Your forward line?

[just maybe]

Look, 4-0, that's fantastic, I didn't think you were going to be that good after 4 rounds, but there you go.

However my one caveat on the Coasters is their lack of a tall forward...I am almost definite all of the goals last night came from the midfield or small crumbing forward. Obviously that's not a recipe for future success - if the midfield is shut down, you need some tall forwards who can impose themselves on the game.

Does this concern you?

 

[Goldenblue]

Look, 4-0, that's fantastic, I didn't think you were going to be that good after 4 rounds, but there you go.

However my one caveat on the Coasters is their lack of a tall forward...I am almost definite all of the goals last night came from the midfield or small crumbing forward. Obviously that's not a recipe for future success - if the midfield is shut down, you need some tall forwards who can impose themselves on the game.

Does this concern you?

No, no concern.

We have doogs waiting in the wings, Hansen has done well at CHF, and if Lynchy can begin to hold his marks, we have a full forward in the making.

If we are able to win games without a true FF, then so be it. I like to see the side have an even spread of goalkickers rather than a FF to kick the bulk of the goals.

 

[Frodo]

Look, 4-0, that's fantastic, I didn't think you were going to be that good after 4 rounds, but there you go.

However my one caveat on the Coasters is their lack of a tall forward...I am almost definite all of the goals last night came from the midfield or small crumbing forward. Obviously that's not a recipe for future success - if the midfield is shut down, you need some tall forwards who can impose themselves on the game.

Does this concern you?

It does concern me. We've seen the likes of Carlton flood and shut the midfield flow down. In that situation the midfield has little time to react or run. A quick kick into the 50 can cause a lot of damage if you have a good, strong FF. Doogs is a leading forward like Lloyd and doesn't suit that bill. Maybe Gardy or Seaby can pinch hit the role. But I was hoping after the preseason that Lynch would be the man.

 

[Mead]

That depends.

There's no doubt we've struggled to put a quality forward line on the park, but in fairnessm, our three best tall forward prospects (Gardiner, McDougall, Smith) have been unavailable for most of this season so far- for a team which isn't particularly deep up forward, that's left us a little hamstrung- subtract the best 3 talls from any forwardline and it will look pretty damn shaky.

The big positive so far has been Hansen, who has been playing high quality football at CHF- if he can replicate his form over the last month throughout the year, then he'd have an elite, 60 goal season from CHF, which makes us looks pretty good.

If we play with this forward line all season, yes it does worry me. But as soon as we get Gardiner/Doogs back out there (hopefully sometime , the forward line looks a lot more dangerous.

 

[peterss]

The only realy concern i have regarding our forward line at the moment is Big Lynch... He is still failing to hold a mark when on the lead and i seriosuly think it is time for Woosha and the boys to consider moving him back to the CHB position he played last season... I have faith in him as a CHB but am beginning to lose faith in him as our FF... But i suppose up to yesterday i had begun to lose faith in Fido and wanted him dropped from the team and looked what happened to him yesterday he found some form and got 3 goals on the board YAY.

Hansen has been great for us at CHF in previous weeks and Graham has also showed some promising signs in his 2 games.

But all in all i have no real concerns over our forward line as we have all our Midfielders chipping in and getting a few goals each every week.

If Woosha keeps persisting with Lynch at FF and if he can find some form then we will be looking great in the Forward line...

 

[coasting]

I think Lynch is actually a better mark overhead than he is taking chest marks. I can't believe an AFL player has so much trouble taking a mark on his chest. If he could take chest marks and kick straight he would be a servicable FF. You can still win with players like that, not everyone has to be Matthew Lloyd.

 

[just maybe]

No, no concern.

We have doogs waiting in the wings, Hansen has done well at CHF, and if Lynchy can begin to hold his marks

Well if Perrie could hold his bloody marks Adelaide would have a gun forward

As for Doogs..I'm not convinced on him.

 

[Frodo]

I think Lynch is actually a better mark overhead than he is taking chest marks.

Quote of the season so far

 

[Ozgur]

We have nothing to go to when in the forward line. The midflied is getting the ball to guys like Matera , Hansen and Sampi but if we have 1 big star full forward we would be the STRONGEST side in the afl.

