Forward line 2009

[TigerAntho]

OK so our backline is getting a consistant look about it and will grow as a unit as thursfield, mcguane and moore improve led by captain newman with plenty of options as the running half back flanks.

Midfield now our strongest part of ground. Cosuins, Cotchin, Deledio, Tuck, and Coughlan sounds imposing let alone the likely types in connors, tambling, that you can thrown in there.


So that leaves the forwad line. There seems to be discontent with Hughes, however he has the build, and technique to have potnetial to be our leading center half forwad type. However there are question marks despite his encouraging performance against port.

Then theres the issue of having too many smaller forwards. Brown, Morton, Riewoldt fit this mold...although admittedly Riewoldt is playing a role more like his older cousin.

So what is our best forward line this year? Deledio has at times 'rested' as a forward and delivered in spades, taking strong grabs. Is he an option? With the game going to be more clogged up than ever this year our forwad line I think will be a huge factor in us playing finals. If it fires we're certainties; if not than forget it. We can;t rely on Newman kicking 55 meters bombs running all the way from the backline...we need a reliable structure.

Terry regardless what happens this year, we need to draft KPF at the next draft!

 

[Tigerland2007]

Mitch Morton , J.Riewoltd, N.Brown
J.Bowden, J.Schulz, K.Pettifer


to me thats our best base line up going forward, then you throw up the rotations of richo, deledio, cousins etc

Schulz giving a good chance without richo in the same forwardline

Pettifer when fit is one of our best goal kickers a good accurate kick.

Bowden knows how to get the footy also is a good kick for goal

Morton we saw last year has that x factor, doesnt get a lot of it but can be damaging in bursts.

And browny should play that high half forward

 

[Haggard H]

The forward line is definitely the weakest part of the ground for us at the moment, but I think it's just a couple of years behind the midfield.

Don't know what will happen this year, but I imagine the plan (for a couple of years down the track) is something like:

Morton Post Riewoldt
Nahas Putt Connors

I think Post is definitely going to be a forward, with McGuane, Moore, Thursfield and Rance more than covering the key defender jobs for the next decade.

Jack is listed as the same height (193 cm) as his cousin, so with a few more kg's could probably take CHF, but happy to see him do what he wants from a flank.

Nahas may or may not make the grade, but is certainly on the list to be the crumbing forward pocket.

I put Connors in the other pocket because I want to see him stay with us for a few years, but it would more likely be a spot for Deledio to rest in, changeing with Edwards or Tambling (or Connors).

And most contentiously I've put Putt at full forward because I think the club is looking to do that. Putt and Vickery are both mobile big men very capable of playing ruck or key position. Vickery will have 66% of time on the ball, 33% at FF in a straight swap with Putt. Forget about this 'rotation off the bench' crap - keep the big guys there even if they're only bringing the ball to the ground where Nahas, Edwards, Tambling, Deledio, Connors, etc can finish it off.

Happy to see Schulz given one more chance to claim FF in the meantime, and don't think Hughes is up to it.

 

[Barnzy123]

To O.P, Riewoldt is 192cm or 193cm depending what site you look on. Definatly not a 'smaller foward' as you say. Pavlich is 191cm and Fev is 191cm. He just needs to bulk up to play CHF.


What I want to see which probably won't happen but heres my foward line:

Cotchin/Connors Riewoldt Cousins/Edwards

Morton Hughes Brown

Lay off Hughes, he's played 13 games for 18 goals which is a decent output and he's still very young. Give the bloke a chance you hounds. Schulz has played 49 games and you're happy to include him. What is it? His 5th year on the list? All he's showed is that his a fringe player. Once Huges plays 30-40 more games we will be able to tell more.

 

[Roachy8]

We have a definte need for a marking target at CHF or the half-forward line in general.
& by half-forward line I mean pushing up towards the wings & centre.

Sooooooooooo many times over the past couple of years we have been playing some OK footy across the ground and have been trying to bring the ball forward but our efforts at long penetrating kicks to CHF have been easily chopped off by the "flooding" defence of the other team.

