Best 22 by Round 24

[Ciao Giacomo]

We will soon find out who are best 22 in Round 1 is (according to our coaches) but how will this change by the end of the season/start of the finals?

Assuming all players are available (highly unlikely) I expect that our best team will be as follows;

Michalanney. Murray. Worrell.

Milera. Keane. Curtin

Jones. Dawson. Hinge.

Rachele. Walker. Rankine.

Thilthorpe. Fogarty. Pedlar.


O’Brien
Soligo
Laird

Smith, Crouch, Keays, Taylor


Will more of our Kids (Berry, Bond, Parnell, Ryan, Dowling, Edwards, Nankervis, Cook, Gollant) break into the best 22?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Looks about right, but I reckon Nankervis will be in the best side.

Probably for someone like Keane & we go in smaller.

Otherwise Taylor gets pushed out & adjust the side.

Berry also likely to be around the mark. Good sub option.

 

[Eddie Murphy]

Nankervis in for Smith for me. Also reckon Berry is in for Taylor, who is probably the most likely sub candidate.

 

[Golumless]

If we get our way, it'll be our round 1 squad with Keane swapped for Curtin, Butts for Murray (unfortunate but someone has to make way) and Burgess for Thilthorpe.

Something like:

Michaelanny - Murray - Worrell
Hinge - Curtin - Milera
Jones - Dawson - Soglio
Rankine - Tex - Pedlar
Rachele - Fogarty - Keays
O'Brien- Crouch - Laird
Thilthorpe - Smith - Murphy - Berry
Sub: Sloane/McHenry.

Nank/Taylor/Sholl/Edwards etc are all dependant on injuries, a bottom 6 player having a drop in form, or Adelaide undergoing a losing streak to get a gig. Which will happen somewhere in our lineup. They're the rejects at this point, however.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

B: Michalanney, Murray, Hinge
HB: Milera, Worrell, Nankervis
C: Soligo, Dawson, Jones
HF: Pedlar, Walker, Keays
F: Rankine, Thilthorpe, Fogarty
R: O'Brien, Crouch, Rachele
I: Curtin, Smith, Laird, Berry
Sub: Taylor

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

If we get our way, it'll be our round 1 squad with Keane swapped for Curtin, Butts for Murray (unfortunate but someone has to make way) and Burgess for Thilthorpe.

Something like:

Michaelanny - Murray - Worrell
Hinge - Curtin - Milera
Jones - Dawson - Soglio
Rankine - Tex - Pedlar
Rachele - Fogarty - Keays
Jacobs - Crouch - Laird
Thilthorpe - Smith - Murphy - Berry
Sub: Sloane/McHenry.

Nank/Taylor/Sholl/Edwards etc are all dependant on injuries, a bottom 6 player having a drop in form, or Adelaide undergoing a losing streak to get a gig. Which will happen somewhere in our lineup. They're the rejects at this point, however.

Big call that we are picking up Jacobs in the mid season draft...

 

[cleanhands]

If we get our way, it'll be our round 1 squad with Keane swapped for Curtin, Butts for Murray (unfortunate but someone has to make way) and Burgess for Thilthorpe.

Something like:

Michaelanny - Murray - Worrell
Hinge - Curtin - Milera
Jones - Dawson - Soglio
Rankine - Tex - Pedlar
Rachele - Fogarty - Keays
Jacobs - Crouch - Laird
Thilthorpe - Smith - Murphy - Berry
Sub: Sloane/McHenry.

Nank/Taylor/Sholl/Edwards etc are all dependant on injuries, a bottom 6 player having a drop in form, or Adelaide undergoing a losing streak to get a gig. Which will happen somewhere in our lineup. They're the rejects at this point, however.

I’ll put money on Jacobs not in the side

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

Big call that we are picking up Jacobs in the mid season draft...

Sauce had a Big Year with the Falcons last year.

We only have to do a deal with the WWT Eagles .

 

[Scorpus]

I reckon the best 22 in the eyes of the coaches will be very similar if not identical between round 1 and 24

Murray, Thilthorpe and Curtin will come in, but I have all three as basically injured to start the year.

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

I reckon the best 22 in the eyes of the coaches will be very similar if not identical between round 1 and 24

Murray, Thilthorpe and Curtin will come in, but I have all three as basically injured to start the year.

History shows that there are few changes in our best 22 (as judged by our coaches) between the end of one season and the beginning of the next season (excluding automatic best 22 traded into the club). There are a lot more changes between the start and the end of the season.

 

[1990crow]

Michalanney Murray Worrell
Milera Keane Hinge
Soligo Dawson Jones
Obrien Crouch Laird
Rankine Walker Rachele
Pedlar Fogarty Thilthorpe
Keays Curtin Berry Smith
Murphy

 

[Scorpus]

History shows that there are few changes in our best 22 (as judged by our coaches) between the end of one season and the beginning of the next season (excluding automatic best 22 traded into the club). There are a lot more changes between the start and the end of the season.

I think it's the other way around.

