Prediction Best 22 Round 1 2023

[pebblesofsand]

With Kings injury, Battle to go forward, Cordy to play defence. Love to see Stack meet the clubs training requirements and then fill Sinclair's spot at half back.

Bench is hard. A few established players under threat from youngsters - not a bad outcome

B Paton Cordy Wilkie
HB Coffield Howard Stack
C Hill Steele Wood
HF Butler Battle Gresham
F Membrey Sharman Higgins
FOLL- Marshall Crouch Ross

I/C- (from) Sinclair, NWM, Windhager, Owens, Billings, Jones, Clark

 

[plugger66]

Round one could be interesting. Definitely out is king and hayes. Really doubtful is gresh and billings. That’s 4 out of our best 23. Well certainly 3. Hayes maybe. Small forward line contested marking wise. Need the second year players to become good mids straight a way. Campbell probably has to play but Marshall forward isn’t idea. Ordinary tall forward. Banga will need to have some tricks as the forward coach. Even though our mids are our weakest area when fully fit I think Lenny has the easiest job. I rate the second year players.

 

[BrutThough]

Round one could be interesting. Definitely out is king and hayes. Really doubtful is gresh and billings. That’s 4 out of our best 23. Well certainly 3. Hayes maybe. Small forward line contested marking wise. Need the second year players to become good mids straight a way. Campbell probably has to play but Marshall forward isn’t idea. Ordinary tall forward. Banga will need to have some tricks as the forward coach. Even though our mids are our weakest area when fully fit I think Lenny has the easiest job. I rate the second year players.

Hayes was looking better than expected at the open training session. Was running well and participated in some of the contact work. I'm hopeful that means he hasn't been ruled out for rd1 yet.

Another option if Hayes isn't ready is trying Battle up forward, or at least trialing it in some of the scratch matches. Howard/Wilkie/Cordy could cover defence to begin the season and Battle at least has the tank to pinch hit in the ruck for a few minutes a quarter while Marshall rests.

 

[lewdogs]

Round one could be interesting. Definitely out is king and hayes. Really doubtful is gresh and billings. That’s 4 out of our best 23. Well certainly 3. Hayes maybe. Small forward line contested marking wise. Need the second year players to become good mids straight a way. Campbell probably has to play but Marshall forward isn’t idea. Ordinary tall forward. Banga will need to have some tricks as the forward coach. Even though our mids are our weakest area when fully fit I think Lenny has the easiest job. I rate the second year players.

Please not Marshall forward.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

B. Coffield/Paton Howard Wilkie
H.B. Sinclair Battle Wanganeen-Milera
C. Hill Clark McKenzie/Hotton/Phillipou
H.F. Membrey Sharman Wood
F. Gresham/Butler Van Es Higgins
Foll. Marshall Steele Crouch
I/C. Bytel, Jones, Owens, Windhager, Phillipou-sub
Emerg. Butler, Campbell, Ross

 

[saintmike65]

B Paton Cordy Wilkie
HB Sinclair Howard Coffield
C Hill Crouch Billings
HF Wood Sharman Gresham
F Membrey Battle Higgins
FOLL- Marshall Clark Steele
I/C- NWM, Phillpou, Windhager, Owens
Sub- Ross

As much as it’s a bit of fun trying to pick a best 23, it’s incredibly difficult this time of year with unexposed form of the newbies.
The things I’ve noticed at training is NWM is playing half back & looks very impressive, Sinclair is doing a lot with the mids, Peris being used as a defensive forward.
We’ll know more after the break when Battle, Hayes, Gresham, Coffield & Billings ramp up their training loads!

 

[saintmike65]

Paton - Howard - Cordy
Coffield - Wilkie - Sinclair
McKenzie - Steele - Hill
Windhager - Sharman - Gresham
Butler - Membrey - Higgins
Marshall - Crouch - Ross
Battle - Wood - Jones - Campbell - Clark (sub)

Emg: Owens - NWM - Bytel

Obviously if King was fit he’d slot straight in for Campbell.

