Weller to Half-Back?

[Kunna17]

I was just curious as to what you guys thought about this idea?
He played on Eddie Betts for a little If i remember correctly and did pretty well, has also seemed to get a lot more of the ball when playing further up the ground/behind the ball.
He is a solid one on one player that could potentially add pace and skill to our half-back line, the same as Crozier has done, and seems to have a good defensive side to his game. I don't think hes been winning enough of the ball as a forward, and I know he's young and showed promise, But i still see him kicking goals as a HBF/winger and think our ball movement would improve a lot.
The move would allow Hill to go back to the middle whilst potentially freeing up Sutty to play further up field and offers a potential back-line of -
FB - Spurr, Dawson, Mundy**
HB - Weller, Collins, Crozier

** Depending if thats where he's seen most valuable.

Over time I'd like to see Morabito, Hughes and Tucker playing through there as well and Nyhuis potentially replaces Spurr as a lockdown defender.

 

[clivenator26]

Not a bad idea, Deluca comes in for a few weeks, Weller goes to half back and that allows Mundy & Hill to stay in the guts a bit more. It might freshen him up a bit given he has played every game in a forward line starved off opportunity.

 

[Freoforever86]

Id love to see Mundy go to half back and throw Weller into the middle for a large portion of a game.

 

[Cobbler]

Id love to see Mundy go to half back and throw Weller into the middle for a large portion of a game.

I'm all for some trial and error, but it needs to have a purpose. I don't see Weller ever playing off half back. If it's just to get him more of the ball then ok otherwise I'd rather do as you've suggested and throw him in the middle.

I'd also like Blakely to go head to head with Danger for a quarter somewhere. He'll get monstered, but to be the best you need to learn from them.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

You could give it a try.

But i'm not sure it'd really fix much long term. We've tried Mundy, Hill, Walters for periods and now Crozier off half back. Crozier's really the only one who's better there than in his previous position. I think our transition issues are more coaching, overall talent and also personnel up the field (i.e. rucks/forwards) related.

 

[wayToGo_]

He played a bit off half back earlier in the season and he was ok but I think everything so far points to him being an attacking player. He's one of our few youngsters that can kick a goal. Think we need anyone who can actually kick a goal playing forward of centre.

edit - plus we also have Hughes, Morabito and potentially Hurley to come in and try playing off half back. Hughes is a lock imo. All three can run out of defence and can kick the ball ok (at least long if nothing else). I really hope Mora steps up before the end of the season. All three of these guys are also better defensively than Weller.

 

[sherrif]

I got slammed for suggesting this in the preseason. We desperately need more speed off half back. Tucker might also be suited to a wing in the long run too as he is a terrific distance runner.

 

[Righteo]

We need his class and attacking nous forward of centre more than we need another rebounding defender imo. Let's just stick with Hughes/Tucker/Crozier/Mundy as halfback options. Weller is lightly built and not particularly tall either, if people are exasperated with Sutcliffe's poor 1 on 1 defending (and I've come to agree that it's poor) they'll be positively foaming at the mouth should Weller be relied on to clamp down on an opposition fwd.

I think the OP is pretty well thought out and there is decent logic behind the suggestion but I personally feel it's a waste of his talents. I prefer the idea of grooming Morabito as that kind of player should he ever get fully fit.

 

[sherrif]

We need his class and attacking nous forward of centre more than we need another rebounding defender imo. Let's just stick with Hughes/Tucker/Crozier/Mundy as halfback options. Weller is lightly built and not particularly tall either, if people are exasperated with Sutcliffe's poor 1 on 1 defending (and I've come to agree that it's poor) they'll be positively foaming at the mouth should Weller be relied on to clamp down on an opposition fwd.

I think the OP is pretty well thought out and there is decent logic behind the suggestion but I personally feel it's a waste of his talents. I prefer the idea of grooming Morabito as that kind of player should he ever get fully fit.

Disagree completely. Couldn't disagree more to be honest. A massive need is pace off half back. Look at GWS they play three speedsters in defence and they are the best at transferring the football from defence to attack statistically. Tucker is already a better distance runner than Weller and is far more suited to playing long-term on a wing IMO. Weller is also a significantly better one on one player than Sutcliffe already. Not sure how anyone could say otherwise Weller is terrific one on one player for his age.

 

[Righteo]

Disagree completely. Couldn't disagree more to be honest. A massive need is pace off half back. Look at GWS they play three speedsters in defence and they are the best at transferring the football from defence to attack statistically. Tucker is already a better distance runner than Weller and is far more suited to playing long-term on a wing IMO. Weller is also a significantly better one on one player than Sutcliffe already. Not sure how anyone could say otherwise Weller is terrific one on one player for his age.

Fair enough, I guess we're at an impasse. I'm usually pretty open-minded but when it comes to employing players in roles not natural to them I'm completely inflexible. And that's even after seeing the success of Crozier in defence and even, to a lesser degree, Walters in the middle. We drafted Weller as a midfielder/half forward and he's shown tremendous promise playing there. It feels a little off to me to shift him to defence due to the failings of the club in drafting/trading for a genuine pacy half back (well, other than Tucker), robbing Peter to pay Paul etc.

