Essendons "Swingmen"

[bombersrbest05]

Not sure if this has been done yet but watching the game on the weekend and the thing I noticed about Hawthorn's structure was that they have a number of players that can play either back or forward ie Dew, Roughead, Brown and even Franklin along the back half.

My question is who in the bombers line-up other than a few we have seen before ie Ryder, Mcphee could upset opposition players by switching in structure?

The player I believe could do this is NLM from back to forward as in the kangaroos game where he kicked 4 goals when covering for the injured Lucas but injuries have forced us not to be able to change the position of different players, so do you think there is any others?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Jay Nash could be handy up forward in bursts.

 

[Kong]

gumbleton could play back, neagle has played back.
as for players that have already established themselves though, i'd go reimers (where couldn't he play?), as well as the already-mentioned ryder, mchpee and NLM.

 

[timbo3195]

Don't forget Lucas

 

[Spikey]

i'd go reimers (where couldn't he play?)

That Reimers is so hot right now.

 

[myers_23]

After watching the match on the weekend it just shows how far off we actually are, i just cant wait till we see our young guys getting games and showing us what they can do.

I cant imagine any of our mid sized forwards doing what cambell brown did in the second half on mooney. I can imagine myers possibly being a great swingman, the thing with swingmen what makes them good is that on most occasions they have a massive impact when moved. Yes we have alot that can play in a variety of possitions but not many that can dominate in that position.

Reimers is one that i can see when needed be put forward and have a hand in 3 or 4 goals in one quarter.

One thing that i noticed is that they are all so much bigger and stronger than the majority of our list.

 

[essendon2008]

Without really knowing, dare i say it i believe that Gumbleton might be able to 'swing' down back when he is established in the team. He has the size, should have the strength in years to come and from what i have heard he reads the play very well.

 

[The Donners]

I think most of our players have great versatility. Perhaps aside from Slattery, I could nearly see all our backline being able to push up forward.

 

[Longy413]

I think most of our players have great versatility. Perhaps aside from Slattery, I could nearly see all our backline being able to push up forward.

Every time Slattery has gone forward he's kicked a goal.

He just rarely gets the opportunity.

He's the first person I thought of when I read this thread.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Neagle - I'd like to see him cemented at FF, but DT has him as a back as well, and when are they ever wrong?
Dyson - Wing, midfield, HBF
Gumbleton - FF, CHF, CHF, ruck? (pinch hit)
Watson - midfield, FF
Stanton - midfield, wing, FP
Monfries - HFF, FP, mid, BP
Jetta - FP, HFF, mid, wing
Winderlich - wing, HFF, mid, HBF
McVeigh - BP, FP, mid
Welsh - HFF (McLeod last year), BP, mid
Lovett - FP, HFF, wing, mid, HBF
Dempsey - HBF, HFF, mid, wing
Pears - FB, CHB, key forward?
Nash - HBF, BP, wing, HFF
Lloyd - FF, CHF, HFF, wing (Richo)
Hille - ruck, FF
Slattery - BP, mid, FP
Myers - HBF, 3rd tall back, mid, wing, HFF
Williams - FP, HFF, wing
Lucas - FF, CHF, CHB
Hooker - FF, CHF, CHB, FB
Laycock - FF, ruck
Daniher - FP, FF, CHF, HFF, BP, FB, CHB
Davey - FP, HFF, wing, mid
Ryder - literally anywhere
Fletch - FB, BP, CHB, FF, ruck
McPhee - literally anywhere
Magin - FP, mid, wing
Hislop - mid, BP
Lonergan - only want to see him as a mid, but also FP, BP
Reimers - mid, wing, HFF, HBF, BP, FP
Atkinson - BP, HBF, HFF, FP
Hocking - mid, wing, HBF, BP
NLM - BP, FB, CHB, HBF, HFF, CHF, wing
Houli - HBF, wing, mid, HFF
Bellchambers - ruck, FF

I wouldn't like to see some of those (NLM - FB; Fletch/Gumby - ruck) but all are possible.

I suppose the main "swingmen" are Gumbleton, Watson (if he fixes his kicking), Slattery, Myers, Lucas, Daniher, Ryder, McPhee, Reimers and NLM.

What I think works very well for St Kilda is their ability to switch everything around if something's not working:

Gram: HBF -> Mid
Goddard: HBF -> CHF
Riewoldt: CHF -> FF
Blake: BP -> Ruck
Kosi: FF -> CHB
King: Ruck -> Bench
Fisher: CHB -> HBF

That would completely alter the dynamics of the game, and change the momentum.

The same could work for us:

Gumbleton: CHF -> CHB
Ryder: FB -> CHF
Pears: CHB -> FB
Watson: mid -> FF
McPhee: HFF -> mid

 

[The Donners]

Every time Slattery has gone forward he's kicked a goal.

He just rarely gets the opportunity.

He's the first person I thought of when I read this thread.

You think? He's kicked a goal less than Ryder from the same number of games and Slattery played his first couple of seasons around the middle (as a tagger). Dustin Fletcher has averaged more goals a game than Slattery and he's been at full-back for the best part of 294 games.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

You think? He's kicked a goal less than Ryder from the same number of games and Slattery played his first couple of seasons around the middle (as a tagger). Dustin Fletcher has averaged more goals a game than Slattery and he's been at full-back for the best part of 294 games.

That's because he hasn't gone forward much. When he does, he kicks a goal.

 

[wba1977]

Winderlich was quite impressive as small forward before he got injured this year. Has played most of his career on a half back flank.

Has to stay on the park though.

 

[Slattery_20]

You think? He's kicked a goal less than Ryder from the same number of games and Slattery played his first couple of seasons around the middle (as a tagger). Dustin Fletcher has averaged more goals a game than Slattery and he's been at full-back for the best part of 294 games.

He's a good kick for goal & he knows when to pull the trigger. He just has spent 90% of his games in the backline or tagging an attacking player. Kicked goals on debut IIRC from HF tagging Dal Santo
You can either believe your interpretation of the stats or Longie Ben & me.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

You can either believe your interpretation of the stats or Longie Ben & me.

Lies, damn lies, and the triumvirate.

 

[bomberz08]

I think there is a lot of players on our list that are versatile, especially mcphee