New Forward Line

[Dry Rot]

DR I agree, its all the same as last year (basically).

We will most likely have Welsh to add some bite and kick goals as we know he can, however we need one of the big guys to really step up and take control in the air at CHF. I don't know who its going to be, but I think it will be a bit of an experiment as we go through the season trying out various options.

BTW, in hindsight, why do you think Eade went after Robertson?

[hujsh]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that none of the proposed forward lines* here really looks top 4 or even 6 material?



*Good efforts by everyone, I'm talking about the personnel.

Did Geelong's forwardline look top 4. Good players, eg Mooney & Johnson, got better as did the midfield and Defence. Sometimes the midfield and defence really hiinders the forwardline making it look bad. Our forwards looked pretty good at the end of 05

[BulldogBelle]

BTW, in hindsight, why do you think Eade went after Robertson?

Not sure, but I remember reading somewhere that Eade was the only person that wanted Robertson at the Dogs, no one else in the Bulldog camp wanted him.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Did Geelong's forwardline look top 4. Good players, eg Mooney & Johnson, got better as did the midfield and Defence. Sometimes the midfield and defence really hiinders the forwardline making it look bad. Our forwards looked pretty good at the end of 05

It had the potential though. Mooney's a fine player, it's always been his mentality. Is it any coincidence he got it right this year and Geelong won the flag? N. Ablett wasn't fantastic but did his part on occasions too, whilst the likes of Ablett, Johnson & Chapman really tore the competition apart. I thought Ottens did a good job too when he played up forward. So even though their KPF's wern't star studded like Brown or Pavlich, they still were capable of playing good football and bringing the smaller types right into the game.

DR's correct in saying that our forward line on paper doesn't appear to be a reflection of a side capable of finishing Top 4.

It's certainly a worry, because the midfield & backline are able to be improved with the personnel we have. Up forward though, we're really lacking options - and quality ones, too. A fair point was made above, how our set-up worked pretty well towards the end of 2005. Still, I think sides have probably figured us out by now and are able to restrict us. Back then, we took the competition by surprise. It's probably worth noting as good as we looked, we still finished 9th. Though, those last five weeks? were very good.

There's not a whole lot we can do; develop the likes of Tiller, Grant, Boumann & perhaps try Everitt down there in the future. As for 'ready made options', we simply don't have any. Skipper & Minson will be trialed but that's about it.

The midfield does have a huge influence on a side's forwardline & backline, though. In recent years we've been far too offensive and have been pretty poor defensively. If we can even that up a little, I think we'd be a much better side. I don't want to see us play like Sydney/Adelaide, but I think we should look closely at sides like West Coast who run extremely hard both ways, and play a similiar brand of football to us. Granted, The Eagles have a few decent KP players that they were able to get a good contest out of.

Nevertheless, we need a player who will simply contest. If Minson or Skipper are able to do this, we'll be a lot better side. Morgan wasn't such a great player but he brought the ball to the ground consistently, providing opportunities for our much smaller forwads to swoop on the ball. They're creative forwards; not pack busting contested marking forwards. They need the ball to spill to the ground. Minson & Skipper are both at times far too easily brushed aside for their bulk in a marking contest, or severely ill-positioned. If they can overcome this, we'll look a lot better - even if they aren't taking big grabs and kicking goals.

The point is, in 2006 we finished 8th (6th after finals) with plenty of injuries and no KPF's. Two years on the younger players should mature into better players, and we now have - or should have - a stronger backline with Williams, McDougall, Callan & even Everitt as players who can play a role. Thus, I would expect to see some improvement. McMahon's departure will probably help, too. If the midfield can tighten up and play accountable football, I would hope that's about 4 or 5 goals saved. There's a lot of IF's, but I feel that if the side can get things 'right', we should be able to finish Top 6 because talent wise, we're looking better than we were in 2006 when we had a good year.

[hujsh]

It had the potential though. Mooney's a fine player, it's always been his mentality. Is it any coincidence he got it right this year and Geelong won the flag? N. Ablett wasn't fantastic but did his part on occasions too, whilst the likes of Ablett, Johnson & Chapman really tore the competition apart. I thought Ottens did a good job too when he played up forward. So even though their KPF's wern't star studded like Brown or Pavlich, they still were capable of playing good football and bringing the smaller types right into the game.

DR's correct in saying that our forward line on paper doesn't appear to be a reflection of a side capable of finishing Top 4.

It's certainly a worry, because the midfield & backline are able to be improved with the personnel we have. Up forward though, we're really lacking options - and quality ones, too. A fair point was made above, how our set-up worked pretty well towards the end of 2005. Still, I think sides have probably figured us out by now and are able to restrict us. Back then, we took the competition by surprise. It's probably worth noting as good as we looked, we still finished 9th. Though, those last five weeks? were very good.

There's not a whole lot we can do; develop the likes of Tiller, Grant, Boumann & perhaps try Everitt down there in the future. As for 'ready made options', we simply don't have any. Skipper & Minson will be trialed but that's about it.

The midfield does have a huge influence on a side's forwardline & backline, though. In recent years we've been far too offensive and have been pretty poor defensively. If we can even that up a little, I think we'd be a much better side. I don't want to see us play like Sydney/Adelaide, but I think we should look closely at sides like West Coast who run extremely hard both ways, and play a similiar brand of football to us. Granted, The Eagles have a few decent KP players that they were able to get a good contest out of.

Nevertheless, we need a player who will simply contest. If Minson or Skipper are able to do this, we'll be a lot better side. Morgan wasn't such a great player but he brought the ball to the ground consistently, providing opportunities for our much smaller forwads to swoop on the ball. They're creative forwards; not pack busting contested marking forwards. They need the ball to spill to the ground. Minson & Skipper are both at times far too easily brushed aside for their bulk in a marking contest, or severely ill-positioned. If they can overcome this, we'll look a lot better - even if they aren't taking big grabs and kicking goals.

The point is, in 2006 we finished 8th (6th after finals) with plenty of injuries and no KPF's. Two years on the younger players should mature into better players, and we now have - or should have - a stronger backline with Williams, McDougall, Callan & even Everitt as players who can play a role. Thus, I would expect to see some improvement. McMahon's departure will probably help, too. If the midfield can tighten up and play accountable football, I would hope that's about 4 or 5 goals saved. There's a lot of IF's, but I feel that if the side can get things 'right', we should be able to finish Top 6 because talent wise, we're looking better than we were in 2006 when we had a good year.

My point was that if the rest of the side improves we might have a surprisingly good forwardline but it is granted that we don't currently have a potential KPF to burst like Mooney and Lynch did when they won premierships. When you cant win a clearance the forwardline looks alot worse than when you do.