Team Mgmt. 2024 Forward Line

[ghostdog]

Lots of options at the moment. The locks seem to be Wright, Langford, Gresham, Stringer, but there's a bit of comp for spots now too.

Alwyn, even though he's been training off HB, is capable and could compete with Menzie.

Perkins seems destined for a mid / forward rotation forever. Not sure he'll ever have the power or natural ability of Stringer though.

Then there's Caddy, Jones and Hunter who all look promising, though it's probs Hunter who develops in the VFL most. At the moment Caddy looks primed for an early debut.

I think Brad's current choice is;

Menzie Wright Gresham
Stringer Langford Perkins

By the end of the year, I can see it being more like;
Menzie Wright Gresham
Caddy Langford Perkins

I like this but I'm still not sold on Menzie, Gresham and Perkins. They're solid without being game breaking threats. I'm not confident that any of those three could pop up and kick a bag if the talls were locked down. I think we still need to be open to bringing in a really talented dynamic small in the Walla, Chapman, Bewick, Aker mold - you know the really hard to find ones.

The backline is going to face a similar conundrum with Reid, Cox and Hayes. It could be that trading out one of those is a key to bring in the next Walla or Stringer.

 

[jdstorm]

Not sure stringers a lock. Doesn’t typically run out a game well and is the best midfielder on the team if in shape

Given how the grand final played out with Deep Smalls and talls playing higher (by both sides. I think we might see something like this

i think my current top 6 forwards are

Langford, Wright, Gresham
Perkins, Caddy, Menzie

 

[fairbump_playon]

Jones or bust. Weideman can’t quite. Caddy surely is too early in the journey.

Wright needs a proper foil.

As an aside. Anyone else feel like we’re winning the flag in 24?

 

[Vander18]

Caddy surely is too early in the journey.

Maybe but if nothing else I’d say he’s absolutely lighting a fire underneath the likes of Hunter and especially Jones.

My guess is he’ll be in the team round 1. It’ll then be a question of whether he can maintain or whether he hits the wall.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Maybe but if nothing else I’d say he’s absolutely lighting a fire underneath the likes of Hunter and especially Jones.

My guess is he’ll be in the team round 1. It’ll then be a question of whether he can maintain or whether he hits the wall.

I was obviously joking about winning a flag

But I am genuinely excited by the sense that it’s hard to name a best 22 because we have 35 players with legit claims to a spot.

Pressure to perform has not been an issue for Essendon players for a long time, late nights at the party house aside.

 

[ghostdog]

Not sure stringers a lock. Doesn’t typically run out a game well and is the best midfielder on the team if in shape

Given how the grand final played out with Deep Smalls and talls playing higher (by both sides. I think we might see something like this

i think my current top 6 forwards are

Langford, Wright, Gresham
Perkins, Caddy, Menzie

He wouldn't be a lock in my forward line because he's so inconsistent, but he could be part of a rotation.

I just think he'd be a lock in Brad's team. He seems to prefer players who are older with more mature bodies. Add Stringer's skill set to that and he's a lock for Brad Scott.

As far as talls playing higher though, Jones has proven to have the stamina to consistently get up and back, even late in games. I'm not sure if Caddy was doing the same in the juniors.

 

[Bombers36]

He wouldn't be a lock in my forward line because he's so inconsistent, but he could be part of a rotation.

I just think he'd be a lock in Brad's team. He seems to prefer players who are older with more mature bodies. Add Stringer's skill set to that and he's a lock for Brad Scott.

As far as talls playing higher though, Jones has proven to have the stamina to consistently get up and back, even late in games. I'm not sure if Caddy was doing the same in the juniors.

I'm a little torn between Jones and Caddy - both have their strengths and weaknesses.....Dont think we can have both in the forward line though. I reckon round 1 will look something like;-

Perkins Langford Caldwell
Caddy/Jones 2MP Gresham

Menzie can rotate with Caldwell/Gresham..

*Don't think Stringer ready 1 - comes straight in though when he is!

 

[Nifft]

He wouldn't be a lock in my forward line because he's so inconsistent, but he could be part of a rotation.

I just think he'd be a lock in Brad's team. He seems to prefer players who are older with more mature bodies. Add Stringer's skill set to that and he's a lock for Brad Scott.

As far as talls playing higher though, Jones has proven to have the stamina to consistently get up and back, even late in games. I'm not sure if Caddy was doing the same in the juniors.

I'd say they'd start with Stringer in the team. But I'd hope they drop him back if he's not playing well, so he learns he's not a lock and has to fight for his position like everyone else.

 

[ghostdog]

I'd say they'd start with Stringer in the team. But I'd hope they drop him back if he's not playing well, so he learns he's not a lock and has to fight for his position like everyone else.

Not sure if Stringer gets to R1. I read somewhere that he looks trim but that he's unfit. Didn't play match sim the other day and has only been doing laps. Even in the second half of last season it felt like the game was catching up to him. I'm not confident he has it in him. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[jdstorm]

He wouldn't be a lock in my forward line because he's so inconsistent, but he could be part of a rotation.

