Our Forward line

[Ysaye]

One of the things I would like to see developing is some bigger bodies in our midfield and to be blunt, a bit of aggression. Blakely seems the man most likely. But we are heading rapidly towards a post-Mundy era, and already he is spending less time midfield.

I'm not saying they can do it, but Kersten and McCarthy would be incredibly valuable to us if the could take stint in the midfield. Kersten especially is at a stage where he needs to increase his game day value and impact.

I am an advocate of Darcy Fogarty if we take pick 5 to the draft for this very reason. He is aggressive, big and versatile. With a 2 talls forward line he can still be included. He can bring some unpredictability to the table. He doesn't have Mundy's smooth motor but he does have a bit more crash through about him.

Goal scoring midfielders or midfielders/forwards who can rotate forward/midfield can make our lack of an A grade KPP less critical.

Agreed - and bigger midfielders also have better marking capacity, which we have reduced quite a bit recently with introducing Neale, B Hill, Walters and Weller to the midfield in addition to S Hill, whilst pulling out Mundy, Barlow and Crowley who were all 190cm+.

I think Kersten has a better chance of transitioning than McCarthy, but also Logue and potentially whomever we draft with Pick 5 (Particularly if it is Stephenson or Fogarty) as well should spend time in the middle.

 

[theGav56]

Agreed - and bigger midfielders also have better marking capacity, which we have reduced quite a bit recently with introducing Neale, B Hill, Walters and Weller to the midfield in addition to S Hill, whilst pulling out Mundy, Barlow and Crowley who were all 190cm+.

I think Kersten has a better chance of transitioning than McCarthy, but also Logue and potentially whomever we draft with Pick 5 (Particularly if it is Stephenson or Fogarty) as well should spend time in the middle.

I'm thinking North may take Stephenson, but if not, I like him a lot.

I don't actually have any expectation that Kersten can go into the midfield, but he needs to be more productive if he is going to make it in the best 22.

 

[Freomaniac]

This season we kicked a paltry 231 goals, what is our expectation next season?

Tabs: 33
Cam: 30
Walters: 22
Kersten: 25
Bennell: 25
Matera: 30
Fyfe: 15
Mundy: 15
S. Hill: 10
B. Hill: 10
Neale: 10

That gets us to 225 and I suppose anyone else chipping in is a bonus. Unfortunately I don’t see us significantly scoring more next season.

Freo scored 231 goals a gam last year, that's exactly 10 and a half goals a game.

Funny that we had spuds like Matt De Boer, Tendai Mzungu and Clancee pearce kicking 10-15 goals a year

 

[Freomaniac]

I'd be hoping/expecting something like the below to get us to 300 goals.

Cam: 40
Walters: 40
Bennell: 35
Matera: 35
Tabs: 30
Ballantyne: 20
Fyfe: 20
B. Hill: 10
Mundy: 10
Kersten: 10
S. Hill: 10
Neale: 10
Weller: 10
Langdon: 10
Cox: 10

I think it's dependent on our midfield and ball movement out of the back line improving though.

Fyfe and Neale back to their best
Further improvement from Blakely, Weller, Tucker and Langdon
A better mix of brute force and speed around the stoppages with Walters, Hill, Bennell, Weller and Matera rotating though

Wilson and further improvement from Ryan, Hughes and Logue out of the backline will help with quicker ball movement too

14 goals a game over 22 games equals 308 goals. Not gonna happen.

Realistically we will kick 11 or 12 goals a game next season.

Cam : 36
Walters: 36
Tabs: 30
Ballas: 30
Kersten: 22


Bennell: 20
Fyfe: 15
Mundy: 15
Langdon: 16

Weller: 12
Brad Hill: 10

S Hill: 6
Blakely: 6
Sheridan: 5
Cox: 5

that's 242 goals all up or 11 goals a game.

 

[dimesdimesdimes]

not sure if anyone has seen this floating around on facebook/insta the last 24 hours
jesse hogan wearing freo socks : )
just a matter of time boys

 

[LeftFootBanana]

We've got his feet and ankles - we just need to get the rest of his body now.

 

[Unique Name]

He's trolling the **** out of us. lol

 

[mike91]

Wouldn't say that's a good thing, more of a troll than anything.

 

[eastfreo75]

One of the things I would like to see developing is some bigger bodies in our midfield and to be blunt, a bit of aggression. Blakely seems the man most likely. But we are heading rapidly towards a post-Mundy era, and already he is spending less time midfield.

