Best Available 22 Rnd 1

[D.B.Cooper]

Webster Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle NWM
Hill Crouch Wood
Gresham Membrey Billings*
Owens Sharman Higgins

Marshall Steele Windhager

Ross Cordy Jones Clark

E: Stocker Bytel Byrnes Phillipou Butler Paton

Inj: King McKenzie Coffield Hayes Allison

[Otiman]

The "best" 22 will evolve, thru the preseason and practice games and then thru the season (contingent on progression and injuries)

Congratulations, this post wins the thread.

Interested to hear your thoughts on Butler, the only notable omission I could see.

[Banger9798]

Butler is an interesting one, I find him very hard to leave out as he can be such a damaging forward.
Very keen to see what Ross does with him this year and how he is rated by the coaches

[Killa]

Look at the competition for the "small forward" role.

Then add introducing the likes of Owen and Phillipou to the forward 6 (because where else do you introduce them?)

And Peris.

So where does this leave Butler?

[Vortex]

Players who have proven tbey can kick a goal on a consistent basis, Gresh springs to mind, Buttler, Wood and Members. These are the types who will be in the box seat come R1, Sharman might get a gig but I'll be watching with my hands over my eyes if he does. Then again that's how I watched the last 10 minutes of the 2010 GF.

[saynta]

IN 2023 it will be best 23 not 22.

[lloyd21]

Watching training think myself, prefer we break the shackles …from round one .

Paton, Howard, Wilkie
Coffield, Battle, NWM
Hill Bytel Jones
Higgins, Owens Steele
Gresh, Membrey, Coops
Marshall Windhager Sinclair

Int: Ross, Clark, Butler ,Crouch , Stocker



Emg McKenzie or Phillipou .



Observations this year on form , fitness …I’d go this one ..not 100% on Gresham ..hasn’t done the work at this stage.

Bytel has dominated clearance out of the centre needs to be given opportunities.

[saynta]

Watching training think myself, prefer we break the shackles …from round one .

Paton, Howard, Wilkie
Coffield, Battle, NWM
Hill Bytel Jones
Higgins, Owens Steele
Gresh, Membrey, Coops
Marshall Windhager Sinclair

Int: Ross, Clark, Butler ,Crouch , Stocker



Emg McKenzie or Phillipou .



Observations this year on form , fitness …I’d go this one ..not 100% on Gresham ..hasn’t done the work at this stage.

Bytel has dominated clearance out of the centre needs to be given opportunities.

Good team

[Scollop]

Wilkie mentioned Bytel and Highmore in the video regarding preseason training and expectations for this year.

He said they have presented well after the break and they didn't get opportunities last year.

I think both will be favoured and if they perform early on in practice games and early rounds they'll retain their spot in the team going forward

[meher baba]

I sincerely hope that RTB decides to leave the excellent 2022 backline in tact, including Webster.

Despite the injuries, we look set to be able to field a pretty good side for Round 1 from the backline through to the half forward line. The full forward line is going to be tricky without King. I think we have to go with a makeshift tall in there: Cordy or even Heath. I think it is a mistake to try to play Battle or Marshall there: other sides have seen them play there in the past, and are fully aware of their limitations. Putting a player like Cordy or Heath brings an element of uncertainty, which can be helpful. Even if they don't kick any goals, they will exert some sort of presence, which could be enough to open up opporutnities for other players.

[bergsone]

My concern is who gives Marshall a chop out in the ruck,Hayes was perfect for this,depending on opponent may see a fair bit of Campbell,Heath

[Ghost Like]

My concern is who gives Marshall a chop out in the ruck,Hayes was perfect for this,depending on opponent may see a fair bit of Campbell,Heath

Did I read correctly in one of the training reports that Owens has done some match sim there, ala, Shaun Grigg / Jason Blake???

[Vortex]

Who can see Sharman and Ownens in the same forward line for R1, personally I think Owens is ahead of Sharman

[Vortex]

Who can see Sharman and Ownens in the same forward line for R1, personally I think Owens is ahead of Sharman

[Banger9798]

I think Sharman and Owens can play together in the forward line, along with Membrey , Higgins , Billings and Gresham. Very mobile forward line , if a little short. Owens competes well and has a super leap.
Possibly even Phillipou for another marking option, if he is ready.

[Zed]

so far, I think King is the only lock from our best 23 that has been ruled out for R1 ?
I cant quite work out if McKenzie will be available or not - but if fully fit, then he is in the mix for best 23. Hayes, from the small sample size we saw last year, you could argue is also in our best 23.

Coff you would think is going to start the season at Sandy to give him a chance to continue to build his fitness base, and find his form. Spots in the backline are going to be hard to earn and he will need to show he is back to his 2020 best before he becomes an automatic selection.

Plenty of options to cover Mckenzie, so effectively RTB has a full strength backline and midfield at his disposal at this stage for Round 1, and a forward line that is missing the tall timber.
IF we can move the ball in fast, and resist the urge to bomb it in high - and instead kick it to space , we might just surprise a few. But gee whiz its going to look ugly.

