Unofficial Preview SEASON 2025 - Best 22, Game Plan, Personnel

[SwansLifer]

Lachie McKirdy's season preview:

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There really isn't any imagination in that is there.
Think he may have used ChatGPT.

 

[The King!]

He was an outside mid/fwd when drafted. His best game was against the Bombers where he spent most of the game forward. Kicked 2.1, put pressure on, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50 (the best in the league averages about 2).

Against Port in the PF he had 6 tackles. Had another 3 as sub in the 3rd quarter of the GF.

A couple, buzzing around, kicked a goal against Giants.

We have a guy who played forward before drafting, is showing he can tackle, kick goals when he's around F50. But we've mostly played him as 2nd or 3rd string half back or wing.

It's fine to experiment, but people are making judgements on his ability/impact based on him playing in areas that make less sense.

Like I said I agree we have seen glimpses but you named 3 moments in what 71 games from pick 5?

At some point you have to have some sort of impact from any position, I think it's fair to judge what he has given and it's not enough yet .

 

[Bloods86]

Like I said I agree we have seen glimpses but you named 3 moments in what 71 games from pick 5?

At some point you have to have some sort of impact from any position, I think it's fair to judge what he has given and it's not enough yet .

Can't be bothered going over the same points again tbh. How can he show forward nous consistently when he doesn't get played forward...

I think it's fine to experiment, but coaches have to realise that maybe you end up having to play guys in their original positions. If they don't, and the player doesn't flourish, I'd start to question who really is at fault.

 

[Nuggetz]

Apart from the mccartin fwd rumours. Any other positional changes? I would love to see both florent & Campbell trialled in a fwd role.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Apart from the mccartin fwd rumours. Any other positional changes? I would love to see both florent & Campbell trialled in a fwd role.

Was reported pre-Xmas Wicks was training with the backs, and Kirk with the fwds

 

[Kiama Chris]

There really isn't any imagination in that is there.
Think he may have used ChatGPT.

He expects Cox to make minimal changes until he sees more on the field. We'll see.

 

[caesar88]

I'm fairly confident that Cox will have a few favourites who were on the outs with Horse, while a few of Horse's favourites might be on the outs with Cox.

No two coaches are the same and will view the squad exactly the same. Gonna be super interesting to see who benefits from the change up top and who is effected negatively by it.

 

[Kiama Chris]

I'm fairly confident that Cox will have a few favourites who were on the outs with Horse, while a few of Horse's favourites might be on the outs with Cox.

No two coaches are the same and will view the squad exactly the same. Gonna be super interesting to see who benefits from the change up top and who is effected negatively by it.

Also players can react differently to different coaches. Seen that many times. Some may find a higher gear.

 

[Bloods86]

I'm fairly confident that Cox will have a few favourites who were on the outs with Horse, while a few of Horse's favourites might be on the outs with Cox.

No two coaches are the same and will view the squad exactly the same. Gonna be super interesting to see who benefits from the change up top and who is effected negatively by it.

Going to be interesting times on the board if say Fox, Campbell, Sheldrick are in the Rd0 22 and Hayward, McLean, Lloyd are out.

 

[caesar88]

Going to be interesting times on the board if say Fox, Campbell, Sheldrick are in the Rd0 22 and Hayward, McLean, Lloyd are out.

I think there's probably not even ten players on the list who should be feeling safe in their spots in the team.

So it'd take more than guys like McLean or Lloyd missing to shock me.

 

[Bloods86]

I think there's probably not even ten players on the list who should be feeling safe in their spots in the team.

So it'd take more than guys like McLean or Lloyd missing to shock me.

Well it could be Ladhams in for Hayden.

 

[caesar88]

Well it could be Ladhams in for Hayden.

I fear that would be a downgrade, but it still wouldn't shock me.

 

[wolftone57]

Thought I'd have a 1st attempt at a R0 team:

B: Snell McCartin Melican
HB: Roberts Blakey Bice
C: Mills Rowbottom Gulden
HF: Cleary Jordon Florent
F: Papley McDonald Hayward
R: Grundy Heeney Warner

I/C: Sheldrick McInerney McLean Lloyd Rampe Cunningham (can't decide on 5, so have named 6, for now)

E: Campbell Amartey Fox

From the GF team:

IN:
Mills
Sheldrick
Cleary
Snell
Bice

OUT:
Parker
Fox
Amartey
Campbell

I moved Ramps to the bench or as sub; reason being is if this is likely his final year, I think they might manage him and could even rotate him, Harry and Fox in and out of the team to manage all 3, and still use his experience off the bench or as sub if need be. Like when Mills was injured and was assisting off the bench.

Keeping McCartin in defence for now, Amartey being the forward to miss out to start.

Amartey topped our goal kicking last season with 43. He was by far the most dangerous of all our talls. Snell is a tall, 194cm, so you are going tall in the backs?

On Infinix X6525 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[wolftone57]

He takes no contested marks, can't even go the punch in a contest he knows he is late to, he can't possibly be a defender. Didn't it take him till like round 14 to take ONE contested mark last year?
Though I agree on the rest of what you've said. He's a wing/med forward in a KPF's body. We likely just have to accept that's all he'll be unless something radical changes in his mindset and positioning.

