List Balance

[Hondo]

How many players can we play as big forwards at once, We now have
Tippett
Sellar
Hentschell
Walker
Davis
McKernan
Gill
Lee
Stevens
As well resting ruckmen
Maric
Griffin
Moran

The list is only 38 players long and with balance needed we can only play realistically 3 at a time, have we already crossed some names off for next year. I would have liked to seen another midfielder.

Firstly, our list is 40

Secondly, you have to take the ruck-men out of that list. They play a different position and if they drift forward that's a bonus.

Thirdly, Stevens is not a KPP.

Fourthly, some of those guys will play as small forwards.

So, IMO, given the uncertainly about injuries and development, 8 is OK to me given that we also need coverage for Bock and Truck down back.

Besides, we have many midfielders (who can also crumb forward altho that is a gap I agree with CMNDSTAB) in the current list:
- Edwards, McLeod, Goodwin, Mackay, Porplyzia, Shirley, Doughty, Reilly, Douglas, Dangerfield, VB, Jacky, Cook, Armstrong, Otten, Symes, Vince, Knights. That's 18, how many do we need?

 

[Jars458]

Good point.

The missing link.

In hindsight, Matthew Bode gets better by the day.

Next you will be talking up David Brown. Bode was a poor crumbing forward because he couldn't kick for goals.

I was hoping we would go for Ballyntyne late but Freo taking him so early stuffed that.

Douglas can fill in and hopefully Jacky will develop.

We may also see stiff up there next year.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Next you will be talking up David Brown. Bode was a poor crumbing forward because he couldn't kick for goals.

It wasn't Bode's ability that was the problem, it was his durability. He showed what he could bring to our team when finally getting a decent run in 2006 - 32 goals and 114 tackles. What we wouldn't give for that now.

Douglas can fill in and hopefully Jacky will develop.

Hopefully we can move past the "fill in" stage soon. Douglas needs to get into the midfield desperately for his own sake. Was treading water in the second half of the 2008 season. Fingers crossed with Jacky.

We may also see stiff up there next year.

We saw Stiffy spend some time up there in 2008. He started down back and was in AA form, then we experimented, his form went down the toilet, he fell off the rails and ended up out of the team.

In fact, if you look at all our players who played multiple roles in 2008:
- Johncock, small defender, occasional stint up forward
- McLeod, half back flanker, occasional stint up forward
- Goodwin, permanent forward then switched into the midfield
- Tippett, key forward also spending some time in the ruck

All of these players were significantly worse in the second half of the season once the consistency of their role had been played around with.

 

[Stiffy_18]

It wasn't Bode's ability that was the problem, it was his durability. He showed what he could bring to our team when finally getting a decent run in 2006 - 32 goals and 114 tackles. What we wouldn't give for that now.

Hopefully we can move past the "fill in" stage soon. Douglas needs to get into the midfield desperately for his own sake. Was treading water in the second half of the 2008 season. Fingers crossed with Jacky.


We saw Stiffy spend some time up there in 2008. He started down back and was in AA form, then we experimented, his form went down the toilet, he fell off the rails and ended up out of the team.

In fact, if you look at all our players who played multiple roles in 2008:
- Johncock, small defender, occasional stint up forward
- McLeod, half back flanker, occasional stint up forward
- Goodwin, permanent forward then switched into the midfield
- Tippett, key forward also spending some time in the ruck

All of these players were significantly worse in the second half of the season once the consistency of their role had been played around with.

Not quite right. Johncock started the year off in defence, fell off the rails and got dropped for a couple of weeks. Once he was returned to the side, then he was thrown forward. He suffered a form slump before being thrown forward.

Goodwin was moving out for the forward line had a lot to do with his injury. Its not easy getting knees to the back every marking contest when you already have a dodgy back.


And if anyhting, Tippett's for fell of after he was made a permanent forward. He was splitting time in ruck and up forward and doing well in both rolls. Then we played him as a permanent forward, came out and kicked 4 against Melbourne and then struggled after that. If anything one can claim that as soon as he started being a permanent forward, his form suffered and he wasn't quite as effective as in the first few games.

The small forward position can be a bit of a "wasted" position. You would want to have players that can play in the midfield and rotate through as small forwards. Players like Didak, Leon Davis etc... are much more valuable than pure small forwards who do nothing but roam inside the forward 50.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Not quite right. Johncock started the year off in defence, fell off the rails and got dropped for a couple of weeks. Once he was returned to the side, then he was thrown forward. He suffered a form slump before being thrown forward.

IIRC he had a few stints up forward earlier than this - like McLeod, was switched during a couple of matches on a needs basis. We flaunted with his form and paid the price.

Goodwin was moving out for the forward line had a lot to do with his injury. Its not easy getting knees to the back every marking contest when you already have a dodgy back.

That would make Goodwin the first player in football history moved to the midfield to protect an injury!

And if anyhting, Tippett's for fell of after he was made a permanent forward. He was splitting time in ruck and up forward and doing well in both rolls. Then we played him as a permanent forward, came out and kicked 4 against Melbourne and then struggled after that. If anything one can claim that as soon as he started being a permanent forward, his form suffered and he wasn't quite as effective as in the first few games.

Fair call.