This is the one.
Preview R1: Changes for 2025
- Thread starter jamesclean
- Start date
- Tagged users None
So are picking 22 or 7 backs 8 on ballers & 7 forwards
Laird and Sholl the obvious ones missing here.
I'll be shocked if Bond plays ahead of Laird.
And Sholl probably ahead of Nankervis, even if I do agree Nankervis' potential should see him close to ahead if he has a great preseason.
Milera wildcard during the season.
I’ll have fence sitting for $1000 thanks WW.
Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
- Aug 30, 2021
- 19,211
- 37,961
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Wayne’s having a bad weekend, an awful one
- Sep 3, 2018
- 5,337
- 7,042
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Sep 3, 2018
- 5,337
- 7,042
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
[emoji[emoji6
][emoji6
]][emoji6][emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]" data-quote="Burtonsgottago" data-source="post: 0"
class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
That’s a stupid comment - fair on the injury but Milera is great inside. Break tackles and performing tackles
Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
][emoji6
]][emoji6][emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]" data-quote="Burtonsgottago" data-source="post: 0"
class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">
That’s a stupid comment - fair on the injury but Milera is great inside. Break tackles and performing tackles
Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
Pretty hard to fault this mix of players. I might put them in slightly different positions, but it's about right. I suspect Laird would come in at the expense of Bond (or possibly Bond to sub, with Pedlar going out) but that's only what I think would happen, not what I want to happen. I also suspect they would find a way to include Sholl based on last year's form (probably at Curtin's expense) but again, that's not my preference.
Given that I'm confident we will play the three traded-in players every week, our side is almost at the point where it picks itself. I would say that the following players are locks to be selected every single round, injury permitting: Keays, Thilthorpe, Rachele, N. Murray, Dawson, Soligo, Michalanney, Hinge, Rankine, Worrell, Peatling, Neal-Bullen, Fogarty, O'Brien, Cumming
That's 15 players who should be automatic selections every week, leaving only 7 players + sub to come from the rest of our squad. And that's with apologies to Walker and Crouch - the former shouldn't play every round, and the latter depends on how we decide to structure our midfield, but realistically both will probably play most matches. And I've also not listed the likes of Keane, Taylor or Nankervis. That doesn't leave a whole lot of space for promising youth like Curtin or Draper to come in and show they belong!
Now that we actually have enough quality players + promising youth to more than fill out our side each week, it's more important than ever not to waste spots on plodders. We simply can't afford to compound that by selecting the likes of Murphy, Jones or Smith.
Draper, Laird, Milera, Sholl, Dowling, Pedlar, Cook, Berry, Butts, and Borlase should all start off as SANFL depth who can come in as injuries/suspensions allow and stake their claims. Murphy, Smith, Jones, Schoenberg, Edwards, Ryan, T. Murray should be a step further back again. I'm assuming that Welsh is still a long way off, along with Strachan, Burgess and Gallagher who should be stamped with "play only if there are no other options".
If nothing else, given a decent injury run we should have a pretty damn strong SANFL side!
Last edited:
I'll go a step further than that, and say that for each of those 15 locks, there should almost be a "designated replacement" for them from our depth.
Keays -> Cook
Thilthorpe -> Burgess
Rachele -> Dowling
N. Murray -> Butts
Dawson -> Laird
Soligo -> Edwards
Michalanney -> Ryan
Hinge -> Sholl
Rankine -> Schoenberg
Worrell -> Borlase
Peatling -> Berry
Neal-Bullen -> Bond
Fogarty -> Pedlar
O'Brien -> T. Murray
Cumming -> Smith
(With Curtin and Draper set aside as "get in the side however possible" players)
Keays -> Cook
Thilthorpe -> Burgess
Rachele -> Dowling
N. Murray -> Butts
Dawson -> Laird
Soligo -> Edwards
Michalanney -> Ryan
Hinge -> Sholl
Rankine -> Schoenberg
Worrell -> Borlase
Peatling -> Berry
Neal-Bullen -> Bond
Fogarty -> Pedlar
O'Brien -> T. Murray
Cumming -> Smith
(With Curtin and Draper set aside as "get in the side however possible" players)
- Dec 29, 2000
- 25,812
- 24,151
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Hell will freeze over before Laird doesn’t get a gig in the starting 22. Laird is a given in Round 1 (unless injured).
