Is anyone else seriously worried about the Swans forward line?

[CAS79]

Put my hand up as one who said last week they needed improvement. Glad to see we got it. As always next week efficiency will be important as I don’t think we will get as many chances but hopefully there all practicing there goal kicking shots... especially R.O'Keefe (Great effort but the wrong pair of boots on today). If they keep on the move though they could expose some holes in the Lions defense too.

 

[J-swan]

o'loughlin must be closer to pulling the pin, this year might be his last
baz, if fit and hungry like today, could go on for at least two years, maybe a third

I don't think it will. If he can keep on the paddock, he will play his 300th in 09 and I think the idea of him being the first Swan to make 300 will be a huge incentive for him to battle on and if he can keep contributing like he did yesterday, that would be fantastic.

 

[Liesha]

o'loughlin must be closer to pulling the pin, this year might be his last
baz, if fit and hungry like today, could go on for at least two years, maybe a third

Unless he gets seriously injured I could see Micky going around again next year. He's not far off 300 games, will need to play into next season to bring it up though. Here's hoping

 

[swantastic]

Not after yesterdays game

 

[RUNVS]

I thought id bring this thread up again and say that today our Forward line was poor at best.

Davis was crap and should have kicked 2 more goals and even though O'Loughlin top scored for us with 3 goals he also made alot of mistakes and seemed to have real trouble winning a contested ball.

Forwards
O'Loughlin - 3 goals - 1 behind
Davis - 1 goal - 2 behinds
O'Keefe - 0 goals - 1 behind
Total - 28 points

Midfield
Goodes - 2 goals - 0 behinds
Jolly - 1 goal - 1 behind
Bird - 1 goal - 0 behinds
Total - 25 points

That is just not acceptable.

 

[is2SWaNz]

Disappointing! Even more disappointing that ROK hasn't kicked a goal at all today.

 

[Rhino5]

In a team with a lack of forward potency Rhino should be averaging about 2 goals a game - having said that, we do need him to push up the ground and take those strong marks at half forward.

I would also like to see Goodes spend a quarter or so in the goal square. He's great in a marking contest and at the very least he can draw a second defender to help on him.

With all respect to Mick, we can't be relying on him to kick 2-3 goals a game at this stage of his career.

 

[blood stained]

Bad kicking is bad football and costs you at the end of the season.

NICK DAVIS. He had the chance in the 2nd qtr to put the swans ahead 5 goals to one and hit the post. His body language was shit and his defensive skills have not improved. Get rid of him.

JUDE BOLTON. Kicked out on the full twice before 3 qtr time. Were difficult shots but we would have won if he had kicked just one of those. Doesn't kick enough goals for a midfielder.

If not for bad kicking the swans could be 5-1 instead of 3-2-1. Five more shots than the roos include the last four shots of the game. Can be the difference between top 4 and genuine chance or position 5-8 with no hope of flag.

 

[Rhino5]

Bad kicking is bad football and costs you at the end of the season.

NICK DAVIS. He had the chance in the 2nd qtr to put the swans ahead 5 goals to one and hit the post. His body language was shit and his defensive skills have not improved. Get rid of him.

JUDE BOLTON. Kicked out on the full twice before 3 qtr time. Were difficult shots but we would have won if he had kicked just one of those. Doesn't kick enough goals for a midfielder.

If not for bad kicking the swans could be 5-1 instead of 3-2-1. Five more shots than the roos include the last four shots of the game. Can be the difference between top 4 and genuine chance or position 5-8 with no hope of flag.

You're right. I'm a defender of Jude, and everyone is entitled to one shank, but those two really were terrible.

I have mixed feelings about Davis - despite his efforts today, he's still one of the most accurate kicks around and he is great at using his body in a marking contest, as he showed at times today. When Hall is out, I don't know that we can afford to not have him there as an option.

 

[RUNVS]

You're right. I'm a defender of Jude, and everyone is entitled to one shank, but those two really were terrible.

I have mixed feelings about Davis - despite his efforts today, he's still one of the most accurate kicks around and he is great at using his body in a marking contest, as he showed at times today. When Hall is out, I don't know that we can afford to not have him there as an option.

That is true. The Swans have almost no depth in regards to goal kicking forwards so when someone is playing badly Paul Roos has no one to replace them with so as a result he sticks with the out of form Forward.

The only other forward that is anywhere near ready to play AFL is Daniel O'Keefe but unfortunately i dont think he is the type of player to kick a bag load of goals though with the current form of our midfield maybe Paul Roos should consider playing him just to give our midfield another forward option to kick too.

