Opinion How to Build a Forward Line

[Johnny Dalmas]

Everyone crapping on the forward line when we lost 2 KPF's before Round 1 and 2 small forwards. At a minimum 3 of which would have been in the 22.

Wake up.

There's nothing we can do about the injuries or the stupid ******* WAFL.

The game doesn't stop because we have a few injuries. On the weekend we had significant periods of dominance in each quarter and yet we lost because we couldn"t translate those opportunities into goals.

We threw away 4 points because we didn't have the forward game to overcome a few injuries. That is what is galling.

We need to build a forward line that will work even when we are down to one KPF.

 

[Madas]

With a realistically full strength squad what do people want to see as our forward set up? I'd go:

Sturt, Lobb, Walters
Treacy, Taberner, Switkowski

Either of Henry or Schultz on the bench.

- Taberner as the main target leading out of the goal square
- Lobb at CHF leading up the wings
- Sturt and Walters as your flankers
- Switkowski as a crumbing small forward
- Treacy to take the 3rd tall

Yes that's the best we've got
Take Lobb out of the equation for the year and insert Meek and Darcy.
I'd like to see that lot working together for the year and becoming a cohesive unit , that's all I ask for

 

[malpaso]

The game doesn't stop because we have a few injuries. On the weekend we had significant periods of dominance in each quarter and yet we lost because we couldn"t translate those opportunities into goals.

We threw away 4 points because we didn't have the forward game to overcome a few injuries. That is what is galling.

We need to build a forward line that will work even when we are down to one KPF.

Wrong, we had some periods of good play that resulted in turnovers (not the fault of forwards). We also knowing that we only had 1 KPF kept kicking it in hope of miracle marks. Just stupid play by our midfielders going inside 50.
Also don't forget to mention the atrocious kicking at goal by our midfielders along with Colyer.
Bad decision making and bad execution is not the fault of a forward line already down on numbers.

 

[jimboslice]

I have no idea why we moved Pearce forward instead of Cox. I hope Cox goes forward this week and Chapman comes into the backline.

Leno Thomas also started out as a forward but also has elite speed and is very handy off the half back. Would like to see him and/or Western included if Henry is injured now too

 

[nurries]

I have no idea why we moved Pearce forward instead of Cox. I hope Cox goes forward this week and Chapman comes into the backline.

Leno Thomas also started out as a forward but also has elite speed and is very handy off the half back. Would like to see him and/or Western included if Henry is injured now too

Chapman will come in play back with Cox and Darcy will play forward/ ruck

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Chapman will come in play back with Cox and Darcy will play forward/ ruck

Cox will be the first player picked and it will be at full back

 

[malpaso]

Cox will be the first player picked and it will be at full back

Uh yeah not rocket science this one..

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Uh yeah not rocket science this one..

I just realised I misread Nurries’ post. I thought it said Cox will play forward/ruck but nope it clearly says he will play back. Derp.

This is what happens when I go on BigFooty while already juggling work and my 8 month old from home.

 

[Johnny Dalmas]

Wrong, we had some periods of good play that resulted in turnovers (not the fault of forwards). We also knowing that we only had 1 KPF kept kicking it in hope of miracle marks. Just stupid play by our midfielders going inside 50.
Also don't forget to mention the atrocious kicking at goal by our midfielders along with Colyer.
Bad decision making and bad execution is not the fault of a forward line already down on numbers.

Ok fair enough i didn't mean to suggest that forward line had full responsibility. I should have said "our play forward of the ball", because when a mid positions themselves forward of the ball they play the role of a forward even if they aren't in the forward line.

The worst part of our game is when we take possession of the footy and then need to retain posession until we are in position to score. That "offensive system" (if you like) is often poor and costs us wins. Injuries aren't much of an excuse when the game has played out and we don't have the 4 points.

 

[theGav56]

Wrong, we had some periods of good play that resulted in turnovers (not the fault of forwards). We also knowing that we only had 1 KPF kept kicking it in hope of miracle marks. Just stupid play by our midfielders going inside 50.
Also don't forget to mention the atrocious kicking at goal by our midfielders along with Colyer.
Bad decision making and bad execution is not the fault of a forward line already down on numbers.

I’d be disappointed if we don’t have a game day strategy for delivering the ball forward with only 1 KPF. But to me that is what it looked like.

 

[malpaso]

I’d be disappointed if we don’t have a game day strategy for delivering the ball forward with only 1 KPF. But to me that is what it looked like.

Yeah me too, which is why JLo was probably so frustrated. Smothers, bad handballs, kicking into the back of opposition players (3), kicking it to Lever & May all day, missing shots at goal. All added up to negate any tactics we might have employed.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

I’d be disappointed if we don’t have a game day strategy for delivering the ball forward with only 1 KPF. But to me that is what it looked like.

I’ve said it before but I’m really concerned about the football IQs of some of our players. It’s mind boggling to me that they continued to bomb it long despite the ridiculous number of intercepts and continued to do so until the coach addressed it at half time. The on-field leaders need to take some responsibility for this as well.

 

[gungho]

Forward line potential.

Treacy - Yet to play a game but kicked 6 by half time in WAFL. A lot of room for improvement.
Taberner - Has limits to his game but still pretty good for a key forward. Will be a decent player for at least another 3/4 years
Switta - Small but tenacious. Not a noted goal kicker but smart footballer with goal sense and great tackler.
Lobb - tendency to be injured and can bob up for a few goals with the right team around him. Set shot is questionable. In my opinion needs to be further up the ground for the get out of jail kick down the line. Aka Sandi.
Walters. Best small forward we have. Hopefully got a good 3/4 years left in him.
Shultz. Great tackle but just not quite good enough.
Sturt. Speed to create separation on the lead and good set shot. Will be a great third tall if uninjured.
Crowden. In my opinion the best of the small forwards. Kick is powerful, is smart and great forward pressure. Also, is young and will improve.
Henry. Has the skill but not the tenacity. Still a little while off AFL level in my opinion.
Fyfe. Could be a great centre half forward if not needed in the midfield. Great mark, smart, will compete at ground level. A better set shot that is given credit - and will rarely be beaten in the ground or in the air.
Cox. Great mark. Will improve. Potential if not needed in the backline.

