Roast The backline.

[Marlin01]

This is my preferred backline:

HB: Stevenson Glass Hurn
FB: Waters Emac Schofield

With Smith, Butler, McGinnity and Brennan rotating through.

Where would Smith, Butler etc be playing when they aren't in the backline?

 

[FLETCH41]

nah see he has got you on a technicality there. Selwood was the 22 player chosen for that match so the "Eagles cant win a premiership with Selwood in the 21" still stands

I'm sorry guys just had to post this! Im a long time reader of posts and an extremely big fam of one Adam Selwood! i have read a few of the posts saying that Adam wasnt even our best 22 in our 2006 and premiership team. I think if you click on this link from our own website you will find Adam actually was named on a half back flank! not on the interchange as you would expect someone who was not considered in our best 22 when we won the flag! http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/2006%20premiership%20team/tabid/7290/default.aspx

Also guys another thing i know im a bit one eyed but Adam had on average 17 disposals when he spent a fair amount of time as a defender. He is consistent, hard at the footy and always gives everything he has for us.
That smother on the goal line in the Qualifying final last year was awesome!!!
Here are some of his best stats from last year:

Season Highlights


28 disps (14 kicks 14 hballs), 4 marks and 4 tackles in Rd 24 95-pt win over Adelaide at Patersons Stadium (3 Sep 2011)

19 disps (15 kicks 4 hballs) and 8 marks in Rd 17 21-pt loss to St Kilda at Etihad Stadium (16 Jul 2011)

25 disps (18 kicks 7 hballs), 7 marks and 4 tackles in Rd 12 39-pt win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium (11 Jun 2011)

27 disps (14 kicks 13 hballs) and 6 marks in Rd 10 52-pt loss to Collingwood at the MCG (29 May 2011)

Sorry guys i just feel like we have another Masten/Gherig/Staker/Wooden/Nickoski situation here!

Give Adam a chance guys!

 

[beatlesmith]

HB: Hurn, E-Mac, Smith/Stevenson/Sheppard/Brennan
B: Butler, Glass, Schofield

Waters playing more of a utility role starting on the HFF but rotating back. Scooter rotating back also when fatigue/injury/matchups require it.
Would give Smith first shot there because he has runs on the board from last year, but would base that position on form.
I'd like to include Mcginnity but as a primarily negative player I feel he is competing directly with Butler down back and Scooter in the midfield, and I'd take both of those over him. Possibly could get a spot on the bench, especially against teams with dangerous small forwards.

 

[jdisc]

our backline in the first NAB cup match seemed to well with the run of half back aspect

 

[Goldfish]

I'm sorry guys just had to post this! Im a long time reader of posts and an extremely big fam of one Adam Selwood! i have read a few of the posts saying that Adam wasnt even our best 22 in our 2006 and premiership team. I think if you click on this link from our own website you will find Adam actually was named on a half back flank! not on the interchange as you would expect someone who was not considered in our best 22 when we won the flag! http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/2006 premiership team/tabid/7290/default.aspx

Also guys another thing i know im a bit one eyed but Adam had on average 17 disposals when he spent a fair amount of time as a defender. He is consistent, hard at the footy and always gives everything he has for us.
That smother on the goal line in the Qualifying final last year was awesome!!!
Here are some of his best stats from last year:

Season Highlights


28 disps (14 kicks 14 hballs), 4 marks and 4 tackles in Rd 24 95-pt win over Adelaide at Patersons Stadium (3 Sep 2011)

19 disps (15 kicks 4 hballs) and 8 marks in Rd 17 21-pt loss to St Kilda at Etihad Stadium (16 Jul 2011)

25 disps (18 kicks 7 hballs), 7 marks and 4 tackles in Rd 12 39-pt win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium (11 Jun 2011)

27 disps (14 kicks 13 hballs) and 6 marks in Rd 10 52-pt loss to Collingwood at the MCG (29 May 2011)

Sorry guys i just feel like we have another Masten/Gherig/Staker/Wooden/Nickoski situation here!

Give Adam a chance guys!

I used to be an Adam fan,, and he was a fantastic tagger back in 05-06. The problem is now he has lost a couple or yards of pace, and as such we have other tagging options (like his brother, who i hope can end up an elite player). He has now moved to half back, and time and time again he costs us goals, he is not able to use the ball in a manner suitable for football today, and turnovers hurt too much from the half back line as they often result in a goals. Adam is a very similar player to Troy who was delisted by Bris and now captains the Geelong VFL side. Adam would be very capable at that level as he would have time to not panic when disposing of the football.

