Stretch will be a walk up start into our best 18 by the end of this season

He brings skills that we desperately lack, especially disposal efficiency! 

I have been spending my break re-watching our games from last season. Wagner's form in the first half of the year was excellent before season and injury took their toll. There will be some serious competition for small-medium size backline spots especially if we choose to play all three talls. 

Brayshaw had a rough year in 2016 but I feel like 2017 will be a massive year for him. He's got a great attitude and with Lewis around to guide him he will take his game back up to the level we know he's capable of and then some. 

He, Petracca and a couple of other younger players are key to our improvement, while Lewis will provide something immediate we need them to start to shoulder more responsibility and take their games to the next level. 

Finals is most definitely on the cards, but it's far from a lock. We can't have stupid lapses like we did against Essendon and Carlton, and for that matter those two will be a lot stronger this year. 

But no doubt in my mind we can do it. 

Would probably have Harmes in for AVB. And Stretch in for dunno.

And Vince in the midfield with Salem off half back.

 

7 minutes ago, Ron Burgundy said:

Would probably have Harmes in for AVB. And Stretch in for dunno.

And Vince in the midfield with Salem off half back.

 

I know he is a good user of the ball but I think Salems 1on1's relly need a lot of work, it's just whether he kicking outweighs he 1on1 losses.

How good is the discussion in this thread?  The SEN best 22 is a very strong side, yet you could make a case for 4-5 other players that could easily fit into that side, yet who do you drop?  Players like Frost and Stretch are two that come to mind, but there are others on the fringes like Kennedy, Pedersen and Wagner who you could make a case of being around the mark as well.

The competition for spots will be fierce and some will be very unlucky to miss out, but it's a great problem to have.

Edit - you can easily add others like Bugg, Harmes and Trengove too.  I'm not saying they are best 22 right now, but they can certainly put lots of pressure on those who are.

Edited January 13, 20178 yr by Wiseblood

3 hours ago, Jaded said:

Stretch will be a walk up start into our best 18 by the end of this season

He brings skills that we desperately lack, especially disposal efficiency! 

Reads the play well which gets him into positions to support his teammates, disposal is excellent. Executes with a minimum of fuss.

4 hours ago, ArtificialWisdom said:

This interests me too. Pedo isnt a long term option he is just on the list as a backup forward and the club has stated already that it isnt ideal playing Watts in the ruck. Correct me if im wrong but by all reports Weiderman hasnt been doing any ruckwork at training which means he isnt their long term option either. If he was then they would be doing the ruckwork even if they thought he wouldnt do it much this year. TSmith is a good natural forward but isnt very tall. Hogan never rucks because they want him to be forward of the ball for a get out of jail kick. I suspect our post match discussions this year will contain alot of comments along the lines of "Max needs more help".

Dont stress about Billy I think 9/10 of us believe he is best 22. Him being out of that side, it's just an outsider looking at our midfield and picking the higher draft picks and the imports. Hard to blame 'em with some of the names we have coming through. Personally I dont have Melksham in the side but I guess we'll have to wait and see

18

No I`d say he is a long way off doing any centre ruckwork, might do the odd boundary throw in if he is in the team. I`m excited by Weid, I just don`t think he will be a solid best 22 til at least half way thru the year, or if injuries dictate that he must be in the side.

if the weed is going to be in best 22 (which i doubt) in 2017, then it will be at ff, certainly not chf

2 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

How good is the discussion in this thread?  The SEN best 22 is a very strong side, yet you could make a case for 4-5 other players that could easily fit into that side, yet who do you drop?  Players like Frost and Stretch are two that come to mind, but there are others on the fringes like Kennedy, Pedersen and Wagner who you could make a case of being around the mark as well.

The competition for spots will be fierce and some will be very unlucky to miss out, but it's a great problem to have.

Edit - you can easily add others like Bugg, Harmes and Trengove too.  I'm not saying they are best 22 right now, but they can certainly put lots of pressure on those who are.

And that is why I am getting excited.

5 hours ago, Jaded said:

Stretch will be a walk up start into our best 18 by the end of this season

He brings skills that we desperately lack, especially disposal efficiency! 

I think he is already. Fast. Great disposal. Accurate kick for goal. Great goal assist. 

Criticism, should have grown another few inches, to help his marking.

Will be a good player for us.

34 minutes ago, Redleg said:

I think he is already. Fast. Great disposal. Accurate kick for goal. Great goal assist. 

Criticism, should have grown another few inches, to help his marking.

Will be a good player for us.

he's a very impressive young man, redleg. very dedicated, focused, consistent and reliable (and still improving)

3 hours ago, big_red_fire_engine said:

I have been spending my break re-watching our games from last season. Wagner's form in the first half of the year was excellent before season and injury took their toll. There will be some serious competition for small-medium size backline spots especially if we choose to play all three talls. 

