Strategy Collingwood's Best 22 2015

[mike123]

At first with the news Ben Reid was going to play as a defender I was disappointed, but the more I've been thinking about it the more excited with what we might line up with.

What I'd go with is this.

B: Ben Reid ~ Nathan Brown ~ Marley Williams
HB: Paul Seedsman ~ Lachlan Keeffe ~ Tom Langdon

M: Travis Varcoe ~ Taylor Adams ~ Steele Sidebottom

HF: Dane Swan ~ Travis Cloke ~ Tim Broomhead
F: Jarrod Witts ~ Darcy Moore ~ Jamie Elliott

R: Brodie Grundy ~ Levi Greenwood ~ Scott Pendlebury

I/C: Alan Toovey ~ Nathan Freeman ~ Ben Kennedy
Sub: Jordan De Goey *Sub to be rotated

Well I was originally against Reid as a defender but as long as Keeffe and Moore switch I think we can work with it. Nathan Brown and Lachlan Keeffe made a good combination at the end of 2013. Add Reid as the loose man in defence it should strengthen the combination. Maxwell did a great job as this but Reid has potential to be better at this as he is a much better kick and contested mark. Toovey on a bench gives us great flexibility as he can play short and tall.

Our backline has good shut down ability from Brown, Toovey and Williams whilst Seedsman, Langdon, Keeffe and Reid give us good rebounding.

The midfield can be better than it was last year. An injury free Swan is massive and will more than make up for the loss of Beams, add to that Greenwood, Freeman and De Goey the depth is even better. Penldebury is still a gun and with an injury free Swan getting more attention he should be left off the leash a bit more and have a big 2015. Adams form last year was better than what Ball had produced in a while, him having a 22 games season will improve us in the grunt department. Broomhead and Kennedy after a pre season will also rotate through the midfield.

In short our midfield top end talent improves with an injury free Swan, depth Improves with Greenwood and De Geoy and Speed improves with Varcoe and Freeman.

The forwardline doesn't improve as massively as I thought it would with adding Reid but with our backline and midfield improving and hopfully with our new forwardline coach it can atleast be better than last year. Swan is named there as the resting midfielder but will spend a lot of time through the guts. With Buckley stating we won't play one way forwards I'm hopfull guys like Broomhead and Kennedy who showed they were dangerous options will get games ahead of Blair and Goldsack. Darcy Moore's benchmark wasn't raised high by Jessie White or Corey Gault. I suspect those two might get games early in the season but Moore should be best 22 by the end. He'll be protected by Cloke getting tripple teamed (Which isn't a luxury Jeremy Cameron or Joe Daniher have gotten).

So with our backline and midfield improving massively and our forwardline improving a bit we should make the finals easy.

 

[Bring_Back_Brad]

frost is 100% a starter and can't see him dropping off. Reid is a long way off and it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't played so I'd swap him for frost.
Fasolo is the better talent than kennedy, will be interesting to see who gets the few open spots.
Goldsack will play. I'm quite sure Degoey will have cemented a spot by season end.
Can't overlook Scharanberg he is by all accounts not too far off and could be in the mix late in the season.
Smokey for me is Karnezis, I reckon he could really arrive this year, and the other one with promise is crisp.
What becomes of guys like Blair, young, white, JT, who knows. Pretty good Depth but none would be too happy about a year in the vfl but that's what is likely to happen, and all probably be looking elsewhere next year.
Maynard, Abbott,

 

[doppleganger]

Goldsack will be in the best 22

Hopefully Moore won't be rushed, rather see PK, Fasolo or even Jesse in the team first right now.

Crucial that Witts and Grundy progress as both ruck and KPF, Witts could be a great FF weapon for us.

 

[Jelly Bean]

B: Toovey Frost Williams
HB: Langdon Brown Seedsman
C: Varcoe Greenwood Sidebottom
HF: Broomhead Reid Fasolo
F: Elliott Cloke White
Fol: Witts Pendles Adams
Int: Swan Freeman Goldsack Thomas

 

[mike123]

Goldsack will be in the best 22

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-02-14/pies-a-transition-team-bucks

"We won't be playing players that only play one side of the ball and that includes purely defensive forwards. If they can't hit the scoreboard, they are not in our mix," Buckley said.

Well he isn't going to get a game as a forward. And as a defender he doesn't add anything necessary. When guys like him aren't best 22 that shows when our team is improving.

Hopefully Moore won't be rushed, rather see PK, Fasolo or even Jesse in the team first right now.

Fasolo isn't a key forward, I think Guys like PK and White will get a go early. I don't want Moore to play every game but by the end of the season I'd rather see Darcy Moore best 22.

Crucial that Witts and Grundy progress as both ruck and KPF, Witts could be a great FF weapon for us.

If Cloke still gets the double team and Witts and Grundy improve as forwards it will only help guys like Moore to develop as a forward.

