Strategy Aaron Naughton - Key Defender or Key Forward?

[Norm De Guerre]

The question shouldn't really be discussed in the absolutes that it currently is.

Was he brought to the club as a CHB? Yes

Did we switch him forward because of a dearth of KPF? Yes

Has that switch been a success? Yes.

Do we need a CHB? yes.

Was his less than half a game in defence a decisive answer one way or the other? No.

Could we do with his manic pressure in defence? Yes.

Does the club consider their current KPD stocks adequate? Yes.

Did one fall into our laps this year? maybe.

Can we afford to send him back as it stands? No.

Will Darcy be the catalyst for forcing this change? Maybe.

Should we be factoring in Croft? Maybe.

Naughton may well see himself as a KPF (my preference) but much will depend on where we see Darcy and perhaps Croft playing over the next 12-24 months. It's pretty obvious that Darcy is shaping as a true unicorn, but in typical fashion he's been used at both ends of the ground with a view to rounding out his game. We have no idea where he will end up playing but I see him as an English analogue. Likely to subsume Lobbs role in time. Given he looks pretty comfortable anywhere on the ground the club may see him otherwise. Croft assuming he's comes to us our plans for him are completely unknown.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if he is earmarked for the Naughton treatment only in reverse.

One thing is an absolute. Naughton, JUH, Lobb, Darcy and potentially Croft cannot all fit into the same forward half.

Somebody is going to be turned into a defender and the only one (excluding Lobb) from the above that we can confidently rule out is JUH.

So....maybe.

I hope that cleared things up for youse!

/thread.

 

[Dogsman16]

The question shouldn't really be discussed in the absolutes that it currently is.

Was he brought to the club as a CHB? Yes

Did we switch him forward because of a dearth of KPF? Yes

Has that switch been a success? Yes.

Do we need a CHB? yes.

Was his less than half a game in defence a decisive answer one way or the other? No.

Could we do with his manic pressure in defence? Yes.

Does the club consider their current KPD stocks adequate? Yes.

Did one fall into our laps this year? maybe.

Can we afford to send him back as it stands? No.

Will Darcy be the catalyst for forcing this change? Maybe.

Should we be factoring in Croft? Maybe.

Naughton may well see himself as a KPF (my preference) but much will depend on where we see Darcy and perhaps Croft playing over the next 12-24 months. It's pretty obvious that Darcy is shaping as a true unicorn, but in typical fashion he's been used at both ends of the ground with a view to rounding out his game. We have no idea where he will end up playing but I see him as an English analogue. Likely to subsume Lobbs role in time. Given he looks pretty comfortable anywhere on the ground the club may see him otherwise. Croft assuming he's comes to us our plans for him are completely unknown.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if he is earmarked for the Naughton treatment only in reverse.

One thing is an absolute. Naughton, JUH, Lobb, Darcy and potentially Croft cannot all fit into the same forward half.

Somebody is going to be turned into a defender and the only one (excluding Lobb) from the above that we can confidently rule out is JUH.

So....maybe.

I hope that cleared things up for youse!

/thread.

Naughton (the worst field kick of the lot) in my view won’t be moved back.

Scoring off intercepts and preventing intercepts is the main score source in the AFL, can’t have your most inconsistent kicks down back. He’s not even a penetrating kick so it’s not as if he can bomb it long down the line that well.

 

[LondonBulldog]

Naughton (the worst field kick of the lot) in my view won’t be moved back.

Scoring off intercepts and preventing intercepts is the main score source in the AFL, can’t have your most inconsistent kicks down back. He’s not even a penetrating kick so it’s not as if he can bomb it long down the line that well.

Keep is simple like Steven May, handball to the runner or bang it long down the line.

 

[maddog37]

Hate to do this again but it just solves so many issue’s especially with Darcy coming on nicely.

 

[lachy]

Waste of time playing him deep forward.

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[adogsfan5]

“Kick it on my head”

…..

Proceeds to have Weightman jump on him and spoils Lobb.

Just so enjoyable to watch.

 

[geoffjennings79]

“Kick it on my head”

…..

Proceeds to have Weightman jump on him and spoils Lobb.

Just so enjoyable to watch.

Three highly paid numb-nuts.

 

[BIG_BONTS]

We need another ultra competitive 1:1 player to complement Jones

 

[BIG_BONTS]

O'Donnell is a young developing player who should learn the craft in the twos for the next 1-2 years with Buss and Darcy

 

[Mofra]

O'Donnell is a young developing player who should learn the craft in the twos for the next 1-2 years with Buss and Darcy

JOD should play as soon as he's fit, which might be round 3 (after concussion protocols)

 

[Doggies7]

JOD should play as soon as he's fit, which might be round 3 (after concussion protocols)

I really wish JOD was fit, I want him straight back in but has really started to miss a lot of football in the past month. Both his recent injuries were in the first quarter also so he hasn't got that game conditioning and touch into him yet I don't think. Hopefully back in soon.

 

[stefoid]

Hate to do this again but it just solves so many issue’s especially with Darcy coming on nicely.

papers over the issues, doesnt solve them.

I hate the logic of "we cant work out how to get the ball inside 50 properly, so best stack the defence and mitigate the damage.

 

[hutchy31]

Three highly paid numb-nuts.

