Best 23 in 2025

[LarryKinn]

FB: Howe, Frampton, Maynard
HB: Houston, Moore, Crisp
C: J.Daicos, Pendles, Lipinski
HF: Hill, Mihocek, DeGoey
FF: Elliott, McStay, Schultz
R: Cameron, N.Daicos, Mitchell
Int: McCreery, Quaynor, Perryman, Cox Sub: Hoskin-Elliott

Emg: Sidebottom, Membry, Allan, Dean

 

[Jen2310]

FB: Howe, Frampton, Maynard
HB: Houston, Moore, Crisp
C: J.Daicos, Pendles, Lipinski
HF: Hill, Mihocek, DeGoey
FF: Elliott, McStay, Schultz
R: Cameron, N.Daicos, Mitchell
Int: McCreery,, Perryman Sub: Hoskin-Elliott

Emg: Sidebottom, Cox, Membry, Allan

You're missing 2 players.
Bench should have 4 players + sub

 

[LarryKinn]

You're missing 2 players.
Bench should have 4 players + sub

Saw that and fixed it

 

[Dtennent94]

Is there a world where Pendles doesn’t get a game? Or Howe?

 

[adammania9]

Is there a world where Pendles doesn’t get a game? Or Howe?

Rested once or twice? Potentially. To suggest not getting a game as in somebody from the reserves surpasses them? It'd be absolutely shocking.

 

[adammania9]

I actually think McCreery spot could be in jeopardy with the acquisition of Membrey.

We already have Schultz and Hill as pressure forwards. Elliott can do this too. Do we really need a 4th pressure forward? McCreery is behind those 3 as he doesn't hit the scoreboard. He is not a noted goalkicker.

Therefore should we want another marking player and goalscorer, McCreery could be pushed out by Membrey. McRae trialled him in midfield last season for stints but he didn't make an impact. He couldn't find the ball, its a new position that is clearly foreign to him.

I think even a player like Hoskin-Elliott could be preferred to McCreery as he can play any role. And with Lipinski, he just finished top 10 in Copeland. He is more consistent than McCreery.

I was fairly on the fence with McCreery for much of this year, not gonna lie. His form can be extremely patchy and he can go a month without a goal and doesn't always bring difference-making pressure.

But if you get any time, go back to our round 23 game against Brisbane to see what he really brings when he's on. He's one of the players you have to take the bad with the good, because of his strengths that not many others have (mostly his brutal tackling and closing speed). If he's out of the side with injury, it's quick and easy to spot what's missing and that you want it back ASAP.

He's still relatively young at 23 and we should be seeing him as a long-term piece to be developed further as opposed to just being depth. Hopefully he can find the sticks more in the future - he's not kicked 3 goals in a game since he did it twice in his first season (2021).

Regarding number of pressure forwards - you can never have enough. Pressure and speed is king in today's game, especially finals.

 

[Jen2310]

Rested once or twice? Potentially. To suggest not getting a game as in somebody from the reserves surpasses them? It'd be absolutely shocking.

But if it’s the latter then I’d reckon the club would be in a good position. It happens at clubs all the time. If someone is demanding a spot.

 

[sr36]

Interesting discussion if we assume all fit and all are playing well. We currently have 8 potentially first choice players for 7 positions, assuming one on the interchange - McStay, Mihocek, Membery, Cox as our key talks (despite Membery being only 188 cms). Then Shultz, Hill, Elliot, Mcreery as the pressure small/medium forwards.

+ WHE

It's a really deep group. It's not long ago that we had about 2 forwards and filled the rest of the forward line with battlers.

 

[manicpie]

+ WHE

It's a really deep group. It's not long ago that we had about 2 forwards and filled the rest of the forward line with battlers.

Imagine if we had Owies and cumberland as well. no campaigner would get a gam,e

 

[Dtennent94]

Rested once or twice? Potentially. To suggest not getting a game as in somebody from the reserves surpasses them? It'd be absolutely shocking.

We saw Sidey slip to the point of almost being dropped this year. Pendles had some games where he was really a non-factor too. These guys and Howe, etc are all getting a little older and slower.

Not impossible to think that a quicker guy like Allan could take Pendles spot if he has a good pre-season and Pendles drops half a gear. Maybe Ryan steps up and his greater physicality and youth becomes preferable to Howe’s experience.

