Assuming full fitness, what would your best 22 look like for the remainder of the year? Drawing into consideration the return from injury of players like Brayshaw and vandenBerg, this is clearly becoming a more difficult task than was the case 12 months ago, which is a healthy sign.

A bit of a cloud over Gus with form combined with his concussions so have left him out at this stage. No rush.

Locks: Gawn, N Jones, Viney, Vince, Tyson, Hogan, Jetta, T McDonald, Garlett, Watts

Elite youth: Petracca, Oliver, Brayshaw, Salem, Stretch

Competing midfielders: Bugg, Trengove, Neal-Bullen, vandenBerg, Newton, Michie, M Jones, Grimes

Competing defenders: Frost, Garland, Dunn, Wagner, Hunt, Lumumba, O McDonald, White, Terlich (Melksham 2017)

Competing forwards: Pedersen, Dawes, Kent, Kennedy, Harmes, Kennedy-Harris

Developing: Weideman, Hulett, M King x2, Smith

Ruck depth: Spencer

 

B: Jetta   Frost   Garland

HB: Vince   T McDonald   Trengove

C: Stretch   Tyson   Salem

HF: Petracca   Pedersen   Watts

F: Kent   Hogan   Garlett

R: Gawn   Jones   Viney

I: Bugg    Neal-Bullen   Kennedy   Oliver

E: Harmes   vandenBerg   Dawes

Bit early for Trengove as he is yet to play a senior game in 2 years....

3 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Bit early for Trengove as he is yet to play a senior game in 2 years....

We are talking about the second half which is 3-4 weeks off. If he isn't at his peak then he may never be. I get the feeling that he will however (judging by the way he is blitzing it at Casey)!

3 minutes ago, CBDees said:

We are talking about the second half which is 3-4 weeks off. If he isn't at his peak then he may never be. I get the feeling that he will however (judging by the way he is blitzing it at Casey)!

Hey if you are right it would be great. I want the team to be pushing for September so i just feel it is a long bow to put him straight back in the Best 22

it's going to take him a while to adjust to the Tempo if he gets selected and gets through a game at Top Pace...

I have only a vague idea of what the first choice side will look like at the halfway point, and indeed by the end.  I will say that I am thrilled with the additions I didn't see coming.  Seeing Stretch emerge these last couple of games has been a revelation.  New additions like Bugg, Kennedy and Wagner who are now holding down spots in the starting side.  Hunt getting his chance and starting to show a bit of what he can do.  Oliver and Petracca looking like they've been playing AFL for years... 

I'm not even going to try to predict what happens next. 

I like many hope frosty can make it as a backman. But I just don't see him locking down that role in 3-4 weeks time. I hope I'm wrong, but he still strikes me as a project player who is likely to get games at the end of the year when playing finals has been ruled out. 

Difficult to say really. But I'm going with

FB: Wagner, TBA*, Jetta

HB: Vince, T. McDonald, Hunt

C: Bugg, N. Jones, Tyson

HF: Harmes, Hogan, Kent

FF: Watts, Dawes, Garlett

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

INT: Petracca, Salem, Stretch, Trengove

* One of Dunn, Frost, Garland or Oscar to try and secure

EMERG: Brayshaw, Kennedy, Pedersen

Meaning running around out at Casey would be a team that could look like

FB: Three of the * four

HB: Lumumba, White, Terlich

C: M. Jones, Michie, Grimes

HF: Vandenberg, Weideman, Kennedy

FF: Hulett, Max King, Kennedy-Harris 

FOLL: Spencer, Brayshaw, Neal-Bullen 

INT: Newton, Pedersen, Smith

Mitch King & Melksham gone for the year.

Like your team P-man but I love Hunt's dash and feel he gives us a real point of difference to anyone else in the side, and probably entire list. Not sure if his defensive side is quite up to it yet so I'd like to see him on a wing.

B: Jetta Frost Bugg
HB: Vince McDonald Trengove
C: Hunt Oliver Stretch
HF: Petracca Dawes Watts
F: Garlett Hogan Kent
R: Gawn Jones Viney
INT: Tyson Brayshaw Salem Harmes
EMERG: Garland Kennedy VDB

I'd add Bugg and Kennedy to locks.

It's interesting. I watched that final quarter against St Kilda from 2015 where we lost in the dying seconds. I'd forgotten how good Brayshaw was last year. He was really good in that final quarter. I'd have him off half back and have Vince off a wing. That is if Trenners is back by then. Otherwise, I agree with that team, P. Maybe Hunt instead of Garland too.

Can't believe you guys have left out Wagner (except Angry). He has hardly put a foot wrong. I would have a fit and running Trengove playing HF instead of Kent. He would get more involved and is a better mark. We have a number of pacy HF's and mids to make up for Jack's apparent lack of speed. He would bring another point of difference to our forward line.

6 minutes ago, djr said:

Can't believe you guys have left out Wagner (except Angry). He has hardly put a foot wrong. I would have a fit and running Trengove playing HF instead of Kent. He would get more involved and is a better mark. We have a number of pacy HF's and mids to make up for Jack's apparent lack of speed. He would bring another point of difference to our forward line.

djr, do I know you?  I live in Mansfield, you may recognise my business logo?

More hardened bodies will be in the team as we push toward a finals spot, and some of the kids that have had great starts to the year will finish at Casey or come in and out as to not burn them out.  

