Prediction 2023 Most Improved

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Who will take the next step ? Name your most improved player for the upcoming 2023 season. Who will it be ? What impact will they have ?

Will Cumberland go to another level and become a serious AFL force ?

Will Sonsie step into the midfield and become the gun creative player we hope ?

Can Miller improve again and hold down a key position in the future ? Is he the Dave Asbury lockdown key defender or a tall marking option up forward ?

As nearly our best runner where will Ross play and how does he fit in ? Depth or best 22 ?

Will Short step up and make a full transition to the midfield ? Is he a mid ?

Will Baker settle in one spot and make the AA squad ?

Does Hugo have what it takes to be an AFL class wingman or half back ? Will 2023 be his year to shine ?

Has Jack, Graham that is, peaked ? Or is he just scratching the surface of what he can do as a gut running Lambert clone ?

Will Maurice Junior improve again exponentially ? Will he end up being the best Rioli of them all ?

Is Josh Gibcus up to all the hype ? Could he be the one to step up and start controlling games or is it too soon ? Could his leap, high marking and long kicking be better used up forward ?

Has Shai Bolton got the nous to get on top of his goal kicking woes and become the best player in the competition ?

As crazy as it sounds, will Dusty be out most improved player in '23 ? Geez if he does look out !

Can Samson Ryan step up ?

Bauer ?

Which one of Dow, Banks, Brown-without an E, Clarke-with an E or Biggy will break through and take the next step ?

We have a hot list with established stars who will mostly deliver. But as we all know, you need a 25-28 deep list to really hit hard when it comes to the pointy end of the season.

Who is it going to be ?
That's a lot to take in. I think all of them, close the thread now.
 
Probably the most important injection will be adding Tarranto, Hopper and Martin (compared to last season).
These three should give us a massive injection of power and class around the ball which will have a ripple effect for everyone else.

I would love to see Gibcus play every game. If Ralph Smith does likewise he could be a real weapon. If Miller can make it as a forward in his own right in particular (with 2nd ruck) that will be great going forward.
 
Probably the most important injection will be adding Tarranto, Hopper and Martin (compared to last season).
These three should give us a massive injection of power and class around the ball which will have a ripple effect for everyone else.

I would love to see Gibcus play every game. If Ralph Smith does likewise he could be a real weapon. If Miller can make it as a forward in his own right in particular (with 2nd ruck) that will be great going forward.
I think this is the important one for structure (and potentially injury to Lynch or JR)!

To be fair, I wasn't a big fan early, and I thought he was ok but limited as a defender, but his mobility around the ground was ok in the ruck...
And there was one or two (not many I know) where he took a good grab up forward last year (surprised himself on one of them).

It means we aren't carrying a lumbering Soldo or Nank for that matter when resting out of the ruck.
 

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Won’t play a senior game in 2023 but the tallest man alive Mate Colina will be the most improved player at the club next season. 😍
yep, hes certainly an interesting watch.

People forget big Aaron Sandilands was not very agile, nor did he have good hands in his early days either... and turned out to be an influential ruckman all the same. There's some hope
 
I think this is the important one for structure (and potentially injury to Lynch or JR)!

To be fair, I wasn't a big fan early, and I thought he was ok but limited as a defender, but his mobility around the ground was ok in the ruck...
And there was one or two (not many I know) where he took a good grab up forward last year (surprised himself on one of them).

It means we aren't carrying a lumbering Soldo or Nank for that matter when resting out of the ruck.
He spent last year not knowing where he was. Groomed for backline, finds himself forward not wanting to get in Jack or Lynch's way.
He should feel more a part of the forward line this year and will train as such you'd think.
 
He spent last year not knowing where he was. Groomed for backline, finds himself forward not wanting to get in Jack or Lynch's way.
He should feel more a part of the forward line this year and will train as such you'd think.
I am more excited by Miller as a true ruck. I thought his tap work was improving week by week and by year end I thought his ruck work, with limited time, was actually better than Nanks.
 

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Anyone know where Millers been training? fwd, Ruck, Def. I want Miller most improved as a fwd
Up forward. He's been training in Lynch's role while he's injured. Seems to be having a solid preseason so far.
 