This new ****ing "rolling zone" crap is IMO tricking teams into chipping it around and trying to run the ball through with a million handballs but I have an opinion that long and direct play through the corridor can be just as effective.

Let the defence "float" zoned guys around the periphery whilst we attack long and direct to strong targets between the centre & CHF.

In 2009 I would therefore construct a forward line to suit which would mean:

A CHF who can take a grab and attacks contests hard - Riewoldt
Clever crumbers who can swoop on a spilled contested ball and deliver accurately deeper into the forward 50 - Brown & Connors
A strong leading & marking, straight kicking FF to convert - Hughes or Schulz (at this stage)
Clever & or quick crumbers to capitalize on loose ball on the FF line - Morton & Edwards (or resting Deledio, Cuz etc...)

Add to this Richo roaming around from a wing, I would prefer he not spend as much time across half-back but present as a marking target across the centre.

I would also prefer Tambling on the other wing. Despite a lot of opinions off him I believe he is dangerous and creative on this line.

An option would also be Newman who is a weapon with potential 60M goals on the run. (ala fat boy Dew)

So for mine, I would start 2009 with:

C: Tambling - Foley - Richo
CHF: Brown - Riewoldt - Connors
FF: Morton - Hughes - Edwards

 

[Goldust]

To O.P, Riewoldt is 192cm or 193cm depending what site you look on. Definatly not a 'smaller foward' as you say. Pavlich is 191cm and Fev is 191cm. He just needs to bulk up to play CHF.


What I want to see which probably won't happen but heres my foward line:

Cotchin/Connors Riewoldt Cousins/Edwards

Morton Hughes Brown

Lay off Hughes, he's played 13 games for 18 goals which is a decent output and he's still very young. Give the bloke a chance you hounds. Schulz has played 49 games and you're happy to include him. What is it? His 5th year on the list? All he's showed is that his a fringe player. Once Huges plays 30-40 more games we will be able to tell more[/B].

A CERTAIN sameness about these two - to a point. Schulz dined out on a six goal haul against Brisbane and not much else for a long, long time, while Cleve has his backers here on BF on the strength of a five or six goal effort against Port Adelaide last season, followed immediately by some rather mediocre efforts.
One would suggest Schulz turned the corner last season, albeit it came away from the key forward posts he had filled early in his career, rather in defence.
I would suggest Jay will be a starter in round one and it will be down back.
Hughes - put me in the fast losing patience with this guy bracket. For mine, we're crying out for a key forward, but he ain't exactly grasping the opportunity. lacks hunger and urgency.
For mine, the options at FF at this stage are either a return to Schulz or playing Joel Bowden up there. Hughes isn't COMMANDING a game!!!
I'd go for something along the lines of:

HF Cousins/Tuck Riewoldt Cotchin (if fit) or Connors (if Cotchin unfit)
F Brown Bowden Morton
With Richo spending time down forward in stints (face it, we can't run him in the midfield all day at his age).

 

[juss]

HF: Cousins Riewoldt Edwards
F: Brown Schulz Morton

Cousins and Edwards play more up around the half forward/wing area which leaves the two targets Schulz/Riewoldt with Brown / Morton and even Edwards the small front and centre forwards.

Hughes could also go to FF but I like Schulz in that position because he attacks the contest harder and can take a good grab.

This would be my starting forward line with rotation of Richardson and Deledio going through for other options. I think multiple targets kicking 2-3 goals each will work more effectively than having Richo sitting there getting double teamed as we have all noticed in recent years.

Riewoldt I think will really step up this year at CHF.

Other small forward options include Nahas and Hislop, with Brown pretty solid and reliable to kick atleast 2 goals a game and create a couple more.

 

[tony_montana]

were we the 5th highest scoring team last season?

brown, morton, reiwoldt are certainties.

the other 3 spots will be a mix n match combo rotation of cousins/hughes/deledio(resting), cotchin/nahas/schulz/richo(resting) and maybe even Post.

if our midfield dominates like a lot here think they will then our fwd line will kick goals and plenty of them

 

[Madtiger2006]

Our forward line is fine.

