2013 Finals team

[Auntie.Gerald]

Right now there was no Kurt, White, Lambie, McGlynn, Mitchell, Incy, Rampe in the 2012 GF team

Goodes, Reid, LRT, AJ, Jetta, Morton and Mattner were in the 2012 GF team and if you had to crudely show replacements despite some roles changing a little like our Captains then here is my best guess.

Goodes = Kurt
Reid = White
LRT = Incy
AJ = Rampe
Jetta = Mitchell
Morto = McGlynn
Mattner = Lambie / BJ even though not correct positionally we have seen Macca go back this season and these guys taking up part of his HFF role

To be honest Goodes had a brilliant finals series but his form in 2012 was not his best via lack of training / injuries. Conversely Tippett and White have come in and doing just as well as Reid and Goodes if not better would be fair at this stage - but can they stand up in the finals ? yes they both will !!!

We had no Mcglynn last year and we get Benny back for I suppose Morto last season - i still think Benny will provide more then Morto thru a finals series

Rampe has in my opinion played just as well as AJ so far and is a super competitor like AJ with much better passing then AJ.

Mattner was a rock in the finals last year and the big question is how we replace his hardness - i suppose Macca will fill in his role partly in the back line ? with Tom Mitchell rising up to fill in for Macca in the midfield and HFF line which Macca played more so in 2012. equal replacements

Incy gets the swingman role of LRT - and although Incy will go close to being able to handle this role very well he is certainly no LRT in a final qtr when an opposition team is just bombing it long into our forward 50 but Incy is on the rise and looked confident on the wknd i though under serious pressure

So the big questions are who replaces Jetta and where does Shaw fit in and does Lambie stay in ahead of BJ or Morto if no one else comes back from injury fast enough? For me Shaw and Incy will probably take on the role of Shaw and Mattner last year unless they want McVeigh to continue being more our backline general ?

B D.Rampe, H.Grundy, N.Smith
HB N.Malceski, T.Richards, Shaw
C C.Bird, R.O'Keefe, J.McVeigh
HF D.Hannebery, J.White, J.Bolton
F McGlynn, K.Tippett, M.Pyke
Foll S.Mumford, J.Kennedy, K.Jack
I/C (from) T.Mitchell, L.Parker, Incy, SUB: J.Lamb

[jetts32]

We're lacking speed from the midfield to the forward line, both Jacks are doing well with the running but we can't rely on Kieran to be our only outside runner and Brandon still needs more fitness to run out full games so I would hope Rohan comes back in real soon to fill this role, we've been killed on the rebound these last 2 weeks and bringing back Shaw and Rohan will be great

[Melbournehammer]

Thats my view too. Shaw is critical for us partly because our backline is actually quite slow currently - mal, macca, grundy are often slower than their direct opponent. having a quick back pocket, hbf type will be very needed against the breust, christensen types

[CureTheSane]

Goodes usually takes a few games to hit his stride when he gets back.
Would walk into the side, but probably shouldn't

[mcs]

We aren't far off quality in terms of 2012 finals team vs 2013 potential finals team, but there are two great areas of concern for me.

One is what jetts has highlighted, which is the lack of speed in midfield. BJ has done an excellent job, but he just isn't ready imo for the big games at the end of the year, if Rohan or Jetta are fit. I have no doubt BJ will be a star, but he is very raw as it currently is. We really need Jetta or Rohan in there to provide more outside runnign support to KJ.

And secondly, no matter how much anyone talks up how white has been playing (and he has been very good in my opinion), he, either considered by himself, or in tandem with tippett, is not going to replace the class, experience and brilliance that Goodesy brings to the team. You don't leave a dual Premiership, dual Brownlow Medallist out if he is able to contribute. We all know he'll be short of fitness, but a champion will always lift when needed, and that can certainly be said about him.

So in short, in my opinion, if you squeeze in Jetta or Rohan plus Goodes into that team (in my opinion, probably at the expense of an unlucky Jed Lamb and potentially an exceptionally unlucky J White, then that would be the very best 22 we can put out for the Finals series.

That is being hopeful though - we may not see any of them in the 1sts team for the year. I have no doubt that wahtever 22 we put on the park will give the flag a real shake, but I just feel we are missing a couple of ingredients that might just make the difference come September.

[RogueSwan]

...and Brandon still needs more fitness to run out full games so I would hope Rohan comes back in real soon to fill this role...

Huh? Surely Jack2 has more match fitness that the Rooster coming off a massive injury and a game or two in reserves.

- - - Updated - - -

...
Would walk into the side, but probably shouldn't

I think you mean limp/hobble?

[hot potato]

Keep Brandon in, he's got maturity beyond belief, whether its his brother being there to inspire him I don't know, but yes, he's just got it, and has to be fitter than Rohan.
Goodes is 4 weeks away (longmire) , to bring him into the finals series so under done, I reckon it's someone else's turn to come up with the magic in 2013.
Same goes for Jetta. These young guns are already battle-hardened and have the coolness of youth about them EG that goal of Brandon's against the Dogs.
HP

[DK_]

At this afternoon's presso, Longmire said Goodes, Jetta and Reid are likely to be ready for the first week if the finals, with LRT not far behind.

