Leading Goalkickers...and a QUESTION.

[The bulldog tragician]

Ding ding ding we have a winner.

Tom Boyd played our of his skin that game and took 6 contested marks. If you look at our team, who would you back in now to take 6 contested marks?

Fletcher Roberts and an immature Joel Hamling, bless them, aren't the types of players opposition coaches put time into but they did the job when it mattered.
A good system can hide defensive personnel inadequacies far more than a deficiencies in the forwardline.

The premiership forward line was just as wonky on paper. One talented high draft pick forward who was going through a “troubled” period in his life and not selected foe several weeks in the lead up; a bloke whose knees were shot to pieces; two 19 yr olds both with extremely average kicking styles and neither of whom have gone onto be forwards: a rookie who’d transformed himself into a semi crazed forward; and another guy plucked from the reserves at 24. We got so much out of this ragtag bunch. We couldn’t have dreamt such a makeshift forward line when we wished we’d had a power forward.

But they all had to constantly play out of their skins to do so. Naughton just exudes natural talent. He brings everyone to their feet, people through the turnstiles (sounds better than barcodes). And he’s not just a one trick pony, he is aggressive and tackles and chases hard. I just love watching him play.

[The bulldog tragician]

If he doesn't keep kneeing our own blokes in their noggins....'
I don't applaud marks when one of our own good players is out for multiple weeks, and has to deal with concussion for long periods.
Accidents happen but it's also part of marking craft.

I dunno. Maybe not much can be done. I hope so.

How could he have avoided that? He flew, with eyes only for the ball.Our game is inherently dangerous and some of the worst injuries happen in innocuous ways.

[ratsmac]

If Naughts keeps up this form there's no way we move him back. I think he scares the bejesus out of defenders. Opposition coaches would put more time into him than they do Bruce who is a much more mature and established senior player and has kicked more goals.

In saying that I was calling for Naughton to be moved back against Carlton in the 3rd because Weitering was all over him and the game was slipping away at the time. He wasn't getting a sniff. I thought it would be good to get him in the game. Next minute he takes a pack mark and kicks a goal that helped set up our come back. So probably better to leave him forward

[Twodogs]

I think that Naughton is one of only three players that have kicked multiple goals in every game this year. Leave him forward for sure. I haven't been as excited by the way a young Bulldogs player marks in the air, lands on his feet and runs towards goal in my lifetime.

[MrMahatma]

Naughton is a beast up forward. He’s amazing. Most exciting prospect I’ve seen in our colours.

No way you’d move him back.

I recall the Hawks had similar debates about Roughead back in the day. Could’ve played back and kept Buddy up forward.

[Go_Dogs]

Are the calls because people to reinstate premiership CHF Cordy back to that position?

On a serious note, agree with mjp. Naughton forward - all day, everyday. He’s got the swagger, he’s marking and impacting everything and his kicking has largely been reliable. Plus he is a defensive beast once the ball hits the deck.

[Vred]

Naughton never goes back unless it's some injury-filled game and we're up by 30 just trying to run the game out and stop any easy late-goals. Naughton is a forward, for now and forever.

Let's just recruit a solid backman and put it to rest.

[soupman]

Naughton never goes back unless it's some injury-filled game and we're up by 30 just trying to run the game out and stop any easy late-goals. Naughton is a forward, for now and forever.

Let's just recruit a solid backman and put it to rest.

Yeah this is my thinking.

I'll be surprised if we ever go into a game planning on Naughton being in defence for substantial parts of the game. As a mid game stop gap for a short period sure, but not as a proper defender.

[boydogs]

Naughton wasn't that great down back. He was dominated by Jack Riewoldt in the last quarter of the last game in 2018 when Jack kicked 3 to steal the game from us. His strength is attacking the ball in the air, not nullifying an opponent. Good to send him back to stem the tide or defend a lead but forward is his best position

[jeemak]

If he doesn't keep kneeing our own blokes in their noggins....'
I don't applaud marks when one of our own good players is out for multiple weeks, and has to deal with concussion for long periods.
Accidents happen but it's also part of marking craft.

I dunno. Maybe not much can be done. I hope so.

Sorry GD, but as always there's at least one time within a season's worth of posting when I call BS. This is it.

[azabob]

Let’s see what happens at the pointy end of the year.

Are you still 100% in favour of sending Naughton back?

Cal Twomey wrote an article last Saturday prior to the port game detailing how opposition key forwards have gotten ahold of our key backs.

What he and other media have neglected to mention is our three key forwards (Bruce, Naughton, English) have kicked 57 goals compared to 35 goals from the opposition key forwards. It is fair to assume the gap would be bigger if English hadn't missed games through injury.

By moving Naughton back we lose what has been a major strength so far this season.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/612249/w...power-forwards

[comrade]

Are you still 100% in favour of sending Naughton back?

Cal Twomey wrote an article last Saturday prior to the port game detailing how opposition key forwards have gotten ahold of our key backs.

What he and other media have neglected to mention is our three key forwards (Bruce, Naughton, English) have kicked 57 goals compared to 35 goals from the opposition key forwards. It is fair to assume the gap would be bigger if English hadn't missed games through injury.

By moving Naughton back we lose what has been a major strength so far this season.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/612249/w...power-forwards

I'm definitely not as fervent as I was previously, the forward line is purring and Naughton is electric right now so I don't want to move him.

Our lack of intercept marking in defence continues to be our Achilles heel, though. Even against Port, our inability to win back the ball in defence in the 2nd led to a cluster of goals in quick time. You look at Melbourne and they don't have to dominate the midfield in order to keep teams from scoring, their defence just wins it back in the air.

It's a tough one.

If JUH was 2 or 3 years older, I'd be sending back Naughton tomorrow.

[mjp]

Naughton wasn't that great down back. He was dominated by Jack Riewoldt in the last quarter of the last game in 2018 when Jack kicked 3 to steal the game from us.

To be fair, he was like 18 years old and Riewoldt a 200+ game, multiple Coleman winning forward.

[Mofra]

Naughton wasn't that great down back. He was dominated by Jack Riewoldt in the last quarter of the last game in 2018 when Jack kicked 3 to steal the game from us. His strength is attacking the ball in the air, not nullifying an opponent. Good to send him back to stem the tide or defend a lead but forward is his best position

He finished 4th in the B&F as an 18 year old. That's incredible for a KPP

[bornadog]

To be fair, he was like 18 years old and Riewoldt a 200+ game, multiple Coleman winning forward.

He finished 4th in the B&F as an 18 year old. That's incredible for a KPP

As a 19 year old he was the number one contested mark in the compo at FF