BulldogMurray
Debutant
- Oct 15, 2014
- 102
- 147
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
Josh Green wants to build on his career-best season and play more like Hayden Ballantyne
- GREG DAVIS
- THE COURIER-MAIL
- DECEMBER 08, 2014 8:00PM
Josh Green wants to be Brisbane’s Hayden Ballantyne. Picture: George Salpigtidis
THE grass was certainly greener for Brisbane small forward Josh Green in 2014.
But the 54-game Lions goalsneak wants to build on his career-best year by modelling his game on Fremantle star Hayden Ballantyne to take Brisbane and himself to another level in 2015.
Green, 22, finished last season with a club-high 33 goals with five separate three-goal bags to his name.
It was the first time since 2008 that Jonathan Brown was not Brisbane’s leading goalkicker and Green’s breakout campaign was rewarded with a top eight finish in the club champion count.
With Brown retired and now a part-time forwards coach, it is up to Green to provide a large chunk of the life and colour in the Brisbane forward line.
Josh Green kicked 33 goals in 2014. Picture: Peter Wallis
“We have a pretty young forward group so I need to step-up and show a bit of leadership and take a bit more control,’’ Green said.
“The club has recruited a few goalkicking midfielders and the young tall forwards will only get better and better so we will look to share the load.
“It was my most consistent year last year and I felt like I was able to contribute most weeks.
“I don’t want to rest on my laurels though. I need to improve on that level and hopefully help the team push up the ladder as well.
“We had something like the second lowest number of inside 50 entries last season but we’ve got great depth in the midfield next season so we should be able to get more supply in there and kick a few more goals.’’
Josh Green was the Lions’ leading goalkicker in 2014. Picture: George Salpigtidis
Brisbane are tinkering with the make-up of their forward line with the resting ruckman out of Matthew Leuenberger and Stef Martin to play deep with Michael Close and Jono Freeman to fill a key post.
The Lions could have an undersized but mobile and skilful forward line with the likes of Dayne Beams, Allen Christensen, Dayne Zorko, Sam Mayes and Tom Rockliff expected to rotate through.
Green once harboured dreams of pushing into the Brisbane midfield but is happy to focus entirely on making the difficult small forward position his own.
The premier goalsneak in the competition is Ballantyne who booted 49 goals in 2014 for the Dockers as well as providing suffocating defensive pressure inside Fremantle’s attacking 50.
More often than not, teams that force a turnover inside their attacking 50 will score which means small forwards are judged on their tackle counts, smothers and ‘pressure acts’ as much as their goal tally.
“Ballantyne’s tackling pressure is right up there along with being really dangerous when he’s got the ball. If I can be half the player he is, I’m sure it will help the team out,’’ Green said.
Ballantyne, really! Why sell yourself short. Why not Micky Conlan!!!
