Best 22 for 2020

[MattW]

Agility (seconds)
Hayden Young 7.940 seconds
Elijah Taylor 8.005
Thomson Dow 8.061
Trent Rivers 8.100
Oisin Gallen 8.197
Chad Warner 8.203
Sam Flanders 8.206
Noah Cumberland 8.208
Connor Budarick 8.242
Dylan Stephens 8.245

Yo-Yo test (level)
Jay Rantall 21.8 level
Cooper Stephens 21.8
Connor Budarick 21.6
Chad Warner 21.6
Oscar Lewis 21.5
Sam Philp 21.5
Lachlan Ash 21.4
Harrison Jones 21.4
Finn Maginness 21.4
Trey Ruscoe 21.4
Riley Baldi 21.3
Sam Flanders 21.3
Matt Rowell 21.3
Jeremy Sharp 21.3
Dylan Stephens 21.2 reported elsewhere

Also, elite endurance and agility from Warner.

Looking at this video, you can see what attracted us to him: PICK 39: Chad Warner - Highlights - YouTube.

[Auntie.Gerald]

i dont think i have forgot anyone prior to rookie draft today etc

we had 39 Snr players in 2019
we had 9 rookie players in 2019
48 players in total ?

i have 44 players so far on our books with Wicks for 2020

B: Lloyd, Rampe, McCartin
HB: Mills, AA, Dawson
C: Florent, Kennedy, Rowbottom
HF: Hayward, Reid, Blakey
F: Heeney, Franklin, Papley
FOL: Parker, Naismith, Hewett
IC: Gray, Cunningham, Taylor, Stephens

B: Melican, Brand, Oriordan
HB: Stoddart, Gould, Reynolds
C: McInerney, Clarke, Ling
HF: Foot, Taylor, Fox
F: Ronke, McLean, Wicks?
FOL: Bell, Sinkers, Warner
IC: Amartey, Knoll, Oconnor, Thurlow

TBC

Maibaum?

Aidyn Johnson? pre season training with us - from Port Adelaide

rookie draft players?

[liz]

I think last year we had 39 senior players, 5 Cat A rookies, 2 Cat B rookies and three supplemental rookies, making 49 in total. We can’t replace the supplemental rookies at this point of the season but can increase the Cat B rookies up to 4. So the most we can land up with on the list at the end of today is 47.

[KSAS]

I would think we would have one of the "younger" lists for 2020.

[Ralph Dawg]

Gould will play round one if he has a good preseason

Sent from my ANE-LX2J using Tapatalk

I'm with you on that one Wolfie. I was a bit sceptical about him being overweight and unfit but apparently when KB told him to improve his skin folds, he shredded very quickly.

In a pro environment, he will continue to be pushed by the coaching staff and has already shown he will respond. His highlights package shows he's got a good turn of pace, excellent kick and strong overhead. If he can get his fitness to the required level, pencil him in for round 1!

[graemed]

I'm with you on that one Wolfie. I was a bit sceptical about him being overweight and unfit but apparently when KB told him to improve his skin folds, he shredded very quickly.

In a pro environment, he will continue to be pushed by the coaching staff and has already shown he will respond. His highlights package shows he's got a good turn of pace, excellent kick and strong overhead. If he can get his fitness to the required level, pencil him in for round 1!

I always look forward to these threads, especially following a national draft.

The last few rounds of 2019 gave me great faith in our list, but the disappointment of the thought of losing Papley and worse gaining Daniher, lead me to thinking we ere heading into another Tippett discussion. Thankfully none of the dire nightmares occurred.

For there to be change, i.e. Gray, L. Taylor, Brand, Stephens, Gould, E. Taylor and Warner, then players in the past list must give way. Apart from those retirees, Jones is the only player that was a regular member of the best 22, that will be missing in 2020. This means someone from the list above must be better than those coming forward.

Naismith and Sinclair are available, at least one will come in for MacLean, although there was definite upside to his performances, he was not able to sustain it over a number of weeks. I liked Nankervis ahead of Naismith in 2016, but the list managers decided to let him go and again I lamented (see Mumford for Tippett). Naismith is better than Sinclair as a ruck and on-baller, Sinclair is better than Naismith up forward, but we need tall forwards less than we need a competitive follower, hence Naismith for me.

One-on-one I think, Lloyd loses most contests. His running is elite but where does he run to and what does he do when he gets there. I know this will be unpopular but I do not like the way, Lloyd carries the ball to the boundary. I prefer O'Riordan. Both have pace, both kick well, both look to create but I prefer the Irishman's decision making, discipline and courage.

