Your biggest POSITIONAL concern heading into 2025 is:

[SquirrelGrip]

Gardner might come in to some calculations if Marra doesn't play a lot given we have pretty much given him the back-up ruck man role. Could he play FP or come off the bench to provide Tim with a chop out? It sounds a bit far fetched but if we really want to keep Naughton and Darcy forward as much as we can we might have to get inventive.

Many thanks MJP, I love this type of thread and thought starter.

I can see the coaches more likely to play Davidson in the FP/come of the bench to give Tim a chop out role than RG. Croft too if he shows continued improvement.

My concern remains with the outside mids. Who keeps up with and beats Gulden, McLuggage, Daicos? Is Freijah ready for this?

[mjp]

I voted 'something else'. The OP states a positional concern GOING INTO THE SEASON which I read as a 'concern' within the first few rounds. With Marra and Naughton having 'truncated' pre-seasons, my concern is around the KPFs. We have enough players on the list (whether good or ordinary), that can fill the other positions of concern raised by MJP for the time being.

You don't think we can make it work with Darcy and some smalls?

I love that look for us...Darcy and Weightman as targets with Kennedy, McNeil, VDM, West etc floating around?

I'm OK with it...plus if Lobb plays high in the back half he can take a bit of BTA stoppage work and English can spit forward...

[Uninformed]

I voted 'something else'. The OP states a positional concern GOING INTO THE SEASON which I read as a 'concern' within the first few rounds. With Marra and Naughton having 'truncated' pre-seasons, my concern is around the KPFs. We have enough players on the list (whether good or ordinary), that can fill the other positions of concern raised by MJP for the time being.

Wouldn't Darcy, Croft and Davidson worry most teams?

[jeemak]

I went with something else........As Shakira says, the hips don't lie and I'm just not in the shape I used to be in..........

Footy related, Libba's a real worry for me with his concussions and I fear if Treloar's body all of a sudden goes to shite we're left short in a critical area and asking a lot of others to step up.

[Uninformed]

I went with outside mid for the other wing, (as per Squirrelgrip the Gulden Daicos type supreme delivery boy.) Something we don't have now with everyone healthy. Having read others posts though the lockdown back comes to mind as well. But Duryea is probably enough for this year, so I will stick with the winger as the obvious hole.

Tim can at least hold his own and sometimes dominate so not bothered there. We score well enough so happy to look for improvement in West, McNeil and VDM forward. Kennedy should help there too.

As GvGJr points out ruck depth could be an issue, but Tim seems to wear well other than concussion. Then depth for a lock down defender is a bit thin.

[mjp]

Footy related, Libba's a real worry for me with his concussions and I fear if Treloar's body all of a sudden goes to shite we're left short in a critical area and asking a lot of others to step up.

OK. Liber is out and Treloar is slowing down.

We still have Bont, Richards, Kennedy, Sanders...the list of Garcia believers (I'm not necessarily one but he can play a role) is long...I simply don't see how this is a 'BAD' situation. I guess Sanders is the 'weak' link in that scenario but what teams have a top 10 pick with 12-months of development in him ready to slot in??

I'm with you re- the potential 'problems' but I just think we have solutions. Whilst we have Bont and Richards upright - which in your scenario we do - that is going to cause headaches for pretty much every other team in it.

[jeemak]

OK. Liber is out and Treloar is slowing down.

We still have Bont, Richards, Kennedy, Sanders...the list of Garcia believers (I'm not necessarily one but he can play a role) is long...I simply don't see how this is a 'BAD' situation. I guess Sanders is the 'weak' link in that scenario but what teams have a top 10 pick with 12-months of development in him ready to slot in??

I'm with you re- the potential 'problems' but I just think we have solutions. Whilst we have Bont and Richards upright - which in your scenario we do - that is going to cause headaches for pretty much every other team in it.

I don't want to underrate how important having two absolute gun veterans inside is, and that losing soldiers like Libba and Treloar would rob us of goals/ versatility elsewhere. I mean if Bont has to play more inside does he kick thirty? Do we generate enough opportunities for our wasteful forwards without those guys getting us hands on the footy (not just first hands, remember how good we were at second hands last year - does West, Garcia, Kennedy or Sanders execute that skill as well as our insiders last year, noting Richards is probably going to be OK)?

We DO have that one glimpse of what others can do when the chips are somewhat down, the Collingwood game from last year, so perhaps you're right. I just think that with a lack of natural pace and spread from our insiders, further hindrance to controlling first and second hands on the nut hurts us.

[mjp]

Bont has to play more inside does he kick thirty?

He was at 75% + CBD's last year as it was...he can't play in their more...

I know what you're saying but at least we seem to have a plan for the inside mids. Tell me the plan if English goes down or Duryea goes down??

[Scott2016]

Small defender is my concern. No one to play on papley type of player. Wizard kicks 4 in final and we have no plan B. Duryea is not up to it and the others like Dale we don’t want locking down. GWS have many fast forwards which will be concerning

[jeemak]

He was at 75% + CBD's last year as it was...he can't play in their more...

I know what you're saying but at least we seem to have a plan for the inside mids. Tell me the plan if English goes down or Duryea goes down??

English - Lobb first ruck, Gardner into defence and relief as required. Darcy also playing a more prominent ruck role.

Duryea - Richards back, or Williams back. Weaken elsewhere but these guys can provide cover with Bramble who will already be available.

As for the inside role Bont played, it's not just the CBD's, it's in play positioning after things have broken up. Drifting forward, positioning himself a kick ahead to hurt a mismatch etc. (assuming you're meaning attendances at centre bounces).

[Go_Dogs]

For me it’s probably small forward.

ruck - fine, happy with Tim and think injury free pre-season helps him.

third tall defender - don’t even know if we should play one tbh, heaps of ‘ok’ Options

small defender - we’ve lacked depth here forever. JF, VDM, Williams - there are a few at a pinch who could play the role, weakness for sure though

outside mid - similar to third tall defender in that we have plenty of ‘ok’ options but none that have commanded it. We can make do. It’s not a strength - fine

small forward - we’ll, in some ways it’s West or bust. We don’t have many players capable of winning ground ball and impacting the scoreboard as a result and/or keeping pressure on. Again, we have options here but it’s becoming one of the most important roles and we should have a couple of genuine options whereas we’ve got a raft of stop gap that can do a job. We’ve got such good tall cattle that having the right smalls next to them makes us such a danger. I’m worried.

[SonofScray]

Ruck.

We know the preferred option isn't going to help us win a final when the heat is on. Big ask for the next in line to get it done.

[weltschmerz]

For me it's got to be the other wing. I'd like to see Davidson get a crack at it, and Gallagher I reckon would be better there than rotating on ball. We drafted Freijah as a wing, but seem to have settled him down back.

[GVGjr]

For me it's got to be the other wing. I'd like to see Davidson get a crack at it, and Gallagher I reckon would be better there than rotating on ball. We drafted Freijah as a wing, but seem to have settled him down back.

I'd be tempted to move Freijah there. Match sims don't seem to suggest that is where we are heading but we could make the move.

[comrade]

I’m concerned by all those options and it makes me depressed how many holes we actually have.