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[cleomenes]

I am intrigued by the (non) action in recruiting this year. The decision makers must be very happy with our list since they made no moves to modify it using some pretty good players that were available.
The loss of two quick half backs and their replacement with just one untried player certainly puts some pressure on Murray.
The delisting of Keeffe when we are short and ageing in defence is noteworthy.
Our forward line seems to have both quality and depth, as does our midfield. The ruck has quality but not a lot of depth.
So what is the thinking in defence? We have strong marking players but no great height and none in reserve. We don't have a lot of pace there. There must be a lot of confidence in the tactics that are planned for next year if the personnel we have are to cope with sides with very big or tall forwards (Port, Geelong etc) very fast forwards (Richmond) or both (Essendon). Our mix desn't seem to match any of these attacks.
Does anyone have an analysis of our defence that sees it managing the forwards that will assail it? I would be keen to hear.

 

[Darkyprotector]

I am intrigued by the (non) action in recruiting this year. The decision makers must be very happy with our list since they made no moves to modify it using some pretty good players that were available.
The loss of two quick half backs and their replacement with just one untried player certainly puts some pressure on Murray.
The delisting of Keeffe when we are short and ageing in defence is noteworthy.
Our forward line seems to have both quality and depth, as does our midfield. The ruck has quality but not a lot of depth.
So what is the thinking in defence? We have strong marking players but no great height and none in reserve. We don't have a lot of pace there. There must be a lot of confidence in the tactics that are planned for next year if the personnel we have are to cope with sides with very big or tall forwards (Port, Geelong etc) very fast forwards (Richmond) or both (Essendon). Our mix desn't seem to match any of these attacks.
Does anyone have an analysis of our defence that sees it managing the forwards that will assail it? I would be keen to hear.

At last look
We have 24 players out of contract 2018
This means heaps of space available with 2 / 3 free agents and the ability to pick up picks
When you think about it 80% of teams don't have monster forwards
Who can impose
Joe daniher patton, lynch , Dixon
Maybe the rest mobile medium forwards
Reiwolt walker Cameron even Jenkins don't play big
We have dunne , we have Big Mac
We have Reid we have goldy
A back 7
Reid , dunne , Howe, varcoe, Murray, crisp and perhaps Adams can and will do well
Allows sack to play swing
Maynard on ball and more mid time for de goey
We have shaz, Langdon and Aish as reserves to apply selection pressure

Our list is ok and really who else would you delist to create space?

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

...There must be a lot of confidence in the tactics that are planned for next year if the personnel we have are to cope with sides with very big or tall forwards (Port, Geelong etc) very fast forwards (Richmond) or both (Essendon). Our mix desn't seem to match any of these attacks.
Does anyone have an analysis of our defence that sees it managing the forwards that will assail it? I would be keen to hear.

Given we did not have blowout losses in '17, fair to say that the backline held okay. Dunn taking the large forwards and Howe's intercepts were significant to this performance.

Nonetheless, experimenting with Moore in the backline reflects the club's desire for defence to do better. Will Moore add value down back - expect so (this is separate to whether or not he should be forward).

Do Maynard, Shaz, and Langdon have better seasons? Hopefully.

The mids can definitely be better at sustaining 2-way pressure to make it easier for their mates down back. This is potentially the single most important change to overall defence improvement.

 

[Apples]

^^ I agree, the backs were not our problem. Due to good play from our backs, we were able to deliver the ball to the mids pretty well and with consistency. Then it all went pear-shaped. Going forward we turned the ball over time and again with poor kicking. The ball also rebounded too easily.
Poor kicking going in and a lack of inside 50 pressure killed us. Walsh has indicated that a focus in the preseason will be ball transition. I'll be interested to see what changes are made in ball movement drills this month.
••Does anybody have stats for the number of turnovers inside 50 for the 2017 season compared to other clubs?

 

[Apples]

I just found this stat:
Collingwood in 2017 No.1 in transferring from D50 to F50 but bottom 3 for retaining ball Inside 50.

 

[Finnishpie]

I am intrigued by the (non) action in recruiting this year. The decision makers must be very happy with our list since they made no moves to modify it using some pretty good players that were available.
The loss of two quick half backs and their replacement with just one untried player certainly puts some pressure on Murray.
The delisting of Keeffe when we are short and ageing in defence is noteworthy.
Our forward line seems to have both quality and depth, as does our midfield. The ruck has quality but not a lot of depth.
So what is the thinking in defence? We have strong marking players but no great height and none in reserve. We don't have a lot of pace there. There must be a lot of confidence in the tactics that are planned for next year if the personnel we have are to cope with sides with very big or tall forwards (Port, Geelong etc) very fast forwards (Richmond) or both (Essendon). Our mix desn't seem to match any of these attacks.
Does anyone have an analysis of our defence that sees it managing the forwards that will assail it? I would be keen to hear.

