Build from the trenches.

[Mitcha]

Lost me at Brendan McCartney

Gee, not sure I can go on.

[jeemak]

Don't you just take the very best available and then build from there? If there's a KPP evenly matched with a midfielder, then you go the KPP?

[Scott2016]

I would love to see a highly skilled winger play for us. Imagine if Darcy had lace out delivery every week. The kicking inside 50 has been more to the defenders advantage rather than our forwards advantage. Rowell inside 50 kicks are hit or miss

[Sedat]

Elite ball use and decision making with ball in hand, ability to win contests aerially and on the ground, able to compete 1-on-1 both in defence and attack, versatility to play a number of pivotal roles. A healthy dose of confidence and mongrel.

I'm going with James Sicily.

[Grantysghost]

The closest thing to Bont i reckon is Will Day, or maybe a midfield version of James Hird? Either way he is a serious talent, Friejah is a smooth mover like Bont.

Will Day is brilliant.

[Stevo]

Hawks don't have genuine A list midfielders but they're brutes who give it their all.

[Mantis]

Hawks don't have genuine A list midfielders but they're brutes who give it their all.

Both Newcombe and Day are A graders… and McKenzie is well on his way to being an A grader too.

[lemmon]

I still think your quality mids are the guys that win you games more often than not, and Rowell is a gun, but I'd still be taking Nick Daicos.

The guy is an inside-outside weapon - he was fourth in clearances, fifth in contested possessions and fourth in total disposals last year. He's just about the best runner in the comp, and most importantly, he cuts you up with the footy.

He'll go forward and kick miracle goals, go to a back flank and set the game up or put him in the middle and he's probably the most dangerous 'burst footballer' in the comp.

I don't think there's another player at the moment who worries me more as an opponent supporter than N Daicos.

[Uninformed]

The boffins say ball movement is now more important than contest. Not sure that I agree but if that is the case I would get a Gulden.

If, however, the boffins are full of it and Kontest is still King, you could not go wrong with a Rowell.

[NAUGHTY100]

Butters he can start it and get on the end of it

That would be the man for me as well Grantysghost , Butters is as hard nosed as you get , has better disposal then Rowell and is way more explosive then most , he creates goals and kicks them himself .

[Twodogs]

I'd rather build from defense. Easy rebound goals means you don't even need great forwards or the most skilled mids. Think the Zac Williams setup for Curnow or the Saad kick into the middle, passed off to Cripps who just kicked long for an easy Lewis Young goal.

A miserly defense means you shouldn't be too far off your opponent even when its not all going your way. You do need a mix of defenders and rebounders though.

It's not the kind of thing that relies on one player, it needs a unit, but if I could pick one then maybe Sam Taylor?

This. The lesson I came away from 2016 with was how important defense is. If you're hard to score against then you tend remain in touching distance even if you're playing poorly. Then when the game turns and you're two or three goals and not ten goals behind you are every chance of running the other mob down. Give me Sam Taylor.

As a left field thought I'd like to see a good intercepting defender like Alir Alir in the tricolour