances in these games have confirmed it. Ellis was BOG before being injured in the intra and was very clean in his half against GWS, whilst Young showed that he's still got plenty to offer against the Giants, although I still wish he dropped his eyes.
Looking through some of the sides assembled here I find it quite bizarre that some feel it is in Hawthorns best interest to have- Schoenmakers, Puopolo, Savage and Smith in the same side. Whether it be Ellis and Young, or Osborne etc, the senior players are going to be by far the most important players this year.

 

[Agent Smith]

Call me old fashioned but I'd be taking Ellis and Young before Savage and Smith. I was of this opinion prior to watching both practice matches in Tas and their performances in these games have confirmed it. Ellis was BOG before being injured in the intra and was very clean in his half against GWS, whilst Young showed that he's still got plenty to offer against the Giants, although I still wish he dropped his eyes.
Looking through some of the sides assembled here I find it quite bizarre that some feel it is in Hawthorns best interest to have- Schoenmakers, Puopolo, Savage and Smith in the same side. Whether it be Ellis and Young, or Osborne etc, the senior players are going to be by far the most important players this year.

Okay. You're old fashioned.

Based on the fact Ellis played for Box Hill last week while Savage and Smith played in Perth suggests Clarko isn't thinking this.

By the way, pre Puopolo, Savage, Smith, etc, we were struggling to make the finals in 2010. Injecting the new blood last year with minimal input from the likes of Ellis, Young and Osborne got us into the top 4. Am I missing something here?

 

[J0NNY B]

Okay. You're old fashioned.

Based on the fact Ellis played for Box Hill last week while Savage and Smith played in Perth suggests Clarko isn't thinking this.

By the way, pre Puopolo, Savage, Smith, etc, we were struggling to make the finals in 2010. Injecting the new blood last year with minimal input from the likes of Ellis, Young and Osborne got us into the top 4. Am I missing something here?

Ellis is the odd one out here. His issue is getting on the park, not his contribution once he is on it.

 

[Pessimistic]

By the way - was shoey the best field kick in the team this pre season ?

Tough competition I know

 

[gohawkz1]

Call me old fashioned but I'd be taking Ellis and Young before Savage and Smith. I was of this opinion prior to watching both practice matches in Tas and their performances in these games have confirmed it. Ellis was BOG before being injured in the intra and was very clean in his half against GWS, whilst Young showed that he's still got plenty to offer against the Giants, although I still wish he dropped his eyes.
Looking through some of the sides assembled here I find it quite bizarre that some feel it is in Hawthorns best interest to have- Schoenmakers, Puopolo, Savage and Smith in the same side. Whether it be Ellis and Young, or Osborne etc, the senior players are going to be by far the most important players this year.

Smith > Young
Savage > Ellis & Bateman

Its very simple...

 

[WWSD]

All right I'll admit something. At the start of 2011 i wanted to see Young, Ellis and Bruce ahead of Savage, Smith and Breust etc. But after seeing Smith, Savage, Breust last year really have big impacts for us and 'rejuvenate' our team I wouldn't be playing Bruce, Ellis or Young at all. They are depth players going into this year, which just shows where our list is at right now.