Strategy The 'F' Word: Our forward line heading into finals

Which six players are your preferred forward mix for the remainder of the year (when fit)?

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Scythe94

Scythe94

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It's the debate that rages on across numerous threads, and I'm wanting to get a clearer picture of what everyone thinks our best forward mix is as we enter the pointy end of the season.

For the purposes of this thread/poll, the presumed remainder of the team is as follows:

FB: Jake Lever - Steven May - Judd McVee
HB: Christian Salem - Adam Tomlinson - Michael Hibberd
C: Ed Langdon - Jack Viney - Lachie Hunter
RR: Max Gawn - Clayton Oliver - Tom Sparrow
Utilities: Christian Petracca (fwd/mid) - Angus Brayshaw (def/mid) - Trent Rivers (def/mid) - Jake Bowey (def/fwd)

So, if you were to pick six forwards to add to the above team, who would it be? (Apologies if posting a presumed team is too arbitrary, it just seemed the best way to separate the forwards from the rest).
 
10% faith in Grundy
25% faith in Petty

Im sure we will try both before finals time as I cant see either making themselves undroppable.

JVR, Pickett, ANB, Chandler and Slick pick themselves.

Spargo off the bench.

Smith sub.
 
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For me:
  • Jacob van Rooyen: JVR has been the most consistent of our key forwards this year, and provides a contest in the way that others can't.
  • Bayley Fritsch: Our best goal-kicker and an auto-selection. Jake Melksham has filled in admirably, and holds the spot until Fritsch returns. I don't love the two of them together, though.
  • Alex Neal-Bullen: A workhorse that applies great pressure and is important to our overall structure.
  • Kysaiah Pickett: Our best crumber/pressure forward. Enjoying him spending more time in the mids, too.
  • Kade Chandler: Has looked far more dangerous than Spargo this year. His ability to stay involved in the game, and the extra penetration in his kicking puts him ahead of Spargo for mine.
  • Brodie Grundy: He lacks the forward craft quite clearly, but competes far better in the air and at ground level than Brown and McDonald do. Don't have a lot of faith, but giving him the nod just as he saves JVR from having to ruck.
Think Joel Smith is the perfect sub, so leaving him there for now. If Petty can go back and kick some goals in the VFL, he potentially displaces Grundy. Want to see him fit and in form first, however.
 

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I know Goody loves the fluidity of the forward line, but at this point in the year, all I want is for them to pick a group of key talls and stick with them. Impossible to build continuity and connection otherwise.
 
I still have faith in Ben Brown.
Great field kick, nice tank, reliable set shot.

Petty can * off.
 
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booshboy said:
I think JVR and Petty as the talls is our best shot.
Click to expand...
I'm 50/50 on Grundy vs Petty. Petty has shown more as a forward, but hasn't looked anywhere near it since returning from injury earlier in the year.

I guess it depends on how much ruck Max can realistically play. At the moment, having Petty/JVR ruck against the backup rucks in other competing teams (Cox, Daniher, Finlayson/Dixon, Blicavs/Hawkins) feels like a bit of a disadvantage.

If Max can take 90% of the ruck contests, it's mitigated, but I'm mindful of running him into the ground, too.
 
00Stinger picking James Jordon and Tom McDonald surely results in a board ban Scythe94 ?
 
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A11dAtP0w3R said:
00Stinger picking James Jordon and Tom McDonald surely results in a board ban Scythe94 ?
Click to expand...
I've been a full mod for five whole minutes and old mate 'Sting is already testing me, lol.

Should ban myself for including them as options, to be fair.
 
Scythe94 said:
I'm 50/50 on Grundy vs Petty. Petty has shown more as a forward, but hasn't looked anywhere near it since returning from injury earlier in the year.

I guess it depends on how much ruck Max can realistically play. At the moment, having Petty/JVR ruck against the backup rucks in other competing teams (Cox, Daniher, Finlayson/Dixon, Blicavs/Hawkins) feels like a bit of a disadvantage.

If Max can take 90% of the ruck contests, it's mitigated, but I'm mindful of running him into the ground, too.
Click to expand...
Petty looked best as a forward in the game he got injured, can't remember who that was against then was never given another look up there. Tomo is in better form than him as a defender anyway. As much as we all want Grundy to work I just don't think he's our best option. I actually don't mind JVR getting a run in the ruck, he competes well in there and keeps him involved in the contest.
 
booshboy said:
Petty looked best as a forward in the game he got injured, can't remember who that was against then was never given another look up there. Tomo is in better form than him as a defender anyway. As much as we all want Grundy to work I just don't think he's our best option. I actually don't mind JVR getting a run in the ruck, he competes well in there and keeps him involved in the contest.
Click to expand...
I also think the JVR/Petty combo is mobile enough to potentially allow us to play both Fritsch and Melk if his form is up to it.
 