 

[Ruddiger]

Hansen has only played 10 games, however he has performed well and will continue to improve.

Yesterday I though that a lot of the players were kicking to Matera to bring him into the game, get his confidence up so he can perform for the rest of the season. There were times when Hansen or Seaby presented better, but they still went for Phil.

Seaby has missed the last 3 games, so he wasn't completely fit, but when he is he can take a good mark.

Gardiner should do quite well in the forward line....I think that Cox is better than him in the ruck so we don't need to worry about trying to slot him back in there ... (despite the AFL writers thinking Gardi is our number one ruckman )

 

[94_Eagles]

Personally I think Seaby is a better prospect in the foward line than Gardiner. Gardiner is just too slow and immobile if he doesn't take the mark.

That's under the caveat that he actually takes the field.

 

[The Unbrain]

Hey guys, long time reader first time poster...

For my money, The Big Q is doing alright. He's not afraid to crash a pack, and you can bet defenders filling the space are going to be nervous with him steaming out. He's not taking the marks, but he's creating opportunities for the crummers, something that Doogs is seemingly incapable of doing, just because when it comes to a pack mark, he's more than a bit ineffectual. I prefer Q down at CHB as well, but at the moment i'd keep him at full forward for another couple of weeks.

Has anyone else noticed that he tends to shut his eyes just he goes to mark? Maybe we should hook him up with some Clockwork Orange style eye gear...

 

[WaDsY]

Round 3 - West Coast Eagles

Ashley Hansen (3)
Dean Cox (2)
Quinten Lynch (2)
Jaymie Graham (2)
Andrew Embley (1)
Chad Fletcher (1)
Chris Judd (1)

Tall forwards kicking goals.

The facts are, we are getting goals from everyone at the moment, big and small. I think the more options you have, the better it is. If someone gets shutdown, someone else bobs up and kicks 2 or 3.

We are building nicely.

 

[Milenko]

Yesterday I though that a lot of the players were kicking to Matera to bring him into the game, get his confidence up so he can perform for the rest of the season. There were times when Hansen or Seaby presented better, but they still went for Phil.

That concerned me also, a bad habit we don't want resurfacing in the finals. It's come to the point where I almost don't want Phil to lead at all, just be yapping at the heels of a tall forward to crumb off any spills.

 

[jod23]

It doesnt concern me. I think we have the cattle but there just yet to put it altogether. Hansen, McDougall, Graham, Gardiner, Lynch, Staker, Cox, Seaby and Smith eventually. All good enough, all tall, all can kick goals.

Slowly but surely Woosh is is putting it together.

 

[just maybe]

It doesnt concern me. I think we have the cattle but there just yet to put it altogether. Hansen, McDougall, Graham, Gardiner, Lynch, Staker, Cox, Seaby and Smith eventually. All good enough, all tall, all can kick goals.

Slowly but surely Woosh is is putting it together.

Arguably I can turn around and go Perrie, Welsh, Hudson, M. Stevens, S. Stevens, Biglands, Hentschel, Watts, Meeson, Gibson, and Krueger eventually. All Good enough, all tall, all can kick goals. Fact is most of them aren't that good, and don't kick goals regularly. It's the same with the list you've given me. Of them none of them are consistent goalkickers or even consistent forward-line players. Lynch is a bit like your Perrie - works hard but doesn't consistently kick goals. McDougall is your Watts - big wraps, but little output to actually match it. Hansen is your Hentschel, talented but taking too much forward-line responsibility before he is ready.

It's my one concern in tipping WCE for the premiership. Premiership sides need that one power forward who can impose himself on the game. For my mind, WCE lack that forward and hence aren't likely premiers this season.

