Swans Selections for round 1

[ernie koala]

Having read all the thoughts, so far, on our R1 team. The players most of us think are on the bubble seem to be ...

Fox...He's been a revelation off the halfback line he has played with dash and certainly, to my eye, energised our run out of defense...Should be rewarded with a R1 selection.

Marsh...I love the way he goes about it. He doesn't get the quantity of possessions of others but he's a team first player ...Again, he's played well and I hope he gets rewarded.

Newman... Generally a good user of the ball but can be a little lackadaisical at times. With Smith and Mills already down back, a 3rd small defender with no pace is 1 too many.

Hayward...Hasn't shown he's back to last years zip just yet... Which is understandable given he's being eased back in...He could do with a few NEAFL hit outs.

Aliir ....Like Hayward, given he's coming back from an ill timed injury, he would benefit from a few hitouts in the NEAFL.

I hear Liz's view that I've got 1 too many small defenders... maybe right... But we do have the likes of Heeney, Parker and Kennedy, who can all be extremely effective in the forward line while resting...

Having said all that, it's only my limited opinion.... And quite frankly I'd be happy with any of the above in the R1 team....

We go into R1 with plenty of options (other than the ruck)...Can't wait!!

[Doctor]

Haven't done too much thinking about our best 22 yet as I've been enjoying not thinking about footy for a few months but, from what I've seen so far, Rose looks to be ahead of Hayward to me at this stage.

[AB Swannie]

Overall, it?s a pretty good take on things Ernie. I really can?t see Marsh playing Round 1 but isn?t it great that these depth players are putting real pressure to get picked. I think Newman will replace Marsh in your team. The rest are probably right but I will be interested to see what happens with Aliir and Sinclair.

For me, Cunningham is first replaced when Hanners is ready. He has lifted his competitiveness but his disposal is sometimes horrible. AFLX highlighted that.

[Captain]

No way Newman will miss.

I think it will look something like this:

Smith Grundy Rampe
Mills Melican Lloyd
Cunningham Kennedy Heeney
Jack Reid Towers
Papley Franklin Haywood
Sinclair Parker Jones
Newman Aliir Rohan Hewett

[O'Reilly Boy]

No way Newman will miss.

I think it will look something like this:

Smith Grundy Rampe
Mills Melican Lloyd
Cunningham Kennedy Heeney
Jack Reid Towers
Papley Franklin Haywood
Sinclair Parker Jones
Newman Aliir Rohan Hewett

That's my preferred team going in to Round 1, too. Fox next in. Florent and Hayward line-ball. Florent offers a bit more around the park, but I also think that Hayward will have first dibs.

It will be fascinating to see what happens when Hannebery and McVeigh are fit. And Dawson.

[707]

Rohan has been really quiet and fumbly so far, reckon he'll start in the twos.

[O'Reilly Boy]

Rohan has been really quiet and fumbly so far, reckon he'll start in the twos.

I think that he will start, but not as a rotation through the bench. I'd like to see him operating deep in the forward 50, using his height, leap and speed to keep a key defender occupied, even if only to lead out to make space for Reid and crumbers coming through.

[dimelb]

I think that he will start, but not as a rotation through the bench. I'd like to see him operating deep in the forward 50, using his height, leap and speed to keep a key defender occupied, even if only to lead out to make space for Reid and crumbers coming through.

In my humble opinion, the task he was born for. Long may it continue.

[barry]

Rohan has been really quiet and fumbly so far, reckon he'll start in the twos.

Must be selected on reputation alone.

[Billericay]

Two players that haven't really looked deserving of a place on JLT form are Hayward and Rohan. I don't think Rose would displace either but would Florent? Is Gazza another (lack of) confidence player like Towers. Perhaps they should give him a run on the ball every now and again. It's done wonders for Deano's game.

[Aaron]

Rohan "disappeared" sometimes. Can he ever be considered to play as the stand-in ruckman to be more involved?

[rb4x]

We can joke about playing undersized ruckmen but I can tell you it is no fun rucking against substantially larger bodies. If Towers, Aliir, Reid, Parker or Rohan have to do most of the ruckwork through the 22 rounds their bodies will be stuffed by finals time when we need them. Apart from that they will be sacrificing their normal game for the good of the team. We need both Sinclair and Cameron to stand up through the season but unfortunately I would consider both as forwards who can provide relief in ruck rather than being the number one ruckman. In my book they are also both marginal in making the team as a forward but it is now what we have got. Pink and Amartey both have some promise but need to learn their trade in the NEAFL before even being considered. We now have easily the weakest rucks in the AFL, even weaker than Richmond who have Nankervis. Looking forward to seeing how Horse is going to be creative. Maybe putting a Naismith mask on Tom Derickx.

[Ludwig]

Rohan "disappeared" sometimes. Can he ever be considered to play as the stand-in ruckman to be more involved?

What a great idea!

Towers and Rohan would make a great ruck duo, and we wouldn't even have to waste a spot on a ruckman, so to speak.

Our ruckmen use guile and deception, not physical contact.

Rohan wasn't all that bad. He was typical Rohan. Right now the goal is just to get him to round 1 with a full preseason. I think that would be a first and quite an accomplishment in itself. It's a long season and a healthy Rohan will make an important contribution to the club.

On another matter, with the new AFL video featuring Aliir, it might be taken as an embarrassment to the AFL if we left him out of our side, perhaps even worthy of sanctions, like losing our drafting rights to Nick Blakey. It's in Gil's playbook.

[CureTheSane]

So the proposal would be that our 'ruckman' didn't actually jump for the ball?
Just be ready to grab the opponent if he takes possession in the 'contest'?

On paper this has been discussed literally for years.
There is nothing new in a proposal to play with no ruckman. Also not new, is that every team has not deviated from the standard unless forced.
Perhaps there is a very good reason why the biggest choice seems to be how many ruckmen play rather than if any should play at all.

[barry]

Playing Rohan as ruckman is a masterstroke. He will redefine the role. Speed is better than height.

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I mean how many time do we see the lumbering ruckman fail to make it to the ball when the boundary important does a bad throw. .... Not when we have the fastest ruckman in the comp!