Not sure on Cordy but have him down back to release Howard a little more. Freo will have Tabener and Jackson/Darcy + Fyfe and possibly one of Corbett/Treacy so Battle on the bench as a swingman, going Forward/Back when we need. Wood to play as that Wing/High half forward that pushes forward to create a scoring option.

Gresham/Windhager rotating through middle. Jones rotating through Mid/wing/half back with Sinclair.

Just think this lineup gives us a lot of versatility.

There are multiple options midfield & forward of centre in particular.
There may also be a little tweaking to the back 50…exciting to see what the boss comes up with!!

 

[plugger66]

Please not Marshall forward.

Agree. Just don’t see other options

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Optimistic:
Paton, Howard, Wilkie
Coffield, Battle, Sinclair
McKenzie, Steele, Hill
Hayes, Billings, Membrey
Gresham, Sharman, Higgins

Crouch, Windhager, Marshall.

Jones, Clark, Ross, NWM

Pessimistic.
Paton, Cordy, Wilkie
Sinclair, Howard, NWM
Wood, Steele, McKenzie
Marshall, Butler, Membrey
Owens/Phillipou Sharman, Higgins.

Crouch Windhager, Campbell

Jones , Clark, Ross, Hill.

But if we did have all of Sharman, Wood, Membrey, and Owens playing , we might have enough marking targets to keep Marshall in the ruck and Campbell out of the squad.

 

[Saint_Dos]

Best 22:
B: Paton, Howard, Wilkie
HB: Webster, Battle, Clark
C: Hill, Crouch, McKenzie
HF: NWM, Membrey, Windhager
F: Butler, Sharman, Higgins
Foll: Marshall, Steele, Sinclair
Int: Ross, Owens, Jones, Wood
Sub: Byrnes

Imagine we will be missing all of King, Coffield, Hayes, Billings, Gresham

I expect that we will probably see Campbell come in and Marshall go fwd. If so that may see Sharman or Wood out.
Not a fan of this but just what I expect to see.
Hoping Wood, Sharman or even Highmore are doing some backup ruck practice. Battle is a good option but leaves us very short down back when he goes in there.

 

[hayes]

Best 22:
B: Paton, Howard, Wilkie
HB: Webster, Battle, Clark
C: Hill, Crouch, McKenzie
HF: NWM, Membrey, Windhager
F: Butler, Sharman, Higgins
Foll: Marshall, Steele, Sinclair
Int: Ross, Owens, Jones, Wood
Sub: Byrnes

Imagine we will be missing all of King, Coffield, Hayes, Billings, Gresham

I expect that we will probably see Campbell come in and Marshall go fwd. If so that may see Sharman or Wood out.
Not a fan of this but just what I expect to see.
Hoping Wood, Sharman or even Highmore are doing some backup ruck practice. Battle is a good option but leaves us very short down back when he goes in there.

If Ratten was still coaching I’d guess Campbell would play but I just can’t see Ross playing basically a man short just to fill in 5 mins of ruck work a quarter. If we still see that with all these coaching changes I’ll be concerned.

 

[Saint_Dos]

If Ratten was still coaching I’d guess Campbell would play but I just can’t see Ross playing basically a man short just to fill in 5 mins of ruck work a quarter. If we still see that with all these coaching changes I’ll be concerned.

If RTB was to go down this path I would assume Campbell would do more like 50% ruck time rather then only play 5min a qtr.

I hope you are right though. Fingers crossed they have some players working on playing the back up ruck role whilst we await Hayes' return

 

[Saintos The ITK]

If Ratten was still coaching I’d guess Campbell would play but I just can’t see Ross playing basically a man short just to fill in 5 mins of ruck work a quarter. If we still see that with all these coaching changes I’ll be concerned.

