Strategy Aaron Naughton - Key Defender or Key Forward?

[bobs head soup]

Just had a look at our R15 team in 2016.

Roughead and Adams as key backs, Minson first Ruck, Redpath as sole kpf.

In a short period, Bevo morphed that into Hamling and Roberts back, Roughead first Ruck and Boyd and Zaine Cordy

21

Zaine Cordy

Age

29

Ht

195cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

180.4

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.9

3star

MG

180.4

3star

D

6.8

2star

K

3.8

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

kpfs as a Premiership spine.

He got us to a GF in 2021 with a bare cupboard, Lewis Young

33

Lewis Young

Age

27

Ht

202cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.6

3star

K

7.5

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

197.9

3star

D

4.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

1.0

1star

M

3.0

3star

T

0.0

1star

MG

26.0

1star

D

14.4

4star

K

8.2

4star

HB

6.2

4star

M

6.4

5star

T

2.0

4star

MG

181.6

3star

doing a big chunk of Rucking, Schache filling key roles back and forward etc.

Will we get something to click by September this year? where does Naughts fit in? Who knows, but it'll be fun to see what the crazy b.stard comes up with.

 

[geoffjennings79]

If Josh Schache had a huge ego he would have kicked 70 goals a season.

If Jesus had an ego, he'd still be alive today.

(Greg Macainsh, 1975)

 

[Fossie 32]

Just had a look at our R15 team in 2016.

Roughead and Adams as key backs, Minson first Ruck, Redpath as sole kpf.

In a short period, Bevo morphed that into Hamling and Roberts back, Roughead first Ruck and Boyd and Zaine Cordy kpfs as a Premiership spine.

He got us to a GF in 2021 with a bare cupboard, Lewis Young doing a big chunk of Rucking, Schache filling key roles back and forward etc.

Will we get something to click by September this year? where does Naughts fit in? Who knows, but it'll be fun to see what the crazy b.stard comes up with.

JOD to learn how to football and become a new incarnation of Dale Morris Darcy to go all Paul Salmon at FF

 

[Mojorisin]

JOD to learn how to football and become a new incarnation of Dale Morris Darcy to go all Paul Salmon at FF

Think JOD will be closer to Wood.

 

[Fossie 32]

Think JOD will be closer to Wood.

Good enough

 

[Fossie 32]

Think JOD will be closer to Wood.

Just watched the 2016 PF again- Woody had like 8-10 marks in the first 20 minutes!

 

[Next Waiting]

Just had a look at our R15 team in 2016.

Roughead and Adams as key backs, Minson first Ruck, Redpath as sole kpf.

In a short period, Bevo morphed that into Hamling and Roberts back, Roughead first Ruck and Boyd and Zaine Cordy kpfs as a Premiership spine.

He got us to a GF in 2021 with a bare cupboard, Lewis Young doing a big chunk of Rucking, Schache filling key roles back and forward etc.

Will we get something to click by September this year? where does Naughts fit in? Who knows, but it'll be fun to see what the crazy b.stard comes up with.

The run home! There have been mistakes and to the keen observer, a number of our losses have highlighted where our problems are at. I've no doubt, the MC have been keen observers. Are there solutions? I think there are. We're in the frame. % increases in a few areas in particular will make a difference. Confidence in sport is huge. Get on a run in the last 9 H&A games and things can build. Injured players come back....the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter. Spring is in the air.

The crazy b.stard has a platform to build on. It's not beyond him....us.

 

[lachy]

Now that the season is over and Naughts played all of the games he was ranked 20th in the AFL for average goals per game with an average under 2.

Is this a strong enough reason not to even have a discussion about moving him back to replace Jones (As he is getting older) with JOD and Buss developing as intercept KPP's who can actually use the ball well with reasonable speed

 

[goodcop badcop]

I've always been open to both with no strong opinion either way. I'm now more of the view that Naughton should stay forward. It's not just the goals he kicks, it's the packs he crashes and the pressure he applies. Some better smalls at his feet will help.

Just get a specialised goal kicking coach for goodness sake.

 

[Libba39]

Naughts is 100% a mark-kick forward and can apply above-average tackle pressure.

He is also a very one-sided player who is not a great handballer. Would not want him regularly trying to get out of a tight squeeze 15m out from opposition goal.

2021 - 47 goals
2022 - 51 goals
2023 - 44 goals

Absolute no-brainer for me. Forward.

 

[TiAn_]

Now that the season is over and Naughts played all of the games he was ranked 20th in the AFL for average goals per game with an average under 2.

Is this a strong enough reason not to even have a discussion about moving him back to replace Jones (As he is getting older) with JOD and Buss developing as intercept KPP's who can actually use the ball well with reasonable speed

9th in the league for goal assists (11th average). 1st for goal assists among key forwards (1st).

7th in the league for contested marks (16th). 2nd among key forwards (9th).

One of 7 players in the league to average at least 1.5 goals and 2.5 tackles. The other six are all elite small forwards: Toby Greene, Charlie Cameron, Jamie Elliot, Izak Rankine, Cody Weightman, Kozzie Pickett. Naughts averages more goals than all but Greene and Cameron.

If on top of all that a mere 44 goals is what he produces in a year where his form is supposedly so bad that he has a portion of supporters wanting him moved to defence, I’m pretty happy with him spending the rest of his career forward.

