Best 22 for the start of 2017?

[J_Moore]

You're a harsh judge.

Maybe. I just feel like our benches from late last year - with names like Mills, Mitchell, Hewett etc on there, instilled a bit more confidence. Those are premiership-contesting benches.

Would love one of those young guys to step up. Not saying it can't happen, but it needs to.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Is this a even younger team than 2016?

 

[BloodySwan]

Playing all the ruckman isn't the craziest thing. In 2014 we pretty much had Tippet as a stay at home FF with Reid & Buddy playing down there too. Reid wasn't too effective in that trio but I think Longmire has learnt how to better handle so many talls.

Tippet at FF, Reid at CHF with Buddy almost playing in the midfield up on the wing. Cameron and Naismith playing in the Ruck with Tippet pinching in when necessary. Could easily work

 

[Banyo Bloods]

From people's best 22 we cannot afford to have any more injuries before round 1 and even more so round 2 not having McVeigh for round 2 should help though

 

[6yearsold]

smith-grundy-lloyd
mills-aa-rampe
hannebery-jack-jones
towers-franklin-reid
cunningham-tippett-hewitt
naismith-kennedy-parker

edwards,robinson,foote,melican

mcveigh,heeney,rohan and papley would come in when fit.

foote,robinson,edwards and either cunningham or towers (whoever is in the worse form) would come out.

 

[connolly]

smith-grundy-lloyd
mills-aa-rampe
hannebery-jack-jones
towers-franklin-reid
cunningham-tippett-hewitt
naismith-kennedy-parker

edwards,robinson,foote,melican

mcveigh,heeney,rohan and papley would come in when fit.

foote,robinson,edwards and either cunningham or towers (whoever is in the worse form) would come out.

We have seen the last of McVeigh in the best 22. Continuing calf problems will only make him slower. Good career but all over red and white rover

 

[6yearsold]

We have seen the last of McVeigh in the best 22. Continuing calf problems will only make him slower. Good career but all over red and white rover

mcveigh's worst year was last year. he averaged just over 20 disposals at 77.8 efficiency. if you are so willing to retire him, even after he is reported to be only missing for two matches, who would you bring in who could at least match that?

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

mcveigh's worst year was last year. he averaged just over 20 disposals at 77.8 efficiency. if you are so willing to retire him, even after he is reported to be only missing for two matches, who would you bring in who could at least match that?

Lloyd. Look Macca has frustrated me throughout his career. But I consider him a Blood and a worthy Premiership captain.

But I would be surprised to see him play much senior football this year. Calf injuries are buggers to get right. They just take ages to get better. And that's just normal ones, not "nasty" ones. If he's not at least 6 weeks away I would be very surprised. What I wouldn't give to see AJ back in that back 6 allowing Rampe to play a more attacking role. #norush #norushisnowthesecondmosttrendinghashtagonbigfooty

 

[6yearsold]

Lloyd. Look Macca has frustrated me throughout his career. But I consider him a Blood and a worthy Premiership captain.

But I would be surprised to see him play much senior football this year. Calf injuries are buggers to get right. They just take ages to get better. And that's just normal ones, not "nasty" ones. If he's not at least 6 weeks away I would be very surprised. What I wouldn't give to see AJ back in that back 6 allowing Rampe to play a more attacking role. #norush #norushisnowthesecondmosttrendinghashtagonbigfooty

lloyd already plays in that halfback position (his kicking lack penetration and when he ventures from his safe chips he comes up with a clanger). i meant who could you bring in from outside the best 2 that could match his contribution. someone has to come in to play that role of being able to distribute the ball. even mills struggles at times with his distribution. maybe it is newman?

i know what you mean about ageing players and calf injuries (wells is another example). i just don't want to give up on him yet.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

lloyd already plays in that halfback position (his kicking lack penetration and when he ventures from his safe chips he comes up with a clanger). i meant who could you bring in from outside the best 2 that could match his contribution. someone has to come in to play that role of being able to distribute the ball. even mills struggles at times with his distribution. maybe it is newman?

i know what you mean about ageing players and calf injuries (wells is another example). i just don't want to give up on him yet.

Well I think the big one is AJ. Or Melican or Maibaum. If they can play the third tall defender that allows to Rampe to become more of an outlet player off half back. Don't knock Lloyd though. He gets it 24 times and has a DE of over 70%. I wouldn't mind a few more tackles from him but he quietly goes about his business pretty well. You're not the bloke who was trying to get him delisted last year were you?

