Happy new year everyone!

And with the new year, I figure- why not throw out my very-early first cut of a team.

I reckon, even at this stage of the year, this team will be competitive next year- but to be honest, Im expecting a lot of changes (Particularly if Jesse Smith can stay fit!!)

Anyways, without further ado-

Defenders.

Keepers.
Sam Fisher
A solid defender who suffered a handful of bad games last year. Hes making the squad for his durability and my belief that he will raise in average next year a good 5-10 ppg.

Luke Hodge
Carrying an injury through most of last year, and averaging 118 the year before, I can see Luke Hodge be the single most popular player in every team next year. (With the exception of Ablett).

Grant Birchall
Should bring at minimum an average of 80+. Showed through the start and end of last year just what he has the potential to do.

Jason Gram
With runs through the a star studded midfield, Gram wont suffer any issues with a tag. has historically held a 115% ish SC/DT percentage, but a 14ppg DreamTeam average increase brought that ratio to 86%. If he can keep getting as much of the ball, but lift his disposal again, a 105 average is not unachieveable.

Speculative.
Rick Ladson
Will need to watch his preseason, but its hard to go past paying a 58 average+ discount for a player who averaged 91 over 22 games in a premiership team.

Tadhg Kennelly
Again, been missing a year, and will depend a lot of the discount earned. Even with his shoulders, if he can return to his 85 over 20 average of 08, then well be laughing!

David Myers
So Im biased. Perhaps I want him to do well. Played last year for Bendigo as an inside mid and being groomed to assist Watson. So if he can get gametime, he should be well worth it.

Bench.
Phil Davis
With Ottens going down, it has been hinted that Phil is on a short list to step into the role. Will be delicious if he does.

Andrew Moore
Picked for no other reason than being a high draft pick. Will be replaced with the best looking rookie defender as we get closer.


Midfielders

Keepers.
Gary Ablett
Used to be Selwood, but I just cant go past the GAZ. There will be many posts on this man by the start of next year.

Bryce Gibbs
A mindnumbing finish to last season, with the Blues midfield looking as it does, I feel that Bryce is set to explode.

Scott Pendlebury
From the same draft, read Bryces bio and replace Blues with Pies. Proven that hes able to handle a tag, and has Diddles running around drawing it from him.

Speculative.
Rhys Palmer
The hero to all our 08 midfields, is getting himself another guernsey in our squad for Oh10.
Priced at roughly 300k, hes can run all day and rack up the possesions. Its just a question of how he comes back from that ACL.

Now, theres a lot of value in the midrange speculative players, so Rhys will be hard pressed to hold his spot. But there is just *so* many rookies I was to get into this squad.

Rookies.
Jack Trengove
One of Melbournes big two picks this year, and my pick to be the rookie that most will be holding at the end of oh10.

Dustin Martin
Playing at a rebuilding Tiges, he should get plenty of game time.

Bench
Anthony Morabito
Built well and playing for the Docker, who we know are looking to play thier youth. Lock him in boys!

Ryan Bastinac
Smashing it so far in training. Will need to watch over summer, but I can see him playing 6-8 of the first 10 games. Which really, is all we need!

Rucks

Keepers.
Aaron Sandilands
Hes big and he just keeps getting better. Lock him in and leave him there.

Darren Jolly
With a move to the Pies, Im not 100% sold on him, however, hes extremely durable in a position where the bench *sucks*, and he has a smashing good average when playing at Melbourne. Who knows, might just rub off.

Bench
Matthew Lobbe
With Brogan now the #1 ruck, Choco has mentioned that Lobbe should be getting a run in the #2. nom nom nom nom om.

Trent West
The obvious #4 ruck would be the other Port ruck (and yanno, Im tempted.) But with Mumford gone and Otten having a heroric ability to injure himself bizarely, theres a good chance the boy could play some football this year.

Forwards

Keepers
Adam Goodes
Since moving to CHF, the has been dominating. Well worth spending top dollar on.

Lance Franklin
Sure, hes missing round 1- but after coming down in average 20 ppg last year, hes defintely got room for growth. And if you expect the Hawks to improve next year, then get on board.

Robbie Gray
Rumoured to be moving into the midfield and "training the house down". Hes ticking all the boxed to be selected this year.

Cyril Rioli
As above- but with the words "this little genious" in there somewhere.

Tom Hawkins
Following the trend of big forwards, and with immaculate delivery coming from the potent Geelong mids, Hawkins is ripe to come into his own next year.

Speculative.
Big questions over both of these players, but their positions in the team will be reconsidered as we approach round 1.

Chris Yarran
Has all the potental in the world, and a Cartlon board full of praise- could he be turning a corner in attitude and onfield performance?

Patrick Veszpremi
A high draft pick coming into his third year at the Swans. Will be interesting to see if he can demand more game time as the Sydney list continues to turn over.

Bench
Luke Tapscott
The third of the Melbourne three, and rumoured to be the most "AFL" ready. Hopefully that equates to delicious early games.

Scott Gumbleton
Its a tough year with forward rookies, Im gunna lock in Scott and pray, both as a Supercoach and as a Bombers fan.

And roughly 50k in the bench for emergencies.

Honestly though, Im also thinking for turning Palmer into another rookie and spending more on that #6 forward, but only because though mid rookies look just. that. good.

So thats it. My first team of the year. Give thoughts, suggestions, changes, critisism, whatever. But lets get a little talk going on!