Prediction 2023 Best 23

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citizen-erased said:
Trying one where the unlikely return of McKenna occurs & playing the mature options;

Ridley - Zerk - Kelly
McKenna - Laverde - Redman
McGrath - Setterfield - Martin
Parish - Weideman - Guelfi
Tippa - Wright - Stringer
Draper - Merrett - Shiel
Caldwell - Heppell - Snelling - Hind - Langford

This gives the likes of Hobbs, Perkins, Cox, Reid, Bryan & the draftees a bit of breathing space to develop and really force their way in.
I have Parish where he is as I expect our midfielders are going to be asked to do more around the ground.
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Perkins gains nothing from going back to the vfl to develop. Cox and hobbs are in the 22 if they have big summers
 
andleanback said:
Perkins gains nothing from going back to the vfl to develop. Cox and hobbs are in the 22 if they have big summers
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with a bit of competition for spots though, even if he wins most of the time.
 

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un_eggs said:
People against Cox as a winger are conveniently overlooking the fact that he spent a year already doing a bloody good job of it and the trajectory was impressive to say the least. Our team form is the main reason for his 2nd year blues, imo, rather than him being unsuited to the role. His first year form was too impressive to discard the notion entirely thus robbing us of a potential weapon that no other team has a match for. As our group becomes more mature and work better as a unit, Cox will be that asset that drives opposition coaches nuts.
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No. He played okay early until sides started to put work into him. Running him off the ball and exploiting his lack of positioning.
By the end of 2021 his form was average.
 
Mikevk123 said:
Laverde shouldn’t be best 22.
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I haven’t been game to say it but this is a conclusion I’ve almost came to as well.

By the end of the season I’d hope our back 7 is Ridley, BZT, Cox, McGrath, Reid, Redman and Massimo.
 
my-image (1).png

Reid in the team with onfield support from Laverde and Ridley.
Stewart and Cox on the bench to give us options at either end.
Setterfield in the centre to balance out our midfield combinations.
Giving Hind his last chance with Mass ready to take his spot.
Martin and Perkins will have to do the team stuff first as they have kept Snelling and Guelfi out.
Tippa in the side is hopeful. Menzie or Guelfi would be my choice if he's not ready.
 
ant555 said:
No. He played okay early until sides started to put work into him. Running him off the ball and exploiting his lack of positioning.
By the end of 2021 his form was average.
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So, you agree that he has shown that he can play the role. He’s not a player who has been tried and utterly failed from the get-go. If a kid loses confidence in his second season due to the opposition putting work into him it shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially yourself who has a keen eye. It’s challenging for a second year player to pull himself out of a form slump at the best of times but especially when the whole team is down on confidence and losing games. Learning positioning is something that he will need to work out no matter where they plonk him. This can be developed with good coaching gulp.
 
un_eggs said:
So, you agree that he has shown that he can play the role. He’s not a player who has been tried and utterly failed from the get-go. If a kid loses confidence in his second season due to the opposition putting work into him it shouldn’t surprise anyone, especially yourself who has a keen eye. It’s challenging for a second year player to pull himself out of a form slump at the best of times but especially when the whole team is down on confidence and losing games. Learning positioning is something that he will need to work out no matter where they plonk him. This can be developed with good coaching gulp.
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So playing a few okay games is me saying he can play the role.
Nope.
We have an ordinary bunch of key defenders and a good bunch of wingers .
Why dick around turning a potential star KPP into an okay wing ?
If we had of played him half back he would be ready to play a role now an not maybe be a wing .
We burnt Langford doing the same thing . Trying to turn him into something he was not.
 
Last edited:
The list is in good shape IMO.

Player brackets (age not the only factor in where they land).
Best 22 relevant players only.

1. Veteran [ Will play but on the way out ] :
- Heppell

2. Senior players [ Maybe no more up side / but still plenty to offer ]
  • Stringer
  • Shiel
  • Tippa
  • Stewart
  • Hind

3. Prime [ Players in their peak period ]
  • Merrett
  • Parish
  • Laverde
  • Langford
  • Wright

4. On the cusp [ Players just about to hit prime ]
  • McGrath
  • Redman
  • Draper
  • Ridley
  • Guelfi
  • Weideman
  • Setterfield
  • Thatcher

5. Developing [ Young talent on the rise ]
  • Caldwell
  • Jones
  • Martin
  • Durham
  • Bryan
  • Cox
  • Reid
  • Perkins
  • D'Ambrosio
  • Hobbs
  • Wanganeen
  • pick #4
  • Pick #22
  • Davey twins
 
Joeyjoejoe said:
The list is in good shape IMO.