 

[Such is life Ben]

I used to be an Adam fan,, and he was a fantastic tagger back in 05-06. The problem is now he has lost a couple or yards of pace, and as such we have other tagging options (like his brother, who i hope can end up an elite player). He has now moved to half back, and time and time again he costs us goals, he is not able to use the ball in a manner suitable for football today, and turnovers hurt too much from the half back line as they often result in a goals. Adam is a very similar player to Troy who was delisted by Bris and now captains the Geelong VFL side. Adam would be very capable at that level as he would have time to not panic when disposing of the football.

No doubt Selwood has some good qualities, but hes not the player he was, our side is different to what it was in 05-06 and the game has changed. To improve we needto step up again in disposal (the pendulum still sits with too many contested ball winners with poor kicks IMO).

I mean look at the guys we had in there last year for the major part:
- Emac (poor kick)
- Glassy (poor to average kick but makes good decisions)
- Waters (poor kick)
- Butler (good kick)
- Schofield (poor to average kick)
- Stevens (average to good kick)
- Hurn (elite kick)
- A Selwood (poor kick)
- McGinnity (poor to average kick)

For a back 6 (or 7 if spare man) of which 3 or 4 will be smalls and with the disposal of our talls (coupled with our midfield) I think we can only handle 1 poor kick (if 3) (probs Waters). I would love to see 2 good to elite kicks (Hurn and Butler) and someone with a bit more dash (ie Stevenson or Brennan or Smith when in form which I think at the moment he isnt).

Having said that, have a funny feeling Woosha will stick with A Selwood and a McGinnity before he throws a game to Brennan, Stevenson etc.

 

[sTeeL]

I think it should be Stevenson's turn finally.

 

[mick06]

our backline in the first NAB cup match seemed to well with the run of half back aspect

NAB cup. They weren't playing against full strength opposition. Put them on guns from other teams and i wouldn't think they are ready. Stevenson will still turn to water and Brennan is not accountable enough yet.

Not yet time to put them all in there together

 

[Shupe]

Quite possibly Selwoods last year if he gets forced out of the team, which I suspect he probably should with all the good, young HBF's coming through.

 

[Pottering]

No doubt Selwood has some good qualities, but hes not the player he was, our side is different to what it was in 05-06 and the game has changed. To improve we needto step up again in disposal (the pendulum still sits with too many contested ball winners with poor kicks IMO).

I mean look at the guys we had in there last year for the major part:
- Emac (poor kick)
- Glassy (poor to average kick but makes good decisions)
- Waters (poor kick)
- Butler (good kick)
- Schofield (poor to average kick)
- Stevens (average to good kick)
- Hurn (elite kick)
- A Selwood (poor kick)
- McGinnity (poor to average kick)

For a back 6 (or 7 if spare man) of which 3 or 4 will be smalls and with the disposal of our talls (coupled with our midfield) I think we can only handle 1 poor kick (if 3) (probs Waters). I would love to see 2 good to elite kicks (Hurn and Butler) and someone with a bit more dash (ie Stevenson or Brennan or Smith when in form which I think at the moment he isnt).

Having said that, have a funny feeling Woosha will stick with A Selwood and a McGinnity before he throws a game to Brennan, Stevenson etc.

I agree with what you wrote ( though I think you meant Smith when you wrote Stevens).

Having a backline with so many poor kickers is an issue.

Two issues arise here. The first and most glaring is the complete lack of improvement in the kicking ability of both McKenzie and Waters. These guys have had their kicking as an issue for a while now. Nothing seems to have changed and that is disappointing. If Waters could a) stay fit and b) hit a target he'd be in the top dozen players in the AFL. He's got everything else going for him. He's got the technique but he doesn't seem to concentrate. I think he kicks like he plays, on instinct. When he backs into a pack he doesn't consider what might happen, likewise when he kicks, he doesn't think it through. McKenzie is plain and simple a bad kick. Why anyone ever passes it to him is a mystery to me, he cracks under the remotest of pressure. He has no left foot and about 30 metres seems his maximum effort. Not good enough. I feel that during the NAB Cup he should have been told to kick it on every occasion, no handpassing. He needs to develop confidence and the more mistakes he makes the more he tightens up. I see no indication that anyone at the club has identified this and tried to overcome it.