 

[Adnan]

Personally this is what i think our BEST team looks like right NOW

B: Toovey, Frost, Langdon
HB: Williams, Reid, Brown
C: Varcoe, Adams, Greenwood
HF: Broomhead, Karnezis, Goldsack
F: Elliott, Cloke, Witts
Fol: Grundy, Pendlebury, Sidebottom
Int: Freeman, Swan, Macaffer
Sub: Seedsman

EMG: Keeffe, Kennedy, Fasolo
Reserves: Crisp, Thomas, Gault, Young, Blair, Dwyer, De Goey, Scharenberg, Moore, White, Sinclair, Maynard, Armstrong

We have plenty of depth, a lot of kids under 22 who are all capable of competing at the AFL level, its just refining and finding the ones have the best potential. There are so many guys like Kennedy, Fasolo, Crisp, Maynard and Thomas who are just going to continue improving and come close to the 22 by the start of next season but may get a maximum of 10-15 games a year because of the competition of places in our 22. Our 3 top 10 picks, De Goey, Moore and Scharenberg should be pushing hard for a place by the end of the year. Karnezis, i reckon, will be better at shaking the tag off Cloke, from what ive seen he looks more dominant than White.

 

[HappyRed]

Alright I'll give it ago, but I bet its crazy wrong lol (never tried this before )
B: Ben Reid | Jack Frost | Marley Williams
HB: Paul Seedsman | Lachlan Keeffe | Tom Langdon

M: Dane Swan | Taylor Adams | Steele Sidebottom

HF: Travis Varcoe | Travis Cloke | Jamie Elliott
F: Jesse White | Darcy Moore |Tim Broomhead

R: Jarrod Witts | Levi Greenwood | Scott Pendlebury

Bench: Nathan Brown | Alan Toovey | Sam Dwyer (or) (Blair,A. Fasolo)
Sub: Jordan De Goey

Probably too many defenders.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Nate Brown is first choice full back and by a long way.

 

[the mighty T]

This is how I would like us to line up come round one, assuming availability of players. I've listed the ages and games played purely for gags:

FB: Toovey (27/131), Brown (27/93), Williams (22/37)
HB: Goldsack (28/124), Reid (26/99), Langdon (21/19)
C: Varcoe (27/138), Adams (22/43), Sidebottom (24/127)
HF: Fasolo (23/54), Cloke (28/216), Swan (31/236)
FF: Elliott (23/52), White (27/89), Grundy (21/22)
Fol: Witts (23/27), Greenwood (26/74), Pendlebury (27/192)

Int: Broomhead (21/8), Thomas (24/32), Frost (23/24)
Sub: Freeman (20/0)

I guess the more noticeable absences that are likely to be in the coachs calculations are the likes of C. Young and J. Blair, but they dont really fit the profile I'm going for here. B. Kennedy and P. Karnezis should be pushing for spots early along with B. Maynard, however I expect the J. De Goey will have to wait for his debut.

 

[Ketchup]

FB: Williams, Brown, Keeffe
HB: Toovey, Reid, Sinclair
C: Varcoe, Adams, Sidebottom
HF: Broomhead, Cloke, Goldsack
FF: Elliot, White, Grundy
Fol: Witts, Greenwood, Pendlebury
Int: Young, Thomas, Swan
Sub: Fasolo**

**Based on pre season hype Freeman could be the sub, however considering we have only seen 20 minutes of footy from him it's hard to give him a spot right now.

 

[Kappa]

Nate Brown is first choice full back and by a long way.

Frost > Brown

Reid > Brown

Keeffe = Brown

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Frost > Brown

Reid > Brown

Keeffe = Brown

Reid and Brown play vastly different roles, but yes Reid is the more rounded player.

Keefe has potential but isn't anywhere near as reliable and gets found out against big bodied defenders and is also a massive confidence player.

Frost is a poor man's Brown in just about every aspect of his game.

 

[THATSGOLD]

No matter where we put players I believe this is our weakest 22 on paper for 15 years. I could find a team from 04/05 that would look bette on paper.

 

[frizzle]

Reid and Brown play vastly different roles, but yes Reid is the more rounded player.

Keefe has potential but isn't anywhere near as reliable and gets found out against big bodied defenders and is also a massive confidence player.

Frost is a poor man's Brown in just about every aspect of his game.

If we need a key tall back to play on the likes of Franklin or perhaps Tippett or even Hawkins, Kennedy, Daniher etc. I'd send Frost to them before Brown every time. He did very well against some terrific forwards in what was his first full year in the AFL. Was wrapped with him & I expect we will see continual improvement from him this year & in the coming years when he becomes more experienced.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

No matter where we put players I believe this is our weakest 22 on paper for 15 years. I could find a team from 04/05 that would look bette on paper.

Of course you could. Our top fifteen in 2004/2005 are better than our top 15 in 2015. The difference is in 2015 our team balance is much, much better in terms of players 16-40 than 2004/05, when the players outside our best 15 were complete sewer crap.

