TAZ, McPharlap and Flexability

[Tommo]

In another Tread the possibility of moving Taz Back was brought up.
I felt this deserved its own thread.

I am not in favor of a permanent change, but I do think we could increase the flexibility of the team.

Having the ability to switch Taz and Luke, within a game, can swing momentum in our favor by creating match up problems for the opposition.

Being able to switch certain players forward and back and vis-versa during a game can really change the dynamics of the play. We have done this a little with players like Mundy and and Thornton, but I would like to see us give it a go with KPPs.
Then there is Haddrill, who I can't believe has been talked about as a possible retirement. He has been switch forward and back in the WAFL all year.

 

[pistol17]

Id like to play McPharlin in a role similar to that of Adam Hunter at West Coast.

Worsfold seems to able to play him forward and back in most games depending on how the side is going.

I dont think Tarrant would be suited to a defensive role however it may be worth a try possibly if we lose this weeks derby, finals officially over, Harvey can look at options for next season.

 

[newlander77]

Taz could be played off a wing or further up field. His defensive skills are excellent in adhoc situations, but in a one on one tagging situation I doubt he would have a lot of experience there, so probably too big a risk.

He was traded for as a goal scorer and/or someone who can set goals up. You have to back him in and help him regain some confidence.

McPharlin should be moved to CHB and float forward for periods in a game in that Adam Hunter type role as pistol suggested. Further more this is the week to do it! His freakish skills are being wasted IMO!

 

[DockerDuke]

Why the hell would be considering this??

In reality they are pretty similar. Strong marks, very fast, cant kick.

Leave McPharlin at CHB ala Hunter and yes let him push forward with his speed and kick long.

Tarrant is a forward fullstop. The only reason he ends up on the HF line and wings is because our team are too slow to break lines, not skillful enough and quick enough to make the decision to hit him when he is leading. His work rate is enormus - he suits the forward line becuase his fitness can create lead after lead, which is what he has to do, why our player with the ball holds it for 30 odd seconds before kicking 15 metres across or behind. The majority of our guys just cant hit the moving target.

Note to Mark Harvey. Pre- season - Work our guys harder than ever before. Running, Kicking, Handpassing, Decision making, Stoppages. They sound simple enough yet we make it look so, so hard.

 

[FREO81]

Yes i agree with using a Mcpharlin as a foward and a defender. There is also Johnson who can do it as well.
Tarrent on the other hand should work with Pavlich at CHF leading on opposite wings not in defence. They both have a raking long kicks where i would have a Murphy leading or jumping packs in the goal square. This will stop the double teaming on Pavlich and Tarrent leaving Murphy one out in the foward 25m with Farmer at front and centre of Murphy. As long as Tarrent can present at CHF and can pass it off to Murphy or Pavlich for a Goal Assist, his job is done. Goals Assist these days is the worth the same as Goals.

 

[summerthebat]

I wouldn't be against trying Tarrant in the backline, but that McPharlin to forward line trick has never ever ever worked, even when he was a fulltime forward. He is a great defender for a guy that has only been there 2 seasons, he will only get better.

 

[Peel Supporter]

I would suggest he be used in the middle. He said he saw himself in the Hird mould. I think he may see it, I don't see it, yet! Let him have his chance, he may be better off getting the goalkicking "yips" out of his system. He's certainly no slower than any current midfield player, his hands are fine too.
Just a thought.
This is based on R Murphy playing at FF, Pav at CHF with support from Crowley, Farmer, Bell and Headland playing forward with rotations from Hasleby, Schammer and Gilmore.

 

[theGav56]

Tarrant is having a good year playing HF and moving up to the wing. Gets lots of possesions and has good defensive pressure. Obviously he is not a reliable goal-kicker, but that was well documented, and his other areas are reasonable, and he does get manned up on by a decent defender in recognition of this, taking some pressure off Pavlich. At the moment he has a problem with his kicking due to the operation on his calf, which is being worked on.

 

[ImperialPurple]

How to fix Taz's yips

1st August 2007, 10:15 WST



WA football legend John Todd says Fremantle should shift Chris Tarrant to centre half-back to give him time to overcome a flaw in his kicking and to give Ryan Murphy a chance to establish himself in the team.

