Prediction St.Kilda Best 22

[saintmike65]

Thats a lot of pressure for the kids.
I suspect they'll be looking at a big trade or FA next year to male the jump.

It’s an elite competition…draftee’s don’t have the luxury of a lot of time to show something, those players I mentioned need to show improvement in 2024!

 

[saintmike65]

B: Stocker Howard Wilkie
HB: NWM Battle Sinclair
C: Hill Steele Wood
HF: Henry Phillipou Higgins
F: Butler King Sharman
Foll: Marshall Dow Owens
I/C: Windhager Crouch Membery Clark
Sub: Wilson

Hammer, Jones next in line

2 slowish mids on the bench, Jones in for Clark?

 

[Sully111]

2 slowish mids on the bench, Jones in for Clark?

Fair point, but no

 

[saintmike65]

We had the best team defence in the competition last year, but obviously the club are wanting more intercept marking from our defenders. Battle has only had a couple of seasons playing at CHB and has improved each year. Although I think Caminiti could be the future CHB, he will take some time to mature into the role. I doubt Hammer will go past Battle next year, but his development will make it interesting given Battle is a FA. Having said that Battle is very good at his role and competition for spots and depth is sometimes as important in a developing side.

Personally, I’m hoping Caminiti goes past Howard!

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

Personally, I’m hoping Caminiti goes past Howard!

Likewise

 

[SteeleSaints]

Personally, I’m hoping Caminiti goes past Howard!

Agreed, hoping Hammer or Van Es can at least put pressure on Howard next year. Howard is servicable but his brain fades are costly, plus I hate seeing defenders fist the ball away when they are in a position to mark it. If we can find another FB option, Howard is the player I would be looking to trade out rather than Battle.

 

[saintmike65]

Agreed, hoping Hammer or Van Es can at least put pressure on Howard next year. Howard is servicable but his brain fades are costly, plus I hate seeing defenders fist the ball away when they are in a position to mark it. If we can find another FB option, Howard is the player I would be looking to trade out rather than Battle.

I doubt Battle is going anywhere…very much appreciated and required!

 

[pebblesofsand]

Caminiti replacing Howard at FB - confirmation that the silly season is well and truly upon us. Cut back on the drinks fella's!!!

If Caminiti is going to take over anybody's spot in the near future it will be Tim Membrey

28

Tim Membrey

Age

30

Ht

188cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.2

3star

K

8.1

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

5.8

5star

T

1.5

3star

G

1.8

5star

D

9.4

2star

K

6.5

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.3

2star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

4.8

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.6

3star

's at CHF.

 

[saintmike65]

Caminiti replacing Howard at FB - confirmation that the silly season is well and truly upon us. Cut back on the drinks fella's!!!

If Caminiti is going to take over anybody's spot in the near future it will be Tim Membrey's at CHF.

You’re obviously a Howard fan..a lot of us aren’t!!

 

[ScrappyDo]

You’re obviously a Howard fan..a lot of us aren’t!!

I think he's just being realistic.
Most probably share your view of Doogs but the reality of replacing him is not so simple as you might like.
Obviously the club want some options in the future or they wouldn't be pushing Hammer and Keeler into that role, and it may be the case that in 2025 Doogs and/or Batts might be gone, but for the upcoming season they'll be the mainstay.
Between the now 4 developing candidates there will be some solution present itself.

 

[pebblesofsand]

You’re obviously a Howard fan..a lot of us aren’t!!

When fit he has played 75 out of a possible 76 games since he arrived at the club so clearly the selectors are fans.

And the coach said that in retrospect it was a mistake to leave him out of the one game where he was fit but not selected.

 

[saintmike65]

When fit he has played 75 out of a possible 76 games since he arrived at the club so clearly the selectors are fans.

And the coach said that in retrospect it was a mistake to leave him out of the one game where he was fit but not selected.

75 of 76 games..there lies the problem, best of a bad bunch…hopefully he’s no longer a walk up start!!

 

[Saintos The ITK]

I don’t want to see the Hammer anywhere near the back line.

 

[BrutThough]

75 of 76 games..there lies the problem, best of a bad bunch…hopefully he’s no longer a walk up start!!

Or he's just a better defender than you want to give him credit for.

 

[ScrappyDo]

I don’t want to see the Hammer anywhere near the back line.

I tend to agree but there's obviously gonna be a reason for the shift.
Van Ess and Ari will probably be the go in a couple of years.

 

[BrutThough]

I don’t want to see the Hammer anywhere near the back line.

Reckon it would be a waste with Keeler as well.
He looks like a natural ruck/fwd which we could use on the list.

 

[pebblesofsand]

75 of 76 games..there lies the problem, best of a bad bunch…hopefully he’s no longer a walk up start!!

So tell me which of the key forwards in the league have ever consistently done a number on him over the last 4 years? It will be a short list of zero I think.

Yep has a brain fade or two but has been consistently one of the best one on one defenders in the league.

 

[saintmike65]

So tell me which of the key forwards in the league have ever consistently done a number on him over the last 4 years? It will be a short list of zero I think.

Yep has a brain fade or two but has been consistently one of the best one on one defenders in the league.

