View Full Version : Balance with our talls?
Dry Rot
14 Dec 2005, 11:31
Re the young 'uns, are we short those who would be expected to be defenders?
Eade has said that he expects Williams one day to be a "power forward" which really only leaves Wight as a young tall specifically targeted as a defender, joining Morgan and Harris.
All the rest seem to be forwards to me ie Walsh, Skipper, Tiller, Wells, West, Davidson etc
Shouldn't be a problem. Just as long as a few of them have the talent to cut it at the top level, it will balance itself out.
It's a lot easier to turn a key forward into a key defender than the other way around. There are plenty of examples of players who've excelled in that role after struggling in their more 'natural' key forward positions (Leppitsch, Harris, Rutten, Penny).
Going on a tangent, but if we do get some depth going down back, I wouldn't mind seeing Harris get the odd shot up forward - he's got most of the tools (size, pace, leap, strong mark) to be provide a quality option and mix things up a bit.
Dog Town
14 Dec 2005, 19:55
Going on a tangent, but if we do get some depth going down back, I wouldn't mind seeing Harris get the odd shot up forward - he's got most of the tools (size, pace, leap, strong mark) to be provide a quality option and mix things up a bit.I agree but I reckon thats looking 3 or 4 years down the track before we will have the mature talls to have that luxury.Even though a couple of these guys (Wight,Williams etc) will play senior footy this year they will need 40-50 games in them before I think we will be able to move Harris around.I think he will always remain our number 1 full back but there is nothing wrong with swinging him around when plan A either isn't working or is not an option.
All of Wells,Williams,Wight,Tiller and Walsh have good pace (atleast on paper) which to me suggests that if they dont have the natural ability and reading of the play that you need as a forward then they should be able to have a decent crack at being a defender.Walsh from what I have seen struggles in defence but it is still relatively early days for him.Wight will make a charge in the next season and a half I reckon and then we will know if he has what it takes.
Rocco Jones
14 Dec 2005, 20:09
It's a lot easier to turn a key forward into a key defender than the other way around. There are plenty of examples of players who've excelled in that role after struggling in their more 'natural' key forward positions (Leppitsch, Harris, Rutten, Penny).
True.
When an underage coach has a quality KPP all things being equal they are most likely to play them up forward. Gun young talls are probably going to spend most of their underage footy up forward or in ruck.
Agree 100% with Rocco.
Had to laugh reading Clement's recruiting description as a "leaping forward".
Add that to the list mentioned before.
Wouldn't automatically stamp Skipper as a forward either, he did okay in a few stints in defence this year, although at this stage Morgan looks the most ready made 2nd tall defender
The Doctor
14 Dec 2005, 21:25
Wight will make a charge in the next season and a half I reckon and then we will know if he has what it takes.
He would want to. I am yet to be convinced he has the goods as I haven't seen anything in his game to get excited about to this stage.
Gilbo_Fan
15 Dec 2005, 08:32
I think for a lot of those guys its just too early to tell
Walsh could develop into a key defender and Williams will likely start as a CHB and perhaps progress like Freos Luke McPharlin. I think Morgan is capable of playing both ends of the ground. And I think Wights development has been steady whilst not spectacular particularly given he was a speculative pick and is 200cms (big guys take time)
What we have done is add lots of potential forwards to our list - it is up to those players, be it Wells, Davidson, West, Tiller, Skipper etc to step up and show they can hold down that type of position.
Its really hard to know what Wells, West and Tiller could be at this stage.
stefoid
15 Dec 2005, 13:24
williams a power forward? I doubt we will see that for at least 3 full seasons, if ever. He has to learn how to read the play, take an overhead mark and kick the footy first.
pure defenders:
harris, wight, williams
pure forwards:
walsh, west, tiller
either:
wells, baird, morgan
rookie forward davidson (although eade wants him to play in defence for weribee)
seems reasonably well balanced to me. skipper will probably ruck out his career with the bees.
Fair points stefoid, although I remember Eade saying Skip was only a back-up ruckman at best. Apparently he, Boyd & Birss have been putting in a huge pre-season.
Eade likes players that can play in a variety of positions, although Wells (from the very little I've seen) seems to be a natural forward more than anything else.
ErnieSigley
15 Dec 2005, 14:57
It's a lot easier to turn a key forward into a key defender than the other way around. There are plenty of examples of players who've excelled in that role after struggling in their more 'natural' key forward positions (Leppitsch, Harris, Rutten, Penny).
Penny??? Excelled a key defender? What a disapointment of a career he had.
:)
Come Westy boy how could he be included in that bracket?
Dog Town
15 Dec 2005, 20:22
He would want to. I am yet to be convinced he has the goods as I haven't seen anything in his game to get excited about to this stage.Yeah he is definetly still a work in progress.I like to look at how much he has improved since U/18s which is quite significant.I suppose its a matter of how long he can keep improving.At the end of the day he just might not have what it takes and I reckon we will find that out in the next 18 months.Certainly think he has shown more than Walsh who was drafted in the same year.Need to see signs from both of them this year.
scooter600x
15 Dec 2005, 20:43
Penny??? Excelled a key defender? What a disapointment of a career he had.
:)
Come Westy boy how could he be included in that bracket?
I think his point was that Penny started as a forward and turned into a defender. He could have been a decent one, too, if he had a heart.
The_Bulldogs_Bite
15 Dec 2005, 21:57
Fair points stefoid, although I remember Eade saying Skip was only a back-up ruckman at best. Apparently he, Boyd & Birss have been putting in a huge pre-season.
Eade likes players that can play in a variety of positions, although Wells (from the very little I've seen) seems to be a natural forward more than anything else.
From what I've heard, Wells is a natural forward and not all that comfortable down back either.
Next year will be good to see how Werribee goes with all the newer young KPP's. Looking forward to seeing how Wells, Tiller, Davidson, Baird, Wight & Walsh go. West too, if he's able to break into it.
Penny??? Excelled a key defender? What a disapointment of a career he had.
:)
Come Westy boy how could he be included in that bracket?
In his first couple of years with the Saints he would have been rated among the top 5 key defenders in the comp before injuries kicked in. Even up until his retirement, he was the #1 option for FB in a top 4 side.
But I wasn't including him as a judgment of his career but more to make the point that he was originally recruited as a forward, his initial games at VFL level were played there (like might apply to Wells, West etc), but he made the transition to defender at the top level without much trouble.