Changes between round 1 and 24 last year

Out: Sloane (injured), McAdam (injured), Murray (injured), Doedee (injured), Butts (injured), Himmelberg (injured), Berry, Brown (sub)
In: Crouch, Murphy, Worrell, Borlase, Parnell, Gollant, Keane, Thilthorpe (sub)

Crouch and Worrell were injured round 1. Most of the changes were injury replacements

If we look at the side we typically played at the start of the year, and the side we typically played at the end, I'd say the major unforced changes to best 22 were

Berry > Crouch
Himmelberg > Thilthorpe
Sholl played most of the year from round 2 but ended up outside the 22
Jones started outside the 22 and ended inside the 22 but was injured by round 24

The other main changes were injury cover
Butts > Keane
Murray > Borlase
Doedee > Worrell

There was also Schoenberg, who started best 22, lost his spot, then regained it at the end of the season. Similar with McAdam

We had dropped Berry by round 4, dropped Himmelberg by round 3, Jones was in by round 3, Thilthorpe in round 2. The later changes were Sholl out after round 18, Crouch in for round 19.

So I'd say we only made a couple of real changes to the best 22 across the year, and by round 5 our 22 was largely settled. The coaches seemed to have a pretty good idea of who they wanted to play most of the year and strived to put that group together - and even brought back players they originally deemed best 22 after a form dip. There was little to no consideration of creating a best 22 spot for players outside the early season best 22, and similarly little consideration to dropping players from that early team.

 

[Scorpus]

Between end of 2022 best 22 and start of 2023 best 22 we

• Dropped and delisted Rowe, replaced with Rankine
• Dropped McHenry, replaced with Pedlar
• Dropped Parnell, replaced with Michalanney
• Brought back Sholl
• Dropped Thilthorpe, replaced with Himmelberg, only to reverse that by round 2
• Dropped Jones, only to reverse that by round 3
• Continued to play Berry but dropped him by round 4
• Continued to play Schoenberg, but dropped him by round 3, then brought him back later
• Worrell was in the 22 at the end of 2022 but missed the start of 2023 due to injury then didn't feature until round 11 (soft dropped)
• We also had Sloane return from injury

That's a more significant list of changes between seasons, even excluding the silly "lets forget their form" of Thilthorpe and Jones

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

It is a little simplistic to compare the 22 players in Round 24 last year to the 22 players in Round 1 this year. You would be the only person on the planet who thought Parnell had worked his way into our best 22 by the end of last season.

In the round 24 game/match simulation against the Eagles we had Butts, Murray, Doedee, Jones, McAdam and Sloane injured plus Thilthorpe as sub. All of these players would have been selected in our best 22 if fit. From the Eagles match you could remove Borlase, Keane, Worrell, Parnell, Gollant and Himmelberg as not in our best 22. The final best 22 spot would be between Murphy and Schoenberg with Murphy probably getting the nod.

I have no doubt that Murray and Thilthorpe are in our best 22 if fit which has opened up a spot for Keane/Borlase and Burgess for Round One. Two changes in our best 22 have been forced upon us with Worrell for Doedee and ????? for McAdam. I don’t have Berry or Sholl in our best 22 at the moment but they are probably the next in line. So…….from Round 24 last year to Round 1 this year we have two changes to replace Doedee and McAdam.

Please provide your current best 22 if everyone is fit and we can see if there are more than 2 changes by Round 24 (adjusted for player availability.

 

[huludicidal]

Changes from Rd 1 to Rd 24:

In (for Rd 24):
Thilthorpe (obvious)
Murray (obvious)
Curtin (obvious)
Nankervis (an infinitely better player than Sholl)
Berry (I hope he plays Rd 1 but it’s at least a 50% chance that he’s the sub or an emg only)

Out (from Rd 1):
Burgess (obvious)
Butts (ultimately either Butts or Keane has to make way for a fit Murray, and I’m backing in the Irishman)
Smith (I just don’t think he’s best 22 anymore when everyone is fit and I’m baffled by his selection in the leadership team)
Sholl (a warm weather player only, who will ultimately be delisted or traded for peanuts at the end of the season)
Jones (he’s just not as good as other options we have when everyone is fit, regardless of whether it’s on a wing or at half back. Ultimately, someone will always be injured, so he’ll stay in)


The Rd 24 team:

B: Michalanney - Murray - Worrell
HB: Milera - Keane - Curtin
C: Soligo - Crouch - Hinge
HF: Rachele - Walker - Pedlar
F: Thilthorpe - Fogarty - Rankine
R: O’Brien - Dawson - Laird
Int: Murphy - Keays - Nankervis - Berry

Sub: any of Jones, Smith, Taylor, Schoenberg, Edwards, Cook, Gollant, McHenry, Dowling

 

[1970crow]

Curtin for Sholl with Smith/Hinge to wing
Murray (inj) for Whoever plays out of Borlase and Keane this week
Sloane (inj) for Berry or Murphy

Outside Curtin, I doubt there'll be any debuts where an AFL experienced player is dropped to the 2s.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Hopefully Nankervis can work his way into the first choice 22. Not quite sure who he replaces but he's got something that could add to our team. It does seem tricky to fit Nankervis and Curtin in down back though on top of what's already there. Should Nank be playing wing/half forward at SANFL level?