Clark or Cunningham? Clark did some great jobs for us last year, particularly against North on Cunnington and others later in the season. It will be hard to ignore his poor efficiency when he has possession, so Harry for me.

As a small forward, Papley is clearly ahead of Ronke, but is there is place for him? With Hayward coming back, I think, Ben will struggle to keep his position. He showed resilience coming back into the team and his tackling was better towards the end but as a marking option a fit Hayward is ahead of him. Sam Gray is a another small forward and again I think he is ahead of Ben, I am surprised and delighted to have picked him up, he is very clean, takes his opportunities and gets a lot of the footy.

Melican, Brand, McCartin or Gould? I was impressed watching Brand play on Franklin last year, but Melican has been steadily improving, he has a habit of giving up free kicks but has good pace, reads the game well and disposes of the footy very well. For mine, McCartin is too valuable up forward to consign him down back unilaterally, using him as a stop gap would be perfect. This leaves Gould. I think we need to find out how well he is able to handle talls before we can compare him to the others in this category.

So,

O'Riordan Rampe Allir

Mills Brand Dawson

Florent Kennedy Blakey

Hayward Franklin Parker

Papley Reid McCartin

Naismith Hewitt Heeney

I/C
Gray Cunningham Lloyd Rowbottom

[Ralph Dawg]

Here's my fearless best 22

B Cunningham Rampe Gould
HB Dawson Aliir Mills
C Florent JPK Blakey
HF Papley Franklin Heeney
F Gray Reid McCartain
Foll Sinclair Hewett Parker

Int Hayward Rowbottom Taylor O'Riordan

[bloodspirit]

O'Riordan Rampe Allir

Mills Brand Dawson

Florent Kennedy Blakey

Hayward Franklin Parker

Papley Reid McCartin

Naismith Hewitt Heeney

I/C
Gray Cunningham Lloyd Rowbottom

Looks about right for Round 1 except I'm not sure about Brand ahead of Melican and Gould.

Going forward Stephens and Gould are going to be putting pressure on to debut. O'Riordan probably the player most in danger of losing his spot. Who makes way for Stephens if no injuries? Harry C? Not sure if I can see that happening. Maybe Dewey will just have to wait for an injury (or loss of form) to get his chance.

[Captain]

Here's my fearless best 22

B Cunningham Rampe Gould
HB Dawson Aliir Mills
C Florent JPK Blakey
HF Papley Franklin Heeney
F Gray Reid McCartain
Foll Sinclair Hewett Parker

Int Hayward Rowbottom Taylor O'Riordan

No Lloyd?

[Ralph Dawg]

No Lloyd?

Shows how Lloyd just goes about his work in such an unassuming fashion, racking up 30+ possessions without anyone noticing! Bring him in for Cunningham, Harry to the bench, Squizzy to cool his heals in the NEAFL (or running laps around lackside to get into shape!)

[aguy]

Okay. Here goes with my round 1 team.

B Gould Rampe Brand
HB Lloyd Aliir Dawson
C Florent Hewett Mills
HF Heeney Reid Papley
F McCartin Franklin Blakey
Foll Naismith Kennedy Parker

INT O’Riordan Rowbottom Stephens Haywood

[Mountain Man]

That looks like a mid season team. Round 1 likely to be a bit more conservative

[aguy]

That looks like a mid season team. Round 1 likely to be a bit more conservative

This is the dilemma between whether we are trying to predict what the selectors WILL do or whether we are saying what we WANT them to do.

The above is what I want. But I think they will prob do is Melican instead of Brand. Cunningham instead of O’Riordan. And either Ronke or Gray instead of Stephens.

I think Gould will surprise us and be selected round 1. He is a mountain and his wirh jones having gone they will want a creative backman playing.

[AB Swannie]

With Longmire's recent history, I think it is more likely that Stephens plays Rd 1 than doesn't. In recent years, our first round draft picks have gone like this:

2019 - Blakey debuted Rd 1
2018 - Matt Ling injured
2017 - Florent debuted Rd 1, Hayward debuted Rd 2
2016 - Mills debuted Rd 1
2015 - Heeney debuted Rd 1

[Blood Fever]

With Longmire's recent history, I think it is more likely that Stephens plays Rd 1 than doesn't. In recent years, our first round draft picks have gone like this:

2019 - Blakey debuted Rd 1
2018 - Matt Ling injured
2017 - Florent debuted Rd 1, Hayward debuted Rd 2
2016 - Mills debuted Rd 1
2015 - Heeney debuted Rd 1

Good chance to play a block of games and then be rested a la Heeney