There are some serious structural problems with the 2012 All-Australian team. It looks beatable to me, based on those problems. I thought it would be an interesting exercise to construct a team to beat the AA team to highlight these issues.
B: Josh Gibson, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright
HB: Shannon Hurn, Harry Taylor, Brent Reilly
C: Brendon Goddard, Sam Mitchell, Stephen Hill
HF: Jude Bolton, Taylor Walker, Steve Johnson
F: Eddie Betts, Matthew Pavlich, Jarryd Roughead
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Kieren Jack, Ryan O'Keefe
Int: Brad Sewell, Ryan Crowley, Daniel Rich, Lewis Jetta
Key defensive matchups:
Taylor to Hawkins - no one has consistently held the Tomahawk this year (Grundy did once out of two) but the most likely would probably be his Cats teammate.
Lonergan to Franklin - has done the job before and could do so again. Highly underrated.
Gibson to Cox/Naitanui - would exploit Cox's lack of separation from the corridor by zoning off as third man up, and would be one of the few defenders with the athleticism to combat NicNat in the air.
Small defensive matchups:
Enright to Milne - did this job in R1 2011 to maximum effect. Can do a job and provide rebound run at the same time.
Reilly to Rioli - No one can truly hold Cyril but Reilly can hurt him the other way.
Hurn to the resting mid (Dangerfield) - the lack of respect the mids would pay to Hurn would tell as Hurn can kill a side with run off halfback.
Key forward matchups:
McPharlin to Walker - McPharlin normally takes Tippett against the Crows so this would be interesting.
Richards to Pavlich - Pav didn't kick a goal in their R2 meeting but that was when the Dockers were terrible.
Glass to Roughead/Jacobs - Glass, by his own admission at the AA awards, can't go with the good forwards any more. Roughie would tear him a new one, and stop him zoning off or creating rebound.
Small forward matchups:
Bolton to Birchall - this would be a defensive forward tag, something Birchall doesn't cope with all that well.
Dempster on Johnson - Stevie J would take Dempster up the ground and tire him out, then take his toll.
Waters to Betts - Eddie would keep Beau occupied enough to stop his rebound, and is underrated for his forward press efforts.
Midfield A rotation:
Thompson, Ablett, Watson versus O'Keefe, Crowley, Mitchell - Crowley to tag GAJ, ROK to tag or beat ST and Mitch to beat Jobe head to head
Midfield B rotation:
Kennedy, Pendlebury, Swan versus Sewell, Jack, Rich - Sewell to tag JPK, Jack to tag Pendles and Rich to beat Swan with superior disposal
Wings:
Cotchin, Beams versus Hill, Goddard - outside run with genuine speed is an area where the AA team is seriously lacking and Hill provides this in spades, plus Goddard has the experience that the other two can't match.
Sub:
Deledio versus Jetta - I am assuming these subs of course, but they have to be considered... I think Jetta is the archetypal sub, and edges Lids out.
The overall thinking behind the Krypton side is that the AA team has several important deficiencies that can be exploited:
- Glass is not fit to play on an AA-quality third tall;
- Cox is not fit to keep an AA-quality zoning off third man back occupied;
- The best forward taggers nullify the best halfback rebounders;
- Outside run is undervalued and inside ballwinning ability is overvalued in AA;
- Too many midfielders picked over genuine forwards means a lack of authentic forward press;
- There are no taggers in this side, and there are certain non-AA players who if left untagged will carve you apart (Hurn, Hill, Rich);
- Some of the AA players have "bogey men" (a bit of a lurk on my part to be able to pick last, but that's my benefit).
Despite my attempts to pick favourable matchups, the engine room of the Australian side would most likely ensure that it wins the centre clearance battles, there is just too much firepower in green and gold (or is it purple?). However, Gibson would spoil many forward entries and with Rioli the only genuine small forward providing any forward press for Australia, the likes of Hurn and Reilly would find the outlets of Goddard and Hill often enough to provide damaging Krypton counter-attacks against the relatively one-paced Australian midfield. The superior forward press of the Krypton forwards would force multiple repeat entries and eventual scores.
I would see Australia as trying to play the Geelong style of overpossession in midfield, running in packs and owning the corridor, whereas the Krypton gameplan would be to force one-on-one contests a la Sydney, and use the slingshot with Hill and Jetta from stoppages. Naitanui is noted for being not nearly as effective at stoppages around the ground as he is in the centre, which is where Jacobs (with Roughead providing the chop out) would dominate and play into the high-stoppage Swans mode.
