Eagles defence in 2010

[Mighty Eagles]

We were pretty good for 3 quarters yesterday, but Brown and Fevola stood up in the last quarter and highlighted that we may well have a problem shutting down 2 gun forwards.

I know it's only round 1, but do you think we've got the right personnel in the backline?

With Hunter retiring last season, he's left a hole in our side for a key CHB.

Between our 3 talls Glass, Brown and McKenzie, can they shut down 2 or more gun forwards in 2010?

Do you think Brown and McKenzie are going to be kpp?

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

People need to stop trying to find ways to panic, I'm sorry to say.

We went all last year without Hunter, more or less, so his departure isn't a huge issue.

Also, how often will we have to stop KPF like Brown and Fevola? I'd say only when we play Brisbane.

We have the right players down back. It's just that a few of them are pretty raw (MacKenzie, Brown, Schofeild, Spangher, Selwood) and that our midfield isn't strong enough to make life for the defenders easier, yet.

Give it a few years. We have options but we just need to see which ones stand up. Everything is in it's place.

 

[lewigie]

McKenzie and Glass did the best they could. Pushed Brown and Fev wide, and usually 40m+ from goal.

Their talent shown through, and they began to kick them from there.

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Who do you think will be our first choice CHB, Brown or McKenzie?

 

[no1bankteller]

Who do you think will be our first choice CHB, Brown or McKenzie?

This may sound strange given that Brown kicked 5 goals but I thought McKenzie did ok. He contested well, spoiled hard, made right decisions and was beaten by a stronger more mature player who is probably on of the best in the game at his position.

At this stage I would prefer to have McKenzie at CHB and move him to FB once Glassy retires.

 

[faisan]

I think our backline is fine. We need to put more pressure on the opposition midfields who are delivering it to their forwards. Brisbanes delivery was very good.

 

[Ochre]

We were pretty good for 3 quarters yesterday, but Brown and Fevola stood up in the last quarter and highlighted that we may well have a problem shutting down 2 gun forwards.

not many teams could shut down one of fev and brown let alone both

 

[Lion El'Johnson]

There was some stat like they had 28 I50's in the last quarter. Defence cannot stop that, it was the midfield that lost that battle. Ran out of legs they did.

 

[RoJo Junior]

Our defence is the most solid part of our team.

Butler Glass Waters
A.Selwood MacKenzie Hurn

Thats how I'd like to see the defence look later on. With either Schofield on the bench to man up a 3rd tall if need be. Also Waters playing the loose man type role, running back with the flight to stop the big power forwards getting easy marks like last night.

Mitch Brown to forward line plz. Selwood is solid defensively, and I would like to see the younger, more creative players given attacking midfield roles. More time in the centre for Masten, Shuey etc.

 

[BK Eaglesfan]

Wouldn't be hitting the panic button based on last night. Fevola had 10 shots for goal, should we sack Glass? As someone else said, we pushed them wide and did a pretty good job with the sheer weight of opportunity that ended up going down there. One of Fev's goals was a freak, and a couple of Brown's were for other players nothing more than a non threatening lead up and mark that he turns into a goal through outstanding kicking.

I do like the idea of Schofield in the side as a tall runner who can play on a third tall where required. Thought he would have been a good match for Staker or Brennan last night.

 

[Avalor]

Mackenzie was good. I do worry about his speed though - big Johnny Brown was too quick for him. Fev was too quick for Glass too, though he battled manfully. I still think we need a quicker negating tall to assist down there - Schofield perhaps.
As another poster said though - a very good effort for 3 quarters, just ran out of legs in the humidity. All will be okay.

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Brisbane are going to make a lot of backlines look pretty foolish this year- they are the only team in the competition with two genuine superstar tall forwards of that calibre. St Kilda and Hawthorn honourable mentions but Roughead and Koschitzke are dangerous some of the time rather than all of the time.

Realistically and logically, if you have two 500k a year forwards camped under the fall of the ball you would need Glass + Scarlett in your backline to be confident of neutralising them one out. The alternative is a lot of hard work, and the midfielders and flankers working overtime to restrict supply and provide help when needed- we did that for 3 quarters and then got thumped out of the centre in the last.

I think people have rose coloured glasses about Hunter- he was capable of quality output at half back and was utterly brilliant as an attacking swingman, but when it came to last line of defence, he got touched up quite often over the course of his career when called upon to play that role- i remember him getting absolutely slapped about by of all people Nathan Ablett in one game.

I think what is more important about the brisbane game is how they got on top in the last quarter- quick, fluent and frequent ball movement out of the centre which their gun forwards were able to take full advantage of- what it comes down to is their midfield beat us when the game was on the line. Port did that to us during the preseason, and it just underlines the importance of building a good clearance side.

 

[placebo]

Backline is fine. Although I'd like to Selwood back there and Schofield too.

Anyone that's ever played football would know that if the ball is moved fast and cleanly from the midfield(like the lions did in the last) then the backmen have very little chance of stopping them no matter how good a defender they are.

