2016 Brisbane Lions starting line up

[SizeMatters]

Do we have the potential to have the best spine in 5 years?

Clarke
Andrews
Beams
Schache
Freeman

Could also put in Hipwood, McStay, Hipwood, Gardiner, Walker, Close, and potentially Bellanden depending on the team set up we need.

 

[Milux]

Do we have the potential to have the best spine in 5 years?

Clarke
Andrews
Beams
Schache
Freeman

Could also put in Hipwood, McStay, Hipwood, Gardiner, Walker, Close, and potentially Bellanden depending on the team set up we need.

Yes we could. Especially if as you say have 2 hipwoods. One can play forward and one back.

Edit. Who da fcuk is bellanden.

 

[Simba Moyo]

Yes we could. Especially if as you say have 2 hipwoods. One can play forward and one back.

Edit. Who da fcuk is bellanden.

Connor Ballenden is a Lions academy kid who is a pretty highly rated kpf for the 2017 draft. Get excited!

 

[Milux]

Connor Ballenden is a Lions academy kid who is a pretty highly rated kpf for the 2017 draft. Get excited!

Ohhh oops. Thought size was posting drunk. Tried catching him out. Didnt work. Unless your pulling my other leg.

 

[Viceregal]

Do we have the potential to have the best spine in 5 years?

Clarke
Andrews
Beams
Schache
Freeman

Could also put in Hipwood, McStay, Hipwood, Gardiner, Walker, Close, and potentially Bellanden depending on the team set up we need.

Which Beams is playing as ruck?

 

[POBT]

Which Beams is playing as ruck?

There are different views but I've always put the centre man in as part of the spine. Traditionally, that's how a side is named, with the full back, CHB, centre, CHF and full forward forming a "spine" down the middle of the ground. The ruckman is a "follower".

"Spine" is probably a largely obsolete term now.

 

[Viceregal]

There are different views but I've always put the centre man in as part of the spine. Traditionally, that's how a side is named, with the full back, CHB, centre, CHF and full forward forming a "spine" down the middle of the ground. The ruckman is a "follower".

"Spine" is probably a largely obsolete term now.

Ah ok - I thought the spine was FB CHF Ruck CHF FF so my bad .... sorry SizeMatters

 

[dlanod]

Ah ok - I thought the spine was FB CHF Ruck CHF FF so my bad .... sorry SizeMatters

It's ok, I always think of the ruck as part of the spine.

 

[cotter101]

yer, i think mcgrath was a slider, would have been picked up higher but for injury. similar circumstances to rhys matheison this year.

Matheison has had a pretty good run with injury lately.

We like taking guys who have previously been higher rated but slid due to injuries in their most important year( Robbo, McGrath, Cutler, Lester, and Close)

 

[wantok]

It's ok, I always think of the ruck as part of the spine.

Michael
Leppitsch
Voss
Brown
Lynch

Now That's a Spine

 

[Robbo18!]

Michael
Leppitsch
Voss
Brown
Lynch

Now That's a Spine

That's once in a generation stuff I reckon!

 

[Sherrinator]

Matheison has had a pretty good run with injury lately.

We like taking guys who have previously been higher rated but slid due to injuries in their most important year( Robbo, McGrath, Cutler, Lester, and Close)

It feels like the whole team are highly rated but have slid due to injuries.

 

[M Malice]

have selected my best 22 earlier in this thread. there is a second 22 thread on the main board, thought i would post here as well.

second 22. age, games.
B. r.wiliam 18 0 d.gardner 20 25 h.beasley 20 6
HB. c.beams 24 36 m.paparone 21 45 l.dawson 19 10
C. b.keays 18 0 n.robertson 20 20 r.lester 23 61
HF. r.bewick 26 78 j.paine 22 12 j.clayton 19 0
F. j.mcgrath 19 3 j.schache 18 0 e.hipwood 18 0
R. t.west 28 66 r.matheison 18 0 j.jansen 20 0
INT. b.evans 19 5 s.skinner 18 0 j.watts 19 0 j.mcginness 20 0

that gives an average age of 20.3 and games 16.6. the only players on the list i left out of the 2 sides were a.smith, c.hanley and m.hammellman.
that looks like a pretty good side to me, showing we have good depth or am i slightly biased?

