List Mgmt. Our Backline

[mike123]

A Heath Shaw or Harry O'Brien is the big need. We have Sinclair and Varcoe on the list that fit the bill but can't remain fit. Another such then.
I am among those that see Maynard very positively. He makes some mistakes, but I would expect that experience will see him put the panic moves behind him.
Likewise, I see Langdon positively. The problem is fitting him in the same side as Scharenberg if they both play back.
Someone has to come in to deal with the very tall forwards that are so commom now. My own choice would be to stop fiddling with Keeffe on the forward line and commit to him as a back. It is where he has played best, and we have now gone with Reid forward, so he is not needed there.
Goldsack and Dunn have had good years. There is probably space for only one of them in defence next year, although their attributes are quite different, so there is no problem with them being in the same side. This squeezes the space for Langdon and Scharenberg as the medium defenders though.

Our loose man strategy, which takes some pressure off the defence, is fundamentally flawed in that it allows too easy exit from our forward line. If this is changed for next year, then our defence personnel may need a radical overhaul to focus on more 1 v 1 players, making all of the above pretty irrelevant.

I don't think we allow easy exits from the forward line, it's just when we allow an exit we usually get hurt. It's not the exit that's easy it's what happens after that's easy.


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[Quicky]

A big part of the issue is that we don't have a reliable outlet for defenders to kick to. It's partly game plan but someone like a Tom Lynch would really help the transition and ultimately the decision-making of our defenders. Someone like Taz in his prime would be great too

Case in point Moore in the first half vs Adelaide.

 

[Quicky]

The combination of Sinclair's injuries and trading Marley Williams have absolutely killed us this year.

Our top 3 draft/trade targets needs to be:

1) Key forward

2) Key back

3) Small defender

The Brown FB and Marley BP combo couldn't work due to foot skills. But when we decided to let Brown go I think we needed to consider that we could probably keep Marley on. He's not a good user but on balance we could play him. And it has hurt us this year. I'd have him back in a heart beat.

 

[legendstatus]

Stack our backline with talls and play a short 5 nam forward line.


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[jackcass]

We lack experience and guile in our backline, but the biggest issue is the transition of the ball into our poorly guarded defensive 50...we are way too easy to score against. This is a coaching issue, press too high and don't clog up space at all for our opponents. Small forwards run amok against us.

Way too simplistic to point the finger at our defence for this. No defence in the league will stand up when opposition mids and defenders are allowed to waltz out of F50 with all the time in the world. Look at what we did to Adelaide's defence at times on Sunday and I'd consider them one of the bench-mark defensive groups. I don't disagree that the coaching group bare the responsibility for this but wouldn't absolve the player group from their share.

Also no surprise small forwards still cut us up when arguably our best 2 small defenders (Sinclair & Ramsay) have had almost zero impact at senior level this season for rather obvious reasons and we've had to Band-Aid over the position using Howe, Maynard, Scharenberg, Langdon, Smith and Aish. Even Varcoe who gives a reasonable impression of a small defender is out injured.

 

[El cane]

Problem is he can't defend and his field kicking is poor.

True, why did we break the bank for him again?

 

[Piestration]

A big part of the issue is that we don't have a reliable outlet for defenders to kick to. It's partly game plan but someone like a Tom Lynch would really help the transition and ultimately the decision-making of our defenders. Someone like Taz in his prime would be great too

I thought Moore did very well in this area against the Crows. With Reid (or another option next year) up forward Moore has the ability to get up the ground more. Something Cloke did well especially when in tandem with Dawes. Amazing how much better we looked last game when Moore was hitting the ball and clunking them.

 

[Quicky]

True, why did we break the bank for him again?

Because he has some other pretty handy traits that make him excellent in the role he does play. Explosive clearance midfielders are pretty rare.

 

[mike123]

True, why did we break the bank for him again?

That description fits Swan as well


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[El cane]

Because he has some other pretty handy traits that make him excellent in the role he does play. Explosive clearance midfielders are pretty rare.

That run from the stoppage against the eagles in the last quarter was good, if only but for the post

 

[El cane]

Because he has some other pretty handy traits that make him excellent in the role he does play. Explosive clearance midfielders are pretty rare.

Hey with hindsight, would you still make the trade knowing everything you know now?

 

[Quicky]

Hey with hindsight, would you still make the trade knowing everything you know now?

I haven't really reflected on it much. But my first inclination is probably no. Simply because we have given up a lot of first rounders over the years and at some point we needed to recognise we needed to draft a key forward.

But perhaps if we'd drafted better we would have been in a better situation to make that move. Say if we'd jumped on Ben Brown when we had the opportunity. So many different ways these things could have played out it could drive you nuts!

 

[jackcass]

Hey with hindsight, would you still make the trade knowing everything you know now?

2016 pick - Griffin Logue (ended up pick 8 with compo and academy picks inserted)
2015 pick - Sam Weiderman (ended up pick 9)

I'm always of the view that we should use our draft picks and those 2 players (or whoever we'd have selected with those picks) would be pretty handy developing in the squad now. That said, if you're going to offload picks in trades at least make sure the player you get is as good as a Treloar.

 

[DopeMaster]

Perhaps I'm forgetting someone, but Geelong's backline in their extended run of being a top-notch team didn't really have any pacy line breakers did it? I understand that this kind of player is nice, just wondering if it is truly essential if the back six is otherwise high quality?

 

[jackcass]

Perhaps I'm forgetting someone, but Geelong's backline in their extended run of being a top-notch team didn't really have any pacy line breakers did it? I understand that this kind of player is nice, just wondering if it is truly essential if the back six is otherwise high quality?

I think Hunt, Wojcinski and Rooke have been the quicker options, Kelly occasionally.

 

[Mukesh]

I think Hunt, Wojcinski and Rooke have been the quicker options, Kelly occasionally.

Wojcinski definitely quick... a backline needs to move/clear the ball quickly, either by running it or by precise kicking..and a mix of both is ideal. Seems to me a well kicked ball will always travel faster than a running man...

 

[mike123]

Wojcinski definitely quick... a backline needs to move/clear the ball quickly, either by running it or by precise kicking..and a mix of both is ideal. Seems to me a well kicked ball will always travel faster than a running man...

It's not the ball the running man has to be quicker than.


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[ottoman]

Wojcinski definitely quick... a backline needs to move/clear the ball quickly, either by running it or by precise kicking..and a mix of both is ideal. Seems to me a well kicked ball will always travel faster than a running man...

Sorry to be pedantic mate. I've woken up in one of those moods.
I think you will find that a poorly kicked ball also travels faster than a running man,

 

[Mukesh]

It's not the ball the running man has to be quicker than.


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It is if he doesn't have the ball.. but I know what you're getting at, slow running guys will get picked off by quicker ones. All I'm suggesting is slow running backlines can survive if their kicking is precise (ala Hawthorn of yesteryear)...

 

[Mukesh]

Sorry to be pedantic mate. I've woken up in one of those moods.
I think you will find that a poorly kicked ball also travels faster than a running man,

Yup, true too...