Team Selection - Never Harder in 25 Years

Windy_Hill · Post by **Windy_Hill** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:40 pm

I think that picking our best 22 (assuming all players are available) is as hard a task today as it has been during Sheedy's era as coach.

There seem to be so many candidates, possibilities and scenarios.

The Defence

Probably the easiest section of the team to select. The likely six are

McVeigh Michael Cole
NLM Fletcher McPhee

I can see McVeigh getting the odd run on the ball with Andy Welsh stepping in to mind the small forward.

Henry Slattery also looks like a likely type as a small defender.
Bradley in my opinion is not a defender but could be drafted into the backline from time to time. Fletch will play a more attacking role but is unlikely to take on the power CHF's like Brown/Tredrea. Lee is also an option although his chances of breaking into the team look slim.

The Attack

Easy but not entirely a simple task. Managing all the height will be the challenge. Likely starting six

Hird Lucas Lovett
Johns Lloyd Monfries

You can also see Johns moving out to CHF allowing Lucas to roam outside the 50 where his long kicking is so damaging. Hird can drop in closer to goal to allow Lloyd to move the FB away from the comfort zone.

The small forward options are intriguing. I believe Monfries and Lovett represent our best chance of getting 30 - 40 goals from this area. However, Jetta & Davey seem to be real possibilites to come into the side in their first seasons.

Alternative talls include Hille and Laycock rotating through the forward line or covering for injuries. I am expecting a breakout season from Laycock assuming he can keep fit. Gumbleton & Neagle are the future and may get some game time. From all reports, Neagle could be a good one.

The Mid Field

Our area of weakeness for 5 years now and it looks like things may be about to get a whole lot better

On the wings I see many possibilities but the combination I like the most is Camporeale and Dyson. Both have good leg speed and receive the ball well. Other options include having Bradley running the wing as a mobile tall - linking with the kick outs from full back as a marking target.

In the pivot, I like Watson rotating with JJ and perhaps Lonergan. Hislop, could also get some game time as a hard in and under type.

Running mid-fielders will be lead by Stanton, with Nash, Winderlich, MJ and Peverill in support. Peverill and perhaps Heffernan can play a defensive run with role. Houli looks like a real player and may also get a run this year

Rucks

Hille will lead the ruck with Laycock and Ryder in support. McKinnon may get his chance if there is a long term injury. Ryder needs to bulk up but from all reports will be a gun. Laycock has to prove to all that he can make it at this level. Injuries must be managed. Hille is one of the best 6 ruckmen in the league and will continue to improve. The patience has been worthwhile.

There are quite a few players who I havent mentioned. So it just shows how tough a job it will be to settle on the best 22.

The Don · Post by **The Don** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 9:19 pm

Good Post Windy, incisive and well thought out, good to see MJ as a Forward Midfielder rather than defence. A match commitee job could be beckoning...

Filthy · Post by **Filthy** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 10:20 am

Concur.

No injury's .....................please!!!!

RAMS · Post by **RAMS** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:34 am

Do you think there's a spot in the 18 for Welsh?

I'd personally have him at BP and have Cole competing with NLM for the HBF.

spikefan · Post by **spikefan** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:34 pm

RAMS wrote:Do you think there's a spot in the 18 for Welsh?

I'd personally have him at BP and have Cole competing with NLM for the HBF.

based on last week form, Cole and NLM are ahead of Welsh but this is just February.

I still think Welsh will make the 22 but any drop in form will see him play in the seconds. This applies to all sr. players as long as we are injury free.

jimmyc1985 · Post by **jimmyc1985** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:51 pm

RAMS wrote:Do you think there's a spot in the 18 for Welsh?

I'd personally have him at BP and have Cole competing with NLM for the HBF.

Beat me to the punch here. How Welsh came 5th in our B&F last year still has me scratching my head; if anything it's an indicator of how poor we really were last year.

Welsh is not in our best defensive six. Period. WindyHill's lineup of [McVeigh Michael Cole; NLM Fletcher McPhee] is on the money, with the exception of Cole who in my opinion is only an ordinary player. Even though he's unproven, i'd like to see Nash get a go, as he's an excellent kick which is critical in defence, however the fact he's had a broken foot in pre-season training i assume will mean he's unlikely to get that 5th or 6th spot in our defence early in the season. He'll have to work his way into the team from Bendigo.

Another problem with having Welsh in the defensive six is that, with him included, we really lack kicking ability. Mal Michael is a pure defender in that he spoils and blocks very well, but he rarely kicks the ball long distances or runs with it (usually he'll chip the ball 20m sideways to another player and let them do the clearance work). Lovett-Murray loves to run with the ball off the flanks and kick long, but his kicking is still sporadic. With Welsh also there, you've got 3 players out of 6 who either don't like to kick long, or whose footskills are deficient.

Rossoneri · Post by **Rossoneri** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:04 pm

Agree Jim, I dont rate Welsh at all anymore. His kicking is as pathetic as it comes, it lacks penetration and accuracy. If your playing HBF, thats everything you need. He is not quick anymore and has started taking smaller steps as well when going for the ball.
He used to be a real hard nut who would run with the ball, now he seems to hang outside the pack, perhaps their is a lack of confidence.
I thought that there was a good chance of getting something of value for him at the last trade period but he wasnt even offered at all.

Filthy · Post by **Filthy** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:38 pm

Rossoneri wrote:Agree Jim, I dont rate Welsh at all anymore. His kicking is as pathetic as it comes, it lacks penetration and accuracy. If your playing HBF, thats everything you need. He is not quick anymore and has started taking smaller steps as well when going for the ball.
He used to be a real hard nut who would run with the ball, now he seems to hang outside the pack, perhaps their is a lack of confidence.
I thought that there was a good chance of getting something of value for him at the last trade period but he wasnt even offered at all.