I'm not saying they can do it, but Kersten and McCarthy would be incredibly valuable to us if the could take stint in the midfield. Kersten especially is at a stage where he needs to increase his game day value and impact.

I am an advocate of Darcy Fogarty if we take pick 5 to the draft for this very reason. He is aggressive, big and versatile. With a 2 talls forward line he can still be included. He can bring some unpredictability to the table. He doesn't have Mundy's smooth motor but he does have a bit more crash through about him.

Goal scoring midfielders or midfielders/forwards who can rotate forward/midfield can make our lack of an A grade KPP less critical.

Totally agree.

Also, I would add that the starting positions shouldn't determine ending position.

Example of this is Fyfe starts in the centre bounce down and then goes forwards and another player rotates into the midfield.

Blakely starts in the centre bounce then drifts back as a spare man one kick behind the play.

 

[sherrif]

I know it is not the popular view on here but ever since we drafted Alex Pearce I thought he would play forward after he put on some significant muscle. Pearce is now listed at 98kg's. My view is based on how footage of A.Pearce playing forward in his draft year vids showed him to a natural forward and his coach at the Burnie Dockers described him as a match-up nightmare with his height and pace. I know his kicking was an issue when he briefly played forward before, but I think that was mainly due to the massive growth spurt he had when in his final year of underage football.I personally also think Cox is better suited to key defender rather than key forward. So, after next season playing as a defender I think Pearce could potentially be the answer to our key marking forward woes.

Id love to see a forward line of:
FF: Mcarthy A.Pearce Matera
HF: Rayner Foggarty Bennell
Walters onball and forward
It means obviously we need to draft Foggarty and Rayner, but that seems a possibility at least.

 

[freo1997]

He's trolling the **** out of us. lol

What a troll!!

 

[Freo Dr]

I know it is not the popular view on here but ever since we drafted Alex Pearce I thought he would play forward after he put on some significant muscle. Pearce is now listed at 98kg's. My view is based on how footage of A.Pearce playing forward in his draft year vids showed him to a natural forward and his coach at the Burnie Dockers described him as a match-up nightmare with his height and pace. I know his kicking was an issue when he briefly played forward before, but I think that was mainly due to the massive growth spurt he had when in his final year of underage football.I personally also think Cox is better suited to key defender rather than key forward. So, after next season playing as a defender I think Pearce could potentially be the answer to our key marking forward woes.

Id love to see a forward line of:
FF: Mcarthy A.Pearce Matera
HF: Rayner Foggarty Bennell
Walters onball and forward
It means obviously we need to draft Foggarty and Rayner, but that seems a possibility at least.

I love AP as a player but does he have the range in his kicking needed to play forward? Think he struggles at anything over 35 m.

 

[go_the_dockers]

I love AP as a player but does he have the range in his kicking needed to play forward? Think he struggles at anything over 35 m.

He kicked from 40m and cleared the line by 5m.

I doubt he can kick much over 50m which means he can't mark the ball further then 40m out. I will take that.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...QQxa8BCCowAg&usg=AOvVaw0VTJzWxrN8ZFOD4xbU2nov

 

[Mr Peabody]

not sure if anyone has seen this floating around on facebook/insta the last 24 hours
jesse hogan wearing freo socks : )
just a matter of time boys
View attachment 430472

Looks like he’s happy with pick 2 as well.

 

[theGav56]

How might the following unconventional forward line go;

Walters/Bennell Taberner Matera
Rayner McCarthy Stephenson

Walters and Bennell slipping midfield.

Would be quite a slippery prospect for opposition defenses. I also get the feeling from Rayner and Stephenson's bios that they can defend as forwards and have the skills to apply pressure. Obviously lacks an orthodox KPF, but that is our lot.

 

[eastfreo75]

14 goals a game over 22 games equals 308 goals. Not gonna happen.

Realistically we will kick 11 or 12 goals a game next season.

Cam : 36
Walters: 36
Tabs: 30
Ballas: 30
Kersten: 22


Bennell: 20
Fyfe: 15
Mundy: 15
Langdon: 16

Weller: 12
Brad Hill: 10

S Hill: 6
Blakely: 6
Sheridan: 5
Cox: 5

that's 242 goals all up or 11 goals a game.