 

[zero]

Arguably I can turn around and go Perrie, Welsh, Hudson, M. Stevens, S. Stevens, Biglands, Hentschel, Watts, Meeson, Gibson, and Krueger eventually. All Good enough, all tall, all can kick goals. Fact is most of them aren't that good, and don't kick goals regularly.

you could say that, but ours are better gardiner is an AA, hansen is developing into a consistent forward, macdougal is still young and has potential but needs to put it together, staker and seaby are both rising star noms, smith kicked 190 goals in 2 seasons in the WAFL, lynch is a pinch hitting backman

its true that they are variously out of form, injured, not ready for prime time or just plain duds, but that where our improvement must come from if we are to significantly improve, and it will require patience. of course, they could all turn out to be hopeless as key forwards, which leaves us with the same weakness we have now. but we feel there is cause for hope among them.

It's my one concern in tipping WCE for the premiership. Premiership sides need that one power forward who can impose himself on the game. For my mind, WCE lack that forward and hence aren't likely premiers this season.

most eagles supporters agree with you, dont tip us for the flag. when our younger players get more experienced and develop physically (we have many first team players that are brand new) and we have solved our key position issues, tip us then. next year at the earliest

 

[just maybe]

you could say that, but ours are better gardiner is an AA, hansen is developing into a consistent forward, macdougal is still young and has potential but needs to put it together, staker and seaby are both rising star noms, smith kicked 190 goals in 2 seasons in the WAFL, lynch is a pinch hitting backman

Straight back at you, our are better Gardiner was not AA as a forward/KP, but then Hentschel is developing into a consistent forward, Watts is still young and has potential but needs to put it together, Staker is a flanker and Seaby is a ruckman, and we've had the likes of A Richardson and S Hodges who dominate the SANFL goalfronts but that doesn't equate to dominating the AFL.

 

[Cosmic Starchild]

Straight back at you, our are better Gardiner was not AA as a forward/KP, but then Hentschel is developing into a consistent forward, Watts is still young and has potential but needs to put it together, Staker is a flanker and Seaby is a ruckman, and we've had the likes of A Richardson and S Hodges who dominate the SANFL goalfronts but that doesn't equate to dominating the AFL.

Is your point that Adelaide have better talls than West Coast (which they don't)?

I thought you were asking if our apparent lack of tall forwards would stop us winning a flag. How are Adelaide relevant to the discussion you started?

 

[Bestbird]

It was a strange contrast between last week and the week before



Against the Dockers the talls kicked most of the goals.

Against the Bullies it was the midfielders and small forwards



Who knows, this week Glass my kick a bagfull

 

[just maybe]

Is your point that Adelaide have better talls than West Coast (which they don't)?

I thought you were asking if our apparent lack of tall forwards would stop us winning a flag. How are Adelaide relevant to the discussion you started?

Just syaing there has been plenty of laughter about the Crows' forward line - inluding posters on this board, but I'm saying there's overrating of your forwrd line talls in the same way as some Adelaide fans could overrate talls in our forward line who also don't produce. It was used as a comparison showing how players can be chronically overrated by supporters.

 

[zero]

Just syaing there has been plenty of laughter about the Crows' forward line - inluding posters on this board, but I'm saying there's overrating of your forwrd line talls in the same way as some Adelaide fans could overrate talls in our forward line who also don't produce. It was used as a comparison showing how players can be chronically overrated by supporters.

except i wasnt overrating them, as i followed it with the caveat "variously out of form, injured, not ready for prime time or just plain duds". pointing out that they havent really produced. (although hansen who is having a good year so far, and macdougal kicked alot of goals in the second half of last year)

 

[Cosmic Starchild]

It was used as a comparison showing how players can be chronically overrated by supporters.

Now there's a revelation.

 

[Cosmic Starchild]

McDougall is your Watts - big wraps, but little output to actually match it. Hansen is your Hentschel, talented but taking too much forward-line responsibility before he is ready.

McDougall's done a bit more than Watts.

Who do you have on your list comparable to Gardiner, Staker, Embley and Seaby?

Or did you run out of ideas after Perrie, Watts and Hentschel?

 

[just maybe]

Gardiner we don't have a ruck equal to, I admit.

Welsh is better than Staker.
Embley is more of a midfielder, so I won't really comment. But Burton I suppose it a fairly similar type player, and Jericho is probably the most talented of the three, just the least committed.
Seaby has done a lot of nothing really, Hudson at this stage is performing better than Seaby.