Preview Jack the Forward

[shintemaster]

Big fan of this idea - although I'm not as harsh a critic of his midfield work as some. I think he was going very nicely until injuries caught up this year. That's the point though I guess, the way he plays midfield relies on using his body as a battering ram. I'd like to see:

Jack forward 60-70% of 2018 gametime
Run a whole bunch of other guys through the midfield to see who can stake a claim
Preserve his body a bit - if nothing else he will have more years left in him if we decide he has to go back in the middle in 19/20
???
Profit

 

[Horizons_00]

Yes and more yes

Play 90% forward/10% middle

Want to see him get those captain goals that lift the team

 

[billnats]

It makes sense... you get it, I get it. Scott won't do it.

 

[RobZombie]

As a permanent forward he's a 'tweener. Not big enough for a true 3rd tall, which is where his skill set sits. He'd get bored down there too.

Snake_Baker has him pegged - he's a utility.

 

[Pykie]

Once we get some midfield pieces to be able to replace him I agree.

He's 100% the most frustrating player on our list, can be a game breaking wrecking ball one game, the root of all evil the next.

TBH, he's a B- player as a midfielder, it's not his tank, nor his ability to find the ball, his skills either. It's his decision making. He's probably the worst decision maker in contested situations that we have. He throws it on the boot, never looks where he's kicking it. I thought it was a bad habbit, but clearly after this length of time it's a fatal flaw in his game. With the modern transformation of sides creating play from the half backline, it's an absolute perfect storm in maximizing damage he causes to his own side, continually turning the ball over from contested situations to the oppositions most dangerous playmakers.

As a forward he's boarding on an A grader. Bartlett is a senile old troll, but he has the best comparison for JZ I think I've heard to date. He thinks he's a 40-50 goal kicker in waiting, has also said his career to date reminds him exactly of Brad Johnson, which is a great comparison. Brad was a decent enough mid, but was a star forward. I think KB is right, JZ can be an absolute star as BBB's foil, especially if we can replace him with a Cerra or Dow next year in the midfield rotation

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

As a permanent forward he's a 'tweener. Not big enough for a true 3rd tall, which is where his skill set sits. He'd get bored down there too.

Snake_Baker has him pegged - he's a utility.

This. We discussed JZ as a forward during the season and I think I was very much in the minority believing he wont make it as a permanent forward. The reason being he is the wrong size for all roles in the forward half. i think he can pinch hit there - and he has done this - but permanent forward no.

I don't think it will come to this anyway - Brad will make sure JZ is right in there at the centre bounce come the start of the serious stuff.

 

[Pykie]

This. We discussed JZ as a forward during the season and I think I was very much in the minority believing he wont make it as a permanent forward. The reason being he is the wrong size for all roles in the forward half. i think he can pinch hit there - and he has done this - but permanent forward no.

I don't think it will come to this anyway - Brad will make sure JZ is right in there at the centre bounce come the start of the serious stuff.

He's a better all round player than Tom Lynch (Ade), maybe doesn't possess the aerobic ability, but he's a far bigger threat overhead and manic tackler.

Lynch would be one of the first 3 or so medium forwards picked in the league.


Look at Richmond, they are full of spud half forward role players......

Jack is capable as he showed this year of kicking 5 in a half....not many half forwards in the league have shown that.

 

[Mav]

Won’t happen more than sporadically.

 

[glenn2479]

I agree with most of the well educated, well informed posters here. He HAS to be 75/25 forward- mid at best. We are screaming out for some colour to add to our vanilla. By leaving Jack forward we kill 2 Hirds with 1 stone. We are screaming out for a point of difference. This is our opportunity, our utopia, our Valhalla...... you get my point.

 

[Marstermind]

I'd say, "Jack, you're the captain, you're the leader - lead where we need you." He can play forward and he can play in the midfield so as a leader he has to play where he can contribute whilst making other players better. I don't think he can do that just in the midfield. His disposal is too imprecise, he doesn't get enough of the ball and he cops too much punishment. But I don't think he can do that exclusively forward either. As previously mentioned he's not big enough to play tall but not small enough to be a genuine crumber.

