Tom McDonald as a forward

[Binmans PA 26,225]

I was positive last week and predicted a win.

Hmm that did not quite work out.

Maybe it was my positivity last saturday that was the problem

No I have this faint feeling it the guys on the feild that are the problem.

Lol. You sound like my old man, OD.

[old dee 22,926]

Lol. You sound like my old man, OD.

Must be a wonderful guy AF

Edited July 13, 2015 by old dee

[beelzebub 22,225]

We arent setting the bar terribly high if TMac is the answer forward. ..and he isnt.

Tom has the making of a decent back. Hes shown it but is all over the shop currently. It smacks of abject desperation that so many see this holiday down the sharp end as the panacea of our kicking (a score ) ills.

[manny100 1,013]

Performances like Tom's up forward are often one week wonders as was Jake Spencer against Geelong up forward. Having said that it would be worth trialling Tom for a few weeks as a third tall forward with Fitzpatrick coming in down back and Howe down back as well. One of either Hogan, Dawes or Tom gets the 3rd tall defender. Tom can run all day and also play high forward.

[dee-luded 2,958]

I'm watched Dawes closely too. I have been a bit of a fan but now realize that he does so very little most of the time.

Tommy McD going forward was (almost) an inspired move. Had he kicked straight we may well have won. (I know one could say that of a lot of our forwards too).

But he provided a contest and held some marks.

I totally agree re the Miller comment - Brad would, IMO, be a better player in this team that has at least a bit of a midfield that Dawes. He held marks for starters.

Properly coached in a team with a modicum of a game plan

Spot on

brad miller would have been an excellent player in a Roosy built team. much better than Dawesy. IMO. the hard working Key forward.

TMac can play chf leading up for, sure or chb. not so sure about him deep in our forwardline, if he got dragged there by an opponent.

[dee-luded 2,958]

let me think about this.

Tom Mac goes forward has 4 shots at goal in 17 min, kick a goal to put us within 2pts & for the 1st time in the game look like we could pinch it.

His kicking is inaccurate on a day when nobody is kicking well & the weather is poor,1st time forward nervous & with limited goal kicking practise.

So thats at least 4 times the ball was not brought to ground by Dawes & rebounded to opposition forward line.

Any many here are suggesting this should never be tried again.

this is exactly it. well done budgee

If this is the case why why why hasn't Nick "I'll run forever" Reiwoldt been moved back to Centre Half Back, then??

he should have been, in that saints outfit in his early 20's. he could easily have played wing or CHB. they may have ended up better off. they're lack of true forwards hurt them. & a true goal kicking CHF.

the current riewoldt is better forward, than the younger one.

[dee-luded 2,958]

We arent setting the bar terribly high if TMac is the answer forward. ..and he isnt.

Tom has the making of a decent back. Hes shown it but is all over the shop currently. It smacks of abject desperation that so many see this holiday down the sharp end as the panacea of our kicking (a score ) ills.

this is why we want a forwardline of Hogan, & Henderson in the pocket.

Hogan leads up into the hole that TMac has made leading upfield. Henderson stays deep or slides into the best space avail, creating space for him & Hogan. Tmac pushes up thru the mids & back up.

Tmac has the skills to help out the defenders when required, as he leads up thru the middle.

Henderson has the size & skills to give a chopout to our Ruck

Tmac becoming a CHF won't happen overnight, & he'll still be required down back next year, no doubt.

[monoccular 16,126]

Frost seems to be the missing link here that third tall who can run and play forward or back.

and don't forget that the injured Oedersen can do the same, and fill in ruck.

I am starting to think he's worth a try up forward. What have we to lose? Playing up forward might give him some incentive to sharpen up his kicking. Chuck Dawes down back and let's see how he goes there. Has he ever played there? Can't be worse than what he is now.

Dawes down back - to "bring the ball to ground" for the opposition small forwards!!?? At least when he "brings the ball to ground" up forward (because he can't mark) the opposition crumbed is usually several kicks out from their goal.