Player brackets (age not the only factor in where they land).
Best 22 relevant players only.

1. Veteran [ Will play but on the way out ]

2. Senior players [ Maybe no more up side / but still plenty to offer ]

3. Prime [ Players in their peak period ]

4. On the cusp [ Players just about to hit prime ]

5. Developing [ Young talent on the rise ]
Click to expand...

Reckon something like 'Depth' should be a category in this kind of best 22-ish list, there's a few that don't quite fit in above. Players that we don't necessarily want playing lots of games up are happy to have on the list. For example I don't think we can really predict Setterfield is about to 'hit his prime'.

I'd have Setterfield, Weideman, Stewart, Kelly. Maybe the draftees slot in there as unlike the others we probably don't want them playing huge roles in '23.
 
ant555 said:
So playing a few okay games is me saying he can play the role.
Nope.
We have an ordinary bunch of key defenders and a good bunch of wingers .
Why dick around turning a potential star KPP into an okay wing ?
If we had of played him half back he would be ready to play a role now an not maybe be a wing .
We burnt Langford doing the same thing . Trying to turn him into something he was not.
Click to expand...
It's only a suspicion, but I can't imagine the club would let go of Brand and Eyre if they were planning on playing Cox as a wing.

Stewart, Reid, BZT and Cox are really the only genuine key backs we have now (and no I don't think Laverde or Ridley are KPD's, they are both 3rd talls if everyone is fit).
 
TheGrizz said:
It's only a suspicion, but I can't imagine the club would let go of Brand and Eyre if they were planning on playing Cox as a wing.

Stewart, Reid, BZT and Cox are really the only genuine key backs we have now (and no I don't think Laverde or Ridley are KPD's, they are both 3rd talls if everyone is fit).
Click to expand...
They see McBride as a key defender too
 

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ant555 said:
So playing a few okay games is me saying he can play the role.
Nope.
We have an ordinary bunch of key defenders and a good bunch of wingers .
Why dick around turning a potential star KPP into an okay wing ?
If we had of played him half back he would be ready to play a role now an not maybe be a wing .
We burnt Langford doing the same thing . Trying to turn him into something he was not.
Click to expand...
I know you will remain steadfast in your opinion, which is fine. But can you also see the rare opportunity to develop a unique piece to the puzzle? It’s the taster we got from his first year that got me excited and it seems a shame to dismiss that based on a form slump during a bleak season for the whole team. In regards to whether he becomes kpp or free-roaming wing/mid… I reckon I t’s a legitimate ‘either/or’ in my mind. Sure, develop him as a defender where we have a couple of genuine young talents to develop there already. That’s fine, and he could become a champion back there. But I still think he is a bit more than a lost giraffe on the wing.
 
un_eggs said:
I know you will remain steadfast in your opinion, which is fine. But can you also see the rare opportunity to develop a unique piece to the puzzle? It’s the taster we got from his first year that got me excited and it seems a shame to dismiss that based on a form slump during a bleak season for the whole team. In regards to whether he becomes kpp or free-roaming wing/mid… I reckon I t’s a legitimate ‘either/or’ in my mind. Sure, develop him as a defender where we have a couple of genuine young talents to develop there already. That’s fine, and he could become a champion back there. But I still think he is a bit more than a lost giraffe on the wing.
Click to expand...
If I could see it I would agree.
If we keep lining him up on a wing my view is in three years we will be asking why we torched a potential star .
We have spent years trying to turn flankers into midfielders and often not drafting the obvious.
Develop him in the position he knows best .
When I go and watch other sides live to see the point of difference I can see even more how bad he is on a wing.
 
Keystone agony said:
If Zerk is capable of playing on the #1 KPF it solves a fair few issues

I think all 4 of Reid, Zerk, Ridley, Cox can play in the same back 6 and it means we have far less need for Laverde
Click to expand...

