I see real potential with our forward line if TMac and Weid can regularly play and be fully fit. Melksham is an elite goal assist player and defensive forward, Petracca elite at ground ball gets. Add in Bailey Fristch and we just need a goal sneak to emerge. 

Edited November 13, 20195 yr by Bay Riffin

34 minutes ago, demonstone said:

Nailed it.

anybody got the rating at the end of 2018 ?

It's hard to argue that our fowardline dysfunction was purely personal driven IMO - the whole system was a farce.  

I don't buy the 'Tom McDonald had 1 good year and never got the best defender' argument, which has been repeated so much it's almost become accepted as fact. He dominated the second half of 2017 (when he was originally thrown forward) as much as he did in 2018, and often with Hogan playing further up the ground or out injured. He struggled this year because he was horribly out of sorts and/or injured, not because he's been figured out. 

Weideman has been spoken about a lot, but ultimately does a lot right -  I still think he can become a 40 goal forward as soon as next year.

Early signs are good for Petty.

Obviously Melksham and Fritsch have shown they can be more than handy, and Petracca is harshly judged and still improving.

If we can get some continuity into those players and make it click, that's a decent forwardline. 

4 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

How did Brendan Goddard become a thing..?

 

 

Goddard is everything that is wrong with the footy media landscape.

On rsn breakfast and now for the hun he is essentially an analyst paid to give informed comment about football. Leaving aside my bias that he sheats me to tears it is impossible to argue he gets either gig if he wasn't an ex footballer who likes to espouse an opinion. 

As each season passes all ex footballers opinion becomes less relevant the longer the time since their retirement. Particularly about tactical info.

The only way to mitigate this law of diminshing relevance is for them to work hard at developing their new craft ie journalism and analysis. With a handful of notable exceptions (Terry Wallace being one) few ex players seem to  do this.

So it is no surprise that so much of their analysis is paper thin and of little and is often nothing more than uninformed opinion based on their hazy memories of their playing days. 

Edited November 13, 20195 yr by binman

4 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

How did Brendan Goddard become a thing..?

 

 

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing. 

Key forward 1: Tom McDonald. For half of 17 and 18 he looked like a top 8 key forward, if not higher. Stank last year until he got it together just before injury. Still think he can be a top 8 option, but right now I'd probably put him at 10/18.

Key forward 2: Weideman or Petty. Both remain unknowns, but physically should be improved if they have big summers and have some skills. At a minimum they have the size to run and jump at the ball and create contests. Defensively not strong. Without counting up across the league I'd say they are 15/18.

2nd ruck: Preuss or one of the tall forwards ruck and we go smaller. Obviously a chance of a draft pick being used here. If it's Preuss when it comes to the forward line then until proven otherwise it's 16/18.

Mid sized players: Fritsch, Melksham, Joel Smith, Petracca, Hunt, Hannan?. Fritsch's back end of the season as a marking tall was excellent. Melksham as a taller option was great in 17/18, a bit too much playing for free kicks and awful defensively last year. Petracca had an underrated season although should see more midfield time this year. Overall I'd say the depth and talent of this group is clearly the strength of our forward line. 6/18.

Crumber: Chandler? Lockhart? Spargo? Hunt? No surprises we are monitoring the draft heavily here. 16/18

Flankers: ANB, Spargo, Lockhart, C Wagner, Nath Jones. Hard to get too excited here although I'd argue they aren't as bad as we probably think. Position wise we are mostly looking for the hard runner who gets to contests and out numbers. ANB still has potential to excel in this role with his tank but his skills/smarts are just too poor. Maybe 14/18 on the basis that we at least have a range of options.

Edited November 13, 20195 yr by DeeSpencer

The question I want to know is who the hell is our forwards coach?

If Chaplin takes the backs, Plapp and Mathews split the mids as they did last year and Richo takes a more wider role then we are still short a forwards coach.

Doesnt even have Fritsch in there lol

58 minutes ago, Accepting Mediocrity said:

It's hard to argue that our fowardline dysfunction was purely personal driven IMO - the whole system was a farce.  

I don't buy the 'Tom McDonald had 1 good year and never got the best defender' argument, which has been repeated so much it's almost become accepted as fact. He dominated the second half of 2017 (when he was originally thrown forward) as much as he did in 2018, and often with Hogan playing further up the ground or out injured. He struggled this year because he was horribly out of sorts and/or injured, not because he's been figured out. 

Weideman has been spoken about a lot, but ultimately does a lot right -  I still think he can become a 40 goal forward as soon as next year.

Early signs are good for Petty.

Obviously Melksham and Fritsch have shown they can be more than handy, and Petracca is harshly judged and still improving.

If we can get some continuity into those players and make it click, that's a decent forwardline. 

people also forget Hogan missed a big chuck of last year, so not sure on that theory myself. having watched every game my honest opinion was TMac was playing very sore and restricted. and when he started to come good had genuinely lost some self belief. then he clicked against  Carlton then was off injured again. 

6 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

How did Brendan Goddard become a thing..?

 

 

I think his parents had something to do with it.

2 hours ago, Bay Riffin said:

people also forget Hogan missed a big chuck

Something Scully was unable to avoid in China (so they say).