Brain fades by a defender is a major problem, too easily accepted by some of our supporters.
Dougal needs to play to his limitations & he’ll be a much more useful player to us.

 

[g_TRAIN]

And DH doesn't intercept mark. The best fullbacks these days do that as well as stop their man.


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[Tyrian Lonestar]

Brain fades by a defender is a major problem, too easily accepted by some of our supporters.
Dougal needs to play to his limitations & he’ll be a much more useful player to us.

Avoiding taking kick outs would be a good start.
Along with dishing the ball off to those with better disposal.

 

[The Cobra]

Avoiding taking kick outs would be a good start.
Along with dishing the ball off to those with better disposal.

Doesn’t take the kick outs any more - one of the first things RTB changed! An easy win for RTB

 

[seasonedsainter]

So tell me which of the key forwards in the league have ever consistently done a number on him over the last 4 years? It will be a short list of zero I think.

Yep has a brain fade or two but has been consistently one of the best one on one defenders in the league.

Speaking of the silly season!

Just thinking of Howard one out with a Hawkins type forward gives me the shivers. It's happened before and he's been moved off before. Reality is though he doesn't get the best defender and unless things are going spot-on around him he's always a decent chance to get beat. Sure he makes some good spoils and personally I'm a fan of his aggression, he also has great size and reach and he's a handy defender to have on the list allright, but saying he's been one of the best one-on-one defenders in the League is simply not true. If he was that, he would have walked into our final 22 late in the season and certainly wouldn't have been spoken about as trade bait.

Also as someone mentioned, reading the play and taking intercept marks, even creating play like some other KPDs in the competition do, is also something Doogal doesn't exactly excel in.

That being said I'd be very happy to see him take it to the next level in 2024, as if he did he'd be a gun!

 

[Premium]

So tell me which of the key forwards in the league have ever consistently done a number on him over the last 4 years? It will be a short list of zero I think.

Yep has a brain fade or two but has been consistently one of the best one on one defenders in the league.

It's doesn't matter what you say people have him as one of our problems.
When he is at his best he is one of the best tall defenders around , people will only look at players failures and never bring up anything good that they bring to the table.
If fit he is in our best 22 and like always being in the last year of his contract expect a big year from him.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Speaking of the silly season!

Just thinking of Howard one out with a Hawkins type forward gives me the shivers. It's happened before and he's been moved off before. Reality is though he doesn't get the best defender and unless things are going spot-on around him he's always a decent chance to get beat. Sure he makes some good spoils and personally I'm a fan of his aggression, he also has great size and reach and he's a handy defender to have on the list allright, but saying he's been one of the best one-on-one defenders in the League is simply not true. If he was that, he would have walked into our final 22 late in the season and certainly wouldn't have been spoken about as trade bait.

Also as someone mentioned, reading the play and taking intercept marks, even creating play like some other KPDs in the competition do, is also something Doogal doesn't exactly excel in.

That being said I'd be very happy to see him take it to the next level in 2024, as if he did he'd be a gun!

I think the main problem is people confuse the actual Dougal Howard with some mythical Dougal Howard who they want to be an AA level player. That player doesn't and will never exist.

I happily acknowledge that Dougal has his shortcomings, but then again I understand that 99% of all players have shortcomings so I don't write off players because they aren't perfect. And Dougal is very good one on one but he's not that great as an intercept marker.

The problem is that if the club thought Dougal was such a dud that we needed a "gun" FB, no one in their right mind would suggest get rid of Dougal to pay Ben Mckay $800K+ a year for 6 years would have been a smart move.

Ben McKay and Dougal Howard AFL Stats Comparison

Ben McKay and Dougal Howard AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

And as for not being selected for one game in his career - the coach has said it was a mistake not selecting him for the GWS final and moreso after Membrey withdrew.

See - everyone has failings and that includes the coach and the selection panel.

 

[BrutThough]

I think the main problem is people confuse the actual Dougal Howard with some mythical Dougal Howard who they want to be an AA level player. That player doesn't and will never exist.

I happily acknowledge that Dougal has his shortcomings, but then again I understand that 99% of all players have shortcomings so I don't write off players because they aren't perfect. And Dougal is very good one on one but he's not that great as an intercept marker.

The problem is that if the club thought Dougal was such a dud that we needed a "gun" FB, no one in their right mind would suggest get rid of Dougal to pay Ben Mckay $800K+ a year for 6 years would have been a smart move.

Ben McKay and Dougal Howard AFL Stats Comparison

Ben McKay and Dougal Howard AFL Stats Comparison.

www.footywire.com

And as for not being selected for one game in his career - the coach has said it was a mistake not selecting him for the GWS final and moreso after Membrey withdrew.

See - everyone has failings and that includes the coach and the selection panel.

I think people forget FBs are going to get goals kicked on them almost every week - it's not often a teams best key forward goes scoreless. It happens to the very best in the competition. But if we have one that can keep that forward to 1-2 goals a game, we are doing well and putting ourselves in a good position to win the game. And that's what was happened recently with Dougal - he doesn't get bags kicked on him very often and his disposal efficiency is a lot better than he gets credit for.

He's obviously not a perfect player and has areas he could improve but if he is the 3rd best key back running around in our 22, we are in a pretty good position defensively.