2018 - Best 22

[Timmy from Thomastown]

B. Crisp Dunn Langdon
HB. Howe Moore Scharenburg
C. Maynard Pendlebury Adams
HF. Wells Reid Sidebottom
F. Elliott Cox Hoskin-Elliott

R. Grundy De Goey Treloar

I Varcoe Greenwood Phillips Thomas

 

[Saintly Viewed]

After my more whimsical best 22 I’ll take a shot at the round 1 team based on what we sort of know re injuries etc. so fasolo out greenwood out as an example.

B. Scharenberg ~ Dunn ~ Langdon
HB. Howe ~ Moore ~ Crisp
C. Sidebottom ~ Pendlebury (c) ~ Adams
HF. Wells ~ Reid ~ Maynard
F. Elliott ~ Cox ~ Hoskin-Elliott
R. Grundy ~ De Goey ~ Treloar
I. Goldsack ~ Varcoe ~ Murray ~ Phillips

E. Aish, Broomhead, Thomas

 

[jackcass]

After my more whimsical best 22 I’ll take a shot at the round 1 team based on what we sort of know re injuries etc. so fasolo out greenwood out as an example.

B. Scharenberg ~ Dunn ~ Langdon
HB. Howe ~ Moore ~ Crisp
C. Sidebottom ~ Pendlebury (c) ~ Adams
HF. Wells ~ Reid ~ Maynard
F. Elliott ~ Cox ~ Hoskin-Elliott
R. Grundy ~ De Goey ~ Treloar
I. Goldsack ~ Varcoe ~ Murray ~ Phillips

E. Aish, Broomhead, Thomas

I don't think Faz will be too far off contending for a spot round 1, fitness will be fine and I'd assume he'll resume contact work over the next few weeks.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

I don't think Faz will be too far off contending for a spot round 1, fitness will be fine and I'd assume he'll resume contact work over the next few weeks.

Could be.

He and Elliott both shaky so I went with one of them

 

[ottoman]

Phillips isn't in our top 22 for talent but he is for upside and current need (based on what he offers - pace, creativity, strong hands). He should play most weeks I think.

Pace?
Is he quick? I know he has good endurance but I never thought of him as quick.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Pace?
Is he quick? I know he has good endurance but I never thought of him as quick.

He doesn’t seem slow either.
I have him above average but amazing for general run.

I’m often amazed and fascinated at games just watching specific players run and run and run.

Sidebottom and previously Swan (waddle waddle waddle). If those that ever saw Robert Harvey run all day, amazing.

 

[jackcass]

Pace?
Is he quick? I know he has good endurance but I never thought of him as quick.

Not quick but runs all day. Really poor defensive accountability and disposal under pressure the 2 issues he needs to address to become a regular IMHO. Can certainly find the footy and if he can fix these 2 issues he'll be a keeper, others will pass him by if he can't.

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

After my more whimsical best 22 I’ll take a shot at the round 1 team based on what we sort of know re injuries etc. so fasolo out greenwood out as an example.

B. Scharenberg ~ Dunn ~ Langdon
HB. Howe ~ Moore ~ Crisp
C. Sidebottom ~ Pendlebury (c) ~ Adams
HF. Wells ~ Reid ~ Maynard
F. Elliott ~ Cox ~ Hoskin-Elliott
R. Grundy ~ De Goey ~ Treloar
I. Goldsack ~ Varcoe ~ Murray ~ Phillips

E. Aish, Broomhead, Thomas

Out Goldsack, in Fasolo and I think you've nailed it. Although the Moore to defence move sickens me, I think it's likely.

I think Thomas will be close as well. He performed way above expectations last season considering how far he had to come back from. With a full season under his belt he could be an asset.

 

[adammania9]

I'd like to see James Aish trialed up forward. He's a strong pressure player, loves a tackle and is a clean user of the ball so going forward might be a real asset rather than sitting across half-back and occasionally pushing the wing. For me, it's his last chance to make it or else he should be cut.

 

[Go Pies!!!!!]

FB Sharenberg Dunn Crisp
HB Maynard Moore Howe
C Sidebottom Adams Hoskin Elliot
HF Wells Reid Degoey
FF Fasolo Cox Elliot
R Grundy Pendlebury Treloar
Bench Phillips Langdon Goldsack Stephenson
Emer C. Brown Daicos Varcoe

Will be interesting to see who is in the best 22 come round 1 vs Round 23
Aish, Smith & Greenwood i was unable to get in but could be there abouts, i think Stephenson gives us Speed so he should play round 1.

