Preview 2024 Best 22 Discussion

[DocT]

I have to admit, I am EXTREMELY excited about potentially watching Chappy on the wing and Young on ball

I would be too Snuff EXCEPT what about Chappy's injury history? Have you got reason to be confident in his durability? I am hoping so.

 

[ozzie69]

Your club's best 22 in 2024: Who's in, who's out, who's new

With the Trade Period over, here's your team's best line-up for next year

www.afl.com.au

The Dockers are looking for new options on the wing and in the small forward position, with Heath Chapman expected to lock down one wing after a focused pre-season learning the position. James Aish and Matthew Johnson can rotate on the other, with Andrew Brayshaw also an option to spend time on the outside. Nathan O'Driscoll is not selected but could make a run if he bounces back with a big pre-season. By getting weaker in the Trade Period, the team needs to find organic improvement, and Hayden Young, Josh Treacy, Chapman and Johnson are all tipped here to be significantly stronger players in 2024. Corey Wagner and Karl Worner will battle for a backline spot, while Sam Sturt and Tom Emmett are hard to separate in attack. Injuries have seen Matt Taberner relinquish his ownership of a key forward post, with Luke Jackson expected to play a mix of key forward, ruck and midfield. Champion Nat Fyfe is the wildcard if he can regain full fitness and enough confidence in his body to play as an inside midfielder again. – Nathan Schmook

B: Luke Ryan, Alex Pearce, Brandon Walker
HB: Jordan Clark, Brennan Cox, Corey Wagner
C: Matthew Johnson, Hayden Young, Heath Chapman
HF: Luke Jackson, Josh Treacy, Michael Frederick
F: Michael Walters, Jye Amiss, Sam Switkowski
Foll: Sean Darcy, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw
I/C: Nat Fyfe, Sam Sturt, Jaeger O'Meara, James Aish

Emerg: Neil Erasmus, Matt Taberner, Tom Emmett, Ethan Hughes

--
If Aish is rotating on the wing, then his team is missing a 7th defender, I think.

I really doubt you can consider Brandon Walker at this point - knees take a long time to heal (and often the player is never the same again)

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

I would be too Snuff EXCEPT what about Chappy's injury history? Have you got reason to be confident in his durability? I am hoping so.

No point worrying about that tbh, and like Mattis said, I reckon the wing will help his durability

 

[Purple Jesus]

Your club's best 22 in 2024: Who's in, who's out, who's new

With the Trade Period over, here's your team's best line-up for next year

www.afl.com.au

The Dockers are looking for new options on the wing and in the small forward position, with Heath Chapman expected to lock down one wing after a focused pre-season learning the position. James Aish and Matthew Johnson can rotate on the other, with Andrew Brayshaw also an option to spend time on the outside. Nathan O'Driscoll is not selected but could make a run if he bounces back with a big pre-season. By getting weaker in the Trade Period, the team needs to find organic improvement, and Hayden Young, Josh Treacy, Chapman and Johnson are all tipped here to be significantly stronger players in 2024. Corey Wagner and Karl Worner will battle for a backline spot, while Sam Sturt and Tom Emmett are hard to separate in attack. Injuries have seen Matt Taberner relinquish his ownership of a key forward post, with Luke Jackson expected to play a mix of key forward, ruck and midfield. Champion Nat Fyfe is the wildcard if he can regain full fitness and enough confidence in his body to play as an inside midfielder again. – Nathan Schmook

B: Luke Ryan, Alex Pearce, Brandon Walker
HB: Jordan Clark, Brennan Cox, Corey Wagner
C: Matthew Johnson, Hayden Young, Heath Chapman
HF: Luke Jackson, Josh Treacy, Michael Frederick
F: Michael Walters, Jye Amiss, Sam Switkowski
Foll: Sean Darcy, Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw
I/C: Nat Fyfe, Sam Sturt, Jaeger O'Meara, James Aish

Emerg: Neil Erasmus, Matt Taberner, Tom Emmett, Ethan Hughes

--
If Aish is rotating on the wing, then his team is missing a 7th defender, I think.

