Training - Monday 23rd March, 2015

[Mad_Melbourne 877]

He is not a key forward, he has been a "ruckman/forward", so a goal a game is not a bad return, if compared to some of the other ruckman/forwards, say Max Gawn (who was flavour of the month, before the NAB Challenge), has kicked 12 in 26 games

Rarely did he play second ruck, he usually played key forward hence his average of 4.4 hit puts a game, none the less I still think this is his best possibility of playing AFL is fwd/ruck but good to see them try something

[The Devil Inside 2,147]

Rarely did he play second ruck, he usually played key forward hence his average of 4.4 hit puts a game, none the less I still think this is his best possibility of playing AFL is fwd/ruck but good to see them try something

Yes, but what you are conveniently forgetting is when he was back at Casey he mainly rucked or at times second rucked, so how do you work on your craft as a key forward in games if you have to ruck?

[Dee-licious 1,954]

Remember that Martin ended up down back for us. Didnt look too out of his depth and then moved to Brisbane and development continued and.........

[Moonshadow 17,678]

Remember that Martin ended up down back for us. Didnt look too out of his depth and then moved to Brisbane and development continued and.........

That's right, I remember Martin did some good things down back. IIRC he clucked some good marks to stop the flow of play. Rate him much higher than Fitzy. Still, I'm a Fitzy believer, I love to see an underdog prove the critics wrong.

Is there a good 200cm key defender in the comp ATM? Someone's got to go up against the guys like Tippett, Daniher and (dare I say it) Clark.

[TheoX 1,222]

Rory Thompson goes alright at 200cm

[The Chazz 4,077]

I don't feel that Fitzy has been given the same luxuries as other players in our team. I feel he has been poorly managed and developed, and that includes by our current coach.

Before he even played a game, I had zero confidence that Fitzy would make it (not sure why I felt that way). But I can't help but think the poor bugger hasn't been given a decent chance.

[Mad_Melbourne 877]

Yes, but what you are conveniently forgetting is when he was back at Casey he mainly rucked or at times second rucked, so how do you work on your craft as a key forward in games if you have to ruck?

Throughout the early years at Casey he still played predominately as a forward. The rare games that Gawn and Spencer didn't play he played ruck alone.

I'm not forgetting anything I'm more just saying that his afl form has been pretty poor and not as you decided to put it (not too bad).

On the flip side, athletically he is probably our most likely to succeed of the key position players he just cannot translate his repeat sprint ability into a way find enough space to continually mark the ball. That said disposal probably didn't work in his favour but as clearly stated he needs a hell of a lot more than a goal a game and 4 hit outs to make it at AFL level.

[The Devil Inside 2,147]

I don't feel that Fitzy has been given the same luxuries as other players in our team. I feel he has been poorly managed and developed, and that includes by our current coach.

Before he even played a game, I had zero confidence that Fitzy would make it (not sure why I felt that way). But I can't help but think the poor bugger hasn't been given a decent chance.

Billy, no he has just had rotten luck with illness and injury, he finally did his first full pre season this year and then got a virus that put him in bed for a week, just before the first NAB game, at least he can laugh about it.

He knows this is a make or break year, so of course if they suggest a move to full back, he is going to take it and give it the best he can

[The Devil Inside 2,147]

Throughout the early years at Casey he still played predominately as a forward. The rare games that Gawn and Spencer didn't play he played ruck alone.

I'm not forgetting anything I'm more just saying that his afl form has been pretty poor and not as you decided to put it (not too bad).

On the flip side, athletically he is probably our most likely to succeed of the key position players he just cannot translate his repeat sprint ability into a way find enough space to continually mark the ball. That said disposal probably didn't work in his favour but as clearly stated he needs a hell of a lot more than a goal a game and 4 hit outs to make it at AFL level.

Gawn playing ruck at Casey? Spencer playing ruck at Casey?.......for most of the last three or four years, both have been injured quite a lot, so I think you will find Fitzy has done a lot more ruck work than you give him credit for, when not injured himself

[DeeSpencer 26,272]

Fitzy going down back will probably work about as well as when Strauss and Blease swapped roles last year at Casey to try and save their careers.

That said, when Tom McDonald is an unquestioned regular player you know you don't have a lot of options.

Bit of shuffling the deckchairs in the key position spots this year I think. Pedersen, Fitzy and Frost might all have a go forward, back and 2nd ruck, maybe even in the same game!

[chook fowler 19,694]

Hope they persist with Fitz. He is still young and has a lot of good attributes, both personal and football related.

[watchtheeyes 1,429]

Fitzy going down back will probably work about as well as when Strauss and Blease swapped roles last year at Casey to try and save their careers.

That said, when Tom McDonald is an unquestioned regular player you know you don't have a lot of options.