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booshboy said:
Petty looked best as a forward in the game he got injured, can't remember who that was against then was never given another look up there. Tomo is in better form than him as a defender anyway. As much as we all want Grundy to work I just don't think he's our best option. I actually don't mind JVR getting a run in the ruck, he competes well in there and keeps him involved in the contest.
Click to expand...

booshboy said:
I also think the JVR/Petty combo is mobile enough to potentially allow us to play both Fritsch and Melk if his form is up to it.
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It was the Hawthorn game, and you're right, it's the best he's looked this year.

Good rationale re the Melk/Fritsch combo too – if Melk keeps this form up, he'll be hard to leave out.

The more I think about it, the more the Petty arguments make sense – I'd just like to see a bit of form in the VFL first.
 
Id honestly prefer neither of Grundy and Petty and just run the F50 with JVR as the lone tall, but we all know Goody isn't going to do that.

JVR, Trac, Slick, Chandler, ANB and Kozzy seems much more dangerous and unpredictable than any other option on paper.
 

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A11dAtP0w3R said:
Id honestly prefer neither of Grundy and Petty and just run the F50 with JVR as the lone tall, but we all know Goody isn't going to do that.

JVR, Trac, Slick, Chandler, ANB and Kozzy seems much more dangerous and unpredictable than any other option on paper.
Click to expand...

You'd have to completely change the game plan to do that, it's not just a selection thing.
 
Lord Nev said:
You'd have to completely change the game plan to do that, it's not just a selection thing.
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Not sure you'd have to change the entire gameplan, just parts of it, but its probably too late in the season to do it now regardless. As I said, its not going to happen.
 
A11dAtP0w3R said:
Not sure you'd have to change the entire gameplan, just parts of it, but its probably too late in the season to do it now regardless. As I said, its not going to happen.
Click to expand...

Big part of the game plan is forward territory and stoppages inside 50, not gonna change that now, and it's part of the reason I reckon Grundy comes back in this week in place of Brown and why Goody loves the two rucks idea.

I don't see it as a lack of innovation thing or a selection thing, they would have crunched the numbers around this and decided it's the best strategy for us, whether we enjoy it or not.
 
Lord Nev said:
Big part of the game plan is forward territory and stoppages inside 50, not gonna change that now, and it's part of the reason I reckon Grundy comes back in this week in place of Brown and why Goody loves the two rucks idea.

I don't see it as a lack of innovation thing or a selection thing, they would have crunched the numbers around this and decided it's the best strategy for us, whether we enjoy it or not.
Click to expand...

We havent tried a small forward line in years so im not sure if there are any numbers to be crunched. Would be the type of thing id like to see us try next preseason. Give us some more flexibility with selection if it works.
 
A11dAtP0w3R said:
We havent tried a small forward line in years so im not sure if there are any numbers to be crunched. Would be the type of thing id like to see us try next preseason. Give us some more flexibility with selection if it works.
Click to expand...

Can't see it happening without totally changing that game style and totally changing our midfields kicking skills.
 
Lord Nev said:
Can't see it happening without totally changing that game style and totally changing our midfields kicking skills.
Click to expand...

Smaller forwards get more separation, if we move the ball quicker and play on you dont need to be a dead eye by foot like you do when we go slow.
 
Brown cannot be in the mix come finals

I would rather Petty or Grundy fight for the spot with Tomlinson permanent down back

Even having Trac more from the goal square when and if Oliver comes back is also an option

HF - Pickett, Van Rooyen, Melksham/Chandler
F - Fritsch, Petty/Grundy, Petracca/Chandler/Melksham
 
Huge fan of Spargo but agree Chandler is probably better for the spot right now.
Melksham is an absolute lock for me, is clutch when needed and absolutely makes our fwd line work better.
Jvr, Fritsch, Melksham, Chandler, Kozzie, Trac/ANB rotating through.
 
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Pretty unsurprising that JVR, Chandler, Pickett, Fritsch and ANB are nearly consensus picks so far. That sixth spot really is the challenge:
  • Grundy if you want a backup ruck who's not totally incompentent when the ball hits the ground
  • Petty if you want a KPF to compete in the air and occasionally clunk one
  • Brown if you think we can miraculously start hitting lead-up forwards
  • Melk if you wanna go small-ball
  • Smith if you want an enigmatic utility
  • T-Mac if you want a guy that'll beat up on bad teams and has a turning circle equivalent to Earth orbiting the Sun
 
I went with the obvious 5 and Grundy. But tbh I'm on the fence between Petty and Grundy. Maybe even leaning towards Petty now after already voting.

As long as we have Smith, Son of Shaun as the Super Sub Special then everything will be :rainbow:
 
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