The Playing Rookies Thread

[Bully]

Lambert is the only one I think has a good chance of playing round 1 for the Tiges. Mature aged fwd/mid who has been an excellent VFL player and is certainly ready to go. Corey Ellis and Nathan Drummond would be outside chances

Ellis has just had foot surgery so forget about him, won't see a preseason and is still fairly light. Both Drummond & Lambert are chances, although Drummond is a serial butcher of the ball, will need to watch him closely in the preseason games.

[RaisyDaisy]

I know this doesn't really mean much, but Herald Sun have released an article on clubs Best 22's and although I'd take them with a grain of salt at this stage, here are the rookies and cheap players that they seem to think should be in the 22 or at least get games this year, and I've compared it to the list compiled in the OP

DEFENCE

Best 22
High Goddard
Nathan Brown

Fringe/Maybe
Jake Lever
Dillon Viojo-Rainbow
Darcy Moore (D/F)
Zak Jones
Brendan Whitecross

Didn't even get a mention
Harrison Wigg
Daniel McKenzie (D/M)
Sam Colquhoun
Oscar McDonald
Darcy Byrne-Jones
Mitchell White
Nick Newman
Brodie Murdoch (F/D)

MIDFIELD

Best 22
Shane Biggs
Nathan Freeman
Christian Petracca
Angus Brayshaw
Blair Boekhorst
Nakia Cockatoo
Nathan Van Berlo

Fringe/Maybe
Jayden Laverde (M/F)
Isaac Heeney
Sam Blease (M/F)
Lachlan Weller
Patrick Cripps
Jed Anderson
Jono O'Rourke

Didn't even get a mention
Nathan Krakour (M/F)
Jack Steele (M/F)
Alex Neal-Bullen
Damien Cavka
Aaron Vandenberg
Trent Dumont
Kane Lambert (M/F)
Liam Duggan
Brad Walsh

FORWARD

Best 22
Jesse Hogan
Mitch Clark
Christian Salem
Tim Membrey
Nathan Vardy
Ben Lennon
Eli Templeton

Fringe/Maybe
Caleb Daniel
Daniel Menzel
Nick Kommer
Shane Kersten
Brandon Jack

Didn't even get a mention
Kieran Harper
Daniel Markworth
Brodie Murdoch (F/D)
Patrick Karnezis
Kyle Langford
Robbie Tarrant
Ahmad Saad

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/your-afl-clubs-best-22-who-makes-the-cut/story-fni5f3kt-1227194808450

We can perhaps use this as a guide for now when selecting rookies to field our teams, but I was surprised to see so many popular rookies not even get a mention. I know guys like Vandenberg and Lambert need to get elevated which would explain why they didn't get mentioned, but all of this gives us something to think about I think :)

[T Dog]

Very nice work RD

[Nige]

Top work RD, handy stuff!

Though if Goddard is High, I'm not sure they'll be playing him.  :P

[RaisyDaisy]

Thanks guys - was very tedious to comply!

It's made me re-think my team structure that's for sure. I'm starting to think that starting 3 premium forwards is going to be the way to go, then filling the rest of the line with 130-200k cheap options as there should be several of them playing regularly

One things for sure, I'm definitely sticking with my 4 prem plus Waters defence line because cheap defence options are looking super thin. Id say Brown, Goddard and Viojo-Rainbow fill D6-8 at this stage

[MC]

I wouldn't go changing team structures based on HS opinion pieces... There are always rookies who bob up at the last minute and get named round 1. Some of the more mature-aged rookies particularly would be a good chance of a rd 1 call up. No team is ready rookie-wise until the eve of round 1. Until then it's all speculative. If I were you i'd choose the structure you want (roughly) with gap-filler rookies until then. Keep perhaps 50k cash spare for switching rookies etc. Also - as per (almost) every other year, mid-listed rookies are safest to average 70+ so i'd be looking to load up with a few there, particularly given we can have 3 on the bench this year.

[ben_020285]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

[Ricochet]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

[Nige]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah, I really don't think he's worth picking.

[Jackross10]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah, I really don't think he's worth picking.

Agree

[ben_020285]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah that too.

In the past we have always had some rookie defenders pop up in NAB or had some obvious lock ins even before NAB but I think we are in for a rude shock this year.

We'll be lucky to find 2 for our bench let alone having any to put on the field for round 1 this year.

[kilbluff1985]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah, I really don't think he's worth picking.

Agree

anybody will be a better option but if there are no other options what you going to do then?

[Nige]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah, I really don't think he's worth picking.

Agree

anybody will be a better option but if there are no other options what you going to do then?

Still not pick him.

[Ricochet]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah, I really don't think he's worth picking.

Agree

anybody will be a better option but if there are no other options what you going to do then?

The next step is Whitex at D6, which I've got atm. If that fails then its Waters at D6.

[kilbluff1985]

The worst thing about the measly 2 players in the defenders column of the Herald Sun's opinion of the best 22 is that Hugh Goddard is actually very unlikely to play round 1.

and Nathan Brown will barely make 50k

Yeah, I really don't think he's worth picking.

Agree

anybody will be a better option but if there are no other options what you going to do then?

Still not pick him.

::)