Is this our best 22.

[saynta]

Dinny (whoever the f*** that is) thinks it is.

From AFL.com

"B: Jarryn Geary, Nathan Brown, Daniel McKenzie
HB: Dylan Roberton, Jake Carlisle, Jimmy Webster
C: Hunter Clark, Jack Steele, Dan Hannebery
HF: Blake Acres, Tim Membrey, Jack Billings
F: Jade Gresham, Josh Bruce, Jack Lonie
FOLL: Billy Longer, Seb Ross, Jack Steven
I/C: Ben Long, Paddy McCartin, Dean Kent, Shane Savage

The inclusion of Dan Hannebery sees Jack Newnes not in the team, although he'll have high expectations of improving on a disappointing 2018. There's a reasonable chance Josh Battle is picked, but Josh Bruce was selected because he can help out in the ruck. Nick Coffield will be very close as well. Some will want Logan Austin in over Nathan Brown, but the former Magpie has proven reliable in his two seasons at the Saints. Inside midfielders Luke Dunstan and David Armitage will find it tough to win berths as the club is well-stocked in that position, while Jack Sinclair and Rowan Marshall won't be too far away from the 22. - Dinny Navaratnam"

[wally]

I guess our hope is that by years end that is not still our best 22, and that our younger brigade are given opportunities and improve.

[skeptic]

I think it’s pretty close.

Membrey at CHF doesn’t quite work and Paddy isn’t versatile enough (or at least wasn’t) to come off the bench. Plus where is the second ruck?

I pbly have Marshall in ahead of Paddy and whilst I don’t mind Geary, my hope would be that McKenzie properly takes his role and a guy like Coffield is able to cement his spot in the backline as a damaging running back

[older saint]

My guess:
B: Geary, Carlise, Rice
HB: Webster, Bruce, Robbo
C: Sinclair, Ross,Acres
HF: Billlings, Membrey, Hannebery
F: Lonie, Marshall, Battle
Foll: Longer, Steven, Steele
Int: Clarke, Coffield, Long, McKenzie


Bruce to CHB, McCartin behind Marshall as he can ruck, Savage, Newness actually made to earn games rather than the AR gifts,

Long year ahead

[SaintPav]

My guess:
B: Geary, Carlise, Rice
HB: Webster, Bruce, Robbo
C: Sinclair, Ross,Acres
HF: Billlings, Membrey, Hannebery
F: Lonie, Marshall, Battle
Foll: Longer, Steven, Steele
Int: Clarke, Coffield, Long, McKenzie


Bruce to CHB, McCartin behind Marshall as he can ruck, Savage, Newness actually made to earn games rather than the AR gifts,

Long year ahead

Gresham not good enough?

[dragit]

I guess it depends a bit on how we see the year, dinny is probably pretty spot on with what the club will be thinking.

If I am picking a team to help us get up the ladder in three years time, the first blokes I would be picking are:

B white
Austin
Clark
Coffield
Marshall
Pick 4
Pick 36

With obvious best 22

Steven
Acres
Gresham
Carlisle
Webster
Ross
Hannebery
Geary
Membrey
Steele
Roberton
Billings

19^

3 from these v players who really need to earn a game

Bruce v mcartin v battle
Pierce v longer
Lonie v long
Sinclair
Newnes
Savage
Mckenzie
Rice
Dunstan v armo
Paton
Clav
Philips
Our 3rd pick


Brown should be backup only if Austin or Carlisle get injured.

[footynut]

FB Webster ?Bruce/Austin? Rice
HB Coffield Carlisle Roberton
C Clark Steele Steven
HF Kent McCartin Long
FF Gresham Marshall Membery
R Pierce Billings Acres
INT from Hanabery, Sinclair, Battle, Ross
Emg. Lonie, Phillips

* Plus #4 draft pick - (guessing Bailey Smith or Max King. later wont play next year. Would love Walsh)
* New captain - Steven
* Realise it's young - focus on development (something new)
* Let them play / enjoy their footy
* No point playing Brown, Armo, Geary, Newnes every week.
* Could we play McCartin behind the ball to get him in the game (swing him & bruce)
* Pierce, Marshall, Carlisle & potentially Bruce can share the ruck. If you add McCartin in the rotation (not rucking) it makes us extremely flexible / dynamic

[Yorkeys]

