Best/Starting 23, Round 1 2024

[54Bulldog16]

FB: Richards, Jones, Coffield
HB: Dale, O'Donnell, JJ
C: Poulter, Liberatore, Treloar
HF: West, Naughton, Sanders
FF: Weightman, JUH, Lobb
F: English, Bont, BSmith
IC: Macrae, Daniel, Harmes, Williams
Sub: Scott

Lot of players quite stiff to miss out. Scott sub because he can generally slot in and play a role. Poulter is the one with the weakest position in the side and could be pushed out if someone like Freijah or Gallagher has a great pre-season. Sanders, Macrae, and Harmes rotate through the inside midfield, HFF, and bench, or Harmes plays on the most dangerous opposition midfielder.

Yeah can’t argue with that atm. Would love Darcy in there but how……

[54Bulldog16]

B: Johannisen - Jones - Darcy
HB: Richards - JOD - Coffield
C: Dale - Libba - Poulter
HF: West - Naughton - Harmes
F: Lobb - JUH - Weightman

R: English - Bont - Treloar

Int: Sanders - Smith - Macrae - Daniel
Sub: Williams

I think JJ plays best when he plays deepest.

Playing Darcy deep provides cover for Jones when the latter is tracking his opponent up the field.

JOD displays great athletic capability and football smarts. I believe he will fully blossom this year and own CHB.

Dale on the wing is a try-it-and-see, but with a huge upside. His aerobic capacity and skills make it worth considering.

To me, Poulter and Williams are line-ball but Poulter doesn't seem to drift in and out of games as often as Williams.

Harmes was recruited to give us some grunt, which we sorely lacked. I'm reasonably certain he will play.

I like it, and may take this into 2024 some weeks. My only concern would be speed in the back half covering teams like Brisbane. Their half forwards and smalls would be too quick.

[Grantysghost]

Agree with this, crumbing/pressure forward is my biggest positional concern going into next year. We have our Jamie Elliott type in Weightman but need to find a Bobby Hill type equivalent. Need someone like Artie Jones, O’Driscoll to standup. Hope he proves me wrong but feel like we’ve been down this unsuccessful path with VDM before. Feel like Gallagher is another with speed that could play the role but sounds like we’re experimenting with him higher up the field at the moment

Agree there's a couple of roles we are still thin on the ground.

Small forward
Small / Medium lock down defender
Wings are thin / fringe players
KPD Jones and Keath are veterans I hope Buss comes on this season. Defence concerns me.

[The Doctor]

my team

B: JJ, L.Jones, Coffield

HB: Dale, JOD, Richards

C: Williams, Libba, Poulter

HF: Jamarra, Bont, Harmes

F: Lobb, Naughton, Flea

R: English, Smith, Treloar

Int: Darcy, Sanders, Macrae, Daniel

sub: West

[Go_Dogs]

Bont at CHF is an interesting one Doc.

Would love to hear more on how you see him playing the role?

[hujsh]

I like it, and may take this into 2024 some weeks. My only concern would be speed in the back half covering teams like Brisbane. Their half forwards and smalls would be too quick.

The best way to stop that is to have good pressure around the ground and not allow quick movement to get the ball out the back for the likes of Cameron to get onto.

If we're relying on someone to beat Cameron in a footrace running into goal 9 times out of ten we've already lost no matter who the defender is.

It'll happen a few times a game no matter how good our setup is but if we can minimise those opportunities with team defence then I think that will do more than any individual defender is capable of

That said I too would like 21 Dureya back

[Olddog]

Haven’t seen too many suggesting Dom Bedendo can force his way into the best 23 but if he can stay fit I think he has a great chance of taking up a role on the wing

[hujsh]

my team

B: JJ, L.Jones, Coffield

HB: Dale, JOD, Richards

C: Williams, Libba, Poulter

HF: Jamarra, Bont, Harmes

F: Lobb, Naughton, Flea

R: English, Smith, Treloar

Int: Darcy, Sanders, Macrae, Daniel

sub: West

Bont at CHF is an interesting one Doc.

Would love to hear more on how you see him playing the role?

I'd also be curious how Darcy is used here. I think a lot of us want him in the team but I really wonder how that works with the rotations. Our key defenders play close to 100% so is one of Darcy/Lobb/English/Naughton/JUH always on the bench to keep our 3 tall forward structure intact?

Are Macrae/Sanders rotating with Bont/Harmes and Smith/Treloar through the forwards/midfield?

[hujsh]

Haven’t seen too many suggesting Dom Bedendo can force his way into the best 23 but if he can stay fit I think he has a great chance of taking up a role on the wing

I'm a convert too Olddog. I was on the delist train but since he's come back and won the 2k I really respect that and think he could be a big surprise this year.

[Twodogs]

Disclaimer: I'm going to forget a few but here we go



B: Coffield, L.Jones, JJ

HB: Dale, JOD, Richards

C: Williams, Smith, West

HF: Weightman, Jamarra, Daniel

F: Lobb, Naughton, Trealor

R: English, Bont, Libba

Int: Darcy, Sanders, Macrae, Harmes

sub: Poulter

Spots are hard to find. We've got more good players than we've got spots in the team. That's a really good thing. So is the fact that we should have a regular back six that will gel play together most weeks, understand each other's strength and weaknesses the more they play and gel together. We've got depth and coverage for injured players or strategic reasons.

All good signs going into next year IMO

[Stevo]

Twodogs is Treloar in a forward pocket maximising his running strength? Should he be swapped with the Flea?

[Bulldog Joe]

Agree with this, crumbing/pressure forward is my biggest positional concern going into next year. We have our Jamie Elliott type in Weightman but need to find a Bobby Hill type equivalent. Need someone like Artie Jones, O?Driscoll to standup. Hope he proves me wrong but feel like we?ve been down this unsuccessful path with VDM before. Feel like Gallagher is another with speed that could play the role but sounds like we?re experimenting with him higher up the field at the moment

While O'Driscoll certainly has the speed we will wait on how that plays out in game smarts as well.

I am very concerned for Artie Jones as he seems to lack the footy nous to go with the athletic attributes. I see more likely to make a contribution in a defensive role. His best VFL efforts where when he went to half back. I would seriously be aiming at the lock down small defender because he does have the athleticism for that role.

Charlie Clarke showed some forward smarts as the year progressed and is the one I think might be the crumbing forward we seek.

[meenies]

here goes for version 1 of plenty.....

Coffield L Jones Gallagher
Richards Darcy Dale
B Smith Bont Poulter
West Naughton Sanders
Lobb JUH Weightman

English Treloar Libba

Macrae, Daniel, Khamis or JOD, Harmes

Sub: Scott

I have left out JJ as I don't think he will be ready fitness wise.
I like Freijah, so would not be surprised if I promoted him in later versions of this. And Garcia down back if fit.

[GVGjr]

here goes for version 1 of plenty.....

Coffield L Jones Gallagher
Richards Darcy Dale
B Smith Bont Poulter
West Naughton Sanders
Lobb JUH Weightman

English Treloar Libba

Macrae, Daniel, Khamis or JOD, Harmes

Sub: Scott

I have left out JJ as I don't think he will be ready fitness wise.
I like Freijah, so would not be surprised if I promoted him in later versions of this. And Garcia down back if fit.

No Williams is a touch surprising.

[Bullies]

We need a samll forward which is why i would like to see Clarke. If Clarke is in the team come Round 1 it means he has done well pre season. He has put on a bit of size and fitness after an injury interupted pre season last year.

Will be hard to see how he gets in but the small forward is the must have these days.