Brown: Forward or back?

[lethalselbow]

Watching the game yesterday, I kept thinking that Campbell Brown should have been played in the backline. He did get one goal and provides defensive forward pressure, but surely with that side we had heaps of other options: Peterson, Hooper, Ozzie, Whitecross... to do the same job. The ball also went to Brown, directly, as a marking target on quite a few occasions and I don't really see him as a great marking option.

I think he's great at either end of the ground, but really thought Brown would have been better in the forward line. Probably go back when Cyril returns.

Thoughts?

 

[hawkheart]

Totally agree. Not a marking target in the forward line and was frustrating to see him as such. Lewis is a much better option (see Brisbane game). Down back from now on please - at the very least, a no brainer against a Collingwood small forward.

 

[PottSie2]

Back. His job in the forward line can be performed by a number of players, but his presence in the backline can't. Will we see it. No.

 

[hawk65]

Back please

 

[Roby]

Depends on the situation. He was important for us to provide pressure on Melbroune who love to play on all all costs from the backline. Melbourne has the best forward line in the competition, restricting supply was more important than stopping their 6 talented forwards.

Rioli will be back next week so he probably go down back with Whitecross out. Fremantle like to put you on the back foot and use forward pressure. In this case he will be better in defence.

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

Has to play back for mine. Great defender.

With Cyril back, he gives us the pressure we need there, need a guy that can kill the play (and an opponent) down there. Our defence looked really strong with him in it prior to his suspension.

 

[Watsclarkosmob]

I like him in the backline, but Guerra and Murphy have the back pockets locked down. Can't see him really fitting in anywhere else but in the forward line.

 

[swift24]

We went to him in the F50 almost as much as buddy. What i found was that on almost every occasion - it was an even 50/50 contest and the ball was either brought to ground or forced outside the field of play. Only a couple of occasions Brown actually won the ball, and a couple his opponent clearly won the contest. The rest were all the 50/50s.

As a forward, you should be winning the ball and securing scoring opportunities more times than your opponent wins the ball or the contest is perceived a 50/50. With a lewis down there or a dangerous Hooper or Peterson, i think they are much more creative and can still apply the same defensive pressure if not more than Browny. I would much rather see brown down back thumping the ball away and clearing it out than him leading up the ground as a forward.

 

[hawksfan71]

Lets hope he just gets to play. Recently he seems more crazy then ever and seems to want to play a 80 and 90's style of footy that will get him rubbed out these days. I love the rough play but with his record, lets hope he stays calm enough to play in the finals.

 

[Gene Simmons]

I wish we had 2 Browns and play one at each end

But since we have just 1 Brown, play him BACK!!

Our backline looks so much tougher when he is back there, he makes opposition forwards look over their shoulder when he is around!!

 

[BaliHawk]

Horses for Courses.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

HB: Birchall - Gibson - Brown
FB: Guerra - Gilham - Stratton

 

[Flag08]

Didn't look fit to me despite trying hard, looked to be favouring the knee.

 

[Hawksgirl4eva]

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[IBleedBrownNGold]

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I'd like to add a 16th "back" to these.

 

[Roby]

HB: Birchall - Gibson - Brown
FB: Guerra - Gilham - Stratton

Lucky Ballantyne is not playing next week otherwise that defence would be made to look foolish without Murphy. Against Collingwood, well, let's not even go there.

 

[bigbuddyboy]

Lucky Ballantyne is not playing next week otherwise that defence would be made to look foolish without Murphy. Against Collingwood, well, let's not even go there.

Murphy would be on the bench in the above team i'd think.

But back to the point, Brown has to play back no matter what. Clearly our defence has been exposed without brown there (no bodies hitting the swans/port forwards). Without Hodge and Brown back there, we lose 90% of our backline "hardness"

He is wasted up forward. How about, we just play ozzie, hooper, buddy and roughy closer to goal. Then we have enough pressure there and we can use Browns hardness down back, which we desperately need at the moment.

Brown was moved to defence from the richmond game until the cats game... We won a lot of close ones in that period that I suspect we may not have, had brown played forward.

 

[Roby]

Murphy would be on the bench in the above team i'd think.

But back to the point, Brown has to play back no matter what. Clearly our defence has been exposed without brown there (no bodies hitting the swans/port forwards). Without Hodge and Brown back there, we lose 90% of our backline "hardness"

He is wasted up forward. How about, we just play ozzie, hooper, buddy and roughy closer to goal. Then we have enough pressure there and we can use Browns hardness down back, which we desperately need at the moment.

Brown was moved to defence from the richmond game until the cats game... We won a lot of close ones in that period that I suspect we may not have, had brown played forward.

He has played in the correct position where he was required. His played in defence when when we needed him there and up forward when we needed him there. Credit is due where it's due. They used Brown perfectly. I don't see what the problem is.

 

[Glebehawk]

Plays his better footy down back...no doubt.

 

[ilmc]

I see it as a bit of a silly question. Back for sure. It was a good idea as a surprise tactic the first time, but a forward has to do more than just defensive pressure. Brown struggled with the ball coming to him on Sunday, as he usually has in the forward-line, and his kicking for goal borders on what Roughy has been like this year.

Down back on the other hand, he is fantastic.

Speaking of fantastic, how was Murphy against the Dees?

 

[bigbuddyboy]

He has played in the correct position where he was required. His played in defence when when we needed him there and up forward when we needed him there. Credit is due where it's due. They used Brown perfectly. I don't see what the problem is.

I don't think so.

Can you defend how our backline looked against Port, Sydney and 3/4's against melbourne without brown there? The most obvious thing I think was a lack of toughness. He was suspended I know, but our backline looks shaky without him there.


His stats as a forward:

Round 17 (Saints); 16 touches, 2 tackles, no score (Draw)
Round 16( Brizzy); 15 touches, 2 tackles, 1 goal (big win)
Round 15 (Cats); 6 touches, 6 tackles, 1 behind (close loss)

There are more games he's played as a forward, but I can't remember all of them. I just know in these games he spent most his time forward, and it says to me, in those close games, having him in defence may have been worth more than him as a forward.

Play him as a defender please. We need some toughness there

 

[gianytee]

Back i dont think Birchall can be a defender at the moment he is to tall for smalls and too tall for smalls he is basically a rebounding defender and should now be playing on the wing with a great kick he has Brown-Murphy-Gilham-Gibson-Stratton-Guerra is a pretty good back 6 but Brown is 100% needed down back as 1 we have very few spoilers in a 1 on 1 contest we need players to help out Gilham and Brown will be doing that all the time plus Stratton has looked his best with Brown there............

His FWD line pressure is unneeded right now there's a reason why Peterson and Hooper are playing plus Rioli there is no need to play Brown FWD as he cant kick

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

I love Browny, but I think we have enough fwds who cant kick for goal without adding another.
Backline please.

 

[buddylove_23]

Definately back... Yesterday all I could think was Browny should be on wonameri....he was too quick for anyone else... and we need his desperation in our back end.

 

[market]

No brainer from here....

BACK!

not only for what he does against opposing forwards, but (and more importantly) what he does for the rest of the Hawks backline....

A little similar to Mr. G. Ayres and what he used to bring to the defence, helped the other Hawks defenders walk that bit taller and oozed confidence....was so happy in the final minutes to see Bowny running around the back half yesterday (whether by intention or not, still fantastic when he is down the Back)....