He's not a crash the pack player. He is a one on one player or a leading forward. That is why we have Amartey & McLean, to crash packs. I really think he looks list in defence, even when playing as an extra. He gets caught out of position too much. When he reads the play like a forward he is ok but having to defend?

On Infinix X6525 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Amartey topped our goal kicking last season with 43. He was by far the most dangerous of all our talls. Snell is a tall, 194cm, so you are going tall in the backs?

On Infinix X6525 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Yes, I would omit him to start, and yes I would go tall up back

 

[Punts]

Looks

Amartey topped our goal kicking last season with 43. He was by far the most dangerous of all our talls. Snell is a tall, 194cm, so you are going tall in the backs?

On Infinix X6525 using BigFooty.com mobile app

Blakey is 196cm but doesn’t play tall

 

[GreyGooseGuy88]

B: Snell Melican Cunningham
HB: Rampe McCartin Blakey
C: McInerney Rowbottom Gulden
HF: Warner Amartey Campbell
F: Papley McDonald Cleary
R: Ladhams Heeney Mills

Inc: Cleary, Sheldrick, Wicks, Roberts

Emergency: Florent, Lloyd, Fox, Buller, Mclean, Jodan

 

[Adnico26Parker]

B: Snell Melican Cunningham
HB: Rampe McCartin Blakey
C: McInerney Rowbottom Gulden
HF: Warner Amartey Campbell
F: Papley McDonald Cleary
R: Ladhams Heeney Mills

Inc: Cleary, Sheldrick, Wicks, Roberts

Emergency: Florent, Lloyd, Fox, Buller, Mclean, Jodan

No Grundy?

 

[GreyGooseGuy88]

No Grundy?

I'd give Ladhams a go for a few games. Can provide more around the ground and rest forward if needed. He has x factor but he doesn't show it often enough between his brain fades.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

He was an outside mid/fwd when drafted. His best game was against the Bombers where he spent most of the game forward. Kicked 2.1, put pressure on, 5 tackles, 3 inside 50 (the best in the league averages about 2).

Against Port in the PF he had 6 tackles. Had another 3 as sub in the 3rd quarter of the GF.

A couple, buzzing around, kicked a goal against Giants.

We have a guy who played forward before drafting, is showing he can tackle, kick goals when he's around F50. But we've mostly played him as 2nd or 3rd string half back or wing.

It's fine to experiment, but people are making judgements on his ability/impact based on him playing in areas that make less sense.

So far, he has spent most his time playing off HB and wing. I think the reasons for this are his speed and kicking, which in theory, makes sense. Problem is he is not a high possession player and tends to drift out of the game. I think it's clear he is best used in the front half where the impact of his possessions is alot more important than the sheer numbers as well as his off the ball efforts to keep the ball locked in our F50.

 

[SwansLifer]

To me there are still loads of spots up for grabs. Below is my guaranteed to be in round 0 starters pending health.

B: Harry ?? ??
HB: Blakey Melican ??
C: Gulden Mills McInerney
HF: Warner McDonald Hayward
F: Papley ?? ??
Foll: Grundy Heeney Rowbottom

So still 5 spots on the ground and then the interchange.

 

[caesar88]

Well we have seen guys arguably played out of position or ideal position, like say Heeney, Mills, but they still impacted the game.

I agree Campbell has, especially as time goes spent bugger all time in the guts where he arguably would do his best, but he also has had minimal Impact far too often. His sub effort v GWS in terms of impact was an outlier. Even in the wrong position with the amount of running and movement in modern footy you think he could do more and make them move him.

We have seen glimpses of his best so let’s just hope the consistency can come

I guess the counter to this argument is that you won't know something until you try it. You use Heeney and Mills as examples, and whilst they did still impact in other roles, both had career-best seasons once thrown into the midfield. And there were plenty, myself included, who argued that they wouldn't be good enough in the mids and that that was why we never tried it.

There's also a chance that someone like Campbell maybe just belongs in the midfield and nowhere else. I don't necessarily think it's the case with Campbell, but it could be. Like a Rowbottom is great in the midfield, but if we never played him there and instead gave him all these different other roles, who knows if he would've made it. We could've talked ourselves out of a really good mid because we weren't convinced by him in other positions he was maybe never suited to in the first place.

I dunno what I'm trying to say really, I guess I've just seen enough "where the **** did he come from?" cases in footy to never really rule out anyone being capable of anything.

 

[The King!]

I guess the counter to this argument is that you won't know something until you try it. You use Heeney and Mills as examples, and whilst they did still impact in other roles, both had career-best seasons once thrown into the midfield. And there were plenty, myself included, who argued that they wouldn't be good enough in the mids and that that was why we never tried it.

There's also a chance that someone like Campbell maybe just belongs in the midfield and nowhere else. I don't necessarily think it's the case with Campbell, but it could be. Like a Rowbottom is great in the midfield, but if we never played him there and instead gave him all these different other roles, who knows if he would've made it. We could've talked ourselves out of a really good mid because we weren't convinced by him in other positions he was maybe never suited to in the first place.

I dunno what I'm trying to say really, I guess I've just seen enough "where the **** did he come from?" cases in footy to never really rule out anyone being capable of anything.

100% fair, I haven’t ruled it out at all sorry. Just been a lot of games where you forget he is playing. His good excites me, but if we decided to trade him right now would we get much