 

[Jman78]

have selected my best 22 earlier in this thread. there is a second 22 thread on the main board, thought i would post here as well.

second 22. age, games.
B. r.wiliam 18 0 d.gardner 20 25 h.beasley 20 6
HB. c.beams 24 36 m.paparone 21 45 l.dawson 19 10
C. b.keays 18 0 n.robertson 20 20 r.lester 23 61
HF. r.bewick 26 78 j.paine 22 12 j.clayton 19 0
F. j.mcgrath 19 3 j.schache 18 0 e.hipwood 18 0
R. t.west 28 66 r.matheison 18 0 j.jansen 20 0
INT. b.evans 19 5 s.skinner 18 0 j.watts 19 0 j.mcginness 20 0

that gives an average age of 20.3 and games 16.6. the only players on the list i left out of the 2 sides were a.smith, c.hanley and m.hammellman.
that looks like a pretty good side to me, showing we have good depth or am i slightly biased?

It looks good BUT as Lions followers we know our players so we tend to get overexcited... Like any supporter of any team really.

I'm happy we're developing depth too which is obvious to us supporters. Interesting that all of a sudden we can theoretically leave people like Dawson, Paps, Gardiner, C.Beams out shows we are developing nicely.

 

[M Malice]

It looks good BUT as Lions followers we know our players so we tend to get overexcited... Like any supporter of any team really.

I'm happy we're developing depth too which is obvious to us supporters. Interesting that all of a sudden we can theoretically leave people like Dawson, Paps, Gardiner, C.Beams out shows we are developing nicely.

agree with you. i'm looking through rose colored glasses. i thought the same, the ones i found hardest to leave out of our best 22 were gardner, paparone and especially nick robertson. a lot of potentially good players in that side, that is where our development system comes into play and of course the desire and commitment of the player to get the best out of himself. there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[scoman]

have selected my best 22 earlier in this thread. there is a second 22 thread on the main board, thought i would post here as well.

second 22. age, games.
B. r.wiliam 18 0 d.gardner 20 25 h.beasley 20 6
HB. c.beams 24 36 m.paparone 21 45 l.dawson 19 10
C. b.keays 18 0 n.robertson 20 20 r.lester 23 61
HF. r.bewick 26 78 j.paine 22 12 j.clayton 19 0
F. j.mcgrath 19 3 j.schache 18 0 e.hipwood 18 0
R. t.west 28 66 r.matheison 18 0 j.jansen 20 0
INT. b.evans 19 5 s.skinner 18 0 j.watts 19 0 j.mcginness 20 0

that gives an average age of 20.3 and games 16.6. the only players on the list i left out of the 2 sides were a.smith, c.hanley and m.hammellman.
that looks like a pretty good side to me, showing we have good depth or am i slightly biased?

Yes you are biased, we all are....

It does look a decent side I have to agree. You would imagine with a decent run with injury that side would give most NEAFL sides a spanking.

I always find it interesting reading other fans (non lions) attempts at our best 22. While we sometimes write them off as having no idea about our 'depth', the fact they don't understand just how good L Dawson, N Robbo, C Beams or J McGrath (just examples) are is probably more indicative of the fact these players are not yet at the level we think they are.

 

[POBT]

Our Reserves side always looks strong on paper when there are no injuries taken into account.

 

[Darcy161113]

What I find particularly exciting are the developing swingmen in our side. The prospect of having Hipwood, Andrews, Skinner, Dawson and McStay all capable of playing at either end is likely to pose many a problem for opposition teams over the coming years.

 

[Jman78]

What I find particularly exciting are the developing swingmen in our side. The prospect of having Hipwood, Andrews, Skinner, Dawson and McStay all capable of playing at either end is likely to pose many a problem for opposition teams over the coming years.