Don't hate that lineup at all. Question marks over Walks but half back flank isn't a difficult position to fill, right Wallsy?

 

[GingerDocker]

I wonder if the reduced physicality of playing wing will be beneficial for Chapman. More running, but less contests. He's an exciting wing prospect for sure.

It’s exciting, but is it realistic?

I would have thought, with Young a permanent fixture in the middle, it would mean Chappy would be the best option as that third tall across half back.

I hope any move to the wing doesn’t hinder his general development as an AFL footballer, he’s too good to muck around with.

 

[pK75]

It’s exciting, but is it realistic?

I would have thought, with Young a permanent fixture in the middle, it would mean Chappy would be the best option as that third tall across half back.

I hope any move to the wing doesn’t hinder his general development as an AFL footballer, he’s too good to muck around with.

I tend to agree that Chapman is needed in the backline, especially if we have an injury to Pearce or Cox. The line up of Walker, Clark & Wagner is too small and it probably results in Hughes being played back there.
Let’s see Jackson and Johnson on the wings with Young in the centre provides a lot of marking power between the arcs.

 

[ubiquitous226]

I tend to agree that Chapman is needed in the backline, especially if we have an injury to Pearce or Cox. The line up of Walker, Clark & Wagner is too small and it probably results in Hughes being played back there.
Let’s see Jackson and Johnson on the wings with Young in the centre provides a lot of marking power between the arcs.

If it came down to it would people prefer Chappy on the wing and Hughes in the backline, or vice versa?

 

[pK75]

If it came down to it would people prefer Chappy on the wing and Hughes in the backline, or vice versa?

Fairly confident that Hughes on a wing is dead a buried.
We have NOD, Stanley and potentially Sharp who can all play on the wing. I was all for the Frederick experiment, however with Schultz departing think he’s going to stay in the high half forward position as he’s one of our better set shot options.
I am getting excited about Jackson playing on the open side, to provide a marking target on the opposite side of ground to Darcy and the pack of players around him. See him being a real threat drifting forward opposed to a midfielder. Also floating back from the open side into defence to chop off forward entry’s. The only question is his tank. Maybe he’d spend 50% wing, 20% Ruck and 15% forward (when Amiss is having a spell on the bench)

 

[freo_leo29]

I really doubt you can consider Brandon Walker at this point - knees take a long time to heal (and often the player is never the same again)

Walks is a bit of a specimen though


Already back training with the boys

 

[Docker82]

Walks is a bit of a specimen though


Already back training with the boys

There's posters on this board that want to assume the worst for literally every injury. There was never any indication this was a really bad injury for Walker ever. Yes there's been some bad injuries in that part of the knee but again there was zero indication Walker was one of them.

Not only will he be available round one, he'll be playing games in the pre season.

 

[Bigger]

Apart from that he looked like he’d been shot. Looked in serious pain and he’s from East Fremantle so you know it had to be serious for that to happen.

I too am getting a bit excited by the prospect of Chappy on a wing, Young on ball. Those two fellas basically willed us to victory in the 22 final. Refused to lose. Kept taking the game on, trying to play it our way and just eroded the Dogs through strength of character.

They’re my favourites.

Apart from Dogga, of course. But that’s demanded by God. That’s a rule.

 

[Dayts]

Move over Alex two left Pearce

 

[freo_leo29]

Move over Alex two left Pearce

Got a low bullet like kick for a KPD


As in the other threads though, injury seems to be his problem, will be very interesting if he's available to be a backup when needed!

