Okay ... it's time to talk some footy.

The forward line. Neeld has admirably brought in Clark and Dawes to fill the key posts over the past two off-seasons. Let's for a moment optimistically assume both are fit and firing, getting under the skins of opposition backmen and causing all types of mayhem.

Who do you place around them? Do you go for the third tall in Pederson or Dunn, or opt exclusively for small, fleet of foot types like Blease and Byrnes? How about one of the new young terriers (Viney, Barry) in a pocket? Or do you look to the experience of Sylvia, Byrnes and Rodan? Where does Davey fit in to the equation, if at all?

If round 1 got underway this weekend, how would you set up your Plan-A forward line?

Mine ...

HB: Howe Dawes Blease

F: Viney Clark Pederson

HF:Howe Dawes Sylvia

F:Byrnes Clark Davey

HF- Howe. Dawes. Blease

FW- Davey Clark. Peddo

Howe Clark Sylvia

Byrnes Dawes Davey

Why Viney in a forward pocket?

rangey's been back a week and still no polls - fcs

HF: Sylvia Clark Tapscott

F: Davey Dawes Watts

I have no idea about the other forward pocket. I haven't seen enough of Pedo (I don't like lollies from strange men) to slot him straight in. Am considering putting Jamar in there, but am unsure if Pencil can take number 1 ruck. I think Byrnes and Davey are competing for that spot (that I gave to Flash).

Nah, bugger it, I'll put Watts. It's a better looking forward line with him in it (now that he is an adult).

I would rotate these through the forward line (from those I think will play):

Talls - Dawes, Pedersen, Jamar.

Smalls/Mids - Byrnes, Sylvia, Rodan, Blease, Davey, Toumpas, Howe.

  On 30/01/2013 at 03:37, billy2803 said:

HF: Sylvia Clark Tapscott

F: Davey Dawes Watts

I have no idea about the other forward pocket. I haven't seen enough of Pedo (I don't like lollies from strange men) to slot him straight in. Am considering putting Jamar in there, but am unsure if Pencil can take number 1 ruck. I think Byrnes and Davey are competing for that spot (that I gave to Flash).

Nah, bugger it, I'll put Watts. It's a better looking forward line with him in it (now that he is an adult).

i'd need to see a lot of improvement in Tapscott before i'd include him

i really wonder what he brings to the table other than a bit of mongrel sometimes misplaced

I think all of the above will go through the foward line at some stage plus others......

Howe Pedo Sylvia

Dawes Clark Byrnes

Plan B-

Howe Pedo Sylvia

Davey Dawes Byrnes

  On 30/01/2013 at 03:40, daisycutter said:

i'd need to see a lot of improvement in Tapscott before i'd include him

i really wonder what he brings to the table other than a bit of mongrel sometimes misplaced

First thing I wanted to see from Tapscott was an uniterupted preseason. I've bloody near got that this year, so I look forward to him consolidating a spot on my HFF.

FWIW DC - The general view has Belase and/or Howe in the forward line. I personally would like to see both those blokes on the wing.

The only two I am willing to pencil in are Dawes and Pederson, the rest will be as somebody else has said rotating, this is what Neeld wants, guys who can and will play anywhere.

I think we will have stoppage specialists in Viney McKenzie and Grtimes the rest will be on the move constantly

I know it was only training but the highlight for me on the video posted in another topic was Jetta coming out of the back half with a beautiful pass to Davey out on a wing, who put it back in the corridor for Byrnes who had come from a pocket leaving Nicholson in his wake who then chipped it over the top to Dawes coming straight down the middle.....Dawes then handed off to Davey who had continued his run...in games yes please

I think we'll have 7 forwards each week - one always rotating off. IN games and quarters even the 7 will change, but hence I've gone for 7:

HF:Howe Pederson Sylvia

F:Byrnes Dawes Clark

Extra: Davey

  On 30/01/2013 at 03:40, daisycutter said:

i'd need to see a lot of improvement in Tapscott before i'd include him

i really wonder what he brings to the table other than a bit of mongrel sometimes misplaced

Who's in your starting 6 DC?

HF: Byrnes Dawes Howe

FF: Davey Clark Pedersen

Int: Tapscott

Wing: Blease

Midfielders capable of resting forward: Sylvia, Rodan

To me as above is ideal but all of it depends on Blease, Tapscott, Byrnes and Howe proving capable of playing periods on the wing at which time Sylvia and Rodan can rest forward. The benefit of the scheme is it allows the guys who do the bulk of the midfield work (Jones, Grimes, McKenzie) and the young guys (Viney and Toumpas) more time on the bench. Rohan Bail gets left out due to his lack of class and finishing but if any of the above aren't up to scratch I think we'd find him back in the team. The other interesting ones I've left out of the forward/midfield mix are Matt Jones, Taggert, Jetta and Barry for varying reasons. I'm not convinced about Jetta in the backline but the club seem to want to persist with it. Train him with the forwards and I think you'll find him right up their in this mix of players. It's funny how we've gone full circle on the mid sized marking targets, not too long ago we had them everywhere (Robbo, Green, Dunn, Bate, Petterd, Jurrah) and now we've only got Howe left in that spot. Tapscott and Sylvia are both strong in the air as well. It's important to have enough forwards who can keep defenders honest both in the air and on the ground and not just be defensive.

  On 30/01/2013 at 03:59, Satyriconhome said:

The only two I am willing to pencil in are Dawes and Pederson, the rest will be as somebody else has said rotating, this is what Neeld wants, guys who can and will play anywhere.

