Assuming we have a full list to pick from other than Buckley, Byrne, COS*, Gallucci*, Gorringe, Phillips & SPS....
Simmo Weitering Plowman
Docherty Marchbank E Curnow
Kerridge Cripps Cunningham
Wright Casboult SOJ
Armfield Jaksch C Curnow
Kreuzer Gibbs Murphy
Inter: Palmer, Pickett, Smedts, Sumner
Fisher, Macreadie, McKay, Polson, Williamson, Korcheck* and LeBois* have had a taste of senior footy - which is what practice matches are for - but I don't think they are quite ready to play round 1. Their time will come. This game needs to be a full dress rehearsal for 23 March.
We still have plenty of youth in the above side (7 players who have played less than 30 games).
Jaksch probably won't get picked, but I would give him the nod this week ahead of Jones & McKay.
I wouldn't mind seeing SOJ tried in the backline at some stage. Depending on match ups, perhaps he & Plowman can swap at some point?
Palmer & Smedts get a game but really there's not much separating them and the likes of Boekhorst, Graham & Lamb for mine. We could substitute Palmer for Graham and it wouldn't make much difference, IMO.
Backline looks lacking a bit of muscle without Rowe, but I think we need the extra run. I couldn't fit Rowe in, but there will be a role for him some weeks against some opponents this year. Might not be round 1 though.
I'd like to see us move on quickly from Jones, Thomas & White though. That trio can offer our VFL side some leadership as our kids develop......
Looking at that midfield makes you realise what a massive talent gap exists between our quality veterans (Gibbs & Murphy) and our young talent (SPS, Fisher, Polson, Cunningham & C Curnow). The only thing in between is Cripps (22). All our midfielders in that 23-28 age bracket are battlers (E Curnow, Graham, Kerridge, Palmer, Wright). It's like we missed an entire generation of quality on-ballers.....
