One Haired Bristle
Draftee
B : Steven Browne - Michael Jamison - Bret Thornton
HB : Jordan Russell - Mark Austin - Paul Bower
C : Kade Simpson - Brock McLean - Marc Murphy
HF : Chris Yarran - Jarrad Waite - Andrew Walker
F : Matthew Kreuzer - Lachie Henderson - Eddie Betts
R : Robbie Warnock - Chris Judd - Bryce Gibbs
INT : Shaun Hampson - Aaron Joseph - Andrew Carrazzo - Heath Scotland
First off this is the team i believe is our best 22 not what i think the coaching staff will dish up when everyone is fit.
Back half really does somewhat rely on Mark Austin stepping up and becoming a solid player on a tall. I personally don't think Bower is a key position back, he can do an adiquate job but i think he's better coming across the pack on the third tall. Austin showed last year that he was something that could be worked with. Like most young players he fell a little but there were signs that he can become a key defender in this league. I love Browne, i really think he can become a very solid small defender. He has all the courage in the world and sticks to his assignments very well. Is fairly quick, not Armfield quick but is think he's more polished than Dennis. Skills are more clean and have high hope for him. Thornton needs to become the general, he's the veteran of that group and can be a felxiable option on a tall or small. Russell came on leaps and bounds last year and his footskills has improved no end. Can shut down a forward and hopefully provide some run.
Midfield speaks for itself, hopefully Brock can add some defensive side to our midfield and realise Judd to use that pace in space. Gibbs is the flexiable one, he can play anywhere. If we need a cool head down back he can fill in and control things whilst feeding the ball to the midfield. What i hope though is Ratten uses him up forward much more this year, especially with the loss of Fevola. He is such a smart player he has the capability to kick a bag.
The forward line is the interesting part and i'd try to stretch defenses. Waite and Henderson can rotate between the square and across half forward. Kruezer can float and hopefully chip in with a couple. He won't play solely up forward, i think either on of Warnock/Hampson/Kreuzer has the mobility to play as a resting forward. These fellas are tall but they are all very atheltic. You then have the two crumbers in Yarran and Betts who are both very good marks so there is another dimension. Walker can push back, push to the square, i think with his athelticism and height he'd be a tough match-up up forward. Then again we could use his pace on the wing or across half back, flexiable.
Joseph and Carrazzo to provide both run and defensive sides to the midfield. I've said this before i'd really try to play Carrazzo as a similiar type player to Kane Cornes. Scotland can also provide run through the midfield or across half forward. I play him in more of an attacking role than across half back and he really doesn't have a defensive bone in his body.
I think it's a very felixable and multi dimesnional team that could adapt with most situations that teams throw at them.
One of the better carlton lineups i have seen so far. Been oversea's for the year, so i may be a year behind on player's ability / potential etc. but i still feel as if i can give my up to date opinion.
Not the biggest fan of armfield either, which is good to see here. I think people may overrate him a little too much. I couldn't see him as a premiership player. He would be no where near top 30 in the Geelong side. Houlihan, setanta and wiggins are gone, not a fan of them. I think i would like to see shaun grigg on the bench instead of Scotland or even have russell on the bench and grigg running off hbf. As much as i value his contributions of the years, i think its time for grigg to step up a gear and become a weekly 15 - 20 possession player in a similar role to heath, but more physical. Heath won't be around much longer and unless we push for a flag in the next 2 years, his time will run out.
I am not too keen on putting Henderson at the FF position like so many people have done as soon as he got traded for Fev. I would like to see him play a few games in the reserves and prove his worth as a FF only type player. Maybe start with waite and kreuzer up front, push walker down into the forward pocket position and maybe have hadley on the hff but pushed up the ground.
Some players that might find it harsh to miss out but won't be too far away as lets face it, no one plays with only 22 for a whole season. So i would like to see mitch robinson, gartlett, jacobs, armfield, chris johnson and then i guess our older players such as mentioned before may fill a few games here and there. Would like to see a few of our 1st or 2nd year players pushing some of the other blokes that have been there for a while. Maybe the likes of kane lucas, o'keefe and ellard. We all obviously dont know what they can do yet at AFL standards, but we can only hope. Have i missed any players unlucky to not be in the 22 that should have an honourable mention? Sitting well for the next few years anyway with our core midfield group and solid players to fill in our def / off positions.
go blues!