 

[Unknown Identity]

B: Langdon - Dunn - Howe
HB: Murray - Moore - Crisp
C: Maynard - Pendlebury - Wells
HF: Sidebottom - Reid - Hoskin Elliott
F: Fasolo - Cox - *Varcoe
R: Grundy - Adams - Treloar

INT: DeGoey - Goldsack - Scharenberg - Stephenson

*Elliott in for Varcoe if Fit.

 

[Bored_Pie]

Langdon Dunn Howe
Murray Moore Goldsack
Wells Treloar Hoskin Elliott
Sidebottom Reid Fasolo
Elliott Cox Varcoe
Grundy Pendlebury Adams
INT De Goey, Crisp, Stephenson, Maynard

Thats just my prediction for Round 1.

 

[Yoda_]

Surely you guys don't bring in two KPD's and not play them ? (Murray and Mihocech)

 

[jackcass]

Surely you guys don't bring in two KPD's and not play them ? (Murray and Mihocech)

Sam Murray is 187cm and <90kg's so not sure where you got the idea he was a KPD. Mihocek can bide his time like any other rookie draftee.

 

[Yoda_]

Sam Murray is 187cm and <90kg's so not sure where you got the idea he was a KPD. Mihocek can bide his time like any other rookie draftee.

I thought Murray was a KPD, my apologies

 

[jackcass]

I thought Murray was a KPD, my apologies

None of us have seen enough to know for sure so don't stress.

 

[3rd Monkey]

Surely you guys don't bring in two KPD's and not play them ? (Murray and Mihocech)

You underestimate us

But as mentioned Murray is a running defender. We did however bring in Appleby who is more a KPD and drafted McLarty last year (KPD) and are moving Goldsack out of the backline (played whole last year as a KPD) so you’re not far off.

Also, I’m pretty sure Moore played a chunk of his U18 year in defense and averaged about 6 possessions in that role so talk of him being an intercept and/or rebounding player is interesting (that sounds like Schaz more than Moore really).

 

[Knightmare]

Assuming full health for what I'd consider the best possible balance:
B: Tom Langdon Lynden Dunn Brayden Maynard
HB: Jeremy Howe Matthew Scharenberg Sam Murray
CEN: Daniel Wells Scott Pendlebury Adam Treloar
HF: Steele Sidebottom Darcy Moore Travis Varcoe
F: Jamie Elliott Ben Reid Callum Brown
FOLL: Brodie Grundy Jordan De Goey Taylor Adams
BENCH: Jack Crisp Tom Phillips Jaidyn Stephenson Levi Greenwood

Key notes:
Sam Murray comes in to provide drive from defence. It's a missing element adds balance to a group that can intercept without being able to get the ball moving out of defence at a sufficient speed.

Down back I'm fine with Scharenberg as the second key defender. Depending on matchups, both Reid and Moore have the versatility to push back as needed. Langdon and Howe also for periods can play taller as required for those clubs with three or four tall forwards. Overall it's a focus on flexibility down back while still having coverage for any mix of opposition forwards. With some many medium-tallish defenders, Goldsack who struggles 1v1 and offers no rebound should no longer be required.

De Goey needs greater opportunities on the ball for his development and may be what is needed to help with centre clearance differential. This pushes Treloar out onto a wing for more minutes - which I feel is a positive as we need more loose ball winners on the outside. And Treloar with more time and space can not only use his acceleration, but his disposal should also feel less rushed.

Sidebottom and Varcoe I start forward noting how poor our tackling pressure is and how few genuine ground ball winners there are up front with the likes of Elliott and Fasolo playing like key forward and not having those pressure or ground ball winning elements to such a high level. Sidebottom can push higher and would push up the wings plenty, but having another loose ball winner and pressure player may be where he is most needed. Similarly with Varcoe, he is of critical need around half forward for his pressure to keep the ball in the area and create turnovers.

Mason Cox I left out because Grundy is substantially better as a ruckman when he carries the whole load. Moore can play the relieving minutes and with Elliott playing pretty much as a key forward anyway and Stephenson able to play forward the front half is still plenty tall. I'm also concerned about the lack of ground ball winning and pressure in the front half. We have the ball winners through the midfield and the intercepters down back, so we need to take greater advantage of that with better pressure and ground ball winning forwards.

Callum Brown comes in for Fasolo to improve the balance up forward with Brown a much better pressure player and ground ball winner - who with further games will make both strengths at AFL level. Brown should become something like a better Blair.

Crisp is in the side as a half-forward/half-back depending on need. The big focus for him would be on pressure and creating turnovers first, as the major strength to his game.

