Best/Starting 23, Round 1 2024

[Uninformed]

He hasn't participated in proper match sims but he is ready now and is doing contact work. Based on the drills I've seen I think he's a natural attacking defender and he should be able to play a tagging type role if needed. We really won't know how his kicking stands up until the match sims or intra club games and that was always the knock on him at the Hawks. There doesn't appear to be a lot wrong with it from what I've seen.

Might it get back to his speed and defense against Duryea's experience and kicking?

[Bulldog4life]

Great assessment. Reading it I thought, 'But you've got to play Darcy,' but then I couldn't pick someone other than Lobb to swap out and I think you still have to go with Lobb.

The other was Clarke. I can see the logic with Scott as super sub. because of his versatility.

But I think I would use Clarke as sub. - to come on and perhaps be a game changer - and make use of Harmes' versatility when Clarke goes forward.

I am surprised G that you haven't got Bus in the top 30 players after your write ups.

[jeemak]

Time to have a look at a pre-practice match update:

My original team:

Richards, Jones, JOD
Dale, Darcy, JJ
Williams, Jacko, Smith
Scott, JUH, Treloar
Lobb, Naughton, Weightman

English, Bont, Libba

Sanders, Coffield, Daniel, Harmes

Sub: West

My updated team:

Richards, Jones, JOD
Dale, Darcy, JJ
Williams, Jacko, Harmes
Sanders, JUH, Treloar
Lobb, Naughton, Weightman

English, Bont, Libba

West, Coffield, Daniel, Scott

Sub: McNeil

Smith goes out of the team, obviously, so Harmes is promoted to a wing. Haven't heard much of Scott plus or minus, so he comes out of a HFF where I wanted him to play a relatively defensively minded role, and is replaced by Sanders who is flying from all reports. Scott stays in the 22 for his versatility.

I think we might like McNeil as a sub for pressure and if Sanders is overawed or West is ineffective rotating off the bench.

Defensively I think we'll play the three talls even if others are against it. Being exposed to Darcy and JOD having a bad day worries, if both are selected then we'd be a bit unlucky if both do at the same time but being stuck with one not contributing and not wanting to move Naughton back isn't a great outcome. Coffield might be able to play tall at some point, but getting him playing senior footy is enough of an ask, playing a critical role out of his height range regularly early doesn't sit well with me. Darcy also provides cover for the talls in the forward line and the ruck.

There's a few players unlucky to miss, which is a bloody good thing prior to the start of the season. Not a lot of excuses come to mind when thinking about performance. While we're exposed a little with JOD and Darcy back if they don't take off, we have Keath and Gardner ready to step in.

[azabob]

Jee, what is the rational behind Darcy at CHB? By all reports he hasn’t been training with the defenders.

Is it based on a pure talent/future viewpoint or the best of the rest type scenario?

[GVGjr]

On a lot of the training form, Jeemak's suggestions for the best 23 seems to be spot on or at least very close but given our round one opponent is Melbourne I just wonder if we need need 4 tall defenders in Jones, JOD, Darcy and Coffield?
Melbournes taller forwards don't instill a lot of concern for me whereas their smaller forwards could be more of a challenge.
I'd like to see Bramble in the mix as defender on the interchange bench to give us another option.

[meenies]

here goes nothing!
JJ, L Jones, Coffield
Richards, JOD, Dale
Gallagher, Treloar, Poulter
West, Naughton, Harmes
JUH, Lobb, Weightman
English, Bont, Sanders

Buss, Clarke, Macrae, Libba, Daniel, Scott, Darcy, Williams

5 on bench (one sub) and 3 emergencies

[bornadog]

My first stab of opening round team

B:	JJ	Jones	JOD
HBF:	Dale	Gardner	Richards
C:	Williams	Treloar	Poulter
HFF:	Harmes	Naughton	Scott
F:	Lobb	JUH	Weightman
Mids	English, Bont, Libba
IC:	Daniel	Duryea	Macrae	Sanders	West
Emergency: Coffield, Baker, Darcy

I am unsure on Coffield and whether Darcy makes the team due to too many talls.