The second issue is the lack of pressure that better kicks like Stevenson and Sheppard have put on the guys in the 22. Stevenson in particular is an excellent kick. His NAB Cup form this year looks like he might finally be putting his name forward.

McGinnity seems to be improving as a kick and Schofield isn't as bad as you suggest. Butler's big advantage is that he is a good kick and doesn't panic. Selwood is seeing the game go past him. Back in '06 he was definitely in out best list, now it's debatable. He still gives 100% but that may not be enough. He can only kick in the direction he's running.

A clever opposition would tell their forwards to try and make it that the likes of Selwood or Waters is the free man in defense (McKenzie would never leave his man).

 

[beatlesmith]

I agree with what you wrote ( though I think you meant Smith when you wrote Stevens).

Having a backline with so many poor kickers is an issue.

Two issues arise here. The first and most glaring is the complete lack of improvement in the kicking ability of both McKenzie and Waters. These guys have had their kicking as an issue for a while now. Nothing seems to have changed and that is disappointing. If Waters could a) stay fit and b) hit a target he'd be in the top dozen players in the AFL. He's got everything else going for him. He's got the technique but he doesn't seem to concentrate. I think he kicks like he plays, on instinct. When he backs into a pack he doesn't consider what might happen, likewise when he kicks, he doesn't think it through. McKenzie is plain and simple a bad kick. Why anyone ever passes it to him is a mystery to me, he cracks under the remotest of pressure. He has no left foot and about 30 metres seems his maximum effort. Not good enough. I feel that during the NAB Cup he should have been told to kick it on every occasion, no handpassing. He needs to develop confidence and the more mistakes he makes the more he tightens up. I see no indication that anyone at the club has identified this and tried to overcome it.

I completely disagree. Mackenzie's kicking and ability to accept his own limitations when kicking has improved significantly over the past 2 years.
The fact that there are apparently no indications that anyone at the club has identified or tried to address the problem seems to support the reality that Mackenzie is a decent kick. The coaches watch individual players on a regular basis and see them train every week, so i'd be a bit more inclined to trust their judgement.

Oh and top dozen players in the AFL....really?

 

[Kaboodleer]

IMO:

- Emac ( fine but limited to hitting up short targets with accuracy)
- Glassy (similar to Emac but better)
- Waters (Long kick but too often sprays them, unreliable)
- Butler (excellent decision making, weights his kicks very well, e.g. his pass to a running waters last week, but not a particularly long kick)
- Schofield (on form excellent kick and is able to run and carry)
- Stevenson ( very good kick, sometimes makes the wrong decisions)
- Hurn (best in the league)
- A Selwood (lacks penetration, accuracy and doesn't have the speed to run and carry)
- McGinnity (average kick)

 

[Chris_6678]

On Stevenson he may be a very good kick and probably one of the best in our team but i noticed over the last few games he is a very bad hand baller!

 

[Pottering]

I completely disagree. Mackenzie's kicking and ability to accept his own limitations when kicking has improved significantly over the past 2 years.
The fact that there are apparently no indications that anyone at the club has identified or tried to address the problem seems to support the reality that Mackenzie is a decent kick. The coaches watch individual players on a regular basis and see them train every week, so i'd be a bit more inclined to trust their judgement.

Oh and top dozen players in the AFL....really?

So, accepting that you are a bad kick is good? To quote you, "I completely disagree". And as to your claim that "Mackenzie's kicking ... has improved significantly over the past 2 years", again, "I completely disagree".

And your claim that because "there are apparently no indications that anyone at the club has identified or tried to address the problem seems to support the reality that Mackenzie is a decent kick" is fanciful at best. That's like saying that because the crime rate hasn't fallen the police are happy with that rate.

Personally I think the Eagles hierarchy put way more emphasis on the team plan and structure than on skills. That's their call. Ideally both would improve.

You write that "the reality that Mackenzie is a decent kick", but I would rate him one of the worst kicks in the AFL. He's indecisive, inaccurate under the merest hint of pressure, and has no depth. He knows he's a bad kick and only does so when he has no other option. I'm sure he's told to only kick as a last resort, but I think his major issue is confidence. The longer he tries to get out of kicking, the longer he'll remain a poor kick.

