Strategy Backline 2015

[I AM CARLTON]

Who will feature in the backline this year? To go deep into finals you really need a settled backline.

I have:

Jamieson and Rowe playing on oppositions key forwards Jamieson is 1 of the best full backs in the league doesn't get heaps of possies but can really nullify his opponent.

Jaksch playing as 3rd tall was really impressed with his NAB form and reckon he is a lock for round 1.

Yarran, Simpson or Docherty as our attacking half back flankers, think Yarran has the potential to be the best in the league at this role and Simmo is our version of Malcheski.

The 1 area im struggling with is who will play on oppositions small forward. Really liked Byrne NAB form but I believe he is a rookie so can't be selected, my guess is Touhy will get first crack at it for round 1. Buckley seems to have fallen down the pecking order.

 

[Cringle]

Jaksch is good because although he's one of the talls he's also one that you want with the ball.

 

[Wickzki]

Talls: Jamo - Rowe - Jaksch (emergency: White)
Small: Tuohy
Runners: Yarran - Simpson
Swing flankers: Docherty - Everitt - Walker (emergency: Armfield)

Make or break year for Tuohy. Has all the potential class in the world but if he's as low on confidence as he was last year he could be done.

 

[thylacine60]

Zac has earned himself time but we can never go back to hanging onto non-performers in the hope they will one day improve.

 

[Wickzki]

Agreed with you, thy, but it appears to be one area on our list where we don't have numbers of players who can play the lockdown type role without sacrificing other areas of their game that may be of more importance to the team.

 

[Omega Blue]

I think White has to be an automatic starter, Jaksch played well in the Nab cup but White was in our top 5 performed players.
Is there room for White and Jaksch in the same team?

White Jamieson Jaksch
Simpson Rowe Yarran

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

We have really struggled with teams that have 2 tall fwds, got slightly better with Rowe last year but then teams started playing with 3 tall fwds.. With KJ down back we should be okay and not have to worry about sending Hendo back.

I also think the thing that has been missing from oour backline is that Nick Maxwell, Josh Gibson, Dustin fletcher role of being 3rd man in and effecting the contest.

 

[Cringle]

We have really struggled with teams that have 2 tall fwds, got slightly better with Rowe last year but then teams started playing with 3 tall fwds.. With KJ down back we should be okay and not have to worry about sending Hendo back.

I also think the thing that has been missing from oour backline is that Nick Maxwell, Josh Gibson, Dustin fletcher role of being 3rd man in and effecting the contest.

That'll be Jaksch I reckon. Until he gets bigger.

 

[Premiership Quarter]

Tuohy a bit underrated?

 

[thylacine60]

Tuohy a bit out of sorts?

 

[SurreyBlue]

Tuohy Jamison Rowe
Docherty Jaksch Yarran

 

[thylacine60]

Sam D needs a good game soon I feel.

 

[Just Kreuzing]

Sam D needs a good game soon I feel.

Was thinking the same myself to be honest.

Same with Casboult, needs to hold onto a few in kicking range and kick 3 or 4 just for everyone's confidence and belief, be nice way to start Easter....

 

[gbatman]

Backline has a lot of questions that need to be asked.

Jamison is the lock for us and he's the key to our whole defence. He's a top level tall defender, we know we can put him on someone and he'll do as good of a job as our midfield allows him.

Rowe, as much as he improved last year and through the decent games he played, I'm still not overly convinced. I think if Jamison ever went down he'd get exposed. I'm not convinced on his ability to cover the better players and Hawkins last year and in the nab cup has suggested this of a sorts. He's going to have to play well IMO, it's very important to our success.

Jaksch looked very good in the third tall role, he likes to zone off, get in front and go for his marks which is good but playing on the bigger guys will probably be too much for him. He was impressive in the third tall role this nab cup and think he will slot in here.

Yarran and Simpson are both basically locks as attacking half back midfield types and a massive key to our setup, we saw in the nab cup against Geelong when we didn't have much in the way of rebounding half back how important they are.

Byrne is more than a roughie to make it now, he's very smart and talented and one of the better form players out of the nab cup. Likely starter for round 1.

Buckley I saw as a rebounding defender who could blanket the small forwards but so far I haven't seen anything from the preseason to suggest this is the direction the club is going.

White looks to be playing a rotating role this year that sees him play midfield forward and back, could be important.