I think we will have stoppage specialists in Viney McKenzie and Grtimes the rest will be on the move constantly

I know it was only training but the highlight for me on the video posted in another topic was Jetta coming out of the back half with a beautiful pass to Davey out on a wing, who put it back in the corridor for Bynes who had come from a pocket leaving Nicholson in his wake who then chipped it over the top to Dawes coming straight down the middle.....Dawes then handed off to Davey who had continued his run...in games yes please

as long as we don't end up like the australian cricket teams with unsettling rotations

If nothing else, the one thing that Tappy brings to the table is elite goal kicking.

He can easily kick sausages from outside 50, on the run and set shot.

  On 30/01/2013 at 04:24, the master said:

HF: Byrnes Dawes Howe

FF: Davey Clark Pedersen

Int: Tapscott

Wing: Blease

Midfielders capable of resting forward: Sylvia, Rodan

To me as above is ideal but all of it depends on Blease, Tapscott, Byrnes and Howe proving capable of playing periods on the wing at which time Sylvia and Rodan can rest forward. The benefit of the scheme is it allows the guys who do the bulk of the midfield work (Jones, Grimes, McKenzie) and the young guys (Viney and Toumpas) more time on the bench. Rohan Bail gets left out due to his lack of class and finishing but if any of the above aren't up to scratch I think we'd find him back in the team. The other interesting ones I've left out of the forward/midfield mix are Matt Jones, Taggert, Jetta and Barry for varying reasons. I'm not convinced about Jetta in the backline but the club seem to want to persist with it. Train him with the forwards and I think you'll find him right up their in this mix of players. It's funny how we've gone full circle on the mid sized marking targets, not too long ago we had them everywhere (Robbo, Green, Dunn, Bate, Petterd, Jurrah) and now we've only got Howe left in that spot. Tapscott and Sylvia are both strong in the air as well. It's important to have enough forwards who can keep defenders honest both in the air and on the ground and not just be defensive.

Why are you not convinced about Jetta in the backline, he was slated to play their last season by the Club until he got injured, Jade Rawlings is a big fan

  On 30/01/2013 at 04:09, billy2803 said:

Who's in your starting 6 DC?

i'll go with rpfc's earlier post

anyway no such thing as a starting 6. it's a starting 7 in reality with one fwd on the interchange

don't think we'll see a resting ruck in the fwd line either as i expect dawes/clark will handle fwd line ruck work like the ox used to

if they play 2 rucks they'll interchange via the bench but i expect 1 ruckman will be the norm

  On 30/01/2013 at 04:31, daisycutter said:

i'll go with rpfc's earlier post

anyway no such thing as a starting 6. it's a starting 7 in reality with one fwd on the interchange

don't think we'll see a resting ruck in the fwd line either as i expect dawes/clark will handle fwd line ruck work like the ox used to

if they play 2 rucks they'll interchange via the bench but i expect 1 ruckman will be the norm

A starting 7 minue the one starts on the bench? Pretty sure that makes it a starting 6.

I do believe the OP asked for us to set up our Plan-A Forward Line. MOst that have taken that as a "when the opening bounce takes place" type of set up. Of course there's going to be rotations throughout the game, and that the "traditional" 6 forwards will change early in the match.

I'm not liking our disagreements DC, can we please change this immediately!

gotta disagree billy

starting 6 is pointless, how often have you seen a team start with their best player on the bench?

there are generally 7 forwards picked or at least 6 forwards and a utility type (or more) to interchange on the fwd line

the 6 that actually "start" at the opening bounce is arbitrary and doesn't necessarily represent the best 6 forwards

what's hard to understand about that?

  On 30/01/2013 at 04:24, the master said:

HF: Byrnes Dawes Howe

FF: Davey Clark Pedersen

Int: Tapscott

Wing: Blease

Midfielders capable of resting forward: Sylvia, Rodan

To me as above is ideal but all of it depends on Blease, Tapscott, Byrnes and Howe proving capable of playing periods on the wing at which time Sylvia and Rodan can rest forward. The benefit of the scheme is it allows the guys who do the bulk of the midfield work (Jones, Grimes, McKenzie) and the young guys (Viney and Toumpas) more time on the bench. Rohan Bail gets left out due to his lack of class and finishing but if any of the above aren't up to scratch I think we'd find him back in the team. The other interesting ones I've left out of the forward/midfield mix are Matt Jones, Taggert, Jetta and Barry for varying reasons. I'm not convinced about Jetta in the backline but the club seem to want to persist with it. Train him with the forwards and I think you'll find him right up their in this mix of players. It's funny how we've gone full circle on the mid sized marking targets, not too long ago we had them everywhere (Robbo, Green, Dunn, Bate, Petterd, Jurrah) and now we've only got Howe left in that spot. Tapscott and Sylvia are both strong in the air as well. It's important to have enough forwards who can keep defenders honest both in the air and on the ground and not just be defensive.

I have the same six but different positions.

Half-Forwardline: Pederson, Clark, Howe

Forwardline: Blease, Dawes, Byrnes

HF: Davey Dawes Howe
FF: Byrnes Clark Pedersen

Blease on a wing

  On 30/01/2013 at 04:46, daisycutter said:

gotta disagree billy

starting 6 is pointless, how often have you seen a team start with their best player on the bench?

there are generally 7 forwards picked or at least 6 forwards and a utility type (or more) to interchange on the fwd line

the 6 that actually "start" at the opening bounce is arbitrary and doesn't necessarily represent the best 6 forwards

what's hard to understand about that?

Obviously we are full of simpleton's on here (me included) as there are a number of people who listed 2 HFF, 1 CHF, 2 FP's and 1 FF.

RR asked for our Plan A forward line, and indicated that it involved 6 players filling the positions listed above. But, I guess it's easier to sit back and question others for their selections rather than playing the game.