Unofficial Preview 2015 Best 22 - Your opinion

[lyger]

When was the last time we actually had two proper sized key defenders?

Probably when we had Hay, Rawlings, Croad and Graham together.

Befote that, Langers and Teddy.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

I'll give it a crack. Assuming we are fully fit etc etc.....


B: Stratton Lake Gibson
HB: Mitchell Frawley Birchall
C: Hill Lewis Smith
HF: Bruest Roughead Rioli
F: Puopolo Hale Gunston
R: Ceglar Langford Burgoyne

I: Hodge Shiels Duryea (Simpkin)

E: Spangher McEvoy Litherland

Depth: Schoenmakers, Suckling, O'Rourke, Whitecross, Anderson, Hartung, Woodward, Grimley, O'brien


That's one good team with great depth. Feel like I should have Suckling in the best 22 or at least emergencies but not sure who's spot he would take

 

[woblowombat1]

FB: Stratton Lake Gibson
HB: Suckling Frawley Birchall
C: Hill Mitchell Smith
HF: Breust Gunston Rioli
FF: Puopolo Roughead Hale
R: McEvoy Hodge Lewis
Int: Burgoyne Langford Shiels
Sub: One of 10 guys

Def Depth
Small Def: Duryea
Def Flank: Litherland
KPD: Spangher

Mid Depth
Outside Mid: Hartung, O'Rourke
Inside Mid: Woodward
Inside/Outside: WhiteX, Anderson, Simpkin
Ruck: Ceglar

Forward Depth
Small Fwd/High Half Forward/Defensive Forward: (pretty much any of the midfield depth)
Midsize Fwd: Sicily
KPF: Schoenmakers, O'Brien

Our depth of talent is genuinely frightening. I mean there are 3 premiership players who aren't in our best 21 and a guy (WhiteX) who would have been a dual premiership player if not for an untimely knee injury. Not to mention AFL standard backup at literally every position imaginable, with plenty of scope for improvement.

This dynasty is nowhere near being finished.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Surely it's Frawley for Spang and then Duryea is fighting for a spot with Woody, Jed, Litherland, Whitecross, Hartung, Simpkin...

 

[threesixpio]

Surely it's Frawley for Spang and then Duryea is fighting for a spot with Woody, Jed, Litherland, Whitecross, Hartung, Simpkin...

This

 

[Turly]

Now that the stupid ******* free agency and trade period are over, what do you see as being our best and most balanced 22 for the start of next year?

We might pick up some gems in the draft, but I can't imagine they'll get an early look in considering the depth we have all over the field.
Here is my team;

FB Stratton - Lake - Gibson
HB Burgoyne - Frawley - Birchall

MID McEvoy - Mitchell - Lewis
MID Smith - Langford - Hill

HF Breust - Gunston - Whitecross
FF Rioli - Roughead - Anderson

SUBS Ceglar - Shiels - Hodge
INT O'Rourke

Regular Depth
Suckling, Duryea, Hale, O'Brien, Schoenmakers, Spangher, Litherland, Simpkin, Woodward, Hartung, Sicily and Puopolo.

From the Grand Final
IN Frawley, Anderson, Ceglar, Whitecross and O'Rourke.
OUT Spangher, Puopolo, Hale, Suckling, Duryea.

O'Rourke for me is the only contentious inclusion, but I reckon this kid is going to be massive and like Anderson, should play 15-20 games next year.

It's probably not the strongest 22 we could put together to play right NOW, but I like it.

0 chance O'Rourke is straight into the team ahead of Suckling, Puopolo or Duryea.

Will need to show something first. Unless we are hit by injuries of course.

Touch wood.

 

[parsons nose]

I'll be interested to see how we manage the four horsemen of the apocalypse next season. Wouldn't be surprised to see them rotated out of the team for some of the prospects. Missing large chunks of the season this year seemed not to hinder the likes of Mitchell, Stratton, Lake and Gibson coming into the finals.

 

[parsons nose]

Oh, and I like to see Hilly spend some time in the guts. A mouthwatering prospect.

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

I think as some line ups suggest that we could see Schoey with a "new" role this year in the forward line. It makes sense list-wise

Surely it's Frawley for Spang and then Duryea is fighting for a spot with Woody, Jed, Litherland, Whitecross, Hartung, Simpkin...

Not really because most of those are mids or in Litherland's case a tall defender.

Duryea (179) and Whitecross (183) are our only "small" defenders at the moment. Next is Suckling (187) and do you really want him applying a tag to a Betts-type?

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Schoenmakers begins the 2015 season at Box Hill, for mine. I don't see a spot in Hawthorn's best 22 at the moment for him.

 

[Lord_Espos]

I think dureya is going to be a gun. He has an edge about him...

 

[Big A]

In thinking about versatility;
Can Stratts play HFF in a role similar to Gun?
Can Doc play Pops FP role?

Just think sticky fingers Statts could be great value marking everything in sight, also has good speed and nous for the game. Could be more than handy having him and Gun roaming the fwd line

Doc is a good tackler already, knows how to pressure an opponent and is a great kick. Can see him snapping a few goals. Could eventually rotate thru mid too.

Evens up the glut of backs and offers more fwd options to 'rotate' through there

Ps im a massive fan of TOB

Any merit?

 

[shotgun_blues]

I'll take a stab as of Round 1, 2015 & AFL ready depth if need be in brackets.

