What do we do about our small defender position??

[CatToTheFuture]

Because he gets bags kicked on him?

Is it just me though, or is this conversation really familiar? Like, under Chris Scott we've pretty well always been vulnerable to small forwards. Almost like a feature not a bug

I feel like this board has had this very conversation about Jed Bews right up until he gave Eddie Betts a bath one time, and before that we were cycling through guys like Tom Ruggles.

 

[iameviljez]

Because he gets bags kicked on him?

I think this is a bit overstated, to be fair.

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

He's yet to play a good game. I've been pretty supportive of Mullin playing AFL but he's not showing much growth, hasn't really been a line breaker. Still doesn't look confident, like he's afraid to make a mistake so prefers not to take the game on.

 

[Lingsface]

You want a guy who is 194cm playing small defender?

Yes that would be fine, I would say Hough, Michelannie, Maynard and a few others would play this role and be within that range. Especially when quite slight the extra height can help against great overhead marks like Toby Greene, Bolton, Elliot etc.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Yes that would be fine, I would say Hough, Michelannie, Maynard and a few others would play this role and be within that range. Especially when quite slight the extra height can help against great overhead marks like Toby Greene, Bolton, Elliot etc.

Yeah, I like knev but I don't think he has the acceleration. Smalls will push off him unless he's super smart with his positioning. You'd probably have to be very patient

 

[Gunf]

Of the players suggested in this thread

Atkins nope he is our heart and soul defending mid
Bruhn not fast enough same with Clark
Bews injured
MOC maybe could do it
CGuthrie is done
Zuthrie is to important in the role he plays
Bowes plays mid and slides back


So it is probably Mullin or MOC until we get another player next year or train a player to play that role

 

[cats_09]

I'm guessing those claiming, "Mullin is yet to play a good game", didn't watch our match against St Kilda last year where Hill, his opponent, was subbed off because of his lack of impact due to the job Mullin was doing on him...


Mullin may not be the answer for a lockdown small defender playing close to the goal line, but maybe we should be looking at that St Kilda game as something of a blueprint for how we can best utilise him

 

[Warhorse]

I'm guessing those claiming, "Mullin is yet to play a good game", didn't watch our match against St Kilda last year where Hill, his opponent, was subbed off because of his lack of impact due to the job Mullin was doing on him...


Mullin may not be the answer for a lockdown small defender playing close to the goal line, but maybe we should be looking at that St Kilda game as something of a blueprint for how we can best utilise him

This is the thread about our small lockdown defenders.

 

[Lingsface]

I'm guessing those claiming, "Mullin is yet to play a good game", didn't watch our match against St Kilda last year where Hill, his opponent, was subbed off because of his lack of impact due to the job Mullin was doing on him...


Mullin may not be the answer for a lockdown small defender playing close to the goal line, but maybe we should be looking at that St Kilda game as something of a blueprint for how we can best utilise him

Hill just about managed to do that yesterday without a tag.

 

[iameviljez]

Bruhn not fast enough same with Clark

IMO the lack of pace is not a showstopper for a defender. Josh Hunt, Max Rooke and Corey Enright were never fast, but managed to make up for it.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Not that it'll happen but if you got Dom Brew in the MSD and told him to lock a player down... That player would be locked down.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I have questions

So I'm rewatching the 3rd here and at about 16 minutes to go there's a throw in on the wing where freo win the clearance they run it sideways through to the centre square and I note Mullin is standing in space between the 50m and the centre square with no one around him guarding grass. Notionally I think he's got banfield who is also in space around middle of the square, but i can't say for sure because there's no one around.

Freo running player (missed who) runs it towards Banfield and Mullin runs past Banfield to affect the player and gets handpassed over his head and Banfield gets the an inside 50.

Is this more or less indicative of the criticism? If so then I don't think the coaches are actually telling him to lock anyone down, or he would not be giving off that much space. It looks like he is being coached to stick to a structure and if so I don't think this can really be replicated in the 2s and he won't learn it there. It also means anyone else who isn't in the role currently will hit the same problem regardless of how you rate them.

You can MSD Dom Brew, but if you do not tell the him to go lock down an opponent he will not in fact be doing that.

 

[TheYid]

Mullin is far better as a player further up the ground. He's not really the classic back pocket role. He's probably a bit too big to take on small forwards but until we get a few back like Bews and Kolo we don't have a lot of options.

No, he's not responsible for the goals vs. FREO. But Kako killed him in the practice match.

 

[catscratchfever]

I'm guessing those claiming, "Mullin is yet to play a good game", didn't watch our match against St Kilda last year where Hill, his opponent, was subbed off because of his lack of impact due to the job Mullin was doing on him...


Mullin may not be the answer for a lockdown small defender playing close to the goal line, but maybe we should be looking at that St Kilda game as something of a blueprint for how we can best utilise him

When I first saw Mullin play, I immediately thought 'tagger'. The guy has a limited footy brain and skills atm but he's quick, very quick. That's the role I can see him doing in future if he makes the grade.

