Forward line structure

[1873 United]

After the first month of Football, it has become apparent to me that our forward line isn't a functional as it was last season, with little change in playing stocks.

1. Beau might be a ok leading option, however, he doesn't have the capacity to bring the small forwards into the game by crashing packs.

2. with inference to the above, without the ball spilling from packs, our small forwads have had a slow start to the season, lacking the impact required to enable the team to mount scoreboard pressure.

3. Nick is trying to do it alone, often with poor delivery, and often has a long bail out target (not his capper)

4. Due to Beau only commanding a single opponent, the small forwards are much easier for defenders to track, leaving our forward line more congested, and limiting the capacity to deliver scoring opportunities.

5. I'm going to recommend that Kosi be recalled, for a number of the above mentioned points. Whilst Kosi has poor games, he often has two opponents when approaching the contest, 1 blocks his run at the ball, and the other competes in the air with him. Why he doesn't receive more kicks the first opponent is beyond me, but thats footy.

6. By having Kosi in the team, we are more susceptible to rebound footy, but, from what I sore of Milera on Saturday, that's only a problem we face regardless.

7. With Kosi back in the goal square, Roo will be given more freedom to lead, and we should see that the smalls will have greater opportunity to create the same scoreboard pressure we had in 2012.

I'm not sure if anyone else has taken the time or has realised our plight, but it's my view on why we seem inept forward of center.

In 2013, we don't have the deffensive stocks to limit the big forwards, so I believe it's imperative that we take the all guns a blazing approach, to at least give us the fans something to look forward to, as we move towards the 2016-17 seasons, when I think we can mount another challenge.

 

[tbarker]

I agree with everything you say. W

After the first month of Football, it has become apparent to me that our forward line isn't a functional as it was last season, with little change in playing stocks.

1. Beau might be a ok leading option, however, he doesn't have the capacity to bring the small forwards into the game by crashing packs.

2. with inference to the above, without the ball spilling from packs, our small forwads have had a slow start to the season, lacking the impact required to enable the team to mount scoreboard pressure.

3. Nick is trying to do it alone, often with poor delivery, and often has a long bail out target (not his capper)

4. Due to Beau only commanding a single opponent, the small forwards are much easier for defenders to track, leaving our forward line more congested, and limiting the capacity to deliver scoring opportunities.

5. I'm going to recommend that Kosi be recalled, for a number of the above mentioned points. Whilst Kosi has poor games, he often has two opponents when approaching the contest, 1 blocks his run at the ball, and the other competes in the air with him. Why he doesn't receive more kicks the first opponent is beyond me, but thats footy.

6. By having Kosi in the team, we are more susceptible to rebound footy, but, from what I sore of Milera on Saturday, that's only a problem we face regardless.

7. With Kosi back in the goal square, Roo will be given more freedom to lead, and we should see that the smalls will have greater opportunity to create the same scoreboard pressure we had in 2012.

I'm not sure if anyone else has taken the time or has realised our plight, but it's my view on why we seem inept forward of center.

In 2013, we don't have the deffensive stocks to limit the big forwards, so I believe it's imperative that we take the all guns a blazing approach, to at least give us the fans something to look forward to, as we move towards the 2016-17 seasons, when I think we can mount another challenge.

I agree with everything you say. I also think we need some variety in the shape of a mid-sized forward that can kick from outside 50 (i.e. Sipposs) and rotate midfielders through there so that the defenders never get settled.

 

[Saint_Dos]

Agree completely. Although I am against not getting in young guys, Kosi is our only option in pack crashing. It will also free up Lee or Maister as the 3rd tall.

Also means we can jeep Stanley playing KPD rather than rotating him through ruck. That way no need for Blake and a more stable back 6.

 

[Nutsngum]

Agreed except for the fact that its Kosi.

I know its easy to think that he will slot back in but the chances are much more likely that he will simply be completely ineffective like the last quarter of last season. Surely one of the kids could provide a similar role?

 

[mysainters]

There's a structure?

 

[mysainters]

In all seriousness.

Does the lack of structure worry anyone?

We don't appear to have set 'roles' that when they are vacated by injuries/form, we have other players can slot into them easily.

The setup is vastly different from week to week, not just a little bit different, I can't even recognise what they are trying to formulate.

15 or so months in, would you want to see something more solid that he is locking down on?

 

[joop]

The thing that worries me is that kosi seems to be the solution

 

[Sunshine Saint]

The thing that worries me is that kosi seems to be the solution

If Kosi is the answer, we must be asking the wrong question.

 

[1873 United]

I don't believe that Kosi is necessarily the answer, however, he is currently the only player at the club, capable of making strong overhead contests, that command multiple defenders.

There is more to football and how it's played compared to when Roo and Kosi were drafted. All things being equal, we never would have wasted picks on the rubbish Clarke brothers, yet, Roo and Kosi are still capable of creating headaches and more for opposition coaches.

Noting the late inclusion of Kosi this week, I'd almost go as far as saying that the match committee already had their minds made, but wanted to prevent Sydney from creating cement defensive plans to combat the capacity of Kosi to lead a the ball.

Perhaps we may find another play similar i the future, but I pose this last question, who else, besides Travis Cloak has the capacity to really bust open packs?

We need to play to our strengths, especially with a tough month of football ahead.

