I can't see Lumumba getting a game......

55 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

I know he had a slightly disappointing season in 2016 and he is not in many teams here, but I still feel Vandenberg can elevate his game if he can get his body right.

His skills are ordinary. Only depth IMO. 

47 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Defenders: 12
Key defenders: T Mc, Oscar, Frost, Garland
Medium defenders: Hibberd, Wagner*, Lumumba, Smith*, White*
Small defenders: Jetta, Salem, Hunt

Mids: 18
Ruck: Gawn, Spencer, Mitch King
Inside mids: Jones, Viney, Tyson, Oliver, Vince, Brayshaw, ANB, Michie*
Outside mids: Lewis, Stretch, Melksham, Bugg, Harmes, Trengove, Newton

Forwards: 13
Tall forwards: Hogan, Watts, Pedersen, Weideman, Hulett, Max King*
Medium forwards: Petracca, Vanders, McKenna, Maynard*
Small forwards: Kent, Garlett, Kennedy, JKH

Delisted: Grimes, Terlich, M Jones, Dawes
Traded out: Dunn
Players In: Lewis, Hibberd, McKenna

2 list spots available currently. Need to take at least 3 picks in the draft, even if they are rookie upgrades. Nervous times for Michie, Newton, Mitch White and Max King.

I'd be keeping Michie before Newton, but neither player offers us something that we really need.

I think there will be some real presure on the small forwards and I think Garlett, Kent and JKH will be fighting over the one spot in the 22. Stretch and Salem also would be hoping for uninterupted pre seasons to try and command first crack at a spot. For what its worth I will go with:

Jetta Frost Hibbard

Vince T Mac Hunt

Brayshaw Oliver Tyson

Petracca Hogan Lewis

Kent Weiderman Watts

Gawn Jones  Viney

O,Mcdonald , Salem , Melksham , Pederson(?)

 

 

2 hours ago, Abe said:

Always seems to be one young guy who has a ripping pre season and gets himself into the best 22, i reckon this year it's going to be Smith, i really think he has something 

Smith won't be a surprise.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's there round one.

2 minutes ago, A F said:

I'd be keeping Michie before Newton, but neither player offers us something that we really need.

I'd be delisting all 4 of those guys. Taking 3 picks in the national draft, or 2 and a rookie upgrade, and then assessing the quality of the rookie draft against the quality of those 4 and the list needs to see if there was a reason to bring any of them back. Also you get to assess their fitness in preseason before the rookie draft. Anyway, the list seems pretty balanced between forwards/backs and mids. Need to add a couple of talls and otherwise just find the best quality players we can get.

4 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Smith won't be a surprise.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's there round one.

With the additions of Lewis and Hibberd and the return of Melksham I would be. But I wouldn't be surprised if he had made his debut within the first 10 weeks. A lot will depend on his body holding up to a bigger preseason.

Intrigued by the wraps on Smith...

1 minute ago, DeeSpencer said:

With the additions of Lewis and Hibberd and the return of Melksham I would be.

Terrific.

We disagree.

2 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Terrific.

We disagree.

Really contributing to the discussion here....Can you see him ahead of Hibberd, Jetta, Hunt, Salem, Vince, Melksham? Hard to fit them all in. 

33 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Really contributing to the discussion here....Can you see him ahead of Hibberd, Jetta, Hunt, Salem, Vince, Melksham? Hard to fit them all in. 

You have verbal diarrhea under this incarnation. 

Anyway...

I've posted my 2017 best team and you'll note Smith isn't in it.  I said "I wouldn't be surprised if he's there round one".

Internally he's rated exceptionally highly.  And for good reason.  Courage, speed, skill, and can play tall or small.

I see Jetta's position as becoming vulnerable.  

Let's hope we have competition for spots.  It's how we get better.

Edited October 20, 20168 yr by ProDee

34 minutes ago, WA Demon13 said:

I think there will be some real presure on the small forwards and I think Garlett, Kent and JKH will be fighting over the one spot in the 22. Stretch and Salem also would be hoping for uninterupted pre seasons to try and command first crack at a spot. For what its worth I will go with:

Jetta Frost Hibbard

Vince T Mac Hunt

Brayshaw Oliver Tyson

Petracca Hogan Lewis

Kent Weiderman Watts

Gawn Jones  Viney

O,Mcdonald , Salem , Melksham , Pederson(?)

 

 

Don't mind it, but Tyson is too slow on a wing, and weidemen won't start full forward. still needs to get much bigger. if he plays it'll be on the bench or forward pocket. the pedo will be our FF until he hits puberty.

 

I probably agree with Tyson being too slow for the wing but hard not to have him in the starting side , and I think Oliver is in for a Big Big year in 2017.

3 minutes ago, WA Demon13 said:

I probably agree with Tyson being too slow for the wing but hard not to have him in the starting side , and I think Oliver is in for a Big Big year in 2017.

i think Tysons work around the packs (besides getting caught), is pretty good. ironically he reminds me of a young jordan lewis.

oliver is just a beast. let's pray for an injury free off season! 