[GVGjr]

I like the team BAD, I'm not sure we need such a tall defense against Melbourne though and I'm more wary of their smaller and mid sized forwards.
Coffield is an interesting omission, what is your concern there?

[GVGjr]

here goes nothing!
JJ, L Jones, Coffield
Richards, JOD, Dale
Gallagher, Treloar, Poulter
West, Naughton, Harmes
JUH, Lobb, Weightman
English, Bont, Sanders

Buss, Clarke, Macrae, Libba, Daniel, Scott, Darcy, Williams

5 on bench (one sub) and 3 emergencies

Nice one Meenies. Let's be brave and trim that bench down to 5

[bornadog]

I like the team BAD, I'm not sure we need such a tall defense against Melbourne though and I'm more wary of their smaller and mid sized forwards.
Coffield is an interesting omission, what is your concern there?

No concerns, more I don't know much about him. See how the practise matches go, and then will decide.

Daniel will also play back, if Melbourne have only a couple of talls.

[GVGjr]

No concerns, more I don't know much about him. See how the practise matches go, and then will decide.

Daniel will also play back, if Melbourne have only a couple of talls.

Thanks, I thought it might be some height bias

[jeemak]

Jee, what is the rational behind Darcy at CHB? By all reports he hasn’t been training with the defenders.

Is it based on a pure talent/future viewpoint or the best of the rest type scenario?

I think they'll want him in the team, but he'll be behind all of English, Lobb, Naughton and JUH in their favoured positions.

[jeemak]

On a lot of the training form, Jeemak's suggestions for the best 23 seems to be spot on or at least very close but given our round one opponent is Melbourne I just wonder if we need need 4 tall defenders in Jones, JOD, Darcy and Coffield?
Melbournes taller forwards don't instill a lot of concern for me whereas their smaller forwards could be more of a challenge.
I'd like to see Bramble in the mix as defender on the interchange bench to give us another option.

I don't consider Coffield a genuine tall defender, more mid-sized in how I recall him playing a few years ago. If he's able to play tall then it makes it interesting for both JOD and Darcy as the match committee would be eager to play them both, whilst also playing a player they've targeted for trade.

[S Coast Simon]

My guess.

JJ. Jones. Coffield
Kossie. VanRooyen. Fritsch

Dale. JOD. ED
Neal-Bullen MacDonald McAdam

Williams. Bont. Poulter
Hunter. Petraca. Langdon

Harmes. Naughton Treloar
Rivers. Lever. Bradshaw

Darcy. JUH. Weightman
Petty. May. Salem

English. Libba. Macrae
Gawn. Oliver. Viney

West. Daniel. Sanders. Buku Sub Scott
Tomlinson. Sparrow. Chandler. Bowey. Billings

Lobb. Baker. Busslinger. Duryea. Gallagher Gardner. Jones. McNeil Vanders
all need to fight to get into the team. Would like to to see us with competition for spots again. A few years ago it was great because they were rewarding good form in the VFL. This didn’t seem to be be the case the last couple of years. We need to get back to this again

[Bulldog Joe]

My guess.

JJ. Jones. Coffield
Kossie. VanRooyen. Fritsch

Dale. JOD. ED
Neal-Bullen MacDonald McAdam

Williams. Bont. Poulter
Hunter. Petraca. Langdon

Harmes. Naughton Treloar
Rivers. Lever. Bradshaw

Darcy. JUH. Weightman
Petty. May. Salem

English. Libba. Macrae
Gawn. Oliver. Viney

West. Daniel. Sanders. Buku Sub Scott
Tomlinson. Sparrow. Chandler. Bowey. Billings

Lobb. Baker. Busslinger. Duryea. Gallagher Gardner. Jones. McNeil Vanders
all need to fight to get into the team. Would like to to see us with competition for spots again. A few years ago it was great because they were rewarding good form in the VFL. This didn’t seem to be be the case the last couple of years. We need to get back to this again

Good effort Simon.

All the track watchers think Lobb ahead of Darcy.

Perhaps Lobb in the pocket but Darcy on the bench ahead of Buku.