2010 - Starting 22 (assuming no injuries)

[Windy_Hill]

I know this gets flogged but now that trade week is done and dusted, lets have a look at a couple of permutations

I should point out that I am of the school of thought that Hurley will play back and that Ryder will continue as a Ruck Option

FB - McVeigh Pears Fletcher
HB - Dempsey Hurley Myers
C - Dyson Prismall Reimers
HF - Zaharakis Gumbleton Monfries
FF - Hille Neagle Williams

R - Ryder Watson Winderlich

I/C - Stanton Welsh McPhee Davey


Full Back Line

McVeigh (Slattery in reserve) - he really is not a natural mid-fielder - however, he is a sensational back pocket who can run off his opponent and use his passing prowess to good effect rebounding out of the D50.
Pears (Daniher in reserve)- Fletcher's heir apparent and ready to assume full time responsibilities on the key leading forward
Fletcher - A sweeping type role that he has been performing so well in the last 2 years. Ocassionally picking up the key forward if Pears is getting beaten

Half Back Line

Dempsey (Houli in reserve)- proved a revelation playing across half back last season and will continue to develop in a quarter back like role directing the ball forward (a la Andrew McLeod). A star in the making
Hurley (Hooker in reserve)- Could be the League's best Centre Half Forward in years to come but I personally prefer him at CHB where we have a real weakness - Reminds me a lot of the great Glen Jackovich.
Myers (McPhee in reserve)- I honestly hope that this boy can overcome his injuries as he is a genuine talent. I see him becomeing a similar type defender to Sean Wellman. He has a great kick and body shape to play this role.

Centre Line

Dyson - Has finally delivered on his obvious early potential. Great left boot and pace to burn.
Prismall - really solid first season back from knee reco and looked a class act at times. Most natural looking 'pivot' we have had since Smoking Joe
Reimers - Agression and pace - looking forward to seeing him pick up from where he left off in 2008

Half Forward Line

Zaharakis (Lonergan in reserve) - what a first year and who will ever forget ANZAC day. Love the look of thhis kid and see him playing a similar role to that of Mark Mercuri. Half forward who can go for the oddd run on the ball
Gumbleton - Fingers crossed that his body is finally ok - will be a star for sure and our Power forward for 10 years
Monfries - I thought he had a good 2009 and I am expecting him to improve his goal output to at least 35 in 2010

Full Foward Line

Hille (Laycock in reserve) - Resting ruck and can free Paddy up to play a kick behind the action - can also act as decoy to Neagle
Neagle - Is kicking goals at the same rate Lloyd was at the same time in his career. If he gets leaner and stronger, will be a 50+ goals per season FF.
Williams (Davey in reserve)- great pick up and should be good for at least 30-40 goals

Ruck

Ryder - Looks great as a long term mobile ruck man - will rotate with Hille off the bench and through the forward line
Watson - Ready to go one better and make AA selection. Great hands and ball getting - our best player at the moment
Winderlich - Pace and Dash out of the centre

Interchange

Stanton - On the bench but only because of the need to rotate the mid-field - an important player
Welsh - will be better after a proper pre-season - our best run with stopper
McPhee - Gives us options either forward or back
Davey - Needs big year after the disappointment of 2009 - still an excitment machine

[DC]

FB - McVeigh Pears Fletcher
HB - Dempsey Hurley McPhee
C - Dyson Prismall Reimers
HF - Davey Gumbleton Monfries
FF - Hille Neagle Williams

R - Ryder Watson Winderlich

I/C - Stanton Welsh Houli Zaharakis

I agree with alot of what you wrote windy, just cant see Myers jumping straight into the 18 like that. I really think he has shown nothing IMO. Poor decision maker and puts guys under the pump too much for mine. Kicks long and thats about it. Hope he proves me wrong. Not writing him off but has a way before making the 18. Being a number 8 pick doesnt get you a game. No way he gets the nod above McPhee.

We have some quality that can come in but we need some players to start emerging as genuine stars IMO. We seem to have alot of "potential" its time for players to start bringing it every week and stamp themselves on games and the competition.

