Opinion The Evolution of Your Best 23 for 2024

[Long live PAFC]

Port Adelaide POWER - Round 3 vs Melbourne
F: Finlayson - Dixon - Rioli
HF: Byrne-Jones - T.Marshall - Rozee (C)
C: Bergman - Wines - Boak
HB: Farrell - Aliir - Houston
B: Zerk-Thatcher - Ratugolea - Burton
R: Soldo - Drew - Butters
INT: F.Evans - Mead - J.Burgoyne - Jones
EMERG: McEntee (SUB) - McKenzie - Visentini - D.Williams

Port Adelaide MAGPIES - Round 1 vs Glenelg
F: Visentini - Scully - Szust
HF: Narkle - Georgiades - Anastasopoulos
C: Clurey - Moore (C) - Lorenz
HB: Sinn - Walsh -L.Evans
B: K.Marshall - McKenzie - D.Williams
R: Sweet - Short - Charleson
INT: Turner - Chamberlain - Byrne - Baldwin
EMERG: Carter - Launer
OTHER: Weidemann - Stevens - H.Ferrari - Pascoe - Cockatoo-Collins - Roberts - Brazel - Cooper - W.Ferrari - Cheesman - H.Williams - Aldridge

Unavailable:
AFL:
Jackson (Hip, 13 weeks)
Lord (Leg Fracture, 8 weeks)
McCallum (Ankle, 4 weeks)
Powell-Pepper (Suspended, 3 weeks)
Horne-Francis (Hamstring, 1 week)
SANFL: (Unsigned: R.Burgoyne, Barrett, Thomson)
Gilchrist (?, ?)

That looks a bloody good SANFL side.

 

[Long live PAFC]

So a key part of the success of the Swans, Hawks, Cats, Collingwood and Ross Lyon coached teams has been the ‘next soldier in’ mantra.

Ie build a list that can fulfil the game plan. If you lose one player then you should have another waiting in the wings who is able to fill the hole.

When Charlesworth took over the kookaburras, a big focus was building depth in the side. And don’t build your game plan around brilliance, build it around reliable, reproducible fundamentals. So maybe you lose your gun striker but he can be replaced with someone who can do the job, maybe not with the same brilliance but who can fulfil the requirements.

Last year we fell in a hole. We played injured and underdone players, partly, because we lacked the talent and depth. We couldn’t replace like for like. McKenzie was it. Dixon was it. Lycett was it.

So what will be different this time?

I think we need to actively rest and rotate players. Plan for when we want the team settled and at its peak for finals. Whilst we should have a best 22/23, we also should be building that depth.

All of Alir, Ratugolea, Dixon, Soldo, Finlayson, Boak, Marshall, BZT, Burton, - all should get rested at points. We need to test and trial different combinations and have some run in the legs of Georgiades, McKenzie, Sweet, Lord, Sinn, Jackson, etc to ensure they are ready to go if/when needed.

May mean some games are tight or lost but will leave us better in the long run and much fresher for finals.

 

[Powerade 08]

When Charlesworth took over the Kookaburras? Did that happen in 1862?

 

[ibd77]

So a key part of the success of the Swans, Hawks, Cats, Collingwood and Ross Lyon coached teams has been the ‘next soldier in’ mantra.

Ie build a list that can fulfil the game plan. If you lose one player then you should have another waiting in the wings who is able to fill the hole.

When Charlesworth took over the kookaburras, a big focus was building depth in the side. And don’t build your game plan around brilliance, build it around reliable, reproducible fundamentals. So maybe you lose your gun striker but he can be replaced with someone who can do the job, maybe not with the same brilliance but who can fulfil the requirements.

Last year we fell in a hole. We played injured and underdone players, partly, because we lacked the talent and depth. We couldn’t replace like for like. McKenzie was it. Dixon was it. Lycett was it.

So what will be different this time?

I think we need to actively rest and rotate players. Plan for when we want the team settled and at its peak for finals. Whilst we should have a best 22/23, we also should be building that depth.

All of Alir, Ratugolea, Dixon, Soldo, Finlayson, Boak, Marshall, BZT, Burton, - all should get rested at points. We need to test and trial different combinations and have some run in the legs of Georgiades, McKenzie, Sweet, Lord, Sinn, Jackson, etc to ensure they are ready to go if/when needed.

May mean some games are tight or lost but will leave us better in the long run and much fresher for finals.

Absolutely. That's how the dynasty teams did it.

Then we have Ken with hardery for longery that flogs his best 22 into the ground and our reserve players have NFI what to do when they get selected.

 

[MALTSY]

Port Adelaide POWER - Round 14 vs GWS (In 2 Weeks)
F: Georgiades - Horne-Francis
HF: Byrne-Jones - T.Marshall - McEntee
C: J.Burgoyne - Wines - Boak
HB: Bergman - Aliir - Farrell
B: Ratugolea - Zerk-Thatcher - Houston
R: Soldo - Drew - Butters
INT: Jones - Mead - F.Evans - Burton
EMERG: Finlayson (SUB) - Anastasopoulos - Clurey - Sweet

Out: Dixon, McEntee, Jones, Evans
In: Finlayson, Lorenz,

 

[RossFC]

Port Adelaide POWER - Prelim Final vs Sydney
F: Georgiades - Dixon - Rioli
HF: Byrne-Jones - Ratugolea - Horne-Francis
C: Rozee (C) - Wines - Boak
HB: L.Evans - Aliir - J.Burgoyne
B: Bergman - Zerk-Thatcher - Jones
R: Sweet - Drew - Butters
INT: Burton - Mead - Sinn - Narkle
EMERG: F.Evans (SUB) - Lorenz - Visentini - Lord

Port Adelaide MAGPIES - Season Over
F: Soldo - Scully - Charleson
HF: Szust - Lord - Anastasopoulos
C: Lorenz - Moore (C) - Chamberlain
HB: H.Williams - Walsh - McCallum
B: Weidemann - Clurey - D.Williams
R: Visentini - McEntee - Narkle
INT: Short - O'Reilly - Calvett - Turner
EMERG: Carter - Launer
OTHER: Pascoe - H.Ferrari Roberts - Cheesman - O'Brien - Baldwin - Aldridge - Stevens - Brazel - Byrne - W.Ferrari - Cockatoo-Collins - Cooper - Gilchrist

Unavailable:
AFL:
SPP (Knee, Season)
Finlayson (Spleen, Season)
McKenzie (Quad, Season)
K.Marshall (Shoulder, Season)
Moss (Concussion, Season)
Houston (Suspended, Season)
Jackson (Knee, Season)
Farrell (Hamstring, 2 weeks)
T.Marshall (Concussion, 1 week)
SANFL: NONE