Best forward line if all fit and the midfield is on top (meaning we don't need Fyfe in the middle).

Walters Fyfe Sturt.
Treacy Tabs Crowden.

Depth small forwards: Switta, Shultz, Henry,
Depth centre half forward: Lobb Cox.
Depth third tall: ?

 

[theGav56]

Yeah me too, which is why JLo was probably so frustrated. Smothers, bad handballs, kicking into the back of opposition players (3), kicking it to Lever & May all day, missing shots at goal. All added up to negate any tactics we might have employed.

Kicking it to Lever and May is no different from what happens against WC and it is about time the coaches addressed it.

 

[theGav56]

Forward line potential.

Treacy - Yet to play a game but kicked 6 by half time in WAFL. A lot of room for improvement.
Taberner - Has limits to his game but still pretty good for a key forward. Will be a decent player for at least another 3/4 years
Switta - Small but tenacious. Not a noted goal kicker but smart footballer with goal sense and great tackler.
Lobb - tendency to be injured and can bob up for a few goals with the right team around him. Set shot is questionable. In my opinion needs to be further up the ground for the get out of jail kick down the line. Aka Sandi.
Walters. Best small forward we have. Hopefully got a good 3/4 years left in him.
Shultz. Great tackle but just not quite good enough.
Sturt. Speed to create separation on the lead and good set shot. Will be a great third tall if uninjured.
Crowden. In my opinion the best of the small forwards. Kick is powerful, is smart and great forward pressure. Also, is young and will improve.
Henry. Has the skill but not the tenacity. Still a little while off AFL level in my opinion.
Fyfe. Could be a great centre half forward if not needed in the midfield. Great mark, smart, will compete at ground level. A better set shot that is given credit - and will rarely be beaten in the ground or in the air.
Cox. Great mark. Will improve. Potential if not needed in the backline.

Best forward line if all fit and the midfield is on top (meaning we don't need Fyfe in the middle).

Walters Fyfe Sturt.
Treacy Tabs Crowden.

Depth small forwards: Switta, Shultz, Henry,
Depth centre half forward: Lobb Cox.
Depth third tall: ?

Would you have chalked up Fyfe’s forward time as a win against Melbourne?

Lobb may be injury prone, but so is Taberner.

Not sure why Cox is included as it is clearly not going to happen.

Walters, Switkowski, Crowden and Sturt have all had long or regular injury issues.

 

[Scham]

Kicking it to Lever and May is no different from what happens against WC and it is about time the coaches addressed it.

Correct me if I'm wrong but against WC we're guilty of kicking it to or in the vicinity of McGovern who is spare - on the weekend we kicked to our players who were beaten by their opponents May and Lever.

 

[theGav56]

Correct me if I'm wrong but against WC we're guilty of kicking it to or in the vicinity of McGovern who is spare - on the weekend we kicked to our players who were beaten by their opponents May and Lever.

These are just variations on a theme. McGovern being ‘spare’ is a coaching decision, just as it was with Lake in the GF. The problem is indiscriminate kicking forward, and especially against sides where we are likely to be on the losing ends of marking contests like against Melbourne. Even without Pearce injured we are in trouble as he is not a contested mark.

The critical thing for me is that Melbourne looked like they knew exactly what would happen and we provided.

 

[Freomaniac]

going to be an interesing thread to talk about for the next few years

 

[malpaso]

Correct me if I'm wrong but against WC we're guilty of kicking it to or in the vicinity of McGovern who is spare - on the weekend we kicked to our players who were beaten by their opponents May and Lever.

I was at the game, I saw so many 2 on 1's involving May or Lever coming in. I can never understand how a team can't be instructed to NOT kick it in the vicinity of Player X.
Sometimes it's understandable given up field pressure forcing the quick kick, but these kicks were on purpose! I've no doubt if we had lowered our eyes in that first half we'd have had 2-3 more goals.

 

[Purple Madness]

Yep. Even a worm burner grubber kick the favour of the small forwards is a better option

 

[wakojako]

Should we sell the farm for McDonald? What would it cost?

 

[kp junior]

Should we sell the farm for McDonald? What would it cost?

Well you'd offer defender/s and draft picks ideally. I don't know if Sydney need defenders. Ryan and our 1st?

 

[Johnny Dalmas]

Should we sell the farm for McDonald? What would it cost?

Too late, that boat has sailed. The time to get him was to trade up last draft

 

[Johnny Dalmas]

Our kicking into the forward line is mostly about kicking to a position on the field. When in doubt or under pressure we just keep going to the hot spot. That simply has to be coaching. If its not an explicit game day instruction, its a behaviour that has been drilled into all our players either by training, by the messages are prioritised during game analysis meetings, or by the player's own understanding that no-one has ever been dropped for long kicking into the forward 50.

 

[Scham]

Our kicking into the forward line is mostly about kicking to a position on the field. When in doubt or under pressure we just keep going to the hot spot. That simply has to be coaching. If its not an explicit game day instruction, its a behaviour that has been drilled into all our players either by training, by the messages are prioritised during game analysis meetings, or by the player's own understanding that no-one has ever been dropped for long kicking into the forward 50.

In actual fact we kicked to the hotspot only 3 times on the weekend. I agree that it’s used as a last resort, but I bet my bottom dollar that thats the same for every team.