[Teflon]

Webster Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle NWM
Hill Crouch Wood
Gresham Membrey Billings*
Owens Sharman Higgins

Marshall Steele Windhager

Ross Cordy Jones Clark

E: Stocker Bytel Byrnes Phillipou Butler Paton

Inj: King McKenzie Coffield Hayes Allison

Swap Webster out for Paton (lock down defender specialist) and I think you’ve got it
I don’t think Cordy will start also but who knows prefer another mid on bench if possible

[B.M]

Out Cordy

In Phillipou or Bytel

Otherwise I agree

Webster - a shoe in

[Gershwin]

Webster Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle NWM
Hill Crouch Wood
Gresham Membrey Billings*
Owens Sharman Higgins

Marshall Steele Windhager

Ross Cordy Jones Clark

E: Stocker Bytel Byrnes Phillipou Butler Paton

Inj: King McKenzie Coffield Hayes Allison

What a team of midgets. Marshall goes down in the first 5 minutes and who rucks? Must play Campbell.

[Teflon]

Webster Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle NWM
Hill Crouch Wood
Gresham Membrey Billings*
Owens Sharman Higgins

Marshall Steele Windhager

Ross Cordy Jones Clark

E: Stocker Bytel Byrnes Phillipou Butler Paton

Inj: King McKenzie Coffield Hayes Allison

What a team of midgets. Marshall goes down in the first 5 minutes and who rucks? Must play Campbell.

Marshall has done well solo rucking and it appears Owens et al have been training as a chop out
I’m not sure carrying Campbell is right …it’s a risk for sure but you can’t have back ups for them all abd Campbell is avg /break even at best
Paton will play ahead of Webster- he offers a genuine lock down capability Webster doesn’t and we have enough run from defence with NWM/Sincs and Battle as an interceptor
Depends also obviously on opposition..

[Gershwin]

Webster Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle NWM
Hill Crouch Wood
Gresham Membrey Billings*
Owens Sharman Higgins

Marshall Steele Windhager

Ross Cordy Jones Clark

E: Stocker Bytel Byrnes Phillipou Butler Paton

Inj: King McKenzie Coffield Hayes Allison

What a team of midgets. Marshall goes down in the first 5 minutes and who rucks? Must play Campbell.

Marshall has done well solo rucking and it appears Owens et al have been training as a chop out
I’m not sure carrying Campbell is right …it’s a risk for sure but you can’t have back ups for them all abd Campbell is avg /break even at best
Paton will play ahead of Webster- he offers a genuine lock down capability Webster doesn’t and we have enough run from defence with NWM/Sincs and Battle as an interceptor
Depends also obviously on opposition..

Opposition coaches will dine out on NWM in defence as they did with Hill. Fancy taking a kid who has shown great potential on the wing and playing him in a position he is unfamiliar with. Will be dragged deep and exploited. Will be crying out to go back home.

[shanegrambeau]

Webster Howard Wilkie
Sinclair Battle NWM
Hill Crouch Wood
Gresham Membrey Billings*
Owens Sharman Higgins

Marshall Steele Windhager

Ross Cordy Jones Clark

E: Stocker Bytel Byrnes Phillipou Butler Paton

Inj: King McKenzie Coffield Hayes Allison

All this is based on the caveat that I just do not know what Ross will bring to the table. I've heard, with some dread, that he is delegating things now, that he 'aint no boss no more and that we have several little bosses. So I don't know..(although if true, it is a clever move, he has some room to maneuver from there)

I don't know whether I am overreacting to the gutting disappointment we all felt after Round One in 2022 - and hence trimming the roses of expectation so brutally they resemble those white wooden markers on the side of country roads with red reflectors (warning!) , but I can't help feeling that Freo fans' optimism, that they've got this one by the balls, and will go on to win their first six, is not entirely unfounded.

I see holes everywhere.
Freo (circa 2022) had a stellar defence and a fantastic stoppage and clearance record, as well as an extremely good kicking efficiency statistic.
This is based on my nearly 3 FULL minutes of research on Big Footy..that is T-H-R-E-E, I said.)

Our backs are the best division in the army. But even here I see Webster, Battle and NWM in particular as potential soft points. (no matter how hard they are)
Our mids, are reasonable, and fair at best. I think FReo's can take care of it.

Our forwards look like an Italian sedan of the 1970s.. Elegant lines, sporty looks, and some class bits, but dodgy electricals, and dubious reliability. Somehow, the unpredictability of the situation might work in our favor, because Freo doesn't know what they are getting either, so a lot will depend on their ability to adopt a Plan B and C if we get on a role.

We need to disrupt Freo..and I think having Philipou in, along with Windy, might help. Having said that, the inclusion of Owens in for Round One last year against Collingwood was a big mistake IMO.

In short, I can't see that team causing Freo too much trouble, but we wait in hope, for the big change...and if we have managed to achieve something magical, bravo. Maybe the strategy is that BJ, Lenny and Harvs will pull all stops out for RTB, and he can just eat pop corn and wave his wand! i'll take that too.

[Vortex]

Watching training think myself, prefer we break the shackles …from round one .

Paton, Howard, Wilkie
Coffield, Battle, NWM
Hill Bytel Jones
Higgins, Owens Steele
Gresh, Membrey, Coops
Marshall Windhager Sinclair

Int: Ross, Clark, Butler ,Crouch , Stocker



Emg McKenzie or Phillipou .



Observations this year on form , fitness …I’d go this one ..not 100% on Gresham ..hasn’t done the work at this stage.

Bytel has dominated clearance out of the centre needs to be given opportunities.

Swap Wood for Sharman and Webster for Paton and you are close.

[Templar]

IMO both Wood and McKenzie (if fit and ready) are automatic 22

[Yorkeys]

Could Coffield become a forward?