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21
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Forwards-How do we fit them all in.
Last post by Thryleon -
Its an interesting case study.  Rather than pick a best 22 right now I think that will evolve throughout the season and pre season with strength and conditioning dictating it rather than a variance in class and ability, I prefer to divide the groups into 2:

Senior players with Bonafides:

Acres
Ainsworth
Boyd
Cerra
Cottrell
Cripps
Evans
Florent
Fogarty
Haynes
Hayward
Hewett
Kemp - 5 years in and less than 50 games.  2026 could be career defining.
Mcgovern
Mckay
Motlop
Newman
Pittonet

Saad
Walsh
Weitering
Williams
Young, L.

Chesser? - 4 years into his career and has played 36 games.  Not sure he is an AFL footballer yet, but seems to be on his way.
Reidy? - 25 years old, 5 games on his second AFL club is not a ringing endorsement of a player with bonafides.
Young, F? - half a season and 24 years old next year.  Hard to know where he fits as a footballer but he isnt a youngster.

Developing Kids who are playing ahead or on schedule:

Cowan - he is a senior player ahead of schedule IMHO and quite important.  In my best 22.
Dean - Will play ahead of schedule.
Duffy - Irish experiment.  Would want to get a wriggle on, but all he has to do is show something.
Hollands O - he is a senior player ahead of schedule IMHO and quite important.  In my best 22.
Ison
Lord - a kid who has stamped his credentials.
Carroll - a kid who has stamped his credentials.
Moir
Monahan - Irish experiment.  Would want to get a wriggle on, but all he has to do is show something.
O'Farrell - a kid who has stamped his credentials.
O'Keefe - 21 and only played 5 games.  He looks the part, but not sure yet.
Jagga Smith
Wilson

I fully expect a lot of our young players to play but this is more an exercise in showing who should be a best 22 starter, and whom has no pressure on them to be one.  The fact that they might be, is more about where we are at, and them being ahead of time, i.e.  Ollie Hollands, and Lachie Cowan have really arrived as AFL footballers, but the others are mixed degrees of having done so, Lord, Carroll, Wilson.  The pressure is on for them to continue showing something, but not to be best 22 players IMHO, and ive done this exercise to highlight that whilst we all harbour high hopes for Skull, the reality is, he is still a kid finding his place at AFL level. 

Honourable mention to Will white, and Elijah Hollands.  Hollands is good enough, but does he want it enough?  The inverse is true for White.  He wants, but is he good enough?

From that list, my best 22 on established players at their best:

Cowan ----- Weitering ----- Newman

Saad-----Haynes--------McGovern

Acres--------Pittonet----------Hollands

Walsh-------Cripps--------Hewett

Ainsworth---Kemp--------Moir

Motlop-------Harry------Hayward

Interchange:

Cotters, Evans, Cerra, Florent, Williams
22
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Forwards-How do we fit them all in.
Last post by DJC -
Skull spent a lot of time as a KPP in the VFL even before his "official transformation" from "ruck/forward" to "key forward".  We had an abundance of ruckmen in the VFL and Skull showed that he knew his way around the forward line, could get his hands on the ball, and was an accurate kick for goal.  While he is a competent ruckman if required, his development seems to be more along the Harry McKay 75% key forward, 25% ruck role.

Skull and Harry did OK when both played last season but is that the way we'll structure our forward line in 2026?  Will the extra interchange player influence how many talls we take into a game?

At this stage, I think that we're likely to go with Skull and Harry as plan A but will run with a smaller plan B forward line at times (as we have over the last few seasons).  That may involve Moir and Hayward (or McGovern and Ison, down the track) presenting as small key forwards.

G2C's eight forwards seems to be the most likely combination and that gives us more scoring options and flexibility, particularly with some of the forwards rotating thhrough the midfield and Crippa, Walsh, Cerra and Lord spending time forward.

We missed Cottrell's work as high half forward last season but, given the forward line depth we know have, I think Cotters may be back on a wing.