 

[Dayts]

First thing I noticed to, didn’t mind biting off some of thise risky switches. Type that heart in mouth when AP looks at it…

Might a gem coup if Phil can work him out

 

[Dayts]

I would prefer to see Young tried at wing next season. Showed plenty in the middle. But we’re to loaded with 1 dimensional mids to be playing him there. I think Jom bounces back along with Brodie. Chuck in Johno & Raz and there’s not much room left.
JL clearly wants a defensive mix with his wings and Young brings that, plus a damaging kick. Sharp can play the fat side and run it all day with his apparent 2 games worth tank.
I know Walls and others have suggested Chapman but I’d prefer to see him get through a season down back before sighing up for such a physically demanding role.
I’d also like to see Clark completely let off the chain. Let him run loose play free, Ala Saad / Whitfield / Sinclair / Short

 

[eastfreo75]

6 forwards - Amiss, Treacy, Frederick, Sturt, Walters, Switta
6 backs - Cox, Pearce, Chapman, Ryan, Clark, Walker,
9 midfields - Darcy, Fyfe, Brayshaw, Serong, Young, O'Meara, Johnson, Erasmus, O'Driscoll

Out luckly:
Aish, Taberner, Wagner

 

[pK75]

6 forwards - Amiss, Treacy, Frederick, Sturt, Walters, Switta
6 backs - Cox, Pearce, Chapman, Ryan, Clark, Walker,
9 midfields - Darcy, Fyfe, Brayshaw, Serong, Young, O'Meara, Johnson, Erasmus, O'Driscoll

Out luckly:
Aish, Taberner, Wagner

+ 1 unicorn?

 

[pK75]

After all the talk of McDonald coming in 2024 offseason and how we can still play Darcy, Jackson, Amiss, Treacy and McDonald in the same team, plus our obvious weakness being the wing, why don’t we deploy our biggest weapon (unicorn) in our area of greatest need, obviously he’s still going to be required to roll through the ruck for 15-20% of game time so would play 65-70% time on the wing.
He would be a nightmare match up for any other midfielder, providing an outlet for the dump kick out of D50 and also float forward to be another avenue to score.
For our on-ball line up, 1st choice is going to be AB, Serong and Young, their backups are JOM, Switowski and Johnson respectively, which means Johnson is also only going to spend 65-70% game time on the other wing, so we need a 3rd choice winger to fill the 60%, as a B22 incumbent, Frederick gets the gig for now, should NOD or Stanley come on then he may need to return to the Forward line. He’d still be spending the other 20% game time rotating forward with Switta and JOM. Aish becomes the 7th defender, IMO he plays better when given a target to lockdown rather than the wing.

Looking at this line up, Treacy, Sturt, Emmett and Amiss are going to have to bring elite pressure to stop the ball bouncing out of our forward line.

B22
Ryan Pearce Clark
Wagner Cox Chapman
Johnson Young Jackson
Sturt Treacy Emmett
Tabs Amiss Walters

Darcy Serong Brayshaw

JOM Aish Freddy Switta

Sub: Fyfe

Peel/depth
Worner Draper Walker
Hughes Davies Williams
Stanley Erasmus NOD
Banfield Reidy ????
Corbett Kuek ????

Knobel, Brodie, ????

After the acquisition of O McDonald and placing extreme faith in our ITK posters, here’s my best 22 for 2024 (assuming none of our draftees are going to be a walk up start).

B22
Ryan Pearce Clark
Wagner Cox Chapman
Johnson Young Sharp
Sturt Treacy Frederick
Emmett Amiss Walters

Darcy Serong Brayshaw

Jackson JOM Aish Switta

Sub: Fyfe

Peel/depth
Worner McDonald Walker
????? Davies Hughes
Stanley Erasmus NOD
Banfield Reidy Williams
Draper Tabs ????

Knobel, Brodie, ????

Unavailable: Corbett, Kuek

With Corbett and Kuek both out for at least the first half of the year and Tabs still with a question mark over his back issue, Draper gets a go up forward to see what he’s got.
NOD and Stanley need to prove they are better than Sharp to take a wing spot.
Erasmus and Brodie could overtake JOM in the preseason but the old man gets the gig for now. Fyfe is the super sub.
Jackson can’t be pigeonholed in to one position so I’m starting him on the bench and he can play back up Ruck/Mid/Forward wherever he’s going to be most effective.
Aish is the 7th Defender.

