Over the next six weeks one or two of Bowey, Hunt, Brayshaw, Jordon and Hibberd will be playing to retain their spot when Salem returns. In the case of Brayshaw and to a lesser extent Bowey it will be about postion rather than best 22. For Jordon Hibberd and Hunt it is about best 22.

Hunt is the obvious choice but does he offer defensive skills not matched by others. Similarly does playing Brayshaw and Saelm in the back six work. If not where to Jordon?

A markedly different conundrum to that being presently posed up forward but perhaps far harder.

My guess is that Jordon's form is the key. How good does it have to be to keep Gus off the wing? Does Jordon go into the midfield at the expanse of Sparrow?

Interested in how others think the next 6 rounds pan out

I reckon Goodwin would want to keep Sparrow and Jordon in the side over Hunt, but can Brayshaw, Salem, Rivers and Bowey all coexist in the same backline? Probably not 

Unless they're prepared to play Bowey as a pure lock down defender that is 

Salem, Bowey, Jordon and Brayshaw are all in our best 22 easily.

So then up to the coaches to work out hey they work within the system.

Hibberd May Lever

Bowey Petty Salem

int. Rivers

Cover: Hunt, Tomlinson 

Brayshaw back to midfield/wing

premiership formation

Jordon to the interchange (Jackson, Rivers, Harmes, Jordon) 

Hibbo’s final year and Hunt has shown he can fit into this role. Hunt was very good v Giants and managed small defensive role. 

 

The clear options to me are:

Drop Hunt for Salem, or put Brayshaw back to the wing and drop Jordon for Salem.

I favour the first, but reluctantly. Like the forwards conundrum, it involves dropping a player who has done enough to keep his spot. I really like Brayshaw at half back and I think Jordon has made the wing his own. I feel bad for Hunt, but competition is currently very tight. I don’t see Bowey or Rivers going out either, but it might be a possibility. 

I can’t see Hibberd being a factor unless injuries start to mount; in my view he is now behind all the players currently in the side as well as Salem. 

Tomlinson is backup for flag 3 talls. I have no doubt he’ll play here and there throughout the season and do a fine job. 

Hunts weapon is his explosive pace off HB. Given our current game plan focuses heavily on defensive transition and scores from D50 he gives us an alternate scoring pathway to Bowey/ Salem who use kicking. 
 

not saying he is best 22 but food for thought. 

12 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Jordon to the interchange

you've already got Rivers on the bench from the backline so you can't have Jordon as well unless Sparrow or a forward is removed from the bench

Interesting that you have Hibberd in the team

No one seems to laud Hunt's ability to defend or lock down on a small forward.

Does he even that ability. If not hard to see him keeping his position

Edited April 19, 20223 yr by Diamond_Jim

Salem is a fair way off returning, and who knows what injuries we will have by then? I agree that Hibberd is behind the others now, although he might be brought in for a lockdown job on someone strong like Dusty. As for Tomlinson, I was surprised he was dropped so quickly for petty; I think he is a good genuine defender.

 

If we keep up with our great run of very few injuries, then some players are going to be very unlucky but I guess it is a great conundrum to have.

Hibberd is well behind the pecking order now.

Having a calf complaint (old man injury in footy terms) at 32 years of age doesn't bode well for him this season.

Even Joel Smith who is fighting for the same spot at VFL level is ahead of him which shows how far he is behind.

11 minutes ago, Nasher said:

The clear options to me are:

Drop Hunt for Salem, or put Brayshaw back to the wing and drop Jordon for Salem.

I favour the first, but reluctantly. Like the forwards conundrum, it involves dropping a player who has done enough to keep his spot. I really like Brayshaw at half back and I think Jordon has made the wing his own. I feel bad for Hunt, but competition is currently very tight. I don’t see Bowey or Rivers going out either, but it might be a possibility. 

I can’t see Hibberd being a factor unless injuries start to mount; in my view he is now behind all the players currently in the side as well as Salem. 

