Gourdis up front.

[biggriff]

Am I wrong in believing that when Gourdis was drafted he was drafted as a forward?
I think he moved back to learn a defensive side to his game, however i think our back stocks are plentiful atm. I was at his debut last weekend and thought that he was more than serviceable for a debutant and I am hoping for big things from him. I believe though he can help our structure (and Jack) if he moves forward and Thursfield come back in down back.

Gourdis will be a very good player down back, however i would love to see him up front in the next fort night. I think he can definitely open up another fruitful avenue to goal.

Thoughts?

 

[TOOs_Finest]

Personally, I'm happy with him down back. I think he is worth trying as a KPD with the intent to unload probably McGuane come year's end. He may not be the answer, but is young enough and a good size to be given the chance, especially considering the solid season he has had at Coburg.

I think it is really hard to settle on a forward line-up before establishing a solid back line and midfield. If the ball is not coming inside 50 in the correct manner, even good forwards will struggle (see JR last month).

Some time next year, we'll get the chance to look at the forwards in more detail. Hopefully guys like Griff and Taylor will get some games under their belts to show if they can offer something. We may have to look for another marking forward in the next ND as backup, but not til mid to late in the draft.

 

[Spluff]

Let him play in the position we've been training him in. When he's played 10 or so games of AFL as a full back, then we can look at returning him to the forwardline (which is where I think he belongs). Otherwise he gets jerked around like Post and loses all confidence, swapping from forward to back every quarter.

 

[Mr Magic]

"i think our back stocks are plentiful atm."

We haven't had a player that could hold down CHB or FB since Gaspar IMO

 

[the ranger]

Hardwick seems pretty set on him as a future FB...I'm sure he'll swing him forward at some stage though, hopefully for just a quarter if it happens this year.

 

[El Tigre]

Some players can only play forward, some players can play both, and some can only play back. Its to do with personality. Imagine Jack being put at at FB or CHB do learn. It would be the completely wrong thing to do. As he has been described, "a mozz", plays by instinct.
IMO, Gourdis on the other hand, seems to show the traits that he prefers to call the defensive goal square area his own, with his key objective to negate his direct opposition. I don't think he wants the responsibility of having to set up the rebound, and get too much involved in complex team structures. But thats only my opinion....
Leave the Goo back.

 

[Mr Magic]

I thought we could put JR back despite his personality, but once he got his kicking boots on he is fine deep forward somewhere for all parties.

I must admit I am not sold on Gourdis yet. He appeared to lack a little know how at times defensively, when to watch the ball and when to watch the man etc.. I can see where some might think long term he may be suited up forward but atm I am unconvinced either way

 

[El Tigre]

I thought we could put JR back despite his personality, but once he got his kicking boots on he is fine deep forward somewhere for all parties.

I must admit I am not sold on Gourdis yet. He appeared to lack a little know how at times defensively, when to watch the ball and when to watch the man etc.. I can see where some might think long term he may be suited up forward but atm I am unconvinced either way

Yeah, i'll keep my opinion on the Goo until he has at least 3 more games, and sees a number of different opposition game styles, a number of different players, and has time to adjust to the AFL game.

Tho in his defense, i don't think you can judge his performance on Saturday. He had alot to contend with, with the sheer numbers of inside 50's. I don't think he was part of the problem. The HB line and the midfielders just didn't get their job done.

 

[Kapital city TIGER]

"i think our back stocks are plentiful atm."

We haven't had a player that could hold down CHB or FB since Gaspar IMO

sadly true.

despite being gifted games early on and having played several years together, the three musketeers are passable rather than awesome.
They ought to be impressing everyone by now, as opposed to suffering 'leg' injuries - all of them have had good and bad games, and you cant blame our thrashings on them, as the game was lost up the field, but so far they have been dissapointing overall.

Moore particularly had a couple of really good games, two. (2) not enough! and the others havent shone I reckon, although theyve certainly had a few wins each.

I think they will settle nicely next year with Conners and Lids settling into HBf.

I think r 21 22 is a bit pointless for experimentation - surely a preseason / dozen matches at Burgers is a better spot to plan a role reversal? Leave Goo in and let him play the role he has been training this year, if we switch him forward in a year or 2 great

In fact Id like to see him pick up Milne next week - we always struggle with the tiprat and Goo has the pace and agility to stick to him like glue !

 

[Madtiger2006]

"i think our back stocks are plentiful atm."

