best defence 2017

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Given Alex was drafted in 2013, it's been a while since he played in Tassie.

He's now 200cm and will play as a KPD. Once fit and established in the team he will get the oppositions best key forward.
 

theGav56

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Definitely a new generation coming through. Johnson is 32 years old and Dawson is 31 in February. Hamling is 23, Collins is 22 and Alex Pearce is only 21 years old. So yeah... McPharlin, Johnson and Dawson we our 3 main tall defenders from 2012-5.

Seems like Our 3 main Tall defenders from 2018 onwards looks like Hamling, Collins and Alex Pearce.
Don't rate Logue? Mixed feelings about Cox? Sure they are unknown as they haven't played a game, but my real point is that those two guys are pretty well regarded and at the very least should ensure that our backline talls are formidable. My tip is that they could form a partnership as formidable as McPharlin, MJ and Dawson. The skillsets and the diversity are there.
 
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Alex Pearce a negating defender! Have you actually watched him play football?He runs like a gazelle and played as a midfielder here in Tassie until he had a growth spurt.
Hmmmm.

We all know Alex has a high ceiling, that's why we all love him. Like a midfielder he likes to get stuck in and isn't afraid of throwing himself on a loose ball. He has good speed and agility for a 200cm+ player and he can read the play well. We hope he can use all this to become the next Alex Rance...... but last season he played the role of a negating defender, I honestly can't see how you could say anything else. Low metres gained (106m per game) High average of 1%ers. Averaged less marks per game than Zac "Golden fist" Dawson.

21 games into his career and we can already see he is a great negating defender. He has plenty natural talent and plenty of time to grow the rest of his game. Looking forward to watching him develop. :)
 

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Don't rate Logue? Mixed feelings about Cox? Sure they are unknown as they haven't played a game, but my real point is that those two guys are pretty well regarded and at the very least should ensure that our backline talls are formidable. My tip is that they could form a partnership as formidable as McPharlin, MJ and Dawson. The skillsets and the diversity are there.
Well 1st off, You would probably know more about Griffin Logue than I do because he is from WA. I don't know much about him besides seeing clips on him on youtube. Yeah he was a draft Bolter and it seems freo took him early because his hand and foot disposals are good and he could play more than one position o the ground.

As for Cox... I am very sure I would know more than most people on here besides Chris 25. Simply Because I am from SA. I am a South Adelaide Panthers fan in the SANFL. Cox played for Woodville West Torrens in the SANFL. I did see him play in a South Vs WWT game in the backline. He plays like Michael Johnson. His kicking disposal is good.

He can play up forward as well. He did kick 20 goals from 11 games in the WWT reserves.

Again... I cant say or judge either Logue or Cox yet until they play for The dockers and Peel. Gut feeling is one or both will get a debut game this season.

Still... I am slightly shocked Freo got 3 kpps in the 2016 ND considering we got Hamling, McCarthy and Kersten through trades and people have been saying the 2017 draft has a lot of KPPs
 

meima

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Well 1st off, You would probably know more about Griffin Logue than I do because he is from WA. I don't know much about him besides seeing clips on him on youtube. Yeah he was a draft Bolter and it seems freo took him early because his hand and foot disposals are good and he could play more than one position o the ground.

As for Cox... I am very sure I would know more than most people on here besides Chris 25. Simply Because I am from SA. I am a South Adelaide Panthers fan in the SANFL. Cox played for Woodville West Torrens in the SANFL. I did see him play in a South Vs WWT game in the backline. He plays like Michael Johnson. His kicking disposal is good.

He can play up forward as well. He did kick 20 goals from 11 games in the WWT reserves.

Again... I cant say or judge either Logue or Cox yet until they play for The dockers and Peel. Gut feeling is one or both will get a debut game this season.

Still... I am slightly shocked Freo got 3 kpps in the 2016 ND considering we got Hamling, McCarthy and Kersten through trades and people have been saying the 2017 draft has a lot of KPPs
I don't think is a shocked , all is well planned , logue,taylin, cox are more than capable of playing versatile role. I expect 2017 freo will draft small forward capable of playing wing , mid in later of the draft . (eg Walters)
 
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I don't think is a shocked , all is well planned , logue,taylin, cox are more than capable of playing versatile role. I expect 2017 freo will draft small forward capable of playing wing , mid in later of the draft . (eg Walters)
Probably was well planned. Again... A few freo posters on here said that there was going to be a lot of KPPs in the 2017 draft.

We chose a ruckman and 2 blokes that could play both ends. Still.... I don't know what we will get in the 2017 draft but its impossible to look to far ahead.

Potientially it could be a blessing in disguise getting KPPs in 2016 then some quick mids in the 2017 draft to go up the ladder and play finals quicker than expected.
 

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Please no Ibbo ,when pressure is on his decision making ever get more slower. The last Bulldog game in 2016 not so much of pressure for them to go hard and get injured.

Ibbo just needs our team to
lw11 has pretty much nailed it. Our ability to shut teams down in 2013 and 2015 was based around trapping the ball inside our attacking 50 and marking the opposition long hurried kick. With Elvis taking the oppositions most dangerous forward and Johnno/Ibbo and Spurr/Duffield intercept marking, we strangled everyone.

