Strategy Our post-Kane tagger/run-with player

[Macca19]

Will be a lot of talk about this over the next few months. Do we need one? Is a temporary run-with player adequate enough depending on who we come up against? Who will get the gig?

Lots of talk previously about Colquhoun but im not sure he has the toughness to do the job. Ah Chee has the size, strength, pace to become a useful tagger if he wanted to. Mitchell has the elite endurance and tackling ability to hamper opponents. Moore has done tagging jobs in the past with not great success. Is this his chance to finally cement a spot in the first 22?

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

Who has the honour of taking over the number 18 is what I want to know?

 

[finbarr]

Temporary run-with player at most. I'd personally rather put more into team defence and select our next best available midfielder to replace Kane. Unless a dedicated tagger is going to keep his opponent to no disposals, no goal assists, and no goals it's a waste of a spot in the team for mine.

 

[*PAF]

Ah Chee

 

[Peck]

I actually don't think Kane tags as much as people say he does. Football is a team game, and I think playing with a defense first mindset is what happens rather than the coach saying "stay on this man all day". Sure sometimes it happens, but definitely not as much as in the past.

 

[CrimsonRaven]

I wouldnt mind Jonas getting the gig on a horse for courses basis. We have a fair bit of depth in that mid sized defender role.

 

[finbarr]

Regardless of what we might say here I'm pretty sure Ken Hinkley already has his plan all but locked away.

 

[Alyx]

Move Jonas into the tagging role and have Clurey fill Jonas' current role, when necessary.

 

[HaroldOliver]

I want our match committee to select the best 22 to give the PAFC the greatest chance of beating a given opposition on a given day.
If that does or does not require a run-with player, so be it.

 

[Chrizzt]

I think we definitely need a tagger. Ebert does a good run with job, and Wines has shown that he can body up opponents and nullify them around stoppages, but I think that pure tagging role is needed not just for certain superstars, but also to curb opponents who are on fire for periods across a game just to bring them out of the game a bit. Every team has a tagger, some like the Hawks and Sydney often give it to the kids as a way of earning their spot, but I think it can often be a crucial role that should be handled by someone that knows what they are doing. Also, the ability for that tagger to be able to break away and contribute going forward helps too. I think the increased attacking speed of Freo has certainly been helped by replacing Crowley with Neale more permanently on ball.

Clurey has been spoken about for the role before by the club, or at the very least for stints in the midfield. Has the tank to run with, and has the big body to compete physically with opponents, but at the moment still lacks that killer instinct to really beat his opponent.

Ah Chee is a ball player. In the limited time we've seen him at AFL level he just loves attacking the ball, diving into packs, etc. For this reason I think he's better used as that inside midfielder that can just body up on an opponent at stoppages rather than a tagger.

Colquhoun doesn't have the size or the defensive nous to be a tagger, and his immense talent to find the ball on the outside would be somewhat wasted by tagging an opponent.

Moore could definitely do the role. He has a really good defensive awareness at stoppages, but as we know his outside game is still not well developed. This is where he'd fail as a tagger, in that he doesn't have that same instinct to read the play and be able to not just run with an opponent, but understand where his opponent will be before the play happens. This is something that could develop with experience.

Mitchell is an interesting one. Can compete on the inside, loves a tackle, and reads the play reasonably well on the outside. I think his AFL level awareness is not up to scratch. We've seen this in his decision making (or lack thereof) with the ball, as well as often giving away free kicks when he is one-on-one with an opponent. Again, this could be something that is rectified with AFL experience, knowing how to not get sucked in to giving away frees.

 

[finbarr]

As well as Kane did on Mitchell a few weeks ago it didn't stop wave after wave of Hawthorn attack coming into our backline in the 2nd half. The entire midfield needs to lift its defensive pressure and workload and limit supply.

 

[MrMeaner]

Like for like? It would be Kane Mitchell.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Defensive mid only - Moore. Run with type player - O'Shea.

Mitchell could be asked to do a run with type role. He has Kornes' endurance but he doesnt have his footy brains to be a carbon copy of Kane. Clurey needs at least 6-8 games as a mid fielder tagger/run with at the Maggies to learn the job before you give him the job at AFL level. Might actually need the whole season with the Maggies to learn it.

 

[Rising Power]

JOHN BUTCHER

 

[Lefti93]

JOHN BUTCHER

hahahaha

Move Jonas into the tagging role and have Clurey fill Jonas' current role, when necessary.

i actually don't mind this. i'd say jonas as well.

 

[tribey]

I wouldnt mind Jonas getting the gig on a horse for courses basis. We have a fair bit of depth in that mid sized defender role.

Move Jonas into the tagging role and have Clurey fill Jonas' current role, when necessary.

This.

TJ is a filthy beast when he executes such roles and I'm in love with the idea of Clurey and would like to see the reality of Clurey come to fruition.

 

[finbarr]

There might actually be something to the Clurey talk. Been playing midfield in the SANFL the past couple of weeks.

 

[Black 18]

Moore has been slaughtered every time he has been given a 'run with' role, not so sure he's the right man to earmark for this type of role.

Jonas has been very good at this in the SANFL. Not so sure he could do a role with the quicker players in the AFL, or how strong his distance running capacity is, but on slower more inside types he'd be worth a shot.

Sam Russell is very well suited to this type of role though the jump in class could be a step beyond what he is capable of. He has a touch of mongrel in his game too.

I think we'll probably rotate a few players through the position when required until somebody sticks up their hand and grabs the spot.

 

[Doctor Feel]

Tom Cluuuuuuurey.

Quick, Tom Clurey, be Kane Cornes. I CAN'T BE NO KANE CORNES MAN.

"hello...this kane cornes."
"YOU DON'T SOUND SEXY ENOUGH MAN!"

 

[Rising Power]

Impey has basically only been used as a tagger/run-with/cooler in the back half. Is there any reason why he couldn't cover the whole ground? Is he too small to take on the Mitchell/Deledio types?

 

[carn_the_pear]

I think with the competition that Amon was giving Kane during the pre-season, it would only be fitting to replace him with Karl. As for a run-with player, I think it could suit Kane Mitchell to a T. He has the fitness and competitive edge and is solid as a rock. Just needs to be a bit harder at the pill.

 

[Alyx]

Is he too small to take on the Mitchell/Deledio types?

Similarly sized to Mitchell and Selwood, but the likes of Deledio, Fyfe, and Pendlebury are between 11cm and 14cm taller.

 

[n4nirvana]

Jonas or O'Shea

 

[Adam Marrett23]

Moore or Colqhoun for me. Want to see Moore get a extended run when Kane is done. Feel a consistent run of games will do him a world of good.

 

[Hong-Kong Phooey]

3 weeks ago i would have gone with the clurey / jonas theory. But its hard to go past ah-chee and the game time he has been given lately, surely its all for something.

My preference would be to get Clurey into the team somehow.