Forward Line Woes

[LostDoggy]

I was looking at our results this season and we have scored 100+ points in only two matches. Our average score this year is 72.28. So sad to see, considering the ease at which this team once scored.

How do people think we can turn it around and start to put some scoreboard pressure on?

[GVGjr]

Re: Forward Line Woes

I was looking at our results this season and we have scored 100+ points in only two matches. Our average score this year is 72.28. So sad to see, considering the ease at which this team once scored.

How do people think we can turn it around and start to put some scoreboard pressure on?

Basic enough really. Better and much quicker delivery into the forward line. No more blind bombing, or holding onto the ball so long looking for the perfect pass, that the opposition has time to get their defensive structures all set.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Forward Line Woes

We have a poor forward line but more importantly we are completely lost at moving the ball at the moment.

There's absolutely no run and no creativity at all coming from anywhere on the ground, how is a forward supposed to function when the ball only finds it way there off scrappy kicks meant to find a boundary line or a last option bomb in the air.

Apart from Murphy no one wants to take the game on, so of course there is no spaces opening up the ground. Add the poor skill level and you get the scrap we see today.

[Bornadog]

Re: Forward Line Woes

This is how the forward line was selected last week. Numbers in brackets are total games played (including Freo game)

FF: Campbell (3), Cordy(11), Dahlhaus (25)

HFF: Smith( 9), Dickson (10), Wallis (17)

This forward line is less experienced than Gold Coast.

Maybe we need to do something a little radical for the rest of the year.

Lake, Muphy to the forward line, plus Panos in. Jones to the backline, plus try Roberts and Markovic out. Or try Austin up forward.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Forward Line Woes

We have a poor forward line but more importantly we are completely lost at moving the ball at the moment.

There's absolutely no run and no creativity at all coming from anywhere on the ground, how is a forward supposed to function when the ball only finds it way there off scrappy kicks meant to find a boundary line or a last option bomb in the air.

Apart from Murphy no one wants to take the game on, so of course there is no spaces opening up the ground. Add the poor skill level and you get the scrap we see today.

The start of the second half summed it up. Free kick in the middle then a sideways look, and by then Freo pushed back.Then the bomb into the 50!

[SlimPickens]

Re: Forward Line Woes

The start of the second half summed it up. Free kick in the middle then a sideways look, and by then Freo pushed back.Then the bomb into the 50!

Spot on..Yes our forward line is young and inexperienced but they have been crucified by a lack of good and quick ball movement into the forward line. The games we looked like kicking a score (eg against Norf) we used smart quick ball movement to the forwards advantage. For some reason this has completely stopped in recent weeks.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Forward Line Woes

Our leading goal kicker this season will go close to Adrian Campbell's mark of 21 in 1989.

Gia is leading with 18 but out for a bit. Higgins has 15 however he looks like spending a bit more time down back and Dickson has 13. Pretty amazing considering we play most of our games on a small ground under a roof.

[jeemak]

Re: Forward Line Woes

I can't think of a better example to demonstrate the complete and utter patheticness of football analytical commentary than the current innability to score displayed by our team this season.

Apparently, according to people who get paid six figure sums to analyse the game, the fix is recruit Travis Cloke. After this, our scoring woes will vanish!

It warms my heart seeing the six or so posts above mine outlining the underlying issues affecting our ability to score, and it's a good reflection on the reasons why I prefer to read content here moreso than I do elsewhere.

We saw the demise of our quick ball movement and ability to score freely in 2010 (some might even say throughout 2009) when some of our players slowed down and skills dropped off. After our backline was decimated by injury to Lake and Hargrave - each being major contributors to quick ball movement - in 2011 we were given a sneak preview of the issues likely to affect our team in this area until we turn the list over.

Even with Hall dominating in 2010 and 2011 the writing was on the wall.

Sure, we need a couple of competent tall forwards, though without quick and decisive movement of the ball from defense through a midfield supplemented by good ball users we're not going to score well enough to be competitive.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Forward Line Woes

Basic enough really. Better and much quicker delivery into the forward line. No more blind bombing, or holding onto the ball so long looking for the perfect pass, that the opposition has time to get their defensive structures all set.

We showed a bit more composure V Freo. Better decisions and that comes from exp. Was sad to see us bash ourselves against the forward 50 like a moth against the glass.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Forward Line Woes

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Even with Hall dominating in 2010 and 2011 the writing was on the wall.

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Absolutely agree. He wall papered over the cracks and made us look good.

Sure, we need a couple of competent tall forwards, though without quick and decisive movement of the ball from defense through a midfield supplemented by good ball users we're not going to score well enough to be competitive.

I have been thinking a lot lately about where we are at NB after the Swans fiasco (and avoiding my Swans neighbours ever since).

