Tarrant as a back...

[Lach72]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/72465/default.aspx

By Nathan Schmook 7:20 PM Mon 23 February, 2009

WITH Fremantle forward Chris Tarrant and defender Antoni Grover set to swap positions in 2009, the club's original swingman Luke McPharlin said the move should be a success.

Tarrant is yet to play competitively for Fremantle this pre-season after missing the side's intra-club match and NAB Cup opener against Richmond.

But McPharlin said impressive form on the track should have Tarrant ready to take on North Melbourne at Manuka Oval this Saturday in his new defensive post.

"I'm very excited to see how he takes on the position in defence," McPharlin said from Fremantle Oval on Monday.

"When you're a forward and you go back you certainly know what can irritate a forward, so he's going to take all that experience. He's been pretty good so far – he's taken it on, he's a super athlete (and) he's got a great engine.

"We'll rotate on the bigger type forwards, but I think predominately I'll be deeper than he will be. We'll see how the season unfolds."

The defensive reshuffle has allowed Fremantle to trial Grover up forward.

Grover had a modest night in the three-point loss to Richmond, booting one goal and taking three marks.

But McPharlin said the 28-year-old's intimidating build should see him succeed in the new offensive role.

"You never know how a season is going to unfold but at this stage it looks like Grover will be trialled at full-forward," he said.

"It's a great position for him – he's a big, bulky, intimidating looking guy and he'll certainly intimidate a few young defenders this year."

McPharlin said he was preparing himself for a season played predominately in defence, however, his build-up was unlikely to include this weekend's clash with North Melbourne.

After a pre-season that he said had been 30-40 per cent more productive than previous years, the versatile defender said preparation for the round one clash with the Western Bulldogs was now the priority.

"I've done a fair bit of training and played a couple of games already," he said.

"It's about preparing for round one, so that decision [on travelling to Canberra] will be made later in the week for me.

McPharlin said his pre-season had been well managed under new strength and conditioning boss Jason Weber, who was formerly the physical performance coach of the Australian rugby union team.

McPharlin said captain Matthew Pavlich trained well on Monday morning and should make the trip to Canberra.

 

[Stronzo]

I'm going to reserve my judgement till I see him play there.

 

[theGav56]

Tarrant as a backman is one of things I am not interested in seeing this year, but it seems destined to happen. I have 2 problems;

1) We have a very full list of tall backmen, many of whom struggle in the 1 on 1 true negator aspect of being a backman. That aspect is probably the main thing that I think a forward switching to backman will struggle most with.

2) Without Tarrant we only have Pavlich as a reliable target in the forward line. Grover as third tall looks good to me, as second tall it looks far less good.

 

[IbbosBFF]

Grover = 2009's Campbell Brown

 

[Frigate]

If it works then excellent. It can free up some of these players such as Michael Johnson and Mundy to move up the ground.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

i still think we would be better off playing taz asa wingman ala richo.... i guess it goes to show that the coaches are looking in other areas for players who can win one on one contests, and maybe dont have too much faith in mj, drum, thornton and dodds ability to do that

 

[Swooper Eagle]

i still think we would be better off playing taz asa wingman ala richo....

Spot on. Similar to what we are doing with Q Lynch. All three are hard to beat in the air one-on-one.

 

[Dyslexic Emo]

Spot on. Similar to what we are doing with Q Lynch. All three are hard to beat in the air one-on-one.

Yeah but you have to be able to catch the ball alfterwards, which is easier said than done with Lynch

 

[rotto]

i still think we would be better off playing taz asa wingman ala richo.... i guess it goes to show that the coaches are looking in other areas for players who can win one on one contests, and maybe dont have too much faith in mj, drum, thornton and dodds ability to do that

I totally agree.

 

[Rohan Coventry]

Considering putting Tazz in my SC team.

 

[Docker Dolph]

Spot on. Similar to what we are doing with Q Lynch. All three are hard to beat in the air one-on-one.

The only thing that struggles to beat Qlog one on one is his shadow.

 

[Chops_a_must]

Tarrant as a backman is one of things I am not interested in seeing this year, but it seems destined to happen. I have 2 problems;

1) We have a very full list of tall backmen, many of whom struggle in the 1 on 1 true negator aspect of being a backman. That aspect is probably the main thing that I think a forward switching to backman will struggle most with.

Nah. Rubbish.

Look at all the best full backs of all time. Have usually spent their development or a fair chunk of their careers as full forwards.

To be a good forward, you have to be better one on one than the backman you are playing on - as the rules and other factors make it easier for backmen to win the contest.

Therefore, forwards generally are better one on one - they have to be. Growing up as a forward, you also naturally know where your opponent should or will move to, and where the ball will go.

1 on 1 work is what he will excel at IMO. It's decision making with the ball that is the worry for me.

Spot on. Similar to what we are doing with Q Lynch. All three are hard to beat in the air one-on-one.

Lol.

I love this. Q Lynch is such a hack it is laughable how he is rated.

I distinctly remember in last year's derby, going back with the flight... completely shat his pants, and dropped a chest mark 15 metres on his own - and then lost the ball. It's not like he's not one of the biggest men in the AFL or anything.

 

[Bigger]

Look at all the best full backs of all time. Have usually spent their development or a fair chunk of their careers as full forwards.

To be a good forward, you have to be better one on one than the backman you are playing on - as the rules and other factors make it easier for backmen to win the contest.