Tomlinson is backup for flag 3 talls. I have no doubt he’ll play here and there throughout the season and do a fine job. 

Sounds logical but it does mean Jordon has to deliver over the next 4 weeks.

Just uneasy having Brayshaw and Salem playing similar roles in the backline

Still think Smith is also in calculations.  When he is fit, he is generally in the team - largely for his flexibility with speed and ability to play tall and small.  Thinking of our GF side, I think he would be replacing Hibbo.  

Then it is a matter of Hunt and Jordon trying to squeeze someone out.  Would love to see them in the team but no one deserves to go out (and Salem is an automatic in).  Obviously part of this is once Salem is back does Brayshaw stay in defence or go back to the wing.  I would think he'll go back to the wing but who knows?

It's an absolute luxury - but more likely than not we will sustain a long term injury or two and so it won't be as much of a dilemma.  

20 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Hibberd is well behind the pecking order now.

Having a calf complaint (old man injury in footy terms) at 32 years of age doesn't bode well for him this season.

Even Joel Smith who is fighting for the same spot at VFL level is ahead of him which shows how far he is behind.

Good call DD36. I think Goody has been a fan of Hibbo and backs him in.  Agree he’s lost a yard of pace but his experience and positioning is his strength.  
 

For all of us, it’s amazing to think we have strength and cover and developing youngsters across all our positions.  What a change 😊😊😊😊😊

Too early to write off Hibberd, aka Premiership Defender. 
Hasn’t played a game yet. 
 200 games, hard body, quell a rampant  Dusty. 

Edited April 19, 20223 yr by radar

I also wonder had there been an injury to ANB, Kozzie or Spargo whether we'd be having a similar dilemma with our small forwards.  Sometimes hard to tell in the VFL matches at Casey when it's blowing a gale but Bedford and Chandler would get a game in most AFL sides.

The competition for spots is great for the team and testimony to our depth of talent. I have no strong views on selection but for me Hibberd should give up spot for a younger player. I love Hibberd but he is at the end of his career. 

However, you have to think that there are going to be a number of players who will get frustrated at the lack of opportunity to secure a regular spot and don’t see their future playing with Casey and will seek opportunities elsewhere. 

Hibberd unlikely to replace anyone. Salem only out guaranteed a return spot. Jordan has been terrific, Hunt is the likely unlucky one for mine. In saying that I hope he gets a grand final spot this year. For that to happen he’ll need someone injured 

Hunt is probably the one to make way for Salem. However, I’d rate Hunt as best defensively out of the names mentioned here, and our gameplan is defense first. That may be his ticket to retain over someone like Jordan should he dip in form. 
I also think Hibberd will struggle to regain his spot with Tomlinson and Smith also battling to get back in. Backline should probably look like this.

Lever May Rivers

Bowey Petty Salem

Hunt or Brayshaw bench option. Probably prefer Brayshaw back to the wing/midfield as backline is seriously stacked this point, and Gus can perform anywhere he’s sent.

Simple, extend the bench to 8 and then we can fit them all in.

Edited April 19, 20223 yr by Dante

44 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Hibberd unlikely to replace anyone. Salem only out guaranteed a return spot. Jordan has been terrific, Hunt is the likely unlucky one for mine. In saying that I hope he gets a grand final spot this year. For that to happen he’ll need someone injured 

 

Remember it was Hunt that got injured and made way for Bowey and couldn't get his spot back last year and we all were a bit worried as Hunt was playing quite well in the backline and we had all discussed how he may have finally settled on a suitable position.

May, Lever & Petty are our starting talls. Tommo is the next best in line but form and/or opposition forward structures can get him back in the squad. I think Tommo is probably better one-on-one than Petty, but Petty is all round a better defender and is able to read the game a little better. 