Absolutely, and most players seem to be able to play multiple positions ala McGrath, Taylor, Cutler, Hanley, C.Beams etc etc... although to be fair most teams have this now too.

 

[Jman78]

Yes you are biased, we all are....

It does look a decent side I have to agree. You would imagine with a decent run with injury that side would give most NEAFL sides a spanking.

I always find it interesting reading other fans (non lions) attempts at our best 22. While we sometimes write them off as having no idea about our 'depth', the fact they don't understand just how good L Dawson, N Robbo, C Beams or J McGrath (just examples) are is probably more indicative of the fact these players are not yet at the level we think they are.

True true, both good and bad I suppose. What I particularly like is we can go under the radar if we can start playing the way we think they can

 

[EskiBro]

My best 22:

B: Harwood Merrett Andrews
HB: Rich Clarke Paparone
C: Robinson D. Beams Hanley
HF: Christensen Walker Zorko
FF: Green Freeman Schache
R: Martin, Rockliff Bastinac
Int: Bell, McGrath, Taylor, McStay
Mayes, Jansen, Robertson

Unlucky: Cutler and Gardiner

Harwood cops a bit on this site because of his clangers (and rightfully so), but he is very good over head and can do a job on a Ballantyne type and does offer a lot in rebounding.

Might be a bit "top heavy" in attack. I think the biggest weakness in our side is the lead up third tall (Lynch ADL type). Hopefully Walker can do that role. If not, I'd probably drop Freeman, Walker to FF and bring in Mayes to the bench and develop McStay as the third tall.

McGrath, if fit, has to play after his start last year and Schache will probably play most games for development.

The rest kind of pick themselves.

 

[M Malice]

My best 22:

B: Harwood Merrett Andrews
HB: Rich Clarke Paparone
C: Robinson D. Beams Hanley
HF: Christensen Walker Zorko
FF: Green Freeman Schache
R: Martin, Rockliff Bastinac
Int: Bell, McGrath, Taylor, McStay
Mayes, Jansen, Robertson

Unlucky: Cutler and Gardiner

Harwood cops a bit on this site because of his clangers (and rightfully so), but he is very good over head and can do a job on a Ballantyne type and does offer a lot in rebounding.

Might be a bit "top heavy" in attack. I think the biggest weakness in our side is the lead up third tall (Lynch ADL type). Hopefully Walker can do that role. If not, I'd probably drop Freeman, Walker to FF and bring in Mayes to the bench and develop McStay as the third tall.

McGrath, if fit, has to play after his start last year and Schache will probably play most games for development.

The rest kind of pick themselves.

like your side only a couple different to mine.
i see schache and freeman battling for the same spot, i'd go for walker, schache or freeman and close or mcstay. i agree with you on harwood, really like his energy and run off half back. i'm backing cutler and robertson to have breakout years and be best 22 early in the season.
can't wait for 27/3/16.

 

[Darcy161113]

I have seen a few posts saying Schache and Freeman will be fighting for the same spot in the senior team. Is this due to a similar playing style or just their current stage of development?

 

[EskiBro]

I

I have seen a few posts saying Schache and Freeman will be fighting for the same spot in the senior team. Is this due to a similar playing style or just their current stage of development?

I think the perception is they're both FFs only, I think Walker probably fits into the same category. My feeling is they'll try and develop Schache as a CHF, leave Walker/Freeman at FF and look to develop Close/Hipwood as a lead up third tall. I just think we are a year or two away from working out our best KPF set up, but the base is there.

 

[blackpowerlappin]

At least there is one thing we know next season. There will be more talls to kick to, more inside options to get the thing out which will greatly improve our ball movement.

Agree the need for a lead up type like Lynch or a Gunstan is required desperately.

Gardiner, Cutler and Paparone have to be in our best 22, can't stop playing them now.

May the injury Gods smile and give us a fair go so we gave some idea of what our best 22 looks like and what they can produce.