Rivals unite - Ultimate off season thread idea

[RUNVS]

This is a thread because I am a little board and I find the idea interesting.

Say the AFL suddenly decided that 18 teams was far too much and they wanted to decrease the amount of teams to 9.

So every team must merge with the team they are geographically closest to.

So

Sydney/GWS
Port Adelaide/Adelaide
Fremantle/West Coast
Brisbane/Gold Coast

and for the Victorian teams, it is a bit harder to decide but using the zones we can sort of work it out

So

Richmond/Hawthorn
Geelong/Western Bulldogs
North Melbourne/Essendon
Carlton/Collingwood
St Kilda/Melbourne

and here are the general best 22's for each club

Your club's best 22 in 2025: Who's in, who's out, who's new

With the trade period and draft done, our reporters have their say on your team's best line-up for next year

www.afl.com.au

For the Swans/GWS team it would likely be

B: Dane Rampe, Sam Taylor, Connor Idun
HB: Nick Blakey, Tom McCartin, Lachie Whitfield
C: Josh Kelly, Chad Warner, Errol Gulden
HF: Stephen Coniglio, Logan McDonald, Finn Callaghan
F: Tom Papley, Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Tom Green, Isaac Heeney
I/C: Callum Mills, Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio, Aaron Cadman

A pretty damn strong side, take the Swans but would fix the Swans defensive and forward issues and also provide a lot more grunt in the midfield.

Would say it will be a top team but I am curious about what other people would come up with for their combined teams.

Which new club would be at the top of the ladder and which would be at the bottom?

 

[SC_Power]

Ok I’ll bite, because I’m bored too. And biased too.
I’ll try to be fair even though the exposed form of the Power squad (top 4 seasons galore lately) compared to the Crows squad (no finals since 2017) suggests a larger Port Adelaide representation


B: Max Michalanney, Nick Murray, Miles Bergman
HB: Mitch Hinge, Aliir Aliir, Isaac Cumming
C: Izak Rankine, Jason Horne-Francis, Kane Farrell
HF: Connor Rozee, Jack Lukosius, Josh Rachele
F: Mitch Georgiades, Riley Thilthorpe, Willie Rioli
Foll: Reilly O'Brien, Jordan Dawson, Zac Butters
I/C: Jake Soligo, Ollie Wines, Jase Burgoyne, Willem Drew

Power 12, Crows 10.

Fringe: Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, Darcy Byrne-Jones, James Peatling, Rory Laird

 

[Mr Meow]

Cats/Dogs

FB: Zuthrie J.Henry Stewart
HB: Dale Lobb Humphries
C: Holmes Bontempelli Smith
HF: Miers Cameron Mannagh
FF: Stengle Darcy JUH
FOL: English Treloar Dangerfield
IC: Liberatore Richards SDK Dempsey Weightman

The side's strengths would complement each other very well. Lots of versatile/dual position players also.

 

[RUNVS]

Cats/Dogs

FB: Zuthrie J.Henry Stewart
HB: Dale Lobb Humphries
C: Holmes Bontempelli Smith
HF: Miers Cameron Mannagh
FF: Stengle Darcy JUH
FOL: English Treloar Dangerfield
IC: Liberatore Richards SDK Dempsey Weightman

The side's strengths would complement each other very well. Lots of versatile/dual position players also.

Bont and Dangerfield in the same side would be amazing to see.

 

[Fadge]

Collingwood takeover of Carlton.

We'll just take the big 6, thanks.

Maynard - Weitering - Howe
Quaynor - Moore - Houston
J. Daicos - Walsh - Sidebottom
De Goey - McKay - Hill
Elliott - Curnow - Mihocek
De Koning - Cripps - Daicos

Cameron - Pendlebury - Crisp - Perryman

Was tossing up between Cameron as a second ruck, or McStay as a spare tall forward who can pinch hit in the ruck. Cameron's 2024 was too good to be overlooked in this team.

Excluded Newman as he is missing for 2025, but not sure who he replaces? Maybe gets the final bench spot ahead of Perryman (though Perryman has more versatility). Can't rely on Mitchell either given the issues he's experiencing after missing most of 2024.

 

[Muddiemoose]

Richmond/Hawthron
B: Blake Hardwick, Tom Barrass, Jarman Impey
HB: Karl Amon, Josh Battle, Jack Scrimshaw
C: Massimo D’Ambrosio, Will Day, Josh Weddle
HF: Jack Ginnivan, James Sicily, Dylan Moore
F: Calsher Dear, Mitch Lewis, Nick Watson
Foll: Lloyd Meek, James Worpel, Jai Newcombe
I/C: Changkuoth Jiath, Conor Nash, Connor Macdonald, Sam Frost

 

[RUNVS]

Richmond/Hawthron
B: Blake Hardwick, Tom Barrass, Jarman Impey
HB: Karl Amon, Josh Battle, Jack Scrimshaw
C: Massimo D’Ambrosio, Will Day, Josh Weddle
HF: Jack Ginnivan, James Sicily, Dylan Moore
F: Calsher Dear, Mitch Lewis, Nick Watson
Foll: Lloyd Meek, James Worpel, Jai Newcombe
I/C: Changkuoth Jiath, Conor Nash, Connor Macdonald, Sam Frost

No Tom Lynch?

 

[Muddiemoose]

No Tom Lynch?

Oh absolutely, was just taking the piss a little bit

Definitely think Lynch, Prestia, Broad, Vlastuin, Taranto and Hopper could have strong cases to be included
Maybe not all of them but they would be the prime candidates right now imo

 

[HairyO]

Oh absolutely, was just taking the piss a little bit

Definitely think Lynch, Prestia, Broad, Vlastuin, Taranto and Hopper could have strong cases to be included
Maybe not all of them but they would be the prime candidates right now imo

Lynch for Lewis, Broad for Frost... but the others? Who comes out?

Prestia or Taranto for CJ ?

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Lynch for Lewis, Broad for Frost... but the others? Who comes out?

Prestia or Taranto for CJ ?

Someone would have to come out for Vlastuin. Still a fantastic player.

 

[Muddiemoose]

Lynch for Lewis, Broad for Frost... but the others? Who comes out?

Prestia or Taranto for CJ ?

As WalshistheGOAT said Vlastuin is probably the one to include, would have him before any of the others put forward but for CJ is a pretty easy swap without excluding any of the others

Could also go either Prestia or Taranto for D’Ambrosio in the centre line
Maybe Taranto since he is more of a threat down forward if needed

 

[HairyO]

As WalshistheGOAT said Vlastuin is probably the one to include, would have him before any of the others put forward but for CJ is a pretty easy swap without excluding any of the others

Could also go either Prestia or Taranto for D’Ambrosio in the centre line
Maybe Taranto since he is more of a threat down forward if needed

D'Ambrosio who was top 3 wing in the comp in 2024?

He would be one of our first picked.