Best/Starting 23, Round 1 2024

[bulldogtragic]

Fully fit:

My first version. I?m assuming Watson gets to us with Hawks getting Gini & Gunston so they could go another midfielder. I think he can play straight away in the role.

B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD JJ
C: Williams Treloar Poulter
HF: Sanders Marra Weightman
F: Lobb Naughton Clarke
R: English Bont Libba
I: Smith Macrae Harmes Daniel
S: West
E: Darcy Buss Scott Arty

Rest: Cleary, Garcia, Gardner, Baker, Duryea (?), Gags, VDM, Khamis, Croft, Lual (?), spare ruck (?), recruits or other rookie upgrades.


Early rationale:

3 talls, 3 smalls up forward (Sanders starting there). With Bont & Adz to rest there. Darcy as the next tall forward in line. I prefer this but expect we will have a midfield capable HHF taking a spot, although I wouldn?t mind seeing Cody spend a few minutes on ball to add some burst speed and X factor to a similar midfield.

A more mobile defence. Unless the oppo is very tall. Coffield as the third tall type. Would prefer games into Buss over Gardner. Croft into the defence group. I?d consider moving Daniel back too, with Smith to get more time in the middle and perhaps Macrae and Harmes coming in and hopefully West stepping up, perhaps we move him back to where he won an AA jacket.

Mids to rotate more. I?m assuming Smith has been promised more mid time so I expect him in a bit more. I?m a bit concerned over where Macrae fits in, but hopefully he can get back to his best or close to it. I think Lobb should get a few more minutes every quarter and English can drift forward or play around d with him as a tall utility that floats where he thinks we need him during the game.

There still seems like plenty of talent on paper. But the game plan, CBA rotations, defence, tagging (Harmes ?), and I50 entries are going to hurt with missing easy goals. Hopefully some new assistants can help here.

[ledge]

Fully fit:

My first version. I?m assuming Watson gets to us with Hawks getting Gini & Gunston so they could go another midfielder. I think he can play straight away in the role.

B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD JJ
C: Williams Treloar Poulter
HF: Watson (?) Marra Weightman
F: Lobb Naughton Clarke
R: English Bont Libba
I: Smith Macrae Harmes Daniel
S: West
E: Darcy Buss Scott Arty

Rest: Cleary, Garcia, Gardner, Baker, Duryea (?), Gags, VDM, Khamis, Croft, Lual (?), spare ruck (?), recruits or other rookie upgrades.


Early rationale:

3 talls, 3 smalls up forward. With Bont & Adz to rest there. Darcy as the next tall forward in line. I prefer this but expect we will have a midfield capable HHF taking a spot, although I wouldn?t mind seeing Cody spend a few minutes on ball to add some burst speed and X factor to a similar midfield.

A more mobile defence. Unless the oppo is very tall. Coffield as the third tall type. Would prefer games into Buss over Gardner. Croft into the defence group. I?d consider moving Daniel back too, with Smith to get more time in the middle and perhaps Macrae and Harmes coming in and hopefully West stepping up, perhaps we move him back to where he won an AA jacket.

Mids to rotate more. I?m assuming Smith has been promised more mid time so I expect him in a bit more. I?m a bit concerned over where Macrae fits in, but hopefully he can get back to his best or close to it. I think Lobb should get a few more minutes every quarter and English can drift forward or play around d with him as a tall utility that floats where he thinks we need him during the game.

There still seems like plenty of talent on paper. But the game plan, CBA rotations, defence, tagging (Harmes ?), and I50 entries are going to hurt with missing easy goals. Hopefully some new assistants can help here.

Looks like we will have another strong VFL team next year
.

[Dry Rot]

Good team selection BT, but you have to wonder where Busslinger will fit in following the arrival of Coffield.

If the answer is close to zero games in season 2024, then he may well ask for a trade back home because of lack of opportunities.

[GVGjr]

Good team selection BT, but you have to wonder where Busslinger will fit in following the arrival of Coffield.

If the answer is close to zero games in season 2024, then he may well ask for a trade back home because of lack of opportunities.

