With all the injuries we seem to forget what a Melbourne team would look like with everyone available. So I put it to you - with our current list, what would our best 22 look like? And how would we stack up against Geelong/West Coast?

My team

B: Whelan Carroll Bartram

HB: Wheatley Rivers Bell

C: Johnstone Moloney McDonald

HF: Davey Bate Bruce

FF: Robertson Neitz Sylvia

Foll.: White Jones McLean

Int: P. Johnson Newton Green Petterd

Emergencies: Pickett Yze Dunn

While better than what we fielded yesterday, I don't think we are close to a full Geelong or West Coast. White as No. 1 ruckman is beginning to become a worry as teams rely more on tap work to get clearances (something we suck at this year).

B: Whelan Carroll Bell

HB: Wheatley Rivers Petterd

C: Johnstone Moloney McDonald

HF: Davey Bate Bruce

FF: Robertson Neitz Newton

Foll.: White Sylvia McLean

Int: P. Johnson Jones Green Bartram

B: Whelan Carroll Bell

HB: Wheatley Rivers Petterd

C: Johnstone Moloney McDonald

HF: Davey Bate Bruce

FF: Robertson Neitz Newton

Foll.: White Sylvia McLean

Int: P. Johnson Jones Green Bartram

i like this team.

however by some time next season i hope/expect Dunn, Frawley and Buckley to become starting 22 players.

Also, while it is extremely sad and unfortunate, Bizzel, Godfrey, Ward and Yze are probably in our best 22 playersn atm. I sincerely hope that none of these players are in our starting 22 by midseason next year.

our entire depth in aged 30 yrs and older (bizzel,ward,brown,holland,pickett,yze)...this must change! i just hope the new coach has the balls to make hard decisions and delist most of these. I realize that not having these players as depth means we will struggle next season when injuries occur and that our youngsters (prime example Frawley) may cop a few hard lessons. but in the long run it means our players of the future will be getting more game-time to fast track their development. none of our 30+ players will be around in 2 years, Frawley, dunn, buckley and Garland will be. next year they should be developing and improving in the seniors, and NOT have their spots taken by guyz who be around it 2 years.

i like this team.

however by some time next season i hope/expect Dunn, Frawley and Buckley to become starting 22 players.

Also, while it is extremely sad and unfortunate, Bizzel, Godfrey, Ward and Yze are probably in our best 22 playersn atm. I sincerely hope that none of these players are in our starting 22 by midseason next year.

our entire depth in aged 30 yrs and older (bizzel,ward,brown,holland,pickett,yze)...this must change! i just hope the new coach has the balls to make hard decisions and delist most of these. I realize that not having these players as depth means we will struggle next season when injuries occur and that our youngsters (prime example Frawley) may cop a few hard lessons. but in the long run it means our players of the future will be getting more game-time to fast track their development. none of our 30+ players will be around in 2 years, Frawley, dunn, buckley and Garland will be. next year they should be developing and improving in the seniors, and NOT have their spots taken by guyz who be around it 2 years.

Excluding Neita, Robbo, Whitey and Junior?

B: Whelan Carroll Bartram

HB: Pettard Rivers Bell

C: Johnstone Jones Green

HF: Davey Dunn Bate

F: Newton Neitz Robertson

Foll: White Bruce McDonald

I.C: P.Johnson, Frawley, Moloney, Sylvia

Emm: Godfrey, Miller, Wheatley

B: Whelan Carroll Bartram

HB: Pettard Rivers Bell

C: Johnstone Jones Green

HF: Davey Dunn Bate

F: Newton Neitz Robertson

Foll: White Bruce McDonald

I.C: P.Johnson, Frawley, Moloney, Sylvia

Emm: Godfrey, Miller, Wheatley

funny...

funny...

agree!

i'm [censored]'n meself.

lol

B: Whelan Carroll Bartram

HB: Pettard Rivers Bell

C: Johnstone Jones Green

HF: Davey Dunn Bate

F: Newton Neitz Robertson

Foll: White Bruce McDonald

I.C: P.Johnson, Frawley, Moloney, Sylvia

Emm: Godfrey, Miller, Wheatley

Brock McLean not good enough?

our spine is a comedy. Like others have said, unless we can get an elite power player in their prime holding down either of FF, CHF, or CHB and dominating games we'll never challenge seriously.

