Carlton Supporters Club

OK, so here it is, the final 'best 22' for the year.

We've seen how the side performed in finals.
We saw what worked and what didn't all throughout the year.
Using all the information we got, who is in your best 22 now.

Lets assume all players are fit (excluding Williams and Philp to be consistent)
Lets assume all players are still on our list (including delistings, retirees and potential trades)

Pick your best 22.

Saad     Weiters   Boyd
Marchy Gov  Kemp
Acres    Crippa   Doch
JSos    H           Martin
Motlop  Charlie  Cunners
TDK    Cez   Walsh
Int : Hewitt, Cotters, Newy, Owies

Tough to miss :   Pitt, Kennedy, Ollie, Fog, Cincotta, Durds

Inj : Williams

Thats 29 genuine footballers

Still to bring in trades for Dow & Fish  and  at least one first round pick

Still some development in Binns, Cowan, Carrol  (Young??)

I think the biggest tell in these surveys isn't so much who gets a vote, but who doesn't.

I think the biggest tell in these surveys isn't so much who gets a vote, but who doesn't.

Bit of both.

It shows you who your 'first picked' are.
Who your 'there or thereabouts' players are
and
Who your 'not good enough' players are.

Its a bit of a 'wisdom of the masses' kinda thing.

I think the biggest tell in these surveys isn't so much who gets a vote, but who doesn't.

It's going pretty much as I expected.
Some definites, a few with the split vote...
Surprises...perhaps Fogarty
Seemed to have the coaches support for the job he was doing up until the end, but not a lot of love here at the moment.
Marchbank eased his way back into the side by the end of the year.
Lots of support.
At his best he can be a valuable member of the defence
Hopefully an injury free 2024.
Young has had a poor year, he was probably in  most folks best 22 at the start..not sure what the future holds for him.

I had 26 in my side the first time through.
Struggled to trim it down in the end, and I'm not sure I could create a balanced 22 with the players I selected.
Best 22, and a balanced 22 is a slightly different thing.

It's going pretty much as I expected.
Some definites, a few with the split vote...
Surprises...perhaps Fogarty
Seemed to have the coaches support for the job he was doing up until the end, but not a lot of love here at the moment.
Marchbank eased his way back into the side by the end of the year.
Lots of support.
At his best he can be a valuable member of the defence
Hopefully an injury free 2024.
Young has had a poor year, he was probably in  most folks best 22 at the start..not sure what the future holds for him.

I had 26 in my side the first time through.
Struggled to trim it down in the end, and I'm not sure I could create a balanced 22 with the players I selected.
Best 22, and a balanced 22 is a slightly different thing.

Ironicly on Marchbank, i did the reverse.
I had him in the team early on (against the trend) and have him out of the team at the end.

B Saad Weitering Kemp
HB Cincotta McGovern Newman
C Acres Cripps Docherty
HF Martin JSOS Cerra
F Motlop C. Curnow Owies
Ruck Pittonet Hewett
Rover Walsh
Int Cottrell, Hollands, Dow, TDK
Emerg Kennedy

Just for comparison....this was the pre-season assessment.

https://www.carltonsc.com/index.php?topic=6270.0

100% votes for
- Cez
- Crippa
- Gov
- TDK
- Blacres
- Doch
- Walsh
- Martin
- Weiters
- Charlie
- Saad
- Cotters

Thats 12 with 100% votes - looks about right.  I'd say the only surprises are Cotters in everyone's team (shows how important he is to our structures)  and H out of 1 person's team.   The rest you would pick before the vote was done

Given all the argy bargy on this site I'm surprised that TDK is 100% so far and not Pitto, it suggests people do not truly believe what they post!

Not a fan of 'best 22'. Rather a kind of 'core' and then those who are important and rotated for team balance, which factors in form and injury. For this little black duck it's a best 28.
Core (first picked if fit):
Acres
Cerra
Cripps
Curnow
Doc
Gov
H
Hewett
Martin
Newman
Pitto
Saad
TDK
Walsh
Weitering

Rotated through for team balance/need to cover injuries or form loss of core blokes:
Boyd
Cincotta
Cottrell
Cuningham
Fogarty
Hollands
JSOS
Marchbank
Motlop
Owies
Kemp
Kennedy
Williams

Given all the argy bargy on this site I'm surprised that TDK is 100% so far and not Pitto, it suggests people do not truly believe what they post!

Maybe you just don't comprehend it. ;)

I think this was the first time i've picked TDK in my best 22 all year....and that was off the back of some (finally) improved form  as a forward and around the ground.

He would've been top 25-30 all year, but couldn't squeeze him in.

Given all the argy bargy on this site I'm surprised that TDK is 100% so far and not Pitto, it suggests people do not truly believe what they post!

