9 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

Same position up forward as last year again. Can't see us contending for a premiership at all. We'll have enough trouble making the 8, but we all know it's premiership or failure every year from now on in..

Yes it is all quite puzzling for us supporters. What was the 2019 stat I saw on Demonland? Yes the worst conversion rate for scores versus inside 50 entries ever recorded (i.e. since the mid 90’s). The forward line was totally dysfunctional most of the season but the club doesn’t rate that issue as a current personnel problem! Inability to take a contested grab, no crumbers, no forward tackling pressure added to an appalling and morale sapping inability for forwards to convert set shots for goals from inside 40m. Oh and forward X factor rating was next to zero with Jeff being our only small opportunist forward when not injured, who could also apply inside tackling pressure but he has been delisted. 

On the positive side if everyone is fit game 1, a decent forward coach should be able to develop a functional forward unit out of TMac, Weid, Petty, JSmith as talls and Melk, Tracc, Fritsch, AVB as mediums along with a 2019 small forward draftee. But get a few injuries and it all gets problematic, I believe we need some more forward depth.

And the other issue is our game plan up field that makes being a forward at MFC a nightmare but maybe that changes next year! 

Maybe we're hoping for Weightman to come in and put through a lazy 50+ goals next year?

So long as he stays down and is front and centre, with all the high balls coming in, he'd be a fair chance too!

It seems to me that this 3rd tall forward to kick 50 goals is a bit of an elusive character. 

Are there any decent ones seriously available now that the trades are over?

On 10/16/2019 at 7:30 PM, John Demonic said:

Same position up forward as last year again. Can't see us contending for a premiership at all. We'll have enough trouble making the 8, but we all know it's premiership or failure every year from now on in..

We've found the ideal 3rd tall in Fritsch, just need to keep him there now.

It's the first tall we have an issue with and this is where Weid needs to step up.

He's at an age where he either shows it or is a bust.

29 minutes ago, rjay said:

We've found the ideal 3rd tall in Fritsch, just need to keep him there now.

 

Though he is a beautiful mark I wouldn't class him as a tall. He is smaller than Hannan and we wouldn't call him a tall. He is marginally taller than Jake and Tracc and they are not talls. 

IMO we still need another key tall 193 cms plus.

PS. I hope Fritter is a permanent forward from now on, as with Tom and Weid playing ok, he is a 40 goal forward.

50 minutes ago, rjay said:

We've found the ideal 3rd tall in Fritsch, just need to keep him there now.

It's the first tall we have an issue with and this is where Weid needs to step up.

He's at an age where he either shows it or is a bust.

If we can get him fit - and keep him fit- I’d see Joel Smith as our 3rd tall in the forward line. Perhaps rotating with Tomlinson on the wing at times.But agree that Fritsch needs to also play forward. Personally I’d use Smith and Petracca on the flanks and Fritsch and Melksham in the pockets. Melksham becoming our small forward.  

While im at it, and again if we can get and keep him fit, I’d see AVB in the middle and Brayshaw and Oliver on the ball.

Going forward, I see AVB and Smith as really important members of our best 22, as I think we could struggle without what they potentially can bring to the side.

I think that at some stage the club regarded Preuss as a tall forward/rucking option but that idea seems to have been shelved.

Fritsch will give 50 goals a shake as long as he plays forward all season.   In fact i am predicting he will be an All Australian in 2020

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

Though he is a beautiful mark I wouldn't class him as a tall. He is smaller than Hannan and we wouldn't call him a tall. He is marginally taller than Jake and Tracc and they are not talls. 

IMO we still need another key tall 193 cms plus.

PS. I hope Fritter is a permanent forward from now on, as with Tom and Weid playing ok, he is a 40 goal forward.

He plays tall though & should cover that 3rd forward role like a Lynch or Gunston,  not as tall but just a bit better in the air I think.

Much better bet the Hannan.

Who cares if it's a 50 goal tall or 5 x 10 goal smalls. Goals do not have to be kicked by a few, as long as they go through. Probably a mistake to focus on one forward kicking 50.

"We don't care who gets the accolades. We all play our role, we don't care who gets the touches, who kicks the goals" - Dustin Martin

9 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Who cares if it's a 50 goal tall or 5 x 10 goal smalls

I care and so should we all.  If we have five players each kicking only ten goals for the whole year, we won't be posting any big scores.

Just now, demonstone said:

I care and so should we all.  If we have five players each kicking only ten goals for the whole year, we won't be posting any big scores.

You missed the point, editing quote didn't help either

What then do you mean by "5 x 10 goal smalls"?   Your point eludes me.

Being reliant on one forward kicking 50 is not the answer IMO. If we are looking for a new star to kick 50 for us we are dreaming. If it happens, great. But I'd be more pleased to see a larger number of individuals kick 20, 30 or 40 goals

The 5 x 10 was a counter to the 1 x 50. Obviously we'd want more than only 5 players only kicking 10 each.