Miller after promising much has let the club down oh so badly.

our spine is a comedy. Like others have said, unless we can get an elite power player in their prime holding down either of FF, CHF, or CHB and dominating games we'll never challenge seriously.

Miller after promising much has let the club down oh so badly.

i agree we need a 195cm strong elite power forward.

we should try to draft one, but if not then drafting a player like Ryan Murphey (freo) or beau Dowler (hawthorn) could be very astute trades because both are big, young, talented and are not required players for their club.

Bate, Dunn and Newton will all be good tall forward. But they are mobile, tall forwards...not power marking forwards like Neitz. Rivers, Garland, Frawley and even Carrol will be good defensive unit, but they are all mobile defenders and we do not have a defender who can contain a power marking foward. These 2 positions must be filled soon. I how i hope miller can fill the defensive one.

Whenever one of these threads come up, I always produce the best team without fail

So I will sit back and see what you guys come up with, and in a couple of days I will post our real best 22

Stay tuned

Brock McLean not good enough?

Not worthy of a best 22. Na actually forgot about him, therefor didnt include him

Not worthy of a best 22. Na actually forgot about him, therefor didnt include him

I love Dunny, but McLean> Dunn.... by a long way...

I love Dunny, but McLean> Dunn.... by a long way...

Dunn is one of my fav young players. Infact mclean is my least favourite, just because i have a soft spot for players who are not everyone elses favourite players. McLean is a star but i really rate Dunn. I think he could really be a Dale Thomas type player, but he needs to work on his endurance. But dunn, pettard, Bartram and Bate would be my three favourite youngsters ahead of Jones, McLean, Sylvia, C.J, Davey and Newton. I also really like Warnock and i hope he can become a good defender.

I think in 4 years time our best team will be:

B: Bell ? Carroll

HB: Pettard Frawley Rivers

C: Dunn Jones Green

HF: Bate ? Sylvia

F: Davey Newton ?

Foll: ? McLean Moloney

I.C: Bartram, P.Johnson

I have not included Buckley and Garland as I havnt really seen the last 4 games of theres. I have been working so I cant comment on them.

B: Bizzell, Carroll, Whelan

HB: Bell, Rivers, Wheatley

C: Johnstone, Bruce, Green

HF: Sylvia, Bate, Yze

F: Davey, Neitz, Robertson

R: White, McDonald, McLean

I/C: Bartram, P Johnson, Jones, Moloney

EMG: Dunn, Newton, Petterd

That's my best 25. I bolded the players missing last weekend just to remind everybody how depleted we were!

To me the defence still looks week; I feel with the midfield we have we can afford to have a slightly weaker forward line in the years to come, however, we really need some more options down back to line up against opposition key forwards.

To me the defence still looks week; I feel with the midfield we have we can afford to have a slightly weaker forward line in the years to come, however, we really need some more options down back to line up against opposition key forwards.

I agree Bsr, but that is as good as it gets at the moment. Maybe by the end of next year the backline will look like so...

B: Carroll, Warnock, Whelan

HB: Bell, Frawley, Rivers

As long as Frawley and Warnock develop quickly this backline installs some hope. Carroll could play on the third tall and Rivers could just be 'the general'.

B: Carroll, Warnock, Whelan

HB: Bell, Frawley, Rivers

As long as Frawley and Warnock develop quickly this backline installs some hope. Carroll could play on the third tall and Rivers could just be 'the general'.

