Key Backmen

[catzfan]

after scarlett egan and harley we dont have any real tall backmen S hunt and mackie seem to be the backups but we need another any ideas

 

[winty]

Grima, Playfair, Spencer, Mooney can play back there as well, as well as Lonergan if he ever plays again.

 

[thehoff]

M.Spencer is the most naturally giften backmen since G.Jackovich, therefore i would suggest we have exceptional back-up!

If only Tommy Hawkins and Matty Spencer were on opposing team, the duals over the next 10 years would be like the famous tussles of Carey V Jackovich. Can't wait until the Intra-Club practice matches next year.

Bring on "The Natural"!

 

[patdman]

Yes we do, right now though i would say it would be Hunt, then Mooney back, then Playfair who is a shit truck but could pinch hit

 

[thejester]

after scarlett egan and harley we dont have any real tall backmen S hunt and mackie seem to be the backups but we need another any ideas

OMFG how could you forget The Natural?

 

[grantyc77]

If only Tommy Hawkins and Matty Spencer were on opposing team, the duals over the next 10 years would be like the famous tussles of Carey V Jackovich. Can't wait until the Intr-Club practice matches next year.

LMAO

 

[tiredcat]

Grima, Playfair, Spencer, Mooney can play back there as well, as well as Lonergan if he ever plays again.

If we have to move Mooney into defence we will be robbing one of our new found strengths and the only real options would be Playfair/Spencer for the key positions as fill ins. For Harley playing on a hbf Mackie has done a good job so far, if he fails next option would be S Hunt or elevate Grima if for a long term injury.
For these reasons I cannot see Playfair and Spencer be delisted in short term because players around 198 for Playfair 194 for Spencer just arn't around and usually take longer to mature. Lonergan is right size at 197 but not available in short term and doubtfull in long term

 

[Cattery]

Good point, we do seem a bit light on for quality KPP's down back if we cop an injury or two, would hate to see another one go down while Harleys on the sidelines.

Thought S Hunt would be the next logical choice but after watching him in the reserves the other week I'm having serious doubts; gave a nice pass down the wing in the last quarter to a team mate which blotted his copybook, until then his disposal was 100%, every kick had gone to an opposition player.

 

[thejester]

If only Tommy Hawkins and Matty Spencer were on opposing team, the duals over the next 10 years would be like the famous tussles of Carey V Jackovich. Can't wait until the Intr-Club practice matches next year.

LMAO

QFT.

 

[Lynch takes a mark]

Hawkins v Mackenzie

some of their one on ones in the U18 champs were awesome

 

[bashar]

address it in the next draft. get a proper backmen though, usually the best KPP defender sch as mitch brown or m.drum fall to the round 10 pick...wit a little luck they might fall down to pick 16 .
otherwise we can always find one with our second pick. think j.rivers, m.maguire.
we need to pick up the best ruckmen or best KPP backman from next years draft...i think we have a solid midfield rotation and i wouldnt care if we gave the mids a miss (unless there was reall quality left...then you would have to pounce)
as far as hank, spencer...both can get the chop and if sam doesnt fill the void he should get the chop too.
we get rid of hacks and we can concentrate on giving young players a real go.
grima looks alright

 

[Rockford]

Our defence is the only place we don't have much talent in depth, also, how many seasons does Dasher have left?

 

[tiredcat]

Our defence is the only place we don't have much talent in depth, also, how many seasons does Dasher have left?

Turned 30 last saturday so maybe 2 seasons?

 

[tiredcat]

address it in the next draft. get a proper backmen though, usually the best KPP defender sch as mitch brown or m.drum fall to the round 10 pick...wit a little luck they might fall down to pick 16 .
otherwise we can always find one with our second pick. think j.rivers, m.maguire.
we need to pick up the best ruckmen or best KPP backman from next years draft...i think we have a solid midfield rotation and i wouldnt care if we gave the mids a miss (unless there was reall quality left...then you would have to pounce)
as far as hank, spencer...both can get the chop and if sam doesnt fill the void he should get the chop too.
we get rid of hacks and we can concentrate on giving young players a real go.
grima looks alright

If Egan was injured and Harley still unavailable and a game is coming up against Syd Ess or Bris who have genuine chfs who would you have as chb.
A Grima or Hunt would be slaughtered for size and the only option without damaging the forward line would be Playfair.
In reality it would take 3 years to draft a replacement and have him play at the required level to replace the ones we have and thats assuming the one we drafted is better than the ones we delist

 

[Xcat]

Surely Playfair would be reasonable as a punch full back ala Setanta O'Hailpin.
Although I do remember him last in the backline in 2004 QF against Port.
'SHUDDER'

 

[winty]

Milburn can play 'tall' too if need be. I just wouldn't want him playing on someone like Sandilands resting in the forwardline.

 

[bashar]

does anyone think that hank or spencer can cut the mustard in afl as a key backmen?
were holding on to them because of thier size? are you seriuose!
if we cut them last year we would have drafter 2 key backmen that could have put on size this year.
and no we dont need them even for bench warmers... if all our backmen are injured then we will get slaughtered and thats coming to terms with it.
we shouldnt keep duds that shouldnt be getting a game in the unlikely event that all our key backmen will go down. if thats the case even mooney,grima, and nab can go back just to cover...its a similar situation with north melb...they lost thomo and who ever and are ineffective upforward...have they won anything through the likes of aaron edwards and co? no.
we wont be expected to win anything if we are hit with that kind of bad luck where our entire backline vanishes. and we would still lose if we played spencer and hank in there aswell.

