Selection dilemma??

[swan_song]

This is my first post for 2005. Hi all, hope everyone had a pleasant cricket and/or holiday season. But the footy season must be close, I can feel those red and white blood cells quivering. Greg Champion is playing on Windows Media Player as I type. This will be our year. I feel it in the bones...

Firstly, I would like to hear opinions on our best 22 for the field in 2005. Injuries aside, and I know its doubtful if everyone on the list will be available at one time, I want to know the best team we could field.
Secondly, given that we didn't lose anyone of "note" at the end of 2004, unlike the two prevous seasons, and picked up two walkins to the starting 22 in Jolly and Spriggs, who out of last season's best 22 would you relegate to the 2s? and why?

I am open to criticism/abuse for this effort: I had a go and found it very very difficult...
I couldn't place McVeigh, NIcks, Ablett, Bevan, Doyle or Fixter...

F: Ball, O'Loughlin, O'Keefe
HF: Buchanan, Hall, Davis
C: Williams, Spriggs, Saddington
HB: Bolton C, Barry, Kennelly
B: Matthews, Schauble, Crouch
R: Jolly, Goodes, BoltonJ
I: Kirk, Schneider, Maxfield, Fosdike


I wouldn't expect most or the smaller/running players to stay in those positions, and who starts on the field or bench, to me, is immateral for this exercise... My greatest worry is, is it too small a side?

Your thoughts on our best 22, pse.

[ScottH]

The only obvious one for me, would be

In: Bevan
Out: Fosdike

I think we get a lot better value out of Bevan.

[cruiser]

Kirk on the interchange? And not play Bevan!!!? Are you serious?

I'd use J Bolton in the centre, Kirk as ruck rover, start Spriggs on the interchange, start Saddington on the bench, start Maxfield on the wing, send Fosdike to the ACT comp and replace him with Bevan on the interchange, and swap O'Loughlin and O'Keefe around. Other than that, I agree with the rest.

F: Ball, O'Keefe, O'Loughlin
HF: Buchanan, Hall, Davis
C: Williams, Bolton J, Maxfield
HB: Bolton C, Barry, Kennelly
B: Matthews, Schauble, Crouch
R: Jolly, Goodes, Kirk
I: Schneider, Saddington, Spriggs, Bevan

I'm really uncomfortable about like leaving Nicks out after he had such a good second half last year so maybe I'd include him on the bench at the expense of Saddington.

[footyhead]

Re: Selection dilemma??

Originally posted by swan_song

F: Ball, O'Loughlin, O'Keefe
HF: Buchanan, Hall, Davis
C: Williams, Spriggs, Saddington
HB: Bolton C, Barry, Kennelly
B: Matthews, Schauble, Crouch
R: Jolly, Goodes, BoltonJ
I: Kirk, Schneider, Maxfield, Fosdike

Too many people are expecting too much from Spriggs.
The guy is an athlete who boarderd on being a hack at Geelong. I expect that he will improve under Roos- but not so much that he is the great white hope that we are all seeking in the midfield.
We need somone with excelent disposal + speed. A true footballer with a bit of flare- perhapes even an elite super star.
Spriggs will only ever be a link player with extra ordinary speed. Good for set running plays but not the guy the team can turn to to get us over the line week in week out.
Thats why Spriggs should be dropped from the above list, to make way for a younger more promising midfielder.

[cruiser]

So give us your team boofyhead.

[swan_song]

quote: "I wouldn't expect most or the smaller/running players to stay in those positions"

maybe I should have added "to stay or even start in those positions". Kirk on the bench...well to me, we no longer pick teams as we once did, back in pre-history, with "guaranteed positions"...picking the best 22 to me was very difficult...some of the positions fall into place naturally, like bazza, magic, etc...but for others, it's just making up the 22. Two in from last year's best 22 means two out, as Im sure Spriggs and Jolly will both be in the As. Bevan for Fossie is a possibility for sure...
Anyway, with injuries, it might be awhile before the selectors are faced with this conundrum....but I find it interesting to speculate....

[midaro]

I hold these truths to be self-evident:

1. Spriggs = Fosdike = Mathews ("meh" to all of them).

2. Maxfield must resign the captaincy and earn his place week-to-week.

3. People who are still insisting that Goodes will play ruck rover are kidding themselves. IMO he'll be known primarily as a CHB by the end of his career, (yes, even given the Brownlow).

