McPharlin is not a forward

[Clay Davis]

The experiment must end.

 

[rotto]

True But Its Challening The Likes Of Michael Johson And Dodd To Stand Up.

 

[Clay Davis]

No one in the back 6 look likely to replace what McPharlin can do, so why not leave the structure relatively settled and get it working correctly?

Worst game we've played this season IMO, and it was all in the coaches' box.

 

[Scham]

hasn't been much of a defender in the last 2 weeks either!

Those who still think that all we need is midfielders in the draft obviously didn't watch the game today!

 

[Memories]

Pavlich was well held today though, and as our best player it has an influence. He really needs to shed a few kilos if he wants to play midfield, he is looking slow, and in parts looked disinterested. Either he is injured or he weighs too much. Need to address it for next year.

 

[Rob]

16 minute mark of the last quarter, Harvey finally twigged that maybe playing the best full back in the league in the backline might be the way to go. 50 points down at the time.

I reckon 34,000 other people at the ground had the same brainstorm at the 16 minute mark of the first quarter. Reiwoldt's a great player, but McPharlin would have completely shut him down and forced him to go to the wing to get kicks. Certainly wouldn't have got any cheap kicks inside 50.

 

[Ysaye]

hasn't been much of a defender in the last 2 weeks either!

Those who still think that all we need is midfielders in the draft obviously didn't watch the game today!

Well - I was there and I still think we need midfielders way more than defenders. We got smashed in the middle which led to Riewoldt getting so much ball to him.

Unlike St Kilda, our midfielders wouldn't or can't kick for goal from 50 out.

 

[Embers]

He can be a forward. Lead well I thought and maybe wasnt honored enough. Its not Lukes fault that you have no one else to stand up down back and contain the gun forwards. Riewoldt was ragdolling Dodd all day. Dodd is like a taller version of Tyson Stenglein. I really dont think hes a CHB or a FB nor do I think he has any future in your backline. Drum Johnson and Grover is the way to go, especially Drum. Should be given a bigger role.

 

[E Shed]

Yep I was sitting there in the second q going c'mon Harves put Elvis back where he belongs. Our backs we're a rabble today. Terrible coaching.

 

[spitlizard]

I thought he should have been brought back if nothing more then to get on Reiwolt. Dodd appeared to be fighting out of his weight division I reckon.

 

[Scham]

Well - I was there and I still think we need midfielders way more than defenders. We got smashed in the middle which led to Riewoldt getting so much ball to him.

Unlike St Kilda, our midfielders wouldn't or can't kick for goal from 50 out.

Not saying we don't need mids, we do and have for 6 years, but we do need talls as well. Some on this site think all we need is mids.

I reckon we took 1 contested mark in the second half! The Saints would've had 10 - 12!!

 

[chook2734]

I agree with all of the posts in this thread (except Memories and Embers of course )

Yes, Harvey is challenging Johnson and Dodd. Sadly, Johnson isn't responding at all and Dodd is simply not big or strong enough for a Riewoldt anymore, he does at least provide a contest though which is a lot more than most.

Boy do we need some midfielders. Campbell looked great up forward, but he can't get the ball when there's 22 opposition players in the forward 50.

McPharlin has been the most disappointing player in the last two weeks. Very poor in both games.

Thornton is just awful, but he wasn't on his own today.

 

[Rob]

He can be a forward. Lead well I thought and maybe wasnt honored enough. Its not Lukes fault that you have no one else to stand up down back and contain the gun forwards.

No-one's blaming McPharlin - just like no-one would be blaming Palmer if he was put at full back and Reiwoldt kicked 10. He's simply a much better full back than a full forward, and provides a far better structure to our backline.
Grover is a good ordinary backman, and Dodd is just ordinary - they're not good enough to hold down key defence spots on their own.
Johnson plays his best footy as a floating defender - something else that can be done with McP playing back.

 

[Embers]

No-one's blaming McPharlin - just like no-one would be blaming Palmer if he was put at full back and Reiwoldt kicked 10. He's simply a much better full back than a full forward, and provides a far better structure to our backline.
Grover is a good ordinary backman, and Dodd is just ordinary - they're not good enough to hold down key defence spots on their own.
Johnson plays his best footy as a floating defender - something else that can be done with McP playing back.

The thread title sure indicates the blame on McPharlin. McPharlin is not a forward. He is a forward if he wants to be but you need to decide where you need him most and stick to it really.

I think Drum should be thrown into the deepend in the last 2 rounds. Find out if he can hold a KPP or play FB. Could very well be a Michael Firrito style defender if you try and turn him into one.

 

[Rob]

The thread title sure indicates the blame on McPharlin. McPharlin is not a forward. He is a forward if he wants to be but you need to decide where you need him most and stick to it really.

Nah, he's a good bet when thrown forward sporadically, particularly where the opposition has no key forwards of note. West Coast for example. But if opposition coaches plan for him to be there, he's not as effective.
But 80-90% of the time, he should at least start down back.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Might as well have tried Kiwi on Reiwoldt if he wasn't going to use Mcpharlin. You'd think after the second goal, Harvey might've thought about someone else on him.

 

[chook2734]

The thread title sure indicates the blame on McPharlin. McPharlin is not a forward. He is a forward if he wants to be but you need to decide where you need him most and stick to it really.

