Anthony Rocca... just a centre-half forward

[Coin_Toss]

Why do we continue to play Rocca at full forward??
My main objective is, Tarrant and Rusling respectively make a more fitting duo to have at full forward. Anthony has, and always will be, a centre-half forward of note.

Tarrant plays too far up the ground, bring him back a notch and you'd start to see results on the stat sheet - specifically Goals For. He also makes a better full forward than Anthony.

Your thoughts?

 

[Madd Matt]

Surely the answer is puffing you in the face.
A CHF needs to be able to run all day, and get to contests. Anthony has proved year after year that he's struggling to run out matches, and hence works best when 'bursting' from FF, and then resting for the next five mins.

As CHF he'd be in the game for 120 mins, and he (still!) hasn't got the lung capacity to do that.

IMHO...

 

[Jabso]

First of all Rocca's lung capacity is fine this has very little to do with his stanima problems. Second of all noone was complaining about his fitness 2002 and 2003 where he covered alot of ground at CHF. It's all about running smarer not harder. Third of all Tarrant is not a full forward and does his best work when he has liscence to roam.

 

[MarkT]

I think Rocca needs a pre season to be fit and firing after his achillis. His injury is debilitating for a player that relies on his explosive qualities to win contests. He might be near on finished or he might come right back next year but for what he brings to the table he has to be given every opportunity. IMO he is well suited to FF and if he can get right he can relieve in the ruck.

 

[Jabso]

I don't think he had much of a pre-season MarkT, it could of been used to rest his achiles and probably only had a light pre-season.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

He is the field of dreams. If we build a good midfield, he will come good.

 

[MarkT]

He is the field of dreams. If we build a good midfield, he will come good.

There some gold in there Timmy. If we had a ruckman and a midfield I bet Tarrant, Rocca, Rusling and Cloke in some combo would brain everyone.

What really frustrates me is that we are good back and forward but poor in the middle and it has been obvious for a long time.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

There some gold in there Timmy. If we had a ruckman and a midfield I bet Tarrant, Rocca, Rusling and Cloke in some combo would brain everyone..

Plus Didak, Swan, Thomas, Davis...............

 

[lenny&carl]

He came back from a very serious injury and performed pretty well in the first half of the year. Later on he looked hopeless at times, but I dunno if he was carrying an injury or if he'd just run out of puff. Once or twice early on he did a few cat-like things, (for a Rocca, anyhow,) like roving his own ball dodging a player and kicking a snap. And he was kicking enough goals in the first half of the year. So assuming the preseason is good to him, I could expect him to start next year like he started this one, and maybe improve some more. He might have jumped the shark this year, and it's all downhill from here... but I'm guessing that's not the case.

But they'll have to work out how to nurse him through the year - we need September specialists not April ones.

 

[WakeUpPies]

IMO if tarrant starts in the goal square he will kick alot more goals, therefore boosting his confidence, you see how angry he is when he misses a shot? well theres a small chance he will miss from 30 M out

 

[PieLebo87]

Other then CHBs running off him, I cant understand why we cant simply move Pebbles up 40 metres so he plays at CHF...

He is doing running, he is presenting, and he is creating space, I dont get why he cant do it in the position that he used to kill it in. He would be of more use at CHF has he'd have more space to lead into, and a Rocca from 55 out would be safer then a Tarrant & co. Our problem was there was no one presenting at CHF this year, we simply played around with the ball at the 60-70 metre line, and that gave opposition, time to flood. (2nd half of the year)

Rocca should be used at CHF and Tarrant as a HFF leading up to the wings as Pebbles leads from the 40 and out towards the square. As Bucks was starting to struggle this year, Id give him the 50 with Rusling and a few crumming players. Even a resting Fraser can play FF. I just didnt see Rocca being used to his full potential at FF. (2nd half of the year) Because he was running around like a head-less chook.

 

[doppleganger]

Ant is good prospect as our main key forward.

He should play the closest to goal.

Taz biggest strength is his ability to burn off his opponent on a 50m+ lead at full pace, this is how he played his best year of footy, ie 2003.........since then he has become too focussed on bulking up too much so he can out wrestle his opponent, but this aint taz strength

T.Cloke looks to be more suited to the role taz has been trying to play, ie he already has shown he can take contested marks. He should play as an old fashioned CHF IMO

Rusling is an interesting one, im not sure where he fits in just yet, bit of a one trick pony for mine, ie leading out from the goal square. Does he have the tools to play anywhere else on the ground??? If he could turn into a CHB or HBF type it would be brilliant, he could take the blokes like pav, o'keefe, riewoldt freeing up clement to be more attacking. Just a thought tho

Buckley should play 80% of his time forward next year, as we need to develop other midfield options whilst he can still give guidance.