We haven't had a player that could hold down CHB or FB since Gaspar IMO

Thursty and Mcguane are just as good as Gaspar was at 23 years old

 

[Mr Magic]

Mad Tiger , I can't agree with that

 

[Madtiger2006]

We just need to keep improving any defiences in our players. I'd say the 2 most important things for our backline to work on are weights and kicking on their opposite foot every 2nd kick all preseason. Thursfield, Mcguane, Astbury and Connors obviously need that extra 4-5kg of bulk and Thursfield, Mcguane, Connors and Newman need to be less 1 sided by foot

 

[TigerTime88]

Pffttt no where near Gaspar at 23 yrs old OPEN YOUR EYES.

Why would we train him all year and groom him as a FB to throw him to FF in his 2nd and 3rd AFL game. Ridiculous....

 

[TFLUA-Tiger]

We don't have a Key Back capable of controlling the monster FF's.

Goo is that guy - hopefully.

Why put him forward?

 

[Madtiger2006]

Mad Tiger , I can't agree with that

I can . I liked Gaspar. Very good 1 on 1 just like Mcguane and Thursty are. Gaspar was not dangerous by foot. Gas was probably no better at the same age. Mcguane and Thursty would find it tough on 200cm forwards because they are 192cm. With Astbury and Gourdis we have a bit more height now and it's time to get Mcguane and Thursty to about 93kg minumum for 2011. They started on about 75kg and are slowly getting to 95kg

 

[Madtiger2006]

Pffttt no where near Gaspar at 23 yrs old OPEN YOUR EYES.

Why would we train him all year and groom him as a FB to throw him to FF in his 2nd and 3rd AFL game. Ridiculous....

Do you even remember who Gaspar was?

All i can remember how much our supporters bagged him

 

[Mr Magic]

Gaspar was a mile ahead in the contested mark situation in particular

 

[Madtiger2006]

Gaspar was a mile ahead in the contested mark situation in particular

Yeah and how often dooes a backman take a contested mark 1 on 1 in defence . 95% of the time it will be a punch

 

[Mr Magic]

The better teams will do a chop out with a mark like Scarlett and Lake

 

[Kapital city TIGER]

Do you even remember who Gaspar was?

All i can remember how much our supporters bagged him

never seemed quite at home at tigerland - he was however all class, which set him apart from our rabble. Was a good mark / spoil / recover - and superbly agile athlete - a 2 - trick pony where we now have single trick ones. was AA several times iirc

 

[mcuzzy]

ahhh..gaspar..he was great.

'The flying dunny brush' my dad used to call him

 

[Spluff]

We don't have a Key Back capable of controlling the monster FF's.

Goo is that guy - hopefully.

Why put him forward?

I don't think we have any major problems with FFs. Our defenders may not be particularly large but when you've got Thursfield keeping players like Barry Hall and Tippett goalless, I don't think it's an issue of being monstered. With wrestling in the goal square taken out of the game, you don't really need to have a big, strong, player at FB to compete with the big burly FFs.

The issue is that the purely defensive defender (especially when he's not a A+ quality shutdown defender) is obviously not ideal in this day and age, and any defender that could offer some rebound would be a huge boon to our team.

 

[TFLUA-Tiger]

I don't think we have any major problems with FFs. Our defenders may not be particularly large but when you've got Thursfield keeping players like Barry Hall and Tippett goalless, I don't think it's an issue of being monstered. With wrestling in the goal square taken out of the game, you don't really need to have a big, strong, player at FB to compete with the big burly FFs.

The issue is that the purely defensive defender (especially when he's not a A+ quality shutdown defender) is obviously not ideal in this day and age, and any defender that could offer some rebound would be a huge boon to our team.

Gourdis is the perfect hybrid defender though - not only does he hold a KPF but he can repel the ball out of defence with run and carry. Ball use by foot is a bit ordinary at times, but he certainly can be that defensive defender with attacking capabilities.

 

[TigerTime88]

Looked decent enough on the weekend and his ball use is a hell of alot better than McGuane. Never seen Thursfield does not get a kick so no issues on being more skillful than him.

 

[Spluff]

Gourdis is the perfect hybrid defender though - not only does he hold a KPF but he can repel the ball out of defence with run and carry. Ball use by foot is a bit ordinary at times, but he certainly can be that defensive defender with attacking capabilities.

I agree with that, especially if he can bring his contested marking in the backline up from the VFL as he makes the transition into AFL. Post is another one who I think should have stayed in the backline with his rebounding creativity and strong marking, but everybody seems to think he's a natural forward.