I think Drum should be thrown into the deepend in the last 2 rounds. Find out if he can hold a KPP or play FB. Could very well be a Michael Firrito style defender if you try and turn him into one.

I think it was more a pointer for the coaching staff than blaming McPharlin. He's not a full-time forward. We've seen him do it before where he plays 2-3 good games and then struggles. It's a shock tactic, a bit like Hunter moving forward.

Drum will get big roles in time, and possibly even the next two weeks. He's missed a lot of games with injury this year and that's held him back.

 

[Lach72]

McPharlin wouldn't have made an iota of difference..we had a complete team of dis-interested spadgers out there.
If the forwards chased, if the midifeld got somehwere near a man, if we could kick...

 

[Ripper]

...if we didn't continuously fumble...

 

[Embers]

I think it was more a pointer for the coaching staff than blaming McPharlin. He's not a full-time forward. We've seen him do it before where he plays 2-3 good games and then struggles. It's a shock tactic, a bit like Hunter moving forward.

Drum will get big roles in time, and possibly even the next two weeks. He's missed a lot of games with injury this year and that's held him back.

Still, Drum looks good body on body and looks comfortable deep in defence. May aswell give him the chance at FB.

McPharlins not like Hunter at all IMO cos of the way you use him. Most of the time McPharlin will start forward and just stay there all game. Hunter also is less defensive and runs forward alot more to score a goal.

ATM your defence has too many tall 190cm back flankers masquerading as KPP players and its been that way for a while now. Time for 2 of Grover Thornton and Dodd to go, either in the WAFL or trade them. Think a player like Dodd would net you a 2nd rounder from Hawks.

 

[chook2734]

McPharlin wouldn't have made an iota of difference..we had a complete team of dis-interested spadgers out there.
If the forwards chased, if the midifeld got somehwere near a man, if we could kick...

Spot on Lach. There was maybe 2 or 3 players who could hold their heads up after that today. It's a team game and the only thing they did as a team was give up.

I'm a little torn in that I'm happy for Harvey to experiment and think that maybe he needs to see some of these guys at their worst in order for us to move forward, but it's incredibly frustrating to watch.

 

[Clay Davis]

The thread title sure indicates the blame on McPharlin. McPharlin is not a forward. He is a forward if he wants to be but you need to decide where you need him most and stick to it really.

I never said it was McPharlin's fault.

My point is that the backline structure is completely and utterly thrown out when he is not there. When we're caught out with Thornton having to cover Goodes or Riewoldt, all that is learnt is that Thornton is no good on Goodes or Riewoldt.

I'd rather see us have a settled backline and try to replicate what Geelong does, with defenders attempting to read the play and work for each other. Instead it's mostly a hope and pray situation that our backmen win the contest and clear the ball.

When a forward for the opposition is having a good day, we fall apart utterly.

 

[chook2734]

Still, Drum looks good body on body and looks comfortable deep in defence. May aswell give him the chance at FB.

McPharlins not like Hunter at all IMO cos of the way you use him. Most of the time McPharlin will start forward and just stay there all game. Hunter also is less defensive and runs forward alot more to score a goal.

ATM your defence has too many tall 190cm back flankers masquerading as KPP players and its been that way for a while now. Time for 2 of Grover Thornton and Dodd to go, either in the WAFL or trade them. Think a player like Dodd would net you a 2nd rounder from Hawks.

This is correct, but I don't agree that the solution is to trade the two best competitors in the backline to solve it. Grover is a very good backman and plays out of his weight division more often than not and does a pretty good job. I've said many, many times that Dodd needs to have the right opponent - when he gets the right opponent he shuts them down. When the structure is right (Dodd, Grover, McPharlin and Hayden + one of Johnson/Mundy/Thornton) the backline works together as a team. That's not happening anymore.

The problem is Thornton, Johnson ( ) and Mundy are hopeless. Mundy has at least finally decided to have a crack in the middle (and supposedly now wants to go home ), but I'm at a total and utter loss with what to do with Michael Johnson. He has more talent than half the list but he is lazier than the rest of them combined. I'd be more inclined to trade him than any of the other backmen simply because he'd net us something pretty good.

 

[chook2734]

Some interesting points from Harvs himself here

http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/tabid/7009/Default.aspx?newsid=65713

Nick Riewoldt was superb for St Kilda and Steven Dodd had a long day at the office, but Harvey never was tempted to take Luke McPharlin from up forward to play on him as he wants to see what players like Dodd, Michael Johnson, Marcus Drum and Scott Thornton can offer on the AFL's best forwards.

"It (Dodd match up) was OK but at times it just came down too easily. Riewoldt has had a lot of shots on goal in the end but I wasn’t happy with how it came down to him, which is reflective of the lack of effort further up the field," he said.

"We have up to five guys that should be able to handle that situation without McPharlin needing to go back there. If we keep relying on the same handful of players it is going to take us a while to evolve. I'm trying to put it right on guys who are in situations that represent the value of the game and to see what they can do about it, which will be playing on the elite players in the competition."

Makes a lot of sense, but certainly doesn't help the frustration of seeing them fail so dismally. I can only imagine how frustrated he must be feeling.

 

[Clay Davis]

Fair enough I spose. It does show where our fundamental weaknesses are.