46 minutes ago, Turner said:

as it stands i think round 1 is looking something like this

McDonald Petty Lever

Taylor Turner Jiath

Langdon Steele Lindsay

Gawn KPickett Rivers

Chandler vanRooyen Fritsch

Melksham Jefferson LPickett

Culley Windsor Langford Sparrow Tholstrup

E: Heath Johnson Howes Kentfield

?: Mihocek Salem Sharp Laurie

No Chance: Viney Bowey Henderson McAdam May Campbell

on paper its poor and worse so is the absence of any meaningful depth beyond the side except for key forwards ironically

do we actually know whats up with salo?

I've got much the same team but with one less tall back ... so T-Mac out for Salem (if fit)

I'd find room for Heath as I reckon King will prefer a proper back-up ruckman ... which means Max and the big blonde can spend a bit of time forward. Jeffo out as he would then be surplus to needs

If Mihocek is fit he plays which means both ruckman can drift back or more bench time. Culley can push forward as an alternate

Others here have included 3 tall forwards in their teams but I can't see that happening. We need a more mobile forward line and more defensive pressure up forward

With the possession* game extending all the way into the forward line more regularly, a more medium-sized forward line is therefore required

*We're seeing less and less long kicks into the forward and that trend will probably continue ... so teams run it into the F50 or handpass or short pass it into the F50

Edited yesterday at 13:231 day by Macca

Heath will play rnd 1 bank on it

Round 1 best 46

Melbourne

B: Lever, Petty, Lindsay

HB: Taylor, Turner, Jiath

C: Langford, Steele, Culley

HF: Chandler, van Rooyen, L.Pickett

F: Fritsch, Miocek, Jefferson

FOLL: Gawn, Rivers, K.Pickett

IC: Windsor, Langdon, Sparrow, Mentha, Heath

EMERG: Laurie, Howes, Tholstrup

Casey

B: L.Lual, Adams, Salem

HB: Burgman, McDonald, Bonner

C: Howes, Onley, Sharp

HF: Henderson, White, Matthews

F: Cross, Kentfield, Melksham

FOLL: Johnson, Tholstrup, Laurie

IC: Berry, Moniz-Wakefield, W.Lual, Hampton, Sinnema

Out: May, Viney, Bowey, McAdam, Campbell

8 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

Round 1 best 46

Melbourne

B: Lever, Petty, Lindsay

HB: Taylor, Turner, Jiath

C: Langford, Steele, Culley

HF: Chandler, van Rooyen, L.Pickett

F: Fritsch, Miocek, Jefferson

FOLL: Gawn, Rivers, K.Pickett

IC: Windsor, Langdon, Sparrow, Mentha, Heath

EMERG: Laurie, Howes, Tholstrup

Casey

B: L.Lual, Adams, Salem

HB: Burgman, McDonald, Bonner

C: Howes, Onley, Sharp

HF: Henderson, White, Matthews

F: Cross, Kentfield, Melksham

FOLL: Johnson, Tholstrup, Laurie

IC: Berry, Moniz-Wakefield, W.Lual, Hampton, Sinnema

Out: May, Viney, Bowey, McAdam, Campbell

Not bad Werridee, I'm not sure I like Lindsay in the Back pocket, I know I'm not a Chandler fan but could he play as lock down back, guarding small forwards instead?

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

FB: CJ xxxxxx xxxxxx

HB: Salem Disco Lindsay

C: Langdon Steele Langford

HF: Chandler JVR xxxxx

FF: Fritsch Mihocek L. Pickett

Foll: Gawn Rivers K. Pickett

Int: Culley, Windsor, 3 x ????

Backs: 2 of May, McDonald, Petty, Lever or Adams. One of Howes vs X Taylor. Smokie -AMW

Mids: need one more mid, likely Sparrow, perhaps Laurie. Viney if healthy.

Forwards: 1 of Jeffo, AJ or Luker. Perhaps Melk when fit. 1 more half forward, Possibly Kolt. Perhaps Laurie or Sharp. Smokie - Mentha.