 

[6yearsold]

i've never asked for him to be delisted. he has a good disposal efficiency beacuse his disposal is safe and not damaging. if you are going to get free handball receives out the back like he does you need to use it better. aj is not realistic at this point, maibuam would be too top heavy and doesn't have a good enough kick. it would be great if melican could play that third tall and free up rampe like you say.

 

[connolly]

mcveigh's worst year was last year. he averaged just over 20 disposals at 77.8 efficiency. if you are so willing to retire him, even after he is reported to be only missing for two matches, who would you bring in who could at least match that?

Lloyd has already replaced him and we need more outside speed. That statistic you quoted just shows how useless statistics are assessing a footballers contribution. He was a liability for most of the year and diabolical in the GF. There is a limit to sympathy selections. Do you think he will get quicker this year? Edwards is quicker, just as good a disposer of the ball and is better overhead. At this stage of McVeigh's its in his interest and the club's for him to give it away.

 

[J_Moore]

Lloyd has already replaced him and we need more outside speed. That statistic you quoted just shows how useless statistics are assessing a footballers contribution. He was a liability for most of the year and diabolical in the GF. There is a limit to sympathy selections. Do you think he will get quicker this year? Edwards is quicker, just as good a disposer of the ball and is better overhead. At this stage of McVeigh's its in his interest and the club's for him to give it away.

I was hopeful for Edwards considering his assets, but the fact he's only managed one pre-season game suggests he may not have done much to address his liabilities.

 

[6yearsold]

Lloyd has already replaced him and we need more outside speed. That statistic you quoted just shows how useless statistics are assessing a footballers contribution. He was a liability for most of the year and diabolical in the GF. There is a limit to sympathy selections. Do you think he will get quicker this year? Edwards is quicker, just as good a disposer of the ball and is better overhead. At this stage of McVeigh's its in his interest and the club's for him to give it away.

llyod does not provide outside speed. endurance is his best quality. i'd love edwards to provide some speed in the back half but his disposal is not as good as mcveighs from what i've seen. i agree about the grand final, he should not of played as he was obviously injured but neither should have parker or tippet who were equally as bad.

 

[J_Moore]

llyod does not provide outside speed. endurance is his best quality. i'd love edwards to provide some speed in the back half but his disposal is not as good as mcveighs from what i've seen. i agree about the grand final, he should not of played as he was obviously injured but neither should have parker or tippet who were equally as bad.

There is this narrative developing that Parker was bad in the grand final. He wasn't a world-beater, but he contributed. 19 disposals, 9 tackles (3rd most on ground), 5 clearances (4th most on ground), and the highest-rated first quarter of any Swan according the champion data player ratings.

And he managed to play about 90% game time, despite his PCL injury.

And he bagged a snag.

Was pretty quiet in the last, but he wasn't alone there.

A below average game by his high standards, and he's yet to play his best when it really counts (which certainly counts against him), but he absolutely should have played, and acquitted himself respectably, especially when you consider he was fairly injured.

 

[BruceFromBalnarring]

The one they should have played in the Grand Final was Reid instead of Richards. 0 tackles in a Grand Final is really deplorable when you're not getting it.

I get why they didn't take the punt, but they should've taken the punt.

 

[6yearsold]

There is this narrative developing that Parker was bad in the grand final. He wasn't a world-beater, but he contributed. 19 disposals, 9 tackles (3rd most on ground), 5 clearances (4th most on ground), and the highest-rated first quarter of any Swan according the champion data player ratings.

And he managed to play about 90% game time, despite his PCL injury.

And he bagged a snag.

Was pretty quiet in the last, but he wasn't alone there.

A below average game by his high standards, and he's yet to play his best when it really counts (which certainly counts against him), but he absolutely should have played, and acquitted himself respectably, especially when you consider he was fairly injured.

i would have preferred someone who could play for four quarters so the bulldogs didn't run over the top of us.

 

[J_Moore]

i would have preferred someone who could play for four quarters so the bulldogs didn't run over the top of us.

lol yeah, we should've played, uh... Brandon Jack.

 

[6yearsold]

lol yeah, we should've played, uh... Brandon Jack.

i don't recall mentioning brandon jack but your fantasies are not my concern.

 

[J_Moore]

i don't recall mentioning brandon jack but your fantasies are not my concern.

There is literally no one better we could have played in Parker's place, and your judgement of his contribution on the day is wildly out of touch with his actual performance. Mentioning him alongside McVeigh and Tippett is bizarre. And there were at least 5 or 6 other players dramatically worse than Parker.

