Our Tagger.

[rustyg70]

This is one area that I've felt we need to improve on this year.
With a full pre season under his belt, will we elect to go with McCaffer again?
If so, I presume that we will ask him to run around shadowing Pendles/Beams/ Swan this pre season to learn how and where midfielders run.
Is there anyone else on our list that may be asked to play this roll?
Maybe Williams??? Might be too small. Has the strenght and defencive capabilities. Do we need him in the backline for the small forwards.
Toovs?? Has the pace and defencive capabilities, but as with Williams, do we need him down back?
O'Brien?? Has the pace, can defend and we have other options for his spot on the wing. Also capable of hurting the opposition the on the rebound.
Maybe Seeds?? Definately has the pace. May help his game (teaching him where and when to run)
Any other options out there that you can think of??

 

[Cory]

Maxwell.

 

[Jonno94]

Armstrong, because to be a tagger your arms must be strong.

 

[Quicky]

This man!

Macaffer needs to be our tagger next year against the vast majority of midfielders. However his worst games came against the prolific outside types such as Griffen so we might need to develop a player when we need to tag them. I don't think that will be in too many games however.

I would say Sinclair for this role, but worry he may be too slight. He keeps proving me wrong though, I think he has the application and will to make a go of it.

 

[Pera]

Macaffer did jobs on some pretty handy players this season. I'd certainly be backing him in again next year.

 

[Quicky]

Armstrong, because to be a tagger your arms must be strong.

You mean Adams right?

 

[Quicky]

Maxwell.

Why do you think Maxwell would be a good option Cory?

 

[Old Spice]

This man!

Macaffer needs to be our tagger next year against the vast majority of midfielders. However his worst games came against the prolific outside types such as Griffen so we might need to develop a player when we need to tag them. I don't think that will be in too many games however.

I would say Sinclair for this role, but worry he may be too slight. He keeps proving me wrong though, I think he has the application and will to make a go of it.

 

[Jelly Bean]

Firstly, I think we need to develop our midfield to the point where we don't need a tagger (similar to the good MM years). A tagger takes a good player out of our midfield, bringing down the number of players we have competing for the ball around the contest on our side.

Although there are times where we need one. When we do, I would argue Macaffer is the guy to go to for the following types of taggng jobs:
a) Inside mids (has done some good work here, and has the body for it)
b) attacking half backs (can shut them down in space, and provide an attacking target re 2010).

And for outside mids (and forwards) I would give the job to Tooves (especially if we can bring in some more half backs to take his spot deep). Has the speeed, fitness, discipline, and defensive ability.

I also suggest Tooves being a good match-up for Buddy next time we play him (if Tooves is right). Can go with him around the ground, and Buddy isn't all that much of a threat in te air anyway.

 

[morelli89]

Caff was very good in the role this year, I'm would definitely back him in to get better

 

[Quicky]

And for outside mids (and forwards) I would give the job to Tooves (especially if we can bring in some more half backs to take his spot deep). Has the speeed, fitness, discipline, and defensive ability.

I also suggest Tooves being a good match-up for Buddy next time we play him (if Tooves is right). Can go with him around the ground, and Buddy isn't all that much of a threat in te air anyway.

At the moment at least, and following the loss of Shaw, I don't think we really have the depth to take Tooves out of the back half. The few times he has played up the ground (I'm going back awhile here so you could argue it isn't too relevant anyway) he struck me as a guy that enjoyed the play coming at him and was less comfortable with the 360 nature (that spatial awareness) that you need in midfield. That said I wouldn't mind it tried. It is better to know what a player can do, and build that versatility in a list, than stay stagnant and be unimaginative.

 

[Cory]

Why do you think Maxwell would be a good option Cory?

It was a joke post Q .

 

[dansa]

Why do you think Maxwell would be a good option Cory?

Didn't Maxwell play one of his greatest games as a tagger in the 2009 semi final against Adelaide? Best on ground or one of the best. My memory isn't great.

 

[Swooop]

Rightly or wrongly, I'm thinking you need four main attributes - concentration, strength, speed to go with the guy and lastly a bit of mongrel ( eg Crowley who is the best tagger by a distance I think)

Not sure if Caff has the speed and the mongrel.

Marley has strength, speed and mongrel - IF he had the concentration, then he'd be my pick.

Tooves' return and possible development in Sinclair, or Seed or Armstrong could replace Marley on the backline.

 

[Avatar]

Caff did well this year running with the inside mids so comfortable with him doing that again in 2014. Better to get someone else to tag, or at least run with, the outside mids when required. No point in trying to get Caff to do this when players like Sinclair or Williams probably wouldn't do a worse job and would gain valuable midfield experience at the same time.

Not going to say we don't need a tagger or should aim to get to that stage, I think that will be decided week to week and if we have Caff plus someone else who can do a run with or hard tag job when required as well as play their usual role we should be set, this flexibility could be crucial. Caff can still play the half forward role well, don't want him to be seen as a tagger only.

