Analysis Our forward line - KPF depth?

WTF is going on? It's been awful all year but the last few weeks it's deteriorated. Our forward pressure has been non-existent. Time and time again the ball goes in and comes straight back out. Hurley hasn't laid a tackle in weeks, Gumby's pressure was nowhere today, and in terms of our small forwards none of them are tackling and applying pressure. It means we never lock the ball in and give our defence a chop out.

None of them know where to lead. The amount of times more than one of our guys lead to the same spot and let the opposition get numbers to the contest is staggering. And whenever we do get a mark it's either right on the 50 on an absurd angle or right up on the boundary. And with contests we never seem to have crumbers in the right spots. I don't need to tell people here how many times it's Alwyn playing the lead up role. There's no point having 5 guys up forward all leading and calling for marks.

And this one's probably something you can't notice on TV, but it's how far up the ground our forwards push. It's very dependent on the way we want to play the game. They push very high up the ground. Up to/past the centre circle. So when we win a turnover, kick the ball around looking for the right option before moving forward it's fine because it gives the forwards time to get back to the forward line. But when we are shut down and aren't given the time and space to possess the ball as much as we like and are forced to go on a quick break, it gives us absolutely body to kick to. There's never a bail out option up forward. Leads to players running forward with the ball, stopping, looking and getting pinged. There's nothing ahead of him to kick to.

I'm sure there's other issues in the forward line but it's clear our forward line isn't working. Something needs to be done.
 
Couldnt have put it in one of the many already created forwardline discussion threads? :confused:

I had a quick look and couldn't see one. Would've if I have, must've missed them for all the Player/vote threads that pop up after a game.
 

Aussie Assault

Premiership Player
Apr 26, 2007
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Who is our forward line coach? Maybe we could get Lloydy to join the A-Team part-time.

Our tall timber has so much POTENTIAL, but potential wont win a flag. Getting very sick of it myself.
 
Who is our forward line coach? Maybe we could get Lloydy to join the A-Team part-time.

Our tall timber has so much POTENTIAL, but potential wont win a flag. Getting very sick of it myself.
Matthew Egan, former Geelong defender.
 
Jul 19, 2008
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Atlanta Falcons/Winnipeg Jets
Average Marks i50 per team this year (not sure if including this round) ordered by ladder position

Hawthorn 15.1 1ST
Sydney 12.3 7TH
Geelong 14.1 2ND
Fremantle 11.6 10TH
Essendon 11.4 12TH
Collingwood 14.1 2ND
Richmond 12.3 7TH
Port 12.3 7TH
Carlton 13.0 5TH
North Melbourne 12.6 6TH
Westcoast 13.5 4TH
Brisbane 9.8 14TH
Adelaide 11.5 11TH
Gold Coast 9.7 16TH
Bulldogs 9.7 16TH
St Kilda 10.9 13TH
Melbourne 7.7 17TH
GWS 6.7 18TH
 
Egan is a nice bloke but how he's a fwd coach i don't know.get Llyod in their would be able teach players like Hurley on how to lead and create space.
Lloyd would be great, but he is too busy with all his media work. Forward line definitely needs a change whether it's structure or new coach it should be high priority.
 
Lloydy is running with a Crameri & Carlisle forward line with a ruckman. which i'm going to admit, I don't like.

Hurley and Carlisle is a premiership defence imo, throw in Hooker and Pears (yes, we can play 4) should be left to settle as a unit.

Daniher i'll say is a year away from genuine week in week out contributions, so what do we do next year?

Option A (the hurley forward option)
Crumber, Resting R, Crameri
Winderlich, Hurley, rotating mid

Option B
Crumber, resting r, Crameri
Winderlich, Gumby, rotating mid

Option C (smaller, more mobile, question marks still)
Crumber, Gumby (as 2nd ruck), Hardingham
Winderlich, Crameri, rotating mid

Option D (go big)
Winderlich, RR, Gumby
rotating mid, Daniher/Hurley, Crameri

we've got the cattle, it just doesn't work.
 

Vander18

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 22, 2011
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Interesting to hear Lloyd's thoughts on FC tonight...completely agree with his statement that outside the Doggies we have the most dysfunctional forward line in the comp....plenty of individual talent but the lack of forward "craft" is glaring as is the seeming absence of any understanding of how to play as a unit. Very hard to assess line coaches but it's very difficult not to wonder exactly what Egan is bringing to the table.

