A Forward line for Finals

[Coin_Toss]

HF Line: Tarrant T.Cloke Swan
Tarrant loves to run and create opportunities. T.Cloke is a strong mark and thumping kick. Swan keeps his feet at contests and for his height I doubt there is a better overhead mark in the comp.
FF Line: Didak Rusling Davis
Didak closer to goal is a bonus for Collingwood. Rusling moves freely in open space. Davis generates the spark.
I/C: Rocca
Use Rocca as a pinch forward off the interchange. By his own admission the last 2 years of injuries has resulted in his inability to play out games.

Feed me your thoughts...

 

[MACDAICOS]

HF Line: Tarrant T.Cloke Swan
Tarrant loves to run and create opportunities. T.Cloke is a strong mark and thumping kick. Swan keeps his feet at contests and for his height I doubt there is a better overhead mark in the comp.
FF Line: Didak Rusling Davis
Didak closer to goal is a bonus for Collingwood. Rusling moves freely in open space. Davis generates the spark.
I/C: Rocca
Use Rocca as a pinch forward off the interchange. By his own admission the last 2 years of injuries has resulted in his inability to play out games.

Feed me your thoughts...

Davis??????? What Leon???? You kidding or what????

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Leon probably won't be back from his shattered ankle.

We'd have a better shot of getting Daisy back, and that's not very likely.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Rocca will play forward in the finals. He's a proven finals player and he'll find the form he needs to contribute.

Rusling needs space and should play out of the square. Tarrant is the one who may be played up the ground, if his fitness is up to it. T Cloke will be a spare parts player, forward, back, ruck, bench. He does not have the experience or form to hold down CHF in finals. He is less likely to take a contested grab than Rocca.

 

[MarkT]

In order to win a flag we need Rocca taking contested marks and Tarrant firing. That looks a long way off right now but if we don’t centre things around that we don’t have enough talent or firepower to win the premiership. The other 4 have to Didak, Travis Cloke, Rusling and a small (Thomas if he can get back). Swan will be needed on ball. Davis won’t be fit. Thomas is doubtful. Maybe a Burns/Buckley combo. How they officially line up doesn’t matter. Rocca has to stay back and lead from the square occasionally. Tarrant has to run up the ground. Didak has to run between wing and the goal line. Travis has to play a real CHF game and provide a contest for Didak and midfielders running forward to crumb. Rusling starting in a pocket and being the leading forward would be good but we have to open it up and move it quickly. It still revolves around getting it out of the middle quickly and cleanly.

 

[Murray]

Didak Cloke Tarrant
Rusling Rocca Buckley

 

[MACDAICOS]

Didak Cloke Tarrant
Rusling Rocca Buckley

Ditto........PERFECT.

 

[Nesian]

Didak Cloke Tarrant
Rusling Rocca Buckley

I 2nd that.

But mark t is right, its all about getting it out of the centre cleanly and quickly for things to work well. if we play any of this static crap goals are gonna be hard to come by.

 

[Jack-Packenham]

Didak Cloke Thomas
Rusling Buckley Lockyer

 

[browa02]

FF: Didak Rocca Rusling
CHF: Tarrant Cloke Buckley

 

[Ekulman]

I really hate seeing Lockyer in the forward line

Didak Cloke Tarrant
Rusling Rocca Buckley

Good setup, but need bucks in the midfield too

 

[Dazman]

Didak Cloke Tarrant
Rusling Rocca Buckley

I third that. Also leave Rocca and Rusling to play deep. Rusling to make long hard leads and Rocca to just sit in the square and outmuscle.

 

[MACDAICOS]

I third that. Also leave Rocca and Rusling to play deep. Rusling to make long hard leads and Rocca to just sit in the square and outmuscle.

Ummm.....You fourth that........

 

[DidaksLeftFoot]

CHF: Didak Buckley Tarrant

FF: Rusling Rocca O'BREE

I know it sounds silly but hear it out. Presty and Wakes are looking more wonky by the game. Send Travis to CHB so he and Jimmy and clean up the scraps. Bucks can play anywhere, put him at CHF so he can lead up through the middle and then anwhere from 65m out we become a threat due to his field-passing which has been sublime this year, or he can have a go for goal.