Tarrant was suffering from “the yips” in front of goal. It was curable but it would take time.

Murphy had been denied opportunity in the team because of Tarrant’s presence in attack, Todd said.

The West Australian contacted two of the greatest left-footers in the State’s history, Todd and Barry Cable, for views on Tarrant’s kicking, which reached a crisis point against Geelong when he shanked a couple of shots on goal.

Poor kicking has marred Tarrant’s best efforts for Fremantle this year.

His 27-possession game against Collingwood produced just two behinds and a couple of other shots went out on the full. On Saturday, a similarly hard-working 23-disposal effort against Geelong produced just 1.1 and more complete misses, prompting an admission from coach Mark Harvey that the club needed a greater scoreboard return.

“He is working really hard in the game and he is getting a lot of the ball but we need more return from what he is doing,” Harvey said.

Todd and Cable believed Tarrant’s biggest problem was confidence, although Todd said his technique needed a minor adjustment.

“He is a lefty and I always find that lefties have to have their left hand further up towards the nose of the ball,” Todd said. “He lets the ball go far too soon and the margin for error by the time the ball hits his foot is too big. He has got to reduce that.

“I have always felt that your hands are the most important aspect to being a really good kick.

“You have a look at all the really good kicks – their hands are very much in control of the footy. It gives the kicking leg the opportunity to maximise.

“It is only about two inches that he has got to move his hand towards the nose of the ball and I reckon he may get a better result. Apart from that it is only a confidence thing. He has got the yips at the moment.

“Chris has got to that stage where he is just frightened to have a shot at goal. When he is out in the midfield his kicking is OK. He just chokes around goals.”

Todd, who won three successive flags with Swan Districts, said it was possible to significantly improve a player’s kicking.

He related the tale of Stan Nowotny, a rugged half-back who became a centre half-forward for Swans and even played at full-forward in one of their premiership teams.

“We just changed his hands around a bit so he had more control over the footy and he ended up being a very good kick of the footy,” Todd said.

Tarrant had the “engine” and the agility to play at centre half-back. The fact that he was left-footed could help to change the pattern of play and it would also give Murphy more opportunities.

“He has taken Murphy’s spot and Murphy showed promise last year and this year hasn’t really had a run at it,” Todd said.

“It is now time to experiment a little bit and find out if he (Tarrant) can play other roles. They have got to find out if Murphy is going to be any good for them. That is the sad part about Fremantle at the moment. They are not quite sure about their personnel.”

Cable said he was available to advise Tarrant if the Dockers forward wanted to seek him out.

“He has got the right equipment,” Cable said. “There might have to be a couple of slight adjustments but it is more his confidence, knowing within himself that he can kick it. He is a good, talented young man and I can see from watching him that confidence is all that he lacks.”

MARK DUFFIELD

 

[dominguez]

I don't have a problem with Tarrant going to CHB, but there's no point taking him out of the forward line and replacing him with McPharlin because they are both shocking kicks for goal. I'd rather see Johnson or Mundy swung forward if Tarrant goes back.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Very harsh on McPharlin, Dom. He does have a bizarre and ineffective-looking kicking action when having a shot, but in roughly a season's worth of playing FF over 2005/2006 he kicked 49.21. That's excellent accuracy - and this from just being "thrust" forward after playing all of his senior career prior to that as a defender.

If we could get that return from Taz in a season - while still having Pav kick his 70-80, we'd be laughing.

 

[dominguez]

Very harsh on McPharlin, Dom. He does have a bizarre and ineffective-looking kicking action when having a shot, but in roughly a season's worth of playing FF over 2005/2006 he kicked 49.21. That's excellent accuracy - and this from just being "thrust" forward after playing all of his senior career prior to that as a defender.

If we could get that return from Taz in a season - while still having Pav kick his 70-80, we'd be laughing.

I guess the ones he sprayed stick out in the mind more and I recall him missing a couple after marking at the top of the goal square. I was never confident as he lined up for goal.

It seems like such a long time ago that he was at full forward, but he was moved back at the split round last year IIRC.

 

[DOCKER MAN]

I have a better idea we play taz as a Half Foward/Wing and have Murphy and Campbell leading out of the goal square and Pav at CHF.