Anyway, the MC and coach seem to have faith in him so In Scott I Trust.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Could Bruhn play back pocket?

Probably not fast enough

Pace isn't his issue. He's not lightning quick, but he's got a turn of speed and acceleration out of the contest.

The problem would be someone like Bobby Hill, Toby Greene, or Connor McDonald just running him ragged.

Might work for a quarter, but it would quickly get ugly after that.

Once Mannagh is back and Baz moves more into the midfield full-time from half forward, I'd honestly try Atkins.

At least you know he'll be accountable.

 

[DanA]

I'm guessing those claiming, "Mullin is yet to play a good game", didn't watch our match against St Kilda last year where Hill, his opponent, was subbed off because of his lack of impact due to the job Mullin was doing on him...


Mullin may not be the answer for a lockdown small defender playing close to the goal line, but maybe we should be looking at that St Kilda game as something of a blueprint for how we can best utilise him

He also seemed to do pretty well tagging JHF.

 

[BORIS332]

I'm guessing those claiming, "Mullin is yet to play a good game", didn't watch our match against St Kilda last year where Hill, his opponent, was subbed off because of his lack of impact due to the job Mullin was doing on him...


Mullin may not be the answer for a lockdown small defender playing close to the goal line, but maybe we should be looking at that St Kilda game as something of a blueprint for how we can best utilise him

Wasn't it also Mullin that shutdown JHF last year?

 

[Stab Pass]

I suggest people go back and watch the first half of the Freo game. Mullin was pretty good and had Fredricks well covered. He is fast and hard at it and much better by hand and foot now. He also tackles for keeps. The more he plays the better he will get and his upside is going to be pretty high. There will be a game at some point when he really starts to feel comfortable and does things instinctively rather than thinking of structures and instructions first. The coaches and MC can see the upside and obviously think he is going to learn faster and better in the AFL than running around in the VFL. We have seen this journey before with the likes of Blitz and MOC. Won't stop him being this year's Whipping Boy for a few people but now Kolo is seen as reliable and is out injured, they have to have something to complain about after a 78pt win.

 

[dazbroncos]

How quickly people forget what they complained about 12 years ago.

Blitz got the same reactions that Mullin is getting now. No game sense, get torched by X and Y...

All the same comments really.

And Mullin is getting that exact same treatment by the club IMO - they are gonna pump AFL game situations into him for a while and see what happens.
Like Blitz, Mullin is a bit fi a freak. Fast, Powerful and skilled in the sense of ball control and kicking but is, in a footy sense, raw as a 2 buck steak. And he's the best young player in Ireland for whatever thats worth.

IMO they'll keep getting him games at both levels, ike they did with Blitz, but id expect it slanted 70/30 to AFl games.

And yes, go bak and read Partridge ripping Blitz, Scott and Co a new one as Brad Hill torched him 9 Blitz) on a wing at the G.
Brutal stuff but no different to Mullin's bakes on here now.

Point is they both needed lots of time and exposure to see if they can make it. One did and I dare say the other might too .. in time.

Go Catters

 

[Aura]

I will place my trust in the club on Mullin. After all, just look at how Kolo and Zach Guthrie have developed.

 

[thegerman]

I will place my trust in the club on Mullin. After all, just look at how Kolo and Zach Guthrie have developed.

Exactly. I’ll be the first to eat my words on Zuth, just couldn’t see how his frame could stand up to footy. So glad for him and the club to see the potential and more importantly, see the leadership in him.




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[thegerman]

I suggest people go back and watch the first half of the Freo game. Mullin was pretty good and had Fredricks well covered. He is fast and hard at it and much better by hand and foot now. He also tackles for keeps. The more he plays the better he will get and his upside is going to be pretty high. There will be a game at some point when he really starts to feel comfortable and does things instinctively rather than thinking of structures and instructions first. The coaches and MC can see the upside and obviously think he is going to learn faster and better in the AFL than running around in the VFL. We have seen this journey before with the likes of Blitz and MOC. Won't stop him being this year's Whipping Boy for a few people but now Kolo is seen as reliable and is out injured, they have to have something to complain about after a 78pt win.

Fredricks is a very damaging player too. I thought he didn’t do a lot whilst Mullin was on him


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[Pollywaffle]

He's yet to play a good game. I've been pretty supportive of Mullin playing AFL but he's not showing much growth, hasn't really been a line breaker. Still doesn't look confident, like he's afraid to make a mistake so prefers not to take the game on.

O’Connor the same… Not sure how we get around that, short of an ego transplant.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He also seemed to do pretty well tagging JHF.

Those jobs were in the midfield not the back pocket

 

[Interdimensional Bigfoot]

I will place my trust in the club on Mullin. After all, just look at how Kolo and Zach Guthrie have developed.

Gon be a long 5 years.