I'm not sure how we squeeze him in as blokes like Short, Sonsie, Ross, Cotchin, Baker, Ralphsmith, Clarke even Graham need spots. But I'm hoping Banks gets a fair crack of a few games on the trot without fear of being dropped on back of 1 quiet game. Dunno where his best position is either but I reckon this kid is gonna be an absolute jet in 2-3 years. I read somewhere he's from a town with 75 people and one of the others was Sir Rolls Royce Hart. Must be some radioactive toxic waste dump next to the water stream. F@ck how are we gonna fit 30 players into the team. McIntosh, Graham, Baker and Cotchin are gonna have to perform this year. Hopefully no Shane Edwards, Castagna or Aarts passenger's this year.
 

Fallontonight GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
 
Cumbers and Miller. Both should play and can fit into holes in the squad.

But I reckon the big one will be Dusty. Fit and hungry with a brand new midfield he could tear the comp apart.

And, strange to say, big Ivan. At his best he was a great tap ruck and really monstered the midfield through his physicality. Get that mobility and mojo back and the Nankoldo combo could dominate the ruck and contests. Forgotten man.
 
My thoughts:

Balta - Had a very interrupted season positionally being swung forward and back. I think Gibcus being injured will provide an opportunity for him to settle at CHB and I have a strong suspicion that will lead to a rich vein of form once he forms a partnership with Taz. I also think that we might see Gibcus replacing an injured Grimes (Let's face it, Dylan will do some sort of muscle injury at some stage) in that third back position and thriving with all three down there.

Ross - People forget he had a very solid end to the season and was arguably our best onballer against the Lions. Has only really had Prestia protecting him around the contest and now gets two absolute guns in Taranato and Hopper to lend a hand. Think the penny might have dropped for him but I think he might be fighting for a position with Graham and Cotchin by the end of the year given that Prestia(whenever fit)/Hopper/Taranto are our starting midfield brigade. Could solidify his position and become a very good contributor or could be facing the scrap pile by years end.

Clarke/Sonsie - One of these two will have to fill Edwards' creative high forward flank role. Think either could potentially do it, though Sonsie might only be in that position until he has a few more preseasons as looks a bit ahead of Clarke physically. I liked what I saw from Clarke but he definitely needs to put on some size.

Ralphsmith - While both Marlion and Kamdyn do a job on the wings for us and in Kamdyn's case is a great servant of the footy club, I really reckon we have the capacity to upgrade that position significantly. You look at the importance of that position in modern footy and the sort of job Issac Smith does for the Cats and I think we ideally need one of Ralphsmith, Banks, Clarke, Sonsie or even someone like Brown to come in and really add something. For mine I think Ralphsmith could potentially claim a spot there as has all the attributes.
 
Cumbers and Miller. Both should play and can fit into holes in the squad.

But I reckon the big one will be Dusty. Fit and hungry with a brand new midfield he could tear the comp apart.

And, strange to say, big Ivan. At his best he was a great tap ruck and really monstered the midfield through his physicality. Get that mobility and mojo back and the Nankoldo combo could dominate the ruck and contests. Forgotten man.
I wouldn't be surprised if we never see the Nank-Soldo combo ever again. Both are too much of a liability forward, Soldo especially. Miller and Ryan are much more versatile. I think Soldo is purely backup for Nank from here on.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if we never see the Nank-Soldo combo ever again. Both are too much of a liability forward, Soldo especially. Miller and Ryan are much more versatile. I think Soldo is purely backup for Nank from here on.
Probably. But never say never.

If Miller can do the ruck forward role he's much more versatile.

But I love Soldo doing his thing. People never watched what he did in contests. He'd literally and put the oppo mids where he wanted and our mids just feasted. His ability to control taps and then how the contest was structured was brilliant. And when he dropped back teams kicked around him, cause he's too tall and a good mark. Very effective for a lumbering not hugely skilled tall.

But when Miller hits the ground he's another mid. And he's a genuine KP, not just super tall.

I like both players so I'm on a win win. But I'd like both to play. However if we played all the guys I want we'd have 32 on the field at once.
 

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Prediction 2023 Most Improved

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