Best/Starting 23, Round 1 2024

[Bigdog]

After yesterday, I?m seeing round 1 as:

FB: Richards Jones Coffield
HB: Dale JOD JJ
C: Williams Libba Poulter
HF: Mcneil Naughton Daniel
FF: Weightman Darcy JUH

C: English Bont Treloar

I: Lobb West Sanders Harmes VDM (sub - prefer his assets to Mcneil and west, but both out performed him yesterday)

Macrae will come in if injury free

Next in line is Buku and Clarke

One of the mids will need to role through half back for rotations.

Also scrapping the sub role and going with a 5 player bench would be ideal for the 4 talls.

[whythelongface]

Some good selection headaches

Forward/ ruck: Lobb v Darcy

Small forwards: Weightman, Harmes and Daniel (all with time in the mids) then there is a battle between VDM, McNeil, West, Scott and Clarke.

West is looking good. Maybe McNeil (needs consistency and is frustrating at times) or Clarke. Harmes will be best 22 (mid/fwd role).

Wings: Poulter, Baker, Williams, Bramble. Williams a definite with his ability to play back and forward. The other wing spot is wide open.

Depth is our key this year. We need 6 to 10 players battling it out every week for spots 18-23. Barring injuries we have 16/17 automatic selections each week. It really is the wings and small forward roles that where our fringe players will generally be needed.

Ideally we want Clarke and West to cement spots so that there is very little requirement for player rotation week in/ week out.

Our glaring hole is defensive KPP - Jones and JOD look the goods but if one or both go down we have ok replacements in Gardner and Keath - but not week to week regulars Definitely need Buss to come on this year (asking a lot of 19/20 year old in early development though). Think someone mentioned that English was moving back a fair bit yesterday- I like that idea. Wonder if that means the other ruck (Lobb/ Darcy) plays a similar role.

All in all feeling positive about the season. Training reports have been fab and there seems to be a good vibe around the club.

[meenies]

Based on yesterdays practice match and only selecting one game ahead to the Tassie match.

JJ Jones Richards
Coffield Darcy (not expecting JOD to play) Dale

Baker, Treloar, Poulter
English, Bont, Sanders

West, Naughton, Harmes
JUH, Lobb, Weightman

Bramble (backs), Sanders (centre rotations), CD (Harmes rotation), Clarke (over McNeill)
Williams as the go anywhere sub

Gallagher (maybe swap with Baker?), VDM, Khamis, Scott

[SquirrelGrip]

Based on yesterdays practice match and only selecting one game ahead to the Tassie match.

JJ Jones Richards
Coffield Darcy (not expecting JOD to play) Dale

Baker, Treloar, Poulter
English, Bont, Sanders

West, Naughton, Harmes
JUH, Lobb, Weightman

Bramble (backs), Sanders (centre rotations), CD (Harmes rotation), Clarke (over McNeill)
Williams as the go anywhere sub

Gallagher (maybe swap with Baker?), VDM, Khamis, Scott

Um, where’s Libba?

[meenies]

Thought I missed someone. On second thoughts I would rest one or more of Treloar or Bont or Libba and keep youngies in one more game.

[GVGjr]

Has Fridays practice game changed the mind of who's in the mix for round one for you or at least raised some addition questions?

Darcy was impressive, I don't quite know how but he has to be right in the mix for R1
McNeil has had a solid 6 to 8 weeks on the training track and now has a very good performance under his belt in a position we've struggled with.
Macrae really needs to get into full training next week or he's very likely to be out of the running.
Without any real centre bounce attendances I didn't think we got much out Daniel and I wonder if a role change is likely.
Vandermeer did some nice things but perhaps not enough to hold his spot. Might come down to him or Scott
Bramble was okay without grabbing his chance.
West and Williams should have done enough to hold their spots. Gallagher probably didn't do enough.
Coffield is now probably a lock and Khamis right in the mix.

The team we pick in the next practice game will provide more answers.

[jazzadogs]

Darcy was better than Lobb, but was playing the better role with more ruck time. It's very hard to conceive a way that they can both fit in the team, alongside the other talls. I feel like Darcy's ceiling is higher, even now, but that Lobb will hopefully provide a more consistent presence.

