Strategy Our Small Forward Problem

[Wavvey]

Our lack of depth there is concerning considering we had way too many only a year or two ago. The ability we had to rotate those players in and out of the team was a huge advantage. Think we are starting to see it now with Castagna looking tired and out of form.

 

[living_in_syd]

Its all mental for Rioli, it will come back and dont give up on him.

Just remember, if did kick those goals in the 2017 Prelim with probably dont win 2017. Those goals weren't cheapies either.

 

[Marcel Proust]

Our lack of depth there is concerning considering we had way too many only a year or two ago. The ability we had to rotate those players in and out of the team was a huge advantage. Think we are starting to see it now with Castagna looking tired and out of form.

Edwards can play forward soon... arguably levels above everyone we have outside lambert

Prestia returning allows Pickett/Bolton to go fwd... dimma currently in love with the macca/pickett outside, + cotchin, martin, bolton model

there isnt that many more games untill richmmond should draft MRJ...

Dow and Higgins are intersting options too. RCD getting a game would allow yet another mid to go forward ...

 

[Jurica Stockade]

Our small forwards this season have been very bad. We have lost Bolton to the midfield group, Butler (who was average for us) wasn’t prepared to fight for his spot and left, Stengle went home, Rioli is a completely different player to what we saw in 2017, Aarts has been serviceable but he isn’t great, Baker has been shifted to defence, Higgins had surgery on his brain and is still finding his feet, Stack has lost all of his ability and don’t even get me started on Castagna (I have already melted over this guy in his “GOAT” thread).

The question I pose to you all, is how do we sort out our underperforming smalls?

With sides tending to flood back against us, crumbing and cleanliness at ground level has never been more important, but when the ball hits the deck, our smalls are nowhere to be seen. They’re even on the television screen. I don’t know what they’re doing, because they’re not helping up the ground either. Their positioning is woeful. We no longer lock the ball in and have those inside fifty tackles that made our pressure game so good in 2017.

What do we do? Is it time to move Baker forward again? Bolton can’t play there as he’s too valuable in midfield. Do we try Markov up forward? Dow? Something needs to be done. It needs to be sorted before we go into finals because we are playing with less players when the likes of Castagna regularly get a gig and offer so little, every single week.

I came across this on Twitter a couple of days ago...

View attachment 938590

Grim. We went to being overly stacked in one position to not having one competent small forward.

How about we lower our eyes more and hit up a shorter lead up option rather than bombing long to the talls every time?
Every team knows that what we are going to do and they flood back to negate it.
I guarantee instead of the long bomb the shorter hit up option will spread defences. It will cause confusion amongst them.
This then gives Jack and Lynch a more open forward line and a better chance to clunk or bring it to ground without 34 other players around them.
It will create more space for the crumbers to hit front and centre at speed without a wall of defenders in front of them. This will fix the small forwards problem.
It’s like our players see Lynch and Jack and think I have to kick to them because they’re tall. It drives me mad

 

[69vintage]

Aarts had been very good before last night .10 goals from 7 games is fantastic .
That's a 30 goal normal season .
George ,Higgins and Rioli ordinary .

On SM-A520F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Marcel Proust]

Aarts had been very good before last night .10 goals from 7 games is fantastic .
That's a 30 goal normal season .
George ,Higgins and Rioli ordinary .

On SM-A520F using BigFooty.com mobile app

how much does aarts get paid and how much butler?

pickett kicks goals and doe pressure too.. and he is on 40k

 

[Ceehook]

we have players seemingly not in form

could be if Houli comes back and settles in Baker & Short both improve

Edwards comes back and the mids improve

the key then is the kicks into forward 50 have to be better

Jack R has his mojo back

Lynch only has one premiership medal , he'll want more

selection pressure will sort out the remaining smalls

tune in over the next 6 weeks and watch it unfold

 

[acr2751]

i think the biggest problem with our small forwards is the opposition taking 21 intercept marks in our forward 50
ball needs to be on the ground for them to go to work

 

[Marcel Proust]

i think the biggest problem with our small forwards is the opposition taking 21 intercept marks in our forward 50
ball needs to be on the ground for them to go to work

we seem to keep kicking to the guy thats playing on aarts

 

[acr2751]

forwards moving to far up and defenders sag off
need to stay inside 50 more and go stand wider not higher
use the ground

 

[Marcel Proust]

forwards moving to far up and defenders sag off
need to stay inside 50 more and go stand wider not higher
use the ground

dimma would shout at them for breaking the zone?

 

[Waca Jr]

As has already been mentioned while some of the smalls are put of form the flodding and entry into F50 hasn't exactly been clean. Pretty hard to keep pressure on when the opposition can get a chain of 5 and 6 dinky handballs before blazing away out of defence. Reckon the coaching staff will look to rectify that in the off season. In saying that Aarts is first picked small now for mine. Higgins next in line however I don't know where that leaves Caddy. Would also like Markov to play there this game when Houli comes back

 

[tugga]

Castagna didn't make the distance from 35 metres out. You are travelling badly when that happens.

 

[SunshineBoy]

Castagna didn't make the distance from 35 metres out. You are travelling badly when that happens.

Twice

 

[tugga]

For what it's worth, I'd be playing Caddy as a permanent forward.

 

[Marcel Proust]

For what it's worth, I'd be playing Caddy as a permanent forward.

Too fat and slow?

 

[tugga]

Too fat and slow?

Yes, groupie is isn't he?

 

[Tony Stark]

Dimma in the presser talked about us having to do better getting the ball to ground from marking contests. If that's the case then here's an idea and it may seem odd but why not kick the ball into space inside 50, grass cutter style. That way our speed advantage suddenly comes into play plus if you get there first you have more time. Its just not working when aimlessly bombing high balls into the goal square when opposition sides are flooding their backlines with talls.

When we play WC and Cats it would be football suicide to play the high ball as we are doing. Our gameplan revolves around winning the ground ball, let's get it to the ground first.

 

[sante]

Maybe with Houli returning and Markov doing well we might try Baker up forward again?

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Its all mental for Rioli, it will come back and dont give up on him.

Just remember, if did kick those goals in the 2017 Prelim with probably dont win 2017. Those goals weren't cheapies either.

I sort of agree but how much patience do you have with him?

 

[Goshaa]

Maybe with Houli returning and Markov doing well we might try Baker up forward again?

That’s the best solution IMO.

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Reckon we need to add a quality medium forward to the mix.

21-22 maybe Ralphsmith can be the man. Capable in the air as well as on the ground.

Like to see Shedda spend more time in the forward line too. Would easily be our most creative and dangerous small in that role.
Perhaps he and Bolton rotating mid/forward with Shai spending more mid and Sheds more forward minutes

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Maybe with Houli returning and Markov doing well we might try Baker up forward again?

Good call has the foot skills and doesn’t fumble. Reckon he played as a small forward/ mid before we drafted him

 

[mad_tiggy911]

Baker could be our Mr Fix it.

 

[tiger_tough]

I wouldn't be taking Baker out of our back line. He's been a jet there.