The difference a key forward makes

[mhill]

34 goals from 6 games and 4 wins during that period for the Big J.

A key forward straightens up a mid fielders entry into the forward 50 and makes the whole team walk a little taller.

I know it isn't the only thing but its a great X factor for us.

If Ben Griffiths can get his game going we are going to make a load of key defenders from the opposition incredibly nervous in years to come....

 

[richoatthedisco]

Yep. 100kegs of gold.

 

[captain blood 17]

34 goals from 6 games and 4 wins during that period for the Big J.

A key forward straightens up a mid fielders entry into the forward 50 and makes the whole team walk a little taller.

I know it isn't the only thing but its a great X factor for us.

If Ben Griffiths can get his game going we are going to make a load of key defenders from the opposition incredibly nervous in years to come....

What's really helping Jack is the better kicking skills moving the ball into the forward line. We are finally kicking to the fat side, and the structures have been in place where he is getting one on one with his opponent. Like you say, one more big fella stands up, and we get our first twin towers back since Ottens and Richoman. Really looking forward to seeing Jack tear it up in Etihad.

 

[copthat]

We also need to start developing a crumber. Nahas looked like the one but he has dropped off and Morton has dropped off aswell. Is Collins sort of filling that void at the moment or was he just in the right place at the right time on the weekend?

 

[happy_punter]

if he keeps those stats up he would be kicking 102 goals every 18 games

 

[TOOs_Finest]

We also need to start developing a crumber. Nahas looked like the one but he has dropped off and Morton has dropped off aswell. Is Collins sort of filling that void at the moment or was he just in the right place at the right time on the weekend?

And in the right place against the Saints, and in the right place against Brissy

 

[Spluff]

Collins isn't really a crumber, basically all of his goals have come from marks. Ideally he'll be a half forward that runs through the midfield.

Getting Morton back into the team should be our No. 1 priority - he is dangerous as both a crumber and playing tall, and unlike the others, has proven he can play.

 

[Azzleberry]

Biggest improvements in Jack are:
- One on One contested marking - elite level.
- Ability to convert goals. Last year he was getting around 5-6 shots on goal a game and kicking ~2.3, this year he is kicking 5.1

 

[Mario Speedwagon]

Getting Morton back into the team should be our No. 1 priority - he is dangerous as both a crumber and playing tall, and unlike the others, has proven he can play.

Don't get me wrong, Morton without doubt is easily in our best 22 talent-wise, but he's inherent laziness & selfishness would've stood out like sore thumb in Sunday's team effort and probably would've cost us the game. I'd say that's why he's still at Coburg.
Ideally, going forward, we need more players who offer both effort and skill, not just one or the other.

 

[Spluff]

Don't get me wrong, Morton without doubt is easily in our best 22 talent-wise, but he's inherent laziness & selfishness would've stood out like sore thumb in Sunday's team effort and probably would've cost us the game. I'd say that's why he's still at Coburg.
Ideally, going forward, we need more players who offer both effort and skill, not just one or the other.

People said the same things about Deledio, Connors, and Riewoldt before this season. Attitude is something you can fix, unlike a lack of talent. I don't mean he has to come in immediately (obviously there are things the coaching staff want him to work on), but we should work on getting him back in by next year.

Also, he wouldn't have cost us the game. There is no way known he could have contributed less than Griffiths or White in the forwardline.

 

[TimeFor11]

Just like the head, Biggie is sacrosanct whilst he has a 100% Win %

 

[Mario Speedwagon]

People said the same things about Deledio, Connors, and Riewoldt before this season. Attitude is something you can fix, unlike a lack of talent. I don't mean he has to come in immediately (obviously there are things the coaching staff want him to work on), but we should work on getting him back in by next year.

Yeah that's pretty much what I was getting at. Obviously he's been slower on uptake under Hardwick so far than the 3 players you mentioned...

Also, he wouldn't have cost us the game. There is no way known he could have contributed less than Griffiths or White in the forwardline.

Both put in far more effort than Morton usually does. And Collins , the bloke who kicked the goals Morton probably would've been counted on to, certainly did.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Morton shouldn't be considered untill he has 4 weeks of 4 plus tackles per game minimum, at Coburg !!
White , BG, Collins all tackle or attempt to tackle at least !!

 

[Goldust]

COLLINS is actually quite a luxury!!

For someone around the 185cm mark (correct me if I am wrong), it's particularly good overhead.

He made the Swans look silly a few times with marks deep in the forward line!!

Me thinks a forward line of Riewoldt, Griffiths, Collins, Cousins, Nason and perhaps Morton covers a lot of bases!

 

[coke_zero]

We should get Gourdis in the side and put Astbury up the other end of the ground. It will also make it a bit easier for Griffiths to adjust and Astbury looks like he already has.

 

[telsor]

Wasn't that long ago, we had a very good key forward...Wore No12. People kicked it to him all the time and while he took some awesome marks, he was usually double or triple teamed because the opposition knew he was the only player they needed to stop.

Lesson from that...While top quality players up there are great, we need more avenues to goal.

 

[CoggaRules]

The difference is that Jack and to a lesser extent Griff are allowing our small forwards to crumb. Forever and a day we had Richo and we could never get any real deal input from our crumbers then. Nowadays its the rule that has and continues to produce the results, FRONT AND SQUARE dudes, back the big boys to either take the mark or get it down to the front of the pack and its a one step snap or a fast hand ball feed to a better option.
The other difference is that Jack is now beginning to hunt for the ball, i.e. moving out from the deep when a target is needed. Early on, dont know why, but he acutally looked lazy, alhtough it might have been DH's plan, and we were being belted by not having a tall long target just outside 50. These days he does it all.
Might be the case that having Griff there allows DH to have Jack move up the ground when needed.

