Section 5
Norm Smith Medallist
- Nov 26, 2018
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I agree completely you need to replace height with height and of course they need to be Fagans height too.
Training 2025 Pre-Season Thread
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- Nov 8, 2017
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Absurd that 4 premiership players are emergencies the game after a grand final, and another isnt in the best 26 (McKenna).
Your club's best 22 in 2025: Who's in, who's out, who's new
With the trade period and draft done, our reporters have their say on your team's best line-up for next yearwww.afl.com.au
Fish prefers Doedee over Lester
Smith over Day
Levi over Fletcher
And Coleman comes in for Answerth
Sub: One of the emerg.
I just don't see Doedee coming straight into a premiership side without seeing how he handles the VFL.
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With so much quality sitting outside of the premiership players, this is a difficult team to select. Ryan Lester was a finals hero and will play plenty of games, but the club recruited Tom Doedee for a reason and his best should see him win a spot. Like Doedee, Keidean Coleman will return from a ruptured ACL and is in the best team, but who he ultimately replaces is anyone's guess. Noah Answerth proved a perfect defensive complement in September and would be mighty unlucky. Levi Ashcroft's addition forces another squeeze, and that's not even accounting for another ACL returnee in Lincoln McCarthy. Coach Chris Fagan also has to fill the gaping void left by the retiring Joe Daniher and young Henry Smith's ability to both play forward and ruck could give him the nod here. At full strength, Brisbane has an embarrassment of riches. - Michael Whiting
B: Tom Doedee, Harris Andrews, Brandon Starcevich
HB: Darcy Wilmot, Jack Payne, Dayne Zorko
C: Jarrod Berry, Hugh McCluggage, Zac Bailey
HF: Cam Rayner, Eric Hipwood, Kai Lohmann
F: Charlie Cameron, Henry Smith, Logan Morris
Foll: Oscar McInerney, Lachie Neale, Will Ashcroft
I/C: Keidean Coleman, Josh Dunkley, Levi Ashcroft, Cal Ah Chee
Emerg: Ryan Lester, Noah Answerth, Jaspa Fletcher, Darcy Fort
That's ignorning first round pick Sam Marshall, the guy who was leading our B&F at round 7 (Linc) and guys who have played very servicable footy for us recently - Shadeau, Reville, Dizzy. Dev was WA captain not long ago and should be coming in to his prime. Will Maclaghlin was shaping up as a high draft pick when we snapped him up. I hope Tunstill wants to fight for a game too....
The young talls are the only ones I can't see getting a look in, injury aside - Lloyd, ZZ, Gallop and the mid season draftees.
Zac Bailey out, Levi in, would be the closest to a like for like swap.
Going to controversial here, but Cameron should be the player on notice, as I feel his performances have really dropped off.
Going to controversial here, but Cameron should be the player on notice, as I feel his performances have really dropped off.
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Let's see how he goes with a preseason unaffected by dental surgery, rogue WhatsApp chats and whatnot.
He’s been carrying an ankle injury for at least two seasons now.
Walks with a noticeable limp these days, and has lost a yard of pace.
Time for squad rotation this season.
Could certainly be an option if our list stays healthy.
That said, there’s always injuries. FWIW there is absolutely zero chance for mine that Fletcher misses out. He surprisingly didn’t get the kudos he deserved from many - some of his work under pressure in the Geelong game (marking cleanly running back with the flight and dishing off to Wilmot for example) was fantastic.
It’s exciting to have Levi arrive, but his performances over the pre season need to be top shelf to knock out a proven player from the best 22. It might be a case of having to bide his time until form or injury open the door for him.
Section 5
Norm Smith Medallist
- Nov 26, 2018
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A little controversial on Charlie. We do have a couple but not many backup options.
The best being McCarthy when fit and ready. Then the untried McLachlan and Craven.
Charlie is 31 in July and will be playing his 12 season of footy.
Stands to reason he may drop off a bit. He is still quick but not like he was.
His accuracy (confidence) was down in 2024 but still able to kick 44-30
Hardly missed a game between 2019-2024.
Has to deal with the best lockdown defender each week.
That allowed Lohmann a bit of freedom to notch up 36 goals in 2024. Lohmann likely gets more attention next year.
