From the latest Inside Football:

Melbourne's Best 22:

FB: Whelan Carroll Wheatley

HB: Bell Rivers Petterd

C: Green Jones Moloney

HF: Sylvia Bate Bruce

FF: Robertson Neitz Davey

Ruck/Rov: White McLean McDonald

Interchange: Meesen Newton Yze Bartram

WHO'S FLYING!:

Colin Sylvia (some luck at last)

John Meesen (out to make an impression)

Shane Valenti: (rookie racking up stats)

Simon Buckley: (fast and fearless)

WHO'S NOT!

Clint Bartam: (off to a slow start)

Cameron Bruce: (knee complaint)

Jared Rivers: (nursed through)

Love the cryptic descriptions of Sylvia, Bartram and Rivers <_<

The Best 22 is not far of though.

BUCKS!!!!!!!!

Is Bate too small for a CHF?

pretty much spot on, i'd drop bartram and bring in dunn for the best 22... and to be honest valenti would be in there too if he weren't a rookie...

Is Bate too small for a CHF?

Possibly, but he has been playing small. I'm pretty sure that Bate is only 2 cms shorter than Miller and Dunn, who are considered our best options for CHF at the moment!

It would be worth a shot IMO!

If buckley is 'flying', why can't he get a gig in the best 22? Not a bad line-up, but perhaps too focused on reputation/past exploits and not current or future value.

pretty much spot on, i'd drop bartram and bring in dunn for the best 22... and to be honest valenti would be in there too if he weren't a rookie...

Inside Football cant be too in depth.....They have not picked up that Whelan has a LT injury and I would query whether Whelan has been on the decline over the past two years. If fit Bartram would have his position if Barts had not graduated to the midfield

My changes would be:

In: Dunn, Buckley

Out: Yze, Whelan

I would hope Frawley, Garland, Morton and Maric start pressing for senior selection this year and lay claims to fitting in to the standard. There are a number of spots up for grabs.

The side:

Melbourne's Best 22:

FB: Bartram Carroll Wheatley

HB: Bell Rivers Petterd

C: Green Jones Moloney

HF: Sylvia Bate Bruce

FF: Robertson Neitz Davey

Ruck/Rov: White McLean McDonald

Interchange: Meesen Newton Buckley Dunn

I just hope we dont have a bad run of injuries this year as I dont have confidence in much of the depth this year.

I'd not have wheatley in the team - he's not a good enough defender and he doesn't physically contest enough for my liking across the midfield. Meeson sounds ike he did not do enough in the ruck in cairns and PJ sounded good - so I have him.

FB: Bartram Carroll Frawley

HB: Bell Rivers Bruce

C: Green Jones Moloney

HF: Sylvia Bate Dunn

FF: Robertson Neitz Davey

Ruck/Rov: White McLean McDonald

Interchange: PJ Newton Buckley Petterd

Possibly, but he has been playing small. I'm pretty sure that Bate is only 2 cms shorter than Miller and Dunn, who are considered our best options for CHF at the moment!

It would be worth a shot IMO!

CHF has been an issue for us for years and I can't see the problem improving in the short term unless we draft a gun kid next year.

Bate is not a CHF, he's a midfielder/flanker who can pinch hit up forward.

Miller is a better defender than forward, which is really sad.

Dunn could be a KPP except for his lack of contested marking ability.

In reality Newton is the only young KPP coming through who has shown anything, but we'll need him at FF when Neitz retires.

I'd not have wheatley in the team - he's not a good enough defender and he doesn't physically contest enough for my liking across the midfield. Meeson sounds ike he did not do enough in the ruck in cairns and PJ sounded good - so I have him.

FB: Bartram Carroll Frawley

HB: Bell Rivers Bruce

C: Green Jones Moloney

HF: Sylvia Bate Dunn

FF: Robertson Neitz Davey

Ruck/Rov: White McLean McDonald

Interchange: PJ Newton Buckley Petterd

Couldnt disagree with more Tim. Weatley is everything you would want.

That team is top 6 at worst. Top 2 at best (including Bruce , Rivers)

Go you good things

the question is Bate too small for CHF...

Matthew Bate= 192cm

Matthew Pavlich=191cm

Matthew Lloyd=191cm

Saun Rusling=190cm

David Neitz=193cm

Conclusion= its a centremeter here n there...if he doesn't make it as a CHF it has nothing to do with height, it has all to do with talent.

BATE FOR CHF

I'd not have wheatley in the team - he's not a good enough defender and he doesn't physically contest enough for my liking across the midfield. Meeson sounds ike he did not do enough in the ruck in cairns and PJ sounded good - so I have him.

Tim,

I hankered over that one and hope Frawley will develop to take over either Carroll or Wheatley's role. Maybe Garland coming through would be good.

I know its early but Meesen has not actually grab the ruck role with both hands given IMO that PJ and Jamar are lame ducks in that area. This is one of the areas we are suspect particularly if White goes down.

the question is Bate too small for CHF...

Matthew Bate= 192cm

Matthew Pavlich=191cm

Matthew Lloyd=191cm

Saun Rusling=190cm

David Neitz=193cm

Conclusion= its a centremeter here n there...if he doesn't make it as a CHF it has nothing to do with height, it has all to do with talent.

BATE FOR CHF

The answer has nothing to do with height, in fact height alond doesn't make a great CHF, just look at Brereton.

Bate is a midfielder and Bailey will play him as one or as a flanker.

The answer has nothing to do with height, in fact height alond doesn't make a great CHF, just look at Brereton.

Bate is a midfielder and Bailey will play him as one or as a flanker.