Bowey, Salem, Rivers are our starting med / smalls. With Hunt , J Smith next in line. Both Hunt and J Smith are versatile and can play small - tall 

Bench is then out of these 3 plus Hibberd with Brayshaw also potentially pinch hitting. As i said, form and opposition structures can dictate the final side, but i think that 6 is probably our best team we can field. Boy have we got some quality depth. 

May is probably the only key player we can least afford to lose, but J Smith / Tommo can fill the void, probably just not as well. 

I think this will probably be Hibberd's final year and I wouldn't be surprised if one of Tommo / Hunt / J Smith actually request a trade at EOY given the competition for defensive slots. 

The reality is we were super healthy last year and Salem is a while off being back, it's very unlikely there won't be shuffling by the time that occurs.

And whilst we've built some backline depth through this period we haven't got any midfield depth at all - as evidenced by Bedford being sub 5 weeks in a row and the Casey midfield disposal totals. So the most likely outcome is by the time Salem is back there's a spot open for him down back and/or Brayshaw has moved back to the midfield to cover a gap there anyway.

If we are at full strength and there's no gap by the time Salo is right to go:

Send Gus back to the wing playing 50% wing, 20% forward, even 5% or more on ball. JJ then becomes the 3rd winger with a similar break down of game time.

Drop a key forward. The 2 rucks and Fritsch can get more involved as key forward targets.

Harmes then plays more forward with some stints on ball and is fresher without the wing minutes. Viney and Oliver get a fraction more rest. Petracca attends centre bounces but otherwise sticks more forward. Sparrow provides some marking if needed, he's strong in the air. Oliver gets a little full forward time for something different, as does Brayshaw who's reading of the ball in the air hasn't ever been maximised deep forward.

Obvious choice would be Hunt but who knows. He does have abilities others don't and it will likely come down to matchups and who we are playing against at the time Salem returns. 

45 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Drop a key forward. The 2 rucks and Fritsch can get more involved as key forward targets.

Big call but I suppose if either of Weid or TMac don't deliver it's on the table

49 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

The reality is we were super healthy last year and Salem is a while off being back, it's very unlikely there won't be shuffling by the time that occurs.

And whilst we've built some backline depth through this period we haven't got any midfield depth at all - as evidenced by Bedford being sub 5 weeks in a row and the Casey midfield disposal totals. So the most likely outcome is by the time Salem is back there's a spot open for him down back and/or Brayshaw has moved back to the midfield to cover a gap there anyway.

If we are at full strength and there's no gap by the time Salo is right to go:

Send Gus back to the wing playing 50% wing, 20% forward, even 5% or more on ball. JJ then becomes the 3rd winger with a similar break down of game time.

Drop a key forward. The 2 rucks and Fritsch can get more involved as key forward targets.

Harmes then plays more forward with some stints on ball and is fresher without the wing minutes. Viney and Oliver get a fraction more rest. Petracca attends centre bounces but otherwise sticks more forward. Sparrow provides some marking if needed, he's strong in the air. Oliver gets a little full forward time for something different, as does Brayshaw who's reading of the ball in the air hasn't ever been maximised deep forward.

I strongly doubt we're doing that. Since settling on a forward line of Brown/TMac/Fritsch plus a resting ruck at times and then the smalls, we're 13-1-1.

2 hours ago, CYB said:

Hunts weapon is his explosive pace off HB. Given our current game plan focuses heavily on defensive transition and scores from D50 he gives us an alternate scoring pathway to Bowey/ Salem who use kicking. 
 

not saying he is best 22 but food for thought. 

This is how I see it to, Hunt has some deficiencies but offers something different. Bowey/Salem/Rivers are beautiful kicks but Hunt has the explosive pace. Don't envy the selection panel.

Hunt wanting to make up on missing the GF but also playing for a new contract, will be very motivated. As is the case for Joel Smith. 

At times theyre criticized on here but Harmes/Viney been very good this year which makes it difficult to just re-arrange Gus/Jordon  both of whom have been fantastic -  which adds a further layer of complication.