What about the backline?

[materamagic]

There has been alot of say on forward line options but more imporatantly the team should be getting the backline cemented and focus on it as it was our weak point last year.

Glass looks promising for fullback and Hunter is developing well down there. Jako can play either CHB or last man like Cloke as others have mentioned, I think thats a good idea, Green, Banfield, Wirrapunda and Chick I believe should be in defence

 

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by materamagic

Glass looks promising for fullback and Hunter is developing well down there. Jako can play either CHB or last man like Cloke as others have mentioned, I think thats a good idea, Green, Banfield, Wirrapunda and Chick I believe should be in defence

I agree to all of the above except for Banfield...too slow these days for the backline...we should really give him a tagging job and if he cannot handle that well then drop him...

His spot should be covered by Green... I also like the idea of having Staker playing on a half back flank as a tall that can cover most smalls...

My backline would be:

Wirra Glass Chick
Staker Gasper Hunter

Jak playing a loose man and Green on the bench to be used when Chick goes into the midfield....Morrison and Read to be used in the backline too but not as the starting six.

What do people think about using Green as a tagger through midfield to replace say Banfield longer term.

 

[carlyp]

Re: Re: What about the backline?

Originally posted by no1bankteller


My backline would be:

Wirra Glass Chick
Staker Gasper Hunter

Looks ok but I would swap Hunter with Wirrpunda because I believe that we would be wasting Wirrpunda if we didnt have him on the HB line attacking and getting some drive out of defence for us. Hunter has a cool head and I think he is more suited to the Backline where his decent decision skills can be used well.

 

[Mead]

I agree with Bankteller's lineup, mostly-

FB:Chick/Glass/Wirrpunda
HB:Green/Gaspar/Hunter

-Glass has done enough to get first go as our number one FB. Gradually improved over the course of the year- his last six weeks of the season were very good indeed- a fact overlooked by a lot of people because we were losing games.

-Chick has some trouble with the really quick livewire types, but I think he has the strength, tenacity and staying power to deal with most livewire forwards. He's also the player on our list who complements Wirra best, because Chick's natural instinct is always to tightly check his man, and lay on the bone crunching tackles.

-Wirrpunda will do what he does best, taking the weakest opposition forward and roving the backline mopping up the loose possessions, being the man in front, and setting up a lot of our attacks. Sometimes this will see him play HB, sometimes this will see him play deeper. Really depends on the opposition.

-Green had a disappointing end to the year, but still has enough substance about him to earn a reprieve as the midsized flanker a la McKenna/Worsfold. Bit of a hard nut, which is promising.

-Hunter showed real promise, and as he bulks up I suspect he will be more than adequate in the third tall role, and as a plan B if someone gets on top of Glass. Gutsy, tenacious, plays very tight.

-Gaspar. MUST fill our gaping hole at CHB. Any game where Trent Carroll lines up here is a game where we've conceded 6 goals before the opening bounce. Gassy is the only player on our list with the combination of skills, size, pace, marking ability and brain to make this position his own, but he just has to stay fit. Gaspar playing quality football at CHB for 22 games = West Coast as a bona fide premiership contender.

If (or should I say when) Gaspar gets injured, Lynch may play CHB. Hunter is also a possibility to move into a key position uf he bulks up. He'll always be a bit on the short side for a kpp, but did some very good work on a few big name forwards towards the end of last year.
Staker may get some game time, but I don't think he's booked himself a place in the starting 22 just yet. Sampi could alternate with Wirra as the attacking backpocket.

So, with the above backline, I'd put a forward line of-
Cox/Seaby/Matera
Jones/McDougall/Sampi

with Jakovich/Lynch as the tall rotated off the bench, and the midfielders getting pushed forward (particularly Embley) as the passage of play dictates.

 

[jod23]

Wirrpunda Glass Chick
Hunter Gaspar Green

Few problems with that lineup. Chick may be a bit too deep in defence to have a real effect on the game. Wirra runs and guns so it doesnt matter whereabouts he is in defence but Chick doesnt really break lines and kick the ball 60 metres like Punda. But you could always just switch Green back into the pocket and move Chick onto the half back line.

The other major problem is of course Gaspar's fitness. Funny as it may sound but Travis Gaspar could be the difference between another finals loss or a premiership.

 

[Jabber]

Originally posted by jod23
...The other major problem is of course Gaspar's fitness. Funny as it may sound but Travis Gaspar could be the difference between another finals loss or a premiership.

Doesn't sound funny at all to me - agree with that entirely. Another injury hampered season may spell the end for him, and another season of us just making up the numbers in the finals

 

[iceman]

Am i the only one who thinks Chick is wasted in a back pocket?? Surely we didnt recruit him for that role??

His strength and tackling wouldve warranted him a place either in the midfield or forward line i wouldve thought

 

[no1bankteller]

Originally posted by iceman
Am i the only one who thinks Chick is wasted in a back pocket?? Surely we didnt recruit him for that role??

His strength and tackling wouldve warranted him a place either in the midfield or forward line i wouldve thought

I see where you are coming from however is Chris Scott from Brisbane wasted in the back pocket. I personally do not think so, just review the Grand Final and see the impact that his intimidation, hardness at the man and skill when disposing of the footy had on the game. Chick can play the same type role just and he is taller too.

