Preview 2023 Best 22

[The Kings Ransom]

There’s definitely a few really interesting ‘watches’ for the first half of the year

- how does luko go at half forward? Surely will start there, with king back in the team - a true leading forward could see Lukosius being really effective and help us generate a score when ball is 50-80m out from goal.

- How do the guys with major injuries come back? King’s game obviously built on athleticism and pace. Does he still have it..

- Jeffrey and Hollands burst onto the scene in a handful of games showed they could be legitimately good AFL players early in their career. Can they pick up where they left off?

- can Chol back up a break out season? The forward line set up will be different, will this impact his output?

- Flanders and Davies are young kids who have shown snippets but not really more at this early stage. Can one of them become a bonafide midfielder.

These are the big questions for me.
plenty of others. But I reckon these will really shake our season.

 

[sunsofanarchy]

Whilst I'm not one to disagree with most people posting here, I can't see Lukosius playing back pocket nor can I see Casboult or J.Anderson on the interchange......
So I would have Farrar taking Luko's spot, and Luko taking over from JJ who goes to the I/C for Anderson, and Levi surrendering his spot on the I/C to anyone of Davies, Weller, Humphrey, Sexton, Andrew, Sharp even.

Disclaimer: posted whilst under the affluence of incohol....

Much more dangerous, and better defensively, that last spot is going to be very exciting

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

Curious to see what Andrew can bring in 2023 too.

 

[Southern Sun]

Curious to see what Andrew can bring in 2023 too.

Couldn't agree more. Funny how the likes of Rowell, Anderson, King, luko and rankine came in as high draft picks with what seemed as huge expectation from fans and media whereas mac Andrew and Hollands seem to have avoided the immediate attention. I think the latter two could be as good as any of our recent high draft picks.

 

[Jirik13]

Couldn't agree more. Funny how the likes of Rowell, Anderson, King, luko and rankine came in as high draft picks with what seemed as huge expectation from fans and media whereas mac Andrew and Hollands seem to have avoided the immediate attention. I think the latter two could be as good as any of our recent high draft picks.

I would also add that Andrew and Hollands seem to have right attitude, mongrel. I still remember when Andrew gave it to Greenwood. Made me laugh. Greenwood was not happy. Personally, I would expect both of them play in round 1.

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

Couldn't agree more. Funny how the likes of Rowell, Anderson, King, luko and rankine came in as high draft picks with what seemed as huge expectation from fans and media whereas mac Andrew and Hollands seem to have avoided the immediate attention. I think the latter two could be as good as any of our recent high draft picks.

Hope we can keep him. The mix of his tight family with the potential for him to struggle to get games could see us lose him. I think his potential is unlimited though and I wanted him with our pick from early 2021.

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

I would also add that Andrew and Hollands seem to have right attitude, mongrel. I still remember when Andrew gave it to Greenwood. Made me laugh. Greenwood was not happy. Personally, I would expect both of them play in round 1.

Forgot about that lmao

 

[KaySwizzle]

Couldn't agree more. Funny how the likes of Rowell, Anderson, King, luko and rankine came in as high draft picks with what seemed as huge expectation from fans and media whereas mac Andrew and Hollands seem to have avoided the immediate attention. I think the latter two could be as good as any of our recent high draft picks.

I think the expectations were lower for Hollands because he came in injured and didn’t play seniors for almost 2 years. Expectations for him start this year, and I think most people will be expecting high impact.

As for Andrew, he is a developing tall. Came in as a beanpole who was always more of a project, unlike someone like King. Reckon next year is his year, but he could show enough this year to cement a spot. I’m a big fan. If he was in picked up in an earlier draft (instead of after we already had King and Luko a few seasons in), he probably would have played more games though.

Can’t compare them to Anderson and Rowell, who came in as a package and were billed as fit and ready to go from the start.

The picks they were taken in also contribute to expectations. Even a few picks difference are significant to the media/fans.

 

[Jirik13]

Hope we can keep him. The mix of his tight family with the potential for him to struggle to get games could see us lose him. I think his potential is unlimited though and I wanted him with our pick from early 2021.

Got Chol's family now . I believe their fathers are close friends.

 

[sunsofanarchy]

Any word on the club's impression with Humphries so far?

 

[TheSunGod]

Any word on the club's impression with Humphries so far?

Dewey sounded very impressed in a recent video.

 

[Ben Drever]

Dewey sounded very impressed in a recent video.

Not often a coach talks up any draftee that much.. F50 players better watch your back.

Jefferys King Casbault
Humphries Chol Ainsworth

Missing Holman Lukosius from 2022 round 1 forward line..

 

[Supersuns]

Not often a coach talks up any draftee that much.. F50 players better watch your back.

Jefferys King Casbault
Humphries Chol Ainsworth

Missing Holman Lukosius from 2022 round 1 forward line..

We arent playing 3 key forwards.

 

[TheSunGod]

We arent playing 3 key forwards.

Rosas for Casboult. Ainsworth, Jeffrey and Humphrey are all beauties - being able to play above their height.

 

[Ben Drever]

We arent playing 3 key forwards.

King and Chol and even Jeffery can kick as many goals as loose ball gets then a genuine lead mark goal.

And I think having Casbault picking the #1 gorilla defender will free up king massively
Obviously if the ball comes flying out of our F50 with no pressure I’d expect a new direction

 

[GC2015]

King and Chol and even Jeffery can kick as many goals as loose ball gets then a genuine lead mark goal.