All that said, Bennell delivers next year, Shane Yarran succeeds, Cam McCarthy gets to us and Harley Balic overcomes the wrist injury? In that case I'd be willing to reconsider it as you'd think we'd have such an impressive spread of goal kickers we could afford to move one elsewhere.

 

[Allikat]

Weller is such a beautiful kick on goal. As soon as we get more support around him in the forward line, he'll be looking a lot better as a forward. You don't just move guys that can kick goals like that!

 

[Cobbler]

Seems like this may happen.

Not really a fan, but all for giving experience to players. Hopefully Motlop remains in his poor patch.

 

[Taylor]

If you believe, as I do, that the quality of the previous disposal will impact the quality of the next then it stands to reason that the best kicks in the team need to be starting the ball movement from defense.

 

[wayToGo_]

Any chance of a poll on this one? I'm in the keep him forward camp personally but would like to know what others think.

 

[Cobbler]

Any chance of a poll on this one? I'm in the keep him forward camp personally but would like to know what others think.

He's 100% keep in the forward half long term. Don't mind him lining up at half back on Motlop this week just for experience. Doesn't hurt to trial him there, but I definitely view him as most important to our forward half.

We can't keep sending our weak HFF to HB. Eventually someone needs to stand up on our HFF.

 

[Sully90]

If you believe, as I do, that the quality of the previous disposal will impact the quality of the next then it stands to reason that the best kicks in the team need to be starting the ball movement from defense.

This is pretty much gospel in any team sport, of course the simple way around it is to just make sure that everyone has good disposal.

 

[Taylor]

This is pretty much gospel in any team sport, of course the simple way around it is to just make sure that everyone has good disposal.

Absolutely, I just don't think there are enough good footballers to spread over all the teams to be able to do that and GWS has been very smart in picking up everyone who can kick in their drafts.

 

[FreoMonocle]

If you believe, as I do, that the quality of the previous disposal will impact the quality of the next then it stands to reason that the best kicks in the team need to be starting the ball movement from defense.

Or rather, Midfield and one in Defence - then obviously more in defence if you have them. Our forward line for years suffers from poor midfield disposal, also leads to rebounds out of our midfield/forward line, killing momentum.

The midfielders are in defence soon enough to help out the defenders and can bring additional disposal help.

 

[PurpleWizard]

We do desperately need some run and good ball users down back. I don't think Weller is the answer though, from what I've seen of him so far he doesn't read the play well and suits being in front of the ball. I watched him closely last week and he just gets lost in limbo too much, but that said it could be a fitness issue rather than a game awareness thing. Sheridan is meant to be the guy that offers us some run and carry off half back but offers little. I think both Hughes and Morabito with their straight line running can give us some counter punch that we need. Hopefully somehow we can get Rothman into our team next year too. I also don't like Mundy playing in defence I don't think he's suited there, I like him to play the role that he played last year where he started in the middle and worked back as an outlet kick.

Spurr AP Hughes/Mora
MJ/Rothman Collins Crozier

^Mundy ^ ^Tucker^

 

[theGav56]

Everything is about 2017 and beyond now, not about winning or trying to get him into form. Long term his position is mid/forward and I would keep him there.

 

[Cobbler]

Everything is about 2017 and beyond now, not about winning or trying to get him into form. Long term his position is mid/forward and I would keep him there.

100% agree but he could certainly learn from following Motlop. Just like Blakely can learn from following Dangerfield.

Collins can push forward just to see how other defenders play.

It's all learning and nothing should be viewed as permanent unless there's a remarkable difference in output, example Crozier.

 

[couldhavebeen]

He played a bit off half back earlier in the season and he was ok but I think everything so far points to him being an attacking player. He's one of our few youngsters that can kick a goal. Think we need anyone who can actually kick a goal playing forward of centre.

edit - plus we also have Hughes, Morabito and potentially Hurley to come in and try playing off half back. Hughes is a lock imo. All three can run out of defence and can kick the ball ok (at least long if nothing else). I really hope Mora steps up before the end of the season. All three of these guys are also better defensively than Weller.

Hurley will need to build his tank at peel for at least 2 more games before he gets a game for Freo.
Then I would love to see him in purple off half back or back pocket. Ideally against Darling in the wet toast game.

 

[Alfonz]

Playing as a high half forward is evidently quite difficult in our side. Barlow is a prime example. He went from a 30 possession midfielder to a dud, and then goes back to being good when in the middle. You could look at Sylvia as well ... as much as that didn't work out due to attitude, he was completely lost in the few games he played in that position. Weller is just in a tough position to play. There are merits to giving him more time elsewhere, but I would choose the midfield over defence.

 

[meima]

I am 100% for weller to follow motlop this week. The modern game require players to shift position easily , the best to trial is this season send sheriden to play weller current role.

 

[Sully90]

Weller should play on Motlop just due to current form of both players. Weller could very well out point him