[Skuit 9,198]

An argument could be made that Tommy actually cost us the game, that the urgency lifted and some of the delivery improved out of the center in the last, or, that the mere structural reshuffle and having an extra competitive body up front, any body, threw the opposition off their game, and that, really, TMac’s terrible kicking skills blew the only chance we had when we finally got a run-on.

An argument could also be made that when the delivery is as bad as it was, an intercept styled defender promoted up front has an advantage in not having to worry about such silly things as leading patterns and being where the ball is meant to be, but can basically play as a forward in the style of a loose defender and just assess where it will probably arrive instead – the same uncanny way that errant forward entries always seem as if deliberately kicked directly down the throat of an unmarked opposition sweeper.

[ILLDieADemon 804]

Are you for real?!

About 2 months ago he was in AA backman form, now he starts having a bad run so we should put him in the forward line.

This is a joke right?!

[Demonated 252]

Long term I think he is more suited to play as a back. However, for all his kicking woes, he still changed the game when he went forward. He does have his faults but I love his endeavour and heart. Trying him as a forward sporadically for the rest of the season (maybe a quarter here and there every few weeks) will add a different dynamic to the team I believe. He is a great athlete and has always shown a willingness to learn and never gives up. Long term he is our #1 backman but if it can help the team and help him grow as a player, why not trial it now and then. Also means we get a proper look at Fitz who I believe deserves a bit of a go before the season finishes.

[CBDees 3,162]

brad miller would have been an excellent player in a Roosy built team. much better than Dawesy. IMO. the hard working Key forward.

TMac can play chf leading up for, sure or chb. not so sure about him deep in our forwardline, if he got dragged there by an opponent.

Brad Miller might have taken marks but whenever he did (and didn't happen to be 15 metres out, directly in front) he always tried to pass the ball, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Miller consistently wouldn't back himself to kick goals when he was 50, 40 or even 30 metres from goal (and he was paid as a KPF FCS)!

[CBDees 3,162]

Are you for real?!

About 2 months ago he was in AA backman form, now he starts having a bad run so we should put him in the forward line.

This is a joke right?!

But a few weeks ago Fitzy gave Boyd an absolute towelling; we didn't anticipate that he was capable of that then, let alone at the beginning of the season when we recruited Frost to help Macca down back. Now we have the option of developing both of them into Macca's role, giving us options with both speed and height. Edited July 13, 2015 by CBDees

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,462]

Is Hogan expected to be a Full Forward or a CHF once he's fully established? He seems to me to me a natural CHF given his size, mobility, innate understanding of the game and marking skills. If he is to be a CHF, why would we be even contemplating McDonald as CHF, even as a temporary measure?

Edited July 13, 2015 by La Dee-vina Comedia

[old dee 22,926]

Is Hogan expected to be a Full Forward or a CHF once he's fully established? He seems to me to me a natural CHF given his size, mobility, innate understanding of the game and marking skills. If he is to be a CHF, why would we be even contemplating McDonald as CHF, even as a temporary measure?

I think the ideas is to try a win a couple of games between now and the end of August.

You know that think that most teams try every week but seems so very hard for the MFC.

Might just take a little pressure off a kid in his first year who has played a dozen or so games.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,462]

I think the ideas is to try a win a couple of games between now and the end of August.

You know that think that most teams try every week but seems so very hard for the MFC.

Might just take a little pressure off a kid in his first year who has played a dozen or so games.

I agree it would be nice to win more games, but in any year where you know you're not a contender for the flag, surely it's more important to develop a team ready to win that elusive prize? If Tom McDonald is never going to be our full time CHF, what's the point of trialling him in the role? Conversely, if we think there is a chance that he could be a full time CHF (meaning Hogan would be FF), then by all means he should be given more opportunities there. Either way, I don't think the decision should be based on whether we might win more games in 2015.