Berry must be on the cusp after a good preseason. He might make our 22 for Round 1 as it is. If not hopefully he can work his way in shortly. That he can play as a half forward too should help his case.

Also hoping that our midfield mix changes throughout the year. I'm sure we'll start with Dawson, Laird, Crouch getting 75% of CBAs with the younger guys splitting the rest. But hopefully over the season the others demand increased minutes.

Last one is I'm interested to see how our forward line functions in the weeks that we (allegedly) are going to rest Tex. A shame that Thilthorpe won't be there initially

 

[1990crow]

Hopefully Nankervis can work his way into the first choice 22. Not quite sure who he replaces but he's got something that could add to our team. It does seem tricky to fit Nankervis and Curtin in down back though on top of what's already there. Should Nank be playing wing/half forward at SANFL level?

Berry must be on the cusp after a good preseason. He might make our 22 for Round 1 as it is. If not hopefully he can work his way in shortly. That he can play as a half forward too should help his case.

Also hoping that our midfield mix changes throughout the year. I'm sure we'll start with Dawson, Laird, Crouch getting 75% of CBAs with the younger guys splitting the rest. But hopefully over the season the others demand increased minutes.

Last one is I'm interested to see how our forward line functions in the weeks that we (allegedly) are going to rest Tex. A shame that Thilthorpe won't be there initially

It does feel like the squeeze is coming for a few players. Which is a good thing.
Perform or we have players who are good enough to do it.

I.e. Nankervis, Dowling, Ryan, Taylor, Curtin, Edwards, Welsh (next year), Schoenberg, Cook

Nicks to Murphy:
"We even have a replacement for you"

 

[1970crow]

Hopefully Nankervis can work his way into the first choice 22. Not quite sure who he replaces but he's got something that could add to our team. It does seem tricky to fit Nankervis and Curtin in down back though on top of what's already there. Should Nank be playing wing/half forward at SANFL level?

Berry must be on the cusp after a good preseason. He might make our 22 for Round 1 as it is. If not hopefully he can work his way in shortly. That he can play as a half forward too should help his case.

Also hoping that our midfield mix changes throughout the year. I'm sure we'll start with Dawson, Laird, Crouch getting 75% of CBAs with the younger guys splitting the rest. But hopefully over the season the others demand increased minutes.

Last one is I'm interested to see how our forward line functions in the weeks that we (allegedly) are going to rest Tex. A shame that Thilthorpe won't be there initially

Where's the ' allegedly resting Tex' come from? Surely you don't 'rest' after 2 trial games and a week off.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Where's the ' allegedly resting Tex' come from? Surely you don't 'rest' after 2 trial games and a week off.

Yeah, probably not this week

 

[NSolis]

Where's the ' allegedly resting Tex' come from? Surely you don't 'rest' after 2 trial games and a week off.

I think he's referring to rests that occur throughout the year rather than a rest in round 1. Seems reasonably likely that Walker will have a week off at some point, like last year.

 

[1970crow]

I think he's referring to rests that occur throughout the year rather than a rest in round 1. Seems reasonably likely that Walker will have a week off at some point, like last year.

Totally got the context wrong, upon re-reading, not sure how.

 

[Ciao Giacomo]

I would like to see The Nank developed into an outside mid (wing).

He is competing with Michalanney, Hinge, Milera, Smith, Jones and Curtin for the medium sized defender position.
We lack quality options on the wing. Dawson is our best outside mid (also our best inside mid, best rebounding defender and probably our best medium sized forward) followed by Soligo, Jones and Smith. Then there is Sholl.

Brodie Smith

33

Brodie Smith

Age

32

Ht

189cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.5

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

7.2

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

500.1

5star

D

17.1

4star

K

12.6

5star

HB

4.5

3star

M

3.5

3star

T

2.3

3star

MG

438.9

5star

D

17.2

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

3.6

5star

is nearing the end of his career and I believe Soligo will be one of our first choice mids by the end of the season. The wing is a spot that is there for the taking.

 

[Books]

Sub: any of Jones, Smith, Taylor, Schoenberg, Edwards, Cook, Gollant, McHenry, Dowling

Longer term, do you see these players as best 22 career players? Or just depth?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Longer term, do you see these players as best 22 career players? Or just depth?

Smith has been best 22 for his whole career.
Jones is already best 22.
Taylor yet to debut, but reckon he will play games this year, but may rely on injuries for opportunities.
Schoenberg long term injury but on fringe.
Edwards just drafted but likely to get a taste this year.
Cook should have been banging down the door with McAdam traded... sadly looking unlikely but I haven't written him off yet.
Gollant will get opportunities when we rest Tex or Fog is out... & performed well last year when he got a go. Burgess covers Thilthorpe as better backup ruck.
McHenry likely to be again a regular sub.
Dowling good chance to debut this season too.