Lower/Picken in the side

[Rocco Jones]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Fremantle often play with versions of hard tags and seem to manage it okay.
While I agree that you can't be overly defensive I think both Picken and Lower can work within our side.

Yep it works for Freo but I think there are two main differences.

1- defensive work is still seen as a shared responsibility.
2- Lower/Picken combo don't do enough going other way. Puts an enormous burden on us if they aren't shutting down stars.

[Bornadog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I am going to say it right now, Lower was a waste of a pick. We didn't need a player like Lower. Picken has been our number one tagger, he was third in the best and fairest and regarded in the AFL as one of the best taggers, and we have tried to make him into a back pocket type to play on the small forwards and now we drop him.

In hindsight, the recruiters and Macca got this one wrong.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

He was a free agent. No pick was used. Maybe you mean a spot wasted, however i doubt he'd be on much at the third chance saloon.

[Bornadog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

He was a free agent. No pick was used. Maybe you mean a spot wasted, however i doubt he'd be on much at the third chance saloon.

a pick a spot it doesn't matter it was a waste.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I am going to say it right now, Lower was a waste of a pick. We didn't need a player like Lower. Picken has been our number one tagger, he was third in the best and fairest and regarded in the AFL as one of the best taggers, and we have tried to make him into a back pocket type to play on the small forwards and now we drop him.

In hindsight, the recruiters and Macca got this one wrong.

Picken has experienced a drop in form this season.

We absolutely needed a player like Lower for the sake of depth. When you develop young players you need to buffer the side with some hardness and experience. Picken is a solid player, but being lighter bodied, often struggles to contain opponents in the tackle and stop them dishing it off. He's a better in and under player than Lower, and I think they compliment each other somewhat.

[Bornadog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Picken has experienced a drop in form this season.

We absolutely needed a player like Lower for the sake of depth. When you develop young players you need to buffer the side with some hardness and experience.

Depth?? and now we have Picken dropped and Cross dropped. Picken's loss of form is because he is not a backman. He showed last week when he is tagging, that he can play a great game. Picken on Deledio ended up with very little influence on the game.

Why can't Cross play the role Lower is playing? Cross gets more of the ball, he is one of the gutsiest players in the AFL and he has played a tagging role before.

I cannot see what Lower has brought to the team. Yes he played a couple of good games on slow midfielders but he can't keep up with the quicker guys. He was the one that should have been dropped this week not Picken.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Depth?? and now we have Picken dropped and Cross dropped. Picken's loss of form is because he is not a backman. He showed last week when he is tagging, that he can play a great game. Picken on Deledio ended up with very little influence on the game.

Why can't Cross play the role Lower is playing? Cross gets more of the ball, he is one of the gutsiest players in the AFL and he has played a tagging role before.

I cannot see what Lower has brought to the team. Yes he played a couple of good games on slow midfielders but he can't keep up with the quicker guys. He was the one that should have been dropped this week not Picken.

I see your point. Cross or Lower. Not sure either stands far above the other in terms of what they bring to the team. Depends who we play on the day as to who the coach might favor.

[Go_Dogs]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

That's a fairly harsh assessment BAD. He's had a few poor games but he's also had some pretty effective ones. Picken has been down on form this year, perhaps in part to how he has been used, but a lot of posters had been calling for him to play as a small forward or small defender and he hasn't quite stacked up in those roles. He can still play an effective role as a tagger on quicker, outside types. I tend to think team balance, as well as form, is why he went out this week. He'll be back soon enough. Crossy has been a great player for the club, but the curtain is closing on his career and at the moment, Lower is a better option than him in that defensive role (which I know some may disagree with).

I still think there are times when we can play both Picken and Lower, the game against Port was a good example - but it really needs to be a horses for courses selection policy. If there is no obvious match up for one or both of them, don't play them, if there is, great.

[Bornadog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

That's a fairly harsh assessment BAD.

The way I look at it is what type of player could we have got instead of Lower? Looking at the needs of the team, we didn't need another tagger. We can certainly do with some more outside run, some pace and some goal kickers.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

That's a fairly harsh assessment BAD. He's had a few poor games but he's also had some pretty effective ones. Picken has been down on form this year, perhaps in part to how he has been used, but a lot of posters had been calling for him to play as a small forward or small defender and he hasn't quite stacked up in those roles. He can still play an effective role as a tagger on quicker, outside types. I tend to think team balance, as well as form, is why he went out this week. He'll be back soon enough. Crossy has been a great player for the club, but the curtain is closing on his career and at the moment, Lower is a better option than him in that defensive role (which I know some may disagree with).

I still think there are times when we can play both Picken and Lower, the game against Port was a good example - but it really needs to be a horses for courses selection policy. If there is no obvious match up for one or both of them, don't play them, if there is, great.

Our entries have not been up to scratch really. I think in a side that had a decent standard of entry, he would do a bit better. But you are right - he hasn't quite done as well as hoped.

[lemmon]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

The way I look at it is what type of player could we have got instead of Lower? Looking at the needs of the team, we didn't need another tagger. We can certainly do with some more outside run, some pace and some goal kickers.

Is it fair to say if we hadn't picked Lower we probably would have Brent Prismall on the list instead? All due respect to Prismall but if it's a choice between the two I'd still stick with Lower

[GVGjr]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Yep it works for Freo but I think there are two main differences.

1- defensive work is still seen as a shared responsibility.
2- Lower/Picken combo don't do enough going other way. Puts an enormous burden on us if they aren't shutting down stars.

I still believe we can use lower in other roles especially as a negating HBF. To me he still gets the ball enough we he is locking down on an opponent.

[boydogs]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I am going to say it right now, Lower was a waste of a pick.

You're going off like a frog in a sock without knowing the facts.

Picken dropped and Cross dropped

Meaning Lower, who we got for nothing, is better than those two but was a waste of spot?

Yes he played a couple of good games on slow midfielders but he can't keep up with the quicker guys

Meaning he is a different player to Picken, who is an outside tagger and always failed as an inside tagger against guys like Selwood & Hayes

Is it fair to say if we hadn't picked Lower we probably would have Brent Prismall on the list instead? All due respect to Prismall but if it's a choice between the two I'd still stick with Lower

Exactly. Prismall wasn't picked up by anyone else, don't think we missed out on much.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

Would be hard for a 31 y/o to reinvent himself as a tagger.
No doubt he was recruited as a big body to help out our young mids.
Personally, I would have just kept it at Picken

[F'scary]

Re: Lower/Picken in the side

I am going to say it right now, Lower was a waste of a pick. We didn't need a player like Lower. Picken has been our number one tagger, he was third in the best and fairest and regarded in the AFL as one of the best taggers, and we have tried to make him into a back pocket type to play on the small forwards and now we drop him.

In hindsight, the recruiters and Macca got this one wrong.

I think he is worth his spot on the list this year.

While there has been no mercurial rise up the ladder, we are clearly benefiting from having a few more game-day-ready players on the list this year on the back of the quality we got in the draft (the 1st 4 picks all look really good for the future). We needed a bit more depth in the short term, these guys seem astute enough picks.