If the paper team develops into its potential we have a very good list.

Back line looks very solid.

[Mrs Mercuri]

No room for Natrat, Lonergan and Hocking in that team??

[BenDoolan]

FB - McVeigh Pears Fletcher
HB - Dempsey Hurley McPhee
C - Dyson Prismall Reimers
HF - Davey Gumbleton Monfries
FF - Hille Neagle Williams

R - Ryder Watson Winderlich

I/C - Stanton Welsh Houli Zaharakis

I agree with alot of what you wrote windy, just cant see Myers jumping straight into the 18 like that. I really think he has shown nothing IMO. Poor decision maker and puts guys under the pump too much for mine. Kicks long and thats about it. Hope he proves me wrong. Not writing him off but has a way before making the 18. Being a number 8 pick doesnt get you a game. No way he gets the nod above McPhee.

We have some quality that can come in but we need some players to start emerging as genuine stars IMO. We seem to have alot of "potential" its time for players to start bringing it every week and stamp themselves on games and the competition.

If the paper team develops into its potential we have a very good list.

Back line looks very solid.

Agree with this. Myers struggled with a type of injury this year, but he also struggled with acountability. Copped an absolute pasting after R3 for letting Wiggins run loose a few times, especially just prior to the 3Q time siren. Certainly not in the best 22 yet.

And I would rather Double D getting a crack up forward ahead of Neagle until he can kick a bag in the 2ds.

[Rossoneri]

No Slattery?

[nomolos]

Mcphee before Myers at this stage.

No hocking means Watson is our only hardball getter...that's a big problem particularly if Watson is tagged as we saw this year.

Id prefer Hurley fwd as i dont have the best faith in Neagle.

Hooker deserves to be in, but cant fit everyone in.

In the real world Slattery is not up to it

Monfries is lucky to have his spot.

[gringo]

Looking at the players available for our midfield next year, it's fair to conclude that finals are little more than a pipe dream. Geez it's ordinary.

Our older blokes like Stanton, Winderlich, Dyson, McVeigh, Welsh etc are just honest plodders really. It's a shame because our spine will be dynamite in a couple of years.

[Rossoneri]

Older player in Stanton, Dyson and Winderlich
age: 23, 24, 25

You are on fire tonight!

[andrewb]

Only comments would be:

1. McVeigh is our starting ruck rover if he can do a full pre-season and get back to early 2008 form. No questions asked. He is wasted in a back pocket.
2. Hurley should be given a chance to make CHF his own. Gumbleton will have to earn his spot.
3. Hooker deserves a spot in the 22. I thought we looked great when Pears, Hooker and Fletch were our talls down back.
4. I'd have Hille as our starting ruck - even if it is only for a five minute burst he will put some pain on before Ryder comes in.
5. Careers will be made or broken next year in the midfield. Watson is the only one who is safe.

[gringo]

Older player in Stanton, Dyson and Winderlich
age: 23, 24, 25

You are on fire tonight!

Hmmm, I didn't know they were mid 20s. That surprisese me. In any event, I meant "older" relative to blokes like Zharakis, Reimers, Prismall etc who rotate through the middle, not "old".

[JimboC]

My Team....although this is the most hypothetical / impossible job for an Essendon supporter as we brace ourselves for injuries every season.


FB - Slattery Pears Fletcher
HB - Atkinson Hurley Houli
C - Dyson Prismall Dempsey
HF - Davey Ryder Monfries
FF - McPhee Gumbleton Williams

R - Hille Watson McVeigh

I/C - Stanton Welsh Hocking Winderlich

[Doctor Fish]

No Slattery?

Has to be in there, surely...

[gringo]

My Team....although this is the most hypothetical / impossible job for an Essendon supporter as we brace ourselves for injuries every season.


FB - Slattery Pears Fletcher
HB - Atkinson Hurley Houli
C - Dyson Prismall Dempsey
HF - Davey Ryder Monfries
FF - McPhee Gumbleton Williams

R - Hille Watson McVeigh

I/C - Stanton Welsh Hocking Winderlich

Fair to say a defence that includes Slattery, Atkinson and Houli would be belted senseless. Houli needs to play on the wing. Dempsey was fantastic as a flank this year.

