Toast Fasolo down back

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Well then they shouldn't get selected.

Williams Sinclair Seedsman Scharenburg all injured, not to mention Brown and Reid. They needed a small defender or somebody capable of laying a tackle. It was a toss-up between Fasolo who could play that role, or Kennedy or Thomas who couldnt and woudl require us to re-jig by sending Lumumba or Young back.. Always a balancing act at the selection table, form is one consideration but so too is team balance.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 

[Pedro]

And sometimes due to injury they dont get the luxury of sufficient VFL match fitness. He'll be fine. Hes loaded with talent.

Showed it early on with a couple bullet passes which resulted in a shot on goal. It was noticable to me that he at least has the ability to kick the bloody thing

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Showed it early on with a couple bullet passes which resulted in a shot on goal. It was noticable to me that he at least has the ability to kick the bloody thing

His tackle on the half time siren was important too. Gave us an important goal to level the scores.

 

[Hero1]

Fasolo has a lot of class which this side is severely lacking.. two of his passes on the wing and into the forward line showed his elite kicking skills..which is what a lot of hawthorn players have but very few of our guys do.. still he's a forward/midfielder not a backman.. he can get goals out of nothing in the forward line but buckley continues to play players out of position..

 

[Pendles!]

DUH, I know that. That is why players progress thru pre-season, VFL then seniors.

You can't say he looked out of place last night though.

We've gotta pump the AFL games into him. VFL

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Probably one of the strongest tacklers in the side and creative ball user. No reason why he cant play back but not sure you'd play him there if we had Seedsman Williams and Sinclair at our disposal.

This.

Hopefully in the short term it adds a defensive facet to his game. Medium term you'd prefer him on a wing opposite Harry or Seedsman, with Toovey, Sinclair, Williams and Langdon playing the pockets and half-backs. Of course there's also Ramsay/Broomhead/Scharenberg to consider.

 

[Hero1]

This.

Hopefully in the short term it adds a defensive facet to his game. Medium term you'd prefer him on a wing opposite Harry or Seedsman, with Toovey, Sinclair, Williams and Langdon playing the pockets and half-backs. Of course there's also Ramsay/Broomhead/Scharenberg to consider.

Ideally you'd want Swan/Adams/Ball getting a clearance and handballing it to Fasolo so he can use his foot skills.. If he is played as an outside mid it would be so more effective than one of swan/ball/adams scrappy 30 metre kicks forward.. fasolo can actually hit up a forward 50 metres away...

 

[TheFreshBanana]

It worked.

Can't criticise his every disposal, first time trying it down back.

From what Bucks said on the couch, I think the decision was made to use Fasolo and Sidebottom down back because of the lack and injury to our running half backs.

You can tell that anybody criticising Bucks for this move is either not very bright or just looking for a reason to pot shot Bucks.

 

[babyJonBourgois]

I think he's one of our most talented players, but when he sees the replay of those 3 howlers in the third it should wipe the smirk off his face pretty quickly.

Obviously needs to make an adjustment playing in the backline in the AFL, had less time than he thought and all three of those mistakes occurred because he played himself into trouble trying to do too much.

 

[HFF]

Put him forward and end this madness of trying to turn players who are naturals in a certain position to add this "flexibility" garbage.

Our forward line isn't a forward line. It has Cloke and Elliott and that's it. Add some more class and firepower to it and actually start resembling a forward line. Fasolo is a forward and a dangerous one at that. He is strong overhead for his size and he can read it on ground level and snap quickly.

 

[Maggie5]

Put him forward and end this madness of trying to turn players who are naturals in a certain position to add this "flexibility" garbage.

Our forward line isn't a forward line. It has Cloke and Elliott and that's it. Add some more class and firepower to it and actually start resembling a forward line. Fasolo is a forward and a dangerous one at that. He is strong overhead for his size and he can read it on ground level and snap quickly.

A forward still has to have a strong defence side by keeping it in the area and Fasolo does not have it as yet and could be costly.