IMO no one person is responsible for where we are at, rather a series of stuff ups that now are lining up like a series of holes in Swiss cheese like an Air crash Investigations show.

While the process from the backline through the midfield is rooted with delivery to the forward line, we have no forward line now. Moreover, IMO we are good bet for the spoon or bottom 3 in 2013 and 2014.

I can't see us being competitive (say like the Tigers this year) until at least 2015 and playing finals in 2016.

In that scenario, the only forwards we currently have for 2015/2016 are Dahl and possibly Dickson. Jones may clunk a mark but IMO is not a natural forward - I'd like see him at CHB. Ditto Roughead and Cordy.

Dunno what's happened to Panos, Hill and Roberts, but we currently don't have any natural tall forwards in the firsts.

Gia will be gone soon, and Higgins is too slow, lacks defensive pressure and is often injured.

The future of Vez and Hooper looks grim, dunno about Skinner.So we're missing 3 - 4 forwards, including two KP forwards.

And it doesn't get better further back up the field.

By 2015/16, Lake, Morris, Murphy, Hargrave and Gilbee will all be gone. Can't rely on hard luck Williams. Markovic is too slow for AFL, dunno about Austin. Many here have written Howard off.

So we're currently left with maybe Talia and Austin for 2015/16 and like the forward line, missing 4 players.

Funny enough, we may be OK for rucks.

Midfield by then should be well served for inside players by Smith, Wallis and Libba.

Re outside players, Griff may still be around or wandered off as a free agent, Moles, DJ and Sherman will be gone leaving hopefully at least one of Tutt or Pearce to fill one slot. Cooney will be gone soon, sadly. So for the sake of the argument, let's say you have 5 mids on the field and 3 on the bench, we're missing half of them.


So by my count we are an ageing, slow team on a a downward trajectory that in 2015/16 will be missing 3 - 4 forwards (including KP players), 3 - 4 backs (including KP players) and 3 - 4 outside mids.

We must get recruiting right for this year and our next two bottom 3 years, otherwise we will be utterly *!*!*!*!ed.

And even if we do, they will take mostly 3 seasons to begin to produce a good return.
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[Maddog37]

Re: Forward Line Woes

Better stay in bed Dry Rot or the sun might fall from the sky!!!! Always so pessimistic.

The kids will improve in time and we will be ok.

[Bornadog]

Re: Forward Line Woes

Better stay in bed Dry Rot or the sun might fall from the sky!!!! Always so pessimistic.

The kids will improve in time and we will be ok.

DR is right in one respect, it will take a few years to get back to top four as the kids of today start to gain experience and reach beyond 50 games.

[Dancin' Douggy]

Re: Forward Line Woes

DR is right in one respect, it will take a few years to get back to top four as the kids of today start to gain experience and reach beyond 50 games.

I think DR is pretty spot on.
Point by point I can't see where he's wrong.

The only thing to counter DR's scenario is good recruiting/trading.
Let's hope that's what happens

[Maddog37]

Re: Forward Line Woes

Go through most other teams and look at the players that are ok now but were either written off or criticized unfairly due to their age.

Stanton was no good, Tarrant from North was hopeless, Nathan Brown from Pies was no good etc etc. the list goes on. Even Mitch Wallis last year was a waste of a first rounder according to some.

Players will take time but with good coaching and natural improvement they do get there. It is not all doom and gloom.

I understand the pessimism but do not understand the desire to revel in it.

[BulldogBelle]

Re: Forward Line Woes

I'm with Maddog here... I remember sitting in the stands during the Rhode years watching loss after loss and thinking 'we are going nowhere with this lot'. Well, eventually that lot came out allright and gave us a handful of exhilarating years of footy. I think we find ourselves in a similar position now and am buoyed by the fact that we will have a large number of kids who will mature together. I bellieve these kids will become very good for us (including Howard, Jones and Roughy) and it will happen ala the end of 2005 when it all seemed to just 'click' into place for us. I expect 2013 to be worse as we lose some experienced players, but I'm confident we'll be playing finals in 2014.

Closer to the point of the thread re our forward line woes. As jeemak pointed out, the 'professors' tell us that Travis Cloke will heal our ailments, but this will only paper the cracks some more, and we'll still be crying out for development in our young talls.

A forward line in 2014 with Cordy, Jones, Dickson, Dahlhaus, Higgins I believe would be very promising and potent. You must also factor in that at that time we will have hard bodied inside mids with good experience that will be performing at a higher standard than our current inside mids. By this I mean Smith, Wallis and Libba in 2014 will be a better line up than Cross,Boyd and Griff are in 2012.
These mids will go a long way to fixing up the delivery into forward line issue that we all groan over when watching us play in 2012.

We are on the right path, unfortunately