Sheehan, has not featured much this preseason and is injured, we all know he is good enough.

Henderson seems to be all labeled to play forward and so far hasn't shown a great deal of form there but I am sure we'll stick with it. He's clearly our second best tall defender. His ability to read the game, fall off his man, work with Jamison, take marks and provide some rebound run is valuable in defence and we may see his return to center half back if Watson looks to fit in with Casboult and Jones and Rowe doesn't go well.

Docherty looks set to be a mainstay defender, hasn't looked overly quick, fit or impressive in the nab cup but he can play. He hasn't played bad, he just hasn't stood out.

Walker, usually a half back may find himself forward, either way he's a valuable player to have.

Smith, looks at home in defence and the midfield more so than up forward, would have no trouble seeing him play in defence for us this season.

Dick, is quite a capable player but just doesn't seem to stand out.

Touhy will be a key to our small defender list, didn't have a great year last year but stood up in the quality of opponent he took on. Hoping he can have a good season and get things really going again and get that run and speed back.

Thomas, probably plays his best footy across half back but I think we'll see him forward for needs.

Likely Starters:
Touhy Jamison Jaksch
Yarran Rowe Simpson
Docherty

Very Close: Byrne, White, Buckley?
Walker and Henderson probably forward.

There is loads of pressure for spots. May see Yarran and Simpson released more midfield ro forward with the depth we have. Especially if injuries factor.

 

[ShanDog]

Don't worry about Rowe in the slightest. The bloke has been pantsed by Hawkins 1-2 times. Big whoop. He has broken even or beaten essentially every other forward he has played on. Believe it or not, Hawkins has kicked 3+ goals on a defender dozens of times. It happens. All we need are options. We've always had Jamison as an option, but may also have a permanent second option before the year is out - Jaksch.

The backline is the least of our worries. Midfielders who cause turnovers and/or don't work hard enough at team defence (see my posts about our game against Geelong in NAB Challenge game 3) and a forward line with no elite forwards are our worries...

 

[Azul]

The backline is the least of our worries. Midfielders who cause turnovers and/or don't work hard enough at team defence (see my posts about our game against Geelong in NAB Challenge game 3) and a forward line with no elite forwards are our worries...

Disagree, biggest issue is we have no AFL quality ruckman. Kreuze might never play again.

 

[JustaBattler]

Spot on regarding your view on Rowe Shan Dog and also your observations about midfield.

I think Malthouse was genuinely mixing things up in NAB Cup - and fully intends to rotate White/Henderson and Rowe to up front tall duties and down back - depending on how things are going....

Starting back six from what I have seen so far is:

Tuohey Jamison Jacksh
Yarran Rowe Simpson

Everitt is also a player regularly rotated to defensive duties..he goes from Wing to HBF at various times through every game. will be a starter he has been rotated back/mid and forward - and handled himself well. Henderson will be rotated back if he has been kept too quiet or when having a rest White will slip in up forward. Jacksh will be given time to settle down back - but as his confidence experience grows he will be given rotated chances up front as well. No sure I like all this rotation /switch player emphasis? I note that White/Everitt/Rowe have all shown ability to kick a 40meter+ goal...so can Tuohey.

Tuohey has been better than last year so far - and Malthouse has made him play all games in NAB Cup I think - his form will have to improve to keep Docherty/Byrne/Sheehan/Buckley from taking his spot. lets also remember that Walker will be back pretty soon - Tuohey and Simpson would be looking over their shoulders...Simpson NAB Cup form has been rusty...

Thomas has played his best in the past - from Center/Wing and HBF. Thomas could end up being used exactly the same way this year. Malthouse has lots of options in key positions to muck around with -both up front and down back.

My personal back six would be based on maximising the players who can play well in multiple positions.

Tuohey Jamison Jacksh/White
Yarran Rowe Thomas

Forward Line would be

Walker Henderson Everitt
Jones Casboult Menzel

The bolded names are players capable of playing up forward and / or switching to down back - everyone of them has been played in both roles ( except Thomas)

Docherty/Buckley/Graham/Boekhurst were all tried through middle - thats Mick saying show me what you can in amongst it..Boekhurst played well in first two games - or well enough...a bit quiet in game three...he is a lock for Sub vest as impact player I reckon...till he builds up tank

Malthouse is going to use switch players a LOT - in order to make it harder for opposition to match up. I like this idea and hope that players can execute well enough to make it a strategy we can use for the whole season.

