Dunn to play forward

[dee-luded 2,959]

how do you guys think t-mac would handle a spell in the forward line?

OK eventually, although slow. Too big an ask atmo for one who hasn't played an AFL game yet.

But one day, he reads the play well.

[DeeSpencer 25,453]

OK eventually, although slow. Too big an ask atmo for one who hasn't played an AFL game yet.

But one day, he reads the play well.

Obviously you missed the 3 career games and 1 career goal of T Mac, was a nice goal as well.

[The O 39]

Miller is one of the most mobile of the lot. Have you seen him lead up the ground at pace???

I agree with you that Miller has good mobility in leading up the ground. However once he takes the mark or possession, he all to often stops and handballs far too much to players under pressure.

The area of mobility I was refering to was being "mobile" with the ball in their hands. Dunn (most specifically), Green and Bate all seem to me far greater at taking possesion of the ball whether from a mark or a contest, and then moving the ball quickly to advantage using their pace/run to advance the ball effectively into our F50 breaking the oppositions zone or structured defence.

Edited March 11, 2010 by The O

[Inner Demon 1]

Then why not say, "efficient user of the ball" or "quick decision maker" or any number of other descriptions that would accurately reflect what you were talking about??

Your definition of "mobile" is just flat out incorrect.

[jayceebee31 759]

I'd much rather see Jamar at FF and Spencer in the ruck. Jamar a couple of years ago was an amazing pack mark, and he took a couple against the dons albeit at the wrong end. Him resting forward, and maybe rotating with say Green, I think would be very effective. Spencer on the bench when not in the ruck tho. Dunn in my view is not a true full forward. A very skilled player tho, but better out of the pocket or HF. Hopefully with the injury to JL, we can experiment with a few combinations and find some surprises.

LJ is a star tho, and a crucial part of our future premiership sides. Meantime we have some intersting reserves who might surprise us all.

I'm prepared to take bets though that Colin Garland will not only play forward in our premiership team of 2014, but play a key position.

We have a lot to look forward to, albeit with a short term diminished list

Go dees

I won't bet you

[jayceebee31 759]

how do you guys think t-mac would handle a spell in the forward line?

I think McNamara in his 3 games showed tremendous promise. Kicked a goal from 50 metres out by memory. I think he will could make a temendous winger/half back or forward flanker.A utility for these areas mentioned.

[_becks_ 35]

Didn't Jamar kick five in Round 21 last year? Jamar is a fantastic mark and appeared to have worked on some of his other defeicencies last year. He should rest forward for sure. Garland could definately play forward. Miller will play all year by default. I think Newton's time is up.

I'm not convinced Dunn is a player. I'd prefer Petterd at the moment.

Plus the likes of Bate, Green, Sylvia, Davey et al. should make for a decent fwd line. Plus Watts will play a few games during the year.

[Diablo Deemon 220]

Finally some sense Dunn must play out the forward line.

For him to improve he requires game time. Personally i think the biggest failure

of Bailey and Coaching staff this season is not playing/developing Dunn in NAB Cup/Challenge

for no identifiable reason he has not been on an injury list. He's big bodied developed

just needs to be given a good go.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,116]

Been told that Dunny will play a more prominant role as a forward this year to cover the loss of LJ and enhance the forward line somewhat,making it more flexible with reasonable talls till Watts can fulfill his role and LJ returns... At practice today, Dunn & Newton were the best at kicking practice.Dunn started his career as a forward and this role may help out with a forward line like this:

HF: SYLVIA MILLER BATE

FF: DAVEY DUNN GREEN with a rotation of Sylvia, Green, Bate & Miller at full forward for a time within a game.

Davey may rotate with Wonaeamirri when fit and in form.What do you think?

At least playing him there will prove or disprove those thet believe we have cost him at least 3 Coleman medals by playing him as a tagger

[furious d 463]

We desperatly need someone who can take a contested mark in our forward line, I'm not sure that's Dunn.

The Jamar suggestion would be a good one if we didn't need him so much in the middle. If our young midfielders are to have any hope they need someone that can at least be competitive in the ruck. Spencer would get eaten alive trying to be first ruck and so would Steph Martin.

Bails has given Jake and Steph a run at FF in the preseason and I think he should persist with it a bit longer. Neither is the answer long term, but if one of them can provide a contest and a goal or two a week they'll do till better options are ready.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Obviously you missed the 3 career games and 1 career goal of T Mac, was a nice goal as well.

Yeah, your right, I did forget he played allready. But I stand by the comments that I don't think hes ready for a forwardline gig yet. Just my opinion.

[Steamin Demon 392]

i'd prefer him to play FF than Juice

Agreed !!! He should have been playing forward for the last two years. I never agreed with this run with/tagger [censored].

[drdrake 3,162]

If you had played Dunn in our forward line over the past two years he would be on the same rookie list as Newton. I think the best role for Dunn is a roaming HFF same with Bate. I'd rather see Green out of the square.

For all those that have watch what stucture Bailey wants in our forward line you will know he wants a resting ruckman to play up there as the tall option with another leading forward deep in the 50m and the rest pushing up high. For round 1 we will line up as

Green Miller Bate

Martin Petterd Maric

and throughout the day you will see Sylvia, Aussie, Trengove, Dunn, Jamar and Davey all rotate through our forward structure. We have options to kick enough goals to win matches, we just need to get the ball inside 50m 55-60 times per match instead of our just 40 like the past 2 seasons to give these guys a chance to kick goals.

