We all know we are several midfielders short of being seriously competitive but we have another major lack which all the talk around our forward line is missing.

Yes we will look good if Clark makes it back to stand alongside Hogan, Howe, Dawes and Watts, but while our midfield recruiting and development has failed who remembers Bennell, Maric and Jetta?

That great developing forward line of ours still lacks a decent small forward or two and BMJ collectively represent our other great recruiting failure. Since Davey lost a yard we have never had a decent crumber.

we havent had a great small forward since Jeff Faemer

About time we got one

dom barry and sam blease would be okay in that sense i think, but i think they're gunna be more handy as outside mids, maybe recruit a dayle garlett who wouldn't take a high pick i'd imagine and rotate a few blokes through there?

blease dawes watts

barry clark hogan

setting the forward line up next year if everyone is fit is going to be a fantastic problem to have

The Fifth?

Would have been great if Wonna had hung around and was able to hold his form. He was a very good crumbing forward back in the day.

I suspect we are eventually going to see a number of mids rotating through the small forward role. It's not the best option for a single scoring option, but it gives us more mids on the park which is great for a team that is routinely beaten in that area. It also makes life more interesting for the defenders who never know who their opponent is.

dom barry and sam blease would be okay in that sense i think, but i think they're gunna be more handy as outside mids, maybe recruit a dayle garlett who wouldn't take a high pick i'd imagine and rotate a few blokes through there?

blease dawes watts

barry clark hogan

setting the forward line up next year if everyone is fit is going to be a fantastic problem to have

Blease? That boy will be lucky to stay on the list next year.

I want to see him succeed and love it when he legs it and goals but he's just not getting enough of it.

Would have been great if Wonna had hung around and was able to hold his form. He was a very good crumbing forward back in the day.

Same thing with Liam Jurrah. He could have been a 50 goal a year small forward (which is actually how he plays).

With rotations (particularly when they become capped next year) and the style of modern footy that requires all players to flood back into defense and forwards to lead back towards go or out to the wings to open up space the maximum you can afford to have is one permanent small forward.

Last years grand final in Sydney v Hawthorn the small forwards were Jetta - who predominantly played flanks and wings, Mitch Morton who was in for McGlynn, Cyril who spent time up the ground, Puopolo who is defensively orientated and Breust who was more of a tradition small forward who led and marked as well as crumbed.

What we should focus on is getting midfielders with the relevant attributes to be dangerous forwards - I'm thinking strong hands, speed and natural crumbing ability as well as small forwards who have the ability to be legitimate midfielders.

I actually like the rotation of Blease, Kent and one of Davey/Byrnes that we have now as well as Howe to use his speed to play small and go into the midfield. We just have to improve this playing group. Byrnes and Davey seem to only have one play well at a time yet they take up 2 spots in the team. Kent and Blease don't seem to have the fitness to find cheap footy and easy possessions in space. Hopefully that changes.

Besides from that Viney can easily play forward with his 110% full on style and Trengove has shown that he'll never be a crumbing forward with speed but it terms of work rate and strong marking he can play half forward flank like a Jude Bolton.

In regards to drafting I'd take a best available approach but I wouldn't hesitate to draft a small forward/midfielder type as long as they truly do have midfield potential. In terms of guys drafted high up recently I think of Rioli, Dangerfield or even a Daniel or Troy Menzel. In that regard if Pick 2 went to Billings I wouldn't be upset as long as we thought he really was a true midfielder down the line.

With rotations (particularly when they become capped next year) and the style of modern footy that requires all players to flood back into defense and forwards to lead back towards go or out to the wings to open up space the maximum you can afford to have is one permanent small forward..........

The whole structure may well change with the interchange cap.

Will we for a change be the trailblazer?

Fitzy as a dual tall / crumbing forward ?? :-)

Fitzy as a dual tall / crumbing forward ?? :-)

I was thinking the same thing Even Gawn has remarkable agility and crumbing ability for someone so tall.

I guess that's why Neeld targeted Byrnes and Rodan, trying to shore up midfield rotations while offering forward crumbing as well.

I think we have a certain luxury with our forward line in that Clarke and Dawes are both hard workers when it comes to chasing and keeping pressure on inside 50. Given that Watts and Fitzpatrick are also pretty mobile for their height, if they can build the habit of hunting down defenders then we have a good amount of forward 50 pressure ready to be applied.

While a quality small forward is a great thing to have, I'd be prioritising midfielders who also have a good instinct up forward. Let's face it, you wouldn't blink given a choice -

Brent Harvey, David Zaharakis or Cyril Rioli

vs

Lindsay Thomas, Stephen Milne or Eddie Betts.

You have to be a brilliant specialist to build a career as a small forward because quick and creative midfielders can adequately cover a lot of that role.

So my obsession stays 'midfield midfield midfield'.

Aaron Davey has been good this year and is still our best small forward, I'm hoping he continues his form and gets another year. When looking at our potential forward line it is exciting and the need for a small forward isn't a problem. You need to take into account Clark, Hogan, Watts, Fitzpatrick and Howe are quick good at ground level and mobile. The only old school forward we have is Dawes. What I think will happen next year is the same as a few posters, we will rotate midfielders through our forward line and you will see Watts and Howe spend time in the midfield, plus the resting ruckman. Sylvia, Toumpas, Blease, Evans, Kent, Viney, Jones, Trengove will al have longer periods up forward. I still get excited by a forward structure

Davey Dawes Clark

Watts Fitzpatick Hogan

With Howe and Watts rotating Half forward/Wing