 

[caesar88]

As I've said Parker is hurt by his size. He gives away over 5cm and 5kgs compared with other midfield beasts like JPK, Fyfe, Dangerfield. He can attack the contest just as hard and just as consistently as them, but he's worn like a glove by the opposition. I think that's why he can be effectively blanketed out of a game by his opponents more than those other blokes.

 

[6yearsold]

There is literally no one better we could have played in Parker's place, and your judgement of his contribution on the day is wildly out of touch with his actual performance. Mentioning him alongside McVeigh and Tippett is bizarre. And there were at least 5 or 6 other players dramatically worse than Parker.

i would of swapped him for liam picken.

 

[caesar88]

i would of swapped him for liam picken.

Surely that's not in reference to Parker

 

[Deccas]

llyod does not provide outside speed. endurance is his best quality. i'd love edwards to provide some speed in the back half but his disposal is not as good as mcveighs from what i've seen. i agree about the grand final, he should not of played as he was obviously injured but neither should have parker or tippet who were equally as bad.

Parker kicked a goal and racked up tackles at the contest. Sure he could have been better, but anyone who replaced him would have been over the moon with his game.

On Galaxy Nexus using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[caesar88]

Growing rather tired of the Parker sucks in finals narrative.

Have we forgotten all the other finals games he's either contributed or out-right dominated in?
2013 QF vs Hawks: 26 possessions
2013 SF vs Blues: 3.2, 22 possessions, fantasy score of 96
2013 PF vs Freo: 1.2, 25 possessions, 6 tackles, fantasy score of 106
2016 QF vs GWS: 22 possessions, 6 tackles, 6 hit-outs, fantasy score of 96
2016 SF vs Crows: 1.0, 24 possessions, 12 tackles, 5 hit-outs, fantasy score of 108
2016 PF vs Cats: 2.0, 17 possessions, 6 tackles, fantasy score of 75
2016 GF vs Bulldogs: 1.0, 19 possessions, 9 tackles, fantasy score of 88

Not to mention in 2014 when we reached a grand final on the back of two BOG finals games by Parker who was just 22 at the time.
2014 QF vs Freo: 1.1, 32 possessions, 6 tackles, fantasy score of 119, all the while playing one-on-one against bloody Nat Fyfe most of the game!!
2014 PF vs North: 3.1, 26 possessions, 8 tackles, 8 marks (including that hanger), fantasy score of 133

I don't care what anyone says that is a damn impressive resume for a bloke who played all of those finals before he turned 24. When JPK was 24, he had only just won his first B&F for the Swans and was having his break-out season. The fact that over the past few years we have even been relying on a guy still in his very early 20's to produce his usual performances speaks volumes about the standards he's set for himself so early in his career. He came runner-up in the Brownlow in 2016, is bloody unlucky not to be a dual-All Australian, won the Bob Skilton medal in the year we reached a grand final and finished minor premiers, has had so many BOG performances for us it's ridiculous (which is saying something considering he's part of the most decorated midfield group of the decade).

Yeah he hasn't quite produced his best on the two single occasions when it's mattered the most, but take him out of the side and we'd be up shit creek trying to find a replacement, and he's one of the main contributors to our consistent success since 2012. He's not like Mitchell. He's not a one-paced ball-magnet who can get your 30 touches every week. He's as dynamic as Fyfe, or Dangerfield. He's an absolute bull at the contest, even if his size doesn't allow him the freedom Danger or Fyfe or JPK enjoy. His tackles are brutal, with the kind of mongrel this side was once renowned for in the Roos era. He's got an awesome set of hands on him considering his size, and he at least makes a marking contest even if it's completely unrealistic. The guy's a gun in front of goal, whether it making space as a marking lead-up or just crumbing and snapping freakish goals. His third-man-up work over the past few years has been super under-appreciated, even if it's irrelevant going into this year.

And the one thing most fail to mention is how many times we've seen Parker being walked off the field, limping off the field, carried off the field or stretchered off the field because he's had his head caved in trying to win the ball, or be smacked around from pillar to post with no regard for his safety. The bloke bleeds this club, turned away plenty of opportunities to return to Victoria or seek more $$$. Can't help but rant cause IMO Parker's immune from criticism in my books. What he's done in his career so far has been amazing, and he'll only get better. He'll finish his career as one of the all-time great Swans so I'd rather just appreciate him while he's still young and in his prime rather than dwell on two games that he's not solely responsible for.