The Field's Fortnightly TOTY
Everyone who's seemingly anyone has a team of the year they like to throw out as bait.
Some attract hundreds of comments on social platforms - some have real merit and some are complete junk. Hopefully we land somewhere in between, but only time will tell.
The way we're picking this team is certainly different.
AFL clubs no longer select 'old school' 22's.
It's much more deliberate and specific. Running defenders, hybrid forwards, accountable midfielders, offensive-minded midfielders, set-sided wingers with different roles for each individual - and so on and so forth.
So, having just come out of that system, as well as still having a line of sight on week-to-week match committees, let's see where we land when picking our best of the best 22, but nailed to modern day roles.
Here goes... be kind, please...
DEFENDERS
- WEITERING and Darcy MOORE as the two key backs.
- Jayden SHORT as our lockdown defender - yes, Richmond have given him these roles in the past year or so.
- The returning Jeremy HOWE are the third-tall/intercepting defender, plus his use by foot is elite.
- Aaron HALL and Jack CRISP as dashing backs. Crisp is mid/back these days, so we'll watch to see whether he can still be named as a back. Hall is all offence, but his going at 81%, averaging 29 touches.
MIDFIELD
- PETRACCA is our offensively-minded ball gatherer who is dangerous drifting forward. No one is Dusty, but he distributes brilliantly in the front half. 14 inside fifties on weekend.
- OLIVER and CRIPPS as the clearance bulls. Both speak for themselves.
- NEALE is our accumulator inside, with quick feet and creativity.
- Callum MILLS is our 'cooler' or accountable mid. Sorry to this website's co-founder but he did a number on you... (that'll go down well)
- Angus BRAWYSHAW on a wing, as is Hugh McCLUGGAGE. The latter's numbers are down but impact is sky high. Brayshaw has taken the step into the elite.
RUCK
- GRUNDY is back, somewhere near his very best. Involved around the ground and powerful in the air.
2ND RUCK / FORWARD
- Luke JACKSON has a whole heap of money coming his way at season's end... because he's a genuine superstar in the not-too-distant-future.
FORWARDS
- Brad CLOSE as a hard-working running forward. 4 goals v Swans and heavily involved in round one win.
- Shai BOLTON as the other half forward. He can go inside, play deeper or be a distributor in front half.
- Isaac HEENEY is the hybrid, running, high leaping forward. 3 last week, 5 this week.
- Mitch LEWIS and Joe DANIHER as key forwards. Lewis blew Port away with a handful. Also has 8 contested marks on the season. Joey D looks in rare touch. Getting the footy, marking the footy, sharing the footy and kicking his 3 per week.
- Willie RIOLIE, sure his team is Owen, but his return to play has been amazing. Single-handedly kept Eagles alive in round two.
- Matt KENNEDY, a versatile mid-forward who slots in to serve a few purposes. His play has been career-best by a million miles.
What you think ? Somewhat hard to read as opposed to the B, HB, C, HF, F, R, I set-up we've all been accustomed to but AFL clubs have not picked their 22 in that manner for quite some time.