Prediction 2023 Best 22 Teams and discussion

[Descent]

Talent is almost there except - Amiss too young and Tabs too old.
Somehow need to get 40-50 goal key forward who is 23-27. (Understanding that they don't grow on trees of course)

Jeremy Cameron (29) and Tom Hawkins (34) are going alright. Sure, Tabs is no Cameron/Hawkins, but age is not his problem. If he has an injury-free pre-season, he's in the 22 next year. We were missing his leading up the wings to create space for Amiss, Walters and co.

 

[mightymouse75]

Jeremy Cameron (29) and Tom Hawkins (34) are going alright. Sure, Tabs is no Cameron/Hawkins, but age is not his problem. If he has an injury-free pre-season, he's in the 22 next year. We were missing his leading up the wings to create space for Amiss, Walters and co.

With his soft tissue breaking downs his longevity won't be a thing.

 

[Van_Dyke]

B: Ryan - Pearce - Walker
HB: Young - Cox - Clark
C: NOD - Brodie - Aish
HF: Walters - Jackson - Switta
F: Schultz - Amiss - Taberner
Ruck: Darcy - Serong - Brayshaw
Bench: Fyfe - Frederick - Chapman - Erasmus/Johnson

EMG: Sturt - Wilson - Treacy - Erasmus/Johnson

 

[Descent]

With his soft tissue breaking downs his longevity won't be a thing.

Agree, that is likely to be the thing that limits his ability to crack the best 22 consistently. I'm hopeful, but agree that might be the limiting factor.

 

[gungho]

Jeremy Cameron (29) and Tom Hawkins (34) are going alright. Sure, Tabs is no Cameron/Hawkins, but age is not his problem. If he has an injury-free pre-season, he's in the 22 next year. We were missing his leading up the wings to create space for Amiss, Walters and co.

We have a pretty large sample size with Tabs. In his 10 years in the AFL, he has averaged 12 games a season. (Played 13 this year). Hawkins has averaged about 22 games a season and Cameron about 19. Thinking that he will play a full season next year (he hasn't done this once in 10 years) is not something I'd be betting on.

 

[gungho]

Walker Pearce Ryan
Clark Cox Young
Drizzy Brodie Johnson
Walters Amiss Switta
Jackson Tabs Fyfe

Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Erasmus, Chappy, Freddy, Aish

Shultz unlucky. Assuming we don't have Acres and Logue. If we could draft in a ready made 25 year old Key forward to kick 40 goals a year and take Tabs spot it would be awesome. Fogerty?? Not a key forward but Sharp really looks to be emerging, surely Gold Coast wouldn't be silly enough to do a Brodie x 2.

 

[Sturty2Hurty]

Ryan Pearce Cox
Young Logue Clark
Brayshaw Fyfe O’Driscoll
Treacy Amiss Frederick
Shultz Jackson Sturt

Darcy Brodie Serong

Aish Chapman Erasmus Johnson

Probably a touch reactive but I dropped Switta and Walker from the team. I rate Logue higher as a defender than Cox - really hoping we keep him. I think we might bring in Corbett and let Treacy and him nuke it out for that forward spot. Pushed Brayshaw out to the wing if Fyfe comes back in. Chapman worries me and I think a different role would suit him.

 

[bushchook]

We have a pretty large sample size with Tabs. In his 10 years in the AFL, he has averaged 12 games a season.

This wasn't because of injury though. Ross Lyon wouldn't pick him for 5 years. Taberner has played 49 WAFL games to go along with his 116 AFL games.

 

[Heart Of Purple]

Team that gives us a real shot of competing (left blank spots where players YET to prove they could be in a GF winning team).

Expecting Walker/Wilson to fight for the back spot. Amiss to put his hand up for FF, hopefully Treacy fights him for it (Jackson potentially fits there too if we get him).
Erasmus, Johnson, Sturt hopefully put there hands up.
Could make a case NOD deserves a bench role already, if he continues to progress he’s more than capable.
Freddy tough not to be locked in. Needs to stick his tackles a bit better and stay involved longer … probably gets first crack at that 7th Fwd role, but I’d like to see Sturt/Fyfe added into that forward line and put him under pressure for the spot.

