Best 22 Round 1 2022

[liz]

More Macs than a Scottish Premier League team! I think we need to recruit some more O's to balance our team with the Irish. Barry O'Connor is not enough!

We have O'Riordan too. And O'Loughlin on the board.

[bloodspirit]

It's amazing to think that Stephens and Campbell could both start outside the senior team. I guess one of them would be the 23rd medical substitute. Still that slightly uncomfortable situation is likely to go away with the inevitable injuries. At least it's a good problem to have.

[Ludwig]

It's amazing to think that Stephens and Campbell could both start outside the senior team. I guess one of them would be the 23rd medical substitute. Still that slightly uncomfortable situation is likely to go away with the inevitable injuries. At least it's a good problem to have.

Both Stephens and Campbell have to play, hopefully in the seniors, but at the very least, in the reserves. We can't have them missing weeks sitting on the bench.

In my projected team so far, I have decided it's best to have JPK as our medical sub, unless he replaces an injured Parker or Mills. I think it's better for both team balance as well as managing Kennedy's time in these final years of his great career.

Finding a best 22 is difficult this year. Even with JPK as the med sub, I still have 1 or 2 that I would like in the senior side, but can't quite fit in. That's probably why some have pushed Wicks out of the side, just to open a spot for Stephens or Campbell.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Luddy......you know I am a sucker for classical music and equally I love ur posts....Most of the time ???? .......but mate I can't see JPK being and sub as yet.....

I suspect that is a low probability

If his legs are gone mid season maybe....and yes, legs do just go around 33-35yrs for many athletes.

But JPK and Bud both appear to have a double dose of love for the game plus their legs and skill levels are very high and may have atleast 2022 as a clear runway for best 22 in my humble opinion

But I get were u are coming from ie we have so much emerging talent and we want to show them the yellow brick road to stay with us and make a 5 year plus top4 team like Geelong have continually executed over the last 10yrs

[Auntie.Gerald]

*med sub

[AB Swannie]

B Cunningham Rampe ^
HB Blakey TMac Lloyd
C JMac Mills Florent
HF Papley LMac Heeney
F Hayward Franklin *
Foll Hickey Parker JPK
Int Gulden Warner Rowbottom ?

In my opinion, there are 3 open spots in our team. These spots can be filled by any combination of Melican, Reid, PMac, Gould, Fox, COR, Campbell, Stephens, Bell, Wicks, Ladhams, Amartey and McLean. Later in the season, I'd expect Sheldrick and Roberts to be pushing for a spot.

Good selection headache for the club to have!

I like the way you’ve done this. Less controversial than leaving one RWO favourite player out. IMO the 19 players you have picked are the 19 most likely to be involved Round 1 barring injury.

[Roadrunner]

Watch Papley , Heeney or Hayward , these guys , they work into the right positions on the outside / end of a chain to receive the ball , go back and watch how many of Paps goals this yr were him on the end of a chain of handballs and tackles and chasing ,. They have that luxury because you have guys like Wicks and Bell who dont have much else to offer , no offence to them , but they are good at their role and stick to it . Its discipline and hard work and constant pressure , things that Buddy , Papley , Heeney etc aren 't used to doing because they are the talented ones who finish with their skill and execution . If you tried to get them to do the stuff Wicks does , it would only take away from their strengths . You forgotten how Jetta went when we tried to add a defensive side to his game ?

Its not complicated . If they have a chance to tackle or chase then they should , they aren 't lazy pricks , but otherwise it is best left to the guys like Wicks , that is what they are in the team to do so that the rest can worry about building us a solid score !

Thanks for your explanation TB. My own view on this is like Stevoswan’s comment but I get where you’re coming from.
As long as we score more than the opposition I’m happy to have young Wicks in the team, but thankfully there is a lot of healthy competition for places this year- look at Ralph’s selection! Hopefully he regains his kicking accuracy when he does play- wishing him all the best, as for all our boys!

[liz]

More Macs than a Scottish Premier League team! I think we need to recruit some more O's to balance our team with the Irish. Barry O'Connor is not enough!

I've just realised we missed a Mac. We have an LMac Mk 2.

Which means that the likelihood of squeezing all the Macs into one senior team in 2022 is somewhat lower.

[Goal Sneak]

I like the way you’ve done this. Less controversial than leaving one RWO favourite player out. IMO the 19 players you have picked are the 19 most likely to be involved Round 1 barring injury.

I agree this is the best way to look at the team for now. I can't think of one of the listed 19 players that wouldn't be an almost automatic selection to start the season, equally I can't name one of the remaining players that demands to be chosen ahead of anyone else.

Those spots will be decided between now and the first round, I'm getting impatient to see who will make the cut.

If no one else demands selection, I'd be happy to go with a rotation of the remaining players to leverage our match ups week to week. Competition for spots is as good as I can remember. We have no room for complacency and the squad looks stronger for it. Whatever team runs out for round 1 will be brimming with confidence.

[Auntie.Gerald]

even harder is predicting the trajectory of say Campbo, Stephens, Gould, McLean, Amartey and McDonald and or even Matty Roberts who has the composure suited to Snr footy

Plus Clarkey at only 24yrs of age and in the system for a long time now and a fair few games in Snrs...........does he come back

Fox, Oriordan, Melican? ahhhhhhhhhhh lol its to much to process

could some players do a second year blues?

it is so fortunate to have Warner, Gulden, JMac, Hickey who in my opinion just changed everything re the depth of our squad. These guys have brought impact very close to the output expected of snr traded in players........yet only one was a trade

[Auntie.Gerald]

Ps can anyone think of a player like Nic Nac Paddy Wak coming back mid 20s and being g highly successful?

Cody walker for south Sydney came from the wilderness at 25yrs of age and has been one of the best players in the NRL

I cant hink of too many that have been say a no1 draft / played 3yrs / take a few years out the fight their way back onto an AFL squad

[Goal Sneak]

Ps can anyone think of a player like Nic Nac Paddy Wak coming back mid 20s and being g highly successful?

Cody walker for south Sydney came from the wilderness at 25yrs of age and has been one of the best players in the NRL

I cant hink of too many that have been say a no1 draft / played 3yrs / take a few years out the fight their way back onto an AFL squad

Ash Barty is the first one that came to mind.

[111431]

Ps can anyone think of a player like Nic Nac Paddy Wak coming back mid 20s and being g highly successful?

Cody walker for south Sydney came from the wilderness at 25yrs of age and has been one of the best players in the NRL

I cant hink of too many that have been say a no1 draft / played 3yrs / take a few years out the fight their way back onto an AFL squad

Mike Fitzpatrick did pretty well at Carlton many years ago

[i'm-uninformed2]

Mike Fitzpatrick did pretty well at Carlton many years ago

Don't sully this board with his name being used in a positive context

[Nico]

Appears a fair bit of underrating of Campbell.