Nunez
Premium Platinum
Yeah let's drop a small forward who kicked 40+ and applied great pressure 
rye
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even in a 'down' year cameron was our highest goal kicker aside from daniher and only kicked 2 goals less than the small forward who had the most goals in stengle. would say theres 0 chance he falls out of the 22 barring injury and someone subsequently forcing him out of the side.
If Levi's fit he plays. Apart from his undoubted talent it's too good a marketing opportunity for the club with the two brothers playing together . I can't remember this much talent and excitement around brothers since the Krakoeur brothers came to Vic and they were a sensation at the time.
I'm in the camp that the players who got us through those 4 finals to a flag hold their spots until injury or form forces them out so it could be tight trying to get Levi in but get him in they will. Maybe his injury interrupted prep might be the excuse to hold off for a game or two but it's unlikely we'll play him in the twos imo.
I'm in the camp that the players who got us through those 4 finals to a flag hold their spots until injury or form forces them out so it could be tight trying to get Levi in but get him in they will. Maybe his injury interrupted prep might be the excuse to hold off for a game or two but it's unlikely we'll play him in the twos imo.
The Cameron, Lohmann ,Ah Chee small forward set up was in large part what got us to the GF and we all saw what they did on GF day. They kept getting goals and helping each other sharing the offensive and defensive roles.
You'd have to be insane to mess with that.
Section 5
Norm Smith Medallist
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I was not advocating anything regarding Charlie
Just replying to briztoon about his form which was still good and who are the only replacements.
There are posters on BF that want Linc in their side but who do you drop for him to come back in
A great position to be in as a club not so much if you are the player missing out.
Thats one reason why premiership teams regularly lose player to other clubs for more opportunity.
Others see the writing on the wall and move while their form is still good.
Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
Too soon Briztoon. I just opened my Charlie Cameron face car air freshener. It smells like raw papadums.
Anyway, Charlie’s role has changed drastically from the Charlie Cameron you’re thinking of. He is much more team orientated now and gets up the ground. Despite this and taking into account he also had the yips with set shots, he still kicked 44 goals. He is also commercially invaluable to the club.
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Plus, I would not like to see Kai Lohmann's attempt at growing a mo.
Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
Re Doedee you have to play him if he is fit and the form looks good in the VFL. It’s why we got him here.
Lester will get first crack because I don’t imagine doedee will be ready to go round 0 and they’ll probably want to play him in the VFL after such a long stint on the sidelines.
Lester's greatest strength in 24 was his footy iq, positioning and reading of the play. Hard to pick against him at the moment on exposed form. Whether he can keep it up at 32 going on 33 is the question.
Lester will get first crack because I don’t imagine doedee will be ready to go round 0 and they’ll probably want to play him in the VFL after such a long stint on the sidelines.
Lester's greatest strength in 24 was his footy iq, positioning and reading of the play. Hard to pick against him at the moment on exposed form. Whether he can keep it up at 32 going on 33 is the question.
mpal6
Norm Smith Medallist
Neale is 32 this May and I'd give him as many breaks as possible to get the body right for second half of season than play him injured going forward.
We have the depth and need to start looking at the next wave of midfielders, first few rounds may be a good opportunity for fit youngsters to take over the middle and show what they've got. Ashcroft brothers, Fletcher, Lohmann etc alongside McCluggage, Dunkley, Berry, Rayner and so on.
We have the depth and need to start looking at the next wave of midfielders, first few rounds may be a good opportunity for fit youngsters to take over the middle and show what they've got. Ashcroft brothers, Fletcher, Lohmann etc alongside McCluggage, Dunkley, Berry, Rayner and so on.
I think your right, I'd just add the word 'eventually' Doedee gets over Lester but Doedee plays 5 or 6 VFL games first to get his rhythm back and prove the knees are stable to himself and the coaching team.
I agree with you. Somewhere I read or saw an interview the Charlie spend last years concentrating on his defence and getting up the ground to help out. Makes sense after Linc was injured as he is a great defensive forward. I got a snippet from somewhere Charlie might have been sacrificing his attacking game for defence and team play and he certainly was better all over the ground. With Ling back maybe Charlie concretes some energy for all out attack but agree his is the small forward probably on notice to kick more goals and to fix his accuracy from right in front.
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Fish must be drunk on hot cross buns; seriously squeezing Jaspa out, a specialist wingman one of our better finals series players over someone who has never played an AFL game or any other ins is seriously laughable.
