Think I'm going to deadset !@#$%& spew if I have to read another comment based on this "best 22" myth or "so and so isn't in our best 22/why are they in our best 22", even more so if its followed up with a comment about No Waite, No Carlton.

Your best 22 doesn't, nor should it win you games (note games, not a game) of footy throughout a season.

Throughout the year, you'll beat teams who are rebuilding/expansion sides/shit, on quality alone, and maybe take advantage of an interstate team with a shit travelling record. Let's say 5-6 wins on that basis.

The remaining 16 weeks are determined on which side has a list balanced well enough to cover player 1 through to 22 on this mythical best 22 from the start of the year, and better than the opposition has done on the day. Same reason why Hawthorn continue on their merry way when Buddy goes missing for a third of the year with a "hamstring", or Roughead does his achilles, or no tall defender not named Ryan Schoenmakers. Why Sydney can make Mitch Morton a premiership hero, rather than that softcock from Richmond they'd rather not play.

Let's pretend that a best 22, let alone a universally agreed one exists for a minute. What is the point of playing it in round 1?

Our chances of winning a flag in the next 2-3 years don't rely on Juddy or Murphy winning a Brownlow, it's when Aaron Joseph or Dylan Buckley come in to the side when they're out, and whilst may not have the same impact, the team structure, game plan and consistency don't go out the window, and we still play to a similar standard.

Wasn't worried by last night by the end of it. Fitness levels were better than I expected. Their worst quarter was worse than our worst. Forward entries were predictable but solid and almost reliable.

Pretty confident for Collingwood next week and the rest of the year.

sadly, or is that happily, I was oblivious to all this as I watched "counting crows" at bluesfest at Byron and only heard the last ten minutes driving back to surfers. should I watch the replay?

Always value your insights BV. I don't jack about football but you make it very easy to understand what we are doing wrong.

Is your best 22 the same if we're playing Sydney or West Coast? Too many variables in the modern game to have it any more, I reckon.

Joseph is limited, but is going to be thereabouts this year if we're contending for a flag - the lack of depth for smalls on our list dictates this at least. I think this also goes a long way toward having ammo for his critics. He's been played out of position on small forwards for the past couple of years and been eaten alive. He's not a defender. Yet we've got no-one else, so we have to persist, unless Temay goes on.

I don't think we're THAT good a side (or have enough luck on our side with injuries) to be able to look at the side on a week to week basis, rather than an ongoing process throughout the year too. If another player strings together form too good to refuse in the Bullants and it's better than AJ's, so be it. No point hoping to see him dropped if no-one else is coming through, in all likelyhood, we're not winning anything anyway..

The idea that he "had one good game on Ablett and has kept him on our list ever since" is a joke. Look at his consistently excellent record on Rioli (as recently as last season), several games on Ablett, Aaron Davey, Pearce, etc.

His record as an endurance runner adds to our overall strengths as well. We'll win more games this year than most clubs through running them off their feet in the last quarter. Someone like Joseph as the sub adds to that strength.

Prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. To this point, he's earned all the games he's played.

Btw that woeful tackling effort of Murphy on Jackson was a disgrace........you have just been elected captain for goodness sake!

If he doesn't play on a small forward where does he play? In the midfield? You can't afford to have a pure shut down player these days. You've got to have offensive weapons. The problem is, if AJ had a specific shut down role to play on a certain player and is getting towelled up, what is the plan B for him? He doesn't have enough strings to his bow.

I would also argue that there are players in the 2's in much better form than AJ. Bell had 17 touches and a goal before being taken off at half time, his form in the nab cup games was better than AJs, and his form in the games he played in '12 were much better than AJs. Buckley kicked 3 or 4 in the 2s the week before. So there are other guys coming through.

The other thing about these guys is their scope for development and improvement is so much bigger. AJ's had 5 years and we've seen what he can do and let's be honest it's hard to see him improving much now. Young guys like Bell and Buckley on the other hand, well who knows how good they could be.

Just calling it as I see it, I think we should be playing these young blokes who have shown some real promise developing them. Imo, AJ shouldn't really play unless we are decimated by injuries and should probably be delisted at years end. Id love for him to prove me wrong but I can't see it happening

Trust me...... watching Hampson in particular ruck... it would be very difficult to read where the ball will go .
And you cant just tap to the one spot....
We have had Capuano for a long time.. and our rucks arent realy coming along in leaps and bounds.
Maybe we should start spending some real money and wisely??

We must keep playing Casboult. Have we learnt nothing with Hawkins, Cloke, etc.
They need game time and persistance. The kid can play!!!!

Reckon he offers a bit as a specialist sub.....at least in comparison to other options in that regard.



I'd refer to MM's comments about playing the smartest 22, not the best. Joseph's form in limited Cup time wasn't too bad. Bell's was better, but it's probably the things we don't see that got him over the line. Mick likes his role players.



We played Bootsma, Lucas and Casboult, as well as three other blokes with under 50 games to their name. How many more could we play on the night?

Why let him rot in the twos? I see it as a fate that you give someone who's a flower, and doesn't want to be there. (think Damian Cupido). Joseph's been a bloody good servant of the club so far, if he shows form, play him. If there's nothing to play for at the end of the year, I'd probably share your view. Until then, lets see how he goes.

...agree with most posters Laidler/Bell may have tipped the game in our favour...