Today, we look at GWS.
List:
Initial impressions of the GWS list seem to be good … a solid list of core players across the age and height groups … but these first impressions cover over some cracks. In our prediction for GWS for the 2025 season, we wondered whether it had enough midfielders in the squad to go the distance. About a month before finals, I admitted we’d been wrong. However, in that last month, problems began with injuries, and although they held out by less than 2 goals against the Saints in the last round, they were beaten by over 3 goals in an elimination final.
My bugbear with the GWS list is that they appear overly tall across the ground, with only 5 core players less than 186 cm. Only problem is that during finals time, conditions are wet, so you need more ground level players. In their defensive half, I was confronted by key talls, and struggled to find back flankers. In attack, the first small goalkicker was Jones (8th) behind 6 talls, plus Greene. Jones and Bedford (9th) kicked less than a goal a game Their midfield is all talls, with no speedy midfielders, and resembles more of a rugby pack than an AFL team.
So where do we go from here? It’s an enormous opportunity for some of GWS’s young small guns, and there are about 11 of them, a quarter of the list, waiting for a chance.
Select 23:
As said, the back half has many talls. Last season, Himmelburg came in 5th with intercepts from talls, so he misses out, with Taylor, Buckley and Idun providing a good range of talls, with Aleer as a spare. Ash and Whitfield were their best rebounders, with medium Stone taking the third rebounding position.
Also, as said, their best goalkickers are all talls, but I had to put Jones in a pocket and Thomas on the bench for some crumbers. Briggs continues, but Madden looks a prospect and should be given a run off the bench.
Clay Oliver walks into the centre, alongside Green, with Callaghan, O’Halloran, Brown, Greene, Jones, Kelly, and Thomas taking turns in the midfield. Brown should go up the ground, as his disposals and metres-gained indicate that he could be an extra mid.
GWS should be thereabouts again but should be looking to fast-track some younger smalls or smaller mediums. Otherwise, they look like they’ll be run off their feet again by the top teams.
GWS 2026 Select 23:
B: Sone, Taylor, Idun
HB: Ash, Buckley, Whitfield
C: O’Halloran, C.Oliver, Brown
HF: Stringer, Hogan, Greene
F: Gruzewski, Cadman, Jones
R: Briggs, Green, Callaghan
I: Aleer, Kelly, Madden, Thomas, and Riccardi
You can follow all my list updates as they become available at https://www.ozfootylistmanager.com/2026-lists-new.html
Next are the Happy Hawkers.
Read more from Micky McTigger Here
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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
Sorry, that should be Stone in the small back pocket.