 

[DaicosianMarvels]

Awful move by Bucks, he doesn't have the smarts to play off the back line. He is a goal sneak and nothing more, I think this move played a part in losing the game.

 

[Robroy22]

I think he's one of our most talented players, but when he sees the replay of those 3 howlers in the third it should wipe the smirk off his face pretty quickly.

Obviously needs to make an adjustment playing in the backline in the AFL, had less time than he thought and all three of those mistakes occurred because he played himself into trouble trying to do too much.

And that is why playing back will help Fasolo. His mistakes will COST and he will learn to be less blasé with his time and possession. I think it's an excellent opportunity to develop the player.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Put him forward and end this madness of trying to turn players who are naturals in a certain position to add this "flexibility" garbage.

Our forward line isn't a forward line. It has Cloke and Elliott and that's it. Add some more class and firepower to it and actually start resembling a forward line. Fasolo is a forward and a dangerous one at that. He is strong overhead for his size and he can read it on ground level and snap quickly.

In case you hadnt heard the news currently we have a shortage of personnel in defence.

 

[Manic Magpie]

For what it is worth, The Age reviewer of the game considered him a failure down back. Quote: 'They also learnt that Alex Fasolo has many virtues as a footballer, but the poise needed to wriggle out of a back pocket down back is not one. It's back to the forward line for good.'

 

[Robroy22]

For what it is worth, The Age reviewer of the game considered him a failure down back. Quote: 'They also learnt that Alex Fasolo has many virtues as a footballer, but the poise needed to wriggle out of a back pocket down back is not one. It's back to the forward line for good.'

So is Caroline Wilson coaching us next week....oh that's right, she coaches the Tiges!

 

[OniAu]

I didnt like his game down back.

Offers more up forward as a strong mark for his size and a good shot for goal. Rather him be played as a our fourth foward behind Cloke, White and Elliott.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

For what it is worth, The Age reviewer of the game considered him a failure down back. Quote: 'They also learnt that Alex Fasolo has many virtues as a footballer, but the poise needed to wriggle out of a back pocket down back is not one. It's back to the forward line for good.'

Its not worth much. Did the Age reviewer also note our list five or six first start options who are unavailable?

 

[hellfire]

Those mistakes that he made in not disposing the ball quick enough cost the team 2 goals and in hindsight cost the team the game.

So yeah, nice move Bucks

I'd probably prefer to cop the two goals that he cost and have some good disposal out of our back half for the entirety of the match, rather than watch the less-talented usual suspects bomb long into the waiting arms of our opposition's press and cost us 5-6 goals.

Good move and good performance last night given it was his first senior game in a long time (and in that position).

That said, with Seedsman and Williams back I'd like to see him forward.

 

[sr36]

Wing/ high half forward is where I'd play him.

 

[Pendles!]

Awful move by Bucks, he doesn't have the smarts to play off the back line. He is a goal sneak and nothing more, I think this move played a part in losing the game.

This is surely a sarcastic post??

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Fasolo doesn't have the sidestep of a Lumumba, Williams or Seedsman, and doesn't have the pace of Toovey or Sinclair. It was always going to be tough for him down back. At least his ball use was good for the most part. I can forgive him getting smothered on a kickout in his first game as a defender.

 

[MagpieBat]

As I said elsewhere, I don't mind it, so long as it's part of developing the defensive aspect of his game and allowing him to graduate into the midfield full time.

In an ideal world, he would have stayed in the VFL a bit longer to gain more match fitness and work a bit more on his new role, but Sinclair's injury forced our hand...

 

[HFF]

In case you hadnt heard the news currently we have a shortage of personnel in defence.

In case you haven't noticed either , we have a shortage of personnel in attack too with only Cloke and Elliott.

Play him where he is most effective .

 

[HFF]

A forward still has to have a strong defence side by keeping it in the area and Fasolo does not have it as yet and could be costly.

What's worth more- goals or defensive pressure?

I'll take Fasolo's ability to impact the scoreboard more than anything considering only Cloke and Elliott look like getting it done .