TDK did some ok stuff forward later in the season, provided some options and can kick straight unlike Harry, that why I had him in and Harry out.
Pittonet is a required player to soften up the opposing ruckman for TDK imho, think we saw the awkward Cox doing the same in the finals making it easier for the slightly out of form Cameron to be more effective later in the game

Not a fan of 'best 22'. Rather a kind of 'core' and then those who are important and rotated for team balance, which factors in form and injury. For this little black duck it's a best 28.
Core (first picked if fit):
Acres
Cerra
Cripps
Curnow
Doc
Gov
H
Hewett
Martin
Newman
Pitto
Saad
TDK
Walsh
Weitering

Rotated through for team balance/need to cover injuries or form loss of core blokes:
Boyd
Cincotta
Cottrell
Cuningham
Fogarty
Hollands
JSOS
Marchbank
Motlop
Owies
Kemp
Kennedy
Williams

Thats a great core of 28 - i would add small-Durds to it - and make it 29

plus you have a couple of incoming players (pick 16, a free agent/trade etc) and   binns/cowan/young/carroll that we hope to see improvement from

it SHOULD be a good solid 30-35 players to form a good squad

Maybe you just don't comprehend it. ;)

I can comprehend there was a lot of anti-ruck duo discussion on this site, and this survey shows 85% picked a ruck duo, with associated assertions of players being overpaid while underperforming.

So it seems like the noise was coming from a very very noisy minority.

I picked a best 22 rather than a balanced 22.  There are so many genuine contenders that I'm not really sure whether my team below reflects my best 22 but it is my best 25.

B     Newman   Weitering   McGovern
HB     Saad   Kemp   Marchbank
C     Acres   Cripps   Docherty
HF     Martin   McKay   De Koning
F     Motlop   C Curnow   Fogarty

Foll     Pittonet   Hewett   Walsh

I/C     Cerra, Cottrell, Hollands, Cincotta

Emerg     Owies, Cuningham, Silvagni

Knocking on the door:        Boyd, Cowan, Kennedy, Binns, C Durdin, Fisher, Dow,

Developing/Injury cover:      Lemmey, O'Keeffe, S Durdin, Akuei, Carroll, Mirkov

Out the door:    E Curnow, Plowman, Honey

I picked a best 22 rather than a balanced 22.  There are so many genuine contenders that I'm not really sure whether team below reflects my best 22 but it is my best 25.

B   Newman  Weitering  McGovern
HB   Saad  Kemp  Marchbank
C   Acres  Cripps  Docherty
HF   Martin  McKay  De Koning
F   Motlop  C Curnow  Fogarty

Foll   Pittonet  Hewett  Walsh

I/C   Cerra, Cottrell, Hollands, Cincotta

That's about as good of a starting 22 as we can muster at the moment.

There may be argy bargy about some on the fringe, but actually that it the best thing right now, general quality and consistency of those on the fringe has greatly increased so we are just settling for the last few spots, they actually have to perform!

I'd probably start Cerra and have Doc on the bench, simply because Doc can be given some quick instructions and go anywhere on the ground to fix an issue, and be trusted to make a difference. I think Doc staying fit and healthy he will become our Mr Fixit over the next couple of seasons, a bit like Sidebottom for the Filth.

I can comprehend there was a lot of anti-ruck duo discussion on this site, and this survey shows 85% picked a ruck duo, with associated assertions of players being overpaid while underperforming.

So it seems like the noise was coming from a very very noisy minority.

As has been mentioned previously, i picked 2 rucks and 2 key forwards (and Jack)....and i regret it.
Similar to DJC, i picked a best 22, rather than a balanced 22.

So be careful projecting your own perceptions onto other people. ;)

B: Marchbank Weitering Saad
HB: Docherty McGovern Newman
C: Acres Cripps Hollands
HF: Martin McKay Fogarty
F: Motlop Curnow Owies
R: de Koning Cerra Walsh
I: Pittonet Cottrell Boyd Hewett
E: Silvagni Cincotta Cuningham Kennedy

I can comprehend there was a lot of anti-ruck duo discussion on this site, and this survey shows 85% picked a ruck duo, with associated assertions of players being overpaid while underperforming.

So it seems like the noise was coming from a very very noisy minority.

I have not been one of those LP, except for one match, the last match of the year, when Pitto looked like he needed a rest, looked sore and indeed he did miss that dead-rubber match in any case.

This is the end of year best 22, it's subject to change next season. I really like Cincotta and it was very hard for me to omit him. He played how many games in a row? He's our best option on smaller defenders with his speed and medium height imo.

This is the end of year best 22, it's subject to change next season. I really like Cincotta and it was very hard for me to omit him. He played how many games in a row? He's our best option on smaller defenders with his speed and medium height imo.

In fact Cincotta in for Boyd. The latter played well against Brisbane, has very good speed and disposal by foot, but needs to be more consistent and do it more in games. He does have something, needs to be more fitter to impact more. But Cincotta has those qualities and a much better defensive game. He just dropped off later, probably one of the many who were tired and perhaps even sore too.