In saying that, as well as Caff performed this year with the jobs given I still see him as a fringe player and if others keep coming on he could be on the outer.

 

[Avatar]

Rightly or wrongly, I'm thinking you need four main attributes - concentration, strength, speed to go with the guy and lastly a bit of mongrel ( eg Crowley who is the best tagger by a distance I think)

Not sure if Caff has the speed and the mongrel.

Marley has strength, speed and mongrel - IF he had the concentration, then he'd be my pick.

Tooves' return and possible development in Sinclair, or Seed or Armstrong could replace Marley on the backline.

I wouldn't mind Marley in a run with kind of role, not a hard tag role though. To me, one of his great strengths is his manic attack on the ball - many times this year he hit the ball (or ball + other player(s)) at speed, gathered cleanly and was off. I don't want to stifle that at all, a run with role should allow him the freedom to still play to this strength as well as limit an opponent. Really, just like playing his current role but as part of the midfield.

 

[TradeDraft]

Agree that Caff would keep his job as a Tagger

 

[mattys123]

The problem with Macaffer as tagger is he is extremely limited to the type of player he can go with due to his distinct lack of pace.

He can matchup on the slower inside mids but I've never thought you can really tag those players anyway so we should look for someone new to tag the mids that did kill us in 2012 and 13, and that's the players that spread from the middle.

Williams is not an option, with Shaw leaving and Toovey coming off an ACL Marley becomes our most reliable small defender so we simply can't take him out of the backline.

My solution; BEN SINCLAIR; Give him a big summer on the weights and let him tag throughout the pre season (tagging Swan, Pendles etc in intra club games). Sinclair already has the defensive ability as he's played as both a defensive forward and a half back, and he has pace and toughness to burn.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

Caff is a good tagger but his only weakness is that he is not damaging enough. Tagger can't just negate a player, they also need to go the other way. Wellingham's game against Gablett back when he was a Cat was one of the best I've seen. Taylor Hunt also did a good job early this year when I saw his game.

If Caff can get one or two goals a game while shutting down a player like he has been, will be a real weapon.

 

[Hva sher a]

At the moment at least, and following the loss of Shaw, I don't think we really have the depth to take Tooves out of the back half. The few times he has played up the ground (I'm going back awhile here so you could argue it isn't too relevant anyway) he struck me as a guy that enjoyed the play coming at him and was less comfortable with the 360 nature (that spatial awareness) that you need in midfield. That said I wouldn't mind it tried. It is better to know what a player can do, and build that versatility in a list, than stay stagnant and be unimaginative.

agree that we should at least try it. but I doubt Toovey has the midfield smarts to play against the really good generals that need stopping. Not saying he's dumb, I just don't think he has the right instincts and might lose his man in traffic too often.
Would like to be wrong of course.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

Didn't Maxwell play one of his greatest games as a tagger in the 2009 semi final against Adelaide? Best on ground or one of the best. My memory isn't great.

It was an elimination final in 08' (we played them both years) and he blanketed Scott Thompson.

 

[HappyRed]

Maxwell.

Get this man a trophy.. that is brilliant thinking. I couldn't agree more. We have to find him a new role. That could be the task.

 

[HappyRed]

The problem with Macaffer as tagger is he is extremely limited to the type of player he can go with due to his distinct lack of pace.

He can matchup on the slower inside mids but I've never thought you can really tag those players anyway so we should look for someone new to tag the mids that did kill us in 2012 and 13, and that's the players that spread from the middle.

Williams is not an option, with Shaw leaving and Toovey coming off an ACL Marley becomes our most reliable small defender so we simply can't take him out of the backline.

My solution; BEN SINCLAIR; Give him a big summer on the weights and let him tag throughout the pre season (tagging Swan, Pendles etc in intra club games). Sinclair already has the defensive ability as he's played as both a defensive forward and a half back, and he has pace and toughness to burn.

Hey Matt,

I just checked your blog again, as i used to do quite often. Do you plan on doing perhaps a Season Preview of 2014 at some stage? I saw you did a 2013 Season Review.

(Sorry i know a little off topic)

Would like to give it a read if you did.

 

[vjknight]

Williams is not an option, with Shaw leaving and Toovey coming off an ACL Marley becomes our most reliable small defender so we simply can't take him out of the backline.

IMO when the opponent or situation allows giving marley the task could prove vital to his education and development as a mid in coming years.

caf remains the obvious choice in the short term.

 

[Mungo Mulligan Stew]

This is one area [tagger] that I've felt we need to improve on this year.

Any other options out there that you can think of??

Mooney.

Can outrun a rabbit...

Great leap...strong mark...

Tenacious tackler...

Strong body...solid build...

Can break lines and hurt the opposition going forward with the ball.

C'mon, Bucks - give th' Celtic Colt a fair go this season - give the lad some full games of AFL boot on leather.