[Roger Mellie 3,974]

Geez - Look at Dunn for what he is - in the forward line he is avg (being kind) overhead and will always look for a cheap free (in fact will look for a cheap free anywhere over the ground). His weakness is he relies on fancy moves rather than putting his head over the ball (Quote Mark Riley when at the MFC) and you can translate that into the forward line. He's been at the club for a number of years now. He'd be in the forward line if he had the goods and he's not. Bailey hasn't missed anything. He'll get time down forward because the options are diminishing but dont get too excited. Ricky Petterd will kick twice the goals because he has twice the application even if half the talent. I dont doubt Dunn will give 100% but he is what he is and doesn't find the footy (would like to add yet).

[2014-Flag 0]

Geez - Look at Dunn for what he is - in the forward line he is avg (being kind) overhead and will always look for a cheap free (in fact will look for a cheap free anywhere over the ground). His weakness is he relies on fancy moves rather than putting his head over the ball (Quote Mark Riley when at the MFC) and you can translate that into the forward line. He's been at the club for a number of years now. He'd be in the forward line if he had the goods and he's not. Bailey hasn't missed anything. He'll get time down forward because the options are diminishing but dont get too excited. Ricky Petterd will kick twice the goals because he has twice the application even if half the talent. I dont doubt Dunn will give 100% but he is what he is and doesn't find the footy (would like to add yet).

Let's hope you are wrong. Out of this injury situation, hopefully one or two might step up and surprise us all. Dunn is an obvious possibility in that. I, for one, hope he does.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Let's hope you are wrong. Out of this injury situation, hopefully one or two might step up and surprise us all. Dunn is an obvious possibility in that. I, for one, hope he does.

Obviously we all hope that, including the poster your replying to.

If we didn't have hope in the DEES future direction, we probably wouldn't be members.

Things are looking up since the eND of time's.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

I've been wanting this to happen for a year or more.

I wish him all the best

[Rogue 585]

Newton and Hughes have an excellent opportunity to stake their claim, particularly with Jurrah out for at least half the season.

Dunn started his career looking like a 'natural' forward to me, but - as others have said - he has a big question mark over his overhead marking.

how do you guys think t-mac would handle a spell in the forward line?

I like him as a push-up forward, in a similar role to the one Miller has played. In a TD match v North, I think it was, T-Mac looked really good kicking into the F50 a few times.

Bails played Warnock forward in his development role last year.What do you think?

I think Warnock playing forward was done in order to develop Trengove

[jayceebee31 759]

Let's hope you are wrong. Out of this injury situation, hopefully one or two might step up and surprise us all. Dunn is an obvious possibility in that. I, for one, hope he does.

please advise how many games has he played as a forward already for the Dees? Because I cannot remember to many.Maybe when he first played.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

From memory he played a half a dozen or so games forward very early in his career. He kicked a few goals, and I think went on a run there for a while kicking at least one every game. But some points should be explained here... He has a lot of elements missing from a KP forward's game. He doesn't take pack marks, or many overhead marks. Doesn't clear space in the Neitz sense of the word. He is a very pretty kick, and is tall, but other than that there's really not been much to suggest he's got what it takes.

That said, we all know how long the tall ones take, and I don't know about you guys but I had to wait til I was in my mid twenties before I realised how much fun it is to take and dish out the big hits. When he figures out that he is, in fact, a big boy... his professionalism and footy brain will give him the impetus to be able to improve on his weaknesses. I don't think we'd ever have an 80 goal FF on our hands, but he doesn't necessarily need to be that. Just be a target, straighten us up, and clear some space.

[Grand New Flag 3,227]

I think a point that has been missed is that Dunn is a far more experianced and better footballer than he was in 2006 on debut as a 19yo. Further he is significantly bigger and having played almost every position on the field, should now have superior read on the play .

We have absolutely nothing to lose by trying him as a perminent forward. Are stocks are down, he could possibly be the answer, we will only find out by trying him.

[jayceebee31 759]

From memory he played a half a dozen or so games forward very early in his career. He kicked a few goals, and I think went on a run there for a while kicking at least one every game. But some points should be explained here... He has a lot of elements missing from a KP forward's game. He doesn't take pack marks, or many overhead marks. Doesn't clear space in the Neitz sense of the word. He is a very pretty kick, and is tall, but other than that there's really not been much to suggest he's got what it takes.

That said, we all know how long the tall ones take, and I don't know about you guys but I had to wait til I was in my mid twenties before I realised how much fun it is to take and dish out the big hits. When he figures out that he is, in fact, a big boy... his professionalism and footy brain will give him the impetus to be able to improve on his weaknesses. I don't think we'd ever have an 80 goal FF on our hands, but he doesn't necessarily need to be that. Just be a target, straighten us up, and clear some space.

Thanks for info Dan, one point of differ with your summation is -I think Jack Watts rightly developed has the potential to at least match Franklin(over 100 goal kicker). I think Watts was better than Franklin as a under developed teenager.And re Dunn I agree with Grand New Flag he played as a teenager in his role and now his body has developed. I do not think they will play him as a key forward. If so as a dummie full forward he is stronger and more developed and rounded as a footballer NOW.

Edited March 11, 2010 by jayceebee31

[Bails 0]

Danny Hughes has the abiltity to play forward in the AFL...

ig he stays fit and is given a go

prefer him over newton (forever) and Fitzpatrick (at the moment)

The kid has a serious X Factor, can take a grab, and is competitive

[jabberwocky 2,301]

please advise how many games has he played as a forward already for the Dees? Because I cannot remember to many.Maybe when he first played.

He was definitely tried deep forward by Bails in 08. I think early on. I watched him carefully for a whole game. Sorry I can't recall who it was against.

[H_T 3,043]

I think Warnock playing forward was done in order to develop Trengove

Actually, playing Warnock forward arguably hit two birds with one stone. Some would say.