Putting Bock up forward

[Porps_is_HOT_loz]

Bock ready to attack;

• NATHAN Bock says he's "prepared to do anything" when it comes to fixing Adelaide's impotent attack.

A firm favourite to win an All-Australian guernsey at centre half-back this year, the Crows' gun defender is more than willing to switch roles for the betterment of his team.
With Crows' coach Neil Craig poised to fill holes vacated by injured pair Brett Burton and Jason Porplyzia, Bock certainly won't shy away from an impending assignment in attack.
"I'm prepared to do anything," Bock, 25, said.
"I had a bit of a taste up there (on Saturday) along with Bass (Nathan Bassett) and Graham Johncock.
"I'm sure Craigy (Neil Craig) will keep mixing it up and trying some different personnel up there.
"Hopefully we can find the right combination to kick a winning score."
With his options limited in the second half against Collingwood on Saturday, Craig turned to his defensive star to play a forward line cameo at the MCG.
And he says he won't be afraid to do something similar in Sunday's Showdown XXV at AAMI Stadium.
"Nathan Bock played there (forward) last year for a long period of time so he's obviously one option," Craig noted.
It's easy to forget Bock - given his dominance in defence this season - chalked up 29.19 from 22 games as a forward in 2007.
Having also played a significant portion of his junior football with Woodville-West Torrens as a forward, Bock says he's ready to embrace change at West Lakes.
"I played the majority of my footy up there last year so it's not different to me," Bock, averaging 23 disposals this season, said.
"Obviously playing this year primarily in defence, if I get the opportunity to go forward I'll accept that challenge and give it my all."
Bock said the playing group was "feeling" for their two fallen comrades.
But if their absence isn't covered from within by himself, Bassett or Johncock, Bock has faith in those jostling for forward positions at Adelaide.
"It's not a good sign (losing Burton and Porplyzia) but we've got Gilly (Nick Gill) who's just coming back into a bit of footy and we've got Trent Hentschel as well," Bock said.
"So there's two guys who are obviously going to get an opportunity, we just really need all hands on deck and everyone to stand up.
"I don't think it's just goalscoring. It's going to be a test for the whole footy group.
"Obviously Porps and Bird being out, it's going to take a huge effort from the boys and it's going to take a lot of courage to be able to step up and finish off the year really strongly."

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/sport/afl/story/0,26547,24014395-5014664,00.html

How would this effect our backline??

Thoughts?

 

[Stephen2]

Please no Bock, stay where you are... Would make a good article:
Bock says GET STUFFED to moving forward

In: Walker, Mackay, Gill

 

[coast2coast]

no thanks!!

we're already having enough trouble clearing the ball out of our defensive 50 without losing our best rebounder.

 

[aNty]

Its a good idea imho, Port play a very small forward line so:

Truck - Tredea
Stevens - Westhoff
Bass - Motlop

Would work fine imho and it could allow Bock to go forward. Wouldn't mind Walker in to.

 

[WALL-e]

When you have a AA CHB...don't move him.

out goes burton, pops, griffen, stevens, campbell

in comes walker, mackay, sellar, otten, jericho

 

[Porps_is_HOT_loz]

When you have a AA CHB...don't move him.

out goes burton, pops, griffen, stevens, campbell

in comes walker, mackay, sellar, otten, jericho

I agree with you mate.

I cant really see Craugy taking out Stevens altough I would love him to go back to the SANFL and get his confidence back. We will probably see Griffen go back to the SANFL.

With the others above; Gill wont come in. His game on Saturday was very bad. Jerico will come in; thats a certain.

This is what I would love to see, which is relistic:
OUT: Burton, Porps, Griffen, Campbell (may be given another chance).
IN: Walker, Jerico, Mackay, Otten

If Campbell is given another chance Otten wont come in.

 

[xamol]

I don't think Walker will come in.
He is a great talent. But I don't think he is ready for that sort of pressure.