So I’m assuming Varcoe plays back and so does Darcy Moore. That’s enough height - with Dunn, goody, Howe - but not enough pace. Then there’s the question of whether Reid can get through as a forward with Cox.

But you’re right, we look shaky there. And we look shaky up forward too.

 

[cleomenes]

I suppose my point was that the team must have great confidence in the list as it stands since so little has been done to enhance it. I look at our defenders and agree that they did an extraordinary job this year at restricting opposition scores. I hope thay do an equally good job next year. They were not so good at creating scoring chances for us, which is a major task for modern backlines. I don't see how they will terrorize opposition forwards in the way that O'Brien, Shaw and Johnson did with pace and delivery. We don't have anyone who would attract a defensive forward other than Howe who is different. A fit and firing Varcoe might change the equation, but I believe that we need more than one. Perhaps Maynard has to stay back there.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I just found this stat:
Collingwood in 2017 No.1 in transferring from D50 to F50 but bottom 3 for retaining ball Inside 50.

Ironically that’s exactly why mayne was recruited.

 

[cleomenes]

Ironically that’s exactly why mayne was recruited.

And then we don't play him. There was a serious problem at the selection level there. He can't keep the ball in the forward 50 from the stands.
Those few scrubby shots at goal early on may have completely disrupted team tactics. (Or they may have been an excuse for a decision that would have been made anyway.)
To my mind, a defensive forward needs extreme pace. Only varcoe on our list has the pace and strength for this, and we need him elsewhere. A lot of work will be required of our forward coach in this area.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

"For the past 3 years we have been heavily involved in trading, now you can only do that for so long before it starts to effect the age profile of the entire playing group. At some point a club has to go back to the draft to replenish with youth. That is what we are going to do this year, then trade heavily next year"- Geoff Walsh

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

"For the past 3 years we have been heavily involved in trading, now you can only do that for so long before it starts to effect the age profile of the entire playing group. At some point a club has to go back to the draft to replenish with youth. That is what we are going to do this year, then trade heavily next year"- Geoff Walsh

Trading in relatively young players like whe aish Treloar Adams de Goey (traded in pick) hardly affects the age profile that much.

Sure we topped up last year with Dunn wells and Mayne but they were replacing brown Swan and Cloke. Greenwood and Howe also replace mid aged players

Not sure “going for youth” is our strategy. Except that we didn’t want to trade pick 6. And we were hamstrung on cap to trade in a player. And there weren’t really any suitable players available to trade for if we wanted to.

It’s more about setting up our list to have a decent crack at a free agent in twelve months time.

 

[slugger01]

Does anyone have an analysis of our defence that sees it managing the forwards that will assail it? I would be keen to hear.

I have started to do some analysis, and am finding we have too many players in the backline of the same size. Langdon, Scharenberg, Howe, Goldy, Maynard and Dunn are all 190cm or so. (Goldy at 193 cm is the tallest, Maynard at 189cm the shortest.). Crisp is also slated for a defender role, and again, he is 190cm. So, we have an "average" height for most of our defenders, and that is why we struggle against teams like Essendon, who have two tall forwards (Hooker & Daniher at 197+cm) and 3 small forwards (<175cm). We are either too small or too tall when we match up.

We don't have too many 170-180cm backmen that would play on the smalls from Essendon, Richmond and Adelaide (the Betts/Knight at Crows, Smith/Tipungwuti/Fantasia at Dons, Rioli/Pupolo at Hawks, Rioli/Butler/Lambert at Tigers).
IMO, Varcoe and Adams need to play defence to strengthen with the matchups. Hopefully Murray comes up and cements a spot in the seniors Predicting he will debut Anzac Day! And my team for that game is:

 

[DraftBalta]

The list is a shambles structurally and replacing a Swan with a Wells is not the right strategy, if you want to win a flag you bring all the kids through together, you don't top up veterans.

Right now we have zero speed out of defence sans Murray who has never played a game.
Key positions on the list that will figure in our next window number just 3: Grundy Moore McClarty.
There is hardly any outside run to break the lines and we are still looking for a genuine crumber and a 3rd tall for the forwardline.