I never thought of Warnock as a full back - are you thinking of more of a Harry O'Brien thing, because I always thought of Warnock as a running type. I agree with Rivers being a 'general'

B: Whelan, Carroll, Bell

HB: Wheatley, Rivers, Petterd

C: Johnstone, Bruce, Green

HF: Sylvia, Bate, Davey

FF: Yze, Neitz, Robertson

R: White, McDonald, McLean

Int: PJ, Jones, Moloney, Bartram

What our best team needs to look like in 2008 for us to improve IMO is

Whelan Carroll Frawley

Bell Rivers Bartram

Sylvia Mclean Johnstone

Bruce Bate Robertson

Davey Neitz Newton

White McDonald Jones

PJ Buckley Green Wheatley

Moloney Dunn Petterd

The only reason Buckley makes my team ahead of Petterd and Moloney is pace we need someone else besides Davey with speed and he looks to have good acceleration and pace just needs to get better each week over the next 6 and preseason. Frawley has to cement that spot because our other options won't help us go forward. Robbo has to get his knee right and play HFF so we can have two talls on our FF line. This will enable Newton and Neitz to work in tandem great learning for Newton.

We need a big 195cm+ key defender more than a KP forward.

At least Newton gives us some hope and Bater isn't 195cm but he is doing a damn fine job for a 3rd year player playing CHF. We have no defender over 194cm (Not including Dutchy he won't be at the club next year).

We need a big 195cm+ key defender more than a KP forward.

At least Newton gives us some hope and Bater isn't 195cm but he is doing a damn fine job for a 3rd year player playing CHF. We have no defender over 194cm (Not including Dutchy he won't be at the club next year).

Completely agree. Another defender will take the pressure off Rivers so he doesn't get tied down or beaten by a strong forward.

Frawley (193cm), Rivers (192cm) and carrol (189cm) will make a quality group of key defenders in years to come. Unforunately none of them are capable of taking the monster forwards of the afl. how can these guyz really be expected to compete with J.Brown, Rocca, Gherig, Reiwold who are all around 198cm and 103kg.

We definitely need to find a 197cm key defender who can take these guyz. With holland nearing the end of his career the only other player who could fill that role is Miller. If he can't get his head around player as a big-bodied defender then unfortunately we'll probably have to waste 2-3 draft picks on 198cm defenders hoping one of them will succeed. God i hope miller can make it as a defender.

imagine a defense (assuming miller improved his defensive skills enourmously over the summer.)

Whelan, Carrol, Miller

Wheatley, Rivers, Bell

with Bartram, Pettard and Frawley rotating through the flank positions.

As for our forwards post Neitz... Newton, Bate and Dunn are mobile 192cm forwards to get genuinely excited about. However we have noone on our list who could develop into a power, strong marking forward (ala Neitz). We should try to draft one, or otherwise trade for a guy like Ryan Murphey from Freo.

So I put it to you - with our current list, what would our best 22 look like?

Mine doesn't look like this:

FB: B.Holland, R.Ferguson, J.Frawley

HB: D.Bell, B.Miller, C.Bruce

C: B.Green, J.McDonald, P.Wheatley

HF: N.Brown, R.Robertson, S.Godfrey

FF: C.Sylvia, D.Neitz, M.Bate,

Foll: J.White, B.McLean, N.Jones

Int: B.Moloney, S.Buckley, M.Newton, D.Ward, M.Jamar, L.Dunn, C.Garland

Mine doesn't look like this:

FB: B.Holland, R.Ferguson, J.Frawley

HB: D.Bell, B.Miller, C.Bruce

C: B.Green, J.McDonald, P.Wheatley

HF: N.Brown, R.Robertson, S.Godfrey

FF: C.Sylvia, D.Neitz, M.Bate,

Foll: J.White, B.McLean, N.Jones

Int: B.Moloney, S.Buckley, M.Newton, D.Ward, M.Jamar, L.Dunn, C.Garland

CB that might be the worst team MFC has ever put out on the park.