State squad

[Big Phil]

Sat about 10 metres from Darel Hart up in the stands at Elizabeth tonight and there were a few players that certainly did their final selection chances no harm in front of the State coach.

Here is my guess at the final 22 (will name a couple of emergencies as well) based on seeing 3 of the 4 games live this weekend and taking recent form into consideration.

BIG PHIL'S STATE SIDE:

FF: D.Stewart B.Chambers C.Gowans
HF: C.O'Sullivan C.Alleway T.Gum
C: B.Backwell T.Allen J.Sheedy (vc)
HB:P.Thomas (c) R.Ferguson R.Williams
FB: L.Panozzo C. Ah Chee B.Zorzi

1R: J.Miekeljohn J.Clayton J.Allan

INT: C.Parry J.Gowans M.Wright D.White

EMG: D.Meyer B.Martin R.Kirkby

[Squawk]

Sat about 10 minutes from Darel Hart up in the stands at Elizabeth tonight

Were you in the car park for the whole game, BP?



Good work BP, the selection countdown is on!

[Big Phil]

Sat about 10 minutes from Darel Hart up in the stands at Elizabeth tonight

Were you in the car park for the whole game, BP?



Good work BP, the selection countdown is on!

Should have read METRES clearly

There is a reason it's BIG Phil and I guess Darel and I are certainly not the finest specimen of man going around but it's not that bad that we had to sit a whole suburb apart

[Thiele]

Ferguson will be in the state after today BOG performance

[G]

My mail is Sheedy Capt. and Thomas VC the same as 08.
-Ferguson is a certainty to play.
-Question marks over the Gowans boys due to pace and balance.
-O'Sullivan is far from a certainty.

That will do for an Entree'

[Barto]

SA will smash WA IMO.

Brad Smith was supposed to be the gun forward but was reported for striking Perth's Aaron Zucconi today and is likely to miss. Ironically Zucconi who was a shoe in for the WA side was injured today in another clash.

Can Chambo beat WA?

[am Bays]

You'll find at training last week Kirkby and Chambers trained together as the two forwards leading up from teh FF line so theres two of your FF line. Allaway is inked into CHF. White CHB. FB line potentially Ferguson Ah Che and Thomas.

Young Martin is a chance for the wing as hart has shown he likes to play a couple of youngsters.

Parry Allen, Allan and Sheedy were the centre square combination at thraining last week for their full ground drills.

[Squawk]

SA will smash WA IMO.

Brad Smith was supposed to be the gun forward but was reported for striking Perth's Aaron Zucconi today and is likely to miss. Ironically Zucconi who was a shoe in for the WA side was injured today in another clash.

Can Chambo beat WA?

I think Salecic was also injured this week playing for West Perth?

[whufc]

Paul Thomas will be having scans tomorrow on his right index finger, possible dislocation/break/fracture may miss the state game.

[Big Phil]

Heard the Gowans twins have been told they wont be heading to Perth as Harty is looking for leg speed on the wide expanses of Leederville Oval.

[SimonH]

Heard the Gowans twins have been told they wont be heading to Perth as Harty is looking for leg speed on the wide expanses of Leederville Oval.

You'd think that the only way that WA could beat us is by running us off our legs with a speedy team. (Or of course if SA gets cocky and goes in half-arsed.)

But (provided it's not a team of slow-coaches) you don't counter that tactic by trying to pick a faster and faster side. You counter it by having better ball-winners who will beat them at the clearances, and by having players with excellent disposal so that we won't give it back to them once we've won it.

[Spot]

Well if you check the adelaide now site it appears to tell it all, whos in anyway....

[Wedgie]

Some interesting selections after the latest cull.
Im pretty sure I'd have more than 1 Dog in my top team but it probably doesn't matter as our 3rd or 4th best side would be still good enough to beat WA IMHO.

[Big Phil]

Here is the final 22 players selected to head over to Perth this weekend to take on the Sandgropers...

GLENELG:
Brett Backwell
Ty Allen
Luke Panozzo
Danny Meyer

STURT:
Brant Chambers
Tristian Gum
Jade Sheedy
Craig Evans
Brodie Martin

WEST:
Chris Schmidt
Ryan Ferguson

NORTH:
Clint Alleway
James Allan
Matthew Wright
Damon White

EAGLES:
Brad Dabrowski
Leigh Treeby

PORT:
Corey Ah Chee
Jeremy Clayton

NORWOOD:
Brett Zorzi

SOUTH:
Criag Parry

CENTRALS:
Paul Thomas

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I guess somewhat suprising that Centrals will only have the 1 representative (possibly none if scans today reveal Paul Thomas has a fractured finger) with the experienced Gowans twins left out of the side for younger, faster legs on the wider expanses of Leederville Oval (despite the Gowans boys home ground being probably the boggest oval in Australia !!) while somewhat suprisingly, Ryan Williams failed to make the final 22.

There will be 9 first time State players in this side so Darel Hart has gone for that blend of youth and experience. Personally a little supirsed that Parry and Dabrowski will be the 2 ruckman going to WA, with James Meiklejohn (and the form big man of the comp Trevor Cranston - not even selected in the squad again) in great touch at Port and also very unlucky to miss out.

