Must get a legit crumbing forward this free agency period

[Grimseyisgod 378]

Do whatever you can to get Luke Bruest or Dayne Zorko

Than well be fine

[monoccular 16,634]

As long as we don't get a little [censored] like Milne.

IF we got a [censored], like Milne, who could play like Milne, and score goals like Milne, I may be prepared to forgive the [censored] part.

Byrnes and Davey did a pretty good job on the weekend.

But long term we do next to find a young quick crumber in the next draft.

...don't forget Evans

[rjay 24,185]

As today's ANZAC Day game is showing... David Zaharakis is the man we want. Quick thinking, agile and in the right places when the ball is forward, much the same and certainly fit enough to run through the midfield. Adds a bit of the speed that we're missing as well.

23 years old, too.

You'd have to think Zaharakis would be exactly the kind of player that the club is hunting. Contracted until end of 2014, unfortunately, so I guess he would be the final piece of the puzzle that gets our midfield up to first rate, along with Billy Stretch, of course!

He is exactly the type of player we need, plays through forward, goes into centre bounce and makes an impact around the ground.

[Strafford 182]

their gameplan was too defensive, when up against another top foe who had a more balanced game. > Cats, & Pies.

and often in H&A games they would kick into an empty forwardline, apart from a milne. this isn't too bad in H&A but they were found out in the Grand finals.

they put most of their effort into the backs & defensive gameplan without enough respect for their offence. IMO their mids were B+, & their forwards as a unit were hot & cold & again B... the game plan was possibly a solid one & % wise showed up well, & for wins.

IMO this can Hide structural problems hidden by the gameplan... that can show up in the Grand Final, & did.

In the Real Deal in September, those errors in structure hurt the club & now it would seem they are in for more restructuring.

In the Grand Final1 against the Pies, they had to move a defender forward to CHF, & they nearly stole it.

They spent a lot of time & effort developing a team & gameplan which failed.

However Ross Lyon left them with a very good competative club nature, which should hold them in good stead as a platform to build from, as we were in 1992.

Thanks for that mate, although you seem to have changed the question a bit. Your first statement was about them not having a balanced attack rather than the broader unbalanced gameplan.

I agree I do think you could describe their game style as defensive and counter attacking, but also coupled with a great forward press, but I will make a few points.

Riewoldt and Kosi were their top two goal kickers in the year they lost to the Cats with Roo kicking 70. Certainly the Saints played a counter attacking style, but to kick 70 he must have been stationed in the forward fifty a fair amount of time. The constant they had when they were up and about was that Roo, Milne, Kosi and Schneider were their main goal kickers with Goddard an xfactor.

To me their main problem was an over-reliance on their stars and the huge gap between their top six and bottom six. Roo and his work rate was the key to their plan against the top teams and that hamstring hampered him severely for a couple of years. Even so you call it a failed gameplan and I guess it was, but It wasn't that far away,12 points, a draw and a replay blowout. A different bounce or play at the ball, however you want to look at it, and the Saints were looking at one and one just as the Swans were, with Milne being the leading goal kicker on the day. Didn't happen but that is the fine line you tread.

[The heart beats true 16,662]

Have to agree with the 'we need mids' mentality.

We are going to have to throw series coin at a quality mid and get it done in almost the first day of trading. Last year we went after a few and not one of the mids bit because they know how important it is to have a good midfield team around you.

If we get one quality player early to support Jones then others will look and see that their life won't be impossible with Viney and a few others coming through. I dont care if we have to pay well over for that first quality mid. Our player payments have actually been very skilfully handled to allow us to do this and get it right.

[Ted Lasso 17,315]

Mark Lecras could play as a mid and a small forward, would cost a decent amount but 26 year old All Australian quality player would be a massive boost

[Strafford 182]

He is exactly the type of player we need, plays through forward, goes into centre bounce and makes an impact around the ground.

Yep and importantly has goal sense, some just don't.

[Strafford 182]

Mark Lecras could play as a mid and a small forward, would cost a decent amount but 26 year old All Australian quality player would be a massive boost

He had elite endurance as a junior, not sure how the injuries and the main role he has been asked to play will have impacted on that.

[Grimseyisgod 378]

Lecras will not leave.

He'd be great, but he wont leave

[Strafford 182]

Was trying to get away with not going over this again, but I would think no matter the height it's more the role and they need to be muti-faceted these days.

Rather than saying we must get a legit crumbing forward I would say we must get quality mids who can go forward and kick goals.

My apologies rjay, just reread my earlier reply to this post and realised it could have come across as a bit rude. It wasn't supposed to. What I was trying to say was that for a long time kids coming through the system and into the AFL aren't just playing the small forward role at lower levels. Most are actually mids. For whatever reason, and there are numerous ones, once hitting the AFL many are pigeonholed as just being a small forward when in fact they actually have skill sets that could be utilised in numerous areas. Even the mature age guys coming in were generally guys who played mid as well. Look at Andrew krakouer for example, he won the Sandover playing mid forward, racking up forty, fifty possession games, but at the Pies his best role for them was small forward. Given their midfield probably understandable. I just think sometimes it is easy to look at a player and think that they can't do this or that without looking deeper into a players capabilities.

[Tatu 416]

It maybe impossible..... But the player I'd target would be Douglas from Adelaide..... He has a Hugh desire for the contest..... Douglas has really impress me, the more I see him play the better he gets..... I urge MFC to consider getting Douglas across from the crows..... He is an unsung hero.... Another player with a similar style is Clinton Jones from the saints......