Yep...his passes are hospital jobs.

jimmyc1985 · Post by **jimmyc1985** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:52 pm

.......And, without wanting to hijack the thread and make it an Andrew Welsh bashing thread, there's an article in today's Age where Sheedy reckons he's going to give Welsh a go on the wing:

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/real ... 47413.html

Sorry Kev, but i don't see the sense in that one.

BenDoolan · Post by **BenDoolan** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:50 pm

jimmyc1985 wrote:.......And, without wanting to hijack the thread and make it an Andrew Welsh bashing thread, there's an article in today's Age where Sheedy reckons he's going to give Welsh a go on the wing:

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/real ... 47413.html

Sorry Kev, but i don't see the sense in that one.

He must be thinking of Peter "Woosha" Welsh who was a decent wingman in his heyday......

84859300 · Post by **84859300** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:11 pm

Rossoneri wrote:His kicking is as pathetic as it comes, it lacks penetration and accuracy.

I get sick of him kicking sideways week after week. I would probably have rated him higher last year if he had the balls to back himself with his kicking, rather than taking the soft option time after time..

About him being a hard nut and going into packs, I was amazed during our last intra club on the amount of guys that were not sheperding the ball carrier, but runing to a position 3 m ahead to try and get a dinky handball. Walsh was good at that in the past......but now our guys are left like a shag on a rock as blokes around try and gain a free possesion that means nothing to the team.

/end rant

Crowny · Post by **Crowny** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:25 am

I dont reckon Welsh is in the best 22. Im also disappointed he wasnt offered as trade bait as well. His disposal last season was very ordinary and whilst he got a few touches a lot of them went to the opposition.

BenDoolan · Post by **BenDoolan** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:37 am

Crowny wrote:I dont reckon Welsh is in the best 22. Im also disappointed he wasnt offered as trade bait as well. His disposal last season was very ordinary and whilst he got a few touches a lot of them went to the opposition.

Totally agree with your sentiments, however, our strange match committee saw fit to give him a amazing amount of votes for him to be 5th in our B & F......ahead of Mark McVeigh, which was a total croc!

robrulz5 · Post by **robrulz5** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:22 am

Welsh gets alot of the ball but stuffs up way too much.

I think Cole would be worth a shot in the BP.

Crowny · Post by **Crowny** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:23 am

BenDoolan wrote:however, our strange match committee saw fit to give him a amazing amount of votes for him to be 5th in our B & F......ahead of Mark McVeigh, which was a total croc!

They did indeed, stuffed if I know why. I agree with Rob on this one, I reckon Cole would be worth a shot. He looked ok in the intra club match at Princes Park (Didnt see the All-Stars game).

Makaveli · Post by **Makaveli** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 12:35 pm

I agree the side is very hard to pick and the forward and backline are looking superb this year. The best since our golden period a few years back. In my opinion the concern is still the midfield though, there aren't really any stars in the essendon midfield most are just workman-like unfortunately and thats where we will be exposed.

spikefan · Post by **spikefan** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:52 pm

BenDoolan wrote: Totally agree with your sentiments, however, our strange match committee saw fit to give him a amazing amount of votes for him to be 5th in our B & F......ahead of Mark McVeigh, which was a total croc!

Yeah, I was really surprised at the time, I refrained to comment because I had nothing nice to say - and I am biased. I thought at the time that this was an effort to enhance Welsh's image in view of a trade. The trade did not happen...

Welsh has great stats and was rather average in 2006, while McVeigh had average stats but was one of our better player. Even at the level of the match committee it looks like people are giving more importance to stats than they should.

In hindsight when you look at the players between 24 and 28 you have only Hille, McVeigh, Lovett, Lovett Murray, Cole and Welsh. The first two are leaders and have fresh two years contracts, I expect good things from the Lovetts and the last two really need to step up. Let's hope for Essendon that both Cole and Welsh have a terrific 2007 because I don't think it will be easy to replenish this age group by trade/PSD.

Sismis · Post by **Sismis** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:38 pm

Welsh does a job every single week and is rarely beaten. He hasn't come through as was generally expected of him but he is still a handy player. Cole for mine has done nothing to warrant a permanent spot, as someone has already offered Nash would be ahead of him.

Welsh is a handy mark, he may be an asset on the wide open spaces of the wing. I do agree though that with the talent currently coming through he will need to show a fair bit to cement a spot.

Our Midfield will be fine. In the all stars game so many of the young guys showed something there. With our defence and Offence they will only need to break even.

Monfries will not be playing FP this year. He has worked on his endurance and he will become a regular player at the bounce. His skill and suicidal desperation will hold him in good stead.

Rossoneri · Post by **Rossoneri** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:40 pm

Sismis wrote: Monfries will not be playing FP this year. He has worked on his endurance and he will become a regular player at the bounce. His skill and suicidal desperation will hold him in good stead.

But will his upper body still be connected to his lower body the way he backs into packs.

I dare say that he is the only player who could jump in front of Johns and take the mark and get back up (albeit it with 194 bones broken)

Evey year we say that its hard to pick a team because of the depth. We said it last year and after a while, we were spewing that we had to pick 22 players as 14 of them were useless.

I will reserve my judgement this year til round 1.

If we have a full list then we look dangerous, but so will most teams.

Windy_Hill · Post by **Windy_Hill** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:40 am

i think 14 of them are useless this year as well Rosso. It doesnt make it any easier to pick the team

We just have more useless players to pick from