And I think having Casbault picking the #1 gorilla defender will free up king massively
Obviously if the ball comes flying out of our F50 with no pressure I’d expect a new direction

This is where the preseason games are going to be important IMO. Dew should try a few different line ups with King as the main forward to see who compliments Big Ben best. I get the feeling that you're right and that a power forward like Casboult who can play as the 'bear in the square' that can keep the opposition's 'gorilla defender' (as you put it) occupied will best compliment King by freeing him up but perhaps that's not the case. We'll just have to see but right now it's not entirely clear which talls we'll use to compliment King next year. It may even change from week to week based on who we're playing. Obviously injuries may make the decision for us but I think this competition for tall forward spots is only a good thing going into a season where expectations of jumping up the ladder are high.

 

[Supersuns]

Look I love Big Meat but he was pretty cooked by the end of the season. He is only going to be getting slower and considering our game plan is high tempo and pressure, a big lumbering forward isn't exactly a hand in glove fit.
King and Chol are both big boys, Kingy can crash a pack pretty bloody well himself.
I'd prefer to run with those 2 and Jeffrey as the 3rd tall.

 

[Bjo187]

I'd have the lines like this:
Forward line: good, potentially elite (the mix of chol, king and jeffrey in the air and at ground level could be very dangerous, good smalls).
Midfield: good, potentially very good (needs a goalscoring taller mid, hopefully Holland's or Humphries)
Defence: below average, potentially average (the key defenders are very shaky as a unit and have very ordinary disposal).

 

[MarcLocksCrustySock]

Our forward line would have looked so good with Rankine too. Little prick.

 

[Choppers]

Our forward line would have looked so good with Rankine too. Little prick.

I don't have a problem with him going home.....sure I would have preferred him to stay the distance........but I think he may have just bitten off a bit more than he can chew....and that's now his and the Crows problem, at his perceived price, not ours!

No use crying over spilt milk, as they say in the classics......gives us more opportunity to blood someone else in that position, and I reckon we can cover it...

 

[KaySwizzle]

I don't have a problem with him going home.....sure I would have preferred him to stay the distance........but I think he may have just bitten off a bit more than he can chew....and that's now his and the Crows problem, at his perceived price, not ours!

No use crying over spilt milk, as they say in the classics......gives us more opportunity to blood someone else in that position, and I reckon we can cover it...

Can definitely cover it.

However, it’s not Rankine’s goals we will miss, but his goal assists. Jeffery, Rosas, Sexton or even Humphrey can probably get his goals. But his field kicking was pretty elite too with good vision.

Reckon Luko might have to up his game in that department, with at least 1 goal a game and some goal assists or score involvements. Otherwise the others need to get more creative with ball in hand.

 

[Ben Drever]

I don't have a problem with him going home.....sure I would have preferred him to stay the distance........but I think he may have just bitten off a bit more than he can chew....and that's now his and the Crows problem, at his perceived price, not ours!

No use crying over spilt milk, as they say in the classics......gives us more opportunity to blood someone else in that position, and I reckon we can cover it...

Can come back in 3 years time on less money

 

[Mikevk123]

AFL
B Powell Collins Long
HB Weller Ballard Lukosious
C Ellis Anderson Hollands
HF Ainsworth Chol Flanders
F Rosas King Sexton
FOLL Witts Rowell Miller
I/C- Swallow, Lemmens, Jeffery, Davies

VFL
B Budarick Stein Farrar
HB Blakely Graham Mcpherson
C Sharp Constable Atkins
HF Humphrey Day Berry
F Holman Casboult Burgess
FOLL Moyle Anderson Fiorini
I/C- Andrew, Brock, Tsitsas, Faulkhead, Oea, Uwland, Johnston

 

[My_Username]

Not often a coach talks up any draftee that much.. F50 players better watch your back.

Jefferys King Casbault
Humphries Chol Ainsworth

Missing Holman Lukosius from 2022 round 1 forward line..

It's a tough mix for key forwards...

King, assuming a full recovery, is a given.

As for the other 2....
You want Casboult for experience and toughness 'bash and crash'.
You want Chol for the size, marking, and ruck support.
You want Luko for the skills. (CHF, playing between 30M out and HBF, more for the linkups and I50s than him kicking goals).

Right now, I'd probably be working very hard on encouraging Chol to crash packs more so he can take over Casboult's role better, because I think one of them will be playing in the 2s. Medium/Long term, we want Chol, but right now, Casboult might be the better fit to blend a forward line around (Chol is better individually, but I think as things stand Casboult would make the group better).

It mightn't sound 'nice', but forward lines work better when, as the ball is coming in, defenders are looking out the corner of their eye to see if a big forward is about to crunch them.

 

[Jirik13]

It's a tough mix for key forwards...

King, assuming a full recovery, is a given.

As for the other 2....
You want Casboult for experience and toughness 'bash and crash'.
You want Chol for the size, marking, and ruck support.
You want Luko for the skills. (CHF, playing between 30M out and HBF, more for the linkups and I50s than him kicking goals).

Right now, I'd probably be working very hard on encouraging Chol to crash packs more so he can take over Casboult's role better, because I think one of them will be playing in the 2s. Medium/Long term, we want Chol, but right now, Casboult might be the better fit to blend a forward line around (Chol is better individually, but I think as things stand Casboult would make the group better).

It mightn't sound 'nice', but forward lines work better when, as the ball is coming in, defenders are looking out the corner of their eye to see if a big forward is about to crunch them.

Personally, I see Casboult in VFL. Opposition should struggle to contain King and Chol together, both 2M, quick, mobile. King looks stronger now. Add Jeffrey who can be anything and Luko sneaking in from wing/CHF. I think Luko will start there rather than to be moved back to defence.