A half forward line that includes Davey and Monfries would be equally shithouse. Davey in a pocket or nowhere, Monfries on the bench.

McPhee in a pocket is moronic.

Prismall, Watson and McVeigh in the middle is far too slow.

Fletcher should be HBF not a pocket.

I like Ryder at CHF though.

[nomolos]

you know what destroys any make up for the creation of a team thus far...

Gumbleton

[gringo]

you know what destroys any make up for the creation of a team thus far...

Gumbleton

How so? The topic for discussion states "assuming no injuries". That being the case, Gumby is going to start at CHF for us this year, at least until he falls over injured/fails Courtney Johns styles.

[nomolos]

Precisely.

We are are putting a shitload of faith into an unknown(except for expectation) quality.

So simplistically what im saying is without him, entire dimensions of the team open up, and are subsequently limited with him there.

Player positional factors, vary greatly.

Without gumbleton -
Hurley CHB/FB/CHF/FF
Neagle FF/FP/HF
Ryder CHB/FB/RUCK/CHF/FF
Hooker CHB/FB
Daniher In the side

With Gumbleton
Hurley CHB/FB
Neagle FF/FP
Ryder RUCK/ BENCH
Hooker No place for him
Daniher No opportunity for him


You see what im getting at

[Madden]

Here's my thoughts.

B - Slattery - Pears - Fletcher
HB - Dempsey - Hurley - McVeigh
C - Dyson - Prismall - Winderlich
HF - Monfries - Gumbleton - Zaharakis
F - Williams - Neagle - Reimers
R - Ryder - Watson - Welsh

I - Hille - Myers - Hocking - Stanton

E - Davey - Hooker - Houli

I don't necessarily think this is our best team but I do think it is the best for our development. Here's why.

BACKS

B - Slattery - Pears - Fletcher
HB - Dempsey - Hurley - McVeigh

Slattery cops far far too much stick on this website - he was quite good this season as a defensive stopper. He makes errors in judgement too frequently for my liking but he was picked every week for a reason - most of the time he gets the job done on the oppositions most dangerous forward. Not every small defender can be Andrew F****** McLeod, nor should they be. Pears was a revelation at FB in 09 and should continue that progress in 2010. Fletcher the general as always. Dempsey provides the pace and dash which we need to be a fast moving side, and Hurley will hopefully develop as a CHB if we leave him there all year. McVeigh is a backline player - he was played in the midfield for a few years because we had literally nobody else, but his best football has always been as an aggressive rebounding backman. He should stay back all year.

MIDFIELD

C - Dyson - Prismall - Winderlich
R - Ryder - Watson - Welsh

Dyson and Winderlich had career best seasons in 09 and provide the speed in a midfield that otherwise looks quite slow with the absence of Lovett. Watson provides the grunt underneath the packs with a hopefully improved Prismall running past to receive the handball - lets just hope he backs his first instinct this year rather than taking the third and fourth option as he did too frequently in 09. Welsh plays as the tagger on the opposition's best midfielder -he played career best football in this role in 08 and will hopefully gain the fitness base from a solid pre-season which will allow him to play it again. He also has a big body, is able to win his own ball and kick goals from the midfield (something that has been sorely lacking). Overall, I think this midfield provides a balance between grunt, speed, youth and experience. Ryder to continue his good work from 09 in the ruck.

FORWARDS

HF - Monfries - Gumbleton - Zaharakis
F - Williams - Neagle - Reimers

Monfires cops too much criticism on this site. The main avenue of criticism is that he hasn't been playing as a crumbing forward and kicking enough goals. The problem with that criticism is that he is not actually being played in that role - he is being played as a smaller lead-up forward. I think he did that role adequately in 2009, and should continue to improve - the additions of Gumbleton and Williams should mean that he gets the opposition's 4th best defender, rather than second best as he got this year. Williams will play as the other lead-up forward. Zaharakis and Reimers play as the small crumbing forwards. They should always aim to be close to goal and at the feet of the two big men. Gumbleton and Neagle need to be played in these positions week in, week out, improvement or no improvement. This is the year to find out whether these blokes can play or not, and they need to be played all year for us to make that assessment. If we haven't seen significant improvement by the end of the year then we will need to find other options, but we need to make that call, one way or the other, very very soon.

