deeboy

In all seriousness now, I would like to see us keep rotating different options through the forward line. Keep making Geelong shuffle around their defence. Would like to see us start with someone like Bate at full forward, then rotate Green and Bruce through there. At other times put Jamar, White or Holland there to give us a target and at other times play Davey from the goal square as the only forward in the 50. We have to keep them on their toes and not allow their defenders to settle.

Only problem this time around, is that Robbo isn't going to be playing either. I have no doubt we will see Big Bad Benny unleashed at full forward on Sunday!

Given that this is round 1, I don't see the point in criticising the team selection, as there isn't a lot to go by when it comes to form. I hate the idea of Miller playing as a defender, but I don't think he will actually line up there tomorrow night (especially with Riewoldt out). I think we have enough KPP in the team, as the St Kilda forward line isn't particularly tall without Riewoldt and we don't have any quality forwards to come into the side.

Now that we have completed all our pre-season games, here is my 22 for round 1: Whelan Carroll Holland CJ Rivers Ward TJ Bruce Green Pickett Miller Davey Robbo Neitz Yze White McLean McDonald int: Jamar, Jones, Moloney, Bate I suppose the most controversial omission is Bell. I love his attack on the ball and the man, but he lacks a football brain and causes too many turnovers. Eventually he will replace Ward, but at the moment I would rather have the dash created off half-back by Ward. We saw last year agaisnt Fremantle that we were too slow. The one thing Ward has is pace, so that gets him the nod over Bell. Love that interchange bench! I am as dissapointed with Yze as everyone here, but I still think he is in our best 22. He isn't the player he once was, but he is still a matchwinner and I would give him a chance to prove his critics wrong round 1.

I don't understand all the fuss about White being our most important player. If White got injured it would the biggest possible blow for us, as there is no adequate replacement. Jamar can wins hitouts but can't find the footy around the ground. White is irreplaceable. Neitz is also up there, but as we saw at the end of 2005, Robbo can fill in at full forward and do a decent job. My top 10: 1. White 2. Neitz 3. McLean 4. Carrol 5. Whelan 6. Davey 7. McDonald 8. Johnstone 9. Bruce 10. Green McLean and McDonald are our only 2 proven inside midfielders. Davey is so important because without him the ball is cleared way too easily out of our forward line. Carrol is clearly the number one full back. TJ, Bruce and Green are important outside midfielders who we need to be playing well to add that extra polish and class. Whelan has taken over from McDonald as the most underated player in the team. He is one of the best small defenders in the game and is rarely beaten, while still managing to give us drive out of the backline.