This team has the ability to beat any other state in this hypothetical Preseason Challenge Cup, including Victoria.
It’s remarkable that a team that comprises two clubs could defeat Victoria, which is made up of ten teams, but at least on paper it appears as if the West Australian team has a chance to win the game.
It was an easy choice to make the current Captain of the West Coast Eagles, Luke Shuey and the Fremantle Dockers current Captain, Nat Fyfe as Co-Captains of this hypothetical team; both lead by example.
Even though the Fremantle Dockers have struggled of late, they still had nine of the players compared to the West Coast Eagles who had 13 players in the starting 22. Check out the team:
Coach: Adam Simpson (West Coast Eagles)
B: Brad Sheppard (West Coast Eagles), Joel Hamling (Fremantle Dockers), Shannon Hurn (West Coast Eagles)
HB: Liam Duggan (West Coast Eagles), Jeremy McGovern (West Coast Eagles), Nathan Wilson (Fremantle Dockers)
C: Andrew Gaff (West Coast Eagles), Nat Fyfe (co-captain – Fremantle Dockers), Blake Acres (Fremantle Dockers)
HF: Matt Taberner (Fremantle Dockers), Nathan Vardy (West Coast Eagles), Jack Darling (West Coast Eagles)
F: Michael Walters (Fremantle Dockers), Joshua J. Kennedy (West Coast Eagles), Rory Lobb (Fremantle Dockers)
FOLL: Sean Darcy (Fremantle Dockers), Tim Kelly (West Coast Eagles), Luke Shuey (co-captain – West Coast Eagles)
I/C: Dom Sheed (West Coast Eagles), Elliot Yeo (West Coast Eagles), Darcy Tucker (Fremantle Dockers), Nic Naitanui (West Coast Eagles)
Emg: Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle Dockers), James Aish (Fremantle Dockers), Luke Ryan (Fremantle Dockers), Liam Ryan (West Coast Eagles)
Coach
Adam Simpson has coached the West Coast Eagles to a premiership and has proven to be arguably one of the best coaches in the competition, while Justin Longmuir has coached just one game where the Fremantle Dockers narrowly lost. Therefore, it appears as if the logical decision is to pick Adam Simpson as coach of the team.
Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Backs
Remarkably, Brad Sheppard finished third in the 2019 West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest. He is an underrated player, so the season that he had in 2019 may be a surprise to some.
Joel Hamling is a quality fullback who finished seventh in the 2019 Fremantle Dockers’ best and fairest. Hamling managed to win a premiership with the Western Bulldogs and has the capability to be regarded as one of the top defenders in the competition if he can stay injury-free.
Shannon Hurn has been a stalwart defender for the West Coast Eagles. He finished ninth in the 2019 West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest.
Halfbacks
Liam Duggan is a quality player who plays on a halfback flank.
Jeremy McGovern is arguably the best centre-halfback in the competition.
Nathan Wilson can create run off the halfback flank.
Centres
Andrew Gaff is a top player and was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian squad of 40.
Nat Fyfe was captain of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Blake Acres has a lot of ability to make a difference if he starts on the wing. Acres had an excellent preseason, but injured a hamstring and will come back and prove that he is a good player.
Half-forwards
Matt Taberner has the capability to be one of the best mobile half-forward flankers in the competition.
Nathan Vardy would flourish if given the opportunity to play at centre half-forward.
Jack Darling was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team and deservedly so.
Forwards
Michael Walters was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team and can play in the forward line and on a wing.
Joshua J. Kennedy is still capable of kicking goals and making a difference.
If Rory Lobb can replicate the manner in which he played in Round 1 of season 2020, then he will be one of the key players for the Fremantle Dockers. Lobb finished eighth in the 2019 Fremantle Dockers’ best and fairest.
Followers
Sean Darcy can be a top ruckman.
Tim Kelly was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team and will take the emphasis off the likes of Luke Shuey and Andrew Gaff.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Luke Shuey won the 2019 West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest leads from the front; consequently he was chosen as captain of the West Coast Eagles from the start of the 2020 AFL season.
Interchange
Dom Sheed is a player who has the capability of being a match-winner as he proved when the West Coast Eagles won the premiership.
Elliot Yeo was a part of the 2019 AFL All-Australian team on the interchange bench.
Darcy Tucker finished tenth in the 2019 best and fairest and has plenty of potential.
Nic Naitanui would benefit from not playing the whole game because he is injury-prone.
