According to Sarah Black from the AFL website:
Best 23 for 2024
B: Dylan Grimes, Tylar Young, Nathan Broad
HB: Jayden Short, Nick Vlastuin, Daniel Rioli
C: Marlion Pickett, Tim Taranto, Jack Ross
HF: Shai Bolton, Noah Balta, Liam Baker
F: Jacob Koschitzke, Tom Lynch, Dustin Martin
Foll: Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia, Jacob Hopper
I/C: Jack Graham, Thomson Dow, Kamdyn McIntosh, Josh Gibcus, Rhyan Mansell
Emerg: Samson Ryan, Sam Banks, Tyler Sonsie, Maurice Rioli jnr
Source: AFL website.
That team is the epitomy of the old saying. Its the epitomy of madness doing the same things over and over expecting things to change.
That team is basically the same group of players with the exception of three who FAILED to make finals last year.
Going by reports Balta and Bolton will play as forwards so with that in mind and we don't prioritise youth the team should go something like this.
FB Vlastuin - Young - Grimes
HB Broad - Gibcus - Rioli.
C McIntosh - Martin - Ross
R Nankervis - Taranto - Prestia
HF Bolton - Balta - Cumberland
FF MRJ - Lynch - Koschitzke
INT Baker - Short - Pickett - Hopper - Graham.
Personally i believe we should be looking to prioritise kids over aging players and battling role players.
The kids named below in those positions are in the main just as good options or have better attributes for the role than those omitted.
FB Vlastuin - Young - Gibcus. that is your backline for at least the next 5 seasons. Gibcus can play kpd but given circumstance third tall
HB Brown- Balta - Trezise. eases him back in.
C Rioli - Martin - Banks. Line breaking wingers who will punish by foot with the class of dusty. Abeast in Taranto and Polish and
R Nankervis - Taranto - Sonsie delivery in Sonsie starting old man Prestia on the bench.
HF Clarke - Koschitzke - Cumberland. two goalkicking smalls in Bolton and noah. Clarke to play the old lambert role then your two kpf
FF Bolton - Lynch - Bauer/Ryan. then one of bauer as third tall or Ryan as 2nd ruck/fwd.
Int Hopper mid- Baker utility - Broad 7th defender. - Prestia mid - Short run.. They imo are the best of the rest and you could start them in the 18.
Who in their right mind would prefer Picket McIntosh or Ross over Rioli and Banks on the wings. no one not based on attributes for the role. The bonus here is it allows very promising kids in Brown and Trezise to get a go in their best roles across hb.
Who doesnt want Gibcus in the team and the form of Grimes does not allow us to move Balta fwd.
Gibcus for Grimes evry day of the week thanks. What the hell did we get Koschitzke for anyway just keep Balta in defence we dont have enough kpd quality back there to be moving him..
Do we or don't we need to find a third tall option fwd ?Bauer. do or don't we need to develop Ryan? he is 23 and needs to further his development in the seniors..
If it means say Jack Graham misses out on games as a fwd or Mansell but it allows us to get games into those two i know which way i want us to go. FFS no slow mids who are part time fwds just play genuine forwards in the fwd line.
Prioritise the younger blokes early in the year if they struggle then we have the oldies to fall back on.
