List Mgmt. 2017 Starting 22 | + Trimming the "fat"

[freo_leo29]

No way we let Fyfe go, even if we get 3 picks in the top 10 for him it won't even be worth it, we are struggling to fit our current players into the best 22 in this thread and adding 3 more to the equation makes it harder.

Having Fyfe in the team is worth more then bringing in 3 players and kicking out Fyfe and 2 others, thats these 3 pick mega deals that people are talking about don't really help us at all rather they set our actual 22 back. There is also the factor of bringing in 3 players which limits others opportunities and then they walk and we lose depth etc

So IMO 1 Fyfe >>> 3 high draft picks/players

 

[Wally Walpamur]

No way we let Fyfe go, even if we get 3 picks in the top 10 for him it won't even be worth it, we are struggling to fit our current players into the best 22 in this thread and adding 3 more to the equation makes it harder.

Having Fyfe in the team is worth more then bringing in 3 players and kicking out Fyfe and 2 others, thats these 3 pick mega deals that people are talking about don't really help us at all rather they set our actual 22 back. There is also the factor of bringing in 3 players which limits others opportunities and then they walk and we lose depth etc

So IMO 1 Fyfe >>> 3 high draft picks/players

IF he requests a trade, i'm taking three picks in the top 10 all day, every day and again on Sunday.

 

[Schauermann]

I also play Weller back and drop Spurr.

Kept Spurr in because I like him and also couldn't think of a youngster who is a good natural defender. Think we need one small there not only midfielders not making the midfield...

 

[Dump Truck]

Dawson is no longer best 22.

Hamling provides more offensively than Zac and looks a much smarter footballer. I'm sick and tired of seeing the player receiving the ball after Zac has marked it get caught holding the ball because Zac can't kick it. I think both in a one on one and team defence, Hamling is the better option. Switching the ball or moving it forward, Hamling is the better option. From the AFL games this year, when it comes to punching/destroying the ball, Hamling also looks like the better option.

I agree. Dawson and D.Pearce to me are two players who we should be thankful for and did a lot of good things in 2012-2015 but have since been unable to recapture that form. Hamling and B.Hill are two ready made, younger replacements with larger upsides and both with premiership experience. I haven't watched Hamling closely however, what's his disposal under pressure like?

 

[Dump Truck]

No doubt Carlton would offer him a Mother of a deal. Same with a few Vic clubs no doubt (ie St Kilda) but doesn't mean he actually ends up going there.

Crumpets strike rate when it comes to Freo is basically 0%. I'll give him the WCE success but no idea when it comes to Freo and he hates that fact.

As for the Jack Anthony troll (once kicked 50) why was he even dropping in here. I notice he disappeared late arvo for a round of trick or treating before going to bed.

Isn't he actually banned from Freo press conferences?

 

[Lach72]

I'd just point out that if we get 15-20 games out of Bennell we're going to be something to watch...I'm more excited about him than any player ever I think.

He's a more pure, faster, taller Sonny Walters. A fully fit Bennell is....erection causing

 

[ilikepotatoes]

I'd just point out that if we get 15-20 games out of Bennell we're going to be something to watch...I'm more excited about him than any player ever I think.

He's a more pure, faster, taller Sonny Walters. A fully fit Bennell is....erection causing

Bennell at his best was Gold Coasts second Ablett. Really hope his calves hold up and he plays 100 games for us.

 

[Unique Name]

Really hope Crozier and Weller are trialled together as our two HBFs. Both have shown to have good vision and the ability to pinpoint kicks 40m+. Our biggest issue was coming out of the backline and we need to inject some serious skill down there. A full preseason training back there will see some huge improvements in out attack off the backline.

If we get Johnson fit...... (big if) we would have a very well rounded backline.

Spurr - A.Pearce - Hamling
as our stoppers.

Weller - Johnson - Crozier
as our attacking defenders.

