Best 22 in 21

[DJC]

Hi ElwoodBlues1 - I agree you need to be flexible to match your opponents but i disagree that 8-10 are required.

I believe 7 -8 players to choose from should be sufficient. If you look at all the top teams their backline is stable every week and the mix of players is able to cover the opposition no matter the make up of their forward line. If you look at Richmond Nathan Broad/Grimes Balta are just able to do enough against talls to get the ball to ground/mark or even match up on smaller players.

I agree that some of our current defenders aren't flexible enough to match up on most types. Plowman plays better on the smaller types as he is not very good overhead. I think if Marchbank is ever able to play a full season he will assist with our match ups.

We generally have 8 players rotating through the backline; six starting backs, one on the bench and one alternating between wing and the backline.  If we cop an injury, or we have to move a player (for positive or negative reasons), we need another couple of players who can play in defence.  Depending on the 22, we will have 8 players who will play in defence for all or part of the game, as well as Williams, McGovern, Newnes, Casboult, etc who are competent defenders.

We do need a stable defence and, like EB, I think that we should have a settled core - I would go for Weitering, Jones, Docherty, Plowman and Saad - with Petrevski-Seton, Williamson, Marchbank, Newman and, hopefully, Stocker and Kemp in regular contention for the other three defensive spots.