They're very different players though and Busslinger is more of the understudy to Keath, Gardner and Jones where Coffield is replacing TOB and is in competition more with JOD for a spot.

[bulldogtragic]

Good team selection BT, but you have to wonder where Busslinger will fit in following the arrival of Coffield.

If the answer is close to zero games in season 2024, then he may well ask for a trade back home because of lack of opportunities.

I think Coff is in for TOB/Croz. Buss and either Keath/Gardner fighting for the third tall if we need to go in with the extra tall. I’m hoping Buss can jump both of them and we can look at the future with JOD & Buss and how they best work together. Whose the better 2nd KPD and who’s the better interceptor although with Jones I think Jones is still our best interceptor.

[josie]

Good selection. I’d swap Garcia for Clarke.

[bulldogtragic]

Good selection. I’d swap Garcia for Clarke.

I can’t remember who starts the ‘bolter for season 2024’ thread. But Clarke is my bolter. I wouldn’t mind seeing Garcia trialled back for my ‘Bevo Special’ magnet switcheroo.

[josie]

I can’t remember who starts the ‘bolter for season 2024’ thread. But Clarke is my bolter. I wouldn’t mind seeing Garcia trialled back for my ‘Bevo Special’ magnet switcheroo.

Good thinking. Garcia has tenacity that might work in backline. I feel he is the type of player that might flourish with a specific role. He is short though and possibly not great overhead, but when/if ball hits ground he is like a terrier. I hope you are right about Clarke. From what I’ve seen in vfl he is a good team player, but not as agile as I was hoping. Let’s hope he has a great pre-season.

[Hotdog60]

Fully fit:

My first version. I?m assuming Watson gets to us with Hawks getting Gini & Gunston so they could go another midfielder. I think he can play straight away in the role.

B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD JJ
C: Williams Treloar Poulter
HF: Watson (?) Marra Weightman
F: Lobb Naughton Clarke
R: English Bont Libba
I: Smith Macrae Harmes Daniel
S: West
E: Darcy Buss Scott Arty

Rest: Cleary, Garcia, Gardner, Baker, Duryea (?), Gags, VDM, Khamis, Croft, Lual (?), spare ruck (?), recruits or other rookie upgrades.

I like the line up but I'm still not sold on Clarke and I think he would have to shine in any of the Pre season stuff to earn a spot in the starting line up.
I'd swap him with West and Scott as the Sub. But I do like the rest.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I mean you look at that line-up and think it's strong. But then it just doesn't happen. We really need a couple of new players to step up. By new I mean guys who haven't stepped up previously.

[kruder]

I reckon Darcy will play round 1 in front of Lobb. It's his third year and it's time to get games into him, I just can't see him in defence at all. English look cooked in the last third of the year I think we need to rest him forward more.

Really like this setup BT, it would solve a lot of the ball movement issues we faced last year, I just prefer Daniel forward/mid I'm not a fan of his ability to defend.

B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD JJ

[hujsh]

I reckon Darcy will play round 1 in front of Lobb. It's his third year and it's time to get games into him, I just can't see him in defence at all. English look cooked in the last third of the year I think we need to rest him forward more.

Really like this setup BT, it would solve a lot of the ball movement issues we faced last year, I just prefer Daniel forward/mid I'm not a fan of his ability to defend.

B: Dale L. Jones Coffield
HB: Richards JOD JJ

Maybe we should ruck Lobb more then. Not sure bringing in Darcy and resting English forward more are quite compatible notions right now. Maybe in another season or two.

[EasternWest]

Am I the only one who's extremely wary of the Darcy hype train?

Maybe I'm still suffering Ayceitis.

[Grantysghost]

Am I the only one who's extremely wary of the Darcy hype train?

Maybe I'm still suffering Ayceitis.

Yes.

[Bulldog4life]

Am I the only one who's extremely wary of the Darcy hype train?

Maybe I'm still suffering Ayceitis.

Maybe wary of Darcy senior's friendships but not Sammy as a future gun. Put your second house on it EW.