Weโre going through each side and predicting their best 22 for the 2020 season.
Today, weโve looked at the potential best 22โs of Collingwood, Essendon and Fremantle.
Essendon
B: Aaron Francis, Cale Hooker, Patrick Ambrose
HB: Adam Saad, Michael Hurley, Conor McKenna
C: Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell, Andrew McGrath
HF: Jake Stringer, Shaun McKernan, Devon Smith
F: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Joe Daniher, Orazio Fantasia
FOLL: Tom Bellchambers, Dylan Shiel, Darcy Parish
I/C: Mason Redman, Tom Cutler, Matt Guelfi, David Zaharakis
Discussion: The Bombers failed to live up to the pre-season hype in 2019, after they did just enough to finish in eighth place before they were embarrassed by the Eagles at Optus Stadium to continue their winless finals run.
Their search for a maiden finals win since 2004 will continue on in 2020, but if they are able to field a full-strength side, thereโs no saying that they cannot do just that.
Devon Smith and Joe Daniher will slot straight back into the side when they make their returns from injuries which hampered the end of their 2019 season, as both are out-and-out stars in their own right.
The Bombers added a much-needed ruck to their stocks in Carltonโs Andrew Phillips, as well as adding former fringe Lion Tom Cutler, who fits in on the bench at this stage.
With the addition of Dylan Shiel in the 2018 off-season, many had the Bombers in the running for a top-four spot, with some even suggesting they could go all the way.
Yet while they fell drastically short of that last season, 2020 opens a new chapter and presents another opportunity for the Bombers to end their 15-year winless drought in finals matches.