Agree. You can see his kicking and confidence dropped off when he had plenty of tape on his knee and he wasn't doing much training besides the warm up and some laps in that time. Back in the main group now after a quad issue and I think he'll be pushing hard for a spot. Assuming Oscar gets the nod as the 2nd tall defender it's going to be a really interesting choice between Frost, Joel Smith, Wagner and just going smaller with Hibberd as the third tall. For smaller teams I'd be going small, but for upside Frost and Smith are both guys I want to see at AFL level, maybe not at the same time but I want them to play and Wagner should get more chances to show he belongs.

On 1/12/2017 at 5:19 PM, Whispering_Jack said:

SEN is previewing each AFL club's best 22. This is their opinion on the MFC:-

2017 AFL PREVIEW: MELBOURNE’S BEST 22

B: Michael Hibberd, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt
C: Dom Tyson, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver
HF: Christian Petracca, Sam Weideman, Dean Kent
F: Jack Watts, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett
Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones
INT: Jake Melksham, Christian Salem, Angus Brayshaw, Aaron vandenBerg

Frost for O Mac and that is a very very good side!

A Melbourne team without Cam Pedersen seems to completely lose its forward structure, so for the foreseeable future I'd like to put him there instead of Weiderman.

14 minutes ago, Chook said:

A Melbourne team without Cam Pedersen seems to completely lose its forward structure, so for the foreseeable future I'd like to put him there instead of Weiderman.

Of the 9 senior games Pedersen played in last year, we won 6 of them, so you might not be too far from the truth there.

17 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

Of the 9 senior games Pedersen played in last year, we won 6 of them, so you might not be too far from the truth there.

It's always nice when stats back up your gut feel. Pedersen should be first picked each week then!

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Frost for O Mac and that is a very very good side!

I don't necessarily see it as a Frost for O'Mac choice. There are going to be many games this year where we come up against three tall forwards, maybe even the majority. I would like to see the three of them develop together as they each have their strengths. Similarly, I would like to see some continuity in our forward structure and Goodwin settle on a third tall to play alongside Hogan and Watts.

Stretch played 15 of the last 16 games in 2016.

Entering his third year, with another preseason under his belt, he's cemented a position in the best 22.  As others have already said, he's rated highly internally and is only getting better.

 

SEN is previewing each AFL club's best 22. This is their opinion on the MFC:-

2017 AFL PREVIEW: MELBOURNE’S BEST 22

B: Michael Hibberd, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt
C: Dom Tyson, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver
HF: Christian Petracca, Sam Weideman, Dean Kent
F: Jack Watts, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett
Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones
INT: Jake Melksham, Christian Salem, Angus Brayshaw, Aaron vandenBerg

 

Yes I'm unconfident of Sam and Oscar and would prefer Peder and probably Frost in for them.

Melksham isn't best 22 yet. You don't sign a contract, sit out a year then walk into a team's best 22. He isn't Chuck Norris.

2 hours ago, Chook said:

It's always nice when stats back up your gut feel. Pedersen should be first picked each week then!

See here.

1 hour ago, Adzman said:

Melksham isn't best 22 yet. You don't sign a contract, sit out a year then walk into a team's best 22. He isn't Chuck Norris.

Does Hibberd fit this description then as well?

I think that the signing of J Lewis could be the best thing to have happened for our young brigade.  I can imagine when any of them get ahead of themselves all it will take is a comment along the lines of "you haven't won anything yet" from a 4 time premiership winner to pull them back to reality.  Based on that guys like CP5, Gus and other 2-3 year players can go to the next level.

AFL best 22

B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Michael Hibberd
HB: Jayden Hunt, Oscar McDonald, Christian Salem
C: Dom Tyson, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince
HF: Dean Kent, Sam Weideman, Christian Petracca
F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Jack Watts
R: Max Gawn, Jordan Lewis, Jack Viney
INT: Jake Melksham, Angus Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver, Cam Pedersen
EMERG: Tomas Bugg, James Harmes, Sam Frost

The additions of Lewis, Hibberd and Melksham, who sat out 2016 because of a doping suspension, further enhances Melbourne's finals hopes. The trio brings experience and leadership, two qualities that are vital for a young team preparing to take the next step into September. The Demons' line-up is full of talent, although fans will have to be patient as the forward line builds cohesion around the pairing of Jesse Hogan and Sam Weideman. With the squad it has in hand, Melbourne will push for finals next season.

Not unhappy with either but as people have said they would make changes and you cant argue with that, shows the depth we have and the team will look different by the end of the season .

Personally want Billy in there and would love Trengove to make it back.