Gumby, Crameri and Hurley are all complimentary forwards for mine...the forward line can't revolve around any one of these guys as they are too limited. I also believe that Crameri and Hurley are very similar players and don't play their best footy in the same forward line. I would play Crameri as the third roaming forward, Hurley in defence and Gumby misses out ( always snags 1-2 but just doesn't find enough footy or impact enough contests).

I again agree with Lloyd that Carlisle should play forward....we need a 50-60 goal per year forward and for mine he looks the most likely to be this player. The resting ruckman slots in as the second tall.

Next year, JD to play forward with Carlisle and Crameri.....Ryder and TBC to battle it our for the number 1 ruck slot and the loser plays in the magoos. Both are quality players but to me the team looks better balanced with this forward line and no resting ruckman.
 
I will go with Option E

Crameri,Carlisle,Winderlich, Gumby ( relief ruck ),rotating mid and crumber.

I want Hurley back because he is a better defender than Carlisle, and long-term Carlisle can be a better forward than Hurley. Play Gumbleton as the third tall, but also as relief ruck. This role will be filled by JD from 2014. Winderlich and Crameri can be the mobile leading targets. No room for Bellchambers in this set-up, unless TRB changes the ruck set up.
 

Stefan12

Rookie
Jul 1, 2013
30
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Essendon
Crameri Bellchambers Winderlich
Davey Daniher Zaharakis
Stanton Watson Colyer
Goddard Hooker Dempsey
Hibberd Carlisle Hurley
Ryder Hocking Heppell
Int. Melksham Myers Howlett
Sub.

Gives you a forward line of 1 ruckman, 1 tall power forward (daniher) and 1 mobile tall
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
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Crumbing isn't as much of a problem as having small forwards who have no impact defensively and half forwards who don't seem to spend any time forward is.
 

rines

Norm Smith Medallist
Suspended
Sep 28, 2007
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Yep.. for all the talk about our 'defensive small forwards'.. they have been have next to no 'real' impact on game day.

Ball rebounds out of our f50 faster than a kent.

Hawks and the C'wood both set up heaps of forward thrusts from the backline without EFC players even getting close to touching it.. and that was in the wet!

I guess you just keep coming back to the fact that 'pressure acts' are different from actual 'tackles'.. we need a complete overhaul of our forward 50 structure.

There also appears to be NO synergy between our mids and leading forwards.. don't know how much of that is leading patters, leading timing or just poor delivery. However you look at the good sides at is 'at times' doesn't matter who they have up forward.. the leading patterns and tactics will be the same (that is that one forward leads hard left and the other at 45 degrees etc etc) and that means the mids kick to 'space' or a 'spot' and the forward ends up on the end of it.

I just don't see the same fluidity with our forward attacks and structure.. appears haphazard at best.
 

hurlygurdy

Premiership Player
Apr 15, 2013
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I will go with Option E

Crameri,Carlisle,Winderlich, Gumby ( relief ruck ),rotating mid and crumber.

I want Hurley back because he is a better defender than Carlisle, and long-term Carlisle can be a better forward than Hurley. Play Gumbleton as the third tall, but also as relief ruck. This role will be filled by JD from 2014. Winderlich and Crameri can be the mobile leading targets. No room for Bellchambers in this set-up, unless TRB changes the ruck set up.
What is the benefit of having Gumby instead of TBC? Gumby seems to be good when he goes roaming, but i would rather Crameri and Licka take that role. Would have thought TBC is ahead of Gumby close to goal... + he is a far better ruck of course
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
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rines, I think our disagreements are a thing of the past.

Think about the difficulties faced by Gumby, or any "key forward" that isn't Buddy Franklin, trying to get separation on one-off leads against someone as big and as fast as Keefe in a forwarline without anything that resembles a structure and doesn't have clearly identified leading patterns for any of its players.

Gumby's strength, like Nick Riewoldt, is endurance and trying to burn an opponent on the back on repeat leading. You can only do that when there is a place you are supposed to be and the players up ground know you're supposed to be there and will look to move the ball through you.
 
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