Pick 1 for Andrew Gaff and Mark LeCras

LeCras hasn't been playing due to inkury and seems like West Coast don't need him in their forward line, could be our solution.

I've mentioned this before, but the Saints have a rookie named Minchington who could fit the bill. He's had a couple of games with them this year and certainly didn't disgrace himself. He's quick, hard working and can kick a goal. Probably not he best talent, but he will never give anything but 100% and you know he'll do everything humanly possible to succeed. We could do worse than to ask after him.

Edit: Here he is

i reckon Kent is going to be good.

Give him a go

Its the midfield stoopid.

Pick 1 for Andrew Gaff and Mark LeCras

LeCras hasn't been playing due to inkury and seems like West Coast don't need him in their forward line, could be our solution.

LeCras is a great player and definitely a required player at WC. He has played most of the season in case you weren't watching.

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...

I would definitely draft Garlett and redraft Liam, but I'd pass on Nahas.

Eddie Betts

Definitely need mids first - no good having good forwards if the ball doesn't get there

Yes I agree we need a crumbing fwd who can kick 30 plus goals and give forward pressure. Too many times the ball hits the ground in the forward line and we have no one. But you cant make small forwards as some people have suggested with Blease, Jetta etc nominated, just having pace doesnt make you a crumbing forward. You need to have goal sense, speed, agility, and a bit of selfishness and the hunger to be the centre of attention. Players note quite up to midfield dont make good crumbing forwards the best crumbing forwards are that for their whole careers.

Why do we want a player that can only play fwd pocket? The day of the specialist small forward is gone. What we need are mids that can play the small forward role when required but predominantly are mids.

Legit crumby forward, like an Eddie(something about that name) Betts, then No...

but a genuine Mid/smallforward like a Christiansen, then a big Yes...

no more one dimension's

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no more one dimension's

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One dimension is fine as long as they are very good at that dimension.

Why do we want a player that can only play fwd pocket? The day of the specialist small forward is gone. What we need are mids that can play the small forward role when required but predominantly are mids.

look at didak, in todays rotational footy, its over.... being a specialist. too many rotations.

even Daicos would struggle today, not to mention Kevin Bartlett, he'd be out of business quicksmart. pity specialists were good to watch.

One dimension is fine as long as they are very good at that dimension.

like who?

Why do we want a player that can only play fwd pocket? The day of the specialist small forward is gone. What we need are mids that can play the small forward role when required but predominantly are mids.

Disagree. There is always room for a small forward who can snare 50-odd goals a year and apply defensive pressure.

Disagree. There is always room for a small forward who can snare 50-odd goals a year and apply defensive pressure.

I'm sorry but can you name one? Lindsey Thomas has been good this year, but He is not a conventional small fwd, his stats suggest he's not really a crumber and most of his stats are from marks on the lead. Plays more like a medium sized fwd.

I'm sorry but can you name one? Lindsey Thomas has been good this year, but He is not a conventional small fwd, his stats suggest he's not really a crumber and most of his stats are from marks on the lead. Plays more like a medium sized fwd.

Milne for one. Eddie Betts. Rioli, although they play him in the middle from time to time isn't really a mid. Lecras isn't so much a crumber, but is a permanent small forward. Jake King has been filling that role at Richmond, although he's more a defensive forward than a goalscorer. Balantyne at Freo.

I don't deny that some clubs do like to use mids in that role and simply rotate them, but there are plenty of specialist small forwards out there who are doing just fine at their clubs. They give plenty of value.

YOu guys don't get it. The Swans have 12 mids. We have maybe 2.

Do the maths...

Disagree. There is always room for a small forward who can snare 50-odd goals a year and apply defensive pressure.

stephen milne, but how has St-Kilda fared with winning Flags since he's been there... Ans: about as good as when they had Plugger there.

having a Main goal kicker is no good. better to have a strong spread of Talent around the field, with a really hard working midfield & a team hellbent on stopping the opposition from prospering.

Milne for one. Eddie Betts. Rioli, although they play him in the middle from time to time isn't really a mid. Lecras isn't so much a crumber, but is a permanent small forward. Jake King has been filling that role at Richmond, although he's more a defensive forward than a goalscorer. Balantyne at Freo.