Tazza has to go to a flank and lead up to a wing, once again it makes us look a lot more threatening.

Didak just hovers around the 50 and does as he pleases.

Rusling to lead out of the square as he did against Port.

Rocca the stay-at-home FF, doesn't lead, is just there for the long bomb, one-out against his defender. This works well for the team as it keeps the best defender from the other team in the goalsquare, and it still allows Rusling to lead into the space.

O'Bree is my smokey. The game's he's played in the pocket / flanks he'd bobbed up for a few goals. He did it against West Coast at TD, no reason why he can't do it more often, his ability to pluck the ball is uncanny. Just a matter of fine-tuning it.

 

[careyrips(I)]

i rekon we hav Buckley floating between midfield and CHF. He can pretty much out mark any of his comptetion and his pass spotting is debateably the best in the comp.
-Rocca in goal square.
-Rusling leading out from goal square
-Didak playing free across half forward and in throw in situations playing loose around the pack.
-Tarrant CHF also leading up the ground
-I rekon put Pendles in there sumwhere, hes shown that he can kick goals
- and Trav Cloke contesting around RHF, LHF as well as a swapping role with Burns.

 

[Ekulman]

O'bree up forward is a pretty good idea. Hes a good kick on either side.
Maybe worth a shot

 

[PieLebo87]

-Rocca in goal square.
-Rusling leading out from goal square
-Didak playing free across half forward and in throw in situations playing loose around the pack.
-Tarrant CHF also leading up the ground
-I rekon put Pendles in there sumwhere, hes shown that he can kick goals
- and Trav Cloke contesting around RHF, LHF as well as a swapping role with Burns.

We're all on the same boat. Everything is suggesting simliar things, sounds good. But its become so obvious to the opposition. This will definitely be the forward line that'll win us the Premiership. In regards to that small forward, everyone seems to have forgotten the best small forward we have had since Stephen Patterson in the #6

Seriously, Brodie Holland seems to still be having trouble with the achilles and cant handle the midfield too well, he was more across half back against Port. I recon he is the small forward Collingwood is missing towards the end of this season, he can be the flame that bursts the finals wide open for Collingwood in the forward line.

Your thoughts?

 

[WakeUpPies]

i still reckon Tarrant and rusling to lead from square, rocca and didak to stay in square, put Buckley and thomas(if his back) around the 50

 

[lenny&carl]

It's harder to give a lineup nowadays because the small forwards need to be part of your midfield rotation usually.

1. Rocca. He's playing ****! If there is a reason, eg injury, illness, personal...then that's an excuse for the guy perhaps, but it might not be going away anytime soon. And thus is bad news for the team. When Richmond nuffsticks are bagging The Rock and saying he's never been any good, and if there's a medical reason why he's only been 50?%, then that's an excuse that could stick up for him.

But if there's no reason, then I guess that's what's called just "out of form" and if it appeared for no reason it can dissappear for no reason, thus you just have to play him and hope. But when persisting with a guy who's struggling, you have to play him to his strengths, give him a more limited specialised role. I mean, with Rocca, he was a fairly limited player years ago when it comes to versatility, because he hasn't ever had the endurance or speed to play 90% of positions on an Afl fotball field. But he's played good, and he's played 100's of games. What was it that he is good at again??? BIG marks, and long kicks. Taking them one at a time...

Big marks - therefore have him play goal square. This suits his lack of endurance also. But when he feels like it, have him in the goalsquare.

Long Kicks - With forward thrusts that are slow, (ooo-er), make him the guy that vacates the 50 for Rusling, and have him float around the 60m mark in case offence degenerates into chippy-chippy-waddo-i-do-wadda-i-do?? Have him as an offensive option there. If he's a 20% chance of hitting it from 55m, then statisticaly, that might ok going if he's on song. Depends on the ratios of forward 50's to goals that we've already got.