Bit of shuffling the deckchairs in the key position spots this year I think. Pedersen, Fitzy and Frost might all have a go forward, back and 2nd ruck, maybe even in the same game!

Speaking of Blease, purely out of curiosity, does anyone have any idea how he's tracking at Geelong? Same problems rearing their head?

I found his comments when he left about Roos' game plan not fitting with the way he played footy astounding, so I'm assuming he slotted in to Geelong with the same attitude... or lack thereof.

[Wormburner 674]

Billy, no he has just had rotten luck with illness and injury, he finally did his first full pre season this year and then got a virus that put him in bed for a week, just before the first NAB game, at least he can laugh about it.

He knows this is a make or break year, so of course if they suggest a move to full back, he is going to take it and give it the best he can

I'm a little confused on why all of a sudden when the season is about to start is he being "trialled down back".

[manny100 1,621]

20 - 25%+ of AFL listed players days are numbered. So its not an exclusive club. Kudos to the Dees for giving players an opportunity to see what they can offer in other roles.

[binman 44,521]

Sometimes the way people post u wouldn't know that they realized so little.

Is this a compliment or a sledge?

[The Chazz 4,077]

Billy, no he has just had rotten luck with illness and injury, he finally did his first full pre season this year and then got a virus that put him in bed for a week, just before the first NAB game, at least he can laugh about it.

He knows this is a make or break year, so of course if they suggest a move to full back, he is going to take it and give it the best he can

Injuries have played a part in Fitzy's career, but when he has been right to go, he's rarely had the opportunity to have an "off" game without being dropped the following week, to, as you rightly put, play in a position that isn't what he was playing in the seniors the week before.

All I ask is that they decide what position he is suited to, let him learn it, develop in the role, then give him the opportunity to prove himself. If he's showing positive signs at Casey, reward him, then give him time to adjust to AFL standard. Poorer performing players who have higher profiles seem to get that opportunity.

[rjay 25,302]

Fitzy going down back will probably work about as well as when Strauss and Blease swapped roles last year at Casey to try and save their careers.

That said, when Tom McDonald is an unquestioned regular player you know you don't have a lot of options.

Bit of shuffling the deckchairs in the key position spots this year I think. Pedersen, Fitzy and Frost might all have a go forward, back and 2nd ruck, maybe even in the same game!

'George', Tommy Mc would get a game with any team in the AFL.

Rory Thompson goes alright at 200cm

Yep, and pretty sure he was a struggling forward before he went back.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

Is this a compliment or a sledge?

It's a sledge against the filthy Demonland plebs.

[Wiseblood 24,637]

Fitzy is very meh to me. Everyone is getting excited about him being trialled down back but he is in the same bracket as guys like Bail, McKenzie, M. Jones etc. He isn't a guy that will take us up the ladder. He is ok for depth but nothing more, regardless of where he plays.

[watchtheeyes 1,429]

'George', Tommy Mc would get a game with any team in the AFL.

Yep, and pretty sure he was a struggling forward before he went back.

I have no idea how people are still calling T McDonald not AFL standard.

[rjay 25,302]

Fitzy is very meh to me. Everyone is getting excited about him being trialled down back but he is in the same bracket as guys like Bail, McKenzie, M. Jones etc. He isn't a guy that will take us up the ladder. He is ok for depth but nothing more, regardless of where he plays.

I'm not sure about everyone getting excited but I think it's a good idea to try him down back.

[angrydee 842]

Fitzy's field kicking has always been good, unlike some of his effort at goal. If he can start clunking his marks he could be a very useful defender.

Another good 200cm full back is Jake Carlisle although Thompson was determined to make him a forward.

[Older demon 2,799]

AS I have said before Frosty was a forward at Wesley and the under 18's and is a serious athlete as some are now finding out. Roos has stated that Freo have started this trend with 190 cm midfielders as do Sydney who even run Buddy in the midfield and Roughy is a sensational clearance player with the Hawks and Blicavs does a similar role at the cattery.

Fitz to full back makes sense as we lack height down back against certain teams. last year GCS with Lynch, Day and Dixon all showed up teams with their marking power. This season the Kangas going with Petrie, Waite, Daw and Black will stretch any defence so a 200 cm full back is a good idea IMO. History is littered with struggling forwards who go down back and find the straight ahead line suits them and gives them confidence and some even return to the forward line.

[nutbean 8,838]

I like this move.

made me laugh....

[mdemon 266]

I'm not sure about everyone getting excited but I think it's a good idea to try him down back.

Maybe, just maybe, Roos and Rawlings have come up with a solution for a player who, as other have noted, has been bereft of luck in his 5 or so years on our list.

Lets hope that it works out and gives us an additional tall defensive option as 'insurance' if anything happens to Tommy Mac.

Could end up being another example in the long line going back to Bob Murray and beyond of guys recruited as forwards becoming very reliable key defenders.

Fingers crossed!