Therefore, forwards generally are better one on one - they have to be. Growing up as a forward, you also naturally know where your opponent should or will move to, and where the ball will go.

1 on 1 work is what he will excel at IMO. It's decision making with the ball that is the worry for me.

You have got this completely the wrong way around. I was going to isolate parts (rules favouring the backmen etc) but the whole thing is arsyversy.

perhaps you were taking the p*ss - if so, excuse me and carry on.

 

[Chops_a_must]

You have got this completely the wrong way around. I was going to isolate parts (rules favouring the backmen etc) but the whole thing is arsyversy.

perhaps you were taking the p*ss - if so, excuse me and carry on.

It is being evened up considerably recently.

But forwards still wont get paid frees for the exact same things backs will.

Pav may have 3 people hanging off him most contests, but do you reckon he'd get a free if he was a back? My oath he would.

 

[Bluto]

It is an interesting concept. I guess there are a few good recent examples of forwards going back with success.

For instance Trent Croad...pretty good forward, bordering on very good, but has been turned into a successful defender. Similar case to Tarrant in my eyes.

For Darren Glass not being good enough to be worth persisting with as a forward saved his career.

I suppose in theory it is easier for the backman, given that a forward has to win the contest, while a backman can either win it or cause a lose-lose result.

 

[sumavich]

I'm hearing he's lost the passion to play !! Hope its wrong, but if Harvey can get him to play well as a back then he deserves to stay for as long as he wants IMO, that's Harvey not Tazz !!
I'd rather try him as a swingman like Richo meself !!

 

[MadMac]

Can't see the reason why he couldn't make it as a defender. He knows all the tricks forwards use as he was one of them for all of his career. He's a good mark, has a huge tank and he's no pushover because of his physical strength. But, like many posters, I'd still prefer to see him on the wing [I've been saying this since his first season at Freo].

 

[kp junior]

Bugger all this wingman talk. He is a big massive unit, if you haven't noticed, and this is a rare commodity in the Freo lineup. So he must play key position forward, where he has the career yips in front of goal, or he plays key position back.
He has the body to take on the gorilla forwards, something we have struggled with in the past, and he has the tank to keep up with the elite running forwards. He has CHB written all over him, and together with McPharlin we suddenly have 2 proper big defenders, rather than relying on twigs like Johnson and Mundy, or tweners like Drum and Grover, to play a key position.
Happy days. He is going to dominate at CHB. Leave the wing to wingers like Hinkley and Peake, or if we must play a tall make it big unco Kep.

 

[Dyslexic Emo]

He has CHB written all over him, and together with McPharlin we suddenly have 2 proper big defenders, rather than relying on twigs like Johnson and Mundy, or tweners like Drum and Grover, to play a key position.
Happy days. He is going to dominate at CHB. Leave the wing to wingers like Hinkley and Peake, or if we must play a tall make it big unco Kep.

 

[RickSanchez]

Pfft forget that, I am more worried he said Peake.

 

[SupersonicDocker]

Tarrant has the biggest set of dukes on our team just about. So unless they are inflated with air i want to see him trialed down back.

Lets not do an eagles thing and face the truth, at taz's age shoddy disposal is pretty much set in stone (so no i dont want him on the wing delivering the ball in), thus if glass can be a dominating Back with some of the lowest levels of footskills in the league then so can taz. To be honest taz is just about the only guy we have big enough/strong enough/huge motor to handle a guy like Buddy when you think about it.

With his motor, i'm actually looking forward to seeing how he goes, he will be able to put an extreme amount of physical pressure on his opponent for a long period of time

 

[Moo]

Taz is an extremely hard working footballer and he would be a very disciplined defender as he is a very disciplined forward.

His motor and very reasonable footskills will help with the rebound, plus with his ability to take a grab and deliver the ball cleanly downfield ...I can see the attraction to help break up the inevidble zones we will face.

I'll hold my opinion until I -

(i) see Taz in action

(ii) see what the move back allows us to do in regards to flexibility.

I mean if Taz back means Drum and Campbell can establish themselves as option 2 & 3 ...and it works - no complaints.

We wont/cant have Drum, Mundy, MJ, Grover, McPharlin & Taz running aorund back there... Taz back may be the key to releasing mundy into the mid and this may mean Pav stays forward.

Who knows I want to see all the moves before commenting

 

[theGav56]

Can't see the reason why he couldn't make it as a defender. He knows all the tricks forwards use as he was one of them for all of his career. He's a good mark, has a huge tank and he's no pushover because of his physical strength. But, like many posters, I'd still prefer to see him on the wing [I've been saying this since his first season at Freo].

He may make it, and if Harvey persists with the move I hope he does. But I'd like to think that the back line has been developing set plays and game plans to get the ball from that end of the ground, through the midfield and into the forward line. And I don't particularly want to see a CHB with no experience, and very little pre-season exposure in that position, trying to impliment those game plans.

He also may know that backmen try and get forwards underneath the incoming ball or that they sometimes leave their man to cut off a lead, but he won't have done it many times.

 

[kp junior]

Pfft forget that, I am more worried he said Peake.

substitute Mundy or Hill then. I actually think Peake might have a reasonable year this year

 

[sabre_ac]

I have more faith in the freo hierarchy these days...Specially post Conolly days.

However if it's not working come mid season, stop and forget about it. We have a history of beating a dead horse.

That said I don't think he was that bad forward anyway, contributed without staring.