Sorry Jarka, disagree. Bate is the closest player to a CHF we have at the moment and not only that but he plays it well, not unlike Tarrant played it at Collingwood as a link man. He has the capacity to take a lot of marks during the course of the game and if his fitness is 100% he should be playing how Travis Cloke is playing at the moment. Miller is a VERY DISTANT second to Bate at CHF at the moment due to a lack of football nous and technical ability IMO.

Sorry Jarka, disagree. Bate is the closest player to a CHF we have at the moment and not only that but he plays it well, not unlike Tarrant played it at Collingwood as a link man. He has the capacity to take a lot of marks during the course of the game and if his fitness is 100% he should be playing how Travis Cloke is playing at the moment. Miller is a VERY DISTANT second to Bate at CHF at the moment due to a lack of football nous and technical ability IMO.

He may well be the closest thing we have to a CHF but that simple fact (if true) depresses me because Bate is simply not a true CHF. Tarrant always played as a flanker who would lead all the way to the wing, not a KPP.

I'd prefer a true CHF who is capable of breaking open packs, taking contested marks and kicking goals. Right now Newton is our best chance (I'm not convinced though) and Miller isn't even worth mentioning.

Agree. Bate is a strong lead a good grab and can kick the pill 55m. All good qualities in a CHF. Just because he can play smaller doesn't mean he can't also play tall.

For what its worth the Inside Football team is close, but these days you need three talls both back and forward.

My best team would look like this:

B: Carroll, Frawley, Whelan

HB: Bell, Rivers, Yze

C: Bruce, McDonald, Green

HF: Robertson, Bate, Sylvia

F: Davey, Neitz, Newton

FOLL: White, Jones, McLean

I/C: Bartram, Meesen, Moloney, Petterd

He may well be the closest thing we have to a CHF but that simple fact (if true) depresses me because Bate is simply not a true CHF. Tarrant always played as a flanker who would lead all the way to the wing, not a KPP.

I'd prefer a true CHF who is capable of breaking open packs, taking contested marks and kicking goals. Right now Newton is our best chance (I'm not convinced though) and Miller isn't even worth mentioning.

I understand you inherent need for a dambuster but the only blokes there are like that are J. Brown and the Pav. Newton is green as and nowhere near that level. You have to play the cards you've got. Bate at CHF is th smartest option as quite simply we don't have a true CHF who is capable of breaking open packs, taking contested marks and kicking goals. I'd even go further to say that he is the prototype for the modern CHF (if he's fit enough and can run out a full game).

Sorry Jarka, disagree. Bate is the closest player to a CHF we have at the moment and not only that but he plays it well, not unlike Tarrant played it at Collingwood as a link man. He has the capacity to take a lot of marks during the course of the game and if his fitness is 100% he should be playing how Travis Cloke is playing at the moment. Miller is a VERY DISTANT second to Bate at CHF at the moment due to a lack of football nous and technical ability IMO.

Whoever plays at CHF they must have the ability to kick a bag of 3 to 4 on more then the odd occaison.

Whilst Frosty's kicking for goal did improve towards the end of last year it still makes me nervous.

The Master is a good a good kick for goal and as MFC4life notes Bater does have a good motor so can play the link man role well. So with our current list Bater as a stop-gap measure CHF may work and therefore I agree withMFC4Life's view that "Bate is the closest player with have to a CHF at the moment", Jarka - your point is valid too, in an ideal world we'd have a power CHF and we'd play Bater as a flanker.

I'm pretty freaking agreeable today...sickening isn't it!

I'd actually like to see Newton at CHF and Bate to take over from neitz.

Rhino, it is really quibbling with minor details I agree - wheatley or frawley, pj or meeson. I too hope that frawley really makes a defenders spot his own. I was impressed by his pace and sense of 'burst' in the few games I saw him in. Wheatley would be good ina side that had two establihsed defenders - he would cut teams apart with his good speed and kicking. WE don't ahve that, and need to develop them - my rationalisations.

I also wonder about PJ - how much time has he actually been given in the ruck as opposed to begin played forward? He may be a bloke that takes time and given his injuries I wonder about hom much actual consistent time in teh ruck he has gotten.

At west coast, was he played as a forward?

the question is Bate too small for CHF...

Matthew Bate= 192cm

Matthew Pavlich=191cm

Matthew Lloyd=191cm

Saun Rusling=190cm

David Neitz=193cm

Conclusion= its a centremeter here n there...if he doesn't make it as a CHF it has nothing to do with height, it has all to do with talent.

BATE FOR CHF

All successfull CHF in the past 10 years have been big bodied men. It has nothing to do with the odd centremeter , he is not big enough in the body ( strength )

He may well be the closest thing we have to a CHF but that simple fact (if true) depresses me because Bate is simply not a true CHF. Tarrant always played as a flanker who would lead all the way to the wing, not a KPP.

I'd prefer a true CHF who is capable of breaking open packs, taking contested marks and kicking goals. Right now Newton is our best chance (I'm not convinced though) and Miller isn't even worth mentioning.

Right on the money JARKA

It is simple really.

HF: Bate Newton Sylvia

FF: Davey Neitz Robbo

That's a pretty bloody good forwardline when you think about it.

Bate could easily be our CHF with astute coaching and a different game plan and strategies getting the pill quickly into the forward line.

If it's out of him and Newton I'd take Bate any day at CHF.

Sylvia can go into his mini- JB mode, and he is the best CHF on our list!!

Bate Newton Sylvia

Davey Neitz Robbo

having sylvia and davey swapping into the wing/midfield for green, bruce, yze ect will change things up nicely, and if we start throwing dunn, maric, garland ect down there from the bench, aussie/issac if they come along enough, PJ/whitey/meeson to create a mismatch ect ect

we have the potential to have a VERY potent forward line, neitz could be an issue, but if he is fit, we should be alright