I understand that Clokes efforts and commitment are admirable but the opposition ruckmen have a field day when he's in the centre bounces.
At least Hammer gets his hands to the ball.

I'd like to see Jacobs get a run.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Brizzy, you put a good argument for AB, but as Carrots is a current B&F winner (thought you may not know ) and was ranked in top 10 in AFL for disposals last yr (yes, top 10), 11 Brownlow votes etc, I just don't think, at this point in time, you can throw him out for a guy who has no real weapon in his game (tackling is great, but I reckon its because his second to the ball too often). Let the guy EARN his place ahead of Carrots, but Carrots must at least get first go in the rotations. If AB, via Ants, can show his game as progressed, sure, give him his go. Carrots is a ball magnet and once got a record 51 touches in a VFL game, so the 30 touches in an intra does not get him over the line just yet.

It's great we have spirited competition for a spot, this I'm sure we can agree on.

Yeah-but Bee Vee.................

he's got red HAIR.........................!

you DO know that don't you.................?


kindest regards tommi


























*sets timer to see how long before Bee Aitch enters the thread*

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that'siti'mnotchangingthistagain......!

The team that is at the start of this thread was organised on the basis of the SKILLS of the players. In particular the ability to kick the ball to players on their team.

This game is called FOOTBALL because you do have to kick the ball. Hand passes are great to maintain control, to wrong foot the opposition and to free up a running player but you only score a goal with a kick.

We have suffered from poor skills - mainly the inability to control the ball when kicking it for the past few years. On this fact we all agree.

What we need is a team of skilled players with hard bodies who are prepared to go and get the ball then kick to the advantage of their team. This is the criteria for our best 22.

We are not good at ball control at stoppages - look at the recent Port game and at Hawthorn in the 1st quarter. Clearance from stoppages to running players is what Carlton was very good at when Greg Williams would extract the ball to Carig Bradley. With Adam Bentick we have a similar capacity to put the ball into Chris Judd's hands.

Is not competition for places on the best 22 a good thing? Is it not likely to encourage fringe players to improve their skills? What incentive do they need if this is not enough? Coaches do their thing but players must execute the required skills on the ground.

Not sure what Pfeiffer has done in his zero AFL games to put him ahead of Jackson in the midfield pecking order.

In a short time, Jackson's shown he's got the capacity to be a good run-with player who can also get the ball himself and use it adequately.

Pfeiffer may show promise, but he's done nothing... yet.

B Thornton Jamison S O'Hailpin
HB Grigg Walker Scotland
C Gibbs Carrazzo Murphy
HF Kreuzer Waite Houlihan
F Betts Fevola Simpson
R Hampson Judd Stevens
IC Jacobs Cloke Bower Bentick

Round 1
Against Tiggies
Anyone who doesnt think that carrots isnt in our best 22 go and get a copy of the win against the Bulldogs last year.
The guy has his faults but he would get a game in any team. Plain fact.

If by similar you mean that the hole I dug in my backyard to plant my lemon tree is like the Grand Canyon - yep OK.


Adam certainly has the strength in close to stand up in a tackle and collect the ball - but his release by hand needs to be a hell of a lot quicker and his vision needs to improve markedly before he is similar to Greg Williams.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

I think you could also include Cloke as a Tall Forward option, ie (1-4).

no fish?

Given that there won't be a single week during the season where we'll have our full list available for selection, I wouldn't get too stressed about who's in our best 22 or not.

The top sides have eight-ten players outside the 22 who are easily good enough to displace those above them.

In my view, the more we argue about who's in the 22, the better it is. That means depth. What we really need is a top 30, with absolutely no weaknesses in it. That's what we're working towards.

So in a sense, I think this season is all about finding out who stays and who goes. We're so young, with so many untrieds and variables, that we'll all have a much better idea in 6 months time than we do now.

Tries his heart out - tick
Runs all day - tick
Gets his hands on the pill - tick

Can't kick for shit.... so unless your suggested role is as a tagger - who dispossesses opponents or beats them to the ball and taps it along the ground until one of his teammates picks it up - that suggestion is more f*cked than fact.

Not that plenty of players haven't gotten a game playing that role... FACT is that he's a liability when he has the footy - even when he does hit a target, it usually takes away the advantage upfield. The number of times I have seen him (as well as a few other players in our side) float a little drop-punt to a running player who has to STOP.... its hard to watch.

Pressure is the number one thing that is interesting to watch in this game these days - great players make it look like there is none, good players battle through it, Carrots succumbs to it. He would make one of THE BEST run-with players in the league and when you're a side as ordinary as we have been, that counts...

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

I like most of what you have said but you have really overstated Bentick and understated Diesel.

Diesel extracted and found the best option - if their were no options he would evade the opposition himself and deliver the ball with pin point accuracy to attacking targets. His vision through traffic was freakish and probably the best I have seen. His skills by hand or foot over short distances was equisite.

The only player on our list who even slightly resembles Diesel is Murphy imo.

Hadley

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

injured

shocking post

Did you go to any games last year?
His kicking is better than it has been. He is not the best kick and never will be but everyone forgets the positives.
The guy does not panic. The number of times he was tackled and his strength forced two or three opposing players towards him and he found a teammate free was gold.
I could name 40 players before given Carrazzo a serve. He is a dam fine player. To say Carrazzo succumbs to pressure is one of the most stupid comments I have ever read on this website.
Carrazzo isnt a Agrade mid fielder but he is not far off it. If it wasnt for him we would have lost to the Bulldogs in that game.

And unlike Waite, Bower, Murphy and anyone else on our list who are shit kicks Carrazzo has improved in this skill area from a few years ago.

Its unbelievable that someone would post a topic on trading this guy as I have noticed.
Get off the guys back.

No Carrazo is a disgrace!!!!!!!!!!!! he is by no means a champion or A-grade midfielder but surely gets a game ahead of Bentick, Betts, Grrigg, Bower and Cloke.
I know Cloke and Bower play different possies but Carazzo can play midfield, back and even forward

Where was fisher????? you must be kidding!!

He is injured otherwise walk up start

Carrazzo would be in my starting 22......tend to agree with the idea of Jackson ahead of Pfeiffer....Jackson has done it the hard way and forced his way into the team and has done little wrong in the games he has played.
I like Pfeiffers grunt but I think he needs to force his way into the team with consistent good form rather than just be given a place..

Eddie Betts wouldnt be in my starting 22 rnd 1 unless he suddenly ran into form....Marc Murphy would be starting forward pocket goalsneak.
Eddie tackles well and does a lot of things I like in a footballer but remains inconsistent.....we miss far to many front and square crumbing opportunities in front of goal and I feel young MM might enjoy snagging some goals and being such a smart creative player might turn half chances into full ones and work well with B Fevola who might look after him....

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"When you have the attitude of a champion, you see adversity as your
training partner."
- Conor Gillen

Forgot Jacko In for Bower or Cloke

Surprises me that a lot of posters don't see the value Eddie adds to the team... Match winning abilities, ability to turn a game, forward line pressure that no one else in the team provides, ability to rotate through the midfield with effectiveness, mercurial (not many others in the team have that). Eddie is a must until we have someone better than him at what he does - which we dont right now.