Hence:
F: Ball (Doyle will supplant him before September), O'Loughlin, Schneider (too talented to leave out)
HF: O'Keefe, Hall, Davis (please make this year THE year)
C: Crouch (mostly as a run-with), Williams (aging and a worry), Saddington (Mr. Spare Parts - will play everywhere)
HB: Barry, Goodes (He will play here), Kennelly (hope he moves up a line)
B: Bolton C, Schauble, Bevan
R: Jolly, Kirk, Bolton J
I: McVeigh (on spec.), Maxfield (barely), Buchanan (did enough last year) +1 of Fosdike/Spriggs/Mathews/Nicks as form dictates
Others: Doyle (will eventually take Ball's spot through natural attrition, even if he dosen't step-up, but it's hard to see all 3 giant ruckman getting a game at the same time), Fixter (needs to earn it... again)

The truth is that our forward-line is spectacular (in the best couple without question), our back-line is excellent (top 4) and our ruck division has quality and depth. Honestly, I reckon we are just a single top quality midfielder away from challenging...

[LittleSchneider]

Originally posted by midaro

F: Ball (Doyle will supplant him before September), O'Loughlin, Schneider (too talented to leave out)

[Jeffers1984]

I don't understand the talk about Matthews being a fringe player. He is Mr Consistency. Sure he lacks silky clean disposals and he does float his kicks alot, but he is our sweeper in the backline and nobody does it better in our team than him. He is the one that sparks the run from the backline giving away that first handball nearly everytime. He is important to our gameplan.

If he is out of the side at all this year, we will definately see the negative effects it will have on our team.

[liz]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
I don't understand the talk about Matthews being a fringe player. He is Mr Consistency. Sure he lacks silky clean disposals and he does float his kicks alot, but he is our sweeper in the backline and nobody does it better in our team than him. He is the one that sparks the run from the backline giving away that first handball nearly everytime. He is important to our gameplan.

If he is out of the side at all this year, we will definately see the negative effects it will have on our team.

Yup

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
I don't understand the talk about Matthews being a fringe player. He is Mr Consistency. Sure he lacks silky clean disposals and he does float his kicks alot, but he is our sweeper in the backline and nobody does it better in our team than him. He is the one that sparks the run from the backline giving away that first handball nearly everytime. He is important to our gameplan.

If he is out of the side at all this year, we will definately see the negative effects it will have on our team.

I used to be of the "meh" group when it came to Mathews, but in the last year or two have definitely changed my thinking to be alot more inline with Jeffers' thoughts.

[OldE]

Originally posted by liz
Yup

I've been waiting for your wisdom and insight on this thread, Liz. Must admit I'm a little disappointed

[NMWBloods]

Whether supporters like him or not, the match committee thinks highly of Mathews and he will be in the side, if fit, all season.

At CHB Goodes will have to be in the mould of a quarterback/rebounding style of player - a la Roos or Cornes. His defensive abilities are not great, so will need to work on that part.

There's no way Kirk will start on the bench.

Spriggs is likely to comfortably make the team early on given we chased him and need help in the midfield.

Bevan should get in the team ahead of Fosdike at this stage.

I suspect Williams and Maxfield will spend a lot of time on the bench, acting as impact players.

The weakest parts of our team are our height in the backline and our midfield.

I think Saddington to half back and Kennelly to the wing helps with both of these aspects.

This then leaves a lot of players to contest for the midfield spots - competition is healthy.

[Barry Schneider]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
.

At CHB Goodes will have to be in the mould of a quarterback/rebounding style of player - a la Roos or Cornes. His defensive abilities are not great, so will need to work on that part.

If Goodes is to play like Cornes he needs our ruckmen to play like Port's ruckmen who drop back on the CHF and let Cornes play like a loose man.
I wouldn't mind seeing Goodes play wing and play as third man up in defence and be a linkman between midfield and Barry when we have the ball.On bigger grounds Barry has to come a mile up the ground to get the ball leaving him outside goal range.For us to win we need Barry taking most of his marks within goal scoring distance.

[cruiser]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
- competition is healthy.

As I thought about my team line up, I realised that myself. Contrary to what some may believe eg Tim Morrisey in last weekend's The Sunday Telegraph supplement, I think the Swans do have adequate depth this year to cover an ordinary number of injuries.

On another matter, I think that Ben Matthews is a key player in the team and more than deserves his regular spot. He often goes unnoticed but he always has the stats to prove his workrate.