Fyfe the forward?

[pistol17]

Food for thought...

With the likes of Mundy, Barlow, Morabito, Hill, Mzungu, Broughton, Suban and co in the midfield what are the thoughts of having Nat Fyfe as a lead up forward. The guy rarely misses a contested mark and is a fairly good kick at goal from a set shot. Obviously wouldn't be our number one forward but I think we are better off having him up forward then Chris Mayne who lets face it can only tackle and apply pressure which Fyfe can do anyway.

Ballantyne Clarke Fyfe
De Boer Pavlich Mzungu

Mzungu can rotate through the midfield with anyone from Duffield, Broughton, Hill etc...

 

[longsuffreosupp]

If he bulks up a fair bit more then it's probably the go, otherwise I think most would like him to be like Westhoff and run around as the link player with some stints in the forward line.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Half-froward line for mine.

He can take a mark for sure, but he is also very good at hitting a leading target by foot. Would be a great link player between the midfield and setting up a good clean inside 50 to the advantage of our forwards.

 

[Patty_Moz]

Yep definitely agree. This is where he should play he could still run through the midfield but spend 75% of his time up forward. He is more important to us a 40-50 goal player than racking up possies in the back pocket. He has been compared to Hird but this is only true if he learns or gets the chance to kick more goals.

 

[Moo]

I don't think we can afford the price of Fyfe forward.

Fyfe is extremely clever in those midfield scrim type situations.

I'd rob the midfield of Pavlich (FF) and Broughton (def).

The core midfield of Mundy, Barlow, Morra, Hill, De Boer, Zu, Sandi and Clarke - probably needs a Fyfe to give it an injection of class.

It is tempting to play Fyfe everywhere to be honest.

 

[apuchar]

I would probably play Walters instead of deBoar at half forward if he gets his attitude right. + Fyfe will probably be part of the midfield rotation anyway

 

[Paracleet]

Rotating midfield through half forward and back again.

I'm sorry did someone just compare Fyfe to a Westhoff?

 

[Beetlebum]

I would probably play Walters instead of deBoar at half forward if he gets his attitude right. + Fyfe will probably be part of the midfield rotation anyway

Walters looked excellent in the Finals last year, was one of our best against Geelong in the Semi but I don't think it's so much his attitude as, like so many of his teammates in 2011 his fitness that's the key to him in 2012.

Pav has to play in the forward line for the bulk of the game, regardless of what is going on elsewhere up the field. Same with Ballantyne, he runs about the field but his hamstrings like his I think his running should be restricted to the forward 3rd of the field.

Alternating Zac Clarke and Aaron Sandilands through the foward line is something that should work as well.

Nat Fyfe I think is a player that has too much ability to play down forward just yet, to give him a rest maybe play him out of the pocket, or perhaps across half forward to break a tag but by and large I'd look at him playing wing/midfield for the foreseeable future.

 

[yakka man]

I don't understand. Our midfield is where we struggle the most and you want to remove one of our best mids to the forward line? It's a waste of his ability to win large amounts of contested footy and fitness. I do agree that he could play forward and he has looked lively there for stints this year. But it shouldn't be his primary position.

He's too good a midfielder to play forward.

 

[Chops_a_must]

If he bulks up a fair bit more then it's probably the go, otherwise I think most would like him to be like Westhoff and run around as the link player with some stints in the forward line.

Hmmmmmmm....

 

[Nickos66]

I'm sorry did someone just compare Fyfe to a Westhoff?

I lol'd.

How did Dolly end up? Have we made inroads since her cloning?

 

[apuchar]

Walters looked excellent in the Finals last year, was one of our best against Geelong in the Semi but I don't think it's so much his attitude as, like so many of his teammates in 2011 his fitness that's the key to him in 2012.

Pav has to play in the forward line for the bulk of the game, regardless of what is going on elsewhere up the field. Same with Ballantyne, he runs about the field but his hamstrings like his I think his running should be restricted to the forward 3rd of the field.

Alternating Zac Clarke and Aaron Sandilands through the foward line is something that should work as well.

Nat Fyfe I think is a player that has too much ability to play down forward just yet, to give him a rest maybe play him out of the pocket, or perhaps across half forward to break a tag but by and large I'd look at him playing wing/midfield for the foreseeable future.

I guess I meant his attitude towards his football including his application to training. We really need a guy with sublime skills feeding our forwards and he is as good as they get.

 

[E Shed]

Fyfe plays in the Fyfe position. It's like the Hird position. i.e. wherever he wants.

 

[Franco]

I agree with the OP. He was drafted as a forward.

As a high half forward, he can provide a marking target that the mids and defenders can kick long to with confidence. Our stats indicate that we are missing this confidence.
He can also go into the midfield often as a high half forward.
Just instruct him to stay in the forward half.

 

[free at last]

I agree with the OP. He was drafted as a forward.

As a high half forward, he can provide a marking target that the mids and defenders can kick long to with confidence. Our stats indicate that we are missing this confidence.
He can also go into the midfield often as a high half forward.
Just instruct him to stay in the forward half.

Does any such position exist these days?
Its either forward of the half back flank or the exact opposite.

 

[Dr Ralph Dagg]

I agree with the OP. He was drafted as a forward.

As a high half forward, he can provide a marking target that the mids and defenders can kick long to with confidence. Our stats indicate that we are missing this confidence.
He can also go into the midfield often as a high half forward.
Just instruct him to stay in the forward half.

Yeah, the high half forward is exactly the spot for him to provide that link out of defence.

Does it exist? Well apparently Simon Lloyd our development coach thinks so because it gets a mention every week in the WAFL column. Well it did we had players playing in the WAFL.

 

[strobe00]

I don't understand. Our midfield is where we struggle the most and you want to remove one of our best mids to the forward line? It's a waste of his ability to win large amounts of contested footy and fitness. I do agree that he could play forward and he has looked lively there for stints this year. But it shouldn't be his primary position.

He's too good a midfielder to play forward.

I'd agree with this to be honest. Fine with him spending a bit of time as a half forward or in the forward line for impact, but would rather him play on the wing or on the ball.

Next to Mundy, I think he's the best natural winner/extractor of inside ball that we have. I'd actually like to see him played on the ball a bit more to make more of that skill set. Not all the time, but in a rotation. He's also great in contested situations (on the ground and overhead).