Forward Set up (Without Hendo)

[Dramoth]

Casboult is looking good and training well...but he's still not ready IMO.

He should just focus on 2012

Levi needs another 12 months training with Cordy to become a monster FF. He needs a solid season playing at FF in the Ants with one or two games with the Blues to give him a taster for what it's going to be like in 2012.

I reckon that we will go with Setanta at FF at the start of the season and ease Humphrey back into the side through the Ants instead of rushing him back into the side for round 1.

 

[thylacine60]

Only if it's blowing a gale.

Shocked and appalled.

 

[Dramoth]

Shocked and appalled.

Must be getting old Thy if you were shocked and appalled by that

 

[thylacine60]

getting?

 

[TNBT]

I can absolutely most confirm that he has had one of his hips done...he was most dissapointed as he was not able to drink at his 21st which was held over the new year period. Can confirm its the standard hip op the blues players have and pretty certain its just the one hip - my understanding is that he will be touch and go for round one, but it wont keep him out for much longer. Hope this helps.

Well, I'm glad we finally have confirmation as to whether it's true or not, but it's not the answer we all hoped for.

 

[Jeremias]

If Henderson is out for the first few is there any love for Hammer at FF?

I've always thought that he has the ideal height and weight to bring the ball down in any contest even if he can't mark it.

Would love to see him tried there for a while but not too keen on Kruze spending too much time in the ruck in the early season so this may complicate things

Yep, I'm on the Hammer for FF bandwagon.

I'd rather keep developing Hampson as a part time forward, part time ruckman, than keep falling back on Setanta who is decent, but not the long term solution.

Especially if Kreuz isn't ready come round 1.

Many people are critical of Hammer because he dropped his fair share of marks. Problematic, yes, but certainly not the end of the world and something I'm sure he's working on.

Is an incredible physical specimen (slight homo) and if it does click, which it just may, then he's hard to stop on the lead with his speed and size.

The fact that he was getting a fair few shots on goal when he was forward later in season 2010 is a good sign.

Could easily have kicked 3-4 goals against Essendon but poor kicking let him down.

We could do a hell of a lot worse than have Hammer up forward rotating through the ruck with Warnock who showed a heap as a forward in the elimination final against Sydney.

If Kreuzer is fit I'd be very wary about going in to a game with 3 ruckmen, but if he isn't then I've got no problem with Hampson in the seniors.

If Kreuz is fit, I wouldn't be surprised if Aussie got a crack at a key forward post. From all reports, he's fit and putting in a really solid preseason. Would love to see him spend significant time in the forward line in Hendo's absence.

 

[Feva]

LEEEVVVIII!!!

As stated in a previous thread, the player I was most excited about of all players at training before Xmas was Levi.

He has put on some serious size, has dropped weight and is so hard to beat in marking contests.

The Setanta experiment has gone on for too long (7 years) and I still dont think it is going to work out. Lets test out big Levi in the NAB Cup and see how he fares.

 

[Dramoth]

LEEEVVVIII!!!

As stated in a previous thread, the player I was most excited about of all players at training before Xmas was Levi.

He has put on some serious size, has dropped weight and is so hard to beat in marking contests.

The Setanta experiment has gone on for too long (7 years) and I still dont think it is going to work out. Lets test out big Levi in the NAB Cup and see how he fares.

I am sure that Levi will get a shot in the NAB cup comp... but he isnt 100% ready for playing FF at the AFL level. He needs another 12 months conditioning and then he will be ready.

 

[gbatman]

aaah just when things start going great this happens, bloody hell we are cursed with injuries.

Any howCasboult for mine but Bower to CHF if they are looking for more run. Bower could be a star forward if he has the nouse to play as a forward.

Has this been confirmed? Is it just rumor?

 

[IheartCarrots]

Henderson will still be our best FF option come R1. Will be back in full training end of Feb/early March. If something goes wrong with his recovery and he is unavailable, then it's pretty straight forward.

If Kruezer isn't fit, Hampson. If Kruezer is fit, Hampson.

HF: Walker Waite Murphy
F: Garlett Hampson Betts

No point playing Irish unless he is far and away the best player. Which he isn't. Hampson is 5 years younger with more of a future for us.

Make no mistakes, Irish has been in the side out of necessity, not form.

McCarthy, Austin and White are all capable key forwards. I'd even place money on Thornton being of more value than Setanta.

Our biggest problem in Round 1 will be trying to get Waite to LEAVE the goalsquare. That man will have a day out.

 

[TNBT]

aaah just when things start going great this happens, bloody hell we are cursed with injuries.

Any howCasboult for mine but Bower to CHF if they are looking for more run. Bower could be a star forward if he has the nouse to play as a forward.

Has this been confirmed? Is it just rumor?

Why not throw Jamison forward while we're at it? Bower is a backman, and he should play in the back-line. If we are going to need to replace any position though, it will be FF, as most seem to expect Waite to move up the ground to CHF.

 

[The Cranium]

Fevola

 

[mediumsizered]

Fevola

Who is this Fevola you speak of?

 

[bluepride]

Who is this Fevola you speak of?

Never heard of him.

I think its a type of cake.

 

[Jeremias]

Henderson will still be our best FF option come R1. Will be back in full training end of Feb/early March. If something goes wrong with his recovery and he is unavailable, then it's pretty straight forward.

If Kruezer isn't fit, Hampson. If Kruezer is fit, Hampson.

