2017 Best 22

[Scrads]

I love doing this! It's one way to occupy ourselves for the next few months haha.

Anyway IMO the starting 18 is pretty set. There's a lot of flexible players so the actual positioning may differ but the only one I've listed there that I think is any chance of not being at least in the best 22 when available is Brand- but I still think he'll play a key role as a KPD for us next year.

Due to our draft position, it's probably unlikely that we'll pick up someone who will step in straight away. You never know though, Kade Stewart had himself a few surprise games this year in his first year on the rookie list. There's also the chance of a ready-made mature-age draftee or delisted free agent (Barlow, anyone??) but for now we'll just go with what we've got. I've included a couple of guys like Spang and Lithers, but they might actually find themselves delisted so we'll just have to wait and see how that plays out obviously.

FB: Gibson Brand Stratton
HB: Birchall Frawley Hodge
C: Hartung Shiels Smith
HF: Rioli Gunston Burgoyne
FF: Puopolo Vickery Breust
R: McEvoy Mitchell O'meara

Int from: Sicily Duryea Burton Howe Whitecross Langford Schoey

Depth Talls: Fitzpatrick, TOB, Pittonet, Heatherley, Spang... (Rough, Ceglar)

Depth Smalls: Lovell, JOR, Stewart, Hardwick, Lithers, Woody, Willsmore, Miles, Glass

One of our goals for next year should be to pump games into Burton, Howe and maybe Lovell. I think we need at least one of them to turn out to be better than just a 'good player' for us to have much of a chance at sustained success, particularly with this year's and next year's drafts being compromised for us (needless to say, JOM must also end up being worth what we paid. Ability is undeniable, let's just hope his body agrees with his talent!).

It will be interesting which of the previously-seen guys will be chosen to step up out of Langford, WX and JOR. There's a couple of players I only know a little bit about who could be closer to getting a game than I give them credit for (Willsmore seemed to have nice numbers playing as an outside mid/wing type player for BH and I believe Teia Miles came 3rd in the bnf there).

[Mr.Craig]

Was going to post my team but it was just the same 18 in a different order. Sicily, Duryea, Burton, WhiteX on the bench. Howe, Fitzpatrick and Langford emergencies.