Best XX11 for 2012

[wolftone57]

I am not sure this is such a good idea.Premiership sides tend to be settled sides. To change your side to fit the opposition is to coach reactively rather than pro-actively.Why not keep your best 22 together as a group and back them. You set the tone and style of play. Make your opposition change their team.
Playing with the same guys week in week out has huge advantages in terms of anticipating the play. Players don't have to think where to run as they instinctively know where certain players on their team will kick it. Crumbers know who will regularly bust a pack and where the ball will most likely go. Rotating your best 30 might lose you that edge that familiarity gives you. When we went top in 2005 we barely changed the team.

2005 is dead and gone and living in that era is counter productive as much as basking in the glory is fun. We had a core group of highly skilled individuals surrounded by solid team performers in 2005. That group was nowhere as skilled or diverse as this group. This group is also the most flexible we have had at the club with so many players capable of playing in so many positions. What clubs have been able to do in the last five years is pick players who exploited our lack of pace. This is not a problem anymore as we have had a rather large injection of pace ourselves. Each side picks a core group of players, Collingwood pick Pendlebury, Swan, Cloke, Shaw etc. We know this is going to happen and the coaches have far more flexibility today than ever before to pick players who match up positively on those players while picking players that they are going to have to match up on as well. This is not reactive it is reality. There is no such thing as a set board anymore, the Pies don't have one nor the Cats. It might be nice to use less players as has always been the assertion but it may not always be possible in todays game.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Why, when our defence looks reasonably well set, at least for now, while our forward line is a mess and Reid is the most potent target up there?

Just to develop him as a more rounded player. Even Carey played CHB. Also, if we had the flexibility of moving Reid to defense, subbing off a defender and say, moving Walsh or White or someone to Full Forward, that could mess up other teams plans. Flexibility is a key.

Mattner and AJ are basically the same player? WTF? One is a quick, hard-tackling HBF who can lose his composure. The other is a versatile KPD who can also shut down smalls, and is extremely composed, but not quite as hard or attacking.

I really don't get the love for Johnson. "A versatile KPD who can shut down smalls" is not a versatile KPD. That is a guy who can play tall, but mostly doesn't. With Grundy, LRT and Richards already in the team we don't need another tall, and Mattner already plays on mediums.

[liz]

"A versatile KPD who can shut down smalls" is not a versatile KPD. That is a guy who can play tall, but mostly doesn't.

Craig Bolton says "hi"!

(Not that I am predicting Johnson is the next B2 - not yet, any way.)

[wolftone57]

Craig Bolton says "hi"!

(Not that I am predicting Johnson is the next B2 - not yet, any way.)

Well said Liz. The kid had a great season and shut down some very tough opponents. Not only that he hurt them on the rebound and is a good long kick. Marty is a different type. Need all types as the year goes on.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Why, when our defence looks reasonably well set, at least for now, while our forward line is a mess and Reid is the most potent target up there?

Craig Bolton says "hi"!

(Not that I am predicting Johnson is the next B2 - not yet, any way.)

I was responding to the point that Johnson plays on talls and smalls. Which he doesn't.

[BSA5]

I really don't get the love for Johnson. "A versatile KPD who can shut down smalls" is not a versatile KPD. That is a guy who can play tall, but mostly doesn't. With Grundy, LRT and Richards already in the team we don't need another tall, and Mattner already plays on mediums.

I was responding to the point that Johnson plays on talls and smalls. Which he doesn't.

Uh, yeah, he does. Did you even watch him last year? He played mostly on talls. He can ALSO play on smalls, adding another string to his bow, but his role was primarily as a KPD.

[Big Al]

I really don't get the love for Johnson. "A versatile KPD who can shut down smalls" is not a versatile KPD. That is a guy who can play tall, but mostly doesn't. With Grundy, LRT and Richards already in the team we don't need another tall, and Mattner already plays on mediums.

The fact he played so many games for a club that usually likes to bring on their youngsters slowly is testament of how he is viewed by the coaching staff.

[Dosser]

I have to admit I wasn't much of a Mattner fan until I noticed his exceptional closing speed. Just watch how many times in 2012 an opposition player is in the clear and set for a mark only to have a Mattner fist spoil at the last moment.

[wolftone57]

I love Marty, even though he can be frustrating at times for holding it too long or the occasional bad delivery. He never gives up, will risk his life for the jumper and does the hard things.. The young blokes see this and know what is required to be a Swan.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Uh, yeah, he does. Did you even watch him last year? He played mostly on talls. He can ALSO play on smalls, adding another string to his bow, but his role was primarily as a KPD.

