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Not Bennal...
But Harley Bennell I think possibly![]()
Excuse my poor ingish
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AFLW 2024 - Round 2 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Not Bennal...
But Harley Bennell I think possibly![]()
I can't see us playing all Vardy, Stanley and Clark all in the same size next year. Not with Henderson and Blitz in the side as well. Along with the other talls, we'd be way too top heavy imo
Yeah, I think his best position is to play a kick behind the ball like he did against North and GC earlier this year. It's a far better use of his height and his contested marking, which has become a massive strength this year.I find it very funny all these teams that just assume Blicavs will become a midfielder/rover ahead of Selwood, guthrie, caddy. He has had one game where he has shown he can find the amount of ball that is necessary to become a full time mid. 1 game in his whole career. I think it's unlikely. Long term I think he will still end up as a defender who rotates through the wing. Ala Mackie.
I find it very funny all these teams that just assume Blicavs will become a midfielder/rover ahead of Selwood, guthrie, caddy. He has had one game where he has shown he can find the amount of ball that is necessary to become a full time mid. 1 game in his whole career. I think it's unlikely. Long term I think he will still end up as a defender who rotates through the wing. Ala Mackie.
Guthrie's the same size as Selwood and Mitchell (though perhaps not as square as Mitchell). I don't think Guthrie's the issue - somewhere around the middle of the season, something clicked and it was great to see him bursting clear of clearances and deliver the ball/kick goals like he did against Hawthorn.Selwood is cooked, he needs an easier role unless we want him retiring in 2 years
Guthrie is too small to play onball but he is a good outside player
Caddy is better as a mid/forward cos of his marking, his decision making and disposal is sketchy
Blicavs has elite running and size(making it harder for him to be pushed around at stoppages like Guthrie) and can link up pretty well, him going 3rd man up helps us at stoppages (mostly to give the opposition something to think about)
he averaged 18.2 disposals despite playing a lot in the ruck, Selwood only averaged 24.6
as a non ruck he can probably improve to 20+ disposals next year and possibly 25+ in a couple of years
Guthrie's the same size as Selwood and Mitchell (though perhaps not as square as Mitchell). I don't think Guthrie's the issue - somewhere around the middle of the season, something clicked and it was great to see him bursting clear of clearances and deliver the ball/kick goals like he did against Hawthorn.
I think Caddy is a better answer, because when he's forward of the ball he tends to fall out of the play pretty quickly. If we could get something like what we got out of Caddy against the Dogs, it would go a long way toward addressing our clearance woes. If Menzel can keep going, that gives us the mid-size marking target we've cried out for all year and releases Caddy in the centre.
We should put Hawkins in the middle for the centre bounce. He is the biggest body of all. Then move him to the forward line after the centre bounce is done.Selwood is a beast though, Guthrie isn't and even Selwood struggles against the big bodied mids.
Caddy just doesn't have the endurance nor the smarts to be a full time clearance player just yet. The dogs don't have the biggest most experienced mids either. Look at Caddy's games vs the teams with bigger mids like Freo, Hawthorn, North and Sydney. He struggles.
With lower rotations Blicavs will run all onballers into the ground. The likes of Caddy, Selwood, Duncan, GHS, Guthrie etc should all be part of the rotations but Blicavs should be the mainstay.
If we get Dangerfield then he'd basically be the next guy I'd want in there. That's 2 very big midfielders who aren't getting pushed around.
Here's my 2016 side
b taylor henderson enright
hb thurlow stanley kolo
C motlop caddy duncan
Fol ? Blic dangerfield
hf vardy clark selwood
f bartel hawkins menzel
i/c mackie guthrie cockatoo
pretty sure that would win next gf
Hypothetically speaking, assuming we land danger and hendo (taking S Selwood at his word that he wants to stay an eagle) . Is a bit of a silly exercise before trade period but still
FB: Enright Lonergan Kolo
HB: Thurlow Taylor Guthrie
C: Caddy Dangerfield Duncan
HF: Murdoch Vardy Motlop
FF: Clark Hawkins Menzel
R: Stanley Blicavs J. Selwood
I: Bews Bartel Mackie Lang
EMG: Cockatoo Henderson Gregson
Hopefully pushing: Cowan Smedts Walker Kersten
Henderson first in line, could force Clark out (I really don't like the way he and Hawkins worked together this year) or could force Lonergan out if old tommy starts to wear and tear a bit. Hendo is a much better player than he was at Carlton, and has played very good footy in the backline for the blues too
Guthrie to a HB if Danger comes is logical. Has been a very good player for us back there a few years ago and would add some class to our up and coming backline. Also gives Lang more midfield time
Lets hope that Smedts and Cowan get to where we think their potential is and make some real selection dilemmas.
