Lower/Picken in the side

[Rocco Jones]

I have been wondering about having 2 players in the side who are pretty much all about negating/tagging. Just a few points...

1- we are well and truly in development phase. At best these guys make us slightly more competitive on the scoreboard. Is it that big a deal?

2- they take up 1-2 spots. I am stealing a friend's (part time WOOF poster) thunder here but are we wasting an opportunity to give someone like Wallis invaluable learning experience running with the league's best? Kieran Jack-esque. Not only can the player learn such wonderful traits from the elite but also have a defensive workrate ingrained.

3- we are trying to develop a side that can play finals footy. How many elite sides go with 1 let alone 2 taggers? Freo have Crowley. Cats, Hawks and Swans don't have anyone I see as an out and out tagger.

4- does having Picken and Lower somewhat excuse the rest of the mids/runners to work going the other way? i.e. we have the specialists to do that. The Swans are defensive beats via sharing the load as a team.

[chef]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

What happens if Boyd is used in a more defensive way too?

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

What happens if Boyd is used in a more defensive way too?

Yep. If you can't kick or aren't super clean, run hard going the other way.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

We have to many negative types IMHO.
I can see why to a degree ( young inexperienced team ) but is it beneficial ?
I'd have on form Picken ahead of Lower at the moment.

[GVGjr]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

We should be using Lower as a HBF instead of Goodes.
The original thought of getting Lower was around using him against the bigger bodied midfielders and Picken against the quicker guys. When the ideal match-up isn't there, Lower should be locking down on the oppositions best small or mid sized forward.

[boydogs]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I have been wondering about having 2 players in the side who are pretty much all about negating/tagging. Just a few points...

I think most sides these days will have a defensively minded player in the forward line as well as one in the midfield, in addition to their defenders. I have no issue with Addison, Lower & Picken + 5 others in the backline being in the side at once.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

We should be using Lower as a HBF instead of Goodes.
The original thought of getting Lower was around using him against the bigger bodied midfielders and Picken against the quicker guys. When the ideal match-up isn't there, Lower should be locking down on the oppositions best small or mid sized forward.

Makes sense to me, but FWIW Freo fans reckon he was poor in the backline. Their view IIRC was to play him as a tagger in the midfield or not at all.

[whythelongface]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I have no issue with using Lower in a negating role as, at times, he has been effective in shutting a dangerous opposition player down eg. Selwood, however I am not in favour of both Lower and Picken in the team.

I am not sure what Picken offers the team at this stage especially now that Lower is considered the main tagger. I don't rate him as a defender thus thought he would add value as a defensive forward, however from his limited time in the fwd line this year he has also offered little. I think he should spend some time in the ressies.

[Ozza]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Picken is still a better tagger than Lower.

Lower has been used as a tagger, enabling Picken to be able to be used elsewhere, on the speedy small forwards to fill a need. On the weekend, when Picken was required as a midfield tagger and Lower had to play a different role - and he was useless as somewhat of a defensive forward on Houli.

Picken is far more adaptable, and having good pace (needed in our side) means he can play a variety of roles.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Picken is far more adaptable, and having good pace (needed in our side) means he can play a variety of roles.

What other role has he been good at? We tried him in defence at the start of the year at that didn't work out.

I think Picken isn't having a good year for other reasons, he hasn't been on top of his game this year that is for sure.

[F'scary]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

We should be using Lower as a HBF instead of Goodes.
The original thought of getting Lower was around using him against the bigger bodied midfielders and Picken against the quicker guys. When the ideal match-up isn't there, Lower should be locking down on the oppositions best small or mid sized forward.

I agree with this.

Having seen Lower this season - he is good at the shutdown and has a few scalps to prove it. However, he does not hurt much going the other way.

Picken, on the other hand, has a lot of shut-down scalps as well over the past few years. But he can also be dangerous going the other way as we have all witnessed. Picken is capable of turning pure negation into a surprising head-to-head. Lower doesn't seem to be.

I'm not knocking Lower. He has been a good money-ball addition this year - but Rocco has raised an important issue.

[F'scary]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I will go a bit further. I think Picken is playing a bit out of sorts this year because he has not been recognised as one of our premium midfielders. I reckon he has a point. He has been one of our best midfielders over a number of years now. Macca, find a way to put him back into that familiar role.

[jeemak]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I agree with this.

Having seen Lower this season - he is good at the shutdown and has a few scalps to prove it. However, he does not hurt much going the other way.

Picken, on the other hand, has a lot of shut-down scalps as well over the past few years. But he can also be dangerous going the other way as we have all witnessed. Picken is capable of turning pure negation into a surprising head-to-head. Lower doesn't seem to be.

I'm not knocking Lower. He has been a good money-ball addition this year - but Rocco has raised an important issue.

I will go a bit further. I think Picken is playing a bit out of sorts this year because he has not been recognised as one of our premium midfielders. I reckon he has a point. He has been one of our best midfielders over a number of years now. Macca, find a way to put him back into that familiar role.

I can't agree.

Picken is probably our most limited midfielder. I cringe when he has the ball in his hand, as his decision making is terrible and his ball use is terrible.

He gives 100% each week and he is a very good stopper, however.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Another thing about Picken and Lower is that they are really the two senior players who fly the flag when our younger players are getting bullied by senior opposition as we have seen a few times this season.
Ugh, it would be a really tough decision to leave one of them out.

[Maddog37]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I would like to see how Lower goes playing a free role in the middle. He gets alot of it and kicks goals so surely would be worth a go.

Boyd to tag and Lower to chase the pill a bit more.