Phillips mostly on a wing and around half-forward is handy with his sheer endurance and outside accumulation along with skills.

Stephenson should inject further outside run. He can play some wing, forward if a leadup option is needed. And he'll get better with more matches and won't have any trouble in front of big crowds or on the big stage - it's what he lives for. I have him replacing Will Hoskin-Elliott. Stephenson takes on the game better with his run and is better at ground level and a more capable ball winner and ground level player.

Levi Greenwood I have in there for balance to be used purely as a ball winning midfielder who can add accountability and start a culture of two-way game-style that the other midfielders need to adopt, to transition this midfield group from a one-way win the ball and get forward of the ball to a midfield that can still do all that but also take opponents out of the game and restrict their impact around the ground and when the opposition have their hands on the pill.

 

[JB1975]

Stephenson should inject further outside run. He can play some wing, forward if a leadup option is needed. And he'll get better with more matches and won't have any trouble in front of big crowds or on the big stage - it's what he lives for. I have him replacing Will Hoskin-Elliott. Stephenson takes on the game better with his run and is better at ground level and a more capable ball winner and ground level player.

I'm bullish about Stephenson, to say the least, but in my opinion WHE would have to regress at an alarming rate to be pushed out by Stephenson. I'm not sure how much upside there is to WHE, and I know that Stephenson has more assets than him, but I can see the two complementing each other quite nicely.

 

[Bored_Pie]

Assuming full health for what I'd consider the best possible balance:
B: Tom Langdon Lynden Dunn Brayden Maynard
HB: Jeremy Howe Matthew Scharenberg Sam Murray
CEN: Daniel Wells Scott Pendlebury Adam Treloar
HF: Steele Sidebottom Darcy Moore Travis Varcoe
F: Jamie Elliott Ben Reid Callum Brown
FOLL: Brodie Grundy Jordan De Goey Taylor Adams
BENCH: Jack Crisp Tom Phillips Jaidyn Stephenson Levi Greenwood

Key notes:
Sam Murray comes in to provide drive from defence. It's a missing element adds balance to a group that can intercept without being able to get the ball moving out of defence at a sufficient speed.

Down back I'm fine with Scharenberg as the second key defender. Depending on matchups, both Reid and Moore have the versatility to push back as needed. Langdon and Howe also for periods can play taller as required for those clubs with three or four tall forwards. Overall it's a focus on flexibility down back while still having coverage for any mix of opposition forwards. With some many medium-tallish defenders, Goldsack who struggles 1v1 and offers no rebound should no longer be required.

De Goey needs greater opportunities on the ball for his development and may be what is needed to help with centre clearance differential. This pushes Treloar out onto a wing for more minutes - which I feel is a positive as we need more loose ball winners on the outside. And Treloar with more time and space can not only use his acceleration, but his disposal should also feel less rushed.

Sidebottom and Varcoe I start forward noting how poor our tackling pressure is and how few genuine ground ball winners there are up front with the likes of Elliott and Fasolo playing like key forward and not having those pressure or ground ball winning elements to such a high level. Sidebottom can push higher and would push up the wings plenty, but having another loose ball winner and pressure player may be where he is most needed. Similarly with Varcoe, he is of critical need around half forward for his pressure to keep the ball in the area and create turnovers.

Mason Cox I left out because Grundy is substantially better as a ruckman when he carries the whole load. Moore can play the relieving minutes and with Elliott playing pretty much as a key forward anyway and Stephenson able to play forward the front half is still plenty tall. I'm also concerned about the lack of ground ball winning and pressure in the front half. We have the ball winners through the midfield and the intercepters down back, so we need to take greater advantage of that with better pressure and ground ball winning forwards.

Callum Brown comes in for Fasolo to improve the balance up forward with Brown a much better pressure player and ground ball winner - who with further games will make both strengths at AFL level. Brown should become something like a better Blair.

Crisp is in the side as a half-forward/half-back depending on need. The big focus for him would be on pressure and creating turnovers first, as the major strength to his game.

Phillips mostly on a wing and around half-forward is handy with his sheer endurance and outside accumulation along with skills.

Stephenson should inject further outside run. He can play some wing, forward if a leadup option is needed. And he'll get better with more matches and won't have any trouble in front of big crowds or on the big stage - it's what he lives for. I have him replacing Will Hoskin-Elliott. Stephenson takes on the game better with his run and is better at ground level and a more capable ball winner and ground level player.