 

[ShanDog]

Disagree, biggest issue is we have no AFL quality ruckman. Kreuze might never play again.

Fair call, but I just don't place as much stock in ruckmen. Have joked about replacing all ruckmen with Fyffe/Cripps height midfielders. Would lose taps but we would go into every single stoppage with the mindset of following the other team and creating a turnover instead. No more loose ball gets for their mids, and as soon as the stoppage finishes, we have a one-man advantage all over the ground lol.

 

[ODNBlue]

Fair call, but I just don't place as much stock in ruckmen. Have joked about replacing all ruckmen with Fyffe/Cripps height midfielders. Would lose taps but we would go into every single stoppage with the mindset of following the other team and creating a turnover instead. No more loose ball gets for their mids, and as soon as the stoppage finishes, we have a one-man advantage all over the ground lol.

I'd love to see this tried...

 

[gbatman]

Fair call, but I just don't place as much stock in ruckmen. Have joked about replacing all ruckmen with Fyffe/Cripps height midfielders. Would lose taps but we would go into every single stoppage with the mindset of following the other team and creating a turnover instead. No more loose ball gets for their mids, and as soon as the stoppage finishes, we have a one-man advantage all over the ground lol.

I've thought of this, I think if ruckmen dominate too much like they would they'd be far too damaging. Maybe not. I'd be more inclined to try Casboult as a number one ruckman, an old fashioned style ruckman who is still competitive in the ruck but can take a bloody good overhead mark (unlike a lot of the big lumbering giants around) and can kick a goal up forward. It could lift the effectiveness of our long kicks out of the backline and our long bombs from fullback that Jamison does so brilliantly.

 

[Cringle]

I've thought of this, I think if ruckmen dominate too much like they would they'd be far too damaging. Maybe not. I'd be more inclined to try Casboult as a number one ruckman, an old fashioned style ruckman who is still competitive in the ruck but can take a bloody good overhead mark (unlike a lot of the big lumbering giants around) and can kick a goal up forward. It could lift the effectiveness of our long kicks out of the backline and our long bombs from fullback that Jamison does so brilliantly.

If Kruezer ever regained fitness I'd love this to be the case. Both Casboult and Kruezer sharing the load almost equally in the ruck.

A ruck combo of Kruezer/Casboult is that much more dangerous than any combination with Warnock and Wood it's actually the difference between top 8 and not.

 

[ODNBlue]

If Kruezer ever regained fitness I'd love this to be the case. Both Casboult and Kruezer sharing the load almost equally in the ruck.

A ruck combo of Kruezer/Casboult is that much more dangerous than any combination with Warnock and Wood it's actually the difference between top 8 and not.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was exactly what we wanted to do.

 

[I AM CARLTON]

Docherty is an interesting player to me. I have both Yarran and Simmo ahead of him as far as damaging half back flankers.

Could Docherty play that lock down small defender role & if so could he do it better than Touhy?

Or should Docherty be added to the Midfield?

Lots of questions.......

 

[Blue Pulse]

Don't worry about Rowe in the slightest. The bloke has been pantsed by Hawkins 1-2 times. Big whoop. He has broken even or beaten essentially every other forward he has played on. Believe it or not, Hawkins has kicked 3+ goals on a defender dozens of times. It happens. All we need are options. We've always had Jamison as an option, but may also have a permanent second option before the year is out - Jaksch.

The backline is the least of our worries. Midfielders who cause turnovers and/or don't work hard enough at team defence (see my posts about our game against Geelong in NAB Challenge game 3) and a forward line with no elite forwards are our worries...

Totally agree SD, your backline is only as strong as your mids, if the mids allow unpressured lace out kicks to the forwards the backman have no chance. Hawkins made Rowe look ordinary last year because of the ease of delivery we allowed their mids in the first half. If a 50/50 ball comes in Rowe is pretty good at nullifying or winning the ball.
Guys like Maxwell, Fletcher and the guys who are third up can only do this if the ball is coming in under pressure and they can roll off their man.
With regards to forwards, definitely need our big boys to stand up and kick a few between them. Clarke and Hawkins kicked 8 between them last week which was the stand out difference between the sides plus accuracy.

 

[ferrisb]

No one has Armfield at CHB?