Prediction 2024 - Best 23 + Emergencies - Rolling

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In: Cottrell, Kennedy, Pittonet
Out: C Durdin, E Hollands, JSOS
I would prefer to stick with my players

Cottrell - maybe for C Durdin, but a fit C Durdin will surprise in 2024

EHollands over Kennedy - as he provides more run and X factor. It was a choice between Hewett vs Kennedy

JSOS over Pitto - as I think that TDK is ready to step up. He will only need 15-20% ruck relief. JSOS & maybe H can do that relief ruck. JSOS is very useful in our fwd line
 
Big blokes win matches and make little runts look good in highlight reels. No outside runner is of any use whatsoever - unless some bigger bloke has actually won the ball and got it them. Strange how people forget these basics when they choose their best teams.
 

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Still plenty of others in consideration.
Owies, Motlop, Fantasia, Kemp, Boyd, Cincotta, Cowan, Young (?) + young’ns & Binns, J.Carroll
EH + Weiters on the sidelines for most of March.
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Still plenty of others in consideration.
Owies, Motlop, Fantasia, Kemp, Boyd, Cincotta, Cowan, Young (?) + young’ns & Binns, J.Carroll
EH + Weiters on the sidelines for most of March.
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Kennedy is flying right now and will be one of the first picked in the middle. I’d argue he’s playing better than Cerra and Cripps.
 
My team is more round one than best, that one will definitely be based on form as the season unfolds....

Defenders: Weitering (Round 1 Big Durds), Kemp, Williams, Newman, McGovern, Saad, Doc

Mids: TDK, Acres, O Hollands, Cripps, Walsh, Cera, Kennedy, Hewitt

Fwds: Curnow, McKay, Martin, Motlop, Silvagni, Cotterall, Fogarty/E Hollands

Emg: Cincotta/Fantasia/Owies/Wilson (might be this year's O Hollands)
 
Reckon Fantasia plays round 0
Big chance.

I haven’t nominated a best 22/23. I have one predicated on favourites and projections as much as pure merit, but it is going to be almost impossible for the match committee to (confidently) pick the BEST team in any given week.

As an exercise, if we look at positional groups in isolation as opposed in trying to put a BALANCED team together, we have a glut of players. I feel for those who miss.

Fantasia deserving, as are Motlop, Durdin, Fogarty and Owies, arguably Cottrell is in that small forward mix.

Mediums Martin, E.Hollands, Cuningham, with Moir to come and a solid message not to dismiss Monaghan when he gets some game time behind him.

Key/tall forwards is easier, set and forget Charlie and Harry if fit. Does TDK stay as forward/ruck behind Pitto, or does SOS play forward and relieving ruck behind TDK?

So ruck? TDK or/and Pitto? Genuine 50/50 question.

Midfielders, on ball Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewett, Kennedy and Docherty are all being regarded as locks, as is Elijah as a forward/mid. Jack Carroll is “ripped” and has never been too far away. Wilson getting rave reviews, but will have to wait. Ollie is going to be an inside midfielder at some stage

Outside mids, we have four “top team” types in Acres, Ollie, Docherty and Cottrell pretty much incumbent. Binns waiting for his opportunity and Wilson “in the wings” (pun intended).

The backline is perhaps more packed again on the small/medium side Saad, Williams, Newman, Cincotta, Cowan and board favourite Boyd are all legitimate first graders. Matt Carroll will have plenty of time for development.

Weitering clearly leader of the pack with the talls. McGovern, Marchbank and Kemp are clearly first graders. Then the back up custodians Young and Sam Durdin have differing levels of confidence. Young, while seemingly struggling has shown his capability to play as the key. Perhaps he is struggling as layers are added to instruction, perhaps as the team as a unit did early in 2023. Durdin was more than adequate when called on (before injury) and is dominant in the twos.

I count 32 undoubted best 22 players.

That excludes Young, Nigel, Carroll, Binns, Moir and Wilson. Reasonable chance one of Young or Durdin is called upon early in the season. Wow.
 
If Corey Durdin is fit and in form he’s in our best 22. Brings pace, aggression and pressure to our forward line.
Admittedly he has to get front and centre more often and kick more goals.

I like him and Motlop as our smalls as I think they work well together.

Like everyone else though I have no idea who plays round 0 as Fog, Owies, Fantasia also fighting for that position.

Will come down to preseason form.
 
Big chance.

I haven’t nominated a best 22/23. I have one predicated on favourites and projections as much as pure merit, but it is going to be almost impossible for the match committee to (confidently) pick the BEST team in any given week.

