List Mgmt. The Ridiculous Number of Backmen on St Kilda's List

[SaintsSeptember]

But this is how Richo is going to make his mark on the game. 17 running half back flankers and 1 key forward. I call it "The Swarm".

We can just move the backline forward, then form other backlines behind it, until suddenly the backline becomes the forward line and we rebound into the goals.

 

[Persevering Saint]

We can just move the backline forward, then form other backlines behind it, until suddenly the backline becomes the forward line and we rebound into the goals.

From one perspective, not as crazy as it sounds.

For anybody other than tall defenders, the backline is either a school, a resort, or a retirement home. If you're at your peak, you should move from the small defender role into the midfield.

Gears SHOULD be a midfielder by now, his remaining in that role is an indication of stagnation, and he should be challenged to go into the midfield next year, or at least late next year once he's restored his match fitness after his LTI this year.

Newnes is just leaving school and going into the midfield. Webster should get there when he's at about 40 games like Newnes, as should Wright and Shenton (and imo Murdoch). It teaches them to see the field of play, accountability, but also gives them space to run or deliver the ball.

Savage is an example of using the backline as a "resort", and shouldn't stay there for long - he's there right now for the same reason Dal went back there occasionally: to restore confidence (I always found that a sign of Dal's mental softness, personally, and I must say I see the same in Sav... but hey, Dal was fabulous anyway, and so will Sav).

We don't really have any examples now of the "retirement home" approach, which is unsurprising given where we are in the rebuild cycle. Probably a recent historical example would be Baker, who started as a midfield tagger, but became a backline tagger to finish his career.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

From one perspective, not as crazy as it sounds.

For anybody other than tall defenders, the backline is either a school, a resort, or a retirement home. If you're at your peak, you should move from the small defender role into the midfield.

Gears SHOULD be a midfielder by now, his remaining in that role is an indication of stagnation, and he should be challenged to go into the midfield next year, or at least late next year once he's restored his match fitness after his LTI this year.

Newnes is just leaving school and going into the midfield. Webster should get there when he's at about 40 games like Newnes, as should Wright and Shenton (and imo Murdoch). It teaches them to see the field of play, accountability, but also gives them space to run or deliver the ball.

Savage is an example of using the backline as a "resort", and shouldn't stay there for long - he's there right now for the same reason Dal went back there occasionally: to restore confidence (I always found that a sign of Dal's mental softness, personally, and I must say I see the same in Sav... but hey, Dal was fabulous anyway, and so will Sav).

We don't really have any examples now of the "retirement home" approach, which is unsurprising given where we are in the rebuild cycle. Probably a recent historical example would be Baker, who started as a midfield tagger, but became a backline tagger to finish his career.

Baker was not a user of the ball by any means, but he was very very accountable. At the moment if we have someone who lets the odd ball through it doesn't matter. But when you are challenging you need someone who is a good defender first and foremost.