He heavily hinted that McGlynn will be back in the team and I suspect that Rohan will start against St Kilda. Longmire's clearly excited about the potential to bring him back and he provides an X-factor which I don't yet think BJ brings.

I'm concerned that this level of change is too much change too quickly for a winning formula. But who would you leave out?

Goodes is called Mr September for a very good reason. He was in hot form leading up to his injury, bar one quiet game. His onfield leadership is indispensable in the September heat. The only questions for me are will he take time to find touch and will he play midfield or forward? I'm sure Longmire's got a few ideas on both.

Both Geelong and Hawthorn have proven vulnerable to outside run and speed. In this context, a Jetta-Rohan combination could seal the flag. I think they'll both get in if fit.

LRT and Reid bring height, forward pressure and a swingman capability. However, we're well covered in these areas. I don't think they add enough to justify the risks of introducing them or of breaking up the Tippet-White defender monstering show, or replacing Everitt down back. Back 6 stability seems to be a Longmire strategy, so I cant see any changes back there unless forced. They make great emergencies though as they could slot in almost anywhere. Scarily good emergencies.

If we win the flag, I think this season more than most will justify the argument that more than just the 22 who take the field in September will deserve the medal.

[dimelb]

Pretty much agree with all this. If fit, Goodes, Jetta and Rohan are must-haves.
I don't think Reid will be fit enough, nor (sadly) LRT.
And I think it would be a good thing to introduce a new category of medal: Premiership Season Player. The final 22 never get there without the work of the others. But let's get the premiership first!

[Bloodthirsty]

Pretty much agree with all this. If fit, Goodes, Jetta and Rohan are must-haves.
I don't think Reid will be fit enough, nor (sadly) LRT.
And I think it would be a good thing to introduce a new category of medal: Premiership Season Player. The final 22 never get there without the work of the others. But let's get the premiership first!

I agree with this too. I would definitely not drop White. Goodes, Jetta (big question mark) and Rohan will clearly be underdone, but will still be fast and skilled with way more experience.

McGlynn and Shaw to stay in of course, and hopefully Goodes, Jetta and Rohan. Someone else would have to miss though in addition to BJ, Cunningham and Lamb. Honestly don't know who though. White to stay.

[Ludwig]

If Reid were available, I'd consider dropping Grundy and playing Reid in defence. He's been well below last year's level. The thing that's saving our defense this year is the improvement in Dre, the surprising Rampe and the AA form of Mal.

Last year Ted and Reg seemed to work so well together, but this year they seem to be getting in each other's way. I can't put my finger on it, but feel we are very vulnerable here. It will be interesting to see how they go against Cloke and Reid this weekend. It could well be the key to the game.

I know it's quite hard on Reg, who's been solid for several years. I hope he gets his game back to peak form by finals time.

[Jeynez]

If Reid were available, I'd consider dropping Grundy and playing Reid in defence.

This would never happen, I'd much rather an out of form Grundy than an underdone Reid (just think what happened to Ben Reid vs Hawkins in the 2011 Grand Final).

[rojo]

Our defence is interesting. Macca, Mal and Rampe have been doing a great job, Teddy, Grundy and Smith have remained as the backbone and Everitt hasn't been too bad but I have the impression that it is not quite as dependable as last year. Teddy and Smithy have been solid all year but Teddy was outstanding last year. Maybe Mattner is the missing link and the role he played is being missed more than is realised and while Macca has been killing it in Shaw's place they have different strengths and weaknesses. Likewise Rampe's strengths are not the same as AJ's. I think it is the synergy thing, and time needed to gel together. Makes you realise how advantageous it was for us last year to have had a backline that had been working together for years, with the exception of AJ.

I don't think the suggestion of putting Sam Reid in the backline at this stage, if he makes it back, would work. It would have to be at the expense of Everitt and not Reg. Its one thing to throw LRT from the forward line to the back line and have him slot in but he is a player with loads of experience, especially with the backline defensive strategies. Maybe next year?

[Ludwig]

We've had a lot of changes in the backline this year. I think we move the ball out quite well, thanks to the efficiency of Mal, Macca, Smith (has stepped up to a new level this year IMO), Dre and Rampe (who I see as more a replacement for Mattner than AJ, and doing a better job already). Smith and Rampe are turning into offensive weapons as the season progresses.

But the Ted-Reg combo is just not working as well as last year. I've been (perhaps unfairly) blaming Reg for this, but maybe it's just how the whole backline gels, and they haven't worked out the new system yet.

[Goal Sneak]

I don't know where all this doubt over the back 6 is coming from. They're arguably the best defence in the comp.

I'm glad not to be the one to have to make the team decisions come finals time. Although I'm of the opinion that an underdone or injured player will almost always get exposed in a final, proven finals class like Goodes, LRT and Jetta would be hard to resist. I'm also a massive Rohan fan and wouldn't complain if he's given his chance this year.