FB: Ryan - Pearce -
HB: Young - Cox - Clark
C: Aish - Brodie - Chapman
HF: Fyfe - Tabs - Switta
FF: Walters - - Schultz
FOL: Darcy - Brayshaw - Serong

INT:




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[Wobbly Punt]

I've assumed Rory stays based on a weak sauce rumour I heard this morning. I also assume we keep Griff but lose Acres, Tucker and Meek.

FB: Walker Pearce Ryan
HB: Young Cox Clark
C: NOD Brodie Freddy
HF: Jackson Fyfe Sturt
FF: Lobb/Amiss Tabs/Amiss Switta
F: Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Int: Erasmus Aish Walters Chapman

Emg: Treacy Johnson Logue Schultz

Schultz unlucky in mine too as with someone else's above. It's personal taste for me, I really dislike players who so regularly abuse their team mates. Love his effort but the teammate abuse and the fact he doesn't hit the board regularly enough for me has him out of my team. I acknowledge this is unlikely to happen and accept the argument that he brings the pressure and that I should value that more but this is my version of what I'd do so he's out.

What this exercise does, or should do, is calm those people down who are overly fretting about losing Acres, Logue, Lobb etc. Whether you agree with it in its entirety or not, this team and others here I've read all show very decent teams and my version only includes 1 of those players apparently leaving...and he (Lobb) has an immediate (but perhaps not as effective straight away) replacement. It also shows why a big offer from somewhere else with a top 22 spot assured would be of interest to Griff.

My 22 still doesn't play the 4 very handy emergencies listed, or Hamling, Hughes, Colyer, Henry, Banfield and Weston who've all got the ability to play in the 1's to differing degrees of influence.

Replacing players like Acres, Meek, Tucker etc with decent draft stock and drafting well with those picks and/or doing the FA thing well is exactly how good teams stay up and around the pointy end. Good depth means that depth will often move on. I want to keep Logue and Lobb and if Acres and Tucker go I wish him well and grab the picks. Meek I hope goes somewhere because he's a super guy, won't get a crack at it here and I'd personally love to see him play at the top level. I just hope he goes to GWS or Geelong, not the unpolished turds up down the road.

 

[gungho]

I've assumed Rory stays based on a weak sauce rumour I heard this morning. I also assume we keep Griff but lose Acres, Tucker and Meek.

FB: Walker Pearce Ryan
HB: Young Cox Clark
C: NOD Brodie Freddy
HF: Jackson Fyfe Sturt
FF: Lobb/Amiss Tabs/Amiss Switta
F: Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Int: Erasmus Aish Walters Chapman

Emg: Treacy Johnson Logue Schultz

Schultz unlucky in mine too as with someone else's above. It's personal taste for me, I really dislike players who so regularly abuse their team mates. Love his effort but the teammate abuse and the fact he doesn't hit the board regularly enough for me has him out of my team. I acknowledge this is unlikely to happen and accept the argument that he brings the pressure and that I should value that more but this is my version of what I'd do so he's out.

What this exercise does, or should do, is calm those people down who are overly fretting about losing Acres, Logue, Lobb etc. Whether you agree with it in its entirety or not, this team and others here I've read all show very decent teams and my version only includes 1 of those players apparently leaving...and he (Lobb) has an immediate (but perhaps not as effective straight away) replacement. It also shows why a big offer from somewhere else with a top 22 spot assured would be of interest to Griff.

My 22 still doesn't play the 4 very handy emergencies listed, or Hamling, Hughes, Colyer, Henry, Banfield and Weston who've all got the ability to play in the 1's to differing degrees of influence.

Replacing players like Acres, Meek, Tucker etc with decent draft stock and drafting well with those picks and/or doing the FA thing well is exactly how good teams stay up and around the pointy end. Good depth means that depth will often move on. I want to keep Logue and Lobb and if Acres and Tucker go I wish him well and grab the picks. Meek I hope goes somewhere because he's a super guy, won't get a crack at it here and I'd personally love to see him play at the top level. I just hope he goes to GWS or Geelong, not the unpolished turds up down the road.

No Sonny? Edit: All good, saw him on the bench.

 

[theGav56]

Pushed Brayshaw out to the wing if Fyfe comes back in. .

Makes a lot of sense.

