Bombertalk

After retirements/delistings our best 2009 side would look something like this;-

Slattery Fletch Welsh
Houli Ryder Winderlich
McPhee Watson Lonregan
Lucas Lloyd Reimers
Gumble Neagle Davey

Hille Stanton McVeigh

Monfries Jetta Nash Bellchambers

Others Dempsey Pears Myers NLM
Atkinson Hocking Hislop Daniher
Magin Hooker Williams

Trades?? Dyson Lovett Laycock

What sort of players do we need and are we capable of making the finals next year???

capable of making the finals with a fit and healthy list to choose from. Will see how our list holds up, being a year older and hopefully stronger.

We need additional KPP. particularly backmen.

Hoping Gumbleton will make it into the senior team, and I would like us to recruit another strong rebounding footballer, with a good kick.

Lovett is in our best 22, so should stay.
Laycock is our second best ruckman , but I could see him being traded if he holds some value to another club then we take another young mobile big man with our picks(placing young Bellchambers in our best 22 as backup for Hille...).

Yeah Tom,

I hope Lovett stays - he has loads of talent and Belly would be in our starting 22 if Laycock is traded.
All in all I think we did OK except for a few games considering the list and injuries we had and am hopefull that in 09 we can atleast push for finals.

i think Myers should be a regular by the end of 2009... maybe some time in the 2's at the start to build up and gain some confidence

Welsh will start in the midfield next year.

You'd take Licha over NLM as HBF?

Sismis wrote: You'd take Licha over NLM as HBF?

i almost would... NLM needs to work next to Fletcher or Ryder to be effective by breaking the lines, which im confident Licha could do anyway

Sismis wrote:
You'd take Licha over NLM as HBF?

I definitely would.

As for what we need?
A gun midfielder, a decent ruckman and 2 key defenders.

Don't you think we are going a bit tall with Lloydy, Lucas, Neagle and Gumby in the forward line. Gumbleton would not be a walk up start next season, he has to get fully fit first.

I also think we need to get a strong midfielder (to replace JJ, Pev and Rama really) and a strong bodied Defender (to replace Michael)

Mrs Mercuri wrote:Don't you think we are going a bit tall with Lloydy, Lucas, Neagle and Gumby in the forward line. Gumbleton would not be a walk up start next season, he has to get fully fit first.

I also think we need to get a strong midfielder (to replace JJ, Pev and Rama really) and a strong bodied Defender (to replace Michael)

i think you want a more mobile backmen rather than another 'big fella' like Mal. If you look at opposition forwards, they are getting faster, leaner and much more mobile.

strong midfielders have already replaced jj/pev/rama.

IMO its fast rebounding defenders we need to find. I think houli is a bit small in sirvasses backline. I'd like some 190cm+ players down there. Gumby will be perfect.

Rossoneri wrote:

Sismis wrote:
You'd take Licha over NLM as HBF?

I definitely would.

As for what we need?
A gun midfielder, a decent ruckman and 2 key defenders.

What he said!

Some interesting and valid points here.

Maybe Gumby could be put down back and play alongside or near Fletch and Ryder the way NLM does. Im a fan of NLM but against the power forwards he struggles as illistrated in our last game against St Kilda when Riewoldt gave him a bath.
I think hes really more of a wingman/link man type player but he may struggle to find a spot in the side if we keep more players on the park.

I guess we can always have another small up forward and we got atleast a couple of options with Monfries and Jetta there as Mrs Mecuri pointed out.

It will be great if we can pick up a couple of decent kids, maybe a tall defender type, and guys like Myers, Dempsey, Hocking and co continue to develop.

Go Dons!

Rossoneri wrote:

Sismis wrote:
You'd take Licha over NLM as HBF?

I definitely would.

As for what we need?
A gun midfielder, a decent ruckman and 2 key defenders.

Yes to Licha over NLM...

As to the second question...several KPP's that are not perpetually injured...our lack of KPP's this year killed us cause when Scotty was injured, all the others were too and that is why McPhee played CHF half the season when he is an HFF/Wingman/HBF player...