INTERCHANGE

I - Hille - Hocking - Myers - Stanton

Hille is an outstanding player when fit, but he will take a while to get that fitness level back up so I think for the first half of the year he will play off the bench. Hocking was a valuable player last year when given a chance - and the inclusion of Welsh should give him the opportunity to play as a pure midfielder rather than a tagger. Stanton provides a good back-up on the wing - runs hard and wins plenty of footy. Myers is the key inclusion. He is not in our best side but needs to be given a chance (assuming he has recovered from his injuries). I am SO TIRED of people on here saying that he will play as a half back flanker - that couldn't be more wrong. He was training all year as a midfielder and playing in that role at Bendigo. The club are aiming to make him into a taller midfielder in the Adam Goodes / Brendon Goddard mould. He played this role all through juniors and if given a chance should prove a good foil for Watson.

EMERGENCIES

E - Davey - Hooker - Houli

Davey is an important player but simply does not get his hands on the footy often enough - if he was an opposition player we would ridicule him for his inconsistency. Houli will be the replacement for Dempsey or Winderlich (whichever one gets injured first), he's quick, strong and has reasonable disposal. Hooker has a good year in 09 and provides us with a useful option if either Pears/Hurley/Ryder/Hille goes down.

THE OTHERS

Regular readers here will know my opinions on Adam McPhee. His skills are subpar (disposal and marking out in front particularly) and his decision making is shocking and has cost us about 2/3 goals a game, every game for about 3 years. If he is in our best side then we are not moving forward. Lovett-Murray was quite good this year and provides handy depth as he can play a variety of roles. Lonergan also provides useful depth but isn't in the best side - his low placing in the B&F shows what the coaches think of him, particularly his defensive accountability. Atkinson has potential but is a bit raw for my liking, and Quinn is the same. Daniher is the forgotten man - he should be given a go if one of our big backs go down - people forget the sterling job he did on Fevola in Round 3.

[gringo]

BACKS: McVeigh Pears Welsh
HB: Fletcher Hurley Dempsey
CETRES: Houli Watson Stanton
HF: McPhee Gumbleton Zharakis
FORWARDS: Reimers Ryder Williams
RUCKS: Hille Winderlich Prismall

BENCH: Laycock Dyson Lonergan Hocking

Atkinson and Quinn should be subject to the same security at Windy Hill that banned gamblers are from Crown Casino.

Monfries too inconsistent to bother with.

Davey needs to learn how to play football. Slattery ditto.

[j-mac31]

No room for Natrat ... ??

Well obviously.

[gringo]

You know i find it impossible to ick a best 22 simply because we haven't seen our entire list play for any length of time because of blooody injury.

Selwood has played 70 odd games 3 Grannies and 2 Flags. Gumby 10 games if that. How can you judge? How can you know how a team that hasn't played together in any meaningful combination or time together (to gel) will go.

Individially we can look at our list and see and enormous breadth of talent or potential as Rob oft points out. Until we see them play uninjured and consistently it is impossible to pick a best 22. You can pick say a best 12 that are a must and then you have to hope the talent comes on and fills the gaps and we can have a Bulldog, Aint's, Pussys, Filth or Scum like run with injury.

My best 12, first picked every week if fully fit and firing, would be Paddy, Watto, Hille, Pears, Hurley, Winders, Demps, Fletch, Stanton, Reimers, Prismall and either Spike or Dyson based on Ricks year in 2009.

The next 10 spots have about 20 blokes fighting for them...the way it should be.

Easy Filthy...Selwood = gun and Gumbleton = injury prone enigma/wasted draft pick.

Anymore questions for Uncle Gringo?