Just did a best 22 and forgot about Petracca!! Shame on me 

Jetta    Frost       O Mac

Hibberd  T Mac   Hunt

Salem     Viney      Tyson

Petracca  Hogan   Kent

Watts      Weideman/Pedo  Garlett

Gawn      Jones      Lewis

Oliver     Brayshaw   Vince   Melksham

10 minutes ago, lucifer said:

Jetta    Frost       O Mac

Hibberd  T Mac   Hunt

Salem     Viney      Tyson

Petracca  Hogan   Kent

Watts      Weideman/Pedo  Garlett

Gawn      Jones      Lewis

Oliver     Brayshaw   Vince   Melksham

No love for Harmes anywhere. I'm a big fan of the way he goes about it but I'm even struggling to find a spot in there for him with those names.

harmes will be one of those players who comes in for games and goes out for games depending upon injury and form.

and i fully expect that with another preseason under his belt, weideman will be part of the forward 50 mix ahead of pedersen. he leads up at the ball, marks, and competes. he'll add bulk to his frame and become an aerial threat this summer.

and to prodee saying jetta's spot is vulnerable...i can't even...no words, man, no words...

B: Jetta - T McDonald - Frost
HB: Hunt - O McDonald - Hibberd
C: Vince - Jones - Tyson
HF: Petracca - Hogan - Kent
F: Watts - Weideman - Garlett
Foll: Gawn - Lewis - Viney
I/c: Salem - Brayshaw - Oliver - Stretch
Emerg: Melksham - Pedersen - vandenBerg

 

and to prodee saying jetta's spot is vulnerable...i can't even...no words, man, no words...

B: Jetta - T McDonald - Frost
HB: Hunt - O McDonald - Hibberd
C: Vince - Jones - Tyson
HF: Petracca - Hogan - Kent
F: Watts - Weideman - Garlett
Foll: Gawn - Lewis - Viney
I/c: Salem - Brayshaw - Oliver - Stretch
Emerg: Melksham - Pedersen - vandenBerg

Switch - Tom is CHB and Oscar FB.

This is a predictions thread, Champ.  Who would have thought Jayden Hunt would have played 19 games and become so valuable ?  

Jetta has become one of the better lockdown small defenders and I've lauded him here and elsewhere.  I've also included him in my round 1, 2017 best 22.

But...

My prediction is that he'll become vulnerable over the next year or two.  He's a little one dimensional and doesn't provide the type of drive from the back-line that the topline small/medium size defenders do.  He's improved the attacking side of his game, but it's still not a strength and certainly not a weapon.

Joel Smith has electric pace, courage, marking ability and good skills.  A position will open up in 2017 and if he gets a chance I reckon he'll grab it.  If he can defend as well as Jetta then I predict he'll pass him, due to his incredible athletic attributes.

Now I can understand why you and others may think I'm denigrating a current player, as that's the typical lowbrow mentality often associated with Demonland, but it's more a considered view that may or may not turn out to have merit.  

Like all things, if I'm wrong I'll be reminded.  But there are limitations in Jetta's game, so I'll watch with interest.

PS: I don't need reminding of his record on Betts, Wingard, or any other great game he's played.  I'm well aware...

nah, i'll stick with tom deep and o mac up the ground.

joel smith isn't even on the senior list, yet, so still reckon yr putting the cart before the horse with the prediction that he'll replace nev in our back 50 make-up.

i would wager that jetta is one of the first-picked every week. dependable lock-down small defenders don't grow on trees, and his rebounding capacity is getting better all the time - worth remembering he's still under 100 games and at 27 at the start of the 2017 season should be in his prime for the next two to three seasons.

i rate him so highly.

hopefully we're both right and jetta is able to maintain his great form whilst being pressured by the likes of smith, mckenna et al - quality depth is key to success and all that!

Edited October 20, 20168 yr by DemonAndrew

 

For me:

FB: Jetta - Frost - Oscar

HB: Hibberd - T.Mac - Hunt

C: Salem - Lewis - Vince

HF: Trac - Hogan - Kent

FF: Garlett - Pedo - Watts

R: Gawn - Viney - Jones

I: Melk - Tyson - Oliver - Brayshaw

E: Harmes - Weiderman - Stretch

Cannot see Salem in for a while yet But hope he can justify all the love on here and get well

 

nah, i'll stick with tom deep and o mac up the ground.

You might stick with it, but you're also wrong.

Oscar replaced Dunn, who was FB, and there was even a video late in the season where Tom was mic'd up and can be heard yelling at Oscar "you're the fullback".

Tom after many preseasons has the aerobic ability to play CHB, while Oscar, without the preseasons is better suited to last line in defence, which isn't quite as taxing.

 

Cannot see Salem in for a while yet But hope he can justify all the love on here and get well

Salem is arguably the classiest player on the list.  His thyroid issue will always have to be managed, but with another preseason he'll most certainly be ready for round 1 and a staple in the team.

 

 

Salem is arguably the classiest player on the list.  His thyroid issue will always have to be managed, but with another preseason he'll most certainly be ready for round 1 and a staple in the team.

i still think he can be 'our hodge' - a player who can play the zoning half-back, move through the midfield, and hit the scoreboard.

smoeone insert that gif of final round vs gw$ in 2015 where he brought down cameron on the wing at docklands. loved that.

I'm a little shocked at the lack of Stretch in a lot of the teams posted here. Besides Hunt he is our most direct attacking player and is good on the spread. There is almost zero chance that Salem gets first shot at a wing over Stretch, who made the position his own this season. If Salem is looking at moving onto a wing he either has to play the other one or overtake Stretch who for various reasons is ahead of him right now.

Barring injury Billy plays round 1. The way we started to play last season makes his style even more important to our game plan, he provides a point of difference from Vince, Tyson, Oliver, Jones and other mids.