Teams for North Melbourne and Melbourne

[Thinline]

I reckon it'll be the likely finals line up for the last two games. After much teeth gnashing and heart aching and pondering and far too much deliberation for what my wife tells me is only a game I find myself stuck on this:


Schneider Kosi Milne
Gwilt Riewoldt McQualter
Dal Santo Hayes Gram
Goddard Fisher Ray
Baker Hudghton Gilbert
Gardiner Jones Montagna

Int: Ball McEvoy Clarke Blake
Emg (from):Geary Dawson Armitage King Eddy Dempster

So I keep Ball over Geary, Eddy and Armo (although this is the hottest spot IMO), prefer Max in what is essentially a toss of the coin and promote mobility and effort over the good, honest but one-dimensional King.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Abuse?

[BringBackMadDog]

King and Dawson will be in our best 22 come finals.... McEvoy is unlucky but will miss, the other one is very tough indeed, its going to depend on match ups on a weekly basis

[Joffa 5]

Dawson has been great but I agree we can't fit him in to the team. He was recruited for long term benefit and he will get his chance to taste success in the future. It's Max's time.

[Stillwaiting]

I reckon it'll be the likely finals line up for the last two games. After much teeth gnashing and heart aching and pondering and far too much deliberation for what my wife tells me is only a game I find myself stuck on this:


Schneider Kosi Milne
Gwilt Riewoldt McQualter
Dal Santo Hayes Gram
Goddard Fisher Ray
Baker Hudghton Gilbert
Gardiner Jones Montagna

Int: Ball McEvoy Clarke Blake
Emg (from):Geary Dawson Armitage King Eddy Dempster

So I keep Ball over Geary, Eddy and Armo (although this is the hottest spot IMO), prefer Max in what is essentially a toss of the coin and promote mobility and effort over the good, honest but one-dimensional King.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Abuse?

You have selected a very good team, but I still think that if all are fit, then King must play instaed of Ben, but his time will come, the thing I really find hard is to fit Zac in, dont shoot me but I think in place of max.

[saint66au]

If we cop a wet day, Ball and King will play for sure. Need tough hard bodies at the contest. Kings relative lack of mobility wont be such a factor.

I well remember the Semi in 04...pouring rain...GT put Thommo, Powell and Peckett in the centre square and left BJ and X on the pine. prolly the slowest midfield we could have but it worked a treat as they just put their heads over the footy and time and time again extracted it for us.

[borderbarry]

Gwilt back in again? Would prefer Armitage. I am sure he would have a better goal scoring value.

[Thinline]

Gwilt back in again? Would prefer Armitage. I am sure he would have a better goal scoring value.

Thought about this. Reckon Gwilt works harder for longer, hence the selection. But yes, you could well be right.

[bozza1980]

I reckon it'll be the likely finals line up for the last two games. After much teeth gnashing and heart aching and pondering and far too much deliberation for what my wife tells me is only a game I find myself stuck on this:


Schneider Kosi Milne
Gwilt Riewoldt McQualter
Dal Santo Hayes Gram
Goddard Fisher Ray
Baker Hudghton Gilbert
Gardiner Jones Montagna

Int: Ball McEvoy Clarke Blake
Emg (from):Geary Dawson Armitage King Eddy Dempster

So I keep Ball over Geary, Eddy and Armo (although this is the hottest spot IMO), prefer Max in what is essentially a toss of the coin and promote mobility and effort over the good, honest but one-dimensional King.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Abuse?

You've picked a good unit, picking only 22 is too hard for me.

Proof of this, I think Dawson and King should be in there but I can't tell you who should be dropped.

[SaintWodonga]

Gwilt back in again? Would prefer Armitage. I am sure he would have a better goal scoring value.

Agree (1st time with border barry). Gwilt has had plenty of chances without setting the world on fire.

[Animal Enclosure]

Gwilt back in again? Would prefer Armitage. I am sure he would have a better goal scoring value.

Agree (1st time with border barry). Gwilt has had plenty of chances without setting the world on fire.

Gwilt's role as a lead up half forward is vastly underated. He allows Roo & Kosi to play within goal scoring range & has drastically improved his ability to win a contested ball. His kicking into F50 is generally long, accurate & can penetrate the defence (as he kicks it quite quickly through the air).

Armitage is an inside mid & is probably competing with Bally for a spot.

I have no idea about Max v Zac although I do think Ross like's the flexibility of having both as it allows Chips, BJ, Gilbo etc to rotate through the midfield and up forward.

Lets just hope we are having this debate going into a GF & we're not debating who can fill in for someone critical who has gotten hurt.

[Nick_Dal_Santo = ChAmPiOn]

The biggest problem we have is having Dawson, Max and Blake in the one backline. As well as Raph and Fisher.

One of them has to go, I'd say Dawson.

I reckon we have to move Goddard to a HBF, we need someone that can hit a target back there when we get maned up. Othewise, it'll be Max kicking it around, and we know what happens from there.