Anyhow, Rocca mostly in the square, I dunno about Rucking him when 1/2 his problem looks to be endurance once again. He could ruck the forward 1/3 of the ground, giving Fraser that much rest. But I don't reallly want to see Rocca on the ball while Collingwood is trying to win things! You can only have 8 or so guys around the ball most the time, CFC has the resources to find 8 million better around the ground on the ball ruck players than Rocca. Believe me. He's got to do what he's good at, and pretty bloody quickly, which is big marks and long kicking.

He played pretty damn good first 1/2 2006, which was impressive after the achilles injury. So we know he still had the goods only a couple months ago. If he's injured, Malthouse should rest him, seeing as we're in the 8 now.

Otherwise, he should work on his mobility and reflexes, and be rested a little at FF.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

O'bree up forward is a pretty good idea. Hes a good kick on either side.

Its a very handy asset to have at the 50 at a stop-play situation because he can run either way when he gets the ball. The quicker Rusling learns that O'Bree is a good short pass on both feet, the quicker he can drop his opponent on the lead. Only Buckley and possibly Burns and Didak are as better on both feet than O'Bree.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Seriously, Brodie Holland seems to still be having trouble with the achilles and cant handle the midfield too well, he was more across half back against Port. I recon he is the small forward Collingwood is missing towards the end of this season, he can be the flame that bursts the finals wide open for Collingwood in the forward line.

Your thoughts?

Nope. He's a one-hit-wonder up forward. Besides, his injury is affecting his kicking just as much as his running. We need him around the ground. If he's not 100% fit he either does not play or he rotates more off the bench.

 

[lenny&carl]

Rusling is definately getting a game, and being played in the same specialised role as last time. Leading full forward/forward pocket whatever you call it. How can oppositions stop him? How do oppositions normally stop fast-leading forwards? THey have ways. Maybe the fastest ones can't be stopped???

If you're the opposition coach, do you put your fastest tall defender on Tarrant, or do you put him on Rusling??? Do you even have two fast tall defenders? ok Rus is not that tall, but he plays tall iykwIm.

Do classical full-forward skills count for as much in the modern games' flooded forward lines? Maybe, maybe not. But, very fast leads, and high-% goalkicking are priceless imho, as long as the guy has some clue about how to PLAY footy. Can't rely on a 2 game player, need other options. BUt he's basically Plan A as I see it this week, because he showed EXtremely positive signs in last weeks game. And we'll take anything we can get in the forward 50 right now.

 

[Jabso]

Two set ups as far as the talls go:

Set up 1:
Tarrant: HFF/Wing
Rocca: FF
T.Cloke: CHF
Rusling: FP

Set up 2:
Tarrant: CHF
Rocca: FF
Rusling: HFF/FP
T.Cloke: CHB

 

[lenny&carl]

Chris Tarrant - Good leading forward. If their sports shrinks can program his noggin to kick accurately at goals, the confidence would flow and he might show a little of what he's capable of. And kick 9 on Grand Final Day! He can sort out all his alleged problems by just becoming a sharpshooting smartarse. I'm telling ya. Collingwood can afford to hire the best brainscientists and electro-shock therapists from behind the Iron Curtain, we can get this done. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. Ve have ze technology!

Otherwise, ummm, he's good, but once again, he's limited. His greatest strength is his high-speed long lead. Which, when you think about it, is a completely useless skill for or any position other than half or full forward. If he played half back flank and made searching fast 80m metre leads, he'd end up being the back pocket who marks the 15m kickout! Like useing a flamethrower to light a cigarette.... So, he's a dedicated forward, shame about his dedication!? I don't comment on players dedication, because I can't read minds. Their output does concern me however. I just want to encourage him to play better, really. Surely he can find a way.

Can Tarrant lead laterally? Does he know how to zig-zag an 80m lead and get free 30m out rather than 90m out? Might he play better off the bench? Is there any other spot to play him? no. Current holiday should do him good.

 

[goalpie]

Didak Rocca Tarrant
Rusling Clement Davis