 

[hoss]

FB: Chapman Pearce Ryan
HB: Young Cox Clark
C: O'Driscoll Brodie Aish
HF: Jackson Amiss Switta
FF: Fyfe Taberner Schultz
F: Darcy Brayshaw Serong

Int: Erasmus Walters Freddy Walker

Emg: Treacy Johnson Logue Sturt

 

[dominguez]

Brayshaw then Serong played that accountable midfield role and it seems to really have helped their development. Looks the perfect spot for Erasmus next year, start at HFF then follow the oppositions best mid then Fyfe starts onball but drifts forward. Win/win.

 

[Mags98]

I’ve got a watch on Sean Darcy for next year. I reckon he’s been using up some credits that were stored in the bank before this year especially in the last few months.
If you looked at this year in isolation, you would say he’s an AFL average ruck and that all.
I hope we keep Meek just incase this worrying trend with Darcy continues into 2023

might seem harsh but definitely agree, has lost the ability to take those get out of jail contested grabs we relied on heavily before (from 1.9 a game to 0.9 this year) thats why i think jackson will be a good in for us

 

[Mags98]

The Walker situation confuses me - he has some good natural talent but out of every player he's looked a little over-awed through stages of the season, which all came undone over the weekend.

You play a guy like Walker every week to grow him into the role on the proviso that your team is still growing and you're not in a Premiership window - whatever people say we were in a Premiership window this year and he was played ahead of an in-form Wilson and even Hughes would've offered more.

We wouldn't have played Brayshaw and Cerra in their first year if we were contenders.

So for me Wilson is starting 22 next year over Walker.

yeah walker is interesting, i like the qualities he has and think they can add a lot to the team but i dont think its working as well as it should for him currently. he runs himself into trouble too much from that half back position, so maybe a move up the field can help him get more space and use his pace better?

 

[Mags98]

Ryan Pearce Cox
Young Logue Clark
Brayshaw Fyfe O’Driscoll
Treacy Amiss Frederick
Shultz Jackson Sturt

Darcy Brodie Serong

Aish Chapman Erasmus Johnson

Probably a touch reactive but I dropped Switta and Walker from the team. I rate Logue higher as a defender than Cox - really hoping we keep him. I think we might bring in Corbett and let Treacy and him nuke it out for that forward spot. Pushed Brayshaw out to the wing if Fyfe comes back in. Chapman worries me and I think a different role would suit him.

cant dropp switta mate, the pressure he brings is next level and half his touches end up in score involvements, he is genuinely elite, we need him to play more often and get the ball more, will go a long way in improving if that happens

 

[Ysaye]

On reflecting on the year just gone, I think our best 22 has been:

2022 "Best" team
7 Defenders: Pearce, Cox, Chapman, Young, Clark, Ryan, Walker
3 Wingers: Aish, Acres, O'Driscoll
5 Midfielders: Darcy, Brayshaw, Serong, Brodie, Mundy
7 Forwards: Taberner, Lobb, Logue, Switowski, Walters, Frederick, Shultz

In 2023 Mundy will have retired, whilst my guess is that Acres and Lobb will have moved on whilst I think we will also have brought in Jackson, who I see as being able to play as a utility that could play in the forward line, midfield or maybe even the wing. The other major factors at play are Fyfe getting fit, Amiss and his projection, as well as Erasmus who has been banging down the door all season.

In reality a best 22 never actually plays; it sometimes solidifies itself at the end of a season and is a reflection on the selection committee's natural biases/preferences towards certain players over another. For example - bringing O'Driscoll back in after one rather average game in the WAFL, or Amiss being brought back into the finals series. In many instances, it is not what the best 22 is, but rather what it is not, and also what players it does not include.

The team I think that the selection committee would like to open with in 2023 is shown below:

2023 "Best" team
7 Defenders: Pearce, Cox, Chapman, Young, Clark, Ryan, Walker
3 Wingers: Aish, O'Driscoll, Jackson
5 Midfielders: Darcy, Brayshaw, Serong, Brodie, Fyfe
7 Forwards: Taberner, Amiss, Logue, Switowski, Walters, Frederick, Shultz

This team is likely to still be characterised by some significant talent in the back half, with the experiences of finals this year likely to further embolden the offensive capabilities. The midfield and wings remain overall on the young side and there is no real silky boot amongst them, but Jackson will bring an extra dimension of size to this group, and Fyfe returning would give an experienced hand. In the forward line, the loss of Lobb as a tall forward will reduce the contested marking prowess, but Amiss will bring some different aspects including a ton more speed and skill.

