I have a good level of confidence about our ’25 season.

 I believe we will show great improvement over last season if we can avoid critical injuries during the season and continue to have a solid, relatively injury free pre-season. Having said that, I think our list is in much better shape depthwise than it was in ’24.

If I can carve out the time, I will take a look at the different areas of our team and give my views on how we are set up. These are, of course, my opinions and I doubt that we all hold the same views. It is all open to discussion.

I will start with our defence which has been one of our building blocks for success.

I think we will have a transition season in defence with a couple of the senior players starting to get towards the end of their careers. May and McDonald are 33 and 32 respectively and while both have plenty of experience both have had injuries in the past season or two. After long careers, they will need time to recover for any niggles and are likely to lose half a pace off the mark as time goes on. A lot of people see Petty completing with McDonald for second ‘big’ defender, but I see it developing into a race of three as the season develops depending on May’s fitness. Injuries and player form will determine who plays where and when for those three.

As backup in the ‘big defender’ department we have had Adams developing over the last few seasons and, from reports he has built a bit of muscle over the off-season and might be about time to present himself as an alternative. Will Turner swing back there if required? I think he is a last resort alternative as I like the way he is developing in the forwards. Personally I would have looked to keep Tomlinson around as ‘big’ cover rather than Hore as I think this might be a need that comes into play as the season develops. Out of the box thought…. Could Kentfield or Fullaton be given some time as a defender at Casey to see what might develop?

Lever at 28yo has a lot of footy left in him and as long as he can avoid injury, will carry on his role as an intercepting tallish player and senior defensive director during the games. Back up to him is Hore, who is also 28 and Howes 21yo. Howes got some games under his belt last season, and I think he is going to step up another couple of rungs this year.

Salem is the other senior member of the defenders club at 29yo. He has been a top quality player for us over the journey but, to my eyes, he had a patchy season in ’24. Not as clean as he has been with the ball and a bit slower with his decision making. I want to see him back to instinctive best and hitting targets.

We have a good group of medium/small defenders who are all young and developing well. Rivers at 23yo is in transition from defender to midfield and I think this will continue with him working into a greater role in the midfield during this season. However, I also see him being critical in the defensive 50 at times while he can play the defensive role very well, he is difficult for an opponent to play on. He almost requires the opposition to play and defensive forward on him. He has pace and confidence with the ball in hand. Bowey and McVee at 22 and 21 are pretty damn special in my eyes. Both stepped into the team and looked confident and at home from their first touch. Windsor is being talked about as being in the mix as a defender after a debut season on the wing. He is another that stepped into the team and has looked all class. I can see the value in giving him time in defence to develop and I can see his running and quality delivery as a good asset out of the defensive 50. Maybe Sharp is looked at as the quality replacement on the wing to cover the move of Windsor.

Depth cover at the moment looks to be Woewodin and Moniz-Wakefield. Both look to have a lot of qualities to develop.

Having a mix of Rivers, McVee, Windsor and Bowey, ball in hand streaming out of defence and delivering forward is a vision I like to entertain. I do recall in ’21 one of the images that has stuck with me was the likes of Hunt and Salem linking with Langdon and Brayshaw positioned on the wings with layered running from defence and then pushing up field to provide options.

It would have been an interesting listen when the footy department was reviewing the game plan development from last season. In my opinion, in defence we were too conservative and predictable with ball movement once we had won the ball. From training reports we look to be addressing this with faster decision making and ball movement and looking at opportunities in the corridor. I like this but it does require player skill and confidence. Mistakes are going to happen during a game, and I can accept that if it was the correct decision at the time. What I want to see is the confidence of the players and coaches to try and make the same or similar play again. This is a critical thing when coming out of defence to launch an attack.

In summary, in my opinion we still have a quality defence and good structures and coaching. Add to that good depth and a good mix of experienced and developing players and I am confident that our defence will once again be a solid building block of our gameplan. I can see us taking a bit more risk coming out of defence this season. One other thing that is coming through from the training reports is that we look to be much fitter and stronger than we were at this time last season.

Two of our critical building blocks of our ’21 premiership team were traded into the defence from other teams over consecutive years and I could see a similar scenario in the not too distant future if we do not find the development required within the list.

I have looked at about 15 players above with the ability to play in defence, a third of the list that will allow for versatility and flexibility during the season, within that group of players there are a number that can play in other areas of the ground with Petty and Turner able to swing forward and McVee, Rivers and Windsor developing alternative roles.

Early selection will be interesting as all except lever have had strong, injury free pre-seasons to date.

‘Big Defenders’:

May, McDonald, Petty…Adams, Turner? (Kentfield/Fullaton?)

Medium/Intercept Defenders

Lever, Hore, Howes, Rivers

Medium/small defenders

McVee, Bowey, Moniz-Wakefield, Windsor, Woewodin

 

Pretty much agree with all of that. I have been worried about the lack of a replacement for May in particular - big shoes to fill!! - but also TMac. I don't get to watch Casey but nothing that I read or hear suggests that Adams is good enough to step up, unfortunately. Obviously, if we can find adequate tall forwards, there is Petty available, but i would love to see another big, strong defender emerging.

I think you’re leaving out Lindsay who has HBF written all over him. I’d have him and Windsor as the ones running and  kicking out of defence, McVee also opens up our attacking defence. Then you’ve got May, Lever and Petty as your talls. Bowey I’m hoping can compete for a wing and Hore can be used in case of injury. Howes has a lot of work to do but I still think he has best 22 in him. AMW could be up for replacing Pickett while suspended and maybe Chandler if injured. Our defence looks solid but if we lose May we’re in a tad of strife. 