 

[arsesmart]

It'd be an amazing transformation for Sharp to go from not being able to crack a game with the Suns this year, delisted (ie not even on our list), to then not only be best 23 here, but starting 18 in a pivotal role (even more so round 1). The heights of his exposed form at AFL level has only risen to meh standard so far. Tempered expectations might be best.

Chapman is a much more appetising prospect on the wing for me. I've seen him at Colts level (as a bottom-ager) take charge, sweep across the middle of the ground, aggressively win contests and drive the ball forward in brilliant fashion. It was a pretty good indication he had the attributes. For me he could execute the role in a similar vein to Acres, only with greater promise to do it for a longer duration and at a higher level.

 

[Alfonz]

I don't think many people are putting Hughes in their B22, but if we are going to play Chapman and Young in the midfield (understandable), then I bet Hughes will be playing a lot of games. There would be 3 players competing for 2 spots ... Walker, Wagner and Hughes. Even if we were to draft a Hardemann or Hastie type, they are probably still starting out in the WAFL.

 

[pK75]

I don't think many people are putting Hughes in their B22, but if we are going to play Chapman and Young in the midfield (understandable), then I bet Hughes will be playing a lot of games. There would be 3 players competing for 2 spots ... Walker, Wagner and Hughes. Even if we were to draft a Hardemann or Hastie type, they are probably still starting out in the WAFL.

Posted on the Oscar McDonald thread, we could run with him as a genuine 2nd/3rd tall and allow Cox, or even Ryan to move into the spot Young played and Chapman would play if he stays in defence.

 

[Troy Cooked It]

*assuming full fitness - true best 22

FB - Ryan, Pearce, Walker
HB - Clark, Cox, Chapman
C - Aish, Brayshaw, Johnson
Foll - Darcy, Serong, Young
HF - Frederick, Jackson, Switkowski
FF - Walters, Amiss, Treacy

B - Fyfe, Emmett, O'Meara, Sturt
Sub - Erasmus

Explanation of some of the ideas here:

• Young and Aish can drop back to half back hence no backman on the bench.
• If Erasmus either shows it or is given the opportunity to play a mix mid and half fwd then I think he will overtake O'Meara half way through the season and O'Meara goes to sub.
• Chapman much better suited for the half back, replaces Young's intercepting so we aren't lacking there and his best weapon is his rebound kick choices/decisiveness in taking the first option. Being on the fat side wing will keep him out of the action for too long.
• Emmett slots into Shultz' role almost too perfectly, going to get the similar brand of footy with him in and also due to his inexperience it inadvertently gives Sturt more time on the field being the more experienced of the two so an extra positive effect.
• Freddy is the third winger rotated through to cover Aish and Johnson, while Brayshaw rotates out to give Johsnon a centre bounce or 3. This gets Freddy involved more up the ground and chance to get out in space.
• Fyfe gets us clearances in the guts, he can go in when Young drops back so we keep our size, he can then also go forward when we sprinkle big Jackson in the mids to then keep a 3 tall fwd structure, another win win.

Big strengths in our dynamism as a team, players suited to their role and best platform to show their strengths. speed all over and an actual talented forward line.

Next ups and best bets of getting in:

• Wagner should come in when Walker or Clark forget to rebound properly and start stalling our back half movement. Both are better athletically and can be miles better then Wagner but Wagner actually attacks and puts the opposition on the back foot, he can be the reminder to keep them at it.
• Banfield is definitely going to be getting an opportunity, likely in for Sturt or Emmett if the pressure ever dips. Has the tank for that half forward role and with Emmett and Sturt both not cemented they are 2 or 3 off games away from being switched for Bailey
• Brodie is there for if our mids drop the ball again, although will need a change of opinion from match committee as he never got the call up even when Fyfe and O'Meara weren't travelling well.

Dris/Sharp - If either of these two hit pre-season well and perform I think they will come in for an Emmett or Sturt which in turn keeps Frederick forward. Both have the talent just need the right mix of confidence in their own games.