Forward and midfield pressure allows the defense the luxury of long (and often hurried) kicks inside defensive 50. If you give a modern footballer time and space he will more often than not his his target. The pace of B Hill and hopefully Bennel allow with Sonny, Ballas and Weller will hopefully see a return to whole team defense.

Hammer will become the new Elvis. In time Logue should take over the taller intercept role with the advantage of being a left footer. Crozier showed some promise last year as the smaller intercept mark. We got burned badly turning the ball over out of defense last year. With a significant change of personnel there's a good chance we can remedy that.

Will this game plan hold up and topple the impending GWS domination?
 

blue shark

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Is defence ranked on the team or back six? I'd argue our best defenders in 2013 were Ballas, Mayne and Son Son. Throw the pig in for good measure, too.

I'd like our back six in 2017 to be as follows (if fully fit):

Spurr - Pearce - Hamling
Ibbo - MJ - Crozier

Eventually, Logue will come in for either MJ (injuries) or Ibbo (form). If Sutcliffe can get back to 2013 form and Luke Ryan gets some consistency with Peel, they give good competition to Spurr.

Last season for Ethan Hughes to show he can break into the seniors.
A team defence got us close to the holy grail, but in the end it highlighted our weakness to skillful sides, vunerable to
the fastbreak, turnovers because our forwards were too far up the ground.
Sure we need our forwards to keep this up, but alot closer to goal where they are still dangerous, leave space to clear
the ball from the back half, have space to lead into.
We dont need to play players out of position now, the list is much improved, and we have tried to address our shortfalls
at both ends of the ground, and win/ use the ball better.
On a side note Im hoping E hughes is played as an inside mid with Peel.
 

_007_

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The near term future for an AFL defence is 2.5 lockdown defenders imo. 2 keybacks and a hybrid rebounder/defender for the the .5.

We should go in with the following back six imo (I am aware injury makes this impossible at the moment);

Logue Hamling Crozier
Weller Pearce Tucker

Logue is the .5 in that side. I am perfectly comfortable with the ability of these players to defend to an acceptable standard. Spurr is an excellent defender but can not rebound effectively and therefore my preference is Logue. Johnson will not be around for our next flag tilt and I would be very surprised if he ever manages a full season of AFL again. He will obviously play ahead of one of these players when fit though.

One major concern for me with this back six would be a lack of experience and leadership. In my estimations we are at least a couple of years away from contending seriously again which gives these players time to gel and develop their own chemistry. Leaders will emerge, Hamling has won a flag and knows what it takes.

What makes this a particularly attractive proposition for me is that Crozier and Hamling are the oldest and both just 23. This back six has the potential to play together for the next 8-10 years.
 
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edward powlett

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Hmmmm.

We all know Alex has a high ceiling, that's why we all love him. Like a midfielder he likes to get stuck in and isn't afraid of throwing himself on a loose ball. He has good speed and agility for a 200cm+ player and he can read the play well. We hope he can use all this to become the next Alex Rance...... but last season he played the role of a negating defender, I honestly can't see how you could say anything else. Low metres gained (106m per game) High average of 1%ers. Averaged less marks per game than Zac "Golden fist" Dawson.

21 games into his career and we can already see he is a great negating defender. He has plenty natural talent and plenty of time to grow the rest of his game. Looking forward to watching him develop. :)
 

edward powlett

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He played as a negating defender last year because he was a kid who had only played a hand full of games at that level.He will become far more attacking.Sheriff ,have I seen him play? Yes mate I have.
 

scon

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I expect we'll get his body right and he'll prove to be a very clever pick.
Certainly will offer a lot more than negation in defence once up and going.
 

M_rash

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The near term future for an AFL defence is 2.5 lockdown defenders imo. 2 keybacks and a hybrid rebounder/defender for the the .5.

We should go in with the following back six imo (I am aware injury makes this impossible at the moment);

Logue Hamling Crozier
Weller Pearce Tucker

Logue is the .5 in that side. I am perfectly comfortable with the ability of these players to defend to an acceptable standard. Spurr is an excellent defender but can not rebound effectively and therefore my preference is Logue. Johnson will not be around for our next flag tilt and I would be very surprised if he ever manages a full season of AFL again. He will obviously play ahead of one of these players when fit though.

One major concern for me with this back six would be a lack of experience and leadership. In my estimations we are at least a couple of years away from contending seriously again which gives these players time to gel and develop their own chemistry. Leaders will emerge, Hamling has won a flag and knows what it takes.

What makes this a particularly attractive proposition for me is that Crozier and Hamling are the oldest and both just 23. This back six has the potential to play together for the next 8-10 years.
That's a solid future back 6. Luke Ryan might force Tucker into the midfield too.

But I expect we'll start the year with as much experience as possible, and sprinkle the kids in as the year progresses.

Spurr Dawson MJ
Ibbo Hamling Sutty/Weller/Crozier

That last HBF spot could go either way. Weller is probably more versatile and could come off the bench, leaving sutty vs Croz. Can't wait for JLT as we'll likely field a strong team in all 3 games and finally see what round 1 might look like.
 

