A balanced list?

[rgauci]

I was just comparing specialist backman to specialist forwards at Freo. Quite a few players fit into the midfield + forward or midfield + backman but we seem to have an abundance of specialist backman.

Specialist Backman:
Grover
Gilmore
Haddrill
Hayden
Mundy
Parker
Polak
Woods
Warren
Thornton
Duffield
There are more but the others occasionally play in the midfield: Black, M.Carr, Dodd, Walker, Seigert.

Specialist Fowards:
Pavlich (this year)
McPharlin (backman turned forward this year - huge success)
Farmer
Medhurst
Headland (this year, midfield turned HFF, moderate/good success)

I'd like to see a few of our specialist backman turned into forwards, i think we could produce a few more surprise packets. I'd like to see any of the following players playing as permanent forwards next year: Thornton, Mundy, M.Carr and Hayden.

I think Connolly should make a decision next year and permanently shift two of those players from the backline to the forward line. At least our list would be more balanced. My two picks would be Thornton and M.Carr. I think both would flourish in the forward line.

Next season:

Hayden Haddrill Parker
Grover Polak Black
Peake J.Carr Schammer
Thornton Pavlich M.Carr
Headland McPharlin Farmer
R: Sandilands Hasleby Bell

Int: Mundy Grover Dodd Longmuir

Unluckies (depth): Walker Medhurst Gilmore Crowley Johnson Murphy Dunn Browne McManus Schofield Duffield Warren

I realise i've named most of our list. But i was just highlighting how backman orientated the list was. We only have a handful of specialist forwards. Some of our backman should turn forward to put more pressure on the forwards to perform. That wayour list is more balanced and we aren't trying to fit 12 backman into a list of 22. Because at the moment thats how many backman are in our best 22 (ignore what i project as our future best 22, i mean right now).

In no particular order:
1.Parker
2.Haddrill
3.Hayden
4.Grover
5.Dodd (plays either HB or tagging midfielder, which i must admit he is excelling at)
6.Thornton
7.Polak
8.Mundy
9.Walker
10.Black (plays better at HB)
11.M.Carr (plays better at HB)
12.Walker

 

[dominguez]

We certainly have a large number who play their best footy in the backline. You could argue that we had the two best centre half backs in the competition in our forward line this year (Pav and McPharlap). I think that we need to go into a game with only 4 or 5 specialist forwards, because the lack of height and pace in our midfield should see one of Bell, Hasleby and J. Carr play in the forward line. Murphy's best position is in the forward line and Johnson can play forward but looks best suited down back. Between Pavlich, McPharlin, Farmer, Medhurst, Headland and Murphy I think we have enough specialist forwards, with the onballers and ruckmen to be rotated through that area of the ground.

 

[theGav56]

It is interesting that the club has said that recruiting another tall backman is a prioroity given your list here. In terms of devloping players Campbell and Juniper are also forwards, don't know about the others.

For me I like the idea of getting the talls to be flexible as Pav and MacP sre due to how they have been used. They have also tried to do this with Polak, which may work at a later stage in his career. I would think Murphy could develop nicely as a flexible tall as he has played back. I also quite like the idea of Headland up forward more. He seemed to lead quite well to me, and he does have good size about him.