Crystal ball squad circa 2018

[hungry for a premiership]

*listing guernsey number, player name, and (age in 2018)

1- Hickey (27)
2- Siposs (26)
3- Steven (29)
4- McCartin (22) bang!
5- Savage (28)
6- Ross (25)
7- Dunstan (23)
8- Goddard (22)
9- Lee (27)
10- Markworth (26)
11- Monty (35=gone)
12- Nick (36=gone)
13- schneidy (34=gone)
14- Geary (30)
15- Billings (23)
16- Newnes (25)
17- Roberton (27)
18- Longer (25)
19- Gilbert (32 Gone)
20- Armitage (30)
21- Delaney (29)
22- Ray (32 Gone)
23- White (24)
24- Dempster (34 Gone)
25- Fish (36 Gone)
26- Curren (26)
27- Bruce (26)
29- Webster (25)
30- Murdoch (24)
31- Simpkin (29)
34- Wright (24)
35- Saunders (24)
39- Shenton (29)
40- Acres (23)
41- Minchington (25)
42- Pierce (24)
43- Templeton (23)
44- Weller (26)
45- Holmes (29)
50- Mckenzie (22)
66- Lonie (22)


Breaking down what remains of the list into positions yields:

FORWARDS
(tall) McCartin, Lee, Markworth, White
(Med/small) Siposs, Savage, Templeton, Minchington, Lonie

MIDS
Steven, Ross, Dunstan, Billings, Newnes, Armitage, Curren, Saunders, Weller, Mckenzie

BACKS
(tall) Roberton, Delaney, Simpkin, Shenton
(med/small) Geary, Bruce, Webster, Wright

UTILITIES
Goddard, Murdoch

RUCKS
Hickey, Longer, Pierce, Holmes

Here's my best lineup:

FB: Geary - Delaney - Wright
HB: Bruce - Roberton - Goddard
C: Billings - Armitage - Newnes
HF: Templeton - McCartin - Savage
FF: Minchington - Lee - White
R: Hickey - Steven - Dunstan
Int: Ross, Curren, Webster, Saunders

We still need more a-graders to rotate through the middle plus we're our back line stocks are bare (the opposite of 4 years ago under Ross) but the foundations of a top team I would have thought are here.... Perhaps top up through draft and target key backs with free agency? What do we need to do from here with this list with an eye to opening the premiership window in 2018?

[FQF]

This is far too speculative to be worthwhile IMO.

[desertsaint]

"Here's my best lineup:

FB: Geary - Delaney - Wright
HB: Bruce - Roberton - Goddard
C: Billings - Armitage - Newnes
HF: Templeton - McCartin - Savage
FF: Minchington - Lee - White
R: Hickey - Steven - Dunstan
Int: Ross, Curren, Webster, Saunders"

Could be a premiership contender down the far away track.
Could be the worst list in the comp.
Way too early to know. Fingers crossed, and hope we add some beauties - think we need to.

[Con Gorozidis]

12-16 of those names will be gone by 2018.

[dragit]

Here's my best lineup:

FB: Geary - Delaney - Wright
HB: Bruce - Roberton - Goddard
C: Billings - Armitage - Newnes
HF: Templeton - McCartin - Savage
FF: Minchington - Lee - White
R: Hickey - Steven - Dunstan
Int: Ross, Curren, Webster, Saunders

the foundations of a top team I would have thought are here....?

I'm tipping that team would be bottom 4 in 2018.

We seriously have to replace half of it if we are any chance of playing finals

FB: xxxxx - Delaney - Wright
HB: Bruce - xxxxxx - Goddard
C: Billings - Armitage - Newnes
HF: Templeton - McCartin - xxxxx
FF: xxxxxxx -xxxxxx - White
R: Hickey - Steven - Dunstan
Int: xxxxx - xxxxxx - xxxxxxx

Armitage & Delaney will be close to being too old

Wright, White, Bruce & Templeton have far from proved themselves - all speculative.

Hickey looks like a player who is going to be always injured

I can pick 4 locks from that side for 2018, with McCartin, Goddard, Acres you would think look very likely.

We still need a complete midfield - 4 or 5 A grade players.

Players like Savage, Michington, Ross, Curren, Weller, Shenton, Murdoch & Saunders will need to be replaced if we are going to challenge the best sides. Hopefully one or two of those surprise and become good players though.

[dragit]

12-16 of those names will be gone by 2018.

Agree, 12 absolute minimum.

[bergholt]

MIDS
Steven, Ross, Dunstan, Billings, Newnes, Armitage, Curren, Saunders, Weller, Mckenzie

That group will barely be a competitive midfield, let alone one which can challenge for a flag. We're going to need to pick up a couple of serious midfield stars if we're going to be any good.

[SaintPav]

12-16 of those names will be gone by 2018.

Agree, 12 absolute minimum.

Especially true given that there are 4 drafts to go until 2018 which is about 15 players we have never heard of.

[FQF]

MIDS
Steven, Ross, Dunstan, Billings, Newnes, Armitage, Curren, Saunders, Weller, Mckenzie

That group will barely be a competitive midfield, let alone one which can challenge for a flag. We're going to need to pick up a couple of serious midfield stars if we're going to be any good.

Yep, which is fine seeing as we are in 2014.

Plenty of drafting, trading, and free agency to still come.

[Hallalj#3]

This Thread is completely unfair saying we need to have at least 12 changes is extremely dramatic as its 4 yrs away.

Also considering the club has boasted what are great job in recruiting they've done the last 3 yrs.

I for 1 am very optimistic and confident that 90% of the players we have currently under the age of 25 will become good AFL footballers.

[bobmurray]

Bruce and Goddard as back flankers, are they meant to be providing run and carry from the backline...

Obviously the game has evolved again in 2018, you now play your tallest defenders on the flanks.

Right

[Dave McNamara]

This is far too speculative to be worthwhile IMO.

Hi FQF, I go the other way, and I would assume (and hope) that our list management peeps would be constantly performing the above exercise.

I think that the critques of Hungry's proposed 2018 team shows it's a very worthwhile and important thing for them to be doing... coz it shows the prossible weaknesses that we need to recruit for/develop for, so as to be ready for that 2018 flag.


PS: Only one poster to date mentioned Acres(?)

PPS:
Gooddard to CHB,
Roberton to a flank as third man up/rebounder (if his ankle holds up, which I'm worried about),
Savage and Bruce to swap. (I really like Bruce in the Hamill role... and he's bloody quick too.)
Someone left Webster out... he'll be a gun, 2015 will quite possibly be the breakout year.
Peirce will be our best ruckman, and I reckon he'll be pretty dangerous resting up forward.
Holmes is already a very good AFL standard tap ruckman... if he can just learn to read the play a bit more... look out!
Billy... has plenty of time to mature, but he's already physically big enough to compete, so unless he can start holding those marks, I can see him being the one we trade-out. Plenty of time for all (our rucks) though.

[BringBackMadDog]

how is Roberton a tall defender (194cm) and Bruce a small/medium defender (197cm)????