Lav will play as an undersized key defender until one of Zerk, Reid or Cox prove the can do it consistently- Ridley a great player but more of and intercept defender and I wouldn’t put him in a group with Cox, Reid or Zerk


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Keystone agony said:
If Zerk is capable of playing on the #1 KPF it solves a fair few issues

I think all 4 of Reid, Zerk, Ridley, Cox can play in the same back 6 and it means we have far less need for Laverde
Click to expand...

I think we need to prioritise Reid and Cox.

I’d have Reid, Cox, Ridley and Redman as locks.

Lav currently ahead of Kelly.

Hopefully McGrath moves to a back pocket.

Then whoever’s in form out of Hind/Massimo.

Hoping BZT and Stewart are depth when we’re at full strength.
 
bombreys said:
I think we need to prioritise Reid and Cox.

I’d have Reid, Cox, Ridley and Redman as locks.

Lav currently ahead of Kelly.

Hopefully McGrath moves to a back pocket.

Then whoever’s in form out of Hind/Massimo.

Hoping BZT and Stewart are depth when we’re at full strength.
Click to expand...
The question then needs to be whos playing on Hawkins, Lynch, H.Mckay ect ?

Zerks form back end of last year was very solid, im just not sure hes best as the KPD1 or in an interceptor role
 
Keystone agony said:
The question then needs to be whos playing on Hawkins, Lynch, H.Mckay ect ?

Zerks form back end of last year was very solid, im just not sure hes best as the KPD1 or in an interceptor role
Click to expand...
It’s a good point, as I don’t think Reid’s ever going to be able to play on those guys.

I thought Zerk was solid too - but I think he’d need to outplay Lav, Kelly and Stewart to be getting a game - I don’t see it in him to take on your bigger FF’s, and I much prefer Ridley as a primary interceptor and Cox as a secondary. Zerk’s skills improved a bit this year but they’re still pretty poor
 
bombreys said:
It’s a good point, as I don’t think Reid’s ever going to be able to play on those guys.

I thought Zerk was solid too - but I think he’d need to outplay Lav, Kelly and Stewart to be getting a game - I don’t see it in him to take on your bigger FF’s, and I much prefer Ridley as a primary interceptor and Cox as a secondary. Zerk’s skills improved a bit this year but they’re still pretty poor
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Just dont see playing Laverde on any of those guys achieving much

If Zerks playing KPD1 than skill becomes less of a factor for him

Be interesting what Scott does
 
Keystone agony said:
The question then needs to be whos playing on Hawkins, Lynch, H.Mckay ect ?

Zerks form back end of last year was very solid, im just not sure hes best as the KPD1 or in an interceptor role
Click to expand...
Ive got Stewart on the interchange as an option to reinforce either end depending on needs/matchups. If Reid/Laverde/Ridley arent able to handle oppo tall fwds we'd have Stewart as support. If defence is going well he can swing forward and give us a mismatch there
 
Bjchan13 said:
Ive got Stewart on the interchange as an option to reinforce either end depending on needs/matchups. If Reid/Laverde/Ridley arent able to handle oppo tall fwds we'd have Stewart as support. If defence is going well he can swing forward and give us a mismatch there
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Maybe something like that can work with a 23 man team

So you have Cox on a wing still?
 
If the rumours of a 23 player side are true:

Seniors:

FB: Andrew McGrath - Brandon Zerk-Thatcher - Jayden Laverde
HB: Jordan Ridley - Zach Reid - Mason Redman
MF: Kyle Langford - Jye Caldwell - Sam Durham
HF: Will Snelling - Harrison Jones - Matthew Guelfi
FF: Jake Stringer - Peter Wright - Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
OB: Sam Draper - Darcy Parish - Zach Merrett
IC: Dylan Shiel - Archie Perkins - Jake Kelly - Nic Martin - Sam Weideman

Reserves:

FB: Alastair Lord - James Stewart - Cian McBride
HB: Nick Hind - Nik Cox - Massimo D'Ambrosio
MF: Alwyn Davey - Henry Hustwaite - Dyson Heppell
HF: Tex Wanganeen - Patrick Voss - Anthony Munkara
FF: Jayden Davey - Kaine Baldwin - Jye Menzie
OB: Nick Bryan - Ben Hobbs - Elijah Tsatas
IC: Andrew Phillips - Joe Atley - Will Setterfield - Josh Eyre*
23P: Luca Alessio

*If Munkara becomes a Cat B rookie
 

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Prediction 2023 Best 23

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