It’s hard to imagine these scenarios but they do happen and can occur rather quickly.

 

[Finnishpie]

Is there a world where Pendles doesn’t get a game? Or Howe?

The world where they struggle with injury.

 

[Jen2310]

Imagine if we had Owies and cumberland as well. no campaigner would get a gam,e

Clearly a missed opportunity..

 

[sr36]

We saw Sidey slip to the point of almost being dropped this year. Pendles had some games where he was really a non-factor too. These guys and Howe, etc are all getting a little older and slower.

Not impossible to think that a quicker guy like Allan could take Pendles spot if he has a good pre-season and Pendles drops half a gear. Maybe Ryan steps up and his greater physicality and youth becomes preferable to Howe’s experience.

It’s hard to imagine these scenarios but they do happen and can occur rather quickly.

Pendles was very good last year when fully fit, but gone are the days of him still being a gun when carrying an injury. Played some he shouldn't have last year but too many others injured.

There's just no one to push Howe out.

 

[Dtennent94]

The world where they struggle with injury.

Was Sidey injured this year?

 

[LuckyLee]

We may see Josh interchange between wing and HB, maybe with Perryman (who has a good tank)?
Josh was training with the defenders this week, which got me thinking they still want to use him there.

Lippa will be predominant on the wing (been training sorely in the midfield), prob spend time forward, maybe interchange between him and crisp
We'll see a few players that will interchange between wing. HF. HB

Injuries aside, I reckon Lippa will be lucky to play Seniors next season.

All of DeGoey, Mitchell, Mihochek, McStay, Perryman, Houston and Membrey will be INs from our Rd24 side this year. Richards and Noble create two openings but another five will be OUTs to free up the necessary spots. Hard to imagine Lippa is not in that five, IMO. Crisp has way more job security.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[sr36]

Was Sidey injured this year?

He finished 5th in the bnf. I suspect you underrated his season.

 

[Jen2310]

He finished 5th in the bnf. I suspect you underrated his season.

Ended the year strong, but reckon there was a patch there before they put him down at half back, where he had concerns over his future (as he puts it)

 

[Dtennent94]

He finished 5th in the bnf. I suspect you underrated his season.

Half of his games this year, Sidebottom had 16 or fewer disposals. He was starting sub once. There were calls for him to be dropped on here pretty often until his role change (which was due to his poor form).

 

[sr36]

Ended the year strong, but reckon there was a patch there before they put him down at half back, where he had concerns over his future (as he puts it)

Definitely. But he more than finished it strongly. He finished the year by beating Gulden, then Neale then Viney.

Titch is the one I think might find himself struggling to hold a spot.

 

[Jen2310]

Definitely. But he more than finished it strongly. He finished the year by beating Gulden, then Neale then Viney.

Titch is the one I think might find himself struggling to hold a spot.

Yeah, I think his ability to shut down players in a tagging role I think surprised a lot.

Yeah, mitchell.. Can't play him and Allan together, so Ed could be the one to come for that spot.

 

[Dtennent94]

For the record, it’s not my expectation that Pendles, Sidey or Howe would lose their spots and if they do, I hope it says more about the form of some young guys than it does about them.

Maybe I’m just scarred from the unexpected drop-off from guys like Cloke who just turn to poop out of nowhere.

 

[sr36]

Half of his games this year, Sidebottom had 16 or fewer disposals. He was starting sub once. There were calls for him to be dropped on here pretty often until his role change (which was due to his poor form).

Don't read much into calls on here.

 

[RobJD]

Is there a world where Pendles doesn’t get a game? Or Howe?

I have Pendles on the bench in my best side, Howe is a starter

 

[RobJD]

Definitely. But he more than finished it strongly. He finished the year by beating Gulden, then Neale then Viney.

Titch is the one I think might find himself struggling to hold a spot.

Titch is the only proven quality inside mid we've got - he's a walk up start in our best 23 for all the big games, needs to be carefully managed and that's when Allan might get a look in.

 

[Granit1962]

+ WHE

It's a really deep group. It's not long ago that we had about 2 forwards and filled the rest of the forward line with battlers.

+ Degoey - a strategy to bring class and depth to all areas of the forward line, vs relying on a single superstar.