2015 Pre-Season

[Twodogs]

It is interesting reading all the training reports here, on the club's website and even on the perpetual let-us-go-thread-after-thread-slagging-eachother-off footy forum. I wonder if a few directions for 2015 can be posited at this still early stage:

Murphy into the midfield? Biggs taking over Murphy's half-back role? edpath being groomed as CHF rather than a KPD contender? Roughead and Talia as preferred KPD's? Hamling and Roberts are the next KPB choices and could have to pinch hit as CHF's? Jong as a starting 22 player? Stringer will play mainly if not exclusively as a deep forward? Bontempelli is a lock for RR or centre (ie. inside midfield role taking over from the Grifter)? Crameri spending more time as a midfielder?

Most great full forwards have a big brute doing all the donkey work at CHF. Maybe the arrival of Tom Boyd has redfined Roberts role.

[hujsh]

Most great full forwards have a big brute doing all the donkey work at CHF. Maybe the arrival of Tom Boyd has redfined Roberts role.

He wrote Redpath though. I know there was talk here of Redpath being a KPD next year. It'd be surprising though. Wasn't he a forward all last year?

[GVGjr]

He wrote Redpath though. I know there was talk here of Redpath being a KPD next year. It'd be surprising though. Wasn't he a forward all last year?

Played in the back line for Footscray for a few weeks.

[Eastdog]

What do you guys really think with Redpath. Haven't see much of him but does he have a good future with us and will we see him a bit more in the seniors this year.

[Testekill]

What do you guys really think with Redpath. Haven't see much of him but does he have a good future with us and will we see him a bit more in the seniors this year.

Prior to last year I thought that he was just this solidly built guy that wasn't tall enough and didn't have much going for him outside of speed and strength. However his 2014 and preseason have had me convinced that he's a better option to persist with instead of just going to the draft and recruiting a tall kid. It does seem like he's found the mobility that he lost after two knee injuries and I want to have every opportunity just because he's a big physical presence that will protect Boyd.

[1eyedog]

Prior to last year I thought that he was just this solidly built guy that wasn't tall enough and didn't have much going for him outside of speed and strength. However his 2014 and preseason have had me convinced that he's a better option to persist with instead of just going to the draft and recruiting a tall kid. It does seem like he's found the mobility that he lost after two knee injuries and I want to have every opportunity just because he's a big physical presence that will protect Boyd.

If we want to protect Boyd we play Campbell deep. Better mark and just 'bigger' than Redpath. Puts the pressure on the opposition and provides Campbell with game time. We need Campbell to get second ruck experience . If Minson goes down we're exposed. Playing him has two purposes. Sub him off each week if we can / have to.

[Testekill]

If we want to protect Boyd we play Campbell deep. Better mark and just 'bigger' than Redpath. Puts the pressure on the opposition and provides Campbell with game time. We need Campbell to get second ruck experience . If Minson goes down we're exposed. Playing him has two purposes. Sub him off each week if we can / have to.

I was talking less structurly and more that Boyd is going to be scragged and having at least one player hanging off of him at all times. Redpath is a more physically imposing & more aggressive player and can cover ground quicker than Campbell so he'd be better at physically protecting him.

[GVGjr]

I was talking less structurly and more that Boyd is going to be scragged and having at least one player hanging off of him at all times. Redpath is a more physically imposing & more aggressive player and can cover ground quicker than Campbell so he'd be better at physically protecting him.

Not to turn this the training thread into a Redpath discussion but I find him and interesting player for the season ahead. He probably could play in a few positions (forward and back) and also provide some relief in the ruck. I've not yet seen enough from him to suggest he is in our best 22 but I'm glad they gave him another 12 months to prove himself.

[F'scary]

It could be a good move to have a very aggressive player like Redpath or Campbell playing CHF (with instructions to shake it up with the opposition). Diversionary tactics to shift the focus off Boyd Jnr.

[boydogs]

Not to turn this the training thread into a Redpath discussion but I find him and interesting player for the season ahead. He probably could play in a few positions (forward and back) and also provide some relief in the ruck. I've not yet seen enough from him to suggest he is in our best 22 but I'm glad they gave him another 12 months to prove himself.

194cm is a bit short for the ruck. Watching him last year he seemed to lack forward craft, hopefully he can improve on that. I don't think he is agile enough for defense

[Twodogs]

He wrote Redpath though. I know there was talk here of Redpath being a KPD next year. It'd be surprising though. Wasn't he a forward all last year?

My bad. I had a happy picture in my mind of Roberts thumping through that 60 metre goal at Punt road after the siren for Footscray and confused Roberts and Redpath. Redpath proved he could be a handful up forward in the VFL GF last year. If Redpath (or Roberts) could run around and clear a bit of space for Boyd to lead into or a bit of mayhem for the little blokes to capitalise on then we might have a working forward line.

Like F'scary talks about above.

[azabob]

194cm is a bit short for the ruck. Watching him last year he seemed to lack forward craft, hopefully he can improve on that. I don't think he is agile enough for defense

194cm as a second ruck is fine.

[Go_Dogs]

194cm as a second ruck is fine.

I tend to agree, if it's just for a chop out and particularly given Redpath's physicality. It appears from most reports his agility is improved, so I think that gives him a good chance to develop into a swingman of sorts who can play both ends.

I'm pretty optimistic about him at the moment, and hope he gets a good run early in the year if his NAB Cup form warrants it.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

The good thing re: Redpath (or whoever else plays as a KPF) is that they don't have to be a superstar. Whilst he may not be there yet, we have a potential one in Boyd already there, who at the very least commands the best key defender. Difficult to say whether big Jack will make it or not, but there's room for an aggressive 'OK' second key forward who plays his role. There have been a few good ones for other great teams in the past.

The big winners are clearly Crameri and Stringer, but if those two plus Boyd and Redpath/Campbell can contribute we suddenly have some options to cause opposition headaches.

[1eyedog]

I'm not sold on Redpath. He finished the season off well last year but I can't see how he offers more than Campbell up forward or as second ruck. If we want to protect Boyd I would have thought you take a really big bloke away from Boyd's contest area rather than whack a Redpath down there to bullock opposition backs. He's a poor mans Mitch Hahn who is easily covered by a 190-192 third tall. The other issue is his tank , he blows up 15 minutes into every quarter. He may surprise but I think the only hope he has of playing this season is as a lockdown key back and that is only if Talia or Roberts do not show early form. If Redpath can play back I'd like to see Roberts or Hamling tried at CHF.

But...can Campbell and Boyd play in the same forward line? Can they?