I suspect that Kemp will force his way into consideration too and his agility and ability to take big marks provides yet another dimension. 
24
The Sports Desk / Re: Formula 1
Last post by Gointocarlton -
Quote from: LP – on
Perhaps also the political influence of Red Bull, it brings Max back into the game.

There seems to be a lot of people at the top end of F1 very unhappy with the McLaren situation, and perhaps a few who are a bit unhappy with Zak Brown, ultimately F1 is a sport and many people want it to at least retain some semblance of being a competition fair or otherwise. Brown comes across as pure on the Sky broadcast but you have to keep in mind the Sky broadcast is as biased as any broadcasting crew you will ever find, the sophistry knows no limit.

As much as I want Oscar to do well, the situation at McLaren is so distasteful I'll probably end up barracking for Max as to me if he gets across the line at least he has deserved it. When you watch the season considering what happened to Lawson and Tsunoda, it's obvious how far ahead his compatriots Max really is. I really hope Norris' title hopes collapse in the final race.
I have never liked Max the person, however as a driver his talent is unmatched at present. Oscar has crapped the bed or had his bed crapped in by McLaren, either way he is no chance. I just can't stand Norris wining it the way he has but it seems inevitable, however if anyone can pull it off, Red Bull and Max can.
26
Robert Heatley Stand / Forwards-How do we fit them all in.
Last post by Lods -
I've been having a think about our forward structure and it's obvious that we will be moving away from the structure we've had in the past.
But how dramatic will that change be and assuming they're all fit....
How do we fit them all in.

There are a few question marks.

Will we run two rucks with O'Keefe playing more a tall/forward ruck role (O'Keefe is actually listed as a Key Forward not a ruck on the club website)?
How will Kemp return from injury?
Was Evans's late season form a flash in the pan or is it what we can expect on a consistent basis?
How will Ainworth and Hayward fit into the structure?
How much game time will Fogarty get, given his strength is more as a defensive forward rather than a scoreboard impact player?
Moir is a must...and provides the x Factor, as does Williams to some extent?
And if one of White or E. Hollands wins a spot there's another player to consider?
Flynn Young is another who showed enough to earn another year...but is probably behind a few others.
And young Byrne may get some game time as the year progresses.

The extended bench means we're not limited to 6...but what's the starting line-up

Oh...and Harry McKay is also worth some consideration. ;)
27
The Sports Desk / Re: Formula 1
Last post by LP -
Perhaps also the political influence of Red Bull, it brings Max back into the game.

There seems to be a lot of people at the top end of F1 very unhappy with the McLaren situation, and perhaps a few who are a bit unhappy with Zak Brown, ultimately F1 is a sport and many people want it to at least retain some semblance of being a competition fair or otherwise. Brown comes across as pure on the Sky broadcast but you have to keep in mind the Sky broadcast is as biased as any broadcasting crew you will ever find, the sophistry knows no limit.

As much as I want Oscar to do well, the situation at McLaren is so distasteful I'll probably end up barracking for Max as to me if he gets across the line at least he has deserved it. When you watch the season considering what happened to Lawson and Tsunoda, it's obvious how far ahead his compatriots Max really is. I really hope Norris' title hopes collapse in the final race.
29
The Sports Desk / Re: Formula 1
Last post by Gointocarlton -
Both McLarens disqualified from Las Vegas GP, Max and Oscar no on 366, Norris on 390 24 points in front.
Oscar is Gonski IMO, is Norris, or Max, Go Max.
Game on.
30
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by LP -
Quote from: bratblue – on
By day 2 Archer was cooked, give him back to back tests and some long spells and he'll be bowling as fast as me. I loved what Boycott said about the prime of the English batting lineup dissolved in the time it took to make a pot of tea. Wonderful knock from Head and I'm glad I watch it.
I noticed the same thing, by his 2nd spell on day two he was walking like a 90 year old.

How much is fitness, and how much is headspace. Personally, I think T20 has made a lot them soft as butter, they get too much money for doing too little, and playing a test is like a plumber ditching the mini digger to go back to the pick and shovel at half the pay rate.

You can thank the BB and BOCC, the country that loves cricket has pretty much f0rked the traditional game!