Now that we've found some form, and have most key personnel up and firing, what is our best 22? This task seems a LOT more difficult right now than say the start of the season, due to the emergence of Petterd and Frawley and re-emergence of Bizzell and Wheatley.

I'll have a crack (assuming the opposition has no "gorilla" forward for Holland to wrestle, and all players are fully fit):

B: Bell Carroll Whelan

HB: Bizzell Rivers Petterd

C: Johnstone Jones Green

HF: Bruce Bate Sylvia

FF: Davey Neitz Robertson

Foll: White, McDonald, McLean

Int: P.Johnson, Wheatley, Moloney, Pickett

Em: Dunn, Bartram, Godfrey

Others: Yze, Ward, Brown, Miller, C.Johnson

This task is difficult because recent good form may cloud your judgement, and players who have been missing can be easily forgotten.

Now that we've found some form, and have most key personnel up and firing...

I pretty much agree with that line-up. Bartram, Dunn, Yze, Frawley, Godfrey and Ward could easily find a spot in the team, but it's a good thing that there isn't one set "best 22" and that there is at least some competition within the side.

I have a very hard time justifying having Pickett in my "best 22" personally.

i like that list, just a couple of subtle changes in mine:

Bell, Carrol, Whelan

Wheatley, Rivers, Pettard

Johnstone, Mclean, Jones

Green, Bate, Sylvia

Davey, Neitz, Robertson

White, McDonald, Bruce

Interchange: Moloney, P.Johnson, Bartram, Yze

Emergency: Miller, Dunn, Bizzel

Depth: Pickett, Ward, Brown, Godfrey, Holland, Warnock

Developing: Newton, Buckley, Garland, Weetra

Gaawwwwnn: Jamar, Ferguson, Neville, C.Johnson

Watch out for this rookie: Neaves (19 years old ruckman holding down the ruck for entire games for top of the ladder vfl team. very highly rated)

Thats the entire list. The main problem i see is that at years end there are 4 players (ggaawwnn) clearly not good enough for afl level. these players should be delisted, but that leaves our depth players at 5 above 30 years old. While its good that these players are no longer the core of our team, i wish we could bring in 8 youngsters next year to replace those oldies with youn up and comers. but the reality is that we shuld only change over maximum 5 players over the preseason.

we also need to seriously start looking at a new FF and ruck to replace Neitz and White.

i forgot Frawley who i put in the developing, but he is in our best 22 at the moment, and will be in our best 18 by years end.

i have big wraps on this kid. i am confident he will become a really successful key position defender. they are not easy to come by but he had all the attributes

B: Bell Carroll Whelan

HB: Bizzell Rivers Petterd

for mine, that backline is too small no matter what team we are playing.

Holland should get a game everyweek in the form he is in because all teams will exploit our size if we go in with that team.

Bizz is 188cm and 89 kg's

Carroll is 191 cm and 91kg's

Rivers 192 cm and 92 kg's

Wheatley 189 cm and 88 kg's

Wheatley and Bizz aren't key defenders

Carroll has been a lot better this year after the first few games as a zoning off defender droping into the hole, as opposed to playing on the key forward.

Which leaves rivers to play on the key forward, and we all know how good he is, but its only one real key backman with form on he board this year.

If this defence fails in containing their opponants, we will be forced to use Johnson down back, which leaves white to ruck all day??

Holland adds that versatililty that is needed.

Our best team at the moment is IMO not up to flag level. I think that we need to be playing petterd, batrum (when the poor bugger is fit) frawley, dunn, juice, buckley even though ward, picket, browney are all better players right now. Difficulty is geting blokes to earn their spot while balancing the need to try to win games, develop players etc. Coaching would be a brute of a job.

PJ has played as a tall defender at times this year. I'd rather have him as our 2nd ruck/3rd tall if needed and an extra runner like Bartram, Yze or Wheatley, than Holland.

Bartram is in our best 22.

No doubt about it.