I have been looking at best 22s for the upcoming season. With the addition of Lewis and possibly Melksham to the midfield group, is there room for both Gus and Clarry in the side?

I'm interested in people's thoughts regarding our starting midfield...

Yes. 

I fear for AVB

4 minutes ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Yes. 

like he said

This is a AFL.com peice from the Dees website but I do agree with it. Obviously you could swap some positions around but I reckon the 22 are right. Some people have Pedo over Weids but I think we need to get more games into Weids.

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

5 minutes ago, Deeztroy said:

This is a AFL.com peice from the Dees website but I do agree with it. Obviously you could swap some positions around but I reckon the 22 are right. Some people have Pedo over Weids but I think we need to get more games into Weids.

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

Yep all those midfielders will rotate

1 hour ago, Steve13 said:

I have been looking at best 22s for the upcoming season. With the addition of Lewis and possibly Melksham to the midfield group, is there room for both Gus and Clarry in the side?

I'm interested in people's thoughts regarding our starting midfield...

I think so. They have a point of difference as mids (Brayshaw - good vision and skills; Oliver - super hands and clearance ability) and, if fit, they are both absolutely AFL standard players.

 

Throw in Petracca I'm not sure there was in 2016 but this year there should be.

Gus looks to have made good strides with his fitness and hopefully this calf injury clears up. If that's the case he'll contribute as a half forward, on ball and probably rotate to a wing. 

Clarry didn't look in great knick when he came back but seems to have tightened up and if he's improved enough to get his time on ground up over 70% he'll be in the team for sure. 

Tracc isn't the fittest guy around just yet but this time last year he was in rehab for his foot injury after his knee recovery. We'll need him more as a forward and he won't be ready for big midfield minutes but he should be fitter and have a bigger match fitness base this year. I'm sure there's times when his work rate drops off but around the ball his defensive work was really strong in year 1. I hope he steps that up.

All 3 need to be developed the right way - manage their bodies, focus on developing attacking and defensive games etc but they should be able to play in the same side.

JKH & Weid firming for Rd1 after impressive pre season campaigns. 

1 hour ago, Deeztroy said:

This is a AFL.com peice from the Dees website but I do agree with it. Obviously you could swap some positions around but I reckon the 22 are right. Some people have Pedo over Weids but I think we need to get more games into Weids.

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

Parrk!!! Frost gotta be better than Oscar at CHB!

23 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Parrk!!! Frost gotta be better than Oscar at CHB!

Frost better than Oscar??? No chance.  Frost couldn't hit the side of a barn 

The competition for spots is refreshing.

Weid v Pedo

Oscar v Frost

Garlett-Kent (when fit)-JKH, throw in Dion Johnstone

Mids battling for position.

 

3 hours ago, Danelska said:

I fear for AVB

I think it was Macca who said of AVB that when he's up and running we usually win... 

I'm a fan and reckon he's our player most like and likely to follow the Swan's Kennedy's path and heights as a big bullocking mid who hunts the ball and player, hurts when he can both on body and the scoreboard. 

4 minutes ago, PaulRB said:

I think it was Macca who said of AVB that when he's up and running we usually win... 

I'm a fan and reckon he's our player most like and likely to follow the Swan's Kennedy's path and heights as a big bullocking mid who hunts the ball and player, hurts when he can both on body and the scoreboard. 

That's a fair wrap. 

I'm not sure he's got that ceiling. I like him as a forward line pressure/enforcer type who also has the ability to crash through and create something on the ground or take a mark in the air. Against the Hawks in our signature win last year he made Gibson defend him which mean Pedersen and Weid could get one on ones. If he's fitter and healthier this year then he can go in to the midfield as a change up.

Gus, Clarrie, Stretch, AVB, all rotating pending form/fitness. That's how depth works, right? 

2 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

I think so. They have a point of difference as mids (Brayshaw - good vision and skills; Oliver - super hands and clearance ability) and, if fit, they are both absolutely AFL standard players.

 

I'm not so sure about that. Wasn't he the one that kicked the ball from the wing to the centre for a shocking turnover against the Saints (or the Dogs)?

Oh, no, Steve. Haha. Enough said.

Personally, I think Brayshaw has some of the outside mid traits and abilities we need. People are too quick to put him in the 'inside-mid' category but the kid has a good step on him and the smarts to find the pill. 

That coupled with his concussion history, I say give him licence to run and give options rather than battle it out at the stoppages.

Agreed Steve,

Let Oliver,Petracca,Jones,Viney,Lewis control the middle.

Brayshaw looks best charging through from the backline.

Will be interesting to see if Bernie can even hold down a spot.

8 hours ago, jnrmac said:

I'm not so sure about that. Wasn't he the one that kicked the ball from the wing to the centre for a shocking turnover against the Saints (or the Dogs)?

Against that, remember the game in his first season in which he set up Garlett for two break away goals in about 3 minutes, and the game against Geelong (I think) in which he took a fine intercept mark/pick up off half back, bullocked through the midfield then delivered it nicely into the forward line.

In short, I think he has good vision. He's a natural footballer. Last season he just looked knackered (presumably due to concussions), which probably affected his decisioning and ability to execute cleanly etc.

 

5 hours ago, Biffen said:

Agreed Steve,

Let Oliver,Petracca,Jones,Viney,Lewis control the middle.

Brayshaw looks best charging through from the backline.

Will be interesting to see if Bernie can even hold down a spot.

Firstly if they are 100% then yes to both Gus and Clarrie.

Was also going to say Bernie is one for mine who may be making way as the year moves on if he doesn't improve on his end of 2016 form.

This stage Kent unlikely for rnd 1, Tyson coming off knee issues and Salem really needs to prove himself in the preseason comp.

So refreshing to have competition for spots.

absolutely yes.

11 hours ago, Steve13 said:

Oscar v Frost

Frost moving back to the backline (where he should never have left) made both McDonald brothers much better.

They aren't competing for spots.

10 hours ago, jnrmac said:

I'm not so sure about that. Wasn't he the one that kicked the ball from the wing to the centre for a shocking turnover against the Saints (or the Dogs)?

It was against the Hawks in our great win. Gunston swooped in to spoil and strolled forward for an easy goal.

What made that worse was that there should have been a 50 metre penalty to us which would have put Brayshaw within easy range.

7 hours ago, Biffen said:

Agreed Steve,

Let Oliver,Petracca,Jones,Viney,Lewis control the middle.

Brayshaw looks best charging through from the backline.

Will be interesting to see if Bernie can even hold down a spot.

Vince's second half in 2016 was poor. There may be good reasons for that and if he's back to (or near) his best he needs to play, but not in the backline. He looks out of place there. But I fear that age might have caught up with him in which case he may struggle for game time.

19 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Frost moving back to the backline (where he should never have left) made both McDonald brothers much better.

They aren't competing for spots.

I can't see how we wouldn't play three talls. All of Frost and the Macs are mobile. And if one of them is unable to play, I would expect Garland or Wagner to take their place, or Pedersen if we need a particularly strong body. I envisage a team of three tall defenders (Frost and the McDonalds) and four small defenders (Hibberd, Jetta, Hunt and either Salem/Harmes/Melksham, depending on other needs). Those seven players allow for the necessary rotations with the four small defenders also spending some time on the wings.