Forward line structure

[ralu]

Just looking at our forward line and how the coaches are going into round one. I think Clokey is a certainty at CHF as is Big Rocca in the goalsquare but its the pockets, flanks and rotations that im not 100% about. This is my round one attack assuming that dids may miss.
FF: Medhurst Rocca Bryan
CHF: Buckley Cloke Davis

Medhurst is strong overhead and can play as a small and maybe a leading forward as Rusling would have. Buckley will do what he wants when he wants(IF FIT??????). Davis should play on a flank as he has impressed further up the park in praccys. You all are probably saying that Bryan in FP is bloody ridiculous but he is a big bastard and he and Fraser can swap throughout the game(No point putting richards down there cos he sux). Egan, Licca, Burns and Thomas will all also play rotating roles during games. Then when dids returns this could be a potent attack. Show me what you would do for round one?

 

[goalpie]

I feel Malthouse is going to play Reid round 1. I hope so.

 

[nick_savo]

I rekon Vinnie summed it up perfectly.

We have been talking about our structure in terms of having Rusling as a talented lead and mark player, but without him, is another lead and mark player actually what we need?

I don't think it's much of a stretch to suggest that we can pretty comfortably slot in Anthony Rocca at FF, and Travis Cloke at CHF. Those two appear to have those positions to themselves for the timebeing.

So, we need to fill two forward pockets and two half forward flanks. Again, some of these come easy. Nathan Buckley is obviously going to command a position to himself, and because of Didak's early season injury, let's him one HFF. Leon Davis is another senior player who is going to command a spot in the side, and recent midfield forays aside, we'll slot him into a FP for now.

This leaves another FP and another HFF to fill in the short term. We have Paul Medhurst as a new recruit, able to lead and mark, and so at this point, he will slot into the other FP.

Filling the other HFF spot now becomes the issue, but it will only be so until Alan Didak returns from injury, at which point we will be able to trot out the lineup of:

FF: Medhurst - Rocca - Davis
HF: Buckley - Cloke - Didak

And that is without playing Fraser down forward, assuming he will be rucking.

However, until Didak comes back, we still have a multitude of options to play in that HFF spot:

Chris Egan: Played as a leading HFF in the last few games of '06, and did a pretty good job of it, kicking 3 goals in each of the last two games. Would be the leading candidate for the spot, IMO.

Shannon Cox: Has shown tremendous potential, and oozes versatility. Strong early form for Williamstown could earn him a call up.

Ryan Cook: Hasn't shown a lot, but is a marking half forward. Again, could earn a spot with good Williamstown form.

Ben Reid, Nathan Brown, Brent Macaffer: All are recent draftees, but all could potentially show something early and earn a call-up.

I honestly don't think this puts us in too much hot water - We should be pretty fine to cover for Rusling being out.

 

[Parallel Andy]

FF: Medhurst Rocca Buckley
HF: Fraser Cloke Davis

Thomas and Reid rotating.

That forward line looks pretty good to me.
Rocca in the square and leading directly up the middle.
Medhurst crumbing and leading out to the half forward line.
Buckley leading in all directions, as well as playing in the square.
Fraser leading to the wings as well as playing deep in the forward line.
Cloke leading to the centre line and the wings, mainly playing outside 50.
Davis roaming around the whole forward half of the ground.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

HF: Thomas - Rocca- Lockyer
F: Buckley - Cloke - Fraser

 

[Stakerz]

HF: Thomas - Rocca- Lockyer
F: Buckley - Cloke - Fraser

Lockyer? Dude we all know how much you love him but that's ridiclulous.

He shouldn't even be in the team IMHO

 

[Stakerz]

HF: Thomas ; Cloke ; Buckley
FF: Medhurst ; Rocca ; Egan/Davis

Cloke and Rocca could swap & Fraser could go in there somewhere

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Lockyer? Dude we all know how much you love him but that's ridiclulous.

He shouldn't even be in the team IMHO

He played 5 games up forward and kicked 7 goals in them and averaged about 18 disposals.

 

[Stakerz]

He played 5 games up forward and kicked 7 goals in them and averaged about 18 disposals.

He is crap

 

[Tarkyn_24]

He is crap

Hahaha, that's pretty damn funny.

 

[Stakerz]

Hahaha, that's pretty damn funny.

I'll be nice and say maybe he is just a little underrated but very overrated by you

 

[Tarkyn_24]

I'll be nice and say maybe he is just a little underrated but very overrated by you

I'll pay that

 

[Bonuspoints]

Going on whose available I'd say our forward line is likely to look like this:

Full Forward - Rocca (I reckon he should park his butt in the goal square and just wrestle with the odd flopm Alistair Lynch style)

Pockets - Medhurst (good lead and strong overhead, plus excellent crummer means he will work well with Rocca) and Davis (we all know he is good at playing here, and I expect he will rotate between FP and midfield).

CHF - Travis Cloke (there is no other)

Flankers - Buckley and Thomas (I don't think Thomas is ready to be a starting midfielder, but I do think he is ready to be a starting flanker, he will rotate into the middle too).

I expect Fraser to get rests in the goal square with Rocca which gives us the two talls there. Bryan can also do that too. We did try Egan as a leading forward last year, but it was fairly unsuccessful (well not as good as it should have been) and I think we may see him in that role again. But I'd like to see him play further up the ground. Of course we may lose a FP and play that player either in the middle or in defense.

 

[gormanisahack]

with rusling iand dids njured and tarrant gone i think bucks is going to have to play a major role up forward this year for us to have any hopes of giving the top 8 a shake. I'm hoping he can produce more games like the brisbane match at the mcg where he ripped it up but this time from the goal square, not playing on the ball. With Rocca coming back after an inconsistent season and trav still young and wth the 2 i mentioned earlier injured i cannot see us scoring those big scores we got early in 2006 without Bucks doing some major damage up foward...would be good not to have to rely on him but i can't see us dominating early on without him firing up foward.

 

[pies4eva]

Need to have Medhurst in a pocket just because he looks so dangerous close to goal, he always breaks tackles with ease and also takes a strong mark.

 

[Twiggys_Torpedo]

I think that Malthouse would want Davis in the centre so he can prove his worth. We look better with him in the middle rather than chasing opponents around goals. Egan might be a better bet and Thomas gives more enthusiasm. We need to look to other models like the Bulldogs, go small and go fast. I'm sort of thinking that the day of the leviathan full forward is fast approaching extinction.