Opinion The Evolution of Your Best 23 for 2025

[Long live PAFC]

If we’re not going to win it next year - and I don’t think we will with the current state of our list and with Hinkley at the helm - we need to position ourselves favourably for the subsequent years. Early draft picks and games into younger players might help.

I hear ya.

We were the youngest finals side - younger and less experienced than hawthorn (particularly when you take Boak out).

From the finals side Dixon is gone and we have Farrell and SPP to come in. Boak is unlikely to be first 22. Lorenz was the emergency.

Guys like Jones, Georgiades, Farrell, Rozee, Butters, JHF, etc - still haven’t reached 100 games or have only just got there.

Evans, McEntee and Narkle are still young - they’re just not good enough. Kyle Marshall, Charleston, Ana, etc maybe the same. And we don’t have the draft picks to replace these guys with quality.

Clurey, Soldo, McKenzie, Dixon, Houston - all likely gone at seasons end. Maybe Boak too.

Lord was first choice but was injured. Sinn was first choice but got injured. Jackson was injured. Scully seems borderline as to be retained or not.

I think we were playing the youth and will be next year. But finals and a flag is always the aim.

 

[PJ Power]

I hear ya.

We were the youngest finals side - younger and less experienced than hawthorn (particularly when you take Boak out).

From the finals side Dixon is gone and we have Farrell and SPP to come in. Boak is unlikely to be first 22. Lorenz was the emergency.

Guys like Jones, Georgiades, Farrell, Rozee, Butters, JHF, etc - still haven’t reached 100 games or have only just got there.

Evans, McEntee and Narkle are still young - they’re just not good enough. Kyle Marshall, Charleston, Ana, etc maybe the same. And we don’t have the draft picks to replace these guys with quality.

Clurey, Soldo, McKenzie, Dixon, Houston - all likely gone at seasons end. Maybe Boak too.

Lord was first choice but was injured. Sinn was first choice but got injured. Jackson was injured. Scully seems borderline as to be retained or not.

I think we were playing the youth and will be next year. But finals and a flag is always the aim.

Whatever the stated aim is doesn't bother me while Hinkley is there, because we won't win a flag anyway and any other result will be sold to us as being successful enough or excused for some convenient reason. The key is we get games into players that have some sort of AFL potential. i.e., Don't waste games on McEntee, Narkle, F. Evans. They have been trialled and found wanting.

Instead of Dixon, get games into Lord (or Scully).
Instead of Houston, get games into Sinn (not Burton).
Instead of Narkle, get games into Lorenz.
Instead of McEntee, get games into Jackson.
etc., etc.