Round 1, 2019 Team

[Mofra]

Wood is shorter than Dunkley and not even 190cm. Yes he has a great leap, but we can't keep killing him playing against the Franklins of the world. Wood needs to be roaming along the Halfback line, taking marks.

That's what an intercept defender does.

[GVGjr]

I've said this before, but the TOP teams pick themselves.

We are having trouble selecting the 22 as there as so many players on our list who have shown FLASHES and have given us reason to be encouraged, but have by no means earned their spot.

I think if you try and nominate 'locks' for positions, you will find that list is relatively small:

Wood - Intercept defender
Morris - Lock down defender
Macrae + Dunkley - Inside mids
Hunter - Outside mid
Maclean - High forward
Dickson - Deep forward
Bont - Everywhere else

Apologies to Libba (injury) as he would be in this list as well...but who else would you say has 'nailed down' a spot? I guess I should say 'JJ - Running Defender' but that is surely needs the '*' of 'against teams who wont tag him'. Who else?

I know everyone is going to tell me that player 'x' or 'y' deserve to play - and you could make a case for a heap of guys with Caleb Daniel atop my personal list - but until they really 'OWN' their role this is going to be a difficult exercise.

MJP, given we have focused our drafting and recruiting on improving the kicking skills off the back half over the last couple of years so can we really play both Wood and Morris in the team together given that they?:
A) They aren't great kicks and B) They don't get a lot of the ball.

To me they have some limitations despite having some attributes we need

I can see that one of them needs to play as the 3rd tall but I think playing both of them slows the transition out of the back half


Interested in your thoughts?

[mjp]

Agree they have limitations - but Morris in particular is a 'more than the sum of the parts' player. His ability to simply do the right thing and get to the right spots and win one-on-ones and leave his man at the 'right' time to become a help defender etc etc...he can just play.

Wood is a leader. Aggressive with the ball in the air. I have always been concerned about his inability to win the ball/get involved in possession chains but he is still a top 6 defender given what else we have available.

Basically, I am confident the others around them - and I am assuming it is going to be something like Cordy, Crozier, Suckling and a rotating cast of JJ, Richards, Daniel and Williams - can provide enough run and polish to both TAKE ADVANTAGE of the strengths of Morris and Wood whilst also covering for their weaknesses.

[Mofra]

Agree they have limitations - but Morris in particular is a 'more than the sum of the parts' player. His ability to simply do the right thing and get to the right spots and win one-on-ones and leave his man at the 'right' time to become a help defender etc etc...he can just play.

Wood is a leader. Aggressive with the ball in the air. I have always been concerned about his inability to win the ball/get involved in possession chains but he is still a top 6 defender given what else we have available.

Basically, I am confident the others around them - and I am assuming it is going to be something like Cordy, Crozier, Suckling and a rotating cast of JJ, Richards, Daniel and Williams - can provide enough run and polish to both TAKE ADVANTAGE of the strengths of Morris and Wood whilst also covering for their weaknesses.

It's not like we only have six players in defence - outside of a fast transition AFL seems to be a more 'total football' in recent years which means the midfield rolls back anyway, as well as the higher running forwards if play has been stagnant for a while.

[soupman]

Not sure Wallis made the right choice staying. I think he could very easily find himself out of our best 22.

For mine he doesn't get a game as a mid, and as a forward is up against a group of potential big improvers like Greene, Lloyd, Gowers, Cavarra, Richards, Lipinski and Dickson, with many being more dynamic.

Could easily see him being an emergency for a lot of this season.

[Bulldog Joe]

Not sure Wallis made the right choice staying. I think he could very easily find himself out of our best 22.

For mine he doesn't get a game as a mid, and as a forward is up against a group of potential big improvers like Greene, Lloyd, Gowers, Cavarra, Richards, Lipinski and Dickson, with many being more dynamic.

Could easily see him being an emergency for a lot of this season.

I think we will be going very well if Mitch Wallis struggles to get games on form.

[Mofra]

Not sure Wallis made the right choice staying. I think he could very easily find himself out of our best 22.

For mine he doesn't get a game as a mid, and as a forward is up against a group of potential big improvers like Greene, Lloyd, Gowers, Cavarra, Richards, Lipinski and Dickson, with many being more dynamic.

Could easily see him being an emergency for a lot of this season.

He is not a starting mid for mine either but was incredibly effective as a forward in the latter stages of the season.
We have traditionally played a 'tough bastard' forward who isn't quick but is smart and good in traffic (DFA, Gia, Clay Smith) and wally appears to be the latest iteration of that.