We might change up the roles but there’s probably 17 that are a lock if Trelly Pickett can back up the training form.

Practice games probably sort out the talls which could go a lot of ways. Then sorting out the last guy picked back, mid and forward.

10 hours ago, picket fence said:

Heath will play rnd 1 bank on it

A knock on him from a Saints supporter was that he is slow. Very little info re his performance in match sims from the track watches.

Any comments?

2026 Round 1 team

B: Turner, McDonald, Petty

HB: Salem, Lever, Jiath

C: Windsor, Rivers, Langdon

HF: Langford, Van Rooyen, Fritsch

F: Chandler, Mihocek, L Pickett

R: Gawn, Pickett, Steele

I: Lindsay, Sparrow, Culley, Jefferson, Taylor

2 hours ago, M_9 said:

A knock on him from a Saints supporter was that he is slow. Very little info re his performance in match sims from the track watches.

Any comments?

He sure isn’t the fastest. But he seems to be enjoying the ruck contests and took some nice defensive grabs the other day.

Whether he’s in line to play round 1 probably depends on Gawn’s fitness and the glut of key forwards. I just haven’t seen enough of Heath forward and don’t expect King to want to glut up the forward line we a ruck if we have 3 key forwards ready to go and at least 1 of them has pinch hit ruck ability.

39 minutes ago, FTB said:

2026 Round 1 team

B: Turner, McDonald, Petty

HB: Salem, Lever, Jiath

C: Windsor, Rivers, Langdon

HF: Langford, Van Rooyen, Fritsch

F: Chandler, Mihocek, L Pickett

R: Gawn, Pickett, Steele

I: Lindsay, Sparrow, Culley, Jefferson, Taylor

Good effort but I hope Melksham makes the round 1 side.

He'd be top 3 at the club in terms of skill, ability and class when he's up and going.

I assume the club has nursed him all summer in the attempt to have him play 16 or so games.

4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Good effort but I hope Melksham makes the round 1 side.

He'd be top 3 at the club in terms of skill, ability and class when he's up and going.

I assume the club has nursed him all summer in the attempt to have him play 16 or so games.

If Melksham plays 16+games we are in a load of trouble. I dont see how 2026 Melksham being up and going enough to fit the style of game we want to play. He is great when the ball is in his immediate contest area and he is a seriously good field kick but unfortunately age has caught him in every other way the game is played. With King wanting more speed on the game and us having more true smalls and more true talls needing and likely deserving of games I can only see him playing if Fritsch is not.

Edited 11 hours ago11 hr by Lil_red_fire_engine

1 hour ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

If Melksham plays 16+games we are in a load of trouble. I dont see how 2026 Melksham being up and going enough to fit the style of game we want to play. He is great when the ball is in his immediate contest area and he is a seriously good field kick but unfortunately age has caught him in every other way the game is played. With King wanting more speed on the game and us having more true smalls and more true talls needing and likely deserving of games I can only see him playing if Fritsch is not.

Good points about Melksham.

However, I need my best field kick at the club in the side. Those low dart kicks he makes between wing and half forward a thing of beauty and only Kozzie can also pull off

I also need someone that is capable of kicking a bag from time to time.

I see your point that he is aging and not suited to aspects of the modern game. However the extra interchange player could alleviate those concerns and he’ll certainly be on a short leash when it comes to being managed.

Maybe you only play him against the poorer clubs when he’s more icing on the cake than anything.

I find it interesting regarding the conversation around Chandler. He plays probably the hardest position on the ground for consistency, Half forward flankers, can get burnt by players up the ground when free or find themselves in the way of a leading forward. Chin is a reliable kick for goal, in fact I would say he is probably the guy I want with the pill in his hands when lining up. His defensive efforts are good, and does a lot to spread the backline when the ball is coming in.

When picket says he goes missing, stats aren't everything if you're playing a role.

One of the first picked in the 23 for me.

We need experienced leaders on every line if we are to progress in 2026. Melky is smart, damaging and, as mentioned, has a precise long raking kick that would have Fritter or Myocheq salivate running back into the forward line. Smart killer kicks are gold. And so is Melky!