2025 Best 23

[tora tora tora]

As you say we had problems all over the park, so yes perhaps harsh on Short. But it didn't stop Rioli, Vlastuin or Broad from having very good years.

We will be better this year than last I predict. Besides the obvious injuries, we had players like Martin barely going. His defensive work was non-existent, Bolton not much better. Even Baker said he had slightly checked out. Then we played Pickett and MacIntosh forward as well, no wonder the ball rebounded so fast. Lefau was the only one with any presence, and he was in his first few games.

Brown is 190cm max, so capable of being much more mobile. He was a noted rebounder as a junior. Trezise has good defensive game and his offence is coming on well. Smith has great rebound and a good all round game, so he could take Rioli or Shorts place. Hugo could go back but we have finally found a real wingman so why move him. I want Mnasell there because his is seasoned enough, tough and time to give him more responsibility. He is a natural half back anyway.

Mansell was good as a half forward because he was the only one that applied defensive pressure. He kicked 20 goals which wasn't bad but a long way off the best small forwards in the comp. We will have a swag of options across half forward this year, Campbell, Green, MRJ, Clarke, and resting mids like Ross, Taranto, even Short himself. Lalor and Smillie, and maybe Alger.

With luck Lynch has a good year. Faull will be putting his hand up as a second forward. Bauer has serious talent and is due some luck. He towelled up Sisily last year. We could swing Blight down there if need be, he can mark a ball. Lefau is running already and seems ahead of schedule. Gray might surprise after his first ever proper preseason.

I think the energy level will be far greater this year than last. Sure Rioli and Bolton are great players, but on 2024, none of those that have left will be greatly missed other than Rioli.

Mansell wasn't great at half back in 2021. I recall brain fades, frees against when kicking out from full back, and against Ginnavan in the Pies days.

Short is like Houli ~ there for the pure rebounding. Never for tackles or pressure acts. Mansell has the HBF experience that he brings to his spot up fwd.


If not Short.. Smith? Maybe Banks Hugo, Kmac. Brown has grown to 193 according to footywire. I like Tresize be good to see him play as much as possible.


Yze been unable to drop senior players. Glad Graham is gone. I know Kmac & Short going to play all year.

Certainly plenty of new faces up fwd.

Looking fwd to a new injury management regime.

 

[Grrr]

Mansell wasn't great at half back in 2021. I recall brain fades, frees against when kicking out from full back, and against Ginnavan in the Pies days.

Short is like Houli ~ there for the pure rebounding. Never for tackles or pressure acts. Mansell has the HBF experience that he brings to his spot up fwd.


If not Short.. Smith? Maybe Banks Hugo, Kmac. Brown has grown to 193 according to footywire. I like Tresize be good to see him play as much as possible.


Yze been unable to drop senior players. Glad Graham is gone. I know Kmac & Short going to play all year.

Certainly plenty of new faces up fwd.

Looking fwd to a new injury management regime.

Mansell wasn't good anywhere in the early days, as I said on another thread, had a case of the Steve Morris bull at a gate. But he was 19 years old playing his first few games.

Mansell was a bog average small forward as well, but Dimma loved his space guarders. But he has turned it around, because he not 19 years old and he has 50 odd games under his belt. He is still an average forward, but he gives it all and his skills have developed.

Short has played good rebounding half back before, but he was nothing like Houli last year. Think of Houli and Rioli and where they get the ball, always running past at the right time usually into space and running forward. Now think of Short last year, running around the back of packs and hoiking it over his shoulder to nowhere, usually under pressure. Or calling for it in the back pocket hard up against the boundary line. Or 30m away sideways calling for the ball in nowhere positions. He played dumb football.

I like Smith but he is not ready to assume the mantle of our main rebounding half back that Rioli was. He might develop into one. Trezise a bit more advanced and hopefully he comes on, he can take Short's position. Mansell has speed, a good kick and will run through rather than around, but mostly he is a good footballer who's position can easily be taken by younger players. Banks and Hugo are wingman, Banks could play half back. Brown is good and will develop but they are all young.

I think we are all up and about right now, how can you not be after the draft. But young kids take time so not expecting much early on. Kmac is gone and was played out of loyalty by a new coach taking over an established side destroyed by injury and so many inexperienced players.

Short van play on the wing/bench/half forward and should still have a fair bit to offer, but not off half back, we need evolution not the sane old failings.

 

[Noidnadroj]

Mansell wasn't good anywhere in the early days, as I said on another thread, had a case of the Steve Morris bull at a gate. But he was 19 years old playing his first few games.

Mansell was a bog average small forward as well, but Dimma loved his space guarders. But he has turned it around, because he not 19 years old and he has 50 odd games under his belt. He is still an average forward, but he gives it all and his skills have developed.