It’s our strongest component on the ground

If our defence holds together in 2025, we will be there / thereabouts 

Edited January 22Jan 22 by whatwhat say what

Our strongest backline is with Petty.

Having drafted Johnson i am confident he takes Petty role forward.

3 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

Our strongest backline is with Petty.

Having drafted Johnson i am confident he takes Petty role forward.

The Richardson interview is fairly bullish, in 'in the mix for R1' terms, about Johnson forward / ruck chop-out but also, though, about Petty back and forward, and not just when 'needed'.

13 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

The Richardson interview is fairly bullish, in 'in the mix for R1' terms, about Johnson forward / ruck chop-out but also, though, about Petty back and forward, and not just when 'needed'.

I am confident Johnson can be that ''Bull'' up forward

 

Back:

McVee, May, Lever

Salem, Petty, Bowey

 

Forward:

Fritsch, van Rooyen, Turner

Pickett, Johnson, Chandler

Edited January 21Jan 21 by SthSea22

1 hour ago, SthSea22 said:

I am confident Johnson can be that ''Bull'' up forward

 

Back:

McVee, May, Lever

Salem, Petty, Bowey

 

Forward:

Fritsch, van Rooyen, Turner

Pickett, Johnson, Chandler

Swap Windsor for Bowey, for mine

29 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

Swap Windsor for Bowey, for mine

...or Salem? What distinguishes between Salem and Bowey, do we think? Footedness, obviously. Salem for delivery? Bowey for hardness?

2 hours ago, SthSea22 said:

I am confident Johnson can be that ''Bull'' up forward

GWS in R1 might provide a 'middlish' backline to test him against?

I don't know who they've recruited or lost, but this was their selected close-losing (at home, to eventual premiers) 2024 semi-final backline:

B: H.Himmelberg, S.Taylor, C.Idun

HB: L.Whitfield, J.Buckley, H.Perryman

No particular 'names' there?

5 hours ago, Roost it far said:

I think you’re leaving out Lindsay who has HBF written all over him. I’d have him and Windsor as the ones running and  kicking out of defence, McVee also opens up our attacking defence. Then you’ve got May, Lever and Petty as your talls. Bowey I’m hoping can compete for a wing and Hore can be used in case of injury. Howes has a lot of work to do but I still think he has best 22 in him. AMW could be up for replacing Pickett while suspended and maybe Chandler if injured. Our defence looks solid but if we lose May we’re in a tad of strife. 

I'd go with May, Lever, Petty, Windsor, McVee, Bowey and Lindsay in defence. Opponent depending, Howes has the ability to replace Bowey or Lindsay.

TMac will start alongside May and Petty I'd say, if Lever isn't up for it.

9 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

I'd go with May, Lever, Petty, Windsor, McVee, Bowey and Lindsay in defence. Opponent depending, Howes has the ability to replace Bowey or Lindsay.

TMac will start alongside May and Petty I'd say, if Lever isn't up for it.

Would you be playing Salem through the midfield?

2 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Would you be playing Salem through the midfield?

That’s a good question DJ I think that it will depend on injuries, Tracc, Clarry, JV, Rivers, Sparrow, Kozzie, Salo, Kolt, Langford, Lindsay?

I prefer Salem Quarter-backing to on ball, and I actually think Windsor is such a jet I'd like to see him get mid minutes while rotating through from the Wing. McVee, Lindsay, Rivers for rebounding. Bowey is the question mark for me, I don't think he has the run for the wing and I want to see flatter kicking this season or he has become a liability, from training it sounds like he is doing that. If his disposal is not near equal to Salem's best, he has no comparative advantage as speed and size are not his advantage. Bowey will have Mentha, MW and Hore breathing down his neck.

5 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Would you be playing Salem through the midfield?

Jeepers. I'd be forgetting Salo 🤦

We have depth this year. 🙌

11 hours ago, Roost it far said:

I think you’re leaving out Lindsay who has HBF written all over him. I’d have him and Windsor as the ones running and  kicking out of defence, McVee also opens up our attacking defence. Then you’ve got May, Lever and Petty as your talls. Bowey I’m hoping can compete for a wing and Hore can be used in case of injury. Howes has a lot of work to do but I still think he has best 22 in him. AMW could be up for replacing Pickett while suspended and maybe Chandler if injured. Our defence looks solid but if we lose May we’re in a tad of strife. 

I did think about Lindsey as an option in the back 50 but I find it difficult to know where the coaches might begin his development as he has not really been a part of full training until recently. It could be logical to give him a run on a HBF but it could just as well be a wing or even, given our low stocks of small forwards, in the forward 50.

He is reported as all class but it remains to be seen how we use him. we have a fair few options in defence so he could be slotted in elsewhere.

Our backline has been one of the best for a long time.

Issues lately are a few players getting long in the tooth and some injury concerns.

I'm more worried about our forward line again.

McVee doesn't get the accolades he deserves for one so young and calm and balanced. One of our best.

11 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Issues lately are a few players getting long in the tooth and some injury concerns.

The backline’s biggest issue last 18 months has been the midfield.

There's mid rotations like Rivers that have worked and ones like Salem and McVee that haven't taken. Behind the ball is where I'd expect the latter two to start. 

 

Petty and May are going to be key factors in our rise up the ladder.

B: Lever, May, McVee, Salem, Petty, Windsor, Rivers, Bowey

Depth: Hore, Adams, McDonald, Howes, Moniz-Wakefield, Woewodin

Edited January 23Jan 23 by WERRIDEE