Here's my 2016 side
b taylor henderson enright
hb thurlow stanley kolo
C motlop caddy duncan
Fol ? Blic dangerfield
hf vardy clark selwood
f bartel hawkins menzel
i/c mackie guthrie cockatoo
pretty sure that would win next gf
I hear you. He has grown even more this year playing on-ball. But I wouldn't mind seeing Guthrie follow Enright's career path. Play midfield early days, but then move to the half-back line and become an absolute star of the competition. Guthrie now has the experience to go back to the backline and really become a key playmaker (read the play, set up attacks [he's quicker than Boris too]). However, the club may view a fully fit Cowan for this role.
By the way, we need a new one of these:
He will still be in the Mid rotations.Sorry,but your logic is a bit illogical. Guthrie has been groomed to be a midfielder. This year he has improved his tank and has now
become a 30 poss player who doesn't make mistakes and uses it very well. He can win his own ball,is super quick especially over the
first 5 to 10. His ability to run away from a pack is impressive and has also gained that knack of breaking tackles. He also kicks goals.
You don't develop a young player who goes on to become an elite mid and then say,I know,let's play him on the half back flank!
Enright Lonergan Kolo
Thurlow Taylor Mackie
Blicsavs Selwood Guthrie
Motlop Vardy Menzel
Gregson Hawkins Clarke
Stanley Duncan Dangerfield
Int from Caddy Bartel Henderson Cockatoo S Selwood Lang Smedts Cowan Bews Murdoch McCarthy
People suggesting Guthrie from mid to defence is crazy,this year he has built his engine just so he can become
an elite mid,which he is now really doing. Why would he go to defence? Also, 186cm is not small for a midfielder as was suggested
by someone else. He can win his own ball and we have witnessed his ability to break tackles.
I am not a Caddy fan,he is tough and hard at it but makes bad decisions and has to many turnovers but is a goalkicker.
Scott has spoken about Blics being a winger who can cover the full length of the ground,but we have had to use him
in the ruck. He becomes such a hard matchup when freed from the ruck.
Vardy and Clark could be interchangeable in this team.
I don't think they will mess with the backline to much,it's hard to beat experience. Other options will obviously be used
as the season goes on,Henderson for example.
I have left Gregson in at the moment expecting him to further develop. That kid is so smart with the ball. Also, for such
a small player he is a great tackler. Along with Lang this has been a big part of his role this year and his ability to bring
down a much bigger opponent is impressive. (These are important acts we sometimes forget)
We got Stanley as a first ruck and that is where he was the dominant player on the ground in the game against Port
before he was injured. I have seen other teams here with him at CHB and HFF,???
Of course other things may and probably will happen. Cockatoo may have an early breakout season and be huge.
Scott Selwood if over his ankle worries could be very good, remember, he was Eagles BF in 2012. He is a hard ball beast
and makes better decisions with more pinpoint delivery then Caddy.
If you do a summary of the injuries and setbacks to Smedts including broken leg and collarbone amongst others and how
they have affected his prep you can see he deserves a chance. The word is with a full preseason we may see something
we were not expecting.
And going on,the further development of Lang a fully fit Cowan and McCarthy, a super talent.
Bews will no doubt come into backline calculations at some stage.
As you can see I am not a huge Murdoch fan. Power kick but often sprays it. Panics with the ball under pressure,but
definitely has a brilliant turn of foot and can kick goals. Good pinch hitter.
The much maligned Walker has been good this year overall. Pretty much a fill in but is handy.
A couple more likely prospects from the VFL side could also be on the horizon.
Leaving perhaps the best to last,the likely signing of Dangerfield is self explanatory.
The side above and all the other possible permutations makes me very excited about the future. That team is absolutely
competitive with any other. Just by adding the possible signings with the players we have had missing for most of the
year or in some cases years we get, Dangerfield,Duncan,Menzel,Vardy,S Selwood,Henderson,Stanley,Clarke,Cowan,McCarthy.
People who are talking long rebuild have got it wrong in a big way.(those on the Crows board especially)
Be confident Cats fans we can definitely contend!!