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meima

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Realistically, How many games will Logue and Cox play in 2017?
Not sure about cox , but can see logue play 5 game . much depend on JLT. Fan of logue , capable of replacing ibbo and Johnson in future.
 
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would prefer to release Weller into a midfield or forward role if Ryan came on. Just have the sense that he has some goals to offer.
Agree. Weller's a gun. He needs to be breaking through traffic and kicking it lace out to Cam for a sausage roll. Spurr needs to be in the back 6 anyway... Sherro's being groomed as a defender as well. Not sure where this leaves Hughes.

Spurr, Sherro, Hamling, APearce, Logue, Tucker, Crozier. Back 6 and 1 on the bench for versatility. Most of those blokes can push up the ground as well.

Having said that, when was the last time our first choice back 6, or anything for that matter, were all fit at the same time?
 

sherrif

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Agree. Weller's a gun. He needs to be breaking through traffic and kicking it lace out to Cam for a sausage roll. Spurr needs to be in the back 6 anyway... Sherro's being groomed as a defender as well. Not sure where this leaves Hughes.

Spurr, Sherro, Hamling, APearce, Logue, Tucker, Crozier. Back 6 and 1 on the bench for versatility. Most of those blokes can push up the ground as well.

Having said that, when was the last time our first choice back 6, or anything for that matter, were all fit at the same time?
Michael Johnson is still a deadset gun and a certainty to be in the back six. I rate him in our top 5 most important players.For what it is worth Sheridan has been training as a midfielder this preseason. Tucker has also trained exclusively as a midfielder in the training I've seen.
 

meima

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Agree. Weller's a gun. He needs to be breaking through traffic and kicking it lace out to Cam for a sausage roll. Spurr needs to be in the back 6 anyway... Sherro's being groomed as a defender as well. Not sure where this leaves Hughes.

Spurr, Sherro, Hamling, APearce, Logue, Tucker, Crozier. Back 6 and 1 on the bench for versatility. Most of those blokes can push up the ground as well.

Having said that, when was the last time our first choice back 6, or anything for that matter, were all fit at the same time?
I thought having b.hill to deliver to cam Mac will be the answer . not point having Weller on the wing if the ball in backline can't reach to him with bad delivery.
 
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Michael Johnson is still a deadset gun and a certainty to be in the back six. I rate him in our top 5 most important players.For what it is worth Sheridan has been training as a midfielder this preseason. Tucker has also trained exclusively as a midfielder in the training I've seen.
No question Johnson will play. Just hope he plays every game and gets back to his best.
 
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I thought having b.hill to deliver to cam Mac will be the answer . not point having Weller on the wing if the ball in backline can't reach to him with bad delivery.
Yep. Looking forward to Brad and Stephen tearing it up... The Hills are alive, with the sound of music...
 
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Frigate

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This best back 6 thing is obsolete. I have rated Dawson forever and a day, and I am a dying breed. HOWEVER :

I am sure if you are Tom Hawkins, or Kennedy or Reiwoldt - you want Dawson not on you. Because he is a defenders defender. That is why he gets paid the big bucks. Yes he will make a blunder or two, maybe three. Maybe one of those blunders turns in to an opponents goal. However, on most occasions he keeps blokes to 3 goals or less for the game.

When does this change? IMO when we get smashed. When we simply cannot be competitive all stats for defenders will look bad.

Ibbo, for example was playing as a KPD - only out of necessity.

Win the mid, win the ball, control the tempo and feed the pill to the forward 50. Otherwise the pill is going to keep hitting the defensive 50 and goals will be scored.

So, blame Dawson all you want, but in my eyes, he is the most natural spoiler\ defender in our game, and if he can prevent the key forward opponent marking the footy his job is settled, it is up to the others to clear the footy and hit targets.

I think he is a champion, and the most under-rated player in the AFL. All these other Freo defenders (apart from MJ and Spurr) could play seconds in most teams. Collins handy. Ibbo is a solid role player, but not a natural defender.

Mentioning half back runners is irrelevant and just a test of team health. You could put Hill, Hill, Weller, Crozier, Mundy...off the HBF, however it is not a defensive move, it is an attacking position, although technically it is literally in the back half. Like a quarter back in NFL, sets the attack, rather than primarily participating in the role of defence.

In water polo, it is simple. Anticipate the turnover, sprint to find space and pass to the free player. You need a good defender to force the turnover though.
 

Reverse Torp

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Frigate I agree with much of your post.

There's nothing wrong with Zac as a lock down KPD. He's an old fashioned fullback that will spoil if in doubt, and that makes his opponent earn his kicks. The main concern I have is when he has the ball in his hands. His lack of confidence in his disposal means that teams will allow him possession deep in our defensive 50 knowing that effectively commits us to one side of the ground.

Zac will definitely play this year, especially while Alex Pearce is injured. We will have Johnno and Hamling who as both mobile, athletic guys along side him. At some point Zac will have to make way for Alex Pearce, but in the meantime he will be the defensive general as he has been in the past.

Zac has a football brain - don't be surprised if he ends up as an assistant coach looking after the defence somewhere.
 
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