All that said he is very important player to us. I keep thinking how much better he could be if he was a half decent kick.

And Waters in top dozen players if he could kick? Absolutely. Given his hardness, marking ability and kick gathering skills, if he could top it off with clinical disposal he'd be a super star. He'll never be a Judd/Ablett/Franklin/Goodes in sheer class, but his presence and inspiration is right up there with the best, but gets diluted by his disposal. Luke Hodge is like a Beau Waters but with the finishing skills.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

I mean look at the guys we had in there last year for the major part:
- Emac (poor kick)
- Glassy (poor to average kick but makes good decisions)
- Waters (poor kick)
- Butler (good kick)
- Schofield (poor to average kick)
- Stevens (average to good kick)
- Hurn (elite kick)
- A Selwood (poor kick)
- McGinnity (poor to average kick)

What the hell is a good and poor kick?

Emac is a great kick when he's kicking through the ball. Struggles when he second guesses his kicking strength.

Schofields kicking is long and much improved.

Butler is has clean disposal but struggles to hit long range targets.

McGinnity has decent penetration and his kicking action isn't very conventional, but it's generally reliable.

Hurn is elite but one sided. Capable of effective passed over 60m.

Stevenson is elite of both feet. Capable of effective passes over 50m of both feet.

Glass is a horrible kick but he's highly diciplined and makes the right choices.

A.Selwood is technically pretty poor, doesn't have great power and doesn't make good decisions.

Waters has decent kicking depth, but he's shanking them one minute and on song the next. Questionable decision making at times.

Smith is a powerful kick, technically he's not all that sound but he usually makes good contact. Decison making still needs to improve and it will, at least he can kick long down the line unlike Selwood and Waters.

 

[Mattman93]

I'd call Schofield a very decent kick for his size.

 

[Obeanie1]

OMG, how could I forget Hurn.

I like to see Waters moved forward. With the loss of Niko.

Back 6:

Brennan Glass Butler
Schofield Emac Hurn

Forward 6:

Waters Lynch Hill
Shuey JK Darling

This now looks pretty decent actually, now that you remembered Hurn and kept Butler in there.

I like the look of Brennan, and Schofield IMO with go up another gear this year and really star to use his run off half back, 196 cm tall but when I saw him at training he is built to run, EMac and Glass look like tanks where Schofield is most definately a runner. Perfect to play on the likes of Ryder when they go forward.

Waters across HF will improve our press, he has great closing speed, great defensively and very good overhead. Opposition do get nervous with him around.

I wouldn't bag out our backline based on the preseason. Long season with injuries a factor so we will also see Ash Smith, McGinnity andothers rotate through there and do well.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

I think our backline is our best line, the only reason they looked some what outplayed on the weekend was who was there to kick to?

Our two key targets were out. I mean Lynch is our CHF and leads all day around the wing and CHF losing him had massive implications because Lycett clearly didnt look the goods as a forward.

Not only that JOSH HILL had 8 shots on goal, yes he missed 6 but shit if we had JK in the square they wouldnt have been able to cover him.

Lastly

Darling clearly isnt a CHF yet or maybe ever if he is going to be a key forward i feel he would be more damaging closer to goal. That being said he is the perfect 2nd or 3rd tall just not at CHF. Just let this man roam around and do his thang

 

[Belltower]

Yes we do have too many ordinary kicks in the backline, I believe that Adam should be phased out but until Brennan and Stevenson get the necessary grunt/desperation he probably should be on the bench to be used as a backman/midfield stopper.

How much has Will Schofield improved in the last year, the patience of the coaching staff has really paid off with him going from the much maligned turnover merchant early last year to a strong marking, quick rebounding, long kicking dynamo he is now.

Mackenzie is not a bad kick but he is unsure when passing short and generally muffs it and is not a rebounding force at all. Glass is also an average kick but plays within his limitations and generally hits his mark. Beau is a strange one, he can hit beautiful lace out kicks one minute and then terrible shanks the next, is also a long kick but blazes too often, also is not one you want kicking short because he tries to be too careful and miskicks it. Selwood tends to blaze as well, but also while under no pressure tends to kick to the oppositions advantage, either a direct turnover or sitting it on the head of his teammate to allow for an easy spoil.

Due to Waters being an outstanding mark plus an inspirational player Selwood is the one that needs to be phased out. Smith looks out of touch this year and Stevenson is a better kick so I would like us to get him into the side at some stage.