I worked out we need to increase our results by 8 goals per game to get into the top 4. Top 4 have a net return of +4 goals per game.

We average 14.4 against and 10.5 goals for, net result of -4 goals per game.

The club with the great draw (13 games in WA) should aim for a net improvement by 4 goals per game.

 

[Mincho]

Personnel is one issue, method is the other.

The issue is, in my opinion, method related - scoring has never been a foundation ethos for Lyon's teams, he is a defensive master who instills the virtue of defence first into his soldiers, it is a method found on ferocity, repetiveness and a level of fitness which grinds other teams into the dirt.

His best team beat teams into submission - which is fine, when the environment allows it. The landscape has changed, and in the 2 years since the game was opened up, sped up I am yet to see the requisite level of change in the box.

I'm seeing alot of comparisons between Richmonds win this year and the method of Ross, the only problem is this - Richmond averaged 100 points in the finals this year. (rounded up) There is an allowance for flair, attacking waves and the feature of Richmond was the sped of defensive cover, they effectively played ice hockey - skate up, skate back. Hardwick understood the game had opened up, and then he went and found the runners who would work hard both ways.

If the team can't do that - you pick a side apart with skill - Clarkson values the ability to create space and kicking skills.

Has Lyon ever showed the capacity to deviate from his core beliefs?

 

[Ysaye]

How might the following unconventional forward line go;

Walters/Bennell Taberner Matera
Rayner McCarthy Stephenson

Walters and Bennell slipping midfield.

Would be quite a slippery prospect for opposition defenses. I also get the feeling from Rayner and Stephenson's bios that they can defend as forwards and have the skills to apply pressure. Obviously lacks an orthodox KPF, but that is our lot.

I don't think it is far from where it will be and it is not that unconventional.

Bennell, Walters, McCarthy, Matera are locks for four of the spots (though they probably need their own special medical team). Arguably a fit Walters and Bennell may also rotate through the midfield.

From the current group, the competitors would be remaining spots it would be from Taberner, Kersten, Apeness. If Strnadica can get fit I would also throw him into the mix.

One of the 2 early picks I feel will be a player with a forward focus.

The question is whether it can be turned it an organized unit, or whether it is just a collection of talented smalls and workhorse smalls?

 

[SHill Shall]

Has Lyon ever showed the capacity to deviate from his core beliefs?

Yes - early last year when he finally decided it was out with the old and in with the new

 

[Mincho]

Yes - early last year when he finally decided it was out with the old and in with the new

That's not the point.

 

[Scham]

Personnel is one issue, method is the other.

The issue is, in my opinion, method related - scoring has never been a foundation ethos for Lyon's teams, he is a defensive master who instills the virtue of defence first into his soldiers, it is a method found on ferocity, repetiveness and a level of fitness which grinds other teams into the dirt.

His best team beat teams into submission - which is fine, when the environment allows it. The landscape has changed, and in the 2 years since the game was opened up, sped up I am yet to see the requisite level of change in the box.

I'm seeing alot of comparisons between Richmonds win this year and the method of Ross, the only problem is this - Richmond averaged 100 points in the finals this year. (rounded up) There is an allowance for flair, attacking waves and the feature of Richmond was the sped of defensive cover, they effectively played ice hockey - skate up, skate back. Hardwick understood the game had opened up, and then he went and found the runners who would work hard both ways.

If the team can't do that - you pick a side apart with skill - Clarkson values the ability to create space and kicking skills.

Has Lyon ever showed the capacity to deviate from his core beliefs?

Used to be. Not a lot of that in the last 2 years.

 

[Mincho]

Used to be. Not a lot of that in the last 2 years.

Question you need to ask then is what has happened since 2015?

Has it become harder to defend, or have teams just go better at attacking - in 2015 we managed 1847 points for across the season and finished on top of the ladder 2 points clear after 22 rounds.

 

[theGav56]

That's not the point.

it specifically answered your question.

 

[Mincho]

it specifically answered your question.

Yeah my mistake - perhaps I should have said core coaching beliefs.

Ross still sets his soldiers up behind the ball. That hasn't changed and we saw some of the worst of it this year.

 

[meima]

Yeah my mistake - perhaps I should have said core coaching beliefs.

Ross still sets his soldiers up behind the ball. That hasn't changed and we saw some of the worst of it this year.

Ross still the best defensive coach , everybody just copy it and implement their attack gameplan on top of it.