 

[ssfc0203]

Consider Veszpremi maybe? I know his stamina isn't at AFL level yet, but he's an awesome forward.

 

[RUNVS]

Here is a list of the Forwards on the Swans payroll

Matthew Beckmans
Henry Playfair
Michael O'Loughlin
Ryan O'Keefe
Nick Davis
Barry Hall

now the midfield/forwards

Dean Terlich
Brendan Murphy
Patrick Veszpremi
Daniel O'Keefe

So the Swans only have 6 out and out forwards. Beckmans is too young and Hall is injured/suspended so that leaves Paul Roos with

Henry Playfair
Michael O'Loughlin
Ryan O'Keefe
Nick Davis

Does anyone know if Playfair will be considered next week as we could really use his height in the Forward line.

 

[No1SwansFan]

That is true. The Swans have almost no depth in regards to goal kicking forwards so when someone is playing badly Paul Roos has no one to replace them with so as a result he sticks with the out of form Forward.

The only other forward that is anywhere near ready to play AFL is Daniel O'Keefe but unfortunately i dont think he is the type of player to kick a bag load of goals though with the current form of our midfield maybe Paul Roos should consider playing him just to give our midfield another forward option to kick too.

I dont know what Whites acuracy is really like dont remember much from the Trial game and he played quite defensively at the last ressies match i saw but he out bodied his player a coupe of times today. He was much better than I thought he would be actually. I dont for a second think he can cut it with the like of Scarlett (he would most likely be smashed) but I actually think him being the big presence up forward isnt such a bad idea. davis is out sized to be a tll forward option. And he isnt good enough these days at picking up the loose balls. He really just doesnt fit in.
I was no supporter of Jesse Whites inclusin for todays game but he really did surprise me.

 

[No1SwansFan]

Here is a list of the Forwards on the Swans payroll

Matthew Beckmans
Henry Playfair
Michael O'Loughlin
Ryan O'Keefe
Nick Davis
Barry Hall

now the midfield/forwards

Dean Terlich
Brendan Murphy
Patrick Veszpremi
Daniel O'Keefe

So the Swans only have 6 out and out forwards. Beckmans is too young and Hall is injured/suspended so that leaves Paul Roos with

Henry Playfair
Michael O'Loughlin
Ryan O'Keefe
Nick Davis

Does anyone know if Playfair will be considered next week as we could really use his height in the Forward line.

Playfair is an option but considering he hasnt played but one ressies game this year (if he played this week that is) is he the right option If spida is back then this discussion is pretty null at the moment because we drop davis and bring in Spida problem solved really but if spida isnt ready is someone like Schmidt or Fossie a better option?

 

[TheBloods]

Even without Hall, the Swans have the forward options. They just need a structure to use them better.

Taking an hour to work the ball zig-zag like up the ground until the opposition has flooded back hardly helps.

Putting all our own players into our F50 hardly helps either. On too many occasions I actually saw a number of our midfielders and defenders wander into our forward line, dragging their defenders with them. Forward line becomes so crowded no one can lead.

We need to bring the ball up the corridor and leave space for the forwards to lead into. Our kicking to forwards needs to be better too.

ROK is a great mark and lead. We need to use him better as the link between the midfielders and the forward line.

Both MOL and Davis are capable of beating their men if given reasonable delivery. Davis presented really well in the first half and could easily have kicked or contributed to five goals yesterday. His confidence looks shot (hardly surprising). As for his defensive efforts, generally speaking they are no worse than Hall or MOL. More effective forward play will cut down on any rebounding opportunities.

I think White or Barlow should be tried as a key marking forward.

 

[beejw1]

I thought id bring this thread up again and say that today our Forward line was poor at best.

Davis was crap and should have kicked 2 more goals and even though O'Loughlin top scored for us with 3 goals he also made alot of mistakes and seemed to have real trouble winning a contested ball.

Forwards
O'Loughlin - 3 goals - 1 behind
Davis - 1 goal - 2 behinds
O'Keefe - 0 goals - 1 behind
Total - 28 points

Midfield
Goodes - 2 goals - 0 behinds




Jolly - 1 goal - 1 behind
Bird - 1 goal - 0 behinds
Total - 25 points

That is just not acceptable.

You forgot to mention Jude Bolton's two OOB on the full in two minutes from set shots. Half the side should be sent back to Auskick to learn how to kick straight. We have the hardest working defence and midfield in the game but our forwards are way off the mark. I watched Thompson repeatedly lead forward for North and take uncontested chest marks and thought, "why can't we do that?" Bugger 300 games, MOL should retire, too inconsistent.

