It's team time again!

[sharp9]

Well another practice match and more fodder for the endless, useless, but fun game of "Who would I pick if I were the Messiah?"

For Rnd 1..... assuming Doyle, Nicks, James and Fixter are not fit and Rogers is still on the rookie list, my (conservative) team is


Crouch, Schauble, Saddington

Barry, C. Bolton, Kennelly,

Williams, J. Bolton, Maxfield,

Davis, Hall, Schneider,

Buchanan, O'Loughlin, O'Keefe,

Foll: Ball, Goodes, Kirk

Bench: Fosdike, McVeigh, LRT, Mathews

Rationale is as follows:

Prefer Crouch to Mathews as primary defender on best small forward.
Prefer Buchanan to Fosdike at this stage.
LRT not in form but we need a versatile tall to cover the whole spine so no Powell.

Powell is pushing Saddington for a place, though.

Prefer Buchanan's creativity/ball-winning to Fosdike's workmanlike efforts.

Ablett might just need the big stage to shine, but right now I would have to go for the experience of Mathews/Crouch/Fosdike or the creativity of McVeigh/Buchanan.

Would select Rogers at CHB in Rd 1 (in place of Saddington or Crouch, with Bolton moving as appropriate)

Would select Doyle ahead of LRT if fully fit.
Would select James ahead of Saddington if fully fit.

If Ball is not fit I would replace directly with MJ.

PS I'm going on Friday (all things being equal) so, see you there!

[liz]

Re: It's team time again!

Originally posted by sharp9

Prefer Buchanan's creativity/ball-winning to Fosdike's workmanlike efforts.

I hope Buchanan makes it at AFL level but he has a huge way to go before he can be considered as an alternative for Fosdike IMO. I know Fossie may not have achieved the heights hoped as a draft 3 pick but he is still a very handy player, capable of more than his share of creativity, and I reckon he is underestimated by many.

[TheHood]

Re: Re: It's team time again!

Originally posted by lizz
I hope Buchanan makes it at AFL level but he has a huge way to go before he can be considered as an alternative for Fosdike IMO. I know Fossie may not have achieved the heights hoped as a draft 3 pick but he is still a very handy player, capable of more than his share of creativity, and I reckon he is underestimated by many.

Monty tried hard against Carlton the other week but almost every touch was wasted and he looked very rushed. Fossy is way ahead of him on every level:

Skill
Fitness
Work rate

Sorry Sharp9, but Monty ain't ready as far as I am concerned.

[sharp9]

Yes his disposal wasn't that flash but....he's one of those players that gets the heasrt going a tiny faster and raises the expectations every time he goes near it. So I'm making a gut call there. He's more like Scneider than Fosdike for mine and I'd give him a go.

I reckon that with only a little more experince he will settle and have (seeimingly) much more time to get rid of the ball, and this will be the catalyst to his disposal being better.

Even so, I know it is a big call.....if you feel that strongly you can have Fossy start on the ground and Monty on the bench :-)

[floppinab]

Don't see any reason why James wouldn't make it up for Rd. 1.

Depending on the balance I might have him in against Monty although I think Monty's done enough to get himself into the starting 22.

[Nico]

This push for Powell puzzles me. I haven't seen any practice matches but from what I am told has not done much. Did he play last week?

Appears to have shown flashes of brilliance last year, but I prefer to see him get his hands on the footy multiple times to be able to assess whether he is worthy of a permanent spot in the side.

[Cheer Cheer]

Yes he Powell played last week - and had a poor showing again.

[robbieando]

Buchanan played on Saturday and really didn't play that well of a game, or at least from where I was standing I couldn't see him get that many touches, I would be very careful about selecting him Round 1 if Saturday was anything to go by.

However my 25 man squad for Round 1

B: Jason Saddington Andrew Schauble Leo Barry
HB: Tadhg Kennelly Craig Bolton Ben Mathews
C: Jarrad McVeigh Paul Williams Stuart Maxfield
HF: Adam Schneider Barry Hall Nick Davis
F: Michael O'Loughlin Jason Ball Ryan O'Keefe
R: Adam Goodes Jude Bolton Brett Kirk
Int: Ben Fixter Nic Fosdike Jared Crouch Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Emg: James Meiklejohn Luke Ablett Heath James

Note: I've named Ball in the side as I believe there was a report either he or Doyle wouldn't be fit until round 3 or 4 and I think it was Doyle, so whoever it was out of those 2 takes the spot of Ball's in the side and if they both don't play then MJ will come into the squad and play on the bench with Magic going to FF and LRT coming off the bench. Also note with Crouch I've named him on the bench as I don't have a clue where he'll line up, though I suppose you could swap him with McVeigh.

[DST]

While I hope Amon does make it at senior level, talk of him being in the side before Fosdike and Matthews (injuries permitting) is just plain ludicrous!!!