Our KP prospects are:
Daniher
Pears
Ryder
Neagle
Gumbleton

Probably missed one or two.

Apart from Ryder, none could get on the park for Bendigo.

Play Gumby down back is a waste of time. That being said, he needs to play and wth Lloyd and Lucas still going, how are they all going to fit. I think next year will most certainly be Lucas's last season, as will Fletch. We need these kids playing now otherwise we are replacing champions with raw meat.

If we can not get the following:
Pears - 15 games
Daniher - 10
Gumbleton - 15
Neagle - 15
next year, we are in big trouble in 2010.

Rossoneri wrote:Our KP prospects are:
Daniher
Pears
Ryder
Neagle
Gumbleton

Probably missed one or two.

Apart from Ryder, none could get on the park for Bendigo.

Play Gumby down back is a waste of time. That being said, he needs to play and wth Lloyd and Lucas still going, how are they all going to fit. I think next year will most certainly be Lucas's last season, as will Fletch. We need these kids playing now otherwise we are replacing champions with raw meat.

If we can not get the following:
Pears - 15 games
Daniher - 10
Gumbleton - 15
Neagle - 15
next year, we are in big trouble in 2010.

Yes because playing Lucus down back was a waste of time

We know it's Fletchers last year next year and with Mal gone, Gumby can serve his appreticeship in defence following experienced forwards around learning how the best of them find space, create opportunities and most of all beat their defender.

Hopefuly Lucus is good for 2 - 3, no rush to offload him if he is performing, a few years in defence would do as much damage to gumby as a few years at CHB did to Lucus. Besides Lucus can always switch to CHB to give gumby some time up forward.

I agree with the fact that the boys need games, but believe our defence can consist of Fletch, Ryder and one of Daniher, Pears and Gumby with the best performer getting the most games (obviousely). With Fletch gone in 2010 we then have space for 2 of those 3 alongside Ryder (if he is still being used as a defender and not a ruck).

We can and should continue to blood Neagle rotating through FF, HF with Lucus and Lloyd. Unlike Gumby, Neagle appears suited to the power forward role with a lack of agility making him less suitable for any run with defensive roles.

Lucus

Seeing as we are no a real chance next year, I wouldn't mind if we had an extra tall or two in the line up all year, just to get experience. I think Knighta did do that a little this year.

Lloyd, Lucas, Gumby start in the forward line, Neagle on the bench.
Fletcher, Ryder, Pears back line, with Hooker, Daniher or whoever we draft on the bench to go there.
Obviously if anyone of them is injured, we have less to worry about in terms of midfield rotations. Although perhaps that is going a little too far.
Perhaps just one of the bench players. Maybe even give the older guys a rest every now and then to fit the younger guys in.

I just think it's worth losing a few games next year because we run out of legs in the middle, but we MUST get experience into our KP players. Otherwise when Lloyd, Lucas, Fletcher go we are rooted for a couple more years.

I actually think playing Lucas at CHB may be a great idea.
Hes played there before and played pretty damn well.
Then you can have both Gumby & Neagle deep forward and Lloyd CHF with the likes of Monfries, Davey, Reimers feeding off them.
It would also free up Paddy and stiffen up our defence as Lucas, Paddy & Fletch can all take tall forwards, and plenty of guys who can play back pocket or half back flank like Slatts, Nash, Myers etc
It would be great for our structure. See how we go with drafts and trades but really I think it is a great idea...

Fletch can play FB, and Lucas has shown he can play CHB.

However, succession planning may also be in the minds of the coach and others, so with that in mind, who will be groomed into the back end key positions next year?

F111 wrote:Fletch can play FB, and Lucas has shown he can play CHB.

However, succession planning may also be in the minds of the coach and others, so with that in mind, who will be groomed into the back end key positions next year?

Ryder/Pears/Hooker/new draftee

I do not want Lucas to play back, because we MUST get game time on good talls into these guys while Fletcher is still there to help out (ie. next year only!)