I just think he'd be a lock in Brad's team. He seems to prefer players who are older with more mature bodies. Add Stringer's skill set to that and he's a lock for Brad Scott.

As far as talls playing higher though, Jones has proven to have the stamina to consistently get up and back, even late in games. I'm not sure if Caddy was doing the same in the juniors.

Yeah could be either caddy or jones maybe neither.

Most teams are playing 2 ruck capable front half players + 1 key forward as their 3 main talls.

You’d assume that was Draper, Wright and Bryan/Goldy with Langford locked in as your 3rd tall

Then you pair that group with 3 smalls and 1 medium sized mid forward. I’m curious about Caddy being tried as a mid/fwd. jones obviously won’t be considered in that me role. Jake and Archie could also be considered for that role but I’m not sure how that goes.

 

[citizen-erased]

I'd move on from stringer as a rusted on starter and treat it as a bonus when he's fit enough to play AND impact games. He should be competing with Perkins for the game time.

Not locked to spots, but;
HF1 -> A mid*
CHF -> langford for me. He's undersized, but he's got craft and form.
HF2 -> Perkins. Needs to take the next step, but best option we have for that medium forward.
FP1 -> Menzie. lock for me. chases, harasses and is a competer.
FF -> Wright. Our best tall forward. hopefully we get '22 2MP.
FP2 -> Gresham. Got him for this reason. quality player who can kick them.

*On the mids, outside Setterfield, i don't see any who shouldn't have an expectation that can go to HF, play the role well and add something to the fwd line
Parish has in the past
Caldwell and Hobbs have done it
Shiel was capable early season
Tsatas, merrett, martin, whoever.

My qualifier on Setterfield is he's too needed in that big mid role. if he's on the ground, he's doing that. otherwise rest on the bench.

 

[ant555]

Going to be boom or bust really. Will look okay if most of the candidates take another step but it will be bust if no one steps up and we have a similar year out of Stringer and 2MP. Right now I am not locking anyone in other than Langford and Wright. Do not care about the rest but we must play 2 or 3 small forwards.

 

[citizen-erased]

Going to be boom or bust really. Will look okay if most of the candidates take another step but it will be bust if no one steps up and we have a similar year out of Stringer and 2MP. Right now I am not locking anyone in other than Langford and Wright. Do not care about the rest but we must play 2 or 3 small forwards.

i'd go 2 (menzie and gresh) and look to the mids for the 3rd

not wrong on 2mp and Langford.
Outside that, our hf options aren't exactly setting the world on fire.
so much for the Dodoro flanker obsession.

 

[Yoda_]

so much for the Dodoro flanker obsession.

Its secretly been obvious this whole time...

small unversatile midfielders

 

[eth-dog]

Don't we already have a forward line thread?

 

[ghostdog]

Don't we already have a forward line thread?

Jealous because the Milestones thread's a battler.




I joke!

There are a few but they're outdated.

 

[eth-dog]

Jealous because the Milestones thread's a battler.




I joke!

There are a few but they're outdated.

Just don't see the need to create a new one every year tbh

 

[ghostdog]

Just don't see the need to create a new one every year tbh

I though rather than bump the previous one so we can spend two pages talking about Jason Winderlich first before we focus on the list as it stands, I'd cut the guff and get to the present.

This is why 2024 is in the thread title. The Forward Line 2025 thread will be interesting.

 

[eth-dog]

I though rather than bump the previous one so we can spend two pages talking about Jason Winderlich first before we focus on the list as it stands, I'd cut the guff and get to the present.

This is why 2024 is in the thread title. The Forward Line 2025 thread will be interesting.

I think having one thread is easier to manage because you can look through the years and see overall trends and whether we were making similar arguments previously etc.

We wouldn't be discussing Winderlich at all. Page one might have a couple of mentions but it's pretty easy to skip forward to now.

 

[Nifft]

Don't we already have a forward line thread?

Maybe, but now we have a "2024" forwardline thread. More tightly focused and 78% more likely to please the audience.





(*78% discount now available at the Bomber Shop for a limited time).

 

[owen87]

Maybe, but now we have a "2024" forwardline thread. More tightly focused and 78% more likely to please the audience.





(*78% discount now available at the Bomber Shop for a limited time).

Let's be honest... it'd be 7.8%

 

[Vander18]

Question for me this year....regarding forward line and every other line....will we pick our best 22 rather than our 22 best players?

We have picked unbalanced teams for years to accomodate “big names.” That has to end.

 

[Vindicater]

Perkins Jones/Caddy Gresham

Menzie Wright Langford

 

[Mikevk123]

HF- Perkins Jones Gresham
F- Langford Wright Menzie

Add Stringer, Guelfi and Caddy to the possible mix.

 

[MiguelM]

How are the Davey brothers travelling?

All very quiet.