Agree that we need to have multiple players contributing to the goalkicking and not just rely on one spearhead, as nice as a 50+ goalkicker would be.

1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

Who cares if it's a 50 goal tall or 5 x 10 goal smalls. Goals do not have to be kicked by a few, as long as they go through. Probably a mistake to focus on one forward kicking 50.

"We don't care who gets the accolades. We all play our role, we don't care who gets the touches, who kicks the goals" - Dustin Martin

The thread title was a year old and related to losing Hogan and his 40-50 goals last year and adding another tall to pick up some slack. The premonition about both Smiths not being a reliable bet to hedge on came true with their injury histories. And also Pedo & Keilty are departed. Why exactly haven't we even replaced them with a depth kpf/3rd tall in the trade period even if they won't get a game if not for injury or poor form? Will we do it at the draft with a WAFL/SANFL/VFL player? or in the PSD?

If the club is going to gamble on a clean bill of health all year to our forwards and have Tomlinson, Gawn or Preuss drop forward if need be, so be it. I just hope it doesn't backfire.. again. As a repeated mistake is the definition of stupidity.

And no matter how fit our entire team gets, having TMac or Weid injured if they even get back to their best, will rule us out of winning a premiership if we make it to the latter stage of the season and have to go up against Grimes/Rance/Astbury, McGovern, Barass, Davis, Haynes etc. I don't care for finishing 2nd-8th, but that's as high as we'll possibly be able to make it imo. 50 goals from 5 forwards is fine, but you can't rely on that week to week and it all falls apart if you lose your two kpf forward structure.

Agree with all posters though, we have to gamble on Weid for another year or two to find out if he's going to take the next step with consistent footy, just wouldn't mind another tall to provide us with a safety net.

Edited October 19, 20195 yr by John Demonic

TMac, Weid, j Smith, Hannan and Fritsch.  Add Trac, and a resting mid.  That should be the bulk of it, with Langdon and Tomlinson sweeping forward for a few.  You have to think that when fit and in form, these guys can get amongst it.

8 hours ago, Chelly said:

It seems to me that this 3rd tall forward to kick 50 goals is a bit of an elusive character. 

Are there any decent ones seriously available now that the trades are over?

Does such a player exist full-stop..?

50 goals from a third tall seems like a lot.  What are the 1 and 2 kicking???

 

(6 teams in the league had 1 player kick over 50 this year.  No teams had more than 1)

4 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

The 5 x 10 was a counter to the 1 x 50. Obviously we'd want more than only 5 players only kicking 10 each.

I'd be more than happy to chip in one or two Moon!

1 hour ago, buck_nekkid said:

TMac, Weid, j Smith, Hannan and Fritsch.  Add Trac, and a resting mid.  

North Melbourne will be licking their lips.  Top 5 pick for them next season if thats our forward line.

Although you did forget Melksham.

Edited October 19, 20195 yr by JakovichScissorKick

19 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

I'd be more than happy to chip in one or two Moon!

Might need to see if you can survive a preseason first, DD!

31 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Might need to see if you can survive a preseason first, DD!

wouldn't last a day Moon, lol.

Unless it was a recovery day..............even then

Edited October 19, 20195 yr by Demon Disciple

Just now, Demon Disciple said:

wouldn't last a day Moon, lol

That would be longer than me!

I watched Jones running up and down Goschs one day last preseason about 50 times in an hour. At a decent clip, I might add. I was exhausted just turning my head left to right!

8 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

Who cares if it's a 50 goal tall or 5 x 10 goal smalls. Goals do not have to be kicked by a few, as long as they go through. Probably a mistake to focus on one forward kicking 50.

"We don't care who gets the accolades. We all play our role, we don't care who gets the touches, who kicks the goals" - Dustin Martin

Moon there were patches of this unselfish style from us in 2017/2018.  When we did so we rarely lost and it usually included bits of play at some point from Jeffy.

We need to find some genuine smalls and a genuine KF.

Remembering that the Tiges aren't there by just playing unselfish footy either. 

They are there due to a very solid 22 and some genuine quality depth players that can fill 5 or 6 gaps when some of their best 22 drop out.

They also got Lynch as a top up / back up player for Riewoldt.  Not a bad back up!  Probably the difference between top 8 and top 4 ...the difference between a place in the big dance vs no place and ultimately another premiership.

Edited October 19, 20195 yr by Rusty Nails

13 hours ago, rjay said:

He plays tall though & should cover that 3rd forward role like a Lynch or Gunston,  not as tall but just a bit better in the air I think.

Much better bet the Hannan.

Lynch is 199 cm (he's huge), Gunston 193 cm. 

Fritsch is 188 cm. But agree with you that he plays tall.