- Jul 8, 2016
- 3,872
- 4,849
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Where's Draper?
Who are you taking out to squeeze him in?
FR0GGY
From a cartel villa in Tuscany
Probably Taylor?
- Oct 2, 2022
- 6,827
- 9,277
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Laird for Bond
Draper for Taylor
Sub is probably up for grabs, with Sholl and Jones also in the mix.
Would love for Pedlar to force his way into the 22, would make us better if he was to show us what he can really do.
Time running out though.
Each year there is at least one player that unexpectantly drops out of the best 22 due to form and team balance
Outside the obvious like Laird, Smith and Walker. Guys like Scholl and Berry are likely but I have feeling Hinge might be squeezed out. His form at times wasn't great last year and the balance in defence is going to be a juggle.
Outside the obvious like Laird, Smith and Walker. Guys like Scholl and Berry are likely but I have feeling Hinge might be squeezed out. His form at times wasn't great last year and the balance in defence is going to be a juggle.
- Aug 9, 2019
- 37,678
- 65,440
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Panthers, GWV Rebels, Central Augusta
And then there is Dan Curtin.
The Crows were very calculated and measured as to how they used Curtin in his first season at AFL level.
Some of this annoyed fans, but there is a desire to not throw him in at the deep end.
But given his size, versatility and ability to move around the ground the West Australian is a fascinating prospect.
In week one of pre-season at West Lakes he impressed as a forward, after playing as a defender and as a big-bodied midfielder in 2024.
Curtin, and his role, is going to be of massive interest to Crows fans in 2025.
Another one to watch out for looks to be young defender Oscar Ryan.
While he didn’t play a game in his first year at West Lakes, coaches are a fan of him and he has further impressed with the condition he has turned up to pre-season in.
Thrillthorpe7
All Australian
- Aug 22, 2024
- 922
- 1,894
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Yes AFL.com.au writers, please make it true (no Murphy) - swap Nank for Laird and it’s the perfect 22
B: Max Michalanney, Nick Murray, Josh Worrell
HB: Mitch Hinge, Mark Keane, Isaac Cumming
C: Lachlan Sholl, Matt Crouch, James Peatling
HF: Ben Keays, Darcy Fogarty, Alex Neal-Bullen
F: Josh Rachele, Riley Thilthorpe, Taylor Walker
Foll: Reilly O'Brien, Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine
I/C: Jake Soligo, Rory Laird, Dan Curtin, Sid Draper
Emerg: Billy Dowling, Luke Pedlar, Jordan Butts, Luke Nankervis
B: Max Michalanney, Nick Murray, Josh Worrell
HB: Mitch Hinge, Mark Keane, Isaac Cumming
C: Lachlan Sholl, Matt Crouch, James Peatling
HF: Ben Keays, Darcy Fogarty, Alex Neal-Bullen
F: Josh Rachele, Riley Thilthorpe, Taylor Walker
Foll: Reilly O'Brien, Jordan Dawson, Izak Rankine
I/C: Jake Soligo, Rory Laird, Dan Curtin, Sid Draper
Emerg: Billy Dowling, Luke Pedlar, Jordan Butts, Luke Nankervis
Kane McGoodwin
Make me an Admin!
- May 21, 2001
- 87,092
- 92,888
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Adelaide Crows
That's how I have it too.
Kane McGoodwin
Make me an Admin!
- May 21, 2001
- 87,092
- 92,888
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Other Teams
- Adelaide Crows
Wow, this is the 1st time I have the same side as them.
Quality side, they dont often get it right but lets hope they do in this instance.
- Aug 30, 2021
- 19,211
- 37,961
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Calculated, now that’s funny
Bloody hell, decent looking footy side all of a sudden. No excuses, Nicksy.
I imagine there’ll be an injury or two, so Nank will probably get a go anyway (provided he isn’t the injured one hahaha)
I'm interested to know on what basis do posters think that Laird is (or will next season be) a superior small defender option than Bond?