We might end up with about $3m+ in salary cap tied up in Naughton, JUH, Lobb and Weightman and they can't get out of each other's way.

In the meantime we have Jones on probably not that much as the only functioning KPD and hoping that JOD - who's played a handful of games and who'll also be on buttons - to come back soon otherwise the defense looks flaky.

I mean, it's not like solid defense wins flags or anything.

For the record, I'm not sure about Naughton back - I'd much rather they just stopped playing like idiots in the forward line, have a semblance of decent coaching and get a basic understanding of leading patterns. But it fuels the fire in the media when we are playing Buku as effectively a second KPD and have a bunch of expensive tall timber down the other end of the ground spoiling each other and. when they do get the ball, missing the ******* kick for goal anyway.

 

[maddog37]

papers over the issues, doesnt solve them.

I hate the logic of "we cant work out how to get the ball inside 50 properly, so best stack the defence and mitigate the damage.

I was actually thinking it would be nice to have more genuine marking power in the back line. Someone that can make opposition mids second guess themselves when attacking.

 

[hutchy31]

I was actually thinking it would be nice to have more genuine marking power in the back line. Someone that can make opposition mids second guess themselves when attacking.

I don’t think talent is the issue here, just once again it’s coaching and player decision making and execution.

Jones was great in the first quarter or so at this, Buku also took at least one decent intercept mark and looked lively in that facet of the game. Then English clattered backwards into a pack in defense when all our guys are in there, it spills out the back of the contest for an easy crumbing goal for the dees. Then something almost identical happened a few minutes later.

The players need to get out of each other’s way, and have at least one player prepared to react at ground level if/when the ball spills out behind the contest. It’s really not rocket science but we’re years into this being a problem at both ends of the ground. It’s baffling.

 

[LondonBulldog]

I'm not sure where Naughton best position is.

What I do know is the its incompetence if they don't at least trial Naughts down back for a portion. Its not like we have been great since 2021. The defence is terrible, 3rd least intercepts for the last 3 years. All the stats show we need an interceptor, strong marking defenders. We have someone who fits that bill. Will it be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Likely, yet its still on the coaches to at least contemplate the option and try it.

Its they don't well they would be very stubborn. Now our coach wouldn't be stubborn would he?

 

[adogsfan5]

I'm not sure where Naughton best position is.

What I do know is the its incompetence if they don't at least trial Naughts down back for a portion. Its not like we have been great since 2021. The defence is terrible, 3rd least intercepts for the last 3 years. All the stats show we need an interceptor, strong marking defenders. We have someone who fits that bill. Will it be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Likely, yet its still on the coaches to at least contemplate the option and try it.

Its they don't well they would be very stubborn. Now our coach wouldn't be stubborn would he?

There’s more chance of Michael Talia returning to the club.

 

[3rdgenbulldog]

worth a shot aye not getting any worse than we already are

 

[Planet Dogs]

Naughton down back is logical (so it won't happen).
He and Jones would give us a strong KPD duo. Imagine him on Brown last game. How many marks would he take? (plenty I reckon)
Any weakness in field kicking can be readily managed.
It also means that Darcy slots straight into the forward line.
For a team to be a contender it must have a rock solid defensive unit. We are kidding ourselves with the current setup.

 

[doggies ftw]

I’m sorry but in what world can people watch our games and still want to run out with a forward line consisting of both Lobb & Darcy. * me

 

[Planet Dogs]

I’m sorry but in what world can people watch our games and still want to run out with a forward line consisting of both Lobb & Darcy. * me

What about JUH, Darcy, and Kamis? Lobb can be in the two's as backup.
I'm sick of having a supposedly talented forward line and yet seeing the same old pathetic results.

 

[ringa5]

All players play a role to help win matches.If that means Naughton deep forward or centre half forward or centre half back.So be it.As it is at most successful teams.Depends on Matchups and state of game Not personal preferences!

 

[FoochPackage]

Can I ask the Naughton must stay FWD mob what their issue with sending him back is? Even for a period of 6 weeks?

What's the big argument against it? Hes not even our no.1 forward anymore. Jamarra is streets ahead of him in terms of fwd craft.

I just dont understand the defiance against trialing him down back.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Can I ask the Naughton must stay FWD mob what their issue with sending him back is? Even for a period of 6 weeks?

What's the big argument against it? Hes not even our no.1 forward anymore. Jamarra is streets ahead of him in terms of fwd craft.

I just dont understand the defiance against trialing him down back.

I'm not in either camp, but atm Naughton takes the key oppo defender (May last week), so JUH usually gets the second best defender. If Naughton goes back, JUH gets the best defender. Might have worked last week if JUH covered lots of ground taking May out of his comfort zone.

But still puts a lot of pressure on JUH. It's a team game, and even if Naughton is tied down like last week, we saw JUH with slightly more freedom on defender #2.

 

[dardog]

I’m sorry but in what world can people watch our games and still want to run out with a forward line consisting of both Lobb & Darcy. * me

You could go smaller and just operate with Jamarra and Darcy.
Hopefully they can string some performances together but I’d like to see Clarke and Bedendo have a crack at the forward set up at some point.
There is a big risk and unknown to such a big positional change but geez the currently set up both forward and back isn’t working.