If Geary is in our best 22 at back pocket and plays there regularly we can forget finals/significant improvement. We very much need a fast skilful rebounding backpocket (Justin Peckett how I miss you). Scouts go to Tiwi Islands as a start. Geary has shown he is a great tagger and this could be his go with occasional guerrilla attacks in the forward line. The line ups suggested, in my opinion of course, show little imagination. For example D mac should be given an attacking role - wing, on the ball , half forward - defence hobbles a lot of his natural attributes. Steele is excellent but best as a defensive centre? Put him on the ball and certainly not stifle him as a tagger. I think we have a reasonably talented group badly coached and poorly set up. If Lonie regularly gets a game we will sure be in more trouble - ok as an understudy but small and not really a team player: thinks 1%ers refers to motorcycle groups. Regularly playing Newnes, Savage the recently delisted Mav & Sinclair is the football equivalent of denying climate change. I so hope Richo is not allowed to keep playing the same guys in the same roles that brought 4.5 wins - noting Carslise, Brown and Austin have to fill the key defensive positions. Timmy Membrey is not a regular CHF. He is damned talented and can carry it off ok at a pinch but is so more effective elsewhere. I fear Richo thinks of players as being pigeonholed and lacks lateral thinking - or good analytical thinking at all. OK on reconstruction though but by then its too late. And I want to know from the club what was its problem with Brandon White - didn't he show at least as much promise as that Burton guy formally from the Hawks but now with the Crows.

[groupie1]

If Geary is in our best 22 at back pocket and plays there regularly we can forget finals/significant improvement. We very much need a fast skilful rebounding backpocket (Justin Peckett how I miss you). Scouts go to Tiwi Islands as a start. Geary has shown he is a great tagger and this could be his go with occasional guerrilla attacks in the forward line. The line ups suggested, in my opinion of course, show little imagination. For example D mac should be given an attacking role - wing, on the ball , half forward - defence hobbles a lot of his natural attributes. Steele is excellent but best as a defensive centre? Put him on the ball and certainly not stifle him as a tagger. I think we have a reasonably talented group badly coached and poorly set up. If Lonie regularly gets a game we will sure be in more trouble - ok as an understudy but small and not really a team player: thinks 1%ers refers to motorcycle groups. Regularly playing Newnes, Savage the recently delisted Mav & Sinclair is the football equivalent of denying climate change. I so hope Richo is not allowed to keep playing the same guys in the same roles that brought 4.5 wins - noting Carslise, Brown and Austin have to fill the key defensive positions. Timmy Membrey is not a regular CHF. He is damned talented and can carry it off ok at a pinch but is so more effective elsewhere. I fear Richo thinks of players as being pigeonholed and lacks lateral thinking - or good analytical thinking at all. OK on reconstruction though but by then its too late. And I want to know from the club what was its problem with Brandon White - didn't he show at least as much promise as that Burton guy formally from the Hawks but now with the Crows.

My sincere hope is that Geary doesn't play, and if he does, its as a forward defensive type in the McQualter mode. (With you on Peckett... and that dude just kept getting better the older he got). I also like your thinking on DMac, but who takes Geary's role down back ? Webster? Rice maybe isn't nimble enough?

I also agree with your Membrey argument. I have him as a flanker.

If Paddy and Marshall and Bruce all play (i.e. earn a spot), do we need a specialist ruck ? Marshall rucks 70%, Bruce the other 30% ? Thoughts?
I like the idea of Longer/Pierce actually earning a spot on form, not positional lacking, so if they don't, then we don't have a ruck, we have a Marshall.
Bulldogs, Cats have taken this approach... difference is Marshall does have the height.

I like Battle on a wing, too, if those big 3 forwards earn spots.

I'm hoping for a Gresh Paddy Bruce/Marshall
Long Marshall/Bruce Membrey
forward set-up... with Kent rotating through... all depending on the ruck situation

where Paddy = Kennedy / Marshall/Bruce = Darling / Membrey = LeCras / Long = Rioli / Gresh = Ryan / Marshall/Bruce/Kent = Cripps

(in terms of structure)

[vacuous space]

People are familiar with Alan Richardson, right? He's going to pick every old bloke available to him until the team is out of finals contention. Then he'll select every old bloke available to him until he's fired at the end of 2020 (if we can't find him another extension). He's not trying to win, he's trying to avoid the kind of embarrassing 10-goal defeats that will get him fired. 17 more honourable losses would be a very pleasing and positive result.

The only AFL game Richo has ever coached without Jack Newnes was that one he filled in for Hinkley. The inclusion of Hannebery likely means nothing for Newnes and means that Steele goes back to coming in off the bench and playing sub-70% game time and maybe even back to spending time forward.

Early prediction of our R1 side:

B: Geary - Brown - McKenzie
HB: Roberton - Carlisle - Savage
C: Newnes - Hannebery - Dunstan
HF: Billings - Membrey - Kent
F: Bruce - McCartin - Gresham
Foll: Longer - Ross - Steven

IC: Acres - Armitage - Lonie - Steele

EMG: Austin - Marshall - Rice - Sinclair

https://www.saintsmembership.com.au/

[SaintPav]

Dinny (whoever the f*** that is) thinks it is.

