Strategy 2017 Forward Line

[BlightysCats]

BlightysCats Anyway considering this is a Geelong Forward Line 2017 thread, what would you have our forward 6 looking like?

Well without having seen the kids in the pre-season comp I'll stick with players we know (tentatively) for now.
Cockatoo/Menegola, Taylor, Motlop/Menegola
McCarthy, Menzel, Cowan/Danger

Cowan/McCarthy would provide outstanding forward pressure, Danger resting down there would provide huge spark, Menzel would be a Picken like match up which would be difficult for opposition defences, Cocky/Motlop/Menegola would provide pace as lead up options or off packs/at stoppages, and Taylor as a more versatile CHF marking option.

Basically we need to provide far more separation for our forwards and far more leading options so our midfield is forced to look for options rather than bomb it long and opposition defences are completely confused as to who is going to receive the ball which will not allow them to go third man up and thus provide us with more one on ones and a far better chance for us to score.

Also I'm quite aware none of this will happen (though it should) because unfortunately we don't have very imaginative coaches down at KP these days.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

No Hawkins. Give me strength. BlightysCats there is NO justification to remove a player that's kicked 167 goals in his last 3 seasons.
None whatsoever.

 

[Daniel McL]

It's too slow, Parfitt should be up there, and one of Taylor or Hawkins not both, I wouldn't have Lang up there either because he's too slow and not a natural small forward. Also I hope they give Jamaine Jones a bit of a run during the Pre-Season comp because I reckon he could be a livewire we need up there too.

Lang is faster than you think though not lightning quick & agree I would prefer Lang on a wing kicking it inside 50.

Also agree would like to see Parfitt & Jones in JLT (possibly Parfitt in seniors straight away).

Though don't think the forward line I said was too slow. Looking at the Swans finals forward line structure is quite similar to how I want our 2017 forward line:

Buddy - Taylor
Tippett - Hawkins
X. Richards - Menzel
Rohan - Cockatoo
Papley - McCarthy
McGlynn - Motlop
Parker rotating - Danger rotating.

(Naismith rucked so Tippett was up forward much more. Buddy obviously a lot better than Taylor forward as Buddy is a special player though Taylor is good mark so as long as he does that or brings ball to ground he is doing his job).

I think that forward line I said will be very good for us in 2017 (Parfitt given some chances too possibly). That forward line along with better ball use (VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO IMPROVE ON) from Lang, Tuohy, Thurlow plus Guthrie & Duncan going inside 50 will help us a lot.

 

[BlightysCats]

Let's add another 5 years to that.
I'd take 3 premierships in the last 10 years, over 1 in the last 10 (60) years.

I'd take 4 finals victories in a month over 2 in the last 5 years.

Lang is faster than you think though not lightning quick & agree I would prefer Lang on a wing kicking it inside 50.

Also agree would like to see Parfitt & Jones in JLT (possibly Parfitt in seniors straight away).

Though don't think the forward line I said was too slow. Looking at the Swans finals forward line structure is quite similar to how I want our 2017 forward line:

Buddy - Taylor
Tippett - Hawkins
X. Richards - Menzel
Rohan - Cockatoo
Papley - McCarthy
McGlynn - Motlop
Parker rotating - Danger rotating.

(Naismith rucked so Tippett was up forward much more. Buddy obviously a lot better than Taylor forward as Buddy is a special player though Taylor is good mark so as long as he does that or brings ball to ground he is doing his job).

I think that forward line I said will be very good for us in 2017 (Parfitt given some chances too possibly). That forward line along with better ball use (VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO IMPROVE ON) from Lang, Tuohy, Thurlow plus Guthrie & Duncan going inside 50 will help us a lot.

Fair enough I understand your thinking but just disagree with it. I don't know why you'd want to emulate Sydney's forward line in which Buddy and Tippett as KPF were completely irrelevant in the Grand Final.

 

[Vdubs]

I'd take 4 finals victories over the last 5 years over 2.