Morton and Brown in the pockets. That's potentially 50 goals from each pocket over 22 games. Reiwoldt is improving and improving at CHF. Deledio and Cotchin can rotate on a flank and Bowden and Connors on the other flank. Hughes, Putt, Post are options for FF. Richo, Nahas, Edwards will chip in with goals.

 

[beetlejuice]

were we the 5th highest scoring team last season?

brown, morton, reiwoldt are certainties.

the other 3 spots will be a mix n match combo rotation of cousins/hughes/deledio(resting), cotchin/nahas/schulz/richo(resting) and maybe even Post.

if our midfield dominates like a lot here think they will then our fwd line will kick goals and plenty of them

The problem there as I see it is that none of that bunch have a defensive edge to their game apart from perhaps Nahas and it's way too early to tell if he's going to make it yet. Reiwoldt can chase but he's not that quick, so all I see there and in most of the lineups above is the oppostion taking the ball out of our forward 50 with relevant ease.

 

[tony_montana]

The problem there as I see it is that none of that bunch have a defensive edge to their game apart from perhaps Nahas and it's way too early to tell if he's going to make it yet. Reiwoldt can chase but he's not that quick, so all I see there and in most of the lineups above is the oppostion taking the ball out of our forward 50 with relevant ease.

fair point

NBrown and Morton will have to step up and maintain defensive pressure, especially brown as morton really applied himself on improving that aspect.
the likes of Lids/cotchin/Tambling/cousins will have to do their bit.

i think its more abt application and wanting to do the 1%ers than anything else

 

[beetlejuice]

fair point

NBrown and Morton will have to step up and maintain defensive pressure, especially brown as morton really applied himself on improving that aspect.
the likes of Lids/cotchin/Tambling/cousins will have to do their bit.

i think its more abt application and wanting to do the 1%ers than anything else

And that TM is the issue. Wanting to do the team thing, the 1%ers. I said in another post, that our stars are great at "stardom" but poor when it comes to the basic footy stuff that we're all told to do as kids, and it falls back on the coaches for not ridding this poor attitude from these "stars" to do the team thing.

 

[Tigerballs]

One good thing about not having a set in stone forward line is that it makes us flexible and unpredictable and opposition sides will struggle to make plans against it. We do have alot of players that can rotate through the forward line on any given day depending on the oppositions weekness. If you have teams with a small backline you can load it up with the likes of Richo, Hughes, Schultz, Patto, Reiwoldt, Polak (when fit) and even Simmo resting forward. For a team with an oversized backline you can go for Morton, Brown, Edwards, Nahas, Lids and just about any of our onballers.

 

[tiger_tough]

Riewoldt Schulz Morton
Edwards Hughes Brown

 

[I'm the Juggernaut]

CHF: Brown - Riewoldt - Connors
FF: Morton - Hughes - Edwards

Baring injuries this should be the starting forward line up every week - we are never going to know about Cleve whilst he's running around for Coburg. Stick him down there all yaera nd see what happens - don't really have a better option for FF, and no=one is going to kick 100 goals. We need a versitile forward line where gols are shared.
If we have to rely on the big fella again this year we're knackered..

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

The more I think about it, the more I wonder why we dont just put Richo back in there full time. We now have a surplus of midfielders, but no genuine power forwards. All these years we have been saying "if only we had a midfield capable of getting it to Richo", well now we do but unfortunately Richo is a part of it!!! I love seeing the big guy run up and down the wing but unless Cleve, Pattison or Post really step up I think putting Richo back at FF might be the best option. Imagine Richo backing up a 3rd in the brownlow with a 100 goal haul and the Coleman!

Mathematically

If A is the output of Richo on the wing
B is the output of cleve hughes
C is the output of Richo at full forward
and D is the output of a fringe wingman who would now get a game

In my opinion A + B < C + D

Especially if D is someone like Dan Connors!

