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Our Best 18

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Neeld Help
in Melbourne Demons

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It involves Mitch Clark, Jack Watts, Clint Bartram, Liam Jurrah and Mark Jamar. That's all I need to know.

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    It involves Mitch Clark, Jack Watts, Clint Bartram, Liam Jurrah and Mark Jamar. That's all I need to know.

    C'mon...lets not get TOO dejected.

    Frawley, T Mcdonald, Grimes ,Trengove, Sylvia, Jones.

    Add in...Flower, Wells, Lyon ,Nietz, Alves, Hardiman....maybe Barry Bourke on a Half back flank and we've almost got a decent team.

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    Good luck to who ever cracks this one

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    I'm always up for a bit of a challenge.

    I think we can start with the spine. Frawley at fullback and Tom McDonald at CHB (I know he's young, but he's done enough to warrant the spot this year). Jamar as first ruck. I know people will disagree, but I like Martin alongside Clark right now in the forward line. I'm not 100% sure which one goes where, but given they are both good mobile types, I don't think they would play as traditional FF and CHF but rather as two roaming tall targets throughout the front end.

    Next we take the obvious inclusions. Watts plays as utility/HBF, using his pace and kicking to set up our play. He's really shown something in that role this year and will only improve. Jones in the engine room without a doubt. Jurrah up forward (again, HFF or FP?). The captains fit in there somewhere, most likely Grimes in the middle and Trengove more forward. Jordie takes the tagger/extractor role in the middle.

    After this we get into some speculative territory. Where does Howe fit in best for a start? Do we go for a running side or a tough side (I don't think we can pull off both at the moment). It's tempting to put Magner in there in the role he excelled at early on playing as the grunt inside mid. Is Moloney in the best? Do we assume for the purposes of this exercise that he can find form again? Does Gysberts rate on what we all think he can do even though he hasn't had the chance to show us this year? Do I include Green if I think he's going to retire at the end of the year?

    Here goes:

    Back six: Nicholson, Frawley, Bartram, Watts, McDonald, Strauss. This gives us a lot of rebounding ability with four really good one on one players as well. Strauss and Watts still have questions over their ability to win the tough contest, although both have shown improvement. We have two of the best kicks in the side at either HBF to help set up play further up the ground.

    Midfield: McKenzie, Jamar, Jones, Howe, Grimes, Moloney. This is actually a really hard one to pick. It's really tempting to put guys like Bail in there for the run, or Gysberts because he's shown a lot in the few games he's played. In the end I thought this would be about the most solid group I could come up with. They are a bit one-paced, which is painful, but there is plenty of grunt for the stoppages and if our small forwards and defenders push up to the ball they should be able to get the ball out to the better users.

    Forward six: Jurrah, Martin, Blease, Trengove, Clark, Green. This was probably the easiest section to pick as we are so limited in our options this year. Martin has shown glimpses of what he can do playing around the 50m arc, generally right before he's been pulled away to do ruck work. Clark is a no-brainer at FF. Jurrah when fit and firing is a freak. Blease is the closest thing we have at the moment to a genuine small forward, and at times he is magical. Green I had to include, even if he is a little past his best and looking like retiring, and Trengove has been playing more or less as a defensive HF and doing a decent job.

    Bench: Jetta, Garland, Sellar, Gysberts. The bench was actually really hard. There are so many players who could be on there to fill any number of roles. Do we want versatility? Run? I went with Garland and Sellar because they offer cover in multiple positions, and I think Jetta and Gysberts are both very promising and will be great value once they get some games into them.

    So, what do you think folks?

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    Strauss in before Rivers ?? I think not

    Jared Rivers would be about my fourth or fifth picked, behind Clark, Jones, Jamar and Frawley. I rate him very highly, but he should play as a defender when our forward line gets back to normal.
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    Although that "best 18" by ralph dosnt look like winning to many games atm, its pretty young which is good, and there is alot of other promising young players left out. I have thought for 6 months or so now that as funny as it sounds we are starting to build some depth, and competition for spots is a good thing. As players mature and get bigger and fitter and stronger that competition will heat up. Add some good young talent and a free agent or 2 and our future looks bright(er)

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    Watts Jones Trengove

    Tapscott Frawley Rivers

    Howe Clark Jurrah

    Martin Blease Grimes

    Jurrah Struass McKenzie

    Gysberts ,Jetta ,Jamar

    in whatever order

    edit: forgot Tom MC.

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    least bad 18.

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    B: Bartram - Frawley - McDonald

    HB: Watts - Rivers - Grimes

    C: Trengove - McKenzie - Sylvia

    HF: Howe - Martin - Garland

    F: Jurrah - Clark - Green

    R: Jamar - Moloney - Jones

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    It's an extraordinary indictment on a club with so many top 20 draft picks that we're as bad as we are. West Coast went down and won a spoon and are now fighting for top 4.

    We have been a terribly run club.

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    It's an extraordinary indictment on a club with so many top 20 draft picks that we're as bad as we are. West Coast went down and won a spoon and are now fighting for top 4.

    We have been a terribly run club.

    We're like a poor man trying to become rich. West Coast is like a wealthy businessman who fell into bad luck for a couple of years. I don't think it's an apt comparison.
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    We're like a poor man trying to become rich. West Coast is like a wealthy businessman who fell into bad luck for a couple of years. I don't think it's an apt comparison.

    Whichever way you want to slice it and dice it I put it to you that if Melbourne wanted to handle the last 5 years worse they couldn't possibly have.

    North stuffed up majorly six years ago when in a complicated 3 way deal they gave up Motlop and pick 18 for Jonathan Hay. They also lost Gibson to Hawthorn. In the last 5 years we've had 10 top 20 draft picks and North have had 5 top 20 draft picks. We've had double over the past half decade yet they have a better list, culture and prospects, notwithstanding losing Gibson and a top 20 draft pick for Hay.

    And we wonder why the Greg Denhams of this world have zero respect for the footy club. I have no respect for them either.

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    Bartram is anyone best 18 we are in deep...

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    LOL - Our next great hope - a 17 year old who has never played a game of AFL.

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    Nathan Jones x 18 end thread

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    Sellar

    Dunn

    Brent

    Joel Mac

    Green

    Thanks for your time.

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    Sellar

    Dunn

    Brent

    Joel Mac

    Green

    Thanks for your time.

    I certainly wouldn't be getting rid of Brad Green.

    He's past his prime but he certainly has something to offer after 250 games. I'm not saying he would still be in our best 18 but his experience and the fact that he's played finals ( and a grand final) is invaluable to an inexperienced mob like ours!

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    Sellar

    Dunn

    Brent

    Joel Mac

    Green

    Thanks for your time.

    Sorry - I am confused.

    Is this yet another who to delist etc etc etc thread?

    Why not start another of your own???

    Geez.....I am getting almost as sick and tired of this Board as I am of our team!!!!!!!!!

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