 

[Skystyler]

Even without Hall, the Swans have the forward options. They just need a structure to use them better.

Taking an hour to work the ball zig-zag like up the ground until the opposition has flooded back hardly helps.

Putting all our own players into our F50 hardly helps either. On too many occasions I actually saw a number of our midfielders and defenders wander into our forward line, dragging their defenders with them. Forward line becomes so crowded no one can lead.

We need to bring the ball up the corridor and leave space for the forwards to lead into. Our kicking to forwards needs to be better too.

ROK is a great mark and lead. We need to use him better as the link between the midfielders and the forward line.

Both MOL and Davis are capable of beating their men if given reasonable delivery. Davis presented really well in the first half and could easily have kicked or contributed to five goals yesterday. His confidence looks shot (hardly surprising). As for his defensive efforts, generally speaking they are no worse than Hall or MOL. More effective forward play will cut down on any rebounding opportunities.

I think Smith or Barlow should be tried as a key marking forward.

Barlow is tall, but skinny and doesn't seem that great overhead. Smith looks like a scrawny kid.

I cant decide if the delivery was crap or the forwards just never got seperation. Lower had the better of Davis. Just seemed too quick for him. Firrito, who has become an excellent fullback, was too good for Mickey most of the day. O'keefe had Watt who is fast in a straight line and big and did a reasonable job. It was clear to me during the game we really missed Hall, who would've taken Firrito and freed up Micky if nothing else.

 

[bigswan]

The forward line should have scored a lot more against North. Our game is to hold the ball up and work the ball forward or use a runner to break the lines. In the last 4 minutes we used the latter through Kennelly and Jack and we scored 2/3-3/4 (depending if you believe the goal umpire). If Davis had kicked accurately we might have had a buffer at 3/4 time. Kicking the ball into the forward line and hopingh will not do because we do not have any high marks. When the ball moves it is another matter. Moving players and so on is not the answer. They must use the game plan effectively.

 

[TheBloods]

Barlow is tall, but skinny and doesn't seem that great overhead. Smith looks like a scrawny kid.

Sorry - I meant White not Smith.

 

[4TH GEN SWAN]

I don't think that the forwards are so much the problem as more the way we more the ball forward.

We don't seem to have problems when the ball is moved quickly when we run. It is really unfair to blame the forwards for poor ball movement.

As for Davis, at times he does himself no favours, but I really think that we do need him in the team as he provides that "X" factor. Do we all need reminding to the last quarter against Geelong in 2005?????

 

[4TH GEN SWAN]

The other thing that really gets on my goat is that our forwards seem to be able to be scragged by opposition defenders, but if Leo or CB sneeze to hard in the opposition direction, they get free kicked. Am I half way correct or is my 1 eye really colour blind????

 

[TheBloods]

As for Davis, at times he does himself no favours, but I really think that we do need him in the team as he provides that "X" factor. Do we all need reminding to the last quarter against Geelong in 2005?????

Not just then - despite him being the third forward in the team he's still one of our best goal scorers. Last year he was 29th in the competition for goals per game - decent effort.

 

[EatBig Australia]

Not just then - despite him being the third forward in the team he's still one of our best goal scorers. Last year he was 29th in the competition for goals per game - decent effort.

I bet he was 29th in the competition for attitude or forward line pressure.

I have always been a big fan of Davo but he just seems at the moment to be trying to nudge players in the back and run into an easy goal rather than take a contested mark which he is more than capeable of.

If Veszpremi was fit I reckon he would be all over Davis' spot in the forward line.

 

[No1SwansFan]

I don't think that the forwards are so much the problem as more the way we more the ball forward.

We don't seem to have problems when the ball is moved quickly when we run. It is really unfair to blame the forwards for poor ball movement.

As for Davis, at times he does himself no favours, but I really think that we do need him in the team as he provides that "X" factor. Do we all need reminding to the last quarter against Geelong in 2005?????[/quote]
That was more than 2 years ago. I will be disappointed to see him running around in first grade but he just cant get back to that again. When was the last time we have seen him play even a full quarter of footy like that quarter. I full quarter would probably give him a reprieve. At his best he can win a game - we just havent seen his best in a while.

 

[TheBloods]

I have always been a big fan of Davo but he just seems at the moment to be trying to nudge players in the back and run into an easy goal rather than take a contested mark which he is more than capeable of.

He took three very good marks I50 yesterday (two contested and one from a clever change-in-direction lead and superb kick from Goodes) and contested at least one more.