Your Best 22 - Midseason Review

[Ampersand]

Assuming there were no injuries and under ideal conditions what would be your strongest mix to make up our best 22, address some of our consistency issues and areas of weakness leading into a finals series? Here's my list:

B Dane Rampe , Ted Richards , Sam Reid
HB Lewis Jetta , Heath Grundy , Nick Smith
C Zak Jones , Josh P. Kennedy , Jarrad McVeigh
HF Gary Rohan , Lance Franklin , Dan Hannebery
F Isaac Heeney , Kurt Tippett , McGlynn
FOL Mike Pyke , Kieren Jack , Luke Parker
I/C Tom Mitchell , Jeremy Laidler , Jake Lloyd
SUB Craig Bird

Sub role to be shared with Heeney, Jones, McGlynn, Lloyd, Rohan on a rotational basis depending on match-ups.

Depth: Goodes, Cunningham, Robinson, Shaw, Towers

Thoughts: Unfortunately, we lose some speed in dropping Cunningham but make up some defensive pressure and speed in omitting Goodes. Our back 6 is working reasonably well, apart from Shaw who is giving away too many costly goals through his turnovers and poor defence. Ultimately, his benefits in attack are being far outweighed by his liabilities in defence and I'd make the same argument regarding Goodes in the forward half of the ground. Heeney and McGlynn are great at roving packs, snapping goals, can kick goals from 40m+ out and shark off double-team packs forming around Tippett and Buddy or lock the ball inside our forward 50 with tackling pressure.

I may have missed someone which will throw a spanner in the works but let me know your ideal team structure if all the stars were to align before Round 23.

[ScottH]

Besides centre clearances, I think one our biggest issues has been a goal sneak like McGlynn.
Someone to creep into the F50 and snag a mark. Kick the unsuspecting goal out of a contest, and apply some forward pressure.

The ball came out of the F50 far too easily on Friday night.
So whether it be McGlynn or a Brandon Jack or a Heeney.

[Conor_Dillon]

I enjoy 'best 22' discussions and now seems a pretty good time to have a crack at it.

B: Smith, Grundy, Richards

HB: Rampe, Reid, McVeigh

C: Hannebery, Kennedy, Jetta

HF: K.Jack, Franklin, Rohan

FF: Heeney, Tippett, McGlynn

Foll: Pyke, Parker, Mitchell.

Int: Goodes, Laidler, Jones, Lloyd (sub).

Emg: Cunningham, Bird, Shaw

Depth: B.Jack, Towers, Robinson

Still believe Goodes has enough to offer to get a game, particularly his ability to kick goals from stoppages in our forward 50...clearly still our best at it. I'm also confident that he will be able to step up in big games when it counts, although he may need another week or 2 off in the lead up to September.

Lloyd was the choice as sub purely because he has been so good at it. I'd like to see Jones in the 21 because I believe he can play as a small defender (both running and lock down), a defensive forward and even run through the midfield.

Cunningham can consider himself stiff because he's done reasonable jobs on dangerous outside runners on opposition teams this year but he probably hasn't hurt enough going the other way, particularly given his speed/kicking ability.

We may lack a bit of run without Shaw in the backline but if Reid plays a more permanent role down there it should free Rampe up to help out with this, with Jetta, McVeigh, Jones, K.Jack, and McGlynn also chipping in...I believe we play our most damaging football when we have waves of runners transitioning the ball from defence to attack.

[jetts32]

B: Smith, Richards, Jones,
HB: Rampe, Grundy, McVeigh
C: Hanners, Mitchell, Jetta
HF: Rohan, Franklin, Goodes,
F: Mcglynn, Tippet, Heeney
Followers: Pyke, Kennedy, Parker
Interchange: Laidler, Reid, Lloyd, Robinson or B.Jack sub.

McVeigh back to half back, that's where he got All Australian.

Reid to play a mixture of back and wing, keep doing the third man up at stoppages.

Rohan to switch between wing and half forward with Jetta.

Mcglynn and Heeney to rotate into midfield.

Lloyds ball use I think is underrated so keep him going off half back/ wing.

Tippet to play deep when not in ruck, which hasn't been used enough. We don't need Buddy always deep as he can kick from 60 and is dangerous wherever he is.

[Doctor]

Looks like the depth chart might be back! :-)

[Flying South]

Conor, I don't agree with the 'best 22' tag as I believe in a squad concept. But in terms of a 'First 22' to play in a GF, I wouldn't disagree with anything you gave here. For all the reasons you have said. Nice!

[Conor_Dillon]

Conor, I don't agree with the 'best 22' tag as I believe in a squad concept. But in terms of a 'First 22' to play in a GF, I wouldn't disagree with anything you gave here. For all the reasons you have said. Nice!

Sorry FS! I agree with the squad concept as well, should have worded it differently. I also think that the 'first 22' will be dependent on who we're playing etc.

[chuckie]

In ideal conditions we wouldn't have any weakness or injuries so you would probably have Johnson in the team.

[Ampersand]

In ideal conditions we wouldn't have any weakness or injuries so you would probably have Johnson in the team.

Johnson won't be available this year. I'm talking about the best/first 22 for this season and finals.

[chuckie]

After one quarter of football Jones is in our best 22 I don't think so.
We need to kick more goals whether that means Tippet plays solely as a deep forward and we find another back up ruckman or we keep Reid forward and play another tall defender. It makes our forward line tall but we played our best footy with a tall forward line and getting the ball in quickly.

[Ampersand]

I completely disagree. We give away a lot of potential goals because the ball comes out of our forward 50 too easily. We are one of the worst teams in the league for failing to convert from our inside 50 entries and I believe that's in large part due to our lack of roving small forwards. Putting in more tall timber will only exacerbate this major weakness.

[ScottH]

We lack forward press(ure).

[Ludwig]

I completely disagree. We give away a lot of potential goals because the ball comes out of our forward 50 too easily. We are one of the worst teams in the league for failing to convert from our inside 50 entries and I believe that's in large part due to our lack of roving small forwards. Putting in more tall timber will only exacerbate this major weakness.

I agree. That's why I've suggested that we drop Pyke and make Tippo our #1 ruckman and replace him with a small pressure forward. I think we will fare better once we get McGlynn and Heeney back in the side. And if BJ can only produce at senior level what he does in the NEAFL, we'll have another quick tackling forward to add to that.

[Conor_Dillon]

After one quarter of football Jones is in our best 22 I don't think so.
We need to kick more goals whether that means Tippet plays solely as a deep forward and we find another back up ruckman or we keep Reid forward and play another tall defender. It makes our forward line tall but we played our best footy with a tall forward line and getting the ball in quickly.

Hasn't done much wrong (50m penalty aside) in any of the games he's played. Was a first round draft pick as well after winning Vic Metro's MVP at the national champs in 2013...if we don't show some faith in our high selections then we shouldn't be picking them in ther first place.

With an extended run at it - hopefully the back half of this season - Jones will comfortably be in our 22.