Forward structure - what would YOU do?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

What forward structure do you want to see?

Over a period of time we've committed to being the land of the giants, at times playing all of Naughton, Marra, Lobb, and Darcy while always playing at least 3.

It clearly hasn't worked.

I don't expect us to change it, but here's what I'd do.

Drop Lobb. He's been a severe disappointment. I don't know what to do with him for the remainder of his contract.

Promote Darcy. Play him where needed - at times it'll be as a CHB, at times it'll be as a ruck to chop out English, at times it'll be forward. He simply has to play and I get the argument we'd rather settle him into 1-2 positions but for now, given our defensive woes, we'll need him to be flexible. He's good enough to deliver that.

Play Bedendo. Can we figure out if he's worth keeping? He's been around long enough. Play him as the 'third' tall i.e. Fritsch. If it doesn't work after 4-6 weeks, re-evaluate, but let's find out if he has anything to offer because in terms of his skill set we'd be better off with a mobile medium forward than another lumbering big.

The problem is 3 KPF's can't simultaneously mark the ball. When the ball is won by the opposition, at least 1 - often 2 of them - are being run off with ease. We can drop Lobb and replace him with Darcy but it won't fix this issue.

In time, I'd be trying to get Arty and Clarke into the side. They might not be as fit as VDM or McNeil, but I'm convinced both have more to offer. I'll live with their fatigue and rotate them as needed.

What would YOU do (not what you think we'll do)?

[Ozza]

Move Naughton to defence.

Play Jamarra and Lobb as the two tall forwards until Darcy pushes Lobb out (soon).

[SquirrelGrip]

Naughton, Jamarra, Lobb is a good mix. For most of the game yesterday however, we didn't have the three of them on the field at the same time. Or if we did, it was when English was on the bench. If we are going to have three big guys up forward, play them and stretch the opposition.

Naughton simply must play higher up, occasionally swapping with Jamarra to give him a run. I suspect we were spooked by May, so gave Naughton a role that he failed miserably at. If he can't be a defensive forward and stop May, what hope do we have if he is actually playing defence?

Play English up forward at least 30% of the game. We started to do that more yesterday than last year, but unfortunately Lobb was smashed by Gawn more than Tim was, and had a poor game in the ruck.

Whoever else is playing forward needs to just watch the effort and intensity of Rhylee West. It doesn't matter who it as long as they play with the same effort as Rhylee.

And of course more sessions with Brad Johnson. If we kick straight, we are right in the hunt. Poor kicking for goal by Cody and Jamarra let us down.

[Happy Days]

I dunno. I like Naughton forward, he’s good at it and yesterday notwithstanding is our best forward at keeping the ball inside 50. Not to mention our leading goalkicker for several years.

What do we do if we move him and we still suck because our mids refuse to cover the ground that the opposition does?

[Grantysghost]

I dunno. I like Naughton forward, he’s good at it and yesterday notwithstanding is our best forward at keeping the ball inside 50. Not to mention our leading goalkicker for several years.

What do we do if we move him and we still suck because our mids refuse to cover the ground that the opposition does?

What did you think of Melbourne's forward line? Clearances and inside 50s were about even.

[Happy Days]

What did you think of Melbourne's forward line? Clearances and inside 50s were about even.

Without looking at the stats I would’ve thought they would’ve scored a lot off turnover. We might have literally had around the same inside 50s but there’s inside 50s from a quick kick out of the middle and inside 50s where the ball comes in from an opposition player in 100m of space that we’ve just kicked it straight to.

When we were defending a ball coming in on even terms I actually think the backline played pretty well.

[Danjul]

What did you think of Melbourne's forward line? Clearances and inside 50s were about even.

I can remember two occasions when the ball came in to a pack in the Melbourne forward line. On both occasions all our players tried to mark the ball and the Melbourne forward who stayed down took the ball out the back for a goal. Most of the time Melbourne succeeded in keeping the area open and capitalising on very good entries. Many of our entries were long bombs to nobody.

[Ozza]

I dunno. I like Naughton forward, he’s good at it and yesterday notwithstanding is our best forward at keeping the ball inside 50. Not to mention our leading goalkicker for several years.

What do we do if we move him and we still suck because our mids refuse to cover the ground that the opposition does?

He's really not that good at it. He has phenomenal traits and ability to pack mark - but he really has very little forward craft for someone who has been playing there for 5+ years. We only targeted him twice yesterday according to David King. Jamarra as the much younger key forward is able to draw the footy regularly because he presents and he has timing/reading of the play.

[Danjul]

He's really not that good at it. He has phenomenal traits and ability to pack mark - but he really has very little forward craft for someone who has been playing there for 5+ years. We only targeted him twice yesterday according to David King. Jamarra as the much younger key forward is able to draw the footy regularly because he presents and he has timing/reading of the play.