 

[WALL-e]

I don't think Walker will come in.
He is a great talent. But I don't think he is ready for that sort of pressure.[/quote]

Really? He stirkes me as a big time game player. He booted 7 in the Grand Final for Broken Hill last year and has that attitude we need when playing Port.

 

[Porps_is_HOT_loz]

I don't think Walker will come in.
He is a great talent. But I don't think he is ready for that sort of pressure.[/quote]

Really? He stirkes me as a big time game player. He booted 7 in the Grand Final for Broken Hill last year and has that attitude we need when playing Port.

Yeah agreed.
I hope Craigy reads bigfooty.

 

[aNty]

When you have a AA CHB...don't move him.

out goes burton, pops, griffen, stevens, campbell

in comes walker, mackay, sellar, otten, jericho

He may be AA CHB but PA have no CHF, Tredea has the mobility of a snail and will probaly play FF. PA won't really have a KP CHF for Bock to play on and our backline is too tall to play for their small forward line.

If Bock doesn't play CHF then who does?

-Walker: Natural forward and very talented but making someone play the hardest position on the ground on their debut is too much.
-Sellar: I doubt you would throw a kid directly in from the magoos into AFL, esp when he seems better suited to the ruck.
- Jericho: He could play a Burton like lead up role, but once the ball hits the ground he lacks the commitment of Burton to try and hold it up. Once the ball his the ground Jericho goes missing.
-K-mac: his done.

Bock realistically is the only one that can play CHF, he played it last year and he is the best bet. He is a band-aid solution but he is the best we have.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Personally, I would rather have Bock stay at CHB and continue playing the type of footy he has played so far this year.

However, I can see him lining up at CHF against Port. I would rather see someone else get a go (I think Gilly is a good chance) than move Bock from a position that he has dominated in this year.

I hope he stays in defence.

 

[KUNG FU]

IN: Jericho & Walker
OUT: Porps & Burton

Pre-2007, I was a big fan of Bock's potential as a forward, but that experiment is well and truly over. There's nothing wrong with a bit of switch-a-roo mid game, but Bock will save more goals in defence and set up more goals with his run that he will kick as a forward target. Simple equation really.

 

[Damp Squarie]

no thanks!!

we're already having enough trouble clearing the ball out of our defensive 50 without losing our best rebounder.

Youve got my vote too.
We need line breakers with balls to take on the opponent first...if they do that right our <impotent forward line> will get the ball delivered fast and to advantage...put Basset there instead..we wouldnt lose any run then

 

[coast2coast]

I don't think Walker will come in.
He is a great talent. But I don't think he is ready for that sort of pressure.

tex eats pressure for breakfast! i reckon it's pretty clear he thrives on attention. he's kicked nine and five in the two televised matches he's played, and seven in a gf. am i right in thinking they are the three biggest games he would have played in his short career?

ok, playing north adelaide at norwood oval is a fair way removed from a showdown. and playing against north broken hill is another galaxy away. but if you throw him in the deep end i think he's more likely to swim than sink.

it comes down to the structure of the forward line he's playing in. of course we can't expect him to be the main focal point and thrive. but if you bring back gill to hold down chf against chaplin/chad, tippett at ff against carlile - i'd back tex to be competitive on a flank against a surjan or pettigrew.

 

[malph]

When you have a AA CHB...don't move him.

Port has the best CHB in the league. When he was moved, he became an All Australian midfielder. It's not always a bad idea.

He may be AA CHB but PA have no CHF, Tredea has the mobility of a snail and will probaly play FF.

I wish. He should play FF, but hasn't really been played there properly all year. I think the concept of creating a contest at the top of the goalsquare for talented small forwards to feed off isn't fancy enough for the coaching staff. Expect to see him wandering slowly near the boundary line at half forward . . .

 

[King Elvis]

As an option, it's a good one - but I'd rather we tried Stevens or Rutten in the forward line first, and then moved Bock if it wasn't working.

