Half-Back Line

[Bartram_Class]

Where we're falling down now.

Grimes, Jetta, Garland, M Jones, Howe are all decent players but, to a man, they are either not great kicks or not great decision-makers.

We're desperately missing a creative half-back who can set up plays by picking the right option and being able to execute correctly.

I'm thinking of the likes of Birchall, Suckling, Hurn, Enright, Malceski. Even a couple of younger types in Atley and Seedsman, who back themselves to create something if there are few options available. Remember Davey's role during his B&F winning year?

It's all too predictable currently and we're coughing it up far too often.

 

[melbournemartin]

Spot on. Also these days pretty much all defenders can end up kicking the ball from half back, and that includes Tom "oh shit he's about to kick" McDonald.

Really, out of all of our defenders, none are very good kicks. Dunn has a long kick, Howe has a decent kick but is often too fancy and Terlich used to be good but now ain't.

We tried putting Toumpas at half back, who is a decent kick, but he just can't find the pill. Not sure what we have available.

 

[Topkent]

We don't have any answers at the club either tappy is the only one who could beat an opponent and kick well , we have good kicks who are soft and great competitors who can't kick

 

[Topkent]

We don't have any answers at the club either tappy is the only one who could beat an opponent and kick well , we have good kicks who are soft and great competitors who can't kick

Great observation
Also how good does the hb line of the early naughties look now

Brown, ward , Walsh , Whelan could all run an Carry an hit targets

 

[Captain Jack]

We don't have any answers at the club either tappy is the only one who could beat an opponent and kick well , we have good kicks who are soft and great competitors who can't kick

Yeah good call. Need to trade for someone who hopefully fits this bill better than what we have now.

Great observation

You right there?

 

[SuburbanMe]

Sorry - but the addition of Jetta to that list is IMO Incorrect. He's been one of our best since coming into the team this season.

You can't compare Jettas kicking to the woeful skill of grimes of late. Granted I'm a Terlich Fan, but his kicking could improve too. So I see what you're saying, but Jetta isn't a worry. He's actually VERY far from it.

 

[Captain Jack]

Sorry - but the addition of Jetta to that list is IMO Incorrect. He's been one of our best since coming into the team this season.

You can't compare Jettas kicking to the woeful skill of grimes of late. Granted I'm a Terlich Fan, but his kicking could improve too. So I see what you're saying, but Jetta isn't a worry. He's actually VERY far from it.

Yeah agree, Jetta plays within his limitations and is generally a fairly efficient short kick. I haven't seen much long kicking from him, would be interested to see how he goes with that. Clever player, could bring a bit in that regard.

 

[Bartram_Class]

I take the point re. Jetta but I would argue he is reliable at best, and given he gets it only 12/13 times a game, he's not exactly the rebounder I'm thinking of.

Watts is the only player on our list with the vision, skills and athletic ability to play the role, but I don't think Roos will throw him back there, not when he is doing fairly well in his current guise.

 

[saj_21]

I mentioned this topic in the good bad ugly thread...

I would add in Howe to the list, some of quick plays on yesterday lead to some turnovers. He would be the one that we could mold into an attacking type, M.Jones has the leg speed but needs to improve his kicking.

Agree with Suburban Me, Jetta knows his limitations and sticks to them and is a reliable kick. He doesn't hurt the opposition like Dunn can, nor will his kicking hurt us with any turnovers.

 

[CTHORANGE]

Yeah agree, Jetta plays within his limitations and is generally a fairly efficient short kick. I haven't seen much long kicking from him, would be interested to see how he goes with that. Clever player, could bring a bit in that regard.

Spot on, this is also why I wanted to see Clisby get another go off half back, similar to Jetta in that he can hit up those 30 metre passes without much worry. If we have a couple of guys who can get the ball off half back into the middle of the ground with short passes to players like Watts, Tyson, Jones etc then that's where we can attack from. Our problem at the moment is too much ball gets directed through TMac and Grimes, the opposition know who to pay closer attention to at half back, and it's definitely not those two.

 

[Topkent]

Spot on, this is also why I wanted to see Clisby get another go off half back, similar to Jetta in that he can hit up those 30 metre passes without much worry. If we have a couple of guys who can get the ball off half back into the middle of the ground with short passes to players like Watts, Tyson, Jones etc then that's where we can attack from. Our problem at the moment is too much ball gets directed through TMac and Grimes, the opposition know who to pay closer attention to at half back, and it's definitely not those two.

The opposition would almost be happy to let grimes and Tmac walk it out of the backline and wait for the inevitable turnover

 

[RandB]

Where's Clisby at?

Genuine question here.

 

[d33my]

Where's Clisby at?

Genuine question here.