 

[beatlesmith]

So, accepting that you are a bad kick is good? To quote you, "I completely disagree". And as to your claim that "Mackenzie's kicking ... has improved significantly over the past 2 years", again, "I completely disagree".

Accepting he is a bad kick and accepting his own limitations are completely different things. For instance, Butler is a player who clearly accepts his own limitations. He isn't, for instance, going to try to kick 50+ metres across goals to a player under pressure like Hurn can, because he knows that he doesn't have the kicking ability to do so, so he kicks to easier targets. Mackenzie had a problem of kicking to targets that were beyond his abilities, which he has since, to an extent, rectified.

And your claim that because "there are apparently no indications that anyone at the club has identified or tried to address the problem seems to support the reality that Mackenzie is a decent kick" is fanciful at best. That's like saying that because the crime rate hasn't fallen the police are happy with that rate.

I think its more like saying that the police are more versed in dealing with crime so I will defer to their wisdom in regards to what is an acceptable crime rate and how the crime rate could be improved.

Personally I think the Eagles hierarchy put way more emphasis on the team plan and structure than on skills. That's their call. Ideally both would improve.

Based on...? Do you attend training on a regular basis, for instance? Do you have insider knowledge? Or are you just puffing out your chest to show how much of an expert you (think you) are?
Going by much of this and your descriptions of Stevenson and Schofield's kicking, I don't think you'd know skills if they bit you on the arse.

You write that "the reality that Mackenzie is a decent kick", but I would rate him one of the worst kicks in the AFL. He's indecisive, inaccurate under the merest hint of pressure, and has no depth. He knows he's a bad kick and only does so when he has no other option. I'm sure he's told to only kick as a last resort, but I think his major issue is confidence. The longer he tries to get out of kicking, the longer he'll remain a poor kick.

I love your certainty. It's very cute, keep it up.
I might add that not only does Eric Mackenzie average more kicks than Darren Glass, he also averages a higher kick/handball ratio.
Darren Glass is a player who, as you would describe, tried to get out of kicking for much of his career, and now he is a much more reliable disposer of the ball.

And Waters in top dozen players if he could kick? Absolutely. Given his hardness, marking ability and kick gathering skills, if he could top it off with clinical disposal he'd be a super star. He'll never be a Judd/Ablett/Franklin/Goodes in sheer class, but his presence and inspiration is right up there with the best, but gets diluted by his disposal. Luke Hodge is like a Beau Waters but with the finishing skills.

Maybe if you made him a good decision maker, and a better athlete, and more than a half back flanker. Then, maybe.
Luke Hodge is better than Waters in almost every aspect of the game, and it's debatable whether he's in the top dozen in the AFL.

 

[Pottering]

Accepting he is a bad kick and accepting his own limitations are completely different things. For instance, Butler is a player who clearly accepts his own limitations. He isn't, for instance, going to try to kick 50+ metres across goals to a player under pressure like Hurn can, because he knows that he doesn't have the kicking ability to do so, so he kicks to easier targets. Mackenzie had a problem of kicking to targets that were beyond his abilities, which he has since, to an extent, rectified.


I think its more like saying that the police are more versed in dealing with crime so I will defer to their wisdom in regards to what is an acceptable crime rate and how the crime rate could be improved.


Based on...? Do you attend training on a regular basis, for instance? Do you have insider knowledge? Or are you just puffing out your chest to show how much of an expert you (think you) are?
Going by much of this and your descriptions of Stevenson and Schofield's kicking, I don't think you'd know skills if they bit you on the arse.


I love your certainty. It's very cute, keep it up.
I might add that not only does Eric Mackenzie average more kicks than Darren Glass, he also averages a higher kick/handball ratio.
Darren Glass is a player who, as you would describe, tried to get out of kicking for much of his career, and now he is a much more reliable disposer of the ball.


Maybe if you made him a good decision maker, and a better athlete, and more than a half back flanker. Then, maybe.
Luke Hodge is better than Waters in almost every aspect of the game, and it's debatable whether he's in the top dozen in the AFL.

Your Butler analogy is way off the mark. Butler, like 90% of AFL players, won't risk kicking 50+ metres across goal because the margin for error is too high. Equating that with a bloke who looks completely unsure of himself on virtually every kick is ludicrous.

