Almanac Footy: GWS 2025 Season Preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oz Footy List Manager now takes a look at GWS.

 

List:

So says the adage, ‘Two steps forward, one step back’. For all of GWS’s rebuilding over the last handful of years, it will, no doubt, face new challenges, with the loss of Perryman, Cumming, and Peatling. Perryman was a key intercepting flanker in 2024. Cumming’s 2024 was hampered by injury. While Peatling looked the ‘up-and-comer’ in the midfield. The twilighter Haynes is gone too, but his 8 games last year and repetitive hamstring injuries in big games already cast doubt on his future.
There is a sparse area on their list of mature players (25 to 27yo) and developing smaller-mediums (22 to 24yo). The list desperately needs players of these types.
This means, GWS will have to rely again on their twilighters playing core roles. However, their list’s midfielders are sparse and there will be opportunities for their solid range of junior players. Why Stringer was recruited, to me, is a mystery, as he didn’t look fit enough to play a midfield role last season.
Also, with Flynn gone, Briggs will be first ruckman, and he looks ready for it.
Gut feel says that GWS might take a small rebuilding dip this season, but Kingsley and his crew have shown better than expected results over the last year or two.

 

Select 22:

The goal to goal line selects itself, based on some very good performances last season. However, the list lacks quantity in its developing midfielders and forward and defensive flankers. The back half is probably overly tall, and the forward half has too many key tall forwards.
The midfield lacks numbers – probably running on 4 cylinders – but Kingsley will rotate his twilighters in with his developing ‘mids’ and new juniors.
With Briggs being the only ready first ruckman, I might suggest Aleer being tried as a change ruckman. Ward marginally missed out but will play through the season.
This season looks like a challenging one for GWS. But, there will be heaps of opportunity.

 

B: Ash, Taylor, Idun

HB: Whitfield, Himmelburg, Buckley

C: Kelly, Callaghan, O’Halloran

HF: Greene, Hogan, Riccardi

F: Brown, Cadman, Bedford

R: Briggs, Green, Daniels

I: Coniglio, Stringer, Aleer, Thomas

 

You can follow all the 2025 list updates here – https://www.ozfootylistmanager.com/2025-lists-new.html

 

 

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About

It was 25 years ago that I began developing a model for analysing footy squad lists for the purpose of improving those lists into a premiership window. Since then, the model has been used to successfully predict premiership clubs and to improve either lop-sided or underdeveloped lists into premiership lists. Indeed, the model was used for an article that I had published as a double page spread in The Age 2005 Pre-Season magazine. Over the 25 years, I have analysed the annual lists of one particular club but have used it for other clubs upon request. It has always been on my bucket list to display the lists of all the clubs, using the model, which I've done since 2021 on my website - OzFootyListManager.com

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