 

[MadDocker]

I like that. If they can gel nicely and Crozier improves at the same rate he did in that position last year, we could be really dangerous and quick coming out of defense.

 

[M_rash]

I'd just point out that if we get 15-20 games out of Bennell we're going to be something to watch...I'm more excited about him than any player ever I think.

He's a more pure, faster, taller Sonny Walters. A fully fit Bennell is....erection causing

The nickname for the new stadium will be Tent City

And the TNT song after the games will have new meaning "watch me explode!"

 

[Scham]

Really hope Crozier and Weller are trialled together as our two HBFs. Both have shown to have good vision and the ability to pinpoint kicks 40m+. Our biggest issue was coming out of the backline and we need to inject some serious skill down there. A full preseason training back there will see some huge improvements in out attack off the backline.

If we get Johnson fit...... (big if) we would have a very well rounded backline.

Spurr - A.Pearce - Hamling
as our stoppers.

Weller - Johnson - Crozier
as our attacking defenders.

Tucker will push back there to help out also. His disposal is looking the best of all of those.

 

[Boppo]

Totally understand your support of Dawson who has done a fantastic job on many a gorilla forward.

However, I don't see us searching out and then giving a three year contract to Hamlin to play him only when we get injuries. Form will play a part as it always does but Hamlin has been brought over to play best 22 and you have to admit that Pearce and Hamlin sound like a dynamic pairing with Collins as the backup on occasions.

Appreciate all that Dawson has done but we all know he is the injury only backup next year and probably wouldn't have been going around if he did not have a contract.

It is no big prediction to assume Dawson and Johnson will be gone at the end of next year so we could still be looking for another key defender in this draft.

Dawson was pretty ineffectual in a lot of one on ones last year, even rag dolled on more than one occasion. I hope we've better players than him.

 

[wayToGo_]

Really hope Crozier and Weller are trialled together as our two HBFs. Both have shown to have good vision and the ability to pinpoint kicks 40m+. Our biggest issue was coming out of the backline and we need to inject some serious skill down there. A full preseason training back there will see some huge improvements in out attack off the backline.

If we get Johnson fit...... (big if) we would have a very well rounded backline.

Spurr - A.Pearce - Hamling
as our stoppers.

Weller - Johnson - Crozier
as our attacking defenders.

Exactly the back line I am thinking as well. Good balance of defensiveness, rebound, youth and experience. I wouldn't mind seeing Tucker being rotated through now as well. And the other possible change I'd have is if we draft Marlion Pickett to release Weller (or Crozier) forward (all three can play half back, wing or half forward). But like Yarran had to, he'd have to prove he has the fitness and earn his spot in the magoos first.

 

[mightymouse75]

How old is marlion and what drugs was his parents using

 

[meima]

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/32579669/children-put-pickett-back-on-the-mark/

 

[democritus]

FB: Spurr, A. Pearce, Johnson
HB: Weller, Hamling, Crozier
C: Hill, Mundy, Hill
HF: Bennell, McCarthy, Walters
FF: Ballantyne, Apeness, Yarran
R: Sandi, Neale, Fyfe
I/C: Tucker, Blakely, Langdon, Sheridan

Next in line: Collins, Kersten, Balic, Tabs, pick 7

 

[freoextra]

FB: Spurr, A. Pearce, Johnson
HB: Weller, Hamling, Crozier
C: Hill, Mundy, Hill
HF: Bennell, McCarthy, Walters
FF: Ballantyne, Apeness, Yarran
R: Sandi, Neale, Fyfe
I/C: Tucker, Blakely, Langdon, Sheridan

Next in line: Collins, Kersten, Balic, Tabs, pick 7

Like that team! The only player I would like to see included is Kersten (new toy) to see if he can make a real difference to our scoring potential.

There are always injuries so wouldn't be a problem but if everyone was available I would drop Ballas, RTB on the other hand would drop Langdon at a guess.