[old dee 22,926]

I agree it would be nice to win more games, but in any year where you know you're not a contender for the flag, surely it's more important to develop a team ready to win that elusive prize? If Tom McDonald is never going to be our full time CHF, what's the point of trialling him in the role? Conversely, if we think there is a chance that he could be a full time CHF (meaning Hogan would be FF), then by all means he should be given more opportunities there. Either way, I don't think the decision should be based on whether we might win more games in 2015.

The major problem as I see it for the MFC is that we have been irrelevant to the competition for the best part of a decade.

The club needs to win a lot more than four games a year.

It is vital to keep the membership above 35 000 and attract sponsers etc or we risk being in the bottom four forever. It will just make it impossible to attract and keep good players.

We need 7-8 wins in 2015 IMO.

Right now we cannot beat teams in the bottom six. If we cannot show during the rest of this year that we can win against the Lions, Saints etc the future will look bleak at the start of 2016.

Our sponsor ship with our major sponsor is up this year. Will they go again with a team that cannot win more than four games a year and has bugger all free to air TV exposure?

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,462]

The major problem as I see it for the MFC is that we have been irrelevant to the competition for the best part of a decade.

The club needs to win a lot more than four games a year.

It is vital to keep the membership above 35 000 and attract sponsers etc or we risk being in the bottom four forever. It will just make it impossible to attract and keep good players.

We need 7-8 wins in 2015 IMO.

Right now we cannot beat teams in the bottom six. If we cannot show during the rest of this year that we can win against the Lions, Saints etc the future will look bleak at the start of 2016.

Our sponsor ship with our major sponsor is up this year. Will they go again with a team that cannot win more than four games a year and has bugger all free to air TV exposure?

All reasonable points, OD. But I still subscribe to the theory that the club should be working for the longer term rather than worrying about a quick fix. I'd rather be a genuine contender than a mid-ranked team unable to rise further because of limitations imposed by short term fixes.

[old dee 22,926]

All reasonable points, OD. But I still subscribe to the theory that the club should be working for the longer term rather than worrying about a quick fix. I'd rather be a genuine contender than a mid-ranked team unable to rise further because of limitations imposed by short term fixes.

I don't disgree with that however there is another reason I did not mention.

I want to able to watch a games that we win.

Especially against the likes of Essendon and Brisbane next Sunday.

After nine years I am sick to the back teeth of losing.

[ManDee 7,089]

Tommy Mac has potential to be a forward. I have said here before that he reminds me of Jeremy Cameron.

I can see Fitzy playing back and forward as well as Tommy Mac and Frost, why not?

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,462]

I don't disgree with that however there is another reason I did not mention.

I want to able to watch a games that we win.

Especially against the likes of Essendon and Brisbane next Sunday.

After nine years I am sick to the back teeth of losing.

I thought you were going to skip the game against Brisbane and watch Casey instead?

[praha 10,283]

brad miller would have been an excellent player in a Roosy built team. much better than Dawesy. IMO. the hard working Key forward.

TMac can play chf leading up for, sure or chb. not so sure about him deep in our forwardline, if he got dragged there by an opponent.

Pederson is basically the player Miller would have been if he were still playing. We look much better forward of center with Pederson than we do with Dawes. Hogan pushed up the field to get involved, which is what Pederson normally did. Hogan does it because Dawes is hopeless.

[old dee 22,926]

I thought you were going to skip the game against Brisbane and watch Casey instead?

I am but that does not mean I dont want to win on the weekend or any of the games I go to in the next few weeks.

[old dee 22,926]

Pederson is basically the player Miller would have been if he were still playing. We look much better forward of center with Pederson than we do with Dawes. Hogan pushed up the field to get involved, which is what Pederson normally did. Hogan does it because Dawes is hopeless.

Correct praha

Injuries sure ain't helping.

Sadly we are probably stuck with Dawes till the end of this year because there ain't no one else

[What 18,810]

Wonder if hes practicing his goal kicking at training today? Would be interesting to find out