Fosdike is in the side for his running capacity, he works hard both ways as an option going forward and working back to block up space. At this stage Amon does not have the fitness to fill that role.

Matthews is our out and out ball winner in defence, he is a great positioner, reads the play well and feeds the likes of Kennelly, Barry, Williams and Maxfield. Once again Amon has not shown that ability to find the ball that easily.

Here is how my round 1 side is shaping:

FB: J.Crouch A.Schuable C.Bolton
HB: T.Kennelly J. Saddington L.Barry
C: N.Fosdike J.Bolton S.Maxfield
HF: A.Scheinder B.Hall A.Goodes
FF: N.Davis M.O'Loughlin R.O'Keefe
R: J.Ball P.Williams B.Kirk
I: J.McVeigh L.Roberts-Thompson B.Matthews H.James

E: A.Buchanen A.Rogers (if he is on the list he may play) B.Fixter (close call between him and McVeigh, but constant injuries early in games is a worry so gone McVeigh for now)

DST

[SWANSBEST]

My team v Lions:


Crouch Schauble LRT

Bolton Rogers Barry

Kennelly Bolton Maxfield

Davis Hall Saddington

Mickey O' Ball ROK



Meiklejohn Goodes Williams

Inter: McVeigh Kirk Fosdike Schneider

Assumptions: It has been reported that Matthews and Doyle and maybe James will be unavaible Round 1:

Rogers is on the list in place of Warfe . This may be unrealistic wish on my part

Game Plan: is to have more height in the backline and more marking power up forward by allowing Saddo to go fo his marks. Kirk could be used very early depending on match ups.

If things did not work out Saddo could go to the back pocket, LRT to the forward pocket and one of Schneider , McVeigh or Fosdike to the half forward flank. Ball and Bazza could rotate .

[sharpie]

Kirk will start every game on the field. He is essential to every ruck contest, be it tagging the opposition ball magnet or getting the hard stuff himself. Plus he's one of the fittest blokes in the team, so he will likely play almost the full game.

I cant see ROK getting game time in front of Schneider or Fosdike at this stage.

I would gladly see Rogers in the side from all reports, but I dont think Roos is going to wildly change around Saddo's game in a hurry. Whether he is a KPP or just a flanker, he will continue to be used in defense due to our lack of tall defensive options.

I think Robbieando's side looks quite reasonable, except I reckon Fosdike will start games ahead of McVeigh on a wing.

[Grant]

Surely the way Ablett finished off last year he is warranted of a spot.I think Amon is very much struggling to get a run when Schneider,ablett,Fossie,are all fit,there just is no room for a player like that.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by robbieando
However my 25 man squad for Round 1

B: Jason Saddington Andrew Schauble Leo Barry
HB: Tadhg Kennelly Craig Bolton Ben Mathews
C: Jarrad McVeigh Paul Williams Stuart Maxfield
HF: Adam Schneider Barry Hall Nick Davis
F: Michael O'Loughlin Jason Ball Ryan O'Keefe
R: Adam Goodes Jude Bolton Brett Kirk
Int: Ben Fixter Nic Fosdike Jared Crouch Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Emg: James Meiklejohn Luke Ablett Heath James

I generally agree with this, with a few changes:

I would think Mathews in the BP and Saddington on HBF.

Fosdike will start on wing, McVeigh will be on the bench.

I suspect Crouch will be on for ROK too.

I can't see Roos starting people like McVeigh, Rogers or Buchanan on the ground at the beginning of the game.

Injuries will be important too - Ball, O'Loughlin, Fixter, James, Doyle.

[sharp9]

Now don't go getting big heads, but I've actually been listening to what you (and Roosey) have been saying; so I am adjusting my team. Here 'tis

Crouch, Schauble, C. Bolton

Barry, James, Kennelly,

Williams, J. Bolton, Maxfield,

Davis, Hall, Fosdike ,

Schneider, O'Loughlin, O'Keefe,

Foll: Ball, Goodes, Kirk

Bench: Saddington, McVeigh, LRT, Mathews

Buchanan is out and James is in at CHB.
Saddington to the bench.
Fosdike to half forward and Schneider to the pocket.
Two mediums and two (versatile) talls on the bench. Actually to all intents and purposes this is the same team as lest year with McVeigh replacing Cresswell.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Grant
Surely the way Ablett finished off last year he is warranted of a spot.I think Amon is very much struggling to get a run when Schneider,ablett,Fossie,are all fit,there just is no room for a player like that.

Ablett's form so far this pre season hasn't been too crash hot and with players like Magic and Ball to come into the side from the side that played in the prelim, Ablett would seem the most likely not to make it Round 1. However I say there is a spot in the team for either him or McVeigh. On Buchanan, nope no chance of round 1 for mind, if we get hit by injuries between now and round 1 he has a chance but at the moment our best 22 doesn't have a spot for him I would think.