Forward structure - what would YOU do?

[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]

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.

[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.

[Mofra]

We need a small forward to actually play the small forward role.
McNeill didn't work out and West was very very good, but got a lot of his ball too high. Weightman needs to understand he's going to get the best opposition small defender week in, week out and work through that.

It's almost at "roll the dice on Clarke" time as unlike the mids we're shoe-horning into the role, he actually is a small forward.

[my plums]

I'm thinking Naughton back, drop Lobb for Darcy and have this set up:

Chook, Darcy, West
Bedendo, Marra, Flea

Use Flea in that resting mid spot and he can do some midfield stints. Desperately need spark in the middle and across the field really. It's too much of the same with the midfield at present. Bont can rest forward too if we want to stretch any sides. The three talls don't work when your best small plays as a third tall type which essentailly leaves you with 4 talls.

You may say this line up is too young, but to me they are all forwards.

[weltschmerz]

I still support the Naughton, Marra, Lobb forward trio. Tell Weightman that if he spoils a teammate again he goes straight to the bench. Give Clarke a shot.

[lemmon]

I still support the Naughton, Marra, Lobb forward trio. Tell Weightman that if he spoils a teammate again he goes straight to the bench. Give Clarke a shot.

Agree with that. We've hitched our wagon to those three, I don't think we can rip it up in round 2.

I think our game style relies on small forwards that can provide tackling pressure. We get the ball in long, need the talls to contest and rely on the smalls to create repeat stoppages in our forward half. We had one forward 50 tackle to half-time on the weekend, we aren't winning games of footy like that.

I don't care who it is - in 2016 Dunkley and Picken played as defensive, pressure forwards, but we need to find players that will tackle and harrass in the forward half.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Agree with that. We've hitched our wagon to those three, I don't think we can rip it up in round 2.

I think our game style relies on small forwards that can provide tackling pressure. We get the ball in long, need the talls to contest and rely on the smalls to create repeat stoppages in our forward half. We had one forward 50 tackle to half-time on the weekend, we aren't winning games of footy like that.

I don't care who it is - in 2016 Dunkley and Picken played as defensive, pressure forwards, but we need to find players that will tackle and harrass in the forward half.

Yeah i don't think naughton to the backline is fixing our core issue.

Our core issue is poor effort and dumb football.

We're constantly outworked. I just saw vision of Oliver (who had a hugely interrupted pre season) bust a gut from one end of the ground to another to setup a goal. Our guys who had run half the distance couldn't tackle him and Richards who came to meet him at the end of his run had his lazy tackle just brushed aside.

We look lazy, slow and weak. I don't know the reason for it though.

The dumb football has existed for years to the point you just know it won't change. Seriously. Not all flying for the same ball and having guys crumbing is just common sense football. Why can't we get this right?

Until our efforts and smarts are fixed up, it won't matter what structure we have.

[SquirrelGrip]

Agree with that. We've hitched our wagon to those three, I don't think we can rip it up in round 2.

I think our game style relies on small forwards that can provide tackling pressure. We get the ball in long, need the talls to contest and rely on the smalls to create repeat stoppages in our forward half. We had one forward 50 tackle to half-time on the weekend, we aren't winning games of footy like that.

I don't care who it is - in 2016 Dunkley and Picken played as defensive, pressure forwards, but we need to find players that will tackle and harrass in the forward half.

Garcia and West would do whatever is asked of them.

[PR0408]

Agree he is clearly the best option and the practice game when he was with jamarra weightman Treloar Bont English showed he enjoyed playing with those better player rising to the occasion. He kicked 4/5 missed a couple and give a couple off. His front and square work was electric and pressure very good.
My opinion with team. Naughton back, Lobb out Darcy in. We can play 3 fwd talks. We need to cover the ground better when opposition are exiting our fwd half. The game is past 3 key talls.
In saying that I think everyone is overreacting a little. We were in that game and start of the last we kicked 3 consecutive behinds. It was a hot day and the dees already had a game under their belts. Not panicking stations for me. English copping to much as he was pretty good then hurt his hip. He looked dynamic early. McNeil while he had a few clangers covered the ground well and probably deserves another chance. VDM and buku were serviceable and buku had one blemish with that kick is. Dees will be top 4 so not doom and gloom just yet guys.

[bornadog]

Agree he is clearly the best option and the practice game when he was with jamarra weightman Treloar Bont English showed he enjoyed playing with those better player rising to the occasion. He kicked 4/5 missed a couple and give a couple off. His front and square work was electric and pressure very good..

Who are you talking about here?

[PR0408]

Agree he is clearly the best option and the practice game when he was with jamarra weightman Treloar Bont English showed he enjoyed playing with those better player rising to the occasion. He kicked 4/5 missed a couple and give a couple off. His front and square work was electric and pressure very good.
My opinion with team. Naughton back, Lobb out Darcy in. We can play 3 fwd talks. We need to cover the ground better when opposition are exiting our fwd half. The game is past 3 key talls.
In saying that I think everyone is overreacting a little. We were in that game and start of the last we kicked 3 consecutive behinds. It was a hot day and the dees already had a game under their belts. Not panicking stations for me. English copping to much as he was pretty good then hurt his hip. He looked dynamic early. McNeil while he had a few clangers covered the ground well and probably deserves another chance. VDM and buku were serviceable and buku had one blemish with that kick is. Dees will be top 4 so not doom and gloom just yet guys.

Didn?t quote the post but it was in response to Clarke. He is the one I was referring to.

[PR0408]

Who are you talking about here?

Clarke. Apologies didn?t include the previous post where the other poster said include Clarke.

[bornadog]

Clarke. Apologies didn?t include the previous post where the other poster said include Clarke.

No worries.

Love to see Clarke in the team and see what he is made of

[Mantis]

I couldn't make sense on Sunday why we had large chunks of the game where we had 2 tall forwards on the bench at the same time.. it was ridiculous.

On that why is the expectation that tall defenders play >95% of the game, but tall forwards only play 80-85%?... that doesn't make sense to me.