Do you think you can come up with a better Krypton 22? There are probably anti-AA bogey men I've missed. Do you think such a team is even possible to make, one that can beat the All-Australian juggernaut?
B: Josh Gibson, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright
HB: Shannon Hurn, Harry Taylor, Brent Reilly
C: Brendon Goddard, Sam Mitchell, Stephen Hill
HF: Jude Bolton, Taylor Walker, Steve Johnson
F: Eddie Betts, Matthew Pavlich, Jarryd Roughead
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Kieren Jack, Ryan O'Keefe
Int: Brad Sewell, Ryan Crowley, Daniel Rich, Lewis Jetta
Key defensive matchups:
Taylor to Hawkins - no one has consistently held the Tomahawk this year (Grundy did once out of two) but the most likely would probably be his Cats teammate.
Lonergan to Franklin - has done the job before and could do so again. Highly underrated.
Gibson to Cox/Naitanui - would exploit Cox's lack of separation from the corridor by zoning off as third man up, and would be one of the few defenders with the athleticism to combat NicNat in the air.
Small defensive matchups:
Enright to Milne - did this job in R1 2011 to maximum effect. Can do a job and provide rebound run at the same time.
Reilly to Rioli - No one can truly hold Cyril but Reilly can hurt him the other way.
Hurn to the resting mid (Dangerfield) - the lack of respect the mids would pay to Hurn would tell as Hurn can kill a side with run off halfback.
Key forward matchups:
McPharlin to Walker - McPharlin normally takes Tippett against the Crows so this would be interesting.
Richards to Pavlich - Pav didn't kick a goal in their R2 meeting but that was when the Dockers were terrible.
Glass to Roughead/Jacobs - Glass, by his own admission at the AA awards, can't go with the good forwards any more. Roughie would tear him a new one, and stop him zoning off or creating rebound.
Small forward matchups:
Bolton to Birchall - this would be a defensive forward tag, something Birchall doesn't cope with all that well.
Dempster on Johnson - Stevie J would take Dempster up the ground and tire him out, then take his toll.
Waters to Betts - Eddie would keep Beau occupied enough to stop his rebound, and is underrated for his forward press efforts.
Midfield A rotation:
Thompson, Ablett, Watson versus O'Keefe, Crowley, Mitchell - Crowley to tag GAJ, ROK to tag or beat ST and Mitch to beat Jobe head to head
Midfield B rotation:
Kennedy, Pendlebury, Swan versus Sewell, Jack, Rich - Sewell to tag JPK, Jack to tag Pendles and Rich to beat Swan with superior disposal
Wings:
Cotchin, Beams versus Hill, Goddard - outside run with genuine speed is an area where the AA team is seriously lacking and Hill provides this in spades, plus Goddard has the experience that the other two can't match.
Sub:
Deledio versus Jetta - I am assuming these subs of course, but they have to be considered... I think Jetta is the archetypal sub, and edges Lids out.
The overall thinking behind the Krypton side is that the AA team has several important deficiencies that can be exploited:
- Glass is not fit to play on an AA-quality third tall;
- Cox is not fit to keep an AA-quality zoning off third man back occupied;
- The best forward taggers nullify the best halfback rebounders;
- Outside run is undervalued and inside ballwinning ability is overvalued in AA;
- Too many midfielders picked over genuine forwards means a lack of authentic forward press;
- There are no taggers in this side, and there are certain non-AA players who if left untagged will carve you apart (Hurn, Hill, Rich);
- Some of the AA players have "bogey men" (a bit of a lurk on my part to be able to pick last, but that's my benefit).
Despite my attempts to pick favourable matchups, the engine room of the Australian side would most likely ensure that it wins the centre clearance battles, there is just too much firepower in green and gold (or is it purple?). However, Gibson would spoil many forward entries and with Rioli the only genuine small forward providing any forward press for Australia, the likes of Hurn and Reilly would find the outlets of Goddard and Hill often enough to provide damaging Krypton counter-attacks against the relatively one-paced Australian midfield. The superior forward press of the Krypton forwards would force multiple repeat entries and eventual scores.
I would see Australia as trying to play the Geelong style of overpossession in midfield, running in packs and owning the corridor, whereas the Krypton gameplan would be to force one-on-one contests a la Sydney, and use the slingshot with Hill and Jetta from stoppages. Naitanui is noted for being not nearly as effective at stoppages around the ground as he is in the centre, which is where Jacobs (with Roughead providing the chop out) would dominate and play into the high-stoppage Swans mode.
Do you think you can come up with a better Krypton 22? There are probably anti-AA bogey men I've missed. Do you think such a team is even possible to make, one that can beat the All-Australian juggernaut?