HF: Walker Waite Murphy
F: Garlett Hampson Betts

I agree about Hampson at full forward, and I posted earlier that I'd love to see that in round 1 if Hendo isn't fit....

BUT

I just don't know how 3 ruckmen in the 1 side is going to work. I was supportive of trying it last season, but with the 3 man bench rule being implemented from 2011, I'm very skeptical as to whether or not it will work for us.

Yes, I know all 3 of Kreuz, Hammer and Warnock are exceptionally versatile for men their size, but I'm just not sure that we can afford to have the 3 of them out there at the same time for us.

I'd probably prefer a midfielder rather than a 200cm giant.

I'd love to be pleasantly surprised with 3 of them working together in the 1 side but I just can't see it happening.

Certainly something to trial in the NAB Cup to see how it goes.

 

[Dramoth]

Fevola

Only if he has a brain transplant...

 

[IheartCarrots]

I agree about Hampson at full forward, and I posted earlier that I'd love to see that in round 1 if Hendo isn't fit....

BUT

I just don't know how 3 ruckmen in the 1 side is going to work. I was supportive of trying it last season, but with the 3 man bench rule being implemented from 2011, I'm very skeptical as to whether or not it will work for us.

Yes, I know all 3 of Kreuz, Hammer and Warnock are exceptionally versatile for men their size, but I'm just not sure that we can afford to have the 3 of them out there at the same time for us.

I'd probably prefer a midfielder rather than a 200cm giant.

I'd love to be pleasantly surprised with 3 of them working together in the 1 side but I just can't see it happening.

Certainly something to trial in the NAB Cup to see how it goes.

It'll work the same way it does when we have Setanta in the side. They are all just as capable as he is up forward.

Another midfielder is fine and dandy, but we need a big, strong marking target who can bring the ball to ground for our crumbing forwards. Hampson, at 200cm + and 100kg who moves just as well as Henderson is the logical source.

It's not our first choice side, but it's the strongest we can put forward come R1. Once Hendo is back in action, we can drop Warnock or Hampson.

 

[Weiterbot23]

aaah just when things start going great this happens, bloody hell we are cursed with injuries.

Any howCasboult for mine but Bower to CHF if they are looking for more run. Bower could be a star forward if he has the nouse to play as a forward.

Has this been confirmed? Is it just rumor?[/quote]


It is just a rumour at this stage, but a herald sun jorno will read this thread, call the club and it will be in the paper tomorrow.

 

[thylacine60]

Only if he has a brain transplant...

The brain would reject him.

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

Another reason why this year's draft was so good for the Blues. In two years we wont have this bullshit of one KPP player going down and having to talk about Setanta or the man that can't mark play full forward.

Hampson has not really ever shown up as a KPP player, even at VFL level. I'm not against giving him a try in one NAB cup game but you are pulling a long bow to think he can handle it when he has never clunked marks/scored goals at VFL level, and i'm sure he has rested fwd enough at VFL level in the hope he could develop these skills.

Don't know enough about Levi development wise to know if he is rdy to be fasttracked. None of the utility solutions appeal to me in Walker, Thornton, Judd.

A bit like people are doing with Hampson (sheer hope), then I'd rather plump for Kruezer or Austin. The second on sheer hope.

We still want a big body presence up fwd, as this best suits the three amigos. Collins, Houlahan, Walker, Judd provide no big body pack breaking option at FF, which means less ball for the three amigos. In our worse losses last year, we lacked height as oppostion teams left one tall free in the backline who jumped uncontested making our fwd line foolish.

Ok, waffling. Realistically, unless a player (White/Austin/Levi) comes out of nowhere, it is Big Kruezer for structural reasons.

Please recover soon Hendolenko!

I not that great a fan of Setanta that much. Guy has had his chance at AFL and is just short of the mark. Would agree, he can show up in some games so if we only have to cover 1-3 games, then fair enough. Longer term I'd rather go with someone else.

 

[Robbo's my hero]

Who's going to kick the goals without Hendo in the team? Consecutive years where we've been forced to restructure our forward line. Another huge challenge for Ratts.

 

[Dramoth]

The brain would reject him.

I dont see how it could reject him... it would seem that he is just a life support unit for a dick...

 

[Salt Lake Cities]

I am going to go positive on this one. IF Hendo is out i predict one of the few options we may use there(Hammer, Levi, Kreuz, Mitchell, White, Austin, Setanta)......can't believe i can list 7...........will step up and go nuts!!

Hendo returns early in the season releasing Jarrad Waite to finally become the best utility in the AFL playing from the wing. Well one can dream

 

[TNBT]

I am going to go positive on this one. IF Hendo is out i predict one of the few options we may use there(Hammer, Levi, Kreuz, Mitchell, White, Austin, Setanta)......can't believe i can list 7...........will step up and go nuts!!

Hendo returns early in the season releasing Jarrad Waite to finally become the best utility in the AFL playing from the wing. Well one can dream

Why would we do that? We have plenty of midfield guys who need games, and Waite is so dangerous as a forward for us. When Henderson returns, we'd be better served to move Waite back to FF to form the Twin Towers again with Henderson.

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

Waite is a better CHF than a FF. The guy likes space to run off and fly at the ball. FF is a bit enclosed (body on body) for his style.

Think he has played FF because he was coming off an injury and they wanted to give him a chance to fully recover. That and to give Hendo a shot at CHF to learn the role in 2010.

With Hendo out, Waite to CHF, and he potenitally will stay there all season if he does ok-good. Will be interesting!