Levi Greenwood I have in there for balance to be used purely as a ball winning midfielder who can add accountability and start a culture of two-way game-style that the other midfielders need to adopt, to transition this midfield group from a one-way win the ball and get forward of the ball to a midfield that can still do all that but also take opponents out of the game and restrict their impact around the ground and when the opposition have their hands on the pill.

How you don't have WHE in is beyond me

 

[Knightmare]

I'm bullish about Stephenson, to say the least, but in my opinion WHE would have to regress at an alarming rate to be pushed out by Stephenson. I'm not sure how much upside there is to WHE, and I know that Stephenson has more assets than him, but I can see the two complementing each other quite nicely.

How you don't have WHE in is beyond me

WHE I have on the fringe. If a Sidebottom/Wells/Varcoe/Phillips/Stephenson miss, WHE is my first player in. I just value what those others bring to the table more.

Sidebottom is clearly better as an accumulator, ground level player and ball user. Wells for ball an accumulation is much better. Varcoe for pressure has a greater influence on games (though was misused last year spending much of his time down back). Phillips is another who finds a lot more of the footy and also uses it better. Stephenson's game I view as more AFL quality than I do WHE.

With WHE. He has the speed/endurance which is a positive. And he is someone who you can play because there are enough ball winners to feed him enough ball on the outside to be relevant - and he does get to the right spots on the outside. His leap and sticky hands overhead also are positives.

Why I'm not seeing WHE as a best 22 player is a combination of being unable to win the contested ball, not being an overly capable ground level player, he's not a good tackling or pressure player, only an average ball user - while his reliability is fine over most of the ground - he isn't reliable kicking i50 and he's not providing you any drive with his run or by foot - as someone who doesn't much take on the game. So there isn't anything essential with regard to his placing in the best 22.

I'd much rather play Stephenson who while he doesn't have the sticky hands overhead is much more capable winning his own ball with much greater ground ball capabilities, tackling and pressuring he's also a much greater linebreaking threat as someone who not only has the pace but applies it practically in game and has no fear taking on the game. Overall I view what he provides much more beneficial to winning than what WHE provides. Particularly when you're talking finals footy.

 

[Bored_Pie]

WHE I have on the fringe. If a Sidebottom/Wells/Varcoe/Phillips/Stephenson miss, WHE is my first player in. I just value what those others bring to the table more.

Sidebottom is clearly better as an accumulator, ground level player and ball user. Wells for ball an accumulation is much better. Varcoe for pressure has a greater influence on games (though was misused last year spending much of his time down back). Phillips is another who finds a lot more of the footy and also uses it better. Stephenson's game I view as more AFL quality than I do WHE.

With WHE. He has the speed/endurance which is a positive. And he is someone who you can play because there are enough ball winners to feed him enough ball on the outside to be relevant - and he does get to the right spots on the outside. His leap and sticky hands overhead also are positives.

Why I'm not seeing WHE as a best 22 player is a combination of being unable to win the contested ball, not being an overly capable ground level player, he's not a good tackling or pressure player, only an average ball user - while his reliability is fine over most of the ground - he isn't reliable kicking i50 and he's not providing you any drive with his run or by foot - as someone who doesn't much take on the game. So there isn't anything essential with regard to his placing in the best 22.

I'd much rather play Stephenson who while he doesn't have the sticky hands overhead is much more capable winning his own ball with much greater ground ball capabilities, tackling and pressuring he's also a much greater linebreaking threat as someone who not only has the pace but applies it practically in game and has no fear taking on the game. Overall I view what he provides much more beneficial to winning than what WHE provides. Particularly when you're talking finals footy.

Stephenson may be good at those things but WHE plays over him every single day of the week man, come on.

 

[mike123]

Phillips might get more of the than WHE but I'm struggling to see how he uses it better.

 

[Knightmare]

Phillips might get more of the than WHE but I'm struggling to see how he uses it better.

They're in the same conversation. But beyond being younger and finding more of the ball more easily, I favour Phillips for his ball use and ball use i50 and his pressure which also is better than that of Hoskin-Elliott.

According to this years AFL prospectus regarding specifics on how Phillips is a better kick than Hoskin-Elliott:
Phillips: kick rating was above average, but his delivery inside 50 was elite, as 37% of these kicks resulted in a teammates's mark - the second highest percentage of the top-200 players for kicks into the forward 50.

On the other hand Hoskin-Elliott's kicks into the forward 50 let him down, as 15% resulted in a mark, ranked equal 84th of the top-100 kicks into that zone.

 

[10571z]

Really time for guys like Aish, Broomhead, Langdon, Smith to either take the next step or move a kid in. Just become solid serviceable roll players at least