 

[thejester]

Is there even a question over The Natural being able to cut the mustard as a key backman? The guy was, to paraphrae Patrick Smith, born to dominate his opponents from behind them....3ft behind them on the lead, to be exact.

 

[GeeCat]

Our lack of legitimate KPP depth down back has been raised more than once (from memory) the past few off-seasons. As some have mentioned, Egan was a gift (we're lucky he's been able to slot right in, because we certainly didn't have any youngster waiting in the wings being developed). Aside from him, I'd argue our targetting has been pretty ordinary.

Scarlett, Harley, and Egan aside (pretty much our starting backline), I think we lack options. I've grown on Sam Hunt the last few months, but I still question his defensive ability at the top level. Good VFL full-back (as he has been going back to his Bomber days), and a potentially damaging approach to the game (quick off the mark, willing to run and create, armed with a long, penetrating boot), but defensively questionable. Better suited as a third or fourth tall (essentially off a flank).

Lonergan is in a similar boat (if we're talking the Domsy of last season prior to the incident) - better suited to as a "smaller" tall on a flank than a true KPP. Spencer and H are, simply, not much chop. Grima looks decent, but whether or not he's a better option down back than up forward is still debatable.

 

[Turbocat]

I agree with all that G , although I’m not so convinced that we have been poor in targeting tall backs , I'd say we have been so pre-occupied with forwards that we have been a little bit lax in this area. Egan was a gift and a cheap one , Sam Hunt may be a possible Dasher backup but as Nathan and Tom have shown , quality forces its way in. If Sam was any more than a good average player he would shown it at Ess. Egan showed it going straight past the players already on the main list , forcing his way into the side. The fact is their is no player that looks likely to pressure Scarlett,Harley and Egan.

From memory , we were close to Rookie drafting the kid Dean Dick , at around 191 he might have been a good addition but who knows. Maybe something we can look at this years draft , the promising formation of our forwardline will now allow us to focus on the more athletic long term tall talls suited down back while others focus on trying to find their Tomahawk.

 

[Reg Hickey]

I’m not so convinced that we have been poor in targeting tall backs , I'd say we have been so pre-occupied with forwards that we have been a little bit lax in this area.

This is not a bad strategy, because a lot of good quality defenders started life as forwards and went back later on. For us, Lonergan is probably the best example we have at the moment - and it might have taken him a few years but he was absolutely carving up Melbourne down back the day he got hurt - and Spencer is another one.

I agree that key defenders are our weakness from a depth perspective, but I would also argue that with only 38 spots on the list, some of whom are going to be skinny first years and project players, teams simply don't have the numbers to have great depth in every position.

I think our backup key defenders are, in order, Lonergan (if fit), S Hunt, Mackie, Milburn, Mooney, Spencer, Playfair. Grima is a forward, not a defender, especially at AFL level. That's not too bad a list, although I would draft at least one, maybe two potential key defenders this year to cover the retirements of Scarlett and Harley in 3-4 years' time.

 

[cat in sydney]

I think our backup key defenders are, in order, Lonergan (if fit), S Hunt, Mackie, Milburn, Mooney, Spencer, Playfair. Grima is a forward, not a defender, especially at AFL level. That's not too bad a list, although I would draft at least one, maybe two potential key defenders this year to cover the retirements of Scarlett and Harley in 3-4 years' time.

I'm sorry, this may be quite rude, but I really don't see why so many people have been rating Lonergan so highly. Sure he was having a great game against Melbourne before he got towelled up... but only a week before that everyone was saying he needed to be delisted quick smart.

I think that maybe a good half of football, and an horrific injury, has made this guy's reputation grow larger than is warranted for his football only. Sure, I hope he recovers fully, and makes it back into the team as a defender, but to say that he's already the first key backup defender is well and truly jumping the gun.

 

[GeeCat]

I agree with all that G , although I’m not so convinced that we have been poor in targeting tall backs , I'd say we have been so pre-occupied with forwards that we have been a little bit lax in this area. Egan was a gift and a cheap one , Sam Hunt may be a possible Dasher backup but as Nathan and Tom have shown , quality forces its way in. If Sam was any more than a good average player he would shown it at Ess. Egan showed it going straight past the players already on the main list , forcing his way into the side. The fact is their is no player that looks likely to pressure Scarlett,Harley and Egan.

From memory , we were close to Rookie drafting the kid Dean Dick , at around 191 he might have been a good addition but who knows. Maybe something we can look at this years draft , the promising formation of our forwardline will now allow us to focus on the more athletic long term tall talls suited down back while others focus on trying to find their Tomahawk.

A fair point, but it's still an issue that needed to be addressed earlier (and as of yet, is still waiting).

As Reg rightly pointed out, not too many defenders these days have elite junior credentials in the backline, with alot of them having made the simple switch from ground ends. That said however, I'd hate to see us leaving our drafting needs right until, say, Harley's body can't hold up anymore etc. Would be far too last minute (there's the development phase that needs to be taken into consideration on top of that).

There should be a cycle of churning out legitimate prospects every so often. Ours seems to have halted for too long a time.