 

[footballfreak]

Nothing wrong with this defence. People have to remember that we were playing against one of the top power forward combinations in the game in Brown and Fevola. It was always going to be hard shutting both of them down. It would've been a good learning experience for our young tall defenders in Mackenzie and Brown

 

[Adam Selwood]

Glass is still a top 3 Full-Back in the league. Fev always seems to beat him so not worried there.

MacKenzie is more of a worry. Got burnt on the lead too much, couple of times he didn't even have touch on Brown and had no chance of catching him

Brown should remain the 3rd tall as he is vastly superior to Schoefield or Spangher

 

[nameless]

I think our defence is fine, however i don't like that we are tossing up between a few players for the CHB position, by that i mean its great to have a choice, but i would love for one of the young players to stand up this year and command the CHB position - be an automatic selection for that position like Glass is for FB.

Agree with all the comments made though, its up to the mids to tighten up and ease the pressure.

 

[Scotland]

No FB/CHB pairing in the AFL is able to nullify a leading Brown and Fevola with lace out supply coming from midfield.

If we kicked the ball inside forward 50 sensibly and made defensive pressure inside forward 50 and through midfield a priority there would be no 'concerns' whatsoever about our current FB/CHB pairing.

 

[Quinz]

No FB/CHB pairing in the AFL is able to nullify a leading Brown and Fevola with lace out supply coming from midfield.

If we kicked the ball inside forward 50 sensibly and made defensive pressure inside forward 50 and through midfield a priority there would be no 'concerns' whatsoever about our current FB/CHB pairing.

Agree.

Pressure through the middle was really lacking, giving the Brisbane midfielders plenty of time to deliver to Brown/Fev, and they both lead hard and kick kick it from 55, so that will eventually tear you apart. Really Fev could have kicked much better, although Glass drove him wide.

Our inside 50s on the other hard were pretty poor, bombs in the air and to outnumbered opponents. Brisbane have a really strong backline, in fact that are a fair way ahead of us all over the field, so to be in front at 3qt was a pretty encouraging sign.

 

[larrikin]

We just couldn't get a centre clearance in that last quarter. Even when we got first hands on the footy the likes of Black were too clever in close. With supply like they were getting Brown and Fev are always going to kick goals

 

[joeyavalanche]

What concerned me was the amount of times either Brown or Fev were allowed to go one on one with our defenders.

There was no one coming in to cover at all.

The way Brisbane just waltzed through the midfield wouldnt have helped either

 

[carlos39]

Mackenzie was good. I do worry about his speed though - big Johnny Brown was too quick for him. Fev was too quick for Glass too, though he battled manfully. I still think we need a quicker negating tall to assist down there - Schofield perhaps.
As another poster said though - a very good effort for 3 quarters, just ran out of legs in the humidity. All will be okay.

brown is arguably the best CHF since carey and is only really challenged to his be riewoldt.

i was impressed with what mc and glassy did for three quarters. they were jsut overhwelmed in the end. i have many more concerns for our forward line.

no other team has two such damaging forwards, aside from the saints when koschitzke turns up to play (damn the saints and their tricky last names).

 

[bodazoka]

Fev and Brown are the best hands down, Roughead and Franklin dont come close to FevBrown, Riewoldt is the equal of Brown at there bests and Kosi is a decent bullocking forward who might jag a big pack mark but really lacks any poise or class. They are a step up from any other twin towers in the comp.

One day there both going to fire at the same time... I dont want to be the team thats going to face that. It will be like the 4th quarter for an entire game, they will just smash a team apart and Fev will nail every goal he goes for anywhere on the ground.

The only backline I can see handling them is Geelongs, and mostly because Scarlett is the clear No1 FB and is able to keep a firing Fev goaless.

 

[The Passenger]

Defence is fine. Massive rap for McKenzie. Think he's really coming along nicely. Not quite strong enough for the really big boys yet, but he'll get there.

The Fev/Brown combination is going to be so hard to stop. McKenzie and Glass really gave it their all, and in the end were beaten, but certainly not disgraced.

I do think Will Schofield has shown enough promise to get some sort of run in the backline. I like Mitch Brown much more as an attacker but that's just me and i think Schoey could make a good third tall, possibly even mature into the CHB once Glass retired and McKenzie takes over FB - at least that's how i see panning out.

Very unsold on Matt Spangher to be honest. I can see why there's a lot of love for him, but he's defensive side is not near strong enough yet.

 

[The Passenger]

brown is arguably the best CHF since carey and is only really challenged to his be riewoldt.

just as an aside i always think Tredrea gets overlooked in this debate. Was unbelievably dominant in the first half of this decade.

 

[Mighty Eagles]

What are your thoughts on Schofield and Spangher?

Schofield is showing improvement, Spangher looks like a) He's not fit, b) He's not up to the standard and c) Doesn't look interested.

Mitch Brown is our best CHB. No good having him up forward to catch a cold when the ball doesn't go up there.

I think McKenzie is our third best tall down back.

McKenzie should play the derby ahead of Spangher.