I'd still be surprised if we performed anywhere near as bad as 04/05.

Oh, and if our best 22 is worse in 2014/15 than it was in 2004/05, and Buckley is still performing better than Malthouse did during those years, that would make Buckley the better coach, no?

 

[Tarkyn_24]

FWIW, our beet teams on paper were our 2007/08 teams. Barely a bad player in the squads of 40. Doesnt mean they realistically translated to the best teams. Age profile etc has a lot of say there.

 

[MarkT2]

Nate Brown is first choice full back and by a long way.

Agree. He wouldn't have been made a VC if the club didn't think that as well.

 

[frizzle]

Agree. He wouldn't have been made a VC if the club didn't think that as well.

Totally irrelevant. Nick Maxwell wasn't our first choice defender but was our captain.
When we come up against the big forwards, I bet Bucks will turn to frosty to shut them down.

Edit - This is not a dig at browny in any way shape or form. I just think Frost was a revelation last year & still has plenty of upside.

 

[Gone Critical]

My best 22 for 2015 as things stand is as follows. My provisio it is at this time and I accept with player development that can change quickly. Therefore I am happy to see people put say Broomhead in their best 22 based on what he has produced in only 8 games but I wouldn't have anyone who has yet to play a game in our best 22. They have to have some exposed form to earn that. So they don't get a spot now but it can obviously change as the season passes.

Toovey, Brown, Williams
Langdon, Frost, Keeffe
Varcoe, Pendles, Sidebottom
Fasolo, Reid, Elliott
Blair, Cloke, Grundy

Witts, Greenwood, Swan

Seedsman, Goldsack, Kennedy, Adams

Emerg Broomhead, Thomas White, Dwyer, Sinclair

Leaves the kids like De Goey, Moore, Freeman, Scharenberg etc to develop and hopefully some get game time in 2015. De Goey would be the one I expect the most from in 2015.

Reid I have put at CHF. I understand Bucks has mentioned the backline as his return point. I believe that is only an injury management decision for now and not set in stone. If he gets his fitness back and performs well I see Bucks moving him to CHF later in 2015. Bucks has made it fairly clear previously that that is where he would like top play Reid. That could also change if a Keeffe, White or Gault steps up in 2015 and is able to prove they can hold down a KPF post or if one of Frost, Brown or Keeffe doesn't step up in 2015 in which case Reid may be needed back in 2015. I suspect the scenario where Reid goes forward will arise in 2015 if he stays fit.

Some of the guys I have in the 22 will come under pressure from the kids and the emergencies as the season progresses. Broomy in particular deserves strong consideration and I have him and Kennedy near level pegging but BenKen just in front at the moment.

Others like Crisp, PK, Marsh and Oxley remain unknown talents who may force their way in but for mine are stating back of the Q and I dont see them as likely best 22.

 

[mike123]

Reid and Brown play vastly different roles, but yes Reid is the more rounded player.

Keefe has potential but isn't anywhere near as reliable and gets found out against big bodied defenders and is also a massive confidence player.

I think with Big Brown at full back wrestling the bigger bodied forwards and Ben Reid in the back line comming across and taking intercept marks will give Keeffe allot of Confidence.

Frost is a poor man's Brown in just about every aspect of his game.

Except closing speed. But I agree Brown should get a game over Frost.

 

[MarkT2]

Totally irrelevant. Nick Maxwell wasn't our first choice defender but was our captain.
When we come up against the big forwards, I bet Bucks will turn to frosty to shut them down.

Edit - This is not a dig at browny in any way shape or form. I just think Frost was a revelation last year & still has plenty of upside.

Nick Maxwell was a starting 18 player in the view of the selectors/football department that made the decision though and he was also one of the few capable of being made captain at the time.

I agree Frost has upside but if he plays it will not be at Brown's expense. There will generally 3 tall defenders and Frost will play at Keeffe's expense or in conjunction with Reid playing forward.

 

[frizzle]

Nick Maxwell was a starting 18 player in the view of the selectors/football department that made the decision though and he was also one of the few capable of being made captain at the time.

I agree Frost has upside but if he plays it will not be at Brown's expense. There will generally 3 tall defenders and Frost will play at Keeffe's expense or in conjunction with Reid playing forward.

Agree, but I still think he will get the gig on the more potent forwards. He doesn't have great skills by foot, but he can shut down a gun forward.
Brown is best 22 no doubt. But that wasn't what we were discussing. The discussion centred on first choice full back by a long way. Tarkyn_24's words.

 

[noideaatall]

Did I miss something? No one has Blair in their side. Anyone want a wager he will be there round 1?

 

[Gone Critical]

Did I miss something? No one has Blair in their side. Anyone want a wager he will be there round 1?

Look 4 posts up

 

[Starcevich90]

Did I miss something? No one has Blair in their side. Anyone want a wager he will be there round 1?

It's the pre-season ... we are allowed to dream aren't we?