B: Stratton - Lake - Gibson
HB: Burgoyne - Frawley - Birchall
(Res: Litherland, Schoenmakers, Spangher)

C: Hill - Mitchell - Smith
R: McEvoy - Hodge(C) - Lewis
(Res: Anderson, Whitecross, Hartung, Simpkin, Woodward, O'Rourke)

HF: Bruest - Roughead - Rioli
F: Puopolo - Gunston - Langford
(Res: Hale, O'Brien, Sicily?)

I: Ceglar - Shiels - Suckling - Duryea

That 1st 22 is incredibly strong. Not to mention the versatility within the squad as well. Haven't seen anything in comparison for us since the late 1980's. It must be frightening for opposition supporters. I may be blind but god help the opposition in 2015 if the older guys maintain form, again Top 4 beckons at least. The forward & back lines are the best in the league IMO. The wings/flanks are too. The midfield is the perfect mix of class, experience, hardness and grunt and now youth. Langford will be elite and a midfield mainstay very, very quickly. Happy days Hawkers!!

 

[Brant]

Thread needs more Mitch Robinson...

 

[HawkintheTuarts]

In thinking about versatility;
Can Stratts play HFF in a role similar to Gun?
Can Doc play Pops FP role?

Just think sticky fingers Statts could be great value marking everything in sight, also has good speed and nous for the game. Could be more than handy having him and Gun roaming the fwd line

Doc is a good tackler already, knows how to pressure an opponent and is a great kick. Can see him snapping a few goals. Could eventually rotate thru mid too.

Evens up the glut of backs and offers more fwd options to 'rotate' through there

Ps im a massive fan of TOB

Any merit?

Schoenmakers and Spangher would be played forward before Stratton would be considered. I think he's to valuable for us down back to consider it since we're not light on players there at the moment. If Litherland takes his place it could be another thing.

Likewise Duryea down back, I can't see why we would want to lose him in that back pocket role unless there's someone else that can play there (or we're playing teams that are too tall like Sydney anyway). Breust could change his role to fit there, Rioli or even WhiteX too, but do agree it is a bit of a gap on the list at the moment.

 

[Todman]

Best thing is. We will still have the grand final 22 on our list and we should have a full list to start 2015. No ACL injuries this season.

 

[nickrebellious]

In thinking about versatility;
Can Stratts play HFF in a role similar to Gun?

Just think sticky fingers Statts could be great value marking everything in sight, also has good speed and nous for the game. Could be more than handy having him and Gun roaming the fwd line

Every time I've seen Stratton enter the forward 50 he's looked completely lost. Reckon Gibson would be a better option.

 

[HomerJayS]

This is pretty tough with so many great players BUT:

I wonder if we'll play Lake, Frawley, Gibson and Stratton down back at the same time? It will be horses for courses.
Burgoyne and Rioli not in some best 18's?
How quickly Whitecross has been forgotten!
Anderson is all potential and still a lot to prove. Surely he's not a walk in for best 22 yet?

 

[Hawks Supporter]

FB: Stratton Lake Gibson
HB: Suckling Frawley Birchall
C: Hill Mitchell Smith
HF: Breust Gunston Rioli
FF: Puopolo Roughead Hale
R: McEvoy Hodge Lewis
Int: Burgoyne Langford Shiels
Sub: One of 10 guys

Def Depth
Small Def: Duryea
Def Flank: Litherland
KPD: Spangher

Mid Depth
Outside Mid: Hartung, O'Rourke
Inside Mid: Woodward
Inside/Outside: WhiteX, Anderson, Simpkin
Ruck: Ceglar

Forward Depth
Small Fwd/High Half Forward/Defensive Forward: (pretty much any of the midfield depth)
Midsize Fwd: Sicily
KPF: Schoenmakers, O'Brien

Our depth of talent is genuinely frightening. I mean there are 3 premiership players who aren't in our best 21 and a guy (WhiteX) who would have been a dual premiership player if not for an untimely knee injury. Not to mention AFL standard backup at literally every position imaginable, with plenty of scope for improvement.

This dynasty is nowhere near being finished.

I hope to see grimley, woodward, gussy, sicily, o'rouke an anderson to debut/play more games this year and for the senior players to have a decent rest during the season
p.s do u not rate grimley as he is not in ur fwd depth chart?

 

[Cynic]

Suckling is our second half back flank for 2015. He is a defensive liability but with Gibson, Lake, Frawley & Stratton in our back six we can afford to have such a liability in our backline considering what he adds offensively.

FB: Gibson - Lake - Stratton
HB: Birchall - Frawley - Suckling
CE: Hill - Burgoyne - Smith
RU: McEvoy - Lewis - Hodge
HF: Gunston - Hale - Breust
FF: Rioli - Roughead - Puopolo
IN: Shiels - Langford - Mitchell - Duryea

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

I've seen Hodge and Mitchell being listed on the interchange bench.

Are people serious?

 

[kolchak]

I really would like to see Litherland in the side, a defender has to make way. If we have got both Frawley and Lake this year, I reckon it might be Stratton fighting for his spot. Also as good as he has been lately, Puopolo would want to keep up his form, could see him going for another mid/half forward.

 

[Bardo State]

Second 18

HF: Rioli

No

 

[Bardo State]

I think dureya is going to be a gun. He has an edge about him...

Hard as anyone, great leap and spoiling ability for his size, very good kick. I agree, I'm pencilling him in as a 10 year small defender.

 

[Flag08]

The teams above are based on 2014 form and assume that no one will either a) not show the same desire to go again or b) have a break out year. I'll get back to you in late March.

Any of about 30 could be in the best side next year and we have every spot covered with quality replacements bar Rough/gunner.