Two concerns: Clearances and Forward line

[jmorg1]

We are being consistently beaten at the clearances (as we were last year) and our forward setup looks impotent.

The only thing that's keeping us competitive are our backs and better than average (though not really fantastic) midfield as well as our pressure around the ground.

I'm more optimistic about our attack improving but I don't think we'll be winning too many clearances this year by the looks of things.

 

[- PC -]

You say tomayto I say tomahto

I think having a dominant forward can hurt a team a lot more than relying on 2-3 goals from 3-4 people + midfield goals.

With Sydney and Carlton all it seems you need to do is shut down Hall and Fevola and those teams seem to struggle.

 

[NikkiNoo]

My impression is that we are better at the clearances this year.

Yesterdays game I was impressed with how hard Huddo and Griff were working to nulify Sandilands dominance as well as the midfield pressure that was applied. sandilands is not just a man mountain he also has a good football brain to counteract.

 

[King Elvis]

Yesterday we clearly lacked a pacy, leading forward, and a small, high pressure crumber. Basically, we missed Welsh & Bode.

Even more so as it was wet yesterday.

 

[Coopers]

Yesterday we clearly lacked a pacy, leading forward, and a small, high pressure crumber. Basically, we missed Welsh & Bode.

Even more so as it was wet yesterday.

Yes, this is basically why we lost.

I was surprised though, not to see someone like Porplyzia spend a lot more time in the forward line trying to crumb it.

 

[Stiffy_18]

Yes, this is basically why we lost.

I was surprised though, not to see someone like Porplyzia spend a lot more time in the forward line trying to crumb it.

Porplyzia is not a natural crumber though. He is more of a small marking type.

Back to the original post, I have pretty much accepted the fact that our clearences will be down a bit this year and I am fine with that as long as we continue to push the youngsters through the midfield. We now have Edwards and Goodwin playing more in the peripheral roles. Last few years they have played in the guts.

We seem to be concentrating on bringing in the next midfield generation and you are seeing more of Thompson, Reilly, Van Berlo and Knights. We also saw a bit more of Porplyzia in the midfield yesterday as well as Edwards, mainly due to Reilly going down in the 1st QTR.

As long we keep pushing the youngsters through the midfield, I can handle us not winning the battle of the clearences.

The forward line is a different concern all together. Bock is struggling with the added attention. Sarge is a work horse, Stevens is a decoy type. The key here is that all of those 3 are not known as genuine goal kickers. Missing some football smarts in the forward 50 is a concern and this is why absence of Hentschel is hurting.

If you put Welsh, Bode and Ricciuto into that forward line, it adds a bit more goal scoring bite to it but we were always going to be a bit short in that area.

And PC, having a dominant forward can hurt a team only if the team gets "dominant forward" concious. Our forward line is based on structure and we like to share the load and spread the goals among a number of players. Thats the way to go but you can tell me that having a dominant key forward doesn't amke that structure better. As long as you don't get player concious and continue to spread the load, dominant forward will still kick his bags but he won't be the be all and end all of the forward line.

 

[- PC -]

And PC, having a dominant forward can hurt a team only if the team gets "dominant forward" concious. Our forward line is based on structure and we like to share the load and spread the goals among a number of players. Thats the way to go but you can tell me that having a dominant key forward doesn't amke that structure better. As long as you don't get player concious and continue to spread the load, dominant forward will still kick his bags but he won't be the be all and end all of the forward line.

Agreed, and if we had a dominant forward I could argue the opposite

More, and like you say about accepting less clearances, with our forwards I understand we have what we have and we work with them and dont spend time worrying about what we dont have

 

[King Elvis]

Yes, this is basically why we lost.

I was surprised though, not to see someone like Porplyzia spend a lot more time in the forward line trying to crumb it.

I agree with both you and Stiffy; Porps doesn't seem to be a natural crumber, but he does seem to go alright as a small, hard leading forward - and he does put pressure on the defenders.

With Bode/Welsh missing, I would've liked to have seen him up forward.

 

[Mad Dog]

Yesterday we clearly lacked a pacy, leading forward, and a small, high pressure crumber. Basically, we missed Welsh & Bode.
Even more so as it was wet yesterday.

this says it for mine....we were too one dimensional going forward without genuine crumbers and leading targets

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Yesterday we clearly lacked a pacy, leading forward, and a small, high pressure crumber. Basically, we missed Welsh & Bode.

Even more so as it was wet yesterday.

If only Alwyn Davey. IMO this kid looks better than his brother. Blistering pace, good tackler, and unlike his brother, doesn't mind putting his head over the ball.

 

[-CG-]

If only Alwyn Davey. IMO this kid looks better than his brother. Blistering pace, good tackler, and unlike his brother, doesn't mind putting his head over the ball.

Exaclty what I think every time I see him. Wish we had selected him in the draft. Oh well, nothing we can do about that now.

 

[Fudd]

If only Alwyn Davey. IMO this kid looks better than his brother. Blistering pace, good tackler, and unlike his brother, doesn't mind putting his head over the ball.

His Anzac Day performance had me sold on this immediately. His tackling is amazing technically, as he turns the opposition in the tackle unlike alot of guys you see. Probably has something to do with how bloody fast he pounces on them.

 

[KUNG FU]

His Anzac Day performance had me sold on this immediately. His tackling is amazing technically, as he turns the opposition in the tackle unlike alot of guys you see. Probably has something to do with how bloody fast he pounces on them.

I still doubt whether he will ever be as good as Aaron. He's already 22(?).

That Anzac Day goal was magnificent, but he got done not a minute before for trying the same thing and allowing a turn over. He'll always be a stand out SANFL player for my money and a passable AFL player.

 

[Coopers]

I agree with both you and Stiffy; Porps doesn't seem to be a natural crumber, but he does seem to go alright as a small, hard leading forward - and he does put pressure on the defenders.

With Bode/Welsh missing, I would've liked to have seen him up forward.

Or at least if not porplyzia (who was admittedly injured) then we needed... someone up there.

Unfortunately, I don't know who... you could have put macca there, but he was basically the reason the ball was in the forward line on most occasions anyway... Peter and Paul and all that.

Dogga or shirley maybe? Still not ideal.

Christ we need a fit bode.

 

[rayven]

My impression is when We win "our forward line worked well"

When we lose "our forward line is impotent"

 

[CarnCrows]

Badly missed a crumbing player up forward last week.

Since our defence has beeen sound without Stiffy - I would like to see him occasionally go in the forward line. His crumbing is arguably the best in the side and can take a good mark. We would miss his drive from defence, but it is easier for a Douglas type to play back there.