As an exercise, if we look at positional groups in isolation as opposed in trying to put a BALANCED team together, we have a glut of players. I feel for those who miss.

Fantasia deserving, as are Motlop, Durdin, Fogarty and Owies, arguably Cottrell is in that small forward mix.

Mediums Martin, E.Hollands, Cuningham, with Moir to come and a solid message not to dismiss Monaghan when he gets some game time behind him.

Key/tall forwards is easier, set and forget Charlie and Harry if fit. Does TDK stay as forward/ruck behind Pitto, or does SOS play forward and relieving ruck behind TDK?

So ruck? TDK or/and Pitto? Genuine 50/50 question.

Midfielders, on ball Cripps, Walsh, Cerra, Hewett, Kennedy and Docherty are all being regarded as locks, as is Elijah as a forward/mid. Jack Carroll is “ripped” and has never been too far away. Wilson getting rave reviews, but will have to wait. Ollie is going to be an inside midfielder at some stage

Outside mids, we have four “top team” types in Acres, Ollie, Docherty and Cottrell pretty much incumbent. Binns waiting for his opportunity and Wilson “in the wings” (pun intended).

The backline is perhaps more packed again on the small/medium side Saad, Williams, Newman, Cincotta, Cowan and board favourite Boyd are all legitimate first graders. Matt Carroll will have plenty of time for development.

Weitering clearly leader of the pack with the talls. McGovern, Marchbank and Kemp are clearly first graders. Then the back up custodians Young and Sam Durdin have differing levels of confidence. Young, while seemingly struggling has shown his capability to play as the key. Perhaps he is struggling as layers are added to instruction, perhaps as the team as a unit did early in 2023. Durdin was more than adequate when called on (before injury) and is dominant in the twos.

I count 32 undoubted best 22 players.

That excludes Young, Nigel, Carroll, Binns, Moir and Wilson. Reasonable chance one of Young or Durdin is called upon early in the season. Wow.

Certainly a good position to be in, especially for supporters having a decent group vying for 6-8 spots each week

While I admire certain traits in a footballer, I don't have favourites, it always comes down to output and or what they add to the whole

The intriguing aspect will be who cements themselves in the side with an evolving gameplan, within the first 6 weeks of the season
 
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I think that the only selections with some intrigue will be...

What ruck combo will we try?
Does JSOS get a game?
Who fills in for Weiters (and possibly remains in the side with a healthy list)?
Do we include Cripps, Cerra, George and Kennedy in the final 22?

All the rest should be based on form, fitness and results over the the first month of the season.
 

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I think that the only selections with some intrigue will be...

What ruck combo will we try?
Does JSOS get a game?
Who fills in for Weiters (and possibly remains in the side with a healthy list)?
Do we include Cripps, Cerra, George and Kennedy in the final 22?

All the rest should be based on form, fitness and results over the the first month of the season.
Martin and JSOS as the 3rd, 4th talls up forward.

Martin can cameo in the middle and at HB too, if required.

JSOS a cameo specialist too.

The two small forward spots are the interesting picks....all have claims...
 
Thoughts on Jack Silvagni playing full back replacing Weitering for the first 1-3 rounds? 191 cm and has great athleticism. Surely rucking against taller guys puts him in good stead v key forwards. Plenty of other teams have around the same height playing a key post.
 
Thoughts on Jack Silvagni playing full back replacing Weitering for the first 1-3 rounds?
Don't like it

191 cm and has great athleticism
He doesn't, certainly not to go with most of the taller and or quicker athletic key forwards, Kings, Daniher, Amiss, etc

. Surely rucking against taller guys puts him in good stead v key forwards.
Completely different roles

Plenty of other teams have around the same height playing a key post.
At 191? Doubt it
 
If Corey Durdin is fit and in form he’s in our best 22. Brings pace, aggression and pressure to our forward line.
Admittedly he has to get front and centre more often and kick more goals.

I like him and Motlop as our smalls as I think they work well together.

Like everyone else though I have no idea who plays round 0 as Fog, Owies, Fantasia also fighting for that position.

Will come down to preseason form.
I think the choice is not about who is best. It is more about style/game levers. Creative scorers (Motlop/Fantasia) vs chasedown / hardworking small fwds (Owies/Durdin).

Are we choosing Hawthorn (Bruest/Rioli) or Richmond (Butler/Castagna).
From some of the games I have paid attention to, there is no point taking in one chase down forward with no help. He just runs around and is looped over.