Gwilt should get a game. He is athletic and can kick goals. Armo goes missing too much in games.


Baker Hudghton Gilbert
Goddard Fisher Ray

Dal Santo Hayes Gram

Schneider Kosi Milne
Gwilt Riewoldt McQualter

Gardiner Jones Montagna

Int: King Ball Dempster Clarke/Blake
Emg (from):Geary Dawson Armitage King Eddy Dempster

[InkerSaint]

Lets just hope we are having this debate going into a GF & we're not debating who can fill in for someone critical who has gotten hurt.

The funniest thing is... that would appear to be - Jones and McQualter!

We've won games without Roo, Kosi, Lenny, BJ, Joey, Dal, Milne, Max...

Our depth has looked great. The only thing I would be sorry for is if one of the above missed out on a premiership medal.

[The darkness]

Yes decisions,desicions...
I tend to lean toward Armo over Ball because in all the games I've seen Armo play he kicks goals and sets blokes up for goals, he has the same hardness and willingness to put his head over the ball as Ball and even though Luke has been renown as a tackling machine this part of his game has dropped off some what...Armo for me.
I though we missed Gwilt heaps against the Bombers as we had no lead up half forward. At one stage we had 2 talls and 4 smalls up foward and it just didnt work . No one was prepared to be the link /lead up and we suffered. Thought BJ could of been an option but it didnt happen. Gwilt can do a job though his output can be below par some weeks but if his job/role is to lead up take marks, turn and pump it long then we dont have too many other options. His big body forces other teams to man him up and not let blokes like Maxwell , Milburn etc chop off the ball coming into the 2 talls , one other thing to consider is that he does move well and covers the ground and kicks very well so this is another positive thing in his favour come finals time at the G

[boneless23]

Dawson I think should get the nod against Geelong, Adelaide and Collingwood with Max getting a game against Brisbane, Hawthorn, Essendon (with Lloyd), Carlton and the Bulldogs.

Dawson gives us more offensively than Max and unless there is a clear match up for him, I would lean toward Zac. Conversly against Fev, Buddy, Lloydy or Brad Johnson, Max gives us such an advantage that perhaps Dawson should miss.

I also think we need Gwilt in the team as a lead up forward option. He has great hands and is smooth in the wet. There is an argument that says we need Ball in a finals environment but the other 8 or so midefielders have no problem winning their own contested footy and offer more than Luke when we are running forward.

I think with the quality small forwards that we will come up against in September, we need to bring in another small defender. It was a toss up between Dempster and Geary but I ended up settling on Geary as he seems a bit quicker and more agile. I like Dempster and think he gives us a fair bit of flexibility but couldn't find where to slot him in.

So therefore my 22 would be:

B: Blake Dawson (or Max depending on Match- Up) Baker
HB: Gilbert Fisher Clarke
C: Goddard Hayes Ray
HF: Dal Riewoldt Schneider
F: Milne Kosi Mcqualter
Fo: Gardiner Montagna Jones

Int: King Gram Gwilt Geary

IN: Mini, CJ, Geary, Gwilt
OUT: Dempster, Armitage, Max/ Dawson, Ball

[bigcarl]

So therefore my 22 would be:

B: Blake Dawson (or Max depending on Match- Up) Baker
HB: Gilbert Fisher Clarke
C: Goddard Hayes Ray
HF: Dal Riewoldt Schneider
F: Milne Kosi Mcqualter
Fo: Gardiner Montagna Jones

Int: King Gram Gwilt Geary

IN: Mini, CJ, Geary, Gwilt
OUT: Dempster, Armitage, Max/ Dawson, Ball

don't mind that. looks pretty close to the team that set this season up.

[ace]

Dawson has been great but I agree we can't fit him in to the team. He was recruited for long term benefit and he will get his chance to taste success in the future. It's Max's time.

Could Dawson be the third tall forward we need desperately.

[hotdish]

Raph and Dempster both can't play in the same side...

Max, Blake and Dawson can't play in the same side - I think Dawson's kicking ability puts him ahead of Blake...

Really depends on the opposition/matchups. For example, the blues if they finish 4th (a posibility) don't have a big FWD line... Fev, Kruzer/Cloke and the irish fella are their only bigs. The rest are smalls (Simpson, Betts etc)

[Milan Faletic]

Sadly Dawson ahead of Max.

McEvoy ahead of King.

[jonesy]

Dunno about McEvoy over King. He's showing good signs with mobility,and he's a good future prospect for us. However his ruck work is limited. In finals I'd rather have King's big body and tap work there.

Max's days are numbered. His skills are terrible,he's fumbling,and the lunging spoils that sprays the ball in any random direction worry's me

I think Geary comes in for Dempster. We need some extra run and Geary can slot a goal or two.

I'd like them to give Armo another go,but I'm not sold on him being in the side in september just yet,need more proof. He wasn't sited in last years finals games. I still think he can be a quality player for us in the coming years