The interesting bit will be whether Erasmus can break into this lineup; the biggest vulnerability appears to be Brodie or maybe the perennially injured Switowski. As Chris25 said in another thread, in many senses Henry's strengths/weaknesses profile is not suited to the style of this team, and I think you could argue a similar thing with Sturt, however they do offer perhaps more offensive reliability by foot, and any improvement by either in terms of fitness and defensive power IMO would quickly see them in the conversation piece. Hamling, Wilson and Hughes provide significant backup in the defence side of things. I am also interested to see how well Johnson progresses over the off-season; I tend to think that he will need another season in the WAFL, but he is projects to provide a great skillset with size to a number of parts of this team.

 

[rubydoomsday]

Ryan Pearce Cox
Young Logue Clark
Brayshaw Fyfe O’Driscoll
Treacy Amiss Frederick
Shultz Jackson Sturt

Darcy Brodie Serong

Aish Chapman Erasmus Johnson

Probably a touch reactive but I dropped Switta and Walker from the team. I rate Logue higher as a defender than Cox - really hoping we keep him. I think we might bring in Corbett and let Treacy and him nuke it out for that forward spot. Pushed Brayshaw out to the wing if Fyfe comes back in. Chapman worries me and I think a different role would suit him.

"I rate Logue higher as a defender than Cox"

Utter madness.

 

[rgauci]

"I rate Logue higher as a defender than Cox"

Utter madness.

In space, like Collingwood manufactured, Logue will outperform Cox no doubt. In a system where we slow ball movement down, and have roll off and intercept mark, Cox is better. I’d trust Logue alone inside 50 against Jamie Elliot, Brodie Mihocek, hell even Mason Cox. His closing speed is elite, his body work is elite, much much better than Cox. His kicking skills, marking is not up to Cox’s standards.

 

[AstonSouffle]

We have a pretty large sample size with Tabs. In his 10 years in the AFL, he has averaged 12 games a season. (Played 13 this year). Hawkins has averaged about 22 games a season and Cameron about 19. Thinking that he will play a full season next year (he hasn't done this once in 10 years) is not something I'd be betting on.

Honestly that's a fairly damning statistic, genuinely wonder why Freo haven't tried to forcibly move him on and get currency while they can cash in?

Freo only ever seem to get taxed at 50% when it comes to whatever they end up getting out of him.

 

[Joao]

Honestly that's a fairly damning statistic, genuinely wonder why Freo haven't tried to forcibly move him on and get currency while they can cash in?

Freo only ever seem to get taxed at 50% when it comes to whatever they end up getting out of him.

I don't think we can if Lobb goes. Only physically developed forward we have. Jye could do with not getting double teamed at 19yo.

 

[bushchook]

Honestly that's a fairly damning statistic, genuinely wonder why Freo haven't tried to forcibly move him on and get currency while they can cash in?

Freo only ever seem to get taxed at 50% when it comes to whatever they end up getting out of him.

He averaged 12 games a season because we wouldn't pick him early in his career. Not because of injury.

 

[anchor man]

Now the club have signed Sam Sturt

1

Sam Sturt

Age

24

Ht

190cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.7

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

1.0

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.7

2star

K

4.0

1star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

1.0

2star

G

1.3

5star

D

7.7

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.7

3star

M

2.3

3star

T

1.0

3star

G

1.3

5star

on for another season surely they will play him in the first half dozen games regardless. We have to find out if he has it at the level we need him at... AFL level.
Amiss has set his name in the best 22, now we need to see if Sturt has it.
Erasmus and Johnson will get chances early as well I think. Could either of them have the tank to play on a wing?

 

[freoextra]

Now the club have signed Sam Sturt on for another season surely they will play him in the first half dozen games regardless. We have to find out if he has it at the level we need him at... AFL level.
Amiss has set his name in the best 22, now we need to see if Sturt has it.
Erasmus and Johnson will get chances early as well I think. Could either of them have the tank to play on a wing?

Certainly Erasmus has the tank already not sure on Johnson.