Fair enough I understand your thinking but just disagree with it. I don't know why you'd want to emulate Sydney's forward line in which Buddy and Tippett as KPF were completely irrelevant in the Grand Final.

Buddy injured is not irrelevant

 

[BlightysCats]

Buddy injured is not irrelevant

He had no impact in the GF. After an injection his rolled ankle would've been irrelevant.

 

[Larry Donohue]

He had no impact in the GF. After an injection his rolled ankle would've been irrelevant.

Happy with forward options. Black hawkins taylor stanley the tall options, motlop cocky mccarthy parfitt jones bews cowan danger the quick options, selwood and menzel the annoying mediums. If used well with quick movement it could cause some chaos bulldog style.
You might find bc that with the bullies win and gws in comp we may simply revert to their style of game. Fast movement off backline, young mids much more predominant menegola lang motlop duncan guthrie cocky parfitt.
Quick release, chaos and unpredictability more the order of the day.
Afterall we wont spend the bulk of time planning to beat the hawks anymore.

 

[cynical]

In terms of the forward line this is how I want it to look in 2017:

HF: Menzel - Taylor - Cockatoo
FF: Motlop - Hawkins - McCarthy

- 2 Talls (Taylor & Hawkins)
- 2 Mediums (Menzel & Cockatoo)
- 2 Smalls (Motlop & McCarthy)

Taylor, Hawkins or Menzel either marking it or bringing it to ground. Cockatoo, McCarthy & Motlop crumbing + applying fierce pressure inside 50.

If our forward line looks like this though I only want one of Smith/Stanley rucking because the other one would be wasting a spot on the bench or making us too slow & way too tall in forward line.

Rotating we have Cocky who can go in centre when Danger needs a rest.

Cocky i would call both a medium and a small cos of his agility and pace.

I would leave Motlop more in the midfield because I'd rather a bit more defensive pressure since Hawkins, Taylor and Menzel dont provide enough of it.

I'd go with Cowan/Parfitt instead of Motlop. Motlop plays more like an outside mid than a small forward (he will still run forward and kick goals)

Smith/Stanley are better offensive options over Blicavs. Smith is our best ruck and Stanley is a good contested mark especially if he can get forward.

If Taylor pushes up the ground then Stanley can run into space and be a real threat.

 

[dazbroncos]

No Hawkins. Give me strength. BlightysCats there is NO justification to remove a player that's kicked 167 goals in his last 3 seasons.
None whatsoever.

I believe the term used was to create vigorous debate and rile the sedate GFC lemmings on this board up.

There are other ways of phrasing it but I pledged to be more understanding.

Go Catters

 

[numbwombat]

http://figuringfooty.com/2017/07/20/who-are-the-best-and-worst-kicks-in-the-comp/

I posted this in the preview thread at the same time the teams were released, people who didn't see it might find it interesting: an analysis of the kicking of every player with 10 or more scoring shots this year. It looks at location and whether it's a set shot or in play (I'm not sure if it also takes things like congestion into account) when ranking the shot's difficulty.

He's produced a table of the 230 players, ranked by how often an 'average player' would have kicked a better score from the same shots. Sample sizes in some cases and methodology are probably a bit questionable but I thought it was interesting. Here are the Geelong players (it's before last night's game so Harry is lower than he should be).

Player - Ranking (#1 - #230) - Likeliness of kicking a better score with the same shots

BETTER THAN AVERAGE

Motlop - 5th - 1.2%
Menzel - 8th - 2.5%
Parsons - 31st - 14.8%
Hawkins - 40th - 18.4%
Blicavs - 49th - 22.3%
Tuohy - 90th - 40.1%
Dangerfield - 96th - 43.9%

WORSE THAN AVERAGE

Duncan - 139th - 61.5%
Murdoch - 183rd - 81.3%
Taylor - 197th - 87.2%
Cockatoo - 206th - 89.6%
Lang - 208th - 89.9%
Menegola - 209th - 91.6%
Stanley - 223rd - 97.1%