 

[Roachy8]

The more I think about it, the more I wonder why we dont just put Richo back in there full time. We now have a surplus of midfielders, but no genuine power forwards. All these years we have been saying "if only we had a midfield capable of getting it to Richo", well now we do but unfortunately Richo is a part of it!!! I love seeing the big guy run up and down the wing but unless Cleve, Pattison or Post really step up I think putting Richo back at FF might be the best option. Imagine Richo backing up a 3rd in the brownlow with a 100 goal haul and the Coleman!

Mathematically

If A is the output of Richo on the wing
B is the output of cleve hughes
C is the output of Richo at full forward
and D is the output of a fringe wingman who would now get a game

In my opinion A + B < C + D

Especially if D is someone like Dan Connors!

Nice theory there Pythagoras!

However, I worry about our dear friend Richo again dominating the forward line to the extent where our versatility is compromised...

He is such a larger than life character both on and off the footy field now that plonking him back in the goal square full time might again stifle the development of alternatives.
(It would certainly spell the end of Steamer)

I like Richo being a wild-child-card around the mid-field with occassional stints in the forward arc and therefore other teams need to deal with our alternative multi-pronged attack.

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

Nice theory there Pythagoras!

However, I worry about our dear friend Richo again dominating the forward line to the extent where our versatility is compromised...

He is such a larger than life character both on and off the footy field now that plonking him back in the goal square full time might again stifle the development of alternatives.
(It would certainly spell the end of Steamer)

I like Richo being a wild-child-card around the mid-field with occassional stints in the forward arc and therefore other teams need to deal with our alternative multi-pronged attack.

Fair point on the development of the younger guys but to this point only Riewoldt has shown any sort of consistency. I think we have a better chance at a premiership now than we will until at least 5 years after richos retirement...such is the gap he will leave in our team. Therefore maybe its worth playing our strongest possible team ie have richo in the goal square and a better mid sized player rather than hughes.

 

[krustyman]

Fair point on the development of the younger guys but to this point only Riewoldt has shown any sort of consistency. I think we have a better chance at a premiership now than we will until at least 5 years after richos retirement...such is the gap he will leave in our team. Therefore maybe its worth playing our strongest possible team ie have richo in the goal square and a better mid sized player rather than hughes.

riewoldt has been played consistently, the others havent been given a fair go and a chopped after one or two games. i wouldnt say he was much better.

 

[Rancid_Beasties]

riewoldt has been played consistently, the others havent been given a fair go and a chopped after one or two games. i wouldnt say he was much better.

I'd argue Schulz has been given a fair go and has shown that he is not a permanent forward but a capable swingman. Pattison has also been given time and has shown he is a reasonable second ruckman and utility tall.

Other than them theres no doubt we have a few players that need more time, but it needs to be time they've earnt. Post is unlikely to be ready to be anything more than a bit player for 2-3 years (ie after Richo retires) and in the meantime can play as a third tall when he is in the seniors. Ditto Vickery. Putt needs to get games in the VFL before being considered in the AFL. So really, we are only talking about Hughes with regards to not getting a fair go. Well I'd say he needs to dominate at VFL level before he is given a fair chunk of games in a row in the AFL.

What about Rance? He had a better year last year than all of our young key forward options and didnt get a game in the seniors! Why dont we do a reshuffle like this: Rance from the reserves to the HBF, McMahon from the HBF to the wing, Richo from the Wing to FF? This way we still get games into a young player, but one that has actually earnt it.

 

[Roachy8]

I'd argue Schulz has been given a fair go and has shown that he is not a permanent forward but a capable swingman. Pattison has also been given time and has shown he is a reasonable second ruckman and utility tall.

Other than them theres no doubt we have a few players that need more time, but it needs to be time they've earnt. Post is unlikely to be ready to be anything more than a bit player for 2-3 years (ie after Richo retires) and in the meantime can play as a third tall when he is in the seniors. Ditto Vickery. Putt needs to get games in the VFL before being considered in the AFL. So really, we are only talking about Hughes with regards to not getting a fair go. Well I'd say he needs to dominate at VFL level before he is given a fair chunk of games in a row in the AFL.