And a valid one too. I can't remember what his disposal is like, or much about him at all really. According to injury list he's 2 weeks away with quad injury.

 

[Demon 16]

Grimes, McDonald, Terlich and Howe are each good for a couple I skill errors and a couple of decision errors per game.

Not something you can carry in the back line.

The prototype were after is Luke Hodge. I can see Salem doing this role, but not for 4 years or so.

Maybe we do need to throw some silly money at free agent Malceski?

 

[d33my]

I'm all for Malceski but number 1 I can't really see him leaving the Swans (even for Roosy) and 2 he's a stopgap at best (will be 30 by season 2015). We might get one or two seasons out of him but we need to find someone who's about 24 (or younger, but have to be talented/AFL ready) who can be with us for six years +

 

[Captain Jack]

I'm all for Malceski but number 1 I can't really see him leaving the Swans (even for Roosy) and 2 he's a stopgap at best (will be 30 by season 2015). We might get one or two seasons out of him but we need to find someone who's about 24 (or younger, but have to be talented/AFL ready) who can be with us for six years +

As per a few weeks ago we should have a good crack at shaking loose one of those types from Collingwood - they have plenty of them and for the right price we could hopefully get one.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Great observation

The arrogance!

Agree with Demon16, I think it's the role Salem will be groomed for (to be rotated forward also), as he's obviously a defensive animal. We really needed someone like Strauss to come good but that ship is so far sailed it's gone all the way around the globe and come back to tell us the Earth is round. IIRC Clisby uses the ball well and he's pretty quick, but I can't remember what his defensive skills are like. Toumpas definitely doesn't have the mindset for the role, and I reckon if Tapscott comes back into the side it'll be as a stoppage/forward flank player, because he's not athletic enough to hold anyone down in defense and would just be a liability.

 

[butters88]

So does Tappy get a run in the HB line? Maybe to replace M. Jones or Grimes (yes I know he is the co-captain but that's all the more reason he should perform)
I always sort of pictured Tapscott as a Whelan type player. If he worked out there we could have a back line of
Garland Dunn Frawley
Jetta Howe/TMac Whelan
With Howe playing a loose man taking his big hangers.

 

[Topkent]

Also I don't know if roosy or someone blew his confidence but Howe stopped going for his mark midway through the game and it hurt us
Also col garland cost us on an occasion when he he spoiled Howe with his eyes closed an the ball went over the back

 

[SuburbanMe]

Garland has been playing well below par. Back to Casey - bring in Terlich.

 

[Captain Jack]

Garland has been playing well below par. Back to Casey - bring in Terlich.

There was one goal in the second quarter where Howe went up (as well as Garland and possibly Jetta) from 4 deep for an unrealistic marking attempt, leaving his man behind the pack to pick up the loose ball and kick a simple goal. He's great when he goes for those big marks and spoils, but equally sometimes you need to stay out of the contest and make sure it doesn't get out the back like that.

 

[d33my]

There was one goal in the second quarter where Howe went up (as well as Garland and possibly Jetta) from 4 deep for an unrealistic marking attempt, leaving his man behind the pack to pick up the loose ball and kick a simple goal. He's great when he goes for those big marks and spoils, but equally sometimes you need to stay out of the contest and make sure it doesn't get out the back like that.

Yeah that was shocking. There were definitely two Dees defenders going up already. So there was actually like 3 North players waiting out the back.

 

[SuburbanMe]

Garlands Running has been Lethargic too. Jogging to contests etc... Not a good look for garlo to come back into the team like this.

 

[Djcjdees]

I reckon Mackay from Adelaide would be ideal. Free agent if I am not mistaken. Blistering speed, can break a line and has a lovely kick. Better than all the players in the above list with perhaps the exception of Howe for obvious reasons but only just.

 

[Demon 16]

Also I don't know if roosy or someone blew his confidence but Howe stopped going for his mark midway through the game and it hurt us
Also col garland cost us on an occasion when he he spoiled Howe with his eyes closed an the ball went over the back

There was one goal in the second quarter where Howe went up (as well as Garland and possibly Jetta) from 4 deep for an unrealistic marking attempt, leaving his man behind the pack to pick up the loose ball and kick a simple goal. He's great when he goes for those big marks and spoils, but equally sometimes you need to stay out of the contest and make sure it doesn't get out the back like that.

I saw that and I reckon the biggest problem was that Howe tried to mark it (which he would have if Garland hadn't spoiled).

Roos would have said to him, 'I don't mind you leaving your man and going for the intercept or using your leap - but if you don't mark it, you better bloody well fist it 30 metres over the boundary line'.

Looked pretty bad when we all went up, spoiled ourselves, and the ball spills to 3 North players in an empty goals square.

Howe lost a bit of confidence after that and I reckon Roos might have given him another spray to poor fella.