 

[Haggard H]

The difference is that Jack and to a lesser extent Griff are allowing our small forwards to crumb. Forever and a day we had Richo and we could never get any real deal input from our crumbers then. Nowadays its the rule that has and continues to produce the results, FRONT AND SQUARE dudes, back the big boys to either take the mark or get it down to the front of the pack and its a one step snap or a fast hand ball feed to a better option.

Richo made 3 or 4 leads on every entry, in all sorts of directions and all at top speed - I don't think the crumbers could either predict where he was going or keep up with how fast he was getting there. Jack is a bit more restrained in his approach and more predictable to both the kickers and the crumbers.

As for Notorious BiG, I get the feeling he's just going to have one particular moment where his confidence and self belief will suddenly click and then it's 'career ON'. Loved how he hit the ball full speed, head on in the last quarter against the Swans, picked it up cleanly from his ankles and banged a long, hard, straight handball to a team mate. Moment of the game for me (plus Jack's mark in the third and everyone rushing to Andy when he got knocked out).

 

[CoggaRules]

Richo made 3 or 4 leads on every entry, in all sorts of directions and all at top speed - I don't think the crumbers could either predict where he was going or keep up with how fast he was getting there. Jack is a bit more restrained in his approach and more predictable to both the kickers and the crumbers.

As for Notorious BiG, I get the feeling he's just going to have one particular moment where his confidence and self belief will suddenly click and then it's 'career ON'. Loved how he hit the ball full speed, head on in the last quarter against the Swans, picked it up cleanly from his ankles and banged a long, hard, straight handball to a team mate. Moment of the game for me (plus Jack's mark in the third and everyone rushing to Andy when he got knocked out).

With you on that one dude. The good thing is that he is not waiting for it to come to him, he is wanting it and hunting it and when you do it will find you because you want to be found.

 

[Roachy8]

Richo made 3 or 4 leads on every entry, in all sorts of directions and all at top speed - I don't think the crumbers could either predict where he was going or keep up with how fast he was getting there. Jack is a bit more restrained in his approach and more predictable to both the kickers and the crumbers.

Nothing aginst him & sure Richo was a champion player but he was not a 'natural' smart footballer... Jack has it in his blood!

You can see it in how he moves & how he positions himself at and before he gets to the balls drop zone. This helps the rest of the forward line move and work in around him.
With Richo it was just a mad frenzy of leads, leads, doubling back and then more leads... a general state of panic at times.

Good little piece in Inside Football this week where Peter Hudson is quoted as saying he loves the way Jack plays and uses his body to advantage.
Huddo says that when he was playing he was by no means a very strongly built player but used his anticipation, body & skills to get it done.

Perhaps talking himself up a bit was Hudson but still... if Jack is going to be compared to anyone, Peter Hudson is not a bad wrap!!!!

 

[mhill]

COLLINS is actually quite a luxury!!

For someone around the 185cm mark (correct me if I am wrong), it's particularly good overhead.

He made the Swans look silly a few times with marks deep in the forward line!!

Me thinks a forward line of Riewoldt, Griffiths, Collins, Cousins, Nason and perhaps Morton covers a lot of bases!

If we put Astbury in place of Morton - long leads to the wing deep kicks inside f50 and Tambo as a defensive minded forward who can scout and there is a pretty potent forward line in years to come.

 

[IDGAF]

Nothing aginst him & sure Richo was a champion player but he was not a 'natural' smart footballer... Jack has it in his blood!

You can see it in how he moves & how he positions himself at and before he gets to the balls drop zone. This helps the rest of the forward line move and work in around him.
With Richo it was just a mad frenzy of leads, leads, doubling back and then more leads... a general state of panic at times.

Good little piece in Inside Football this week where Peter Hudson is quoted as saying he loves the way Jack plays and uses his body to advantage.
Huddo says that when he was playing he was by no means a very strongly built player but used his anticipation, body & skills to get it done.

Perhaps talking himself up a bit was Hudson but still... if Jack is going to be compared to anyone, Peter Hudson is not a bad wrap!!!!

Good post ... been saying adnauseum for a while now .

The Cho ... whist being the champ that he was , spent the great deal of his career running around like a headless chook and was nigh on impossible to build a structure around .

JR is smart . straightens us up , gives a real structure that works and can be used and fed off ... not one of a "messiah" having to kick 8 for us to win a game .

Last week was the perfect example ... he kicked 5 great goals but he did so much more when you look back it properly

 

[Bojangles17]

actually when you think of it, alot of his shots are from fairly straight in front, indicating both good positioning and delivery...I still can't help but think MM should be in that front half and reaping some reward from more quality ball into the forward line....could be a terrific decoy that will become very necessary as JR8 gets double teamed more often

 

[IDGAF]

actually when you think of it, alot of his shots are from fairly straight in front, indicating both good positioning and delivery...I still can't help but think MM should be in that front half and reaping some reward from more quality ball into the forward line....could be a terrific decoy that will become very necessary as JR8 gets double teamed more often

I agree pal ... But MM is on sabbatical learning some of the other fine arts of the game that he needs to

Football these days is so much more about what you do when you don't have than pill than when you do . Mitch is going to have to learn about that if wants to continue to wear our stripes ... and can you imagine the player he will be if Damien is successful ?