 

[Moist Biscuit]

Fyfe ain't going to a team with Matthew Wright as its best forward.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/32579669/children-put-pickett-back-on-the-mark/

I wonder if Jessica is an immediate relative of Harley.
I recall reading an article that said Harley's birth name is Nannup and that he later changed it to Bennell when his mum remarried.

 

[Dirty_banchez]

FB: Spurr, A. Pearce, Johnson
HB: Weller, Hamling, Crozier
C: Hill, Mundy, Hill
HF: Bennell, McCarthy, Walters
FF: Ballantyne, Apeness, Yarran
R: Sandi, Neale, Fyfe
I/C: Tucker, Blakely, Langdon, Sheridan

Next in line: Collins, Kersten, Balic, Tabs, pick 7

That's about right I think. Ballas shouldn't be there though, I'd rather play Kersten. Hamling would play FB as Pearce is the better distributor. I can't see whoever we pick at 7 playing many games next year.

 

[mightymouse75]

That's about right I think. Ballas shouldn't be there though, I'd rather play Kersten. Hamling would play FB as Pearce is the better distributor. I can't see whoever we pick at 7 playing many games next year.

Unless it's sps

 

[FreoMonocle]

Meanwhile I'd be very surprised if Dawson isn't delisted next year if he doesn't retire gracefully. If he was out-of-contract this year and not Silvagni, then I'd expect Alex to still be with us and not Zac.

Zac will be out when there is someone better that is fit and available, that hasn't been the case up til now. With the new defenders of late, his one way ticket out of the team is due to be stamped soon.

imho Alex was always going to be delisted ahead of Zac. Silvagni struggles to be fit for selection - and when he is, his brain snaps limit that availability with the occasional suspension. His ceiling was higher than Zac's in that he is a more complete player (disposals, marks), but you are only a good player if you are on the field and reliable. The coaches and selection committee can't formulate a seasons game plan that involves Silvagni's strengths, can only nudge it on game day on those rare periods where he was fit and available.

Empirical testing is out of our hands as we couldn't ensure both were out of contract at the same time to see what would have happened

 

[wayToGo_]

After seeing that Champion Data assessment of Western Bulldogs (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2016-10-31/dogs-top-champion-data-rankings) having 6 elite and 13 above average players (that's ridiculous!), and us with 3 and 6 respectively, I decided to compare the teams (mostly statistically by group) to see how far behind we might be.

MIDFIELD
At full fitness I think our centre line (SHill, Neale, Mundy, Sandi, Fyfe, BHill) is better than theirs (Hunter, Liberatore, Macrae, Roughead, Bontempelli, Picken). However if it is, it's not by much, and two of ours are over 30yo whereas Picken is their only older stalwart at 29. In terms of depth we have some pretty talented guys rotating in from the forward line also with Bennell and Walters (both elite), as do they with Dalhaus and Wallis (both elite), plus Daniel and Smith (all above average). A lot of their guys improved considerably this year from 2015 and I think we can be fairly confident Blakely, Weller, Langdon, Tucker and Balic are all capable of a similar progression in 2017 assuming they get plenty of opportunity. I could also see Sheridan potentially having a break out year if he is played on ball next year. All of the top teams seem to have very strong and deep midfields so we have a really good base to work from.

FORWARD LINE
Although I'd say it's the Dog's weakness, they showed this year that you don't necessarily need a bunch of gun key forwards to win a premiership. Their entire forward line is capable of rotating through the middle including Stringer and TBoyd. They'll no doubt tweak that slightly with the recruitment of Cloke but it's a pretty interesting concept to consider regardless. Our 2017 forward line is almost completely new and there are some similarities to the Dogs. I'd say McCarthy is our Stringer and Apeness our Tom Boyd (in time). Kersten can provide a lot of the speed and run as a 3rd tall. And maybe we'll see Tabs stepping up now that he is out of the shadow of Pav. Like most, I can't wait to see Yarran, Bennell and Walters all playing together in the new look forward line as they could provide more combined x-factor than any other trifecta of players. It might take a whole year or more to fully gel but I could see our forward line becoming very dangerous once everything comes together and it's exciting being such a young age profile. Having said all that, I still suspect both clubs will be looking for a primary KPF type in the coming drafts as it is a noticeable gap in both forward lines.