As a team we typically score more from a contested situation than other sides and being able to 'scrap' a goal brings a player like wally into focus.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Not sure Wallis made the right choice staying. I think he could very easily find himself out of our best 22.

For mine he doesn't get a game as a mid, and as a forward is up against a group of potential big improvers like Greene, Lloyd, Gowers, Cavarra, Richards, Lipinski and Dickson, with many being more dynamic.

Could easily see him being an emergency for a lot of this season.

i would be happy to see Wallis in our opening 22. He becomes a better player with Libba in the side and provides valuable support in the midfield and when resting up forward. See him as an inspiring onfield leader with his never say die attitude. There is something special about the WB, father/son combinations like Cordy, Liberatore, Hunter and Wallis.

[The Pie Man]

Was going though this yesterday using the Round 23 side as a base and generating Ins / Outs from there....I can only echo sentiments already raised in this thread - fitness pending, round 1 will be a tough selection call.

You could include Daniel as one of the 7 defenders, which would really put the squeeze on

Wood, Naughton, JJ
Duryea, Morris, Crozier

Suckling as the spare.......which means Cordy misses...surely he doesn't miss? Is the skip in any danger?

Forwards will be a bit of a squeeze

Lloyd, Schache, Richards
Wallis, Gowers, Cavarra

McLean as the spare - but more the mid/fwd spare....which would see English miss as the 2nd ruck/forward...perhaps unlikely. I know plenty would think Cavarra misses, but we *really* need a small pressure forward, and he seems ready to go. Dickson, Greene & Lipinski also miss this side, which seems harsh. Richards will probably play more wing...but will probably play more defence now I've written that.

Ruck & mids is the same situation again.

Trengove, The Bont, Dunkley
Hunter, Libba, Macrae

Daniel & Williams as the spares...which would see Jong miss, while Bailey Smith is an interesting wildcard given he's close to full fitness.

This aint easy

[Torpedo]

Glad I'm not on the Match Committee! I was wondering though, whether the MC would be likely to take a season overview with regard to first few rounds? Does age, experience, early season heat come into its thinking? ie. would the MC say for example that Dickson(with his hammies/groin issues) have some early games in vfl with a view to working slowly into the season and managing his health to ensure his finals availability?
While at the same time thinking that say, a younger Lipinski , might be given the opportunity to play his position for the first few rounds, when games are often just won by the quicker team, that outlasts the other in hot conditions and skills aren't up to peak levels.

[bornadog]

Glad I'm not on the Match Committee! I was wondering though, whether the MC would be likely to take a season overview with regard to first few rounds? Does age, experience, early season heat come into its thinking? ie. would the MC say for example that Dickson(with his hammies/groin issues) have some early games in vfl with a view to working slowly into the season and managing his health to ensure his finals availability?
While at the same time thinking that say, a younger Lipinski , might be given the opportunity to play his position for the first few rounds, when games are often just won by the quicker team, that outlasts the other in hot conditions and skills aren't up to peak levels.

I think Bevo gives the opportunity to those that perform well in either practise matches or in the VFL. The practise matches will determine round 1.

[Mofra]

I think Bevo gives the opportunity to those that perform well in either practise matches or in the VFL. The practise matches will determine round 1.

Pretty much.
I remember when he arrived and we were shocked to find Minson wasn't an automatic lock for ruck duties even though he was ~15 months away from his AA year.
Last year Gowers played round 1 after coming from the clouds and Naughton was thrown into the deep end.

[bornadog]

Pretty much.
I remember when he arrived and we were shocked to find Minson wasn't an automatic lock for ruck duties even though he was ~15 months away from his AA year.
Last year Gowers played round 1 after coming from the clouds and Naughton was thrown into the deep end.

Who could the surprise packet be this year for round 1?

[Axe Man]

Who could the surprise packet be this year for round 1?

Lachlan Young got a wrap in one of the club videos or articles I seem to recall. I will say him because it would be a massive shock and I will look like a genius if I'm correct!

[Mofra]

Who could the surprise packet be this year for round 1?

It's hard as on paper we have a lot of competition for spots... but Fergus Greene? Really worked well with Schache who was the lynchpin of our forward system late in the year.

Every year someone unexpectedly sinks (Bailey Dale last year, Dickson along with a lot of the team a year earlier) and someone comes from nowhere.