Jack goes where we need him. He's a senior player who, as captain, can be given some licence to make a few calls himself. If the midfield needs a bit of grunt and direction, he goes in there to lead the way. If Brown, Wood, Waite et al isn't working then he goes forward as a wildcard and gives Mountford, Clarke, Simpkin etc some time getting their hands dirty in there. I reckon we've seen what Jack can offer and I don't think he's suited to any one spot. It might just be that he should be better judged on how he makes other NMFC players play.

 

[Hazey1977]

It'll be interesting to see how honest we are with ourselves as a club and Jack is with himself.

While the truth can be uncomfortable to hear, the great thing about it is it gives the recipient the chance to change the outcome.

 

[Rockstar6]

Must play forward. Can work in tandem with Brown, has a vice like grip when it comes to overhead marking and marking in general plus his set shot goal kicking is reliable. Get a quicker guy like Clarke or Mountford in there.

 

[czero]

If he moves full time forward he shouldn't be captain. If he works in tandem then OK.

But full time in the forward lines and you will have limited opportunity to impact a game that isn't going well.

 

[Rockstar6]

If he moves full time forward he shouldn't be captain. If he works in tandem then OK.

But full time in the forward lines and you will have limited opportunity to impact a game that isn't going well.

Didn't seem to bother Tex Walker. Voted best captain this year. Ziebs can be put back into the midfield if needed where as Tex can't/won't

 

[czero]

Didn't seem to bother Tex Walker. Voted best captain this year. Ziebs can be put back into the midfield if needed where as Tex can't/won't

That's just an image thing. Sure, he looks like a great bloke, would say all the captainy things, but on field leadership from a forward is only effective in fair weather games.

Just look at Adelaide performances. Once they started to lose, he had no effect. Could not will his team back into the contest, could not provide anything but words.

 

[Psicosis]

If he moves full time forward he shouldn't be captain. If he works in tandem then OK.

But full time in the forward lines and you will have limited opportunity to impact a game that isn't going well.

Wayne Carey was a pretty good Forward captain...

 

[czero]

Wayne Carey was a pretty good Forward captain...

Ahh yes, pagens paddock, free flowing football without congestion, and the greatest player that ever played the game.

Good comparisons...

 

[Joliet Jake]

Jack the forward??? I don't think me doing that would help, but I am willing to try anything to get us our fifth flag.

 

[Rad Roo]

I strongly agree. He's the prototype half forward in the our game. He as a midfield is C+ at best but put him at around half forward area with his booming kick, he would be a 30-40 goal player. He only needs to play 40% midfield. JZ needs to play be in situation when the ball is coming down and he is one out against the opposition defender. If he is in the middle, he is essentially in a clustered area doing dog fight against other midfielders who are very fast and nimble. He is too big and slow for this. But once the game gets going, after a few quarters, everyone is tired, this is when you put ziebell into the midfield for 5 to 10 minutes to put his big body onto tired opposition.

 

[koshari]

 

[Horizons_00]

This. We discussed JZ as a forward during the season and I think I was very much in the minority believing he wont make it as a permanent forward. The reason being he is the wrong size for all roles in the forward half. i think he can pinch hit there - and he has done this - but permanent forward no.

I don't think it will come to this anyway - Brad will make sure JZ is right in there at the centre bounce come the start of the serious stuff.

Good point

His first 5 or so games this year was fantastic imo. This is before he injured his ribs in round 6 I think and started piling on more injuries from there because he never hit that form again

One thing I noticed is him bursting out the middle with actual pace. Kind of like Danger

We need him fit in 2018 and he will only get better and better

 

[the_one]

He was a forward when we drafted him

Thats some crazy attack on the ball for an 18 year old.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

The campaigner played games with a fractured collarbone.

He can play wherever the **** he wants.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Thats some crazy attack on the ball for an 18 year old.

This is back in a time before the AFL registered him as a weapon of mass destruction and clipped his wings accordingly

 

[Heaps of fun]

Thats some crazy attack on the ball for an 18 year old.

Already bigger than most of his team mates too.