2020: Round 1 Team

[Rocket Science]

Wood handing over the captaincy may change our best 22 mix now. I still think only one of Cordy or Wood can play in the side.

This is a noteworthy development. If form eludes him Wood no longer has the 'he's the skipper so he can't be dropped' safety net.

Perhaps Easton inherits the calming elder statesman role vacated by Moz but on a team with numerous medium defender options it'll be a curious one to follow in 2020.

[comrade]

This is a noteworthy development. If form eludes him Wood no longer has the 'he's the skipper so he can't be dropped' safety net.

Perhaps Easton inherits the calming elder statesman role vacated by Moz but on a team with numerous medium defender options it'll be a curious one to follow in 2020.

I think Bevo absolutely loves him and we know Bevo backs in his boys but if it gets to round 12 and Woody's form is trending downwards, he could be in strife.

[bornadog]

I think Bevo absolutely loves him and we know Bevo backs in his boys but if it gets to round 12 and Woody's form is trending downwards, he could be in strife.

Wood the only backman to stand up in the last final. Play him in his right position, and he will lead the backline.

[GVGjr]

Wood handing over the captaincy may change our best 22 mix now. I still think only one of Cordy or Wood can play in the side.

Form should be the only deciding factor but yes if he had stayed on as captain he would have to be selected.
He moves to the bench in my best 22

[GVGjr]

I think Bevo absolutely loves him and we know Bevo backs in his boys but if it gets to round 12 and Woody's form is trending downwards, he could be in strife.

I think you have nailed this, he will be given the first half of the year (at least) to rediscover the required form which has been a huge challenge for him over the last few seasons. His next challenge is that as a half back flanker he doesn't offer the drive that Crozier, Duryea, Daniel and Suckling can and on occasions he struggles when pitted against opposition key forwards.
He is now basically an undersized key defender

The coach needs to find him favourable match-ups each week or he could struggle. He's not the same 3rd man up or intercept defender that he was a few seasons ago.

[AshMac]

Wood the only backman to stand up in the last final. Play him in his right position, and he will lead the backline.

Agree completely - if we play him as an intercept defender he can be elite. I’m hoping we drafted Keath as a lock down defender and not another intercept

[Rocket Science]

Agree completely - if we play him as an intercept defender he can be elite. I’m hoping we drafted Keath as a lock down defender and not another intercept

The distinction's increasingly blurred these days but while Keath's a competitive 1-on-1 opponent I don't think pure negation is his stock and trade.

Reckon Bevo will want him rebounding at every opportunity.

[jeemak]

I think you have nailed this, he will be given the first half of the year (at least) to rediscover the required form which has been a huge challenge for him over the last few seasons. His next challenge is that as a half back flanker he doesn't offer the drive that Crozier, Duryea, Daniel and Suckling can and on occasions he struggles when pitted against opposition key forwards.
He is now basically an undersized key defender

The coach needs to find him favourable match-ups each week or he could struggle. He's not the same 3rd man up or intercept defender that he was a few seasons ago.

How would we know? He's not played it due to needing to play other roles and we've had Crozier come into the side to do that anyway.

But keep banging the narrative just as much as I keep banging against it!

[GVGjr]

How would we know? He's not played it due to needing to play other roles and we've had Crozier come into the side to do that anyway.

But keep banging the narrative just as much as I keep banging against it!

How would you know that his role has changed on needs or if it's more form related?
I'm not sure I buy the view that Crozier is now playing that role either. He's a very attacking player and generally uses the ball well

If bringing in Keath frees up Wood to return to his previous form then that will be a real positive for us.

[Mofra]

How would you know that his role has changed on needs or if it's more form related?

An interview last year stated it was needs - let's not forget we went in with Wood and Cordy as our two 'tall' defenders for the first month last year. We made a lot of positional changes last year, including abandoning our pre-season plans by the end of JLT2.

[GVGjr]

An interview last year stated it was needs - let's not forget we went in with Wood and Cordy as our two 'tall' defenders for the first month last year. We made a lot of positional changes last year, including abandoning our pre-season plans by the end of JLT2.

He mentioned that later in the year, I'm not sure he could have said much different but even if it explains his 2019 form it doesn't explain the previous years where his form hasn't been great

I still maintain he was tried forward for a reason and that was in an effort to get a better balance of height and skills in the back half

Regarding the first month on 2019 we should have been playing Trengove to have a better balance

[Axe Man]

Agree completely - if we play him as an intercept defender he can be elite. I’m hoping we drafted Keath as a lock down defender and not another intercept

The distinction's increasingly blurred these days but while Keath's a competitive 1-on-1 opponent I don't think pure negation is his stock and trade.

Reckon Bevo will want him rebounding at every opportunity.

Agree with that Rocket. The days of the dour full back that does nothing but punch all day are as long gone as the Australian automotive industry. All good key backmen need to be able to defend one on one as well as intercept and counter attack when the opportunity presents.

[mjp]

...that does nothing but punch all day ...

If you are ELITE at something, there is a role for you. Players who can just defend 'better' than anyone else and can be counted to lock away opposition forwards each week are worth their weight. The challenge is:

- Accepting this as a role (CLUB/Coach) and allowing them to do it for 'long enough' that the side becomes balanced around them. Morris was this player - had 3-kicks in the 2016 GF and may have been BOG.

- Accepting this as a role (player) and just being able to accept the role/play the role without trying to exceed their skillset...this is often harder than #1 because at junior level they were a ball in hand player (the ability to actually kick the ball to a team-mate is only occasionally appreciated by coaches and parents at junior footy).

I do think this is a bit of a chicken and egg story though and the fact that so few elite defenders have come through in recent years has us all convinced that there isn't a role for such a player. There absolutely is...but finding someone who is good enough at it to justify the role is another thing altogether.

[Mofra]

Agree with that Rocket. The days of the dour full back that does nothing but punch all day are as long gone as the Australian automotive industry. All good key backmen need to be able to defend one on one as well as intercept and counter attack when the opportunity presents.

Clubs scrambled for Dougal Howard who is an exceptional spoiler of the ball. There will always be a place for defenders who can defend given zone defences mean opposition clubs will plan to play through the weakest defender at every opportunity. Negating the best opposition forward isn't a job that gets overlooked by coaches - Morris was 2nd in the B&F in 2016.

[Axe Man]

I'm not suggesting there is no place for good defensive players. However I think it would be very difficult for such a player to be a top line defender without a few other strings to his bow.

Of course there are various degrees to the "attackingness" (for want of a better word) of a defender, from those that aggressively attempt to mark and intercept almost everything they possibly can, down to those that would prefer to double fist a ball over the boundary before taking an unopposed chest mark (may be a slight exaggeration). There will be places for those from different spots on the spectrum, but I don't believe teams are too keen on those at the far defensive end.