 

[Rave Slave]

Hello Peter, so sorry to have to do this old chap but I owe Paul an awful lot of money, tally-ho, hand over the goods.

 

[Mismatched]

Quite frankly, I would much prefer to see us move Rutten forward and leave Bock in defence. Both would have no trouble dealing with Tredrea, Bock just happens to provide so much more run and carry from defence and hence is probably worth more to us in defence than Rutten. Also, it should be noted that they would have similar outputs if shifted into attack, might play a different style of game.

I think one of the 2 must make the move this weekend up forward, we only need one as Port only really have Tredrea and Westhoff as talls and Stevens or Massie could take Westhoff. The move of 1 of these blokes forward would relieve pressure off Tippet as our only permanent tall forward. Rutten whilst perhaps not the quickest of blokes will beat any port defender in one on ones, is also very efficient with his disposal and cool under pressure, something which we could use up forward.

Also if it doesn't work, Rutten can always go back and either release Bock forward or just play Bock as a free man in defence.

As for Stevens, he's just not big enough to fill that tall forward role and doesn't have the ability to get around this. He's a much better defender than he is forward at AFL level, so I'd keep him there if I could, he hasn't been able to do a lot in his time up forward this year, so I think its time we tried something different.

 

[SellarStardom]

Bock down back is the obvious choice with Rutten up forward along with Tippett, Walker and Jericho. I still feel that Moran needs to come in as a ruck option as Lade and Brogan will go at the Maric and Tippett hard and Griffin won't cope.

Our back 6 would be massie, bock, stevens, bassett, johncock and doughty.

Forward 6 ideally Walker Tippett and Douglas, along with Truck at CHF Jericho and edwards. Moran on the bench to come in for Maric in ruck or Tippett at goal square and could even take Rutten's spot at CHF. The Port defense would be stuffed with that set up if we deliver half decent ball to the forwards.

 

[Vince Van Mackay]

Hello Peter, so sorry to have to do this old chap but I owe Paul an awful lot of money, tally-ho, hand over the goods.

Peter is rich, he can afford it.

 

[KUNG FU]

Peter is rich, he can afford it.

Yeah, but anyone with an understanding of economics knows that uber-wealth is always reliant on a careful balance of infrastructure and available resources. Taking Bock out would be like Qantas deciding they don't need airport licencing or fuel.

 

[relapse]

As match as I want to see him in the side I just cant see Adelaide rushin Walker into the side. Obviously his current forms warrants it, but if the club dont want to rush him and he is happy to stay in the SANFL this year then we wont see him, but if he is actually pushing to get a jumper then the club will have no choice but to play him, but I have not heard this though.

I am expecting McGregor to come in (given the conservative nature of our selections this year) as a utility to either play forward or back which will give the option to play bock as a forward so I think K-Mac's versatility will get him over the line over Gill.

I would also consider playing goody at full forward and have tippet or Maric resting in the pocket and Jericho in the other pocket.

 

[Dogga79]

I don't mind if he goes forward. I think we have to. Maybe Rutten should go forward. I dont want to make this out to be about Ken McGregor, but he is not the answer. Nick Gill would be better. At least he can run.

 

[relapse]

I don't mind if he goes forward. I think we have to. Maybe Rutten should go forward. I dont want to make this out to be about Ken McGregor, but he is not the answer. Nick Gill would be better. At least he can run.

I agree with you and in a perfect world I would pick Tex, but knowing the Crows they will go for McGregor's versatility as it will give them an option up forward or put him down back to free up Bock or Rutten to go forward. If they go with Gill it doesn't give them the option of being able to move Bock or Rutten forward.

I do agree with your points though and Gill would be better to bring in than McGregor, but knowing how we go for the safe option leads me to think they will pick McGregor over Gill for the showdown.

 

[DJ75]

Highly doubtful Gill will play. The crows trained in doors today and after training when the rest of the boys were changed and heading to a meeting, Gill was left icing his calf. Just can't see the risk of an out of form, injured player being selected.