BACK LINE
This is the area the Dogs absolutely destroy us and imo the reason they won a premiership. At full strength I'd rate their back line as the best in the AFL. Murphy and MBoyd are both elite defenders, whilst pretty much the rest are all Above Average (eg JJ, Wood, Morris, Suckling and Adams who only debuted this year). The run and attack they generate from their back 6 is phenomenal and is pretty evident in the stats. Five of their defenders had more disposals, kicks, inside 50s and bounces than any of our defenders. The only statistical area we performed better was in disposal efficiency which only highlights how much more willing they are to take on the game and make mistakes. It's almost a relief (unlike the rest of their list) that 3 of their defenders are 33yo (including the two elite) but their depth coming through still looks pretty promising so they'll unlikely fall off a cliff when they retire.

Our back line in comparison is pretty dire at the moment. Our only defender that stacks up statistically is Johnson and many doubt he'll even make it through the whole season next year. Apart from MJ none of our defenders are Above Average and most are Below Average. Even our experienced stalwarts don't rank highly for their respective position, Spurr (Average) and Dawson (Below Average). I don't think we can expect to be competitive until our defenders show considerable improvement. Given this, I hope that we:

• train Crozier as a specialist rebounding half back this pre-season
• recruit a ready made half back like Marlion Pickett to provide some more class moving the ball out of d50
• give Hughes and Nyhuis opportunities to prove themselves in the seniors and give them a run of games to get used to AFL intensity
• draft one or more classy rebounding defender types at pick #35 and/or #40 plus another as a rookie
• only play two negators at a time out of Alex Pearce, Hamling, Collins, Uebergang and Dawson
• play Sheridan on ball and take the pressure off Ibbo and Sutcliffe so they can play their more natural game (ala 2015)
• be willing to drop our more experienced defenders to the magoos if they are struggling for form, giving someone else showing the goods at WAFL an opportunity
• give all our defenders a licence to take the game on like the Dogs do - none of this over thinking it rubbish, we have the ball winners and runners on our list to back ourselves in with ball in hand

If our midfield pressure is good (opposite of this year), giving our defenders a chance to intercept, and we take the game on when we rebound, I think we'll make the finals and be well placed to contend again in the coming years. Michael Prior has a pretty important job next year I think.

tl;dr Our midfield is one of the best. Our forward line has potential but needs time to gel. Our back line is way behind and should be the focus of our "rebuild" from now onward imo.

 

[Unique Name]

Great write up wayToGo_

Agree on the "only two negators" call. A.Pearce and Hamling have show they are more than capable.
Hoping to see Weller/Crozier/Tucker as our rebounders. All quick, skillful players with good vision and could eventually rotate with our midfield/wingers.

Spurr is the interesting one. Ideally I would probably not play him and fast track games into Tucker but I understand the need for some stability/maturity/leadership in the backline.

Crozier - A.Pearce - Hamling
Weller - Johnson - Tucker

 

[MadDocker]

Spurr, Collins, Logue*
Weller, AP, Crozier
Hill, Mundy, Hill
Bennell, McCarthy, Walters
Kersten, Apeness, Yarran
Sandi, Neale, Fyfe

Hamling, Tucker, Blakely, Langdon

Balic, Nyhuis, Hughes, Sherridan all knocking on the door and replacing Spurr form permitting. Sandi will probably need some rest during the year. Johnson can do some home games for a nice fairwell.

Good enough stopping power down back with quality speed and ball use coming out.

Elite midfield.

Dangerous forward line.

No room for Suban, DPearce, Dawson, Ballas etc if we are aiming for a crack over the next few years. Get the kids in and playing together and push for glory.

We need a young ruck in the draft. No doubt about it.