[rjay 24,185]

My apologies rjay, just reread my earlier reply to this post and realised it could have come across as a bit rude. It wasn't supposed to. What I was trying to say was that for a long time kids coming through the system and into the AFL aren't just playing the small forward role at lower levels. Most are actually mids. For whatever reason, and there are numerous ones, once hitting the AFL many are pigeonholed as just being a small forward when in fact they actually have skill sets that could be utilised in numerous areas. Even the mature age guys coming in were generally guys who played mid as well. Look at Andrew krakouer for example, he won the Sandover playing mid forward, racking up forty, fifty possession games, but at the Pies his best role for them was small forward. Given their midfield probably understandable. I just think sometimes it is easy to look at a player and think that they can't do this or that without looking deeper into a players capabilities.

No problems there 'Stafford'; you are right to say most of the kids coming through are mids, all the small to mid size ones generally are for obvious reasons. They were the class players in their teams.

Some are pigeonholed as you say and some just gravitate to the position as it suits their style of game. Milne for example was a discard who found a position as a small forward and made a career out of it. St Kilda have since recruited others (Saad, Milera, Dennis-Lane) who all seem to be specialist forwards and I don't think it is doing them any favours but that's their problem.

My position on this is that we don't need this type of player and in fact I believe the position is becoming obsolete. Looking at Geelong now all their small to mid forwards rotate at times through the midfield and it makes them so dangerous. Stokes, who would have been considered a small forward a few years back is now working well up the ground and in contested centre breaks. Johnson many complained was wasted up the ground when he should be kicking goals but look at the drive he gives them. I mean even Harry Taylor (obviously not a small/mid forward) the best CHB in the game drifts forward to kick goals and Pods drifts back.

The type of small forward I would want is an Akker, LeCras, Zaharakis, Stokes type who is not one dimensional or pigeonholed that way.

We need to develop our team in this way, particularly with restricted interchange on the way. We need to have flexibility and whilst others are calling for Howe to stay forward it is better for the team to have him to move up the ground. It's to easy to get locked out of the game as a small/mid forward, I'm happy to see Sammy Blease selected up on a wing this week for this reason, let him run then drop him back deep forward from time to time. Byrnes worked into the middle a few times last week and did well, it would be good to throw Aaron up there or off half back at times, keep the opposition guessing.

With the restricted interchange it is likely we will see a return to something like the resting rover in the FP. So as I say I think the small crumbing forward as a position will be obsolete, we need to develop multi dimensional players. A kid like Billings in the next draft is the type of player, a good mid who knows how to kick a goal.

[rjay 24,185]

It maybe impossible..... But the player I'd target would be Douglas from Adelaide..... He has a Hugh desire for the contest..... Douglas has really impress me, the more I see him play the better he gets..... I urge MFC to consider getting Douglas across from the crows..... He is an unsung hero.... Another player with a similar style is Clinton Jones from the saints......

Haven't had a good look at Douglas but I hope he is a better kick than Jones who would be up there with Jordie in the kicking stakes.

[spirit of norm smith 13,603]

Blease, or rookie pick Page from Casey.

Edited April 26, 2013 by spirit of norm smith

[daisycutter 28,724]

a ballantyne type would be nice. his lateral skills, evasion and courage are brilliant

[Demon Disciple 11,209]

I'm pretty sure Zaharakis was an Essendon supporter before being drafted, so good luck trying to convince him to come to our club.

As for small forward specialists, they are a dying breed. They also need to be able to have endurance and gut-busting running capabilities, along with their more natural speed and acceleration.

A small forward must also now be able to play a wing or even a part-time midfield position.

The only one with absolute talent for small forwards this year coming through junior ranks would be Dayle Garlett. But has he changes his ways enough and more importantly, would we risk bringing him in?

[InVINCEable 358]

I'm pretty sure Zaharakis was an Essendon supporter before being drafted, so good luck trying to convince him to come to our club.

As for small forward specialists, they are a dying breed. They also need to be able to have endurance and gut-busting running capabilities, along with their more natural speed and acceleration.

A small forward must also now be able to play a wing or even a part-time midfield position.

The only one with absolute talent for small forwards this year coming through junior ranks would be Dayle Garlett. But has he changes his ways enough and more importantly, would we risk bringing him in?

Brent Moloney was a Dees supporter and he went to Brisbane

[InVINCEable 358]

Mark LeCras could be an option he can play as a small forward and can go midfield, didn't play a game this year due to injury but the forward line West Coast have they wouldn't necessarily need him.

Pick 1 for Mark LeCras and Andrew Gaff?

Thoughts?

[olisik 4,060]

Nahas!!

[CBDees 3,162]

Redraft Aaron Davey!

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Nahas!!

I'm more open to this one than most. I can see why he fell out of favour with Hardwick. I can see why Hardwick preferred the grunt of King. I think he's at the right age, has the experience and hunger to make a go of a second chance. He was travelling pretty well in 2011. And he's better than any small forward we've got. Whether there's still a role for a small forward in 2014 is the question.

[Ted Lasso 17,315]

Sam blease, neville Jetta, dean kent, michael evans, or draft dayle garlett

i feel as though we have players who could play that role, mids who can rotate forward would be my priority over forwards who can rotate through the middle.

[Bring Back Barassi 546]

Garlett will be the Rising Star next year, mark my words

[Tatu 416]

Robin Nahas seems on the outter at tigerland, he might be an option.... Dayle Garlett is worth the risk... Also wouldnt mind if we gave Jurrah another go, he'd would eat up the small forward role... Id be happy to recruite any of these guys...

[What 18,810]

Why do people keep suggesting Sam Blease and Nevilla Jetta?

Neither are crumbing forwards. They are not even close.