I am all for him playing in the backline.

 

[Streaker]

Assuming everyone is 100% fit this would be my backline.

Read / Gaspar / Morrison
Hunter / Lynch / Green

Gaspars Strengths are his marking, great mobility and a sharp football brain. At 197 cm his agility is one of his best attributes. I
liken Gaspar to McIntosh, and think he should move to the backline for the same reasons McIntosh did when he became one of the best Full Backs in our clubs history.

Morrison when fully fit and in form was one of the best rebounding defenders the club has seen. He may have slowed a little due to his knee reconstructions but I doubt the club would still have him on the list if they didn't think it possible for him to recapture his previous form.

Read is the tough nuggety player you need to quell the goal sneaks of this world such as Matera, Farmer and Medhurst. The problem with Phil is that because of the two knee reconstructions his legs are like tree trunks and he has lost leg speed. He needs to sacrifice some of the mass from his legs in order to increase his speed but he would be reluctant to do this for fear of re-doing a knee.

Hunter gives you options both forward and back. His courage is second to none but I worry about his football brain sometimes as he seems to give away a lot of unessesary free kicks.

When you look at Lynch you see Jakovich. Lynch and Jakovich remind me so much of that Russian in Rocky IV. Once Lynch has learnt his craft I see no reason for him not to be a great CHB and on a par with Jako.

Green is one of those players you hardly notice. When I read that he had played 20 games this year I was quite suprised. His hip and shoulder on Jeff White early in the season showed that he doesn't shy away from the physical stuff. He is creative and provides great run into the forward line.

Both Read and Morrison started 2003 really well and dropped of due to the fact they were coming back from double knee reconstructions. Morrison played some good games for the Eagles in the first 9 rounds and, if not for some soft tissue injuries, would have consolidated his place in the backline.

If we were to work on those available from the form of this year it would look like this

Green / Glass / Staker
Hunter / Lynch / Wirrpunda

If we were to get our injury list under control I would say we have one of the most promising lists in the AFL. Selwood will be a big improver this year and I think McDougall has put his hand up for the forward position. An injury free Chick will add that toughness we need. If the likes of Hansen, Johnson, Seaby, Gaspar, Carroll and Beeck were to improve as much as Embley, Mcdougall, Fletcher, Kerr, Judd or Cox has we would be somewhere near unbeatable.

The point that I am trying to make is that we have a team that is capable of being great. All it takes is for them to all stand up at the same time.

I would rather see our on ballers rotating through the wings and the flanks giving the likes of Sampi, Wirrpunda, Embley, Chick and Judd to develop skills in all areas of the game. All of these players have good defensive and offensive skills and building on these skills gives you more options when players are injured.

Fringe players such as Adkins, Chambers, Collica, Humm, Munro and Wooden are all damned good players. Unfortunately you can only play 22 per match and these players need to stand out consistently in order to be ready at the slightest hint of injury from the core group.

Before I go I would just like to say that I am totally against playing injured players. It makes the team vulnerable and we should always err on the side of caution. Players such as Gardiner, Jakovich and McIntosh should not have been given a game in the finals with the injuries they were carrying.

 

[The Passenger]

Glass is definetaly the best option at FB.

I'd like to see Gaspar start at CHB.

Hunter the third tall backman option.

Jakovich would start on the bench as insurance for any tall spot in the ground.

Carroll would be a backup to come into the 22 if one of the four breaks down.

Lynch should also be trialled at some point down in the backline.

Kasey Green has done enough to earn a spot in the backline permanantly, whilst David Wirrpunda is the first man picked in the back pocket.

The other HBF spot is up for grabs and could go to any one of Morrison, Read or Collica.

 

[llosis]

Glass - Full back.
Best when scragging. See exhibit A: Chris Tarrant.

Wirra - Back pocket.
Offensive backman. Rebound and run from the last line. 70m torpies from kickouts.

??? - Back Pocket.
I can see this position changing depending on match-ups. Banners plays down in this position on crumbers. Green of players stronger overhead.

Gaspar - CH Back
Tall, strong, agile. Good mark and has a smart head on his shoulders. Playing him at CHB and not CHF maybe a case of "robbing peter to pay paul" but our need at present is defense moreso than attack.

Hunter - HBF
Versatile, tough, competitor. Can cover the tird tall option and is growing in confidence in his disposal and set-up play out of defence. At times slips forward to snag a goal.

??? - HBF
Another position up for grabs on the basis of matchups. Green, Morrison, Collica, Selwood are all in mix depending on the team needs and opposition set-up.

Other tall options: Jako, Lynch, Carroll.
Other med/small options: Staker (tall but can play med), Wooden Josh, Munro, Adkins, Read, Nicoski.

 

[drexel]

Wooden/Morrison Gaspar Green
Hunter Glass Wirrapunda/Chick

We need quick sweepers down back. We've had a severe innabiltity to win 50/50 balls in defense and generate any rebound. It was so bad we needed the midfielders to run back to give us any chance.

I can't remember our backline having one single rebound in the final against the Crows....and that was the most pathetic thing.

Compare that to Dockers who IMO have the best backline in the comp right now...the stats might not show it but that's only because their midfield and forwardline is nothing special.
The ease with which they rebound is what generated most of their good form this year without a doubt.