 

[sauce_head]

I like the analysis but I disagree on the Maister assessment. He has been pretty good at being a target and his pack crashing will only improve. Now that he is injured it is a moot point. But I would give Wright a chance first and if not sufficiently developed bring back Kosi.

 

[mysainters]

Thought the forward line functioned a little better tonight, Milne would of relished some of that ball on the ground in the F50 tonight.

People don't like Kosi, but Beau is injured and...Roo enjoyed that Kosi had one of Grundy or Richards on him all night.

I want to see more footy like that from Nick, so I say bring Milne in and perhaps Siposs for Lee or TDL next week

 

[Axcellence]

Missing a good medium half forward. Also, why were we allowing Sydney a spare man? Very 1 dimensional coaching there.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Thought the forward line functioned a little better tonight, Milne would of relished some of that ball on the ground in the F50 tonight.

People don't like Kosi, but Beau is injured and...Roo enjoyed that Kosi had one of Grundy or Richards on him all night.

I want to see more footy like that from Nick, so I say bring Milne in and perhaps Siposs for Lee or TDL next week

We could even try Curran for TDL, I think he's been playing forward pocket for the Zebs. We can check it out on TV on Saturday.

 

[mysainters]

Steven, Ross, Joey, Geary all looked good forward/mid options

 

[stkildathunda]

We could even try Curran for TDL, I think he's been playing forward pocket for the Zebs. We can check it out on TV on Saturday.

Curren been playing in midfield

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Steven, Ross, Joey, Geary all looked good forward/mid options

Somewhere along the line Geary's dubious disposal has turned into excellent ( abeit not that long ) disposal.

 

[Persevering Saint]

How could our forward structure look so wrong at AFL and so right at the VFL?

 

[aussierulesrules]

Does the lack of structure worry anyone?

We don't appear to have set 'roles' that when they are vacated by injuries/form, we have other players can slot into them easily.

The setup is vastly different from week to week, not just a little bit different, I can't even recognise what they are trying to formulate.

15 or so months in, would you want to see something more solid that he is locking down on?

Yep, this has also been a concern for me. We have very little stability with our forward structure and it seems like a real revolving door with spots there. You're in one week and out the next and back in the next week or the week after that, for some of them. I didn't like it when we did that with Beau last year and I'm not liking us doing it with the likes of TDL and Lee so far this year. They may both be out again this week and I don't think it's doing them any favours at all, giving them little chance to get settled and find their place and groove.

I think we've got to just work out what we believe our best structure up forward is and then back it in for a few weeks, not chop and change the moment it stops working well. There are going to be peaks and troughs but if we really believe in it we've go to be prepared to fight our way through the troughs for the long term benefit.

 

[adambrown]

I think the Saints forward line is lacking Daniel Markworth, that 190 odd cm's lightning quick good over head 3rd tall option.
He would have been penciled in at the end of last season to be on the HFF, his form at Sandy towards the end of last year was great, i think he was named EMG 10 or 11 times last year so he was pushing hard for a spot.

 

[Squizz]

How could our forward structure look so wrong at AFL and so right at the VFL?

You've just witnessed the drawback of Stanley being required in defence.

Aside from the Zebs having more run in the second half, they were never without the option of kicking blindly to the hotspot.

Did it a number of times with two of Hickey, Lever and White always available to contest along with a couple of mobile mid-sized options (Shenton and Milera) - and then a couple of feverish small players via Ong or Michaliades or Minchington.

This is something that the Saints have erred in, although the mosquito theory might have been a goer if they (Milne, Saad, Milera, Dennis-Lane, Schneider) had all been fit and in good form.

I think a number of us have been thinking that the 4 talls / mobile marking players and two in-form smalls was the go though.

Personally I really do think that when your mids are under pressure (as we are) the team has to have more marking power and options that can have a ping from the paint.

Maybe we'll have the cattle in time, but it's a bit of a squeeze at the minute with Rhys down back and Sippa out of form.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Its interesting though that Last year the Saints were scoring big WITHOUT having to win the contested ball count/ clearances.
Seems to indicate there is something in Watters structure working.

 

[Persevering Saint]

I have a new theory: we picked Lee at 12 to distract everybody from our picking Spencer White at 25.

Well played Mr Pelchen... well played...

 

[hayes]

Two small forwards is enough. The ideal structure would be two key forwards, a forward/ruckmen, two smalls and a rotating mid. But we don't have a forward/ruckmen so we need another tall or medium, either Siposs or Lee for mine.

 

[hayes]

And FWIW I can see a lot of teams going with the Sydney style structure of one small forward and a bunch of rotating mids in the future with the inevitable interchange cap coming.

 

[The Punter]

It's a huge problem for us - we don't get value for our dominance when we are on top of the game. Saad is getting more attention and is struggling because of it. He will improve and be a much better footballer. Compare his numbers so far this year to Milne in 2003.

Stanley's absence from the forward line hurts us a little, but he wasn't really there after Round 8 last year. And he's a natural CHB, so leave him there.

I think Lee could become the 3rd forward with a little time. Siposs has proven he can do it, but his kicking skills means he is in demand in other areas, and his work rate and fitness need further improvement.

White looks exciting, but you cannot simply have six or seven kids under 20 in every week - you become GC/GWS. We're about at the maximum now.