You say that "Mackenzie had a problem of kicking to targets that were beyond his abilities" but you, me and every Eagles fan knows of a least 2 kicks of about 10 metres that missed the target and gave a goal to the opposition in the minutes in games we lost by under a goal. If kicking to a target under 10 metres is beyond his abilities then those abilities need to be improved dramatically, not accepted as a limitation.

Oh, and I love the way you join a few others in this group of demanding objective proof for a subjective assessment. No, I don't regularly attend training, just the games. I base my opinion on what I see. Pity you provided no reasons for why my rating of the kicking skills of Stevenson and Schofield were flawed.

Likewise with you comment re Luke Hodge. I gave my opinion. Just because it doesn't align with yours doesn't make it wrong.

 

[Such is life Ben]

What the hell is a good and poor kick?

Emac is a great kick when he's kicking through the ball. Struggles when he second guesses his kicking strength.

Schofields kicking is long and much improved.

Butler is has clean disposal but struggles to hit long range targets.

McGinnity has decent penetration and his kicking action isn't very conventional, but it's generally reliable.

Hurn is elite but one sided. Capable of effective passed over 60m.

Stevenson is elite of both feet. Capable of effective passes over 50m of both feet.

Glass is a horrible kick but he's highly diciplined and makes the right choices.

A.Selwood is technically pretty poor, doesn't have great power and doesn't make good decisions.

Waters has decent kicking depth, but he's shanking them one minute and on song the next. Questionable decision making at times.

Smith is a powerful kick, technically he's not all that sound but he usually makes good contact. Decison making still needs to improve and it will, at least he can kick long down the line unlike Selwood and Waters.

I didnt want to get stuck on the technicalities of defining my ratings, it was more just a way of suggesting that the disposal of our backline on a whole is poor if were going to play Patty, Waters, A Selwood as our smalls. I only gave poor, average, good and elite and was a fairly quick fire rating - based solely on the result of disposal (which would include decision making and pure disposal ability).

I agree with the majority of what you said, however I still the end overall result mirrors my quick fire ratings (more or less) for eg EMac is a great kick when hes kicking through the ball. But the problem is he rarely kicks through it and his decision making (including how quickly he disposes of it) is poor which means his overall disposal is not that great.

Anyway, in a nutshell my point is that in my opinion our backline cant handle 2 of Selwood / McGinnity / Waters and definitely cant handle 1. I would instead prefer Stevenson etc. Having said that, I think Walters offers more than Selwood and as a result would like our back 6 to be EMac, Glassy, Schofield, Hurn, Waters, Stevenson. Given we play a loose man I think there is a spot for Butler either there or on the bench.

 

[Obeanie1]

Anyway, in a nutshell my point is that in my opinion our backline cant handle 2 of Selwood / McGinnity / Waters and definitely cant handle 1. I would instead prefer Stevenson etc. Having said that, I think Walters offers more than Selwood and as a result would like our back 6 to be EMac, Glassy, Schofield, Hurn, Waters, Stevenson. Given we play a loose man I think there is a spot for Butler either there or on the bench.

The backline can't handle having only one of these guys in it?

This is plain wrong. A premiership backline has a variety of attacking and defensive talls and smalls. Shure you need skillfull counter attacking backmen but you also need tough, uncompromising lock down defenders.

If you get the balance wrong you leave youself with a deficency in one area.

 

[Avalor]

The backline can't handle having only one of these guys in it?

This is plain wrong. A premiership backline has a variety of attacking and defensive talls and smalls. Shure you need skillfull counter attacking backmen but you also need tough, uncompromising lock down defenders.

If you get the balance wrong you leave youself with a deficency in one area.

I think he meant 3 > that we couldn't play all 3 of them.

 

[Such is life Ben]

The backline can't handle having only one of these guys in it?

This is plain wrong. A premiership backline has a variety of attacking and defensive talls and smalls. Shure you need skillfull counter attacking backmen but you also need tough, uncompromising lock down defenders.

If you get the balance wrong you leave youself with a deficency in one area.

That should have read it cant handle all 3.

Of course, and for me I dont believe our smalls should be all 3 of Selwood, Patty and Waters in the back 6/7. Do you?

I think the mix is just about right with those I mentioned previously (my opinion of course). If you think I am gunning for 6 rebounding defenders then you have misinterpreted my posts.

Just related, I am really happy with Glass, EMac and Schofield. Especially the latter 2, improved heaps last year.