Other depth players are basically only getting in on injuries while these above might get a look for out performing their counterparts, so apologies to them all when I say I hope we don't seem them play

Thx for coming to Troy Cooks TedTalk

 

[apuchar]

I would play Wagner. The others are not consistent run and carry players. Clark should be but isn't really and seems to be liking the more close checking role he has inherited.

 

[pK75]

*assuming full fitness - true best 22

FB - Ryan, Pearce, Walker
HB - Clark, Cox, Chapman
C - Aish, Brayshaw, Johnson
Foll - Darcy, Serong, Young
HF - Frederick, Jackson, Switkowski
FF - Walters, Amiss, Treacy

B - Fyfe, Emmett, O'Meara, Sturt
Sub - Erasmus

Explanation of some of the ideas here:

• Young and Aish can drop back to half back hence no backman on the bench.
• If Erasmus either shows it or is given the opportunity to play a mix mid and half fwd then I think he will overtake O'Meara half way through the season and O'Meara goes to sub.
• Chapman much better suited for the half back, replaces Young's intercepting so we aren't lacking there and his best weapon is his rebound kick choices/decisiveness in taking the first option. Being on the fat side wing will keep him out of the action for too long.
• Emmett slots into Shultz' role almost too perfectly, going to get the similar brand of footy with him in and also due to his inexperience it inadvertently gives Sturt more time on the field being the more experienced of the two so an extra positive effect.
• Freddy is the third winger rotated through to cover Aish and Johnson, while Brayshaw rotates out to give Johsnon a centre bounce or 3. This gets Freddy involved more up the ground and chance to get out in space.
• Fyfe gets us clearances in the guts, he can go in when Young drops back so we keep our size, he can then also go forward when we sprinkle big Jackson in the mids to then keep a 3 tall fwd structure, another win win.

Big strengths in our dynamism as a team, players suited to their role and best platform to show their strengths. speed all over and an actual talented forward line.

Next ups and best bets of getting in:

• Wagner should come in when Walker or Clark forget to rebound properly and start stalling our back half movement. Both are better athletically and can be miles better then Wagner but Wagner actually attacks and puts the opposition on the back foot, he can be the reminder to keep them at it.
• Banfield is definitely going to be getting an opportunity, likely in for Sturt or Emmett if the pressure ever dips. Has the tank for that half forward role and with Emmett and Sturt both not cemented they are 2 or 3 off games away from being switched for Bailey
• Brodie is there for if our mids drop the ball again, although will need a change of opinion from match committee as he never got the call up even when Fyfe and O'Meara weren't travelling well.

Dris/Sharp - If either of these two hit pre-season well and perform I think they will come in for an Emmett or Sturt which in turn keeps Frederick forward. Both have the talent just need the right mix of confidence in their own games.

Other depth players are basically only getting in on injuries while these above might get a look for out performing their counterparts, so apologies to them all when I say I hope we don't seem them play

Thx for coming to Troy Cooks TedTalk

Good write up, and think that’s a good looking team, for me though, Young should be spending his entire TOG in the middle. I also don’t rate Aish that highly as a wing, think he’s better suited as the 7th defender who can be “mr fixit” and plug any holes, his flexibility is his greatest strength.
I’d be playing one of Sharp/NOD/Stanley on the wing and moving Fyfe to the sub role. Fyfe can come in when our younger mids are tiring and provide some clearance muscle.
Erasmus misses out, but is first in if any of the mids are out suspended or injured.

 

[Rooster9]

I would play Wagner. The others are not consistent run and carry players. Clark should be but isn't really and seems to be liking the more close checking role he has inherited.

Walker could be too, but he seems to have been groomed as a lock down defender.

There was one game this year where he actually took off a couple of times, and you could see the opposition crap themselves as he cut through their zone.

I know his disposal can be a bit iffy, and he is a great lock down defender but I would really like to see him make his opponent be accountable as well.