Would you select him in the side before LRT, Grundy or Richards to play on talls? I think most teams 1st tall would rip him apart, I think most teams 2nd would beat him as well.

The fact he played so many games for a club that usually likes to bring on their youngsters slowly is testament of how he is viewed by the coaching staff.

That is so. Although recently we've played them earlier, and I think it was Roos' great folly that he didn't.

[BSA5]

Would you select him in the side before LRT, Grundy or Richards to play on talls? I think most teams 1st tall would rip him apart, I think most teams 2nd would beat him as well.

Honestly, on 2011 form I'd probably pick him ahead of LRT. In any case, there's room for all four, because both Richards and Johnson have the versatility to rotate from talls to smalls. Even if AJ doesn't play as a KPD, he brings something very different to the table than what Mattner does. Both can play in the same side, with AJ providing some quality KPD cover should one of our key defenders be injured/have a shocker/need to move forward or into the ruck.

And while AJ rarely, if ever, played on the opposition's best forward last year, with Richards and Grundy sharing that role, he did often take the 2nd or 3rd, and he wasn't beaten all year.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Honestly, on 2011 form I'd probably pick him ahead of LRT. In any case, there's room for all four, because both Richards and Johnson have the versatility to rotate from talls to smalls. Even if AJ doesn't play as a KPD, he brings something very different to the table than what Mattner does. Both can play in the same side, with AJ providing some quality KPD cover should one of our key defenders be injured/have a shocker/need to move forward or into the ruck.

And while AJ rarely, if ever, played on the opposition's best forward last year, with Richards and Grundy sharing that role, he did often take the 2nd or 3rd, and he wasn't beaten all year.

I disagree that you can have all four in the side. Too big, and also, too many defenders. How many times last year on here we're we saying, Longmire come on we can't kick any goals if half the side are defenders. Mattner provides cover for Richards. I don't think LRT should be used in the ruck again when we have Seaby and Pyke and White. If Grundy was having a shocker, I'd rather we move Reid back and have a smaller forward line, than have Johnson in the team just in case someones playing poorly. We need to back in the guys, and pick a balanced side.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Johnson had a great year and would have to go backwards dramatically for him to not get a spot in our 22 next year. Didn't put a foot wrong and should only improve on last year. I dont understand how you dont rate him BRB, his influence as a 1st year player was equal to or greater than any other 1st year player and many ( or most) 2nd year players in our side.

[liz]

Johnson had a great year and would have to go backwards dramatically for him to not get a spot in our 22 next year. Didn't put a foot wrong and should only improve on last year. I dont understand how you dont rate him BRB, his influence as a 1st year player was equal to or greater than any other 1st year player and many ( or most) 2nd year players in our side.

I can see where BRB is coming from and, on balance, I agree with him. Team balance dictates that you can't play Reg, LRT, Ted, Marty and AJ all at once in defence. AJ had a fantastic first year and hopefully he will continue to improve but the rest have the runs on the board and are all currently better players than Johnson. Bear in mind that LRT was injured for the first half of the year and then played ruck / forward for most of the rest. He came back into defence at the end of the year when Reg was unavailable.

I know not all will agree with this opinion, but for me LRT is the first tall defender picked so long as he is fit. His extra height and reach distinguishes him from our other defenders, and he is the one most equipped to play on resting ruckmen, which are more prevalent now in forward lines than ever before.

Ted and Reg are more proven as key defenders, Marty is more proven as a versatile defensive utility, and of course, we need spots for Shaw, Smith and probably at least one more true HBFer.

It is possible that one of the above will lose form, or AJ will improve rapidly such that he forces them out of the team as the season goes on. Or Longmire might find a spot up forward for AJ if our forward line continues to be dysfunctional. But based on exposed form, I find it hard to fit Johnson into our best 22 at this stage.

However, injuries to some players are almost inevitable and it is still likely that Johnson will get plenty of opportunities for senior footy in 2012. Hopefully he can continue to improve to the point where he does force one of the others out of the team. Ted and Marty may only have a year or two left in them anyway, given their ages.

[aardvark]

I know not all will agree with this opinion, but for me LRT is the first tall defender picked so long as he is fit. His extra height and reach distinguishes him from our other defenders, and he is the one most equipped to play on resting ruckmen, which are more prevalent now in forward lines than ever before.

I have to agree with Liz. When fit he is still our best tall defender IMO.