It's a shocker but there's time to rectify it, I wouldn't draft/trade for anyone over our top age players that will figure in the next flag so Howe and Sidey around the 27yr mark would be the cutoff and try and get as much talent into that sweet spot around 22yr to 26yrs

 

[mike123]

I have started to do some analysis, and am finding we have too many players in the backline of the same size. Langdon, Scharenberg, Howe, Goldy, Maynard and Dunn are all 190cm or so. (Goldy at 193 cm is the tallest, Maynard at 189cm the shortest.). Crisp is also slated for a defender role, and again, he is 190cm. So, we have an "average" height for most of our defenders, and that is why we struggle against teams like Essendon, who have two tall forwards (Hooker & Daniher at 197+cm) and 3 small forwards (<175cm). We are either too small or too tall when we match up.

We don't have too many 170-180cm backmen that would play on the smalls from Essendon, Richmond and Adelaide (the Betts/Knight at Crows, Smith/Tipungwuti/Fantasia at Dons, Rioli/Pupolo at Hawks, Rioli/Butler/Lambert at Tigers).
IMO, Varcoe and Adams need to play defence to strengthen with the matchups. Hopefully Murray comes up and cements a spot in the seniors Predicting he will debut Anzac Day! And my team for that game is:
View attachment 434296

If Adams can play as a lockdown small defender then I'd be happy for him to play there but I get the feeling he's going to be a ball watcher like Maynard in that role and we'd just be downgrading. If he's going back to get cheap touches out the back and run through the back of the square we're better off with numerous other players on our list in that role.

Varcoe should definitely play back though.

 

[slugger01]

If Adams can play as a lockdown small defender then I'd be happy for him to play there but I get the feeling he's going to be a ball watcher like Maynard in that role and we'd just be downgrading. If he's going back to get cheap touches out the back and run through the back of the square we're better off with numerous other players on our list in that role.

Varcoe should definitely play back though.

Absolutely agree with you!! It's sad that Sinclair and Ramsay didn't come up to potential.. They would have gone a long way to fixing our problems. Saad would have been good to get...

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Absolutely agree with you!! It's sad that Sinclair and Ramsay didn't come up to potential.. They would have gone a long way to fixing our problems. Saad would have been good to get...

We still have pick 6.

 

[slugger01]

We still have pick 6.

Yep, but i can't see that being used on a smallish HBF or back pocket player.
I'm guessing we use that on "best available", which most likely will be a midfielder.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Yep, but i can't see that being used on a smallish HBF or back pocket player.
I'm guessing we use that on "best available", which most likely will be a midfielder.

A lot of talk that Coffield ticks all the above boxes. Yes it has to be available. And I don’t pretend to be an expert.

 

[slugger01]

A lot of talk that Coffield ticks all the above boxes. Yes it has to be available. And I don’t pretend to be an expert.

Me neither. Just hope the experts that have the job of drafting players to Collingwood are the best available !!

 

[legendstatus]

Fogarty, Coffield, Balta or Naughton


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[grayza2018]

Agree on moving Varcoe to the back line to play on the smaller forwards. Not so sure on the Adams call to go back though, coming off the year he had

 

[DraftBalta]

Agree on moving Varcoe to the back line to play on the smaller forwards. Not so sure on the Adams call to go back though, coming off the year he had

Need speed and consistency coming out of there, Adams no on speed and Varcoe too injury prone, I'd go De Goey and see how he goes in a straight line

 

[grayza2018]

What about Aish going back there? Not much pace either, but we need to find something for him to do!

Correct on the Varcoe call, I just thought that was an obvious one (assuming he's fit) to move around if we want to push Maynard up the ground

 

[whiskeytown]

All swell up until last year, when some peanut/s decided to jettison building youth and the under 25 recruitment policy because we were suddenly a top 4 chance.... along with several other teams... so we get Mayne, Wells, and Dunn at once when probably 1-2 at most would've sufficed.

And, recent resignings of Crocker x 2, injury prone Wills x 2, unsighted Sier x 1 ( 0% chance of senior game in 2018, better off on rookie list) and continuance of the likes of Blair, and likely Oxley as a rookie.... and abundance of grunt midfielders over KPP and outside/rebound run... is a concern for me.

I rate list management at a C or B - at this point.

 

[grayza2018]

All swell up until last year, when some peanut/s decided to jettison building youth and the under 25 recruitment policy because we were suddenly a top 4 chance.... along with several other teams... so we get Mayne, Wells, and Dunn at once when probably 1-2 at most would've sufficed.

And, recent resignings of Crocker x 2, injury prone Wills x 2, unsighted Sier x 1 ( 0% chance of senior game in 2018, better off on rookie list) and continuance of the likes of Blair, and likely Oxley as a rookie.... and abundance of grunt midfielders over KPP and outside/rebound run... is a concern for me.

I rate list management at a C or B - at this point.

Fingers crossed Ned Guy sorts it out next year. He may be willing to cut deep and get us back into the pointy end of the "super draft", considering we have so many guys out of contract there might be some interesting calls