I don't deny that some clubs do like to use mids in that role and simply rotate them, but there are plenty of specialist small forwards out there who are doing just fine at their clubs. They give plenty of value.

Okay, milne hasnt kicked 50 this season, he has been a great player, would have been better if he could play stints in the mid field, prob the best small forward in recent history - arguably the game has changed since he has kicked 50. Eddie betts hasnt kicked 50 this year either... and rioli is effectively a mid.

So basically we havnt got any amazing specialty small forwards that only play the small forward crumbing role and have kicked 50 goals. We have some average small fwds in which there forward line is disfunctional due to having 3 smalls that cant play mid and the lack of a key fwd (Carlton). We have rioli, who plays up the ground and forward, does both roles well - not a just a small forward. pretty confident king plays a fair amount of time in the midfield, ballantyne isnt a great small forward, he is a brilliant antagonist though. The best do both mid and fwd.

Where melbourne is at, a small forward is the least of our concerns.

I would prefer quality mids, that can crumb when needed.

YOu guys don't get it. The Swans have 12 mids. We have maybe 2.

Do the maths...

You can target more than one type of player at once.

Milne for one. Eddie Betts. Rioli, although they play him in the middle from time to time isn't really a mid. Lecras isn't so much a crumber, but is a permanent small forward. Jake King has been filling that role at Richmond, although he's more a defensive forward than a goalscorer. Balantyne at Freo.

I don't deny that some clubs do like to use mids in that role and simply rotate them, but there are plenty of specialist small forwards out there who are doing just fine at their clubs. They give plenty of value.

I get what your saying and your not wrong, they can be beneficial, but in my opinion i think our first step is the mids to do both and perhaps in time we can try develop a small fwd or pick one up. We have alot of fire power atm, just no one to get it there.

Why do we want a player that can only play fwd pocket? The day of the specialist small forward is gone. What we need are mids that can play the small forward role when required but predominantly are mids.

I've been pushing this view for a while now but their will be a few that don't see it.

Milne for one. Eddie Betts. Rioli, although they play him in the middle from time to time isn't really a mid. Lecras isn't so much a crumber, but is a permanent small forward. Jake King has been filling that role at Richmond, although he's more a defensive forward than a goalscorer. Balantyne at Freo.

I don't deny that some clubs do like to use mids in that role and simply rotate them, but there are plenty of specialist small forwards out there who are doing just fine at their clubs. They give plenty of value.

The only 2 premiership players (Rioli and LeCras) you have named spend time up the ground and are so much more than just small forwards. Rioli plays a pivotal role in the middle when they need to change the game up so yes he is a mid who would play a lot more time there if his tank and hammy's allowed.

Small forwards can get goals during the year and help get you to the finals but they won't win them for you. As 'Deez' says they need a lot more versatility than being one trick ponies. It's to easy to put them out of a high pressure game.

We need goal kicking mids, mids who run hard both ways. Some of them will get the goals that the small forwards would but will give us much more flexibility.

The only 2 premiership players (Rioli and LeCras) you have named spend time up the ground and are so much more than just small forwards. Rioli plays a pivotal role in the middle when they need to change the game up so yes he is a mid who would play a lot more time there if his tank and hammy's allowed.

Small forwards can get goals during the year and help get you to the finals but they won't win them for you. As 'Deez' says they need a lot more versatility than being one trick ponies. It's to easy to put them out of a high pressure game.

We need goal kicking mids, mids who run hard both ways. Some of them will get the goals that the small forwards would but will give us much more flexibility.

Did I ever claim that we don't need mids? It's pretty much a self-evident truth that we need to get the best quality mids we can this year, but that isn't what this thread is about. I simply stated that I disagree with people claiming that the specialist small forward has no place in today's game. A good small forward would improve our forward line without a doubt, and there are a few out there who we could certainly use. Some of them could even work up to being handy midfield pinch-hitters as well.

You can target more than one type of player at once.

Not when you are as short of midfielders as us. And BTW a lot of mids can play fwd, Not many fwds can play mid.

We already have the lowest I50s in history - how much more evidence do you need that we are hopeless in the middle??