Trengove, Dunn, Lumumba , Vandenberg will all be back in the 22.

8 minutes ago, djr said:

Can't believe you guys have left out Wagner (except Angry). He has hardly put a foot wrong. I would have a fit and running Trengove playing HF instead of Kent. He would get more involved and is a better mark. We have a number of pacy HF's and mids to make up for Jack's apparent lack of speed. He would bring another point of difference to our forward line.

It's largely hypothetical as there will almost always be players missing for various reasons, e.g. Salem's illness could sideline him for a while. It's more getting an idea of what would be the ideal.

Trenners is an interesting one. I have him at HB but his skills and composure need to be balanced against how quickly he can adapt to the more offensive role the defenders are now playing. Either way I definitely see him as best 22.

Very difficult, Which is a good thing I suppose,it's all about form and injury.

Jetta OMac. Bugg

Vince TMac Hunt

Kennedy. Tyson. Stretch

Watts. Petracca Kent

Garlett. Hogan. Harmes

Gawn Viney Jones

Oliver,Wagner,ANB,Salem

emerg Trengove,Garland,Vandenberg

The lack of vandenBerg in most teams is disturbing.

I guess Vanders takes Salems place in my team as we probably won't see Salem for a couple of months.

An in form Vandenberg has to be in our best 22

It's all about Injury, form and right time right place,match ups etc.

I think you've summed it up pretty well P-Man.  Nice job.

One thing that others have mentioned is that our new found depth means the make up of our 'best 22' could differ considerably, which is a good thing.  Does someone like Stretch, who has come on much quicker than we expected, continue to keep Trengove out of the side?  Do Kent, Kennedy and Garlett and our midfield keep someone like VDB at Casey for a while?

It's a great position to be in.

A very good dilemna to have this year isnt it!
Previous years our 21st and 22nd guys picked would be there almost by default as there was
no-one else up to it. Now we've got a VFL side top of the ladder chock full of players ready 
to step up when needed!
The only obvious weaknesses are key back and ruck backup. I can't see Frost as our first choice
key back as he hasn't played a single game there for us at this level. He was OK Saturday night
but still only had a smallish num of touches

B: Jetta O Mac Hunt
HB: Garland T Mac Lumumba
C: Vince Tyson Stretch
HF: Kent Pedersen Petracca
F: Watts Hogan Garlett
Foll: Gawn Viney Jones
I/C: Bugg, Oliver, Harmes, Kennedy
Emerg: Wagner, Neal-Bullen, VanDenBerg
Assumes that Salem and Brayshaw have interrupted back halves to the season

 

Harmes, Kennedy and Kent have combined for 31 goals so far this season, as well as all averaging high goal assists and inside 50s. Doubt they lose their spots.

Just now, Generation dee said:

Harmes, Kennedy and Kent have combined for 31 goals so far this season, as well as all averaging high goal assists and inside 50s. Doubt they lose their spots.

You're probably right there, but at the same time if any of them drop off for even a minute then we have plenty of guys at Casey who are primed to take their spot.  Trengove is just one who springs to mind, so if Harmes, for example, has a few quiet weeks then he'll lose his spot pretty quickly.  

I'm not saying that will happen as all 3 you've mentioned have been great, but the pressure is on from below and that can only be a good thing.

1 minute ago, Wiseblood said:

You're probably right there, but at the same time if any of them drop off for even a minute then we have plenty of guys at Casey who are primed to take their spot.  Trengove is just one who springs to mind, so if Harmes, for example, has a few quiet weeks then he'll lose his spot pretty quickly.  

I'm not saying that will happen as all 3 you've mentioned have been great, but the pressure is on from below and that can only be a good thing.

Absolutely! The other positive is the ability to rest some of these players if need be, knowing that suitable replacements are available. The three I highlighted just typify where our improvement has come from this year. Midfielders who get forward of the ball and not only kick goals, kick bags of 3 or 4. 

3 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

You're probably right there, but at the same time if any of them drop off for even a minute then we have plenty of guys at Casey who are primed to take their spot.  Trengove is just one who springs to mind, so if Harmes, for example, has a few quiet weeks then he'll lose his spot pretty quickly.  

I'm not saying that will happen as all 3 you've mentioned have been great, but the pressure is on from below and that can only be a good thing.

Agreed.

Of those three I'd say Harmes' spot is the least secure. He's been a bit up and down and his stats flattered him a bit on the weekend. But while he's kicking goals and applying forward pressure he's ultimately doing his job.

Kennedy is playing the best of the three. Fantastic pickup. Better than what I expected.

Good summation P-man of the current standing of each player. What concerns me over the season is that the FD haven't settled on a back 6, primarily because we don't have the cattle to play a zone defence. I like your selection of Vince and Trengove at half back. We need smart players who know where to position themselves on the field and are quality users. I've been impressed with Wagner and to lesser extent Hunt, but both need time at Casey to develop. The same applies to O. Mac. I fear that if we go with Sunday's defence line-up against the likes of Hawthorn, Sydney, Geelong, WCE and Adelaide, we'll get smashed.

Good topic, I think

Jetta Frost O McDonald

Wagner T McDonald Hunt

Vince Jones Tyson

Watts Dawes Petracca

Garlett Hogan Kent

Gawn Viney Oliver

Kennedy Bugg Stretch Harmes

 

Think it is important to play for finals in 2016 but also keep an eye on 2017 and which players we need to get games into to make us a real contender in 2017.