10-27-2023, 02:53 AM
(10-27-2023, 02:18 AM)DJC link Wrote:Fox Footy has published our "best 23" for 2024. Apart from including Elijah Hollands, they have gone with one ruckman, Tom De Koning, with Jack Silvagni as third tall forward and second ruckman. That's only going to happen if Marc Pittonet is injured and our developing rucks aren't ready to play at AFL level.
AFL.com has a more convincing "best 22" with Tom De Koning and Marc Pittonet sharing the ruck duties and Jack Silvagni nowhere to be seen. However, I'm not sure that whoever picked that team appreciates Jack's ability to find space inside 50, to mark on the lead, and his value when giving Charlie or Harry a break, as well as making the opposition sending a competent tall defender to him ; I don't really want to see Matty Cottrell lining up on a key defender. On the flipside, we don't want Jack playing against a defender who will run off him.
If Jack is in form, he plays as our third tall forward and one of Matt Owies, Jesse Motlop and Lachie Fogarty misses out.
I'm not opposed to the idea of Jack as the sub. He has the versatility to be the ideal contingency sub as well the ability to have an impact as a strategic sub. I'm not convinced that a strategic sub needs to be speedy player to have an impact.
What both those best 22(3)s have in common is what i've been referring too all year. Team balance and being mindful of NOT being too tall.
You can't play 2 rucks, 2 key forwards and Jack.
Whichever way you want to slice it, thats what it boils down too.
You wanna play Pitto as 1st ruck, TDK and Charlie as KPPs, then you can play Jack.
You wanna play Pitto as 1st ruck, TDK as backup forward, and Charlie and Harry....then Jack should probably miss out (although i think it makes us too immobile.
You wanna play TDK as 1st ruck, Jack as backup and Charlie and Harry as KPFs, then Pitto misses out. TDK probably needs to improve his ruckwork and work around the ground, but i think this is the likely long-term plan.
Thing is, i don't care who plays where and when, as long as it works for the team.
I've put up numbers, stats and many many paragraphs behind the pros and cons of each, and people accuse me of bias. Not so, just using the numbers to guide me in picking my best team......and its certainly not clear cut one way or another.
However, i do get my back up when someone proclaims "its simple..." because its not. Or if someone says "player x is better than player y at...." and stats say otherwise.
Have an opinion, but base it on some kind of logic and/or evidence. Even if its simply based on potential.