Emergencies
Andrew Brayshaw is a player who needs time to develop, but Brayshaw managed to finish ninth in the 2019 Fremantle best and fairest.
James Aish has plenty of potential and will prove to be a good recruit for the Fremantle Dockers.
Luke Ryan finished sixth in the 2019 Fremantle Dockers’ best and fairest.
Liam Ryan did well in 2019, finishing seventh in the West Coast Eagles’ best and fairest.
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Duggan is a quality defender. I believe Vardy could play CHF if given the opportunity; remember this is a hypothetical exercise and extremely subjective.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Luke Ryan is best 22 easily, so kick Duggan out. Not sure how Darcy beats NicNert and I'm a Dcokers fan No way Vardy plays CHF, Lobb gets that gig and Mundy can have Tabs place. Get Acres off the wing and put Walters there and Ryan in the forward pocket.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
There is a difference between an opinion and a silly statement. You reject some players because they didn't 'finish top 10 in the B and F", then select 13 others who didn't finish in the top 10. Then you select a player who can't get a game for his club to play CHF because he's a ruckman, selecting, instead a star CHF (Darling) to be a small forward. You then select Acres because you think he will prove to be a good player, leaving out a top 10 draft pick because you don't think he'll be a good player. Do you see your contradictions?
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Nic Nat has played just 20 games in 2018 and 2019 combined, which is less than half. I believe that Vardy could play up forward; its merely an opinion, but I respect yours. Mundy is past his best. Acres will prove to be a good player for the Dockers. McGovern is probably the best Centre Half Back in the competition. This top 10 stuff is merely a guide and to substantiate my point.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
So you'd "rest" NicNat from a theoretical team? Yeah, sure. Cripps wasn't in top F &B? Neither was Vardy. How does that criterion work? Darling or Lobb play at CHF. Vardy is not a CHF. Mundy is 5 times better than Acres right now. Pearce is actually better than McGovern. He is the best key defender in the state. What is this top 10 stuff? That is hardly a football judgement. It sounds like you might not know WA players.
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Nathan Vardy has plenty of ability, despite not being a regular in the West Coast Eagles team; Nic Nat needs a rest so he doesn’t get injured. Who would you start at centre half forward? Cripps wasn’t even top 10 in the West Coast Eagles 2019 best and fairest. Blake Acres will prove to be a good player for the Dockers as he has plenty of ability. Mundy is past his best. Cerra failed to finish in the top 10 of the Dockers 2019 best and fairest. Who would you take out of the team for Alex Pearce?
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
This team would be competitive against a Victorian team; a starting midfield of Tim Kelly, Shuey and Fyfe, what’s wrong with that?
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Stephen Hill played just 13 games in Season 2018 and 3 in Season 2019.
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Thanks for your input Scott; you have selected 16 out of the 22 that I selected!
Scott
Guest
Whilst I agree these 2 teams can make a very good team, the players you have chosen are ridiculous. West coast have a very balanced team of stars with elite players across every line. The best dockers players would fill in them gaps nicely and this team would be unreal, but look nothing like the one here. For starters you only need Naitanui as a ruckman and Lobb can back up. So Darcy and Vardy are not required. Blake acres? What the? Alex Pearce and Tom Barrass didn’t even garner a mention. Barrass had 3 howler games in a row last year, though before that was rated one of the best defenders in the league by champion data. Alex Pearce may very well become the best defender in the competition if injury permits it. Those 2 along with Harris Andrews will likely share the All Australian key defensive positions over future all Australian teams. I’ll give it a crack. FB) Sheppard - Pearce - Hurn HB) Wilson - McGovern - Luke Ryan C) Gaff - Shuey - S Hill HF) T. Kelly - Darling - Cripps FF) Liam Ryan - Kennedy - Walters FOLL) Naitanui- Fyfe- Yeo I.C. Mundy - Lobb - Sheed - (Hamling or Barrass depending on match up)
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Forward line way to Big. Vardy? Really? No Thanks. Fair team though with Guys like Shead & Yeo on the Bench. I think this team could be much stronger. Where's Stephen Hill?
DTM
Guest
Love your enthusiasm but they would struggle to get within 5 goals of a team made up from the best players of Victoria's 10 clubs.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Nathan Vardy can't even make the Eagles team. NicNat is "smidgeon" better. You have 5 forwards over 200cm. No Cripps there? No Stephen Hill but you have Blake Acres? 20 Dockers players better than him. Mundy? Cerra? Alex Pearce? Nup. This team is way off the mark.