From AFL.com

"B: Jarryn Geary, Nathan Brown, Daniel McKenzie
HB: Dylan Roberton, Jake Carlisle, Jimmy Webster
C: Hunter Clark, Jack Steele, Dan Hannebery
HF: Blake Acres, Tim Membrey, Jack Billings
F: Jade Gresham, Josh Bruce, Jack Lonie
FOLL: Billy Longer, Seb Ross, Jack Steven
I/C: Ben Long, Paddy McCartin, Dean Kent, Shane Savage

The inclusion of Dan Hannebery sees Jack Newnes not in the team, although he'll have high expectations of improving on a disappointing 2018. There's a reasonable chance Josh Battle is picked, but Josh Bruce was selected because he can help out in the ruck. Nick Coffield will be very close as well. Some will want Logan Austin in over Nathan Brown, but the former Magpie has proven reliable in his two seasons at the Saints. Inside midfielders Luke Dunstan and David Armitage will find it tough to win berths as the club is well-stocked in that position, while Jack Sinclair and Rowan Marshall won't be too far away from the 22. - Dinny Navaratnam"

5 or 6 players named in that team who shouldn’t be getting a game.

[saintbob]

People are familiar with Alan Richardson, right? He's going to pick every old bloke available to him until the team is out of finals contention. Then he'll select every old bloke available to him until he's fired at the end of 2020 (if we can't find him another extension). He's not trying to win, he's trying to avoid the kind of embarrassing 10-goal defeats that will get him fired. 17 more honourable losses would be a very pleasing and positive result.

The only AFL game Richo has ever coached without Jack Newnes was that one he filled in for Hinkley. The inclusion of Hannebery likely means nothing for Newnes and means that Steele goes back to coming in off the bench and playing sub-70% game time and maybe even back to spending time forward.

Early prediction of our R1 side:

B: Geary - Brown - McKenzie
HB: Roberton - Carlisle - Savage
C: Newnes - Hannebery - Dunstan
HF: Billings - Membrey - Kent
F: Bruce - McCartin - Gresham
Foll: Longer - Ross - Steven

IC: Acres - Armitage - Lonie - Steele

EMG: Austin - Marshall - Rice - Sinclair

https://www.saintsmembership.com.au/

McKenzie, Savage and Geary over Webster, you've got to be kidding!!!

[saintbob]

FB: Webster Austin Coffield

HB: Ross Carlisle Roberton

C: Billings Steele Steven

HF: Sinclair McCartin Long

FF: Gresham Marshall Membery

R: Pierce Acres Hannebery

INT: Clark, Kent, Battle, Phillips

[Joffa Burns]

Webster - Bruce - Roberton
Sinclair - Carslile - Billings
Acres - Ross - Hannebery
Gresham - Membrey- Clark
Lonie - McCartin - Long

Marshall - Steele - Steven
Pierce - Kent - Coffield- Geary

EMG: Austin - Savage - McKenzie

I believe we will play-
Brown, Longer, Geary, McKenzie, Rice, Savage, Newnes etc in our starting 18 and it will be more of the same from last season.

[mad saint guy]

The 22 we would field in 2019 if we had intelligent people running the club

B: Webster, Austin, McKenzie
HB: Coffield, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Acres, Steele, Hannebery
HF: Billings, Marshall, Gresham
F: Long, Bruce, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Ross
Int: Battle, Clark, Sinclair, Smith


However i suspect this is Richo's preferred 22

B: Geary, Brown, Webster
HB: Savage, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Ross, Steele, Newnes
HF: Billings, Bruce, Gresham
F: Long, McCartin, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Hannebery
Int: Armitage, Dunstan, Kent, Acres

[spert]

Doesn't matter who is in our "best" 22, they need to play with a whole lot more passion than they did in 2018.

[vacuous space]

McKenzie, Savage and Geary over Webster, you've got to be kidding!!!

Or, more likely, I went to double check I wasn't forgetting someone, pulled up the senior list, got bored around 23, assumed I'd never forget any decent players over that number and clicked submit.

I am potato.

Also forgot Brown unavailable for round one. Still stand by that Richo would select him if he could and may petition the AFL to allow him to play. Certainly coming straight back in round two.

[Cairnsman]

Is this a make or break year for Brandon White? If he can push his way into the team who does he push out? Maybe Daniel McKenzie, probably both are competing for the same rebounding defender type position.

Hopefully Logan can put some pressure on Brown and get some healthy competition going there, I'm guessing Nathan Brown would probably be first to admit he'd like to see someone push him out of the side this year. or maybe next depending on how much footy he thinks he has left in him How much good football can N Brown play beyond this year?