And then Doedee over Lester; rightio, one has barely put a foot wrong in 12 months and played in a GF and the other has barely got on the park in two years and is the preferred option.
When he made one late last year he said on the roar deal that it was incredibly difficult to do and he felt bad leaving players out. The margins are very thin when it comes to who makes the final couple spots in the best 22. I don’t think he meant it as a slight to any of the players that missed out.
dlanod
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Jaspa (and Callum too) both had a more invisible/fairly vanilla and replaceable regular season. Both had fantastic finals series - Callum moreso, but Jaspa was very good too. But when people are taking it as "someone has to go out for Levi", a good finals series does not necessarily invalidate that a player was on the chopping block if there was anyone appropriate available to play his role but there wasn't.
I think there's going to be a lot of questions asked in preseason. There's not going to be a lot of "hey I just played in a premiership for you" credits going around with some of the pressure coming from the returnees and draftees.
Bucking Beads
Brownlow Medallist
Doedee needs a good month of footy in the ressies just to get his confidence and body back to where it needs to be. He has plenty of time to play for us. Lester absolutely deserves to be in the side. He has been phenomenal.
There is nothing wrong with starting Levi in the ressies if we have no room for him. I don't think that will happen much but we are pretty stacked.
The likes of Neale, Andrews, Zorko and some others should be expected to get rested a bit more this year.
There is nothing wrong with starting Levi in the ressies if we have no room for him. I don't think that will happen much but we are pretty stacked.
The likes of Neale, Andrews, Zorko and some others should be expected to get rested a bit more this year.
Elixuh
See you on the 9th green at 9
You don't drive a Ferrari on a dirt track. Levi never sets foot in the VFL.
I think that Callum was very solid as a forward. Almost 30 goals after only really settling there after the Adelaide game in Round 9. If he keeps that output up, he’s a lock in the 22 for me. I also feel that Jaspa, being in his 3rd year with 40 odd games under his belt, is about to really hit his straps. Dropping him back to the twos when we need a specialist wingman wouldn’t be ideal for his trajectory.
I agree with you re your point around a good finals series not guaranteeing a spot if there are others available, and the premiership ‘credits’. However, my personal preference is that those that produced be given first crack (barring injury or unforeseen pre season issues) to hold their spot.
I just think it would be a big call to play Levi ahead of those guys. I am sure he will put forward a compelling case over the pre season, and put egg on my face once he has 30 and two goals on debut!
mpal6
Norm Smith Medallist
Ferrari did go on the dirt track last season and proved we'll be foolish to put it back there ever again
Future Lion dominates VFL debut
The future is bright at Brisbane with these brothers!
www.zerohanger.com
I reckon the guys that got us the flag , not just through their work in the GF , but in the preceding run of games leading up to and in the finals deserve to run out when we unfurl the flag. I can't see any of them not putting in in the pre season looking at their history.
But what's the chance of all 22 (leaving out Joey ) being fit and well ? Around 10-20% chance I'd say. Things happen in pre seasons as we know. So there'll be a spot for Levi, otherwise have a good problem.
Every time we lost a game for the last few years the players people seem to want to drop are Lester ,Ah Chee, and Zorko. Hipwood and Rayner used to get a lot of stick as well (I plead guilty to the latter )
As I see it Lester has been phenomenal, he's playing his best footy. Ah Chee has been pivotal ever since we gave him a permanent role, instrumental in us winning games , and he dishes it off plenty of times as well. Zorko's 36 this year so maybe he's a hammy or a calf away from missing out. But if he's fit he's a lock.
It'll be a lot clearer by March. In the meantime we're speculating as if everyone will be available.
But what's the chance of all 22 (leaving out Joey ) being fit and well ? Around 10-20% chance I'd say. Things happen in pre seasons as we know. So there'll be a spot for Levi, otherwise have a good problem.
Every time we lost a game for the last few years the players people seem to want to drop are Lester ,Ah Chee, and Zorko. Hipwood and Rayner used to get a lot of stick as well (I plead guilty to the latter )
As I see it Lester has been phenomenal, he's playing his best footy. Ah Chee has been pivotal ever since we gave him a permanent role, instrumental in us winning games , and he dishes it off plenty of times as well. Zorko's 36 this year so maybe he's a hammy or a calf away from missing out. But if he's fit he's a lock.
It'll be a lot clearer by March. In the meantime we're speculating as if everyone will be available.
