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Backline (re) structure

Johnny Karate
in Melbourne Demons

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What Neeld is teaching the layman in the outer is you can't have too many good players. The football fan culture is to pigeon hole blokes as A or B, if there's too many A's they must play in the twos. Thats clearly crap.

Having Garland and Rivers forward didn't come about by accident like Rohde and Grinter going forward in 1993 when Lyon, Schwarz and the Peoples Champion were injured.

Garland and River are playing forward because the FD believe in Tom McDonald and are giving the kid a chance to shine. They targeted James Sellar as a gorilla keeper in a weak draft and he's repaying them with bloody hard work. Identifying Watts as the best user of the ball in the team and a great play reader allows these moves to happen.

So Neeld and co shouldn't be applauded for swinging dour defenders forward with success. They should be applauded for putting the building blocks in place to allow the experiment to work and, if anything, enhance the backline. Sellar/Frawley/Nicholson, Watts/McDonald/???? is young, talented and potentially outstanding.

Edited by Chook in Perth

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    Generally agree with Old55. Frawley, McDonald, Sellar/Martin, Garland, Watts is a good mix of talls. My main concern is ball use. The kicking skills of our KP defenders are ordinary. Thus, Watts has been a welcome inclusion into defence and Rivers a welcome exclusion (especially as his set shot kicking seems better than his field kicking). Whoever fills the other defensive roles needs pace and good kicking skills. Looking forward to seeing what Strauss offers and if Blease can learn some accountability.

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    I actually quite like Watts of half back . He adds a bit of zing and poise. He can ... And this is the bonus... by following the ball up the ground. His kickong onto the forward 50 to awaiting Clark/Howe etc should prove very watchable :) Attempts by oppositions to drag him up the ground will only bring them unstuck further you would have to think.

    The backline is still very much in flux.

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    With both Rivers and Garland forward against GWS Joel Macdonald filled in very well but I doubt he's the medium term option. Troy Davis may be the one to step up there if both Rivers and Garland stay forward.

    Sellar/Martin, Frawley, McDonald, Davis, Watts, Strauss/Tynan - that's a big backline but still has pace and agility.

    Clark, Rivers, Garland, Jurrah will keep the opposition tall back honest.

    Man...whats going on with Stef martin??

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    Man...whats going on with Stef martin??

    Martin needs to wise up quick smart and sort things out. I've heard that despite his intelligence, he's a dumb footballer. Can't or won't take instructions and takes criticism poorly. He doesn't get Neeld's game plan - runs into the wrong positions and brings his opponent into play too often.

    If the season ended now he'd be on the trade table.

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