2010 - Starting 22 (assuming no injuries)

[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?

[Sismis]

I just can't believe people are writing off Spike as a midfeilder. Prior to this year he was close to if not our best!

He had a bad year, i suspect he would have had just as bad a year at BP. He is definately in the mid rotation for mine.

Hurley must play forward!

I'd also put Ryder in the midfeild rotation preferably on a wing.

[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?[/quote]

Nah....I always avoid paedo's.

I'll bet you do Filthy...no point hanging around the competition aye old teeth.

[swoodley]

Nah....I always avoid paedo's.

I'll bet you do Filthy...no point hanging around the competition aye old teeth.

Very courageous of you to out yourself like this. [/quote]