 

[weltschmerz]

Is he going to be a better defender, after several years out of the position, than he has become as a forward?

 

[Foxman98]

Is he going to be a better defender, after several years out of the position, than he has become as a forward?

He's just a solid forward now he hasn't taken his game to the elite level

 

[ossie_21]

Forward yes, but I’d like to see him moved behind the ball at times when needed to protect a late lead, injuries or needing to stop momentum.

Bold, I know. Some may call this a “tactic”. If we use this “tactic”, it might stop the opposition from doing what they want to do.

Maybe worth a try, but what do I know….

 

[weltschmerz]

He's just a solid forward now he hasn't taken his game to the elite level

Would he be an elite defender? I know he had a great first year there five years ago, but that doesn't mean he'll pick it right back up where he left off.

 

[lachy]

Would he be an elite defender? I know he had a great first year there five years ago, but that doesn't mean he'll pick it right back up where he left off.

May not be elite at either. Just a solid B+ as he is now as a forward. Neither is right or wrong just what would be better going forward.

In the past he would be better at CHF but traditional positions do not exist.

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[bobs head soup]

Classic BF.

This thread has been dead for months, but springs back to life the week after the season ends, and no-one has anything new to base an opinion on.

 

[dogwatch]

Classic BF.

This thread has been dead for months, but springs back to life the week after the season ends, and no-one has anything new to base an opinion on.

It takes just one post ... and away it goes again.

Better than starting a new one though!

 

[LondonBulldog]

I'm not one way or the other in this discussion as there are benefits to both options. His goal kicking drives me nuts though, too many 35 metres straight in front misses. For me he should play were it best suits the team and the coaches need to explore all options.

Yet what is worst, is that a stubborn coach would move a ruck forward back instead on Naughton which contributed to us losing a game we were leading by 35 points against the Giants in Ballarat.

 

[Doggy Dan]

It’s not our choice anymore. He’s a forward now, if we try push him back he’ll leave and be a forward somewhere else.

He wants to kick goals - just needs to kick more. He has plateaued massively as player.

 

[dogwatch]

It’s not our choice anymore. He’s a forward now, if we try push him back he’ll leave and be a forward somewhere else.

He wants to kick goals - just needs to kick more. He has plateaued massively as player.

He's 23 FFS.

 

[Doggy Dan]

He's 23 FFS.

And he kicked less goals this year than when he was 21. What’s your point?

 

[dogwatch]

And he kicked less goals this year than when he was 21. What’s your point?

Sorry if I came across a bit abrupt. It's been that sort of a day.

My point is that he's still on an upward trajectory. He's likely to peak at age 27 or 28.

Yes you could say his goalkicking has plateaued (but not necessarily peaked) this year. However his key performance measures are more than just goals.

While his goals per game haven't continued to spiral upwards some other important measures have, such as GAs, Tackles, CPs and 1%. This suggests to me that while teams have clamped down on his contested marking by blocking, holding, scragging etc he is finding other ways to contribute and in fact is doing more team things than he did last year or the year before. It's also easier to kick goals when your side is already in the ascendancy and winning most games (2021) than it is when the i50 entries are shambolic and your side is barely winning 50% of its games. (2022-23)

Here are some key Naughton stats for the last three years (average per game) with the best year for each of those stats shown in green.



I'm not too worried. If we get our shit together next year he could easily kick 60.

And anyway, if he plateaus at 45-50 goals a year for the rest of his career I'll be extremely happy with that. He would pass Simon Beasley as our all time record goalkicker if he averaged just 47 a year for the next 8 years.

 

[hutchy31]

He's obviously a forward now, and should stay there - as has been evidenced in the above posts, he does a lot right there. I'm still very critical of his goalkicking, it should absolutely be better than it is and combined with our poor transition defense often causes 11-point swings at critical times. However, I think that this year it might have felt worse because a) our general performances weren't as good and we lost so many close games, magnifying the missed chances, and b) JUH was probably even worse at goal conversion, making it double debilitating when easy ones were missed.

With a refresh in approach in relation to forward entries, leading patterns and hopefully some specialist/effective goal kicking coaching, I'm fairly positive they can improve next year. We have potentially two 60 goal a year forwards in their early twenties, so if they can get it together it could be potent.

 

[doggies ftw]

He's obviously a forward now, and should stay there - as has been evidenced in the above posts, he does a lot right there. I'm still very critical of his goalkicking, it should absolutely be better than it is and combined with our poor transition defense often causes 11-point swings at critical times. However, I think that this year it might have felt worse because a) our general performances weren't as good and we lost so many close games, magnifying the missed chances, and b) JUH was probably even worse at goal conversion, making it double debilitating when easy ones were missed.

With a refresh in approach in relation to forward entries, leading patterns and hopefully some specialist/effective goal kicking coaching, I'm fairly positive they can improve next year. We have potentially two 60 goal a year forwards in their early twenties, so if they can get it together it could be potent.

And a minimum 40 goal py small forward and then Darcy who could potentially be the best of the lot. Ridiculous future potential in that forward line, it’s just absolutely critical we get the appointment right for the new forwards coach, and start putting the right support around the development of these guys.

Absolutely negligent from the club to not have done this, if any well run big club in the league had those 4 on their list they’d have millions of dollars worth of support coaches dedicated to their development - we got Spangher