Jamarra is a natural forward who uses movement to make the space around him bigger. He looked excellent even though the delivery into the forward area was poor.

Naughton needs the space further up the ground. He can get bogged down in the goal square. It is part of the reason he kicked only 1 goal in so many games last year (10) and again on Sunday. Our forwards kept getting in his way, another problem which assisted the defenders.

[FrediKanoute]

I dunno. I like Naughton forward, he’s good at it and yesterday notwithstanding is our best forward at keeping the ball inside 50. Not to mention our leading goalkicker for several years.

What do we do if we move him and we still suck because our mids refuse to cover the ground that the opposition does?

I think the frsutration around Naughton on Sunday was that we didn't do anything with him. We didn't push him up the ground. We didn't swing him back. We didn't try to isolate him 1 v 1. We just did nothing and his opponent got 25 possessions and he got didly. When I woke up on Sunday morning and say he'd had bugger all possessions I assumed he had gotten injured.

Our forward line is crowded and dysfunctional. Naughton and Marra lead to the same spot and spoil each other. At least Lobb seems to get into different areas. The fact we still haven't solved the leading patterns after 2 or 3 seasons of these guys playing together is an sad indictment on the coaches.

[54Bulldog16]

I can’t but help think on what a new senior coach would do, without the pressure of this is just how things are, or what players expect or dictate their position should be.

1. I’ve always been pro-Naughton forward, but May/McDonald/Lever showed us the importance of great contested marking/intercept defense. Naughton to CHB, yes it’s been a long time and it will take some to gel, but his marking and ground ball/ defensive is what our backline is crying out for.
2. JUH out the square. Darcy / English swapping ruck/foward, playing deep as an option when JUH leads.
3. Lobb CHF leading up the wings. Let’s use lobb’s engine and great kicking skills.
4. Bedendo to play the Fritsch role.
5. West and Weightmen small pressure forward, stay on the ground!! Crumbing front and centre.

[bornadog]

I can’t but help think on what a new senior coach would do, without the pressure of this is just how things are, or what players expect or dictate their position should be.

1. I’ve always been pro-Naughton forward, but May/McDonald/Lever showed us the importance of great contested marking/intercept defense. Naughton to CHB, yes it’s been a long time and it will take some to gel, but his marking and ground ball/ defensive is what our backline is crying out for.
2. JUH out the square. Darcy / English swapping ruck/foward, playing deep as an option when JUH leads.
3. Lobb CHF leading up the wings. Let’s use lobb’s engine and great kicking skills.
4. Bedendo to play the Fritsch role.
5. West and Weightmen small pressure forward, stay on the ground!! Crumbing front and centre.

You still have a pretty tall forward line, with only West and Weightman playing the smaller role.

Can we bring in another small, and rotate English and Lobb off the interchange bench?

[54Bulldog16]

You still have a pretty tall forward line, with only West and Weightman playing the smaller role.

Can we bring in another small, and rotate English and Lobb off the interchange bench?

I’d take Lobb out of the forward 50 altogether, although listed as CHF, I’d have him up the ground. The two real tall forwards are JUh and Darcy. Bedendo bring the 3rd marking target. But yes, would need a wing pushing up offensively, that could also apply pressure coming back the other way.
Dunno, just what we have now is not working.

[mighty_west]

I actually wouldn't change too much apart from bringing Darcy in for Lobb and giving Weightman more midfield time where he was trialed in the pre season, not actually too sure what role or position McNeil played yesterday but he looked like got his spot and many agreed on here he earn't his place on the back of being a threat up forward against the Hawks booting several goals.

Darcy plays deep but gives English a chop out in the ruck, i always think an opposition with a decent resting ruck always looks more dangerous and Darcy should be better than just a resting ruck given his ability to mark at the highest point, it should give us a big advantage, he's not injured just play him, Lobb will always be Lobb, some days you might get a little bit more but at the end of the day, he's just Lobb, was at the Giants and at Freo.

Like Jamarra's positioning and overall game apart from his shaky kicking for goal, but Naughton has to play further up the ground to be that marking option and run his opponent around, getting up to the wings and peeling back around centre half forward especially when Weightman is in the forward line and given Cody's ability to jump, when Naughty gets beaten he tends to drop his head and look like he just gives up, it simply means he just has to work harder to get seperation and open up the forward line for others, he doesn't have to kick 4 or 5 goals to have a good game.

McNeil deserves to be dropped but i wouldn't hate him used as a small forward this week, still think he's ahead of Jones and Clarke given their later pre season form, VDM has to go.

All that said, if we don't fix our defensive game all over the ground it really doesn't matter what you structure up with.

[JanLorMill]

Naughton targetted twice inside f50 yesterday. If we aren't going to him why we even playing him as a forward?