Short has played good rebounding half back before, but he was nothing like Houli last year. Think of Houli and Rioli and where they get the ball, always running past at the right time usually into space and running forward. Now think of Short last year, running around the back of packs and hoiking it over his shoulder to nowhere, usually under pressure. Or calling for it in the back pocket hard up against the boundary line. Or 30m away sideways calling for the ball in nowhere positions. He played dumb football.

I like Smith but he is not ready to assume the mantle of our main rebounding half back that Rioli was. He might develop into one. Trezise a bit more advanced and hopefully he comes on, he can take Short's position. Mansell has speed, a good kick and will run through rather than around, but mostly he is a good footballer who's position can easily be taken by younger players. Banks and Hugo are wingman, Banks could play half back. Brown is good and will develop but they are all young.

I think we are all up and about right now, how can you not be after the draft. But young kids take time so not expecting much early on. Kmac is gone and was played out of loyalty by a new coach taking over an established side destroyed by injury and so many inexperienced players.

Short van play on the wing/bench/half forward and should still have a fair bit to offer, but not off half back, we need evolution not the sane old failings.

I don’t think there’s any chance Mansell doesn’t resume as a small forward. In a diabolically bad team who couldn’t score, his goal a game was a great effort. In a half decent team and with on-going improvement he could easily become a 30-goal forward, which are bloody hard to find.

With MRJ riding shotgun those two could become a really effective 1-2 small forward combo who deliver elite pressure and a combined 50-goals per season. Neither has hit their football peak and I think it would be an error to shunt Mansell into the backline just when he’s finding his feet as a decent AFL player.

But I do agree a running half back is a need, but we can hopefully find one out of the likes of Kaleb Smjth, Banks or even give Sonsie a chance there.




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["The Roar Is Back"]

Here is my 2025 Round 1 best 22.

Zero Hanger website has a cool template you can use!

Are the campaigner in the video ?

 

[Michaels]

Are the campaigner in the video ?

depends who the campaigner is..

If it me, then yes..

 

[guruisatiger]

Anyone that still has Balta forward can **** off.

where can i **** off to ??

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

We are going to get flogged in a lot of games next year.

 

[tora tora tora]

I don’t think there’s any chance Mansell doesn’t resume as a small forward. In a diabolically bad team who couldn’t score, his goal a game was a great effort. In a half decent team and with on-going improvement he could easily become a 30-goal forward, which are bloody hard to find.

With MRJ riding shotgun those two could become a really effective 1-2 small forward combo who deliver elite pressure and a combined 50-goals per season. Neither has hit their football peak and I think it would be an error to shunt Mansell into the backline just when he’s finding his feet as a decent AFL player.

But I do agree a running half back is a need, but we can hopefully find one out of the likes of Kaleb Smjth, Banks or even give Sonsie a chance there.




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Mansell is improving his goal tally. Averaging 1.0 MRJ 0.9. compared to Bolton & Owies 1.5, 1.6.
Maybe their pressure balances that out. MRJ still got L plates on, needs improvement with his kicking and Jeez he was untidy, crashing into Lynch one game, spoling his mark. But I've seen him play well in the middle in the VFL. Seems like a natural replacement for Bolton.

Sonsie running half back? Depth midfield now. I can't see him playing. Hugo has played half back at AFL level before. I caught the game in 2021, vs Brizzy, and he wasn't great and his outstanding game at half back in 2024 VFL vs Suns, that form continued he got promoted. Perfect for D. Rioli. 23 y.o .just maturing. Banks off the bench maybe.

Any campaigner can play wing.

 

[Grrr]

I don’t think there’s any chance Mansell doesn’t resume as a small forward. In a diabolically bad team who couldn’t score, his goal a game was a great effort. In a half decent team and with on-going improvement he could easily become a 30-goal forward, which are bloody hard to find.

With MRJ riding shotgun those two could become a really effective 1-2 small forward combo who deliver elite pressure and a combined 50-goals per season. Neither has hit their football peak and I think it would be an error to shunt Mansell into the backline just when he’s finding his feet as a decent AFL player.

But I do agree a running half back is a need, but we can hopefully find one out of the likes of Kaleb Smjth, Banks or even give Sonsie a chance there.




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I think Campbell is going to be a very good player, he's a half forward. Green has far more natural forward craft than Mansell and by his showing in his early games looked very hard at it. Lalor will play forward. Mids will rest there. Mansell was good because everyone else was awful or injured.

I think we need two new half backs, Rioli obviously and Short up the ground. Hence I think Mansell is more needed back and I hope one or two other half backs emerge as well.

Last season I wanted them to throw Mansell in the middle because we were soft as butter in there. But we did the same old same old. Rioli was our best small forward, a mile better than Mansell, but he was thrown back and look at the results. We need to try something different.