What about Rance? He had a better year last year than all of our young key forward options and didnt get a game in the seniors! Why dont we do a reshuffle like this: Rance from the reserves to the HBF, McMahon from the HBF to the wing, Richo from the Wing to FF? This way we still get games into a young player, but one that has actually earnt it.

I actually have not totally given up on Sarge as a FF option!!!

(Likely to cop some flak for this opinion but anyway...)

Certainly he is not a "thinking" footballer and a couple of years ago when he was being tried down at FF in tandem with Richo they just seemed to get in each others way.
Richo obviously dominated the area and Schulz did not have the natural instinct at that stage to present as a second option.
He also copped a lot of criticism (fair too) for not being any good when the ball hit the turf or at putting defensive pressure on the backmen.

IMO however, his last year and a half playing in the back half and around the ground has taught him these footy basics and he now fights hard for the ball at ground level and certainly chases and goes in hard.

With Moore, Thursty & McGuane looking established down back and with Rance looking ready to perhaps step up our need for "swingman Schulz" has diminished.

I placed Clever at FF in my post earlier but if he does not work or gets hurt, I would like to see Sarge given a chance to be our goalsquare spearhead whilst Richo is up the ground.

(Certainly until Post, Vickery and Putt develop some more anyway)

 

[krustyman]

I'd argue Schulz has been given a fair go and has shown that he is not a permanent forward but a capable swingman. Pattison has also been given time and has shown he is a reasonable second ruckman and utility tall.

Other than them theres no doubt we have a few players that need more time, but it needs to be time they've earnt. Post is unlikely to be ready to be anything more than a bit player for 2-3 years (ie after Richo retires) and in the meantime can play as a third tall when he is in the seniors. Ditto Vickery. Putt needs to get games in the VFL before being considered in the AFL. So really, we are only talking about Hughes with regards to not getting a fair go. Well I'd say he needs to dominate at VFL level before he is given a fair chunk of games in a row in the AFL.

What about Rance? He had a better year last year than all of our young key forward options and didnt get a game in the seniors! Why dont we do a reshuffle like this: Rance from the reserves to the HBF, McMahon from the HBF to the wing, Richo from the Wing to FF? This way we still get games into a young player, but one that has actually earnt it.

schultz has harldy played 2-3 games in a row up forward, they keep moving down back and all over the place.

morton camps himself permanent in the pocket, get few touches and dont do much for most of his games, but they keep him there. riewoldt played just about the entire season, some very ordinary games but he isnt dropped. if schultz or hughes did the same they they are dropped because they are out of favor.

ive been waiting for years but patto just not up to it.

 

[mitch richmond]

Lay off Hughes, he's played 13 games for 18 goals which is a decent output and he's still very young. Give the bloke a chance you hounds. Schulz has played 49 games and you're happy to include him. What is it? His 5th year on the list? All he's showed is that his a fringe player. Once Huges plays 30-40 more games we will be able to tell more.

You say Hughes is still very young - He's 22(which I agree is young) but Schulz is only 23. Also Schulz has played 67 games.

 

[tiger taskforce]

having read the op suggesting richo back to ff is STUPID why do u think he gave charlie a scare put him ff and where back to 3 on1 footy again ffs leave him where he is killling them on a wing and throw huges/putt/shultz/vickory/ect in at the deep end and say swim or we will let u drown

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

The problem with our forward line is that we have a number of forward options who are capable against the 3rd best defender yet not capable against the oppositions best defender. Schulz, Polak, Hughes, Patto, and possibly at the later part of the year Vickery.
Out of these I think Schulz is the best on the lead and also tackling.

For mine.

Morton Reiwoldt Bling/Coghlan/ Bowden/ Connors
Brown Schulz Hughes/Polak/Patto/Vickey

Schulz from the sqaure, Hughes to move to CHF if Reiwoldt leads up the ground.