2023 - Best 22

[Andyy]

I know Dusty was picked ahead of Graham because of his ceiling and finals history.

But...

If both were at 80% at least you know Graham had match fitness to some extent. Dusty hadn't played all year.

I think we should have picked Graham and put him on Neale to try to reduce his impact.

[Willy]

cannot see either getting a gig in front of 23 others  and especially mids  Taranto, Hopper, Prestia, Bolton, Cotchin, Martin, Sonsie and Baker and Short will play in front of them because they are more flexible.

No way should we be picking them in front of specialist forwards Rioli Cumberland and Clarke. If honest we dont need em to play fwd with a shed load of very good mids who can go thru there in Taranto, Martin, Bolton Sonsie.

Simply put there are just too many better options to go with than Graham and Ross.

I agree that they are fringe players and will be playing twos if we are fully healthy.

But chances are we will have an injury or two in the midfield, which will open the door for one or both to play.

Good solid depth IMO.

[the claw]

cannot see either getting a gig in front of 23 others  and especially mids  Taranto, Hopper, Prestia, Bolton, Cotchin, Martin, Sonsie and Baker and Short will play in front of them because they are more flexible.

No way should we be picking them in front of specialist forwards Rioli Cumberland and Clarke. If honest we dont need em to play fwd with a shed load of very good mids who can go thru there in Taranto, Martin, Bolton Sonsie.

Simply put there are just too many better options to go with than Graham and Ross.

I agree that they are fringe players and will be playing twos if we are fully healthy.

But chances are we will have an injury or two in the midfield, which will open the door for one or both to play.

Good solid depth IMO.

Agree if honest those two plus  Soldo and Castagna are the only depth players we have with any sort of games/genuine experience  behind them.

[camboon]

On top of ability plus club needs, how you train, form , attitude, experience , history and injury make up a lot of why you get a game, to me Graham ticks most of the boxes and I would have him on the bench  in my 1st picked team

[the claw]

On top of ability plus club needs, how you train, form , attitude, experience , history and injury make up a lot of why you get a game, to me Graham ticks most of the boxes and I would have him on the bench  in my 1st picked team

Can i ask in front of who?

[Damo]

On top of ability plus club needs, how you train, form , attitude, experience , history and injury make up a lot of why you get a game, to me Graham ticks most of the boxes and I would have him on the bench  in my 1st picked team

Can i ask in front of who?

Pretty valid question

Would love to know your current best 22 (plus one) Camboon

[Tiger Khosh]

23rd/24th man in my team.

Bottom 6 players imo are Pickett, Kmac, Cumberland, MRJ, Miller and Sonsie (don’t expect him to be here long). Problem is other than sonsie the other guys play an almost specialist role within the team so it wouldn’t be a like for like replacement if he came in for any of them. Sonsie, Cumberland and Kmacs position/role are probably he’s best bet in that order.

In saying all that, not sure why grahams position in the team has been such a hot topic of conversation all summer. Whether he is named round 1 or not I’d still expect him to play 12+ games just covering for injuries/resting/suspensions/form-drops. Then if he wants to explore trades again at the end of the season then good luck to him - expect we’ll net a pick somewhere in the second round.

[torch]

B:     Grimes     Tarrant    Baker

HB:     Rioli     Balta     Vlastuin

C:     Pickett     Prestia     McIntosh

HF:     Bolton     Riewoldt     Martin

F:     Rioli Jnr     Lynch     Cumberland

R:  Nankervis     Tarranto     Hopper

I:     Cotchin     Sonsie     Miller     Broad

S:     Graham

E:     Ross     Soldo     Ryan

[Assange Tiger 😎]

Good on you for putting a side up Torch but all that shows to me is you really don't rate Jayden Short, especially when he's not even an emergency ahead of one of two ruckman

[camboon]

Let’s see who the club rates and plays in the first game. My conversations tell me Graham is highly rated by the match committee.
Graham has the experience and is a shut down player that is valued  I believe.

[Tiger Khosh]

We very rarely give players shut down roles and tbh I still think he’s somewhat living off the job he did on Sloane in the 2017 granny in that regard.

No issues with graham though, just can’t fit him into my side but wouldn’t bat an eye if he’s named round 1.

[Broadsword]

I'm not clued up enough about our strategy to know exactly what the "Lambert role" is/was, but I get the feeling it requires a big tank. Graham has his weaknesses but he seems to have the tank to get to more contests than any other Tiger (assuming full fitness, which he wasn't for most of last year) and so it wouldn't surprise me if Lambert vacating this role led to Graham having a role-specific place in the starting 22 in 2023.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of our system can expand on this.

[Andyy]

I'm not clued up enough about our strategy to know exactly what the "Lambert role" is/was, but I get the feeling it requires a big tank. Graham has his weaknesses but he seems to have the tank to get to more contests than any other Tiger (assuming full fitness, which he wasn't for most of last year) and so it wouldn't surprise me if Lambert vacating this role led to Graham having a role-specific place in the starting 22 in 2023.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of our system can expand on this.

Lambert was our mid-fwd who played the link up role between our midfield and forward line, often delivering the ball to our forwards and sometimes getting a snag himself. Needed to be clean by foot, quick enough to break clear of the midfield defenders, and fit enough to do it all day with our 'move the ball forward at all costs' approach. He was good at it.

Graham I think is slated to be the same player. Jack Riewoldt has previously said Graham is his preferred player to be kicking I50. He's good by foot but IMO despite having a good tank, Lambos was better, and Lambo also had better acceleration to help with that breakaway moment.

[the claw]

Last year when he debuted Wasn't the club talking about Clarke performing as the link player at high half forward.In other words Lamberts role.
Anyway Imo Lambert was only a fwd in name only and played basically as a front of centre mid.

[camboon]

So true, never a true forward , a gut runner who played the leader of the surge role and ran deep into defence when needed
Seemed to run to space in the forward line when the game was close to kick a clutch goal or create opportunity for others . Hard to replace a bloke who gave his heart and soul and was a true team man