Prediction 2025 - Best 23 + Emergencies - Rolling

[djholmes]

B: Cowan---------------Weitering-----------Newman

H: Docherty------------McGovern-----------Saad

C: Acres-----------------Cripps-------------O.Hollands

H: Silvagni--------------Curnow------------E.Hollands

F: Fogarty---------------McKay--------------Williams

Foll: De Koning, Cerra, Walsh

Bench: Haynes, Hewett, Pick 3 (midfielder), Moir

Sub: Kemp

Emerg: Pittonet, Cincotta, Lord, Cottrell, Fantasia, C.Durdin, Motlop

 

[JuddgementDay]

There are a few players to get extremely excited about next season. Lord, Kemp, Moir and Haynes. Yes Pick 3 as well. There are a clutch of players coming in who will make a big difference to our side and what qualities it has. Speed and pressure boosts.

Cooper Lord is a player I don't think will miss games next season. There is something special about this player. He has a really quick onballers brain. You see the tackles he makes, he comes off his man, he comes from a fair way sometimes to make them because he reads where the ball is going and reads the situation so well. We don't have much of that, we have a lot of see ball get ball but we don't have much of this.

What else impresses me is his ability to get the ball out. When he gets hands on it, he's hard to tackle, he breaks tackles, moves through traffic and is accurate and dangerous with his handball release. No panic at all. He then spreads exceptionally well. His kicking is another area that impresses me. Accurate and vision. We have a young player with an extremely good football brain and the body and talents to execute what he sees. I think we underrated him last season. I hope we see it this next season.

Moir is another player who has that footy brain and special skillset that we just don't have and you just can't teach. Watching his later VFL work and AFL work, he just has it. He's not a flash in the pan type, he's the full package. He reads the game. Comes from miles away to make a tackle. Gets to positions at just the right time to get hands on the ball. He doesn't need to run 15 Km/game. He's smart. He will win the ball in the position he is playing and he will be a big impact player. He's got that spark that guys like Fev and Betts had. Create something out of nothing regularly. They can just make thing happen by repeatedly getting to the right spots and having excess skills and anticipation. He will play most games.

Kemp is a player that has been criticised a bit but I think that will go away quickly. A lot to playing him out of position has brought that about. Watching his forward work. We have something there. His pace and endurance is excellent and he will use it to get forward and make good position when we look to move the ball quickly. He should often have space due to Curnow and McKay attracting a lot of attention. His hands above his head are good. His reading of the ball in the air is good and he seems to know where to run to get a kick as a forward. What I also love is that at ground level he has the pace and the skill to make an impact. He really is your modern day prototype 3rd tall forward. Fast, good over head, seems to read the game well, good endurance and good at ground level. I liked his run down and tackle pressure he brought at the end of last year. IMO he will be a great addition to the forward line.

Haynes there is no excitement about but if we can get a couple of seasons close to his best footy then we have a really good addition here. Haynes is a top line defender who many think has been pushed out or is too old. I would like to think that is not the case.

As for Pick 3. This is going to be a gun. A player like Smith or Draper could add so much to our team. So much. There will be pace, class intense natural footballers there for us to take and this will make us better.

Docherty I forget to mention. I don't get how some can't see where he fits into the team. Defence, Midfield as either wing or on the ball. He was even toyed with as a forward last time he was fit. Docherty is a high class player who most definitely fits into our team.

There is a lot to look forward to next season. Hopefully we get Cerra fit. Hopefully we get Motlop going.

If we can add more players forward who are genuine forwards with high level skills and forward brains we will jump. Same in the middle. We go from only 2 marking options forward to 4 or more our ball movement jumps and we become a dangerous forward side. Some pace and tackle pressure in the middle and we don't get blown away when we haven't got the ball, we just stay in it. Better depth and pace in the middle and we do more damage.

We should have high expectations next season.

I like reading your posts - keep 'em coming!

You are right, there's a lot to be excited about - I've just done my best 23 and added a lot of youth, I like the balance of our side now.

Bring on 2025 already!