Selling Cambo a bit short there I reckon. He goes pretty well I thought. Deserves a fair crack.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Agree. Just don’t see other options

As was said by some dude l can't remember. "You don't fix a hole by making one somewhere else"
We have enough to muddle through and get shots on.

If Marshall is anywhere near that forward line this season we should be immediately worried.

 

[gringo2011]

As was said by some dude l can't remember. "You don't fix a hole by making one somewhere else"
We have enough to muddle through and get shots on.

If Marshall is anywhere near that forward line this season we should be immediately worried.

Ross trains structure so don’t be surprised if we have lesser lights in roles over quality when we have missing players. He likes clearly defined over creative.

 

[plugger66]

As was said by some dude l can't remember. "You don't fix a hole by making one somewhere else"
We have enough to muddle through and get shots on.

If Marshall is anywhere near that forward line this season we should be immediately worried.

Again agree but I can’t see an option in the first few rounds if hayes isn’t fit. Sharman is a flanker and Campbell is better option in the ruck than up forward. Well that’s the way our previous coaches saw it. And that saying is one of my favourites. Pity I’m against it for some weird reason I believe Marshall has the potential to be a great follower of the game. Can cordy play forward. Battle hasn’t shown he really can.

 

[plugger66]

Ross trains structure so don’t be surprised if we have lesser lights in roles over quality when we have missing players. He likes clearly defined over creative.

100% true. Who can provide the structure of a king or hayes though. It won’t be a flanker.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Again agree but I can’t see an option in the first few rounds if hayes isn’t fit. Sharman is a flanker and Campbell is better option in the ruck than up forward. Well that’s the way our previous coaches saw it. And that saying is one of my favourites. Pity I’m against it for some weird reason I believe Marshall has the potential to be a great follower of the game. Can cordy play forward. Battle hasn’t shown he really can.

Cordy has played forward at times. It's an option.

 

[saintmike65]

100% true. Who can provide the structure of a king or hayes though. It won’t be a flanker.

Collingwood had great success last season with a smaller mobile forward set up.
Mihacek only 192cm, Johnson around 194cm, surrounded by small to midsize players.

 

[DougalHoward]

Cordy has played forward at times. It's an option.

Premiership CHF....

 

[ScrappyDo]

100% true. Who can provide the structure of a king or hayes though. It won’t be a flanker.

Not sure why you've got Cooper pigeon holed as a flanker.

 

[Remboy]

Again agree but I can’t see an option in the first few rounds if hayes isn’t fit. Sharman is a flanker and Campbell is better option in the ruck than up forward. Well that’s the way our previous coaches saw it. And that saying is one of my favourites. Pity I’m against it for some weird reason I believe Marshall has the potential to be a great follower of the game. Can cordy play forward. Battle hasn’t shown he really can.

It will probably depend on whether Ross wants two ruckman in the side. He seemed to like that structure first time around.
No idea what happens with Cordy. I thought he was depth but you wouldn’t offer a three year deal for someone to play in the VFL.
I think Battle has the attributes to be a decent forward but he’s looked so much better in the backline so far.

 

[Saint_Dos]

It will probably depend on whether Ross wants two ruckman in the side. He seemed to like that structure first time around.
No idea what happens with Cordy. I thought he was depth but you wouldn’t offer a three year deal for someone to play in the VFL.
I think Battle has the attributes to be a decent forward but he’s looked so much better in the backline so far.

Here's hoping Keeler can have a stellar Jan/Feb on the track and push for an early debut for a few rounds

 

[Saint_Dos]

Collingwood had great success last season with a smaller mobile forward set up.
Mihacek only 192cm, Johnson around 194cm, surrounded by small to midsize players.

Also had Cameron/Cox/Kreuger playing fwd for most of the year.

 

[plugger66]

Not sure why you've got Cooper pigeon holed as a flanker.

Because that is exactly how he plays and his build means that’s exactly how he has to play.