Ego, L.Davis & Thomas to be the smalls

My line up for 07, excluding any draft picks who i wouldn't play straight away anyway

FF - Rocca, Buckley
HF - Taz, T.Cloke, Ego, L.Davis
C - Lonie, O'Bree, B.Johnson
HB - H.Shaw, Maxwell, Pendles
FB - Clement, Presti, O'Brien
Foll - Fraser, Swan, Didak

Int - Holland, D.Thomas, C.Cloke (or bloke like Everitt), R.Shaw

Rusling to be tried as a defender at Willi as something different, if he prospers then he would take either of max or harryO posi

 

[doppleganger]

Other then CHBs running off him, I cant understand why we cant simply move Pebbles up 40 metres so he plays at CHF...

He is doing running, he is presenting, and he is creating space, I dont get why he cant do it in the position that he used to kill it in. He would be of more use at CHF has he'd have more space to lead into, and a Rocca from 55 out would be safer then a Tarrant & co. Our problem was there was no one presenting at CHF this year, we simply played around with the ball at the 60-70 metre line, and that gave opposition, time to flood. (2nd half of the year)

Rocca should be used at CHF and Tarrant as a HFF leading up to the wings as Pebbles leads from the 40 and out towards the square. As Bucks was starting to struggle this year, Id give him the 50 with Rusling and a few crumming players. Even a resting Fraser can play FF. I just didnt see Rocca being used to his full potential at FF. (2nd half of the year) Because he was running around like a head-less chook.

Where does that leave T.Cloke???

perhaps he may be an option for CHB

i reckon we cant fit all of taz, rocca, t.cloke, buckley & rus into the same forward line.

 

[Coin_Toss]

Rocca catches the eye of the opposition by telling his teammate where he wants the ball with his arm aloft. In 2002 and 2003, he was creative enough to make several leads and push into spaces without any arm movement.
Obviously... Carey has something to do with this, because he did it in his playing days, BUT, Carey held down centre-half forward.

Now Tarrant... you'll see he doesn't raise his arm aloft, I think it confuses the opposition not giving away where you want the ball to be kicked, and Tarrant does it exquisitely.

 

[gormanisahack]

i hope MM doesn't really try and mould trav cloke into CHB i prefer him a lot more at CHF can take a good grab and has a booming kick, i think nick maxwell has got to be our next CHB. Also i believe unless rocca is injured he should be spending more time up at CHF even if he doesnt mark it he will bust the pack open, also i still believe tarrant plays his best footy on those long searching leads, and rusling i hope can develop into that quick leading full foward such as an O'Loughin type player.

 

[lenny&carl]

Where does that leave T.Cloke???

perhaps he may be an option for CHB

i reckon we cant fit all of taz, rocca, t.cloke, buckley & rus into the same forward line.

I see the same problem. Can Tarrant play hbf or in the center square? Can Buckley play back pocket??? Thomas Davis & Didak gotta get a run in the forward line too, can't have all talls. So we're left with an excellent 8 man forward line and a substandard midfield. Of that lot, only Tarrant Rocca and Davis are conceivably tradeable. Davis maybe can become more of a midfielder. I don't want to get rid Taz or Roc, but the midfield needs to be improved somehow.

 

[magpies42]

Why do we continue to play Rocca at full forward??
My main objective is, Tarrant and Rusling respectively make a more fitting duo to have at full forward. Anthony has, and always will be, a centre-half forward of note.

Tarrant plays too far up the ground, bring him back a notch and you'd start to see results on the stat sheet - specifically Goals For. He also makes a better full forward than Anthony.

Your thoughts?

dunno if you can recall but Rocca was struck down by a pretty horrific injury. The coaching staff have decided it is better to have anthony on the park, then to play him at CHF and retire him prematurely!

 

[CarnthePies]

We need him at CHF, he just doesn't get the ball playing at FF.

Besides. We didn't see Rocca bust any from 65 at all this year, big dissapointment.

 

[magpies42]

We need him at CHF, he just doesn't get the ball playing at FF.

Besides. We didn't see Rocca bust any from 65 at all this year, big dissapointment.

can he do it anymore, i think not!
we have to ask ourselves the question is it better to have him at FF or to not have him at all!

is it worth having a ping at Warren tredrea? I have heard that he was pretty keen to come to the pies a few years back dunno if that is the case now with his captaincy and all

 

[Magpies 2007]

Holland

I just dont get why Holland stays under the radar, he is a dud.

Sits on the outsirts of the packs ,does not chase , plays the man,kicks around corners often without looking ,gets hurt on the rebound and occasionly takes out a man nearly always when they are looking the other way .

One draft player that might be worth a look for a late draft pick is Varsamakis from Northern knights ,has had a few injuries this year but played well for vic metro and closed down Hanson from eastern over the last round ,is very hard at it ,a yough nut .

 

[PieLebo87]

dunno if you can recall but Rocca was struck down by a pretty horrific injury. The coaching staff have decided it is better to have anthony on the park, then to play him at CHF and retire him prematurely!

Anthony Rocca is no Buckley, we have all seen Pebble's worst. I say PLAY HIM AT CHF and let him retire prematurely, Id rather that then him at FF for an extra year or 2 playing **** footy.