[Yorkeys]

Probably. My footy smarts naivety had me wondering why Bailey was preferred (nothing against Bailey he is a goer and gives his all). I thought Brandon was a good mark, good kick, read the play well and was brave - like many others (not wishing to put words in your mouths) could never understand Mav getting a game over Brandon. Are players tattooed with positions regardless of relative athletic and technical skills so Brandon was never in contention for whatever Mav's role was? I would bet my diminishing TAB account balance on another club picking up Brandon in a heartbeat. Has he played up or given AR some cheek, I wonder? Tony74 are you back from hols? Portugal?

[older saint]

My guess:
B: Geary, Carlise, Rice
HB: Webster, Bruce, Robbo
C: Sinclair, Ross,Acres
HF: Billlings, Membrey, Hannebery
F: Lonie, Marshall, Battle
Foll: Longer, Steven, Steele
Int: Clarke, Coffield, Long, McKenzie


Bruce to CHB, McCartin behind Marshall as he can ruck, Savage, Newness actually made to earn games rather than the AR gifts,

Long year ahead

Gresham not good enough?

Oops in Gresham out battle

[chico2001]

Funny how Longer is the concrete 1st ruck now in nearly all of the teams. Letting Hickey go has made it easier for selection purposes because selectors virtually have to play him now...non stop. But his form would have to improve IMO otherwise it would be awfully embarrassing in my book even though some wages would have been saved by moving Hickey on. Still cant work out who the clown was who signed off on his massive salary.

[Schillaci]

The 22 we would field in 2019 if we had intelligent people running the club

B: Webster, Austin, McKenzie
HB: Coffield, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Acres, Steele, Hannebery
HF: Billings, Marshall, Gresham
F: Long, Bruce, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Ross
Int: Battle, Clark, Sinclair, Smith


However i suspect this is Richo's preferred 22

B: Geary, Brown, Webster
HB: Savage, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Ross, Steele, Newnes
HF: Billings, Bruce, Gresham
F: Long, McCartin, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Hannebery
Int: Armitage, Dunstan, Kent, Acres

Who is Smith?
Any other hack as picking a 22nd is too painful?

[saintadamski]

People are familiar with Alan Richardson, right? He's going to pick every old bloke available to him until the team is out of finals contention. Then he'll select every old bloke available to him until he's fired at the end of 2020 (if we can't find him another extension). He's not trying to win, he's trying to avoid the kind of embarrassing 10-goal defeats that will get him fired. 17 more honourable losses would be a very pleasing and positive result.

The only AFL game Richo has ever coached without Jack Newnes was that one he filled in for Hinkley. The inclusion of Hannebery likely means nothing for Newnes and means that Steele goes back to coming in off the bench and playing sub-70% game time and maybe even back to spending time forward.

Early prediction of our R1 side:

B: Geary - Brown - McKenzie
HB: Roberton - Carlisle - Savage
C: Newnes - Hannebery - Dunstan
HF: Billings - Membrey - Kent
F: Bruce - McCartin - Gresham
Foll: Longer - Ross - Steven

IC: Acres - Armitage - Lonie - Steele

EMG: Austin - Marshall - Rice - Sinclair

https://www.saintsmembership.com.au/

Totally agree.

Richo's man crush on Spud Newnes is a deep love, and his delusions in Geary as captain won't change.

It'll be more of the same garbage...and I think it needs to be, in order to keep losing , which will lead to Richo finally getting the sack.

[freely]

The 22 we would field in 2019 if we had intelligent people running the club

B: Webster, Austin, McKenzie
HB: Coffield, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Acres, Steele, Hannebery
HF: Billings, Marshall, Gresham
F: Long, Bruce, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Ross
Int: Battle, Clark, Sinclair, Smith


However i suspect this is Richo's preferred 22

B: Geary, Brown, Webster
HB: Savage, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Ross, Steele, Newnes
HF: Billings, Bruce, Gresham
F: Long, McCartin, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Hannebery
Int: Armitage, Dunstan, Kent, Acres

Who is Smith?
Any other hack as picking a 22nd is too painful?

Bailey?

[mad saint guy]

The 22 we would field in 2019 if we had intelligent people running the club

B: Webster, Austin, McKenzie
HB: Coffield, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Acres, Steele, Hannebery
HF: Billings, Marshall, Gresham
F: Long, Bruce, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Ross
Int: Battle, Clark, Sinclair, Smith


However i suspect this is Richo's preferred 22

B: Geary, Brown, Webster
HB: Savage, Carlisle, Roberton
C: Ross, Steele, Newnes
HF: Billings, Bruce, Gresham
F: Long, McCartin, Membrey

Foll: Longer, Steven, Hannebery
Int: Armitage, Dunstan, Kent, Acres

Who is Smith?
Any other hack as picking a 22nd is too painful?

Bailey?

Yep. An absolute no-brainer for pick 4 but we'll probably screw it up.