I just worry a little that some players have been picked of past reputations and are not currently in their best form (or have players that play in their position in better form) and that there may not be enough toughness and experience in the side. There are however 5 Magarey medalists which is pretty impressive in itself but I don't know that will be enough for them to keep the mantle as the 2nd best comp in the country.

Before seeing the final make up of the 22 selected to go to Perth I was quietly confident of a comfortable SA victory. Despite not having seen the final 22 for WA (but am aware of their squad members) I think a few "questionable" selection decisions from Darel Hart and the selection committee has me leaning towards a comfy victory for the Sandgropers now.


At this stage, I think the final 22 may line up something like this:

FF: J.Clayton B.Chambers D.White
HF: T.Gum C.Alleway C.Evans
C: L.Treeby J.Allan J.Sheedy
HB: D.Meyer R.Ferguson P.Thomas
FB: B.Zorzi C.Ah Chee L.Panozzo

1R: C.Parry T.Allen B.Backwell

INT: B.Dabrowski B.Martin M.Wright C.Schmidt

[Big Phil]

The boys on the 5RPH Monday Morning Sports Show posed an interesting question this morning...

If Paul Thomas plays (as Centrals only representative) will this be the first time in a while that a State side has had at least one player represented from all of the SANFL clubs ???

Perhaps cue Spelly ???

[whufc]

We will win the game but it's not a true reflection of the in-form and best footballers in this state.

It's a terrible side picked by Hart & co. I would have Chad O'Sullivan in my side before Daniel Meyer, Craig Evans, Brodie Martin and Chris Schmidt. But i think the Chad's performances get a little underestimated because of the depth the Dogs have. If Central did the best and fairest right now i think he would be a back to back winner.

The two other wrong ommisions is Trevor Cranston and James Meiklejohn. Cranston has been the best ruckmen in the SANFL for the last two seasons now. Meiklejohn has been very solid over a few seasons and proved on the weekend he is in fine form by being the best ruckmen on the ground up aginst 3 other AFL listed ruckmen. These two are miles ahead of Dabrowski and Parry.

The Gowans and Ken McGregor were very unlucky but i think that the selectors may have wanted to go for younger players.

[Big Phil]

We will win the game but it's not a true reflection of the in-form and best footballers in this state.

It's a terrible side picked by Hart & co. I would have Chad O'Sullivan in my side before Daniel Meyer, Craig Evans, Brodie Martin and Chris Schmidt. But i think the Chad's performances get a little underestimated because of the depth the Dogs have. If Central did the best and fairest right now i think he would be a back to back winner.

The two other wrong ommisions is Trevor Cranston and James Meiklejohn. Cranston has been the best ruckmen in the SANFL for the last two seasons now. Meiklejohn has been very solid over a few seasons and proved on the weekend he is in fine form by being the best ruckmen on the ground up aginst 3 other AFL listed ruckmen. These two are miles ahead of Dabrowski and Parry.

The Gowans and Ken McGregor were very unlucky but i think that the selectors may have wanted to go for younger players.

Agree on most points in your post whufc...

First of all, with the final side picked, I just don't think we will have the better side to win the game...

The other thing is that Trevor Cranston wasn't even an ommision from the side based purely on the fact he wasn't even picked in the initial squad at all which is totally unbelievable in itself.

I have seen Craig Parry twice live this year and once on telly and have not been impressed at all with what I have seen. Have only seen Dabrowski once so I probably don't know as much about his form but even Parry's own coach has publicly stated Craig has struggled for form.

Trevor Cranston has been one of the 2 best big men in the league this year so far behind Port's James Meiklejohn, who I am equally as shocked is out of the side as well.

I think the Gowans boys toughness, ball winning ability and skills will be sorely missed in the side and from a personal stand point am a little dissapointed I wont be able to watch them play for SA for one last time.

WA comfortably by 5 or 6 goals for me at this stage.

[am Bays]

Whist I think O'Sullivan, the Gowans and Williams can feel hard done by especially O'Sullivan and Williams in many ways the lack State representation for Centrals underlies their whole team ethos. There are better/bigger individual players at other clubs but Centrals are such a complete team. I think I mentioned it in another thread but the 19th - 21st player picked for Centrals each week would argaubly be walk up starts at the other 8 clubs. You can't say that about the 19th - 21st players at the other clubs making Centrals team.

[Big Phil]

Whist I think O'Sullivan, the Gowans and Williams can feel hard done by especially O'Sullivan and Williams in many ways the lack State representation for Centrals underlies their whole team ethos. There are better/bigger individual players at other clubs but Centrals are such a complete team. I think I mentioned it in another thread but the 19th - 21st player picked for Centrals each week would argaubly be walk up starts at the other 8 clubs. You can't say that about the 19th - 21st players at the other clubs making Centrals team.

You make very good points am Bays, well said...

I guess at the end of the day, players do not play week in, week out to win a state jumper, that is just a bonus and of course an honour.

At the end of the day, all club supporters would much rather on field success in terms of premierships, which is of course why players play the game, than a majority club representation in a state game.

[LBT]

To think that we will get beaten easily because there is no Cranston/Miekeljohn and only one Centrals player is a little bit rich for my liking. It is still a teriffic line up, even if the S.A players dont have 400 premierships each.