Motlop is an interesting prospect to consider. Early 2023 he ran through the middle with no tackling/intent letting opponents carve us up. Late season when he was given a second chance, he chased down 'hard' before slowly reverting more to type of trying to be creative and move off his opponent to create. Def con 5 Motlop will chase down tackle but given a choice he will want to risk and create. Same with Fantasia.

Be really interesting to see which lever is pulled round 1.

The decision is more interesting because i feel JSoS for a third tall is really good at chasedown/pressure while TDK as a third forward is lost after flying for a mark.
 
Stephen May is only 193cm and is one of the better key defenders in the game. We used Glenn Manton at 185cm as a full back for a number of years quite successfully. Jack Silvagni at 191cm, he's not slower than Weitering, probably has the right traits to play defence against taller opposition, it's not the worst suggestion but we have options like Durdin and Young who are just better options IMO.

We're up against Daniher, Lynch, Larkey and if he's not back in time, Taylor Walker in round 5. So whoever gets the job is being thrown straight into the fire.

Probably the worst run of games to lose our fullback.
 
Thoughts on Jack Silvagni playing full back replacing Weitering for the first 1-3 rounds? 191 cm and has great athleticism. Surely rucking against taller guys puts him in good stead v key forwards. Plenty of other teams have around the same height playing a key post.
Can't see it. For fullback, he'd be behind Durdin, Young, Marchbank, Kemp & Gov. CHB behind the same group, and as a 3rd defender he's probably behind Gov, Kemp, Marchbank & Cowan enters the mix.

Not sure I see the same athleticism; he's a smart footballer & tends to read the play well, but he's hardly fast & doesn't have a ridiculous leap or anything like that which could help compensate for him being (comparatively) undersized.

We've got 3 guys on the list who are legitimate D1 options - Weitering, Durdin & Young - then another couple who join the mix for D2 in Marchbank & Kemp, plus Gov (& possibly Cowan) as the 3rd. Really hard to see Jack, or another of our forwards, being parachuted in for a short-term role that they haven't trained for, ahead of someone who actually plays the role.

Aside from that weird, short-lived Cerra/Kennedy half-back moment, the team has opted away from forcing players into the side in a different position & preferred to go next-up from the positional pool.

I still see Jack's 'battle' being against Pitto, one of them to share the ruck with TDK. That call may even not be primarily about Jack or Marc, which is a little awkward. If we want Tom taking the majority share of ruck work then Jack could be the better option (with Harry taking forward half/non-centre bounces), but if we want Tom splitting his time forward (or playing more fwd than ruck) then I could see Pitto getting the call.

It's one of the several positional/structural decisions that are going to be fascinating to watch unfold over preseason & the early part of the season. FWIW the others I have are:
  • tall def structure: 1 or 2 genuine keys, 1 or 2 or 3 hybrids, how many gen/small fit in the 7 after that, etc
  • in/out mid structure: 2 or 3 pure inside mids, 2 or 3 wings
  • small forwards: how many 'pure' small fwds play, how many gen/hff/mid-fwd types. ie Motlop/Fantasia/Durdin/Owies vs EHollands/Fog/DC/etc
 
Stephen May is only 193cm and is one of the better key defenders in the game. We used Glenn Manton at 185cm as a full back for a number of years quite successfully. Jack Silvagni at 191cm, he's not slower than Weitering, probably has the right traits to play defence against taller opposition, it's not the worst suggestion but we have options like Durdin and Young who are just better options IMO.

We're up against Daniher, Lynch, Larkey and if he's not back in time, Taylor Walker in round 5. So whoever gets the job is being thrown straight into the fire.

Probably the worst run of games to lose our fullback.
May's a lot 'bigger' than Jack though. I reckon he's a bit like Charlie, in that his height is a little deceptive. Thick/solid build, big shoulders, longer arms, short neck or posture that slumps his head a bit. They both play well above their listed height.

Durdin & Young are both about 200cm & 100kg, then Marchbank & Kemp are both ballpark of 193 & 90ish which is similar to Jack, but I think play 'bigger' than Jack, who's probably closer to Gov (190 & 88) but without the same top-speed or leap that has him locked in as the 3rd/intercept defender role.
 
Thoughts on Jack Silvagni playing full back replacing Weitering for the first 1-3 rounds? 191 cm and has great athleticism. Surely rucking against taller guys puts him in good stead v key forwards. Plenty of other teams have around the same height playing a key post.


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Prediction 2024 - Best 23 + Emergencies - Rolling

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