McNeill locked his spot in my eyes. Cody, West, McNeill as our smaller forwards plus the resting mids (Harmes in that group for me). VDM didn't cut it.

I've thought coffield was a lock since we traded him in, pending injuries. He has got to this point unscathed and I think he is clearly in our best side.

[Go_Dogs]

Still a bit to play out, however I’m leaning towards:

B: Richards, Jones, Coffield
HB: Dale, JOD, JJ
C: Williams, Libba, Poulter
HF: Sanders, Naughton, Weightman
F: Lobb, Jamarra, McNeil
R: English, Bont, Treloar
IC: Daniel, Darcy, Harmes, West
S: Baker

[jeemak]

I find it hard to think about our round one side when our teams were butchered so significantly between two games. Next week's praccy will be telling, way too much up in the air right now.

[GVGjr]

Still a bit to play out, however I’m leaning towards:

B: Richards, Jones, Coffield
HB: Dale, JOD, JJ
C: Williams, Libba, Poulter
HF: Sanders, Naughton, Weightman
F: Lobb, Jamarra, McNeil
R: English, Bont, Treloar
IC: Daniel, Darcy, Harmes, West
S: Baker

And assuming Macrae isn't going to be ready?

[Uninformed]

Has Fridays practice game changed the mind of who's in the mix for round one for you or at least raised some addition questions?

Darcy was impressive, I don't quite know how but he has to be right in the mix for R1
McNeil has had a solid 6 to 8 weeks on the training track and now has a very good performance under his belt in a position we've struggled with.
Macrae really needs to get into full training next week or he's very likely to be out of the running.
Without any real centre bounce attendances I didn't think we got much out Daniel and I wonder if a role change is likely.
Vandermeer did some nice things but perhaps not enough to hold his spot. Might come down to him or Scott
Bramble was okay without grabbing his chance.
West and Williams should have done enough to hold their spots. Gallagher probably didn't do enough.
Coffield is now probably a lock and Khamis right in the mix.

The team we pick in the next practice game will provide more answers.

Agree with your thoughts here. Did you see how Clarke went? It sounded like he did very well in the second game.

[GVGjr]

Agree with your thoughts here. Did you see how Clarke went? It sounded like he did very well in the second game.

He's performing well especially given he has had his knee strapped over the last week and a half after copping a heavy knock on it.He kicked 4 goals and was genuinely a handful for the Hawks.

[Uninformed]

He's performing well especially given he has had his knee strapped over the last week and a half after copping a heavy knock on it.He kicked 4 goals and was genuinely a handful for the Hawks.

If he is ready, would he take McNeil's spot? I think West is a lock and McNeil next in line but would love to see a pure crumbing goal-sneak in.

Didn't see enough in Gallagher to say he is AFL ready, nor Bramble. But all of Coffield, Harmes, Buku, Poulter and perhaps Baker look like AFL-quality players. Should give our bottom six a lift this year.

Really liked Cleary's game too. He seemed very quick to the contest to me. Does he have real pace?

[Go_Dogs]

And assuming Macrae isn't going to be ready?

Yes, I’ve left Macrae out due to injury (makes selecting the side a little easier to be honest). Based on form, would you pick Macrae (leaving aside reputation)?

I also didn’t pick Scott but on reflection he probably should play too (and be in the 22).

It’s a bloody tough side to pick. Maybe it becomes a little clearer next week.

[doggies ftw]

After yesterday, I?m seeing round 1 as:

FB: Richards Jones Coffield
HB: Dale JOD JJ
C: Williams Libba Poulter
HF: Mcneil Naughton Daniel
FF: Weightman Darcy JUH

C: English Bont Treloar

I: Lobb West Sanders Harmes VDM (sub - prefer his assets to Mcneil and west, but both out performed him yesterday)

Macrae will come in if injury free

Next in line is Buku and Clarke

One of the mids will need to role through half back for rotations.

Also scrapping the sub role and going with a 5 player bench would be ideal for the 4 talls.

I?ll genuinely quit footy if VDM ever plays over West, he is literally 10x the footballer VDM is