2016 Team

[wolftone57]

I agree that this year may very well see a change in perception for those doubting the junior Jack. He has clearly bulked up and appears to have lost none of his speed. He's always been handy around goals although his set shots were patchy but his determination and ball sense are very closely honed.
Hewitt is another I feel may break through this year. I know a lot is being made of the Mills, Heeney combination and on the evidence justifiably but I remember how well George played against stiff opposition last year and usually against the odds to a losing ruck.
I would like to see Mills earn his place through the grades and BJ and George rewarded for their tireless supporting roles. If they don't shape up fair enough but I believe they may surprise many observers when given the opportunity to play with the seniors.
Oh yeah my team:
Backs:
Smith, Richards, Laidler, Rampe, Grundy, Jones, Talia, McVeigh
Mids:
Hanabery, Kennedy, B Jack, K Jack, Parker, Hewitt, Mitchell, Sinclair, Tippett
Forwards:
Reid, Towers, Franklin, Heeney, Mills, McGlynn, Nankervis

As you can see I also do not think it is a good idea to limit our thinking to 22

I agree re Hewett and BJ. BJ was very good in the latter part of last year and his tackling is super. He needs to get rid of that get out of gaol handball mentality though. George has got class written all over him. He played at the club that produced the best player to ever play Aussie Rules, North Adelaide (Barry Robran). Robran was a country boy too and the way George plays on both sides of the body and his balance tell me he is going to be a star. Hopefully for us. This kid has reams of talent, is two sided and kicks better than anyone at the club. His decision making is very good usually and he can play under extreme pressure, the final against Aspley he was wonderful. Because he was a very young draftee I think the club have been bringing him along slowly to manage his body. But now he seems to have developed a man's body by the pics I have seen like this one;

8hewettlooksahead.jpg

[wolftone57]

Cap'n Kirk?


Hopefully Kizza can get back to his best. A couple of years ago, when he wasn't under an "injury cloud", he could win the ball and run it to the outside for a kick into the F50. Parker can also to do this but is he allowed to? Maybe if Rampe gets a run through the midfield his bigger body may help him run the ball inside out.
That being said, when we do string our handballs together the team looks great, but as Beerman alluded to, we need another option when the handballs break down.

We need the kick option

[Ludwig]

I agree re Hewett and BJ. BJ was very good in the latter part of last year and his tackling is super. He needs to get rid of that get out of gaol handball mentality though. George has got class written all over him. He played at the club that produced the best player to ever play Aussie Rules, North Adelaide (Barry Robran). Robran was a country boy too and the way George plays on both sides of the body and his balance tell me he is going to be a star. Hopefully for us. This kid has reams of talent, is two sided and kicks better than anyone at the club. His decision making is very good usually and he can play under extreme pressure, the final against Aspley he was wonderful. Because he was a very young draftee I think the club have been bringing him along slowly to manage his body. But now he seems to have developed a man's body by the pics I have seen like this one;

I think we 2 have been on the George Hewett bandwagon from the start. With all the talk about Heeney and Mills, and rightfully so, George is the forgotten one. I agree with you that he does everything right. He really is the complete package and expect he will go on to stardom.

[YvonneH]

I think we 2 have been on the George Hewett bandwagon from the start. With all the talk about Heeney and Mills, and rightfully so, George is the forgotten one. I agree with you that he does everything right. He really is the complete package and expect he will go on to stardom.

Hopefully with us and not another team.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Will we see a significant evolution of game plan in 2016 from the competition and or the swans ?

Will this alter the make up of our best 22 ?

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My gut feeling with our stacked inside mid squad is that we will kick to spots and contest more then we have the last two seasons!

[Auntie.Gerald]

Jones
Hewett
Mills
Robbo
Heeney

These players are emerging into our best 22 And their no 1 skill and reason why they standout is there in close contested skills which are an advantage vs other squads re their emerging players

[rojo]

Did anyone else read an article on the AFL website recently which examined each club's weaknesses? I cannot remember the exact details but our club was 18th in efficiency in kicking or delivery into the forward line. 18th! You would think that this is not just poor disposal skills on the part of say Hanners and Kennedy etc. but comes from the 'game plan' and structures. It will be interesting to see if changes are made for this to be different in 2016.

[Melbourne_Blood]

Did anyone else read an article on the AFL website recently which examined each club's weaknesses? I cannot remember the exact details but our club was 18th in efficiency in kicking or delivery into the forward line. 18th! You would think that this is not just poor disposal skills on the part of say Hanners and Kennedy etc. but comes from the 'game plan' and structures. It will be interesting to see if changes are made for this to be different in 2016.

That stat doesn't surprise me at all. The anoint of matches where we dominated periods and couldn't score, we would've been in a prelim had we been able to deliver into the forward line.

[wolftone57]

Jones
Hewett
Mills
Robbo
Heeney

These players are emerging into our best 22 And their no 1 skill and reason why they standout is there in close contested skills which are an advantage vs other squads re their emerging players

The other thing that stands out with all of these boys is their disposal is mostly elite.

[rojo]

That stat doesn't surprise me at all. The anoint of matches where we dominated periods and couldn't score, we would've been in a prelim had we been able to deliver into the forward line.

My point is that it has not been only the kicking skills. How many times did we either have all the mids and most of the forwards helping to defend and clog up the back half, leaving one or two players in the forward line with up to four opposition players marking them or filling the spaces, or we had all the mids and most of the backs clogging up the forward line making it near on impossible for anyone to get a clean mark and just a 50-50 fight for the ground ball. Some times the strategy worked but not often enough!

[RogueSwan]

The other thing that stands out with all of these boys is their disposal is mostly elite.

I would reserve an "elite" call until I see them do it in the pressure of a tough, close senior game.

[liz]

I would reserve an "elite" call until I see them do it in the pressure of a tough, close senior game.

Even in the context of NEAFL games, I am not sure I would describe the disposal of most of those lads as "elite".

[707]

Very few elite kickers in the whole comp!

Would just like less hacking it forward and more looking for a target - and not just Buddy every time either, look at who is actually best positioned against the opposition. Ignore the double teamed Buddy and kick it to the man on his own ...... Rose :-)

[Auntie.Gerald]

Luke Parker end of 2014 season was not considered by one forum friend besides myself as ELITE

I say Luke Parker is Elite

[wolftone57]

Jones
Hewett
Mills
Robbo
Heeney

These players are emerging into our best 22 And their no 1 skill and reason why they standout is there in close contested skills which are an advantage vs other squads re their emerging players

AG I think Towers is also emerging and his efforts late in the year were super.

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I would reserve an "elite" call until I see them do it in the pressure of a tough, close senior game.

I did put the cautionary mostly in there.