Will Hunt train with the forward or backline this pre-season?

I prefer him as a forward.

Back.

Goes missing far too often when playing up forward. Snags the odd goal here and there but that's about it.

Back. Line breaker.

preferably with our forwards all fit, we'd need him down back to match up on quick oppo forwards and give us some drive with ball in hand, as we lack speed down there, especially now that Frost is gone.

i think there could be a spot for him in defence this year if he's good enough to take his chances when they present. but he has to be a good defender foremost. 

a return to some 2017 form from Jayden would be good, when he was defending well and then the attacking side of his game flourished off the back of that imo. he sort of drifted away from being a good, hard, desperate defender and lost his way a bit, but maybe injuries also had something to do with that.

Back pocket for Casey

Always preferred him back.  Seems to play his best football when it’s all payed out in front of him and he can take it on.

Never looked comfortable as a forward.

His run without the ball, towards our goal, facing away from play with a backman running with him, then turn around with an explosive lead towards the ball carrier is the best I have ever seen any Melbourne player do (maybe excluding Jackovich) He did it enough this season to make me think he is a natural forward.

He has the pace to put immense pressure on opposition rebounds.

The way we bombed it into our forward line this year wasn’t conducive for crumbing forwards.

It wasn’t a year for our forwards at all really.

I’d train him with the forwards.

 

 

  On 14/11/2019 at 09:09, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Never looked comfortable as a forward.

Ironically he looked uncomfortable when swung back to defence this year in the second Richmond and Collingwood games. Then was dropped.

Has the key attributes to be a good forward as he’s very fast on the lead and can take an over head mark, and generally a good shot goal for goal (see his winning goal from 52 against Carlton). 

However, as other have mentioned he can go missing as a forward.

  On 14/11/2019 at 09:29, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Ironically he looked uncomfortable when swung back to defence this year in the second Richmond and Collingwood games. Then was dropped.

Has the key attributes to be a good forward as he’s very fast on the lead and can take an over head mark, and generally a good shot goal for goal (see his winning goal from 52 against Carlton). 

However, as other have mentioned he can go missing as a forward.

Every forward on our list went missing for periods this year, some for the entire season.

I don’t know that is a fair criticism given the way we bombed it in all year.

When you can kick goals from 85m out like he did in Darwin a couple of years ago on the 3QT siren, play him in the backline and he’ll kick a couple from there.

Back......

 

 

to Casey.

  On 14/11/2019 at 09:45, In Harmes Way said:

When you can kick goals from 85m out like he did in Darwin a couple of years ago on the 3QT siren, play him in the backline and he’ll kick a couple from there.

One of the highlights of play from an individual for us over the last sever seasons locked away in my memory bank.

back. hard at it and adds a bit of x factor which we need there now frost is gone.. also, i admire how he flies for his marks and doesn't care who's behind him. its definitely a make or break year for him either way.

I’d like to see him move back again, with Frost gone we’re looking slow back there and he can be valuable in breaking the lines. It’s about getting his decision making right when he does that. 

But truthfully I don’t know if he’s in the 22, I see him in the best 25 for sure and he might be one that is a bit in and out of the side. And it could come down to not being sure where he fits, if we’re able to get there likes of AvB, Hannan, and Fritch regularly in the team then I’m not sure there’s space for Hunt. 

  On 14/11/2019 at 08:37, jumbo returns said:

Back pocket for Casey

Limited skills just blasts away when he has it . I reckon you have nailed it. Got the type of pace Oscar can only dream about!

Seems fairly obvious now we aren't taking that dude from Collingwood that he should play off HBF. He has not shown as much forward as he did when back (even though he has only had one good season).

Breaks line like few players in the league when he is in form.

Back it is. 

  On 14/11/2019 at 09:24, Wrecker45 said:

He has the pace to put immense pressure on opposition rebounds.

He does. 

But didn't.

(As I had expected - due to having previously done so at half-back). 

I also believe his poor i50 delivery is overstated on here. 

He can breach lines - dashing 30m and kicking 60m 

Even if wonky, it's better for trapping than a blind forward bomb from the middle. 

I didn't mind him forward - but back to half-back for mine. 

Forward for now 21 goals is a good return especially considering he was dropped. A keeper as a forward who creates pressure. Forget him playing down back he's lost his drive and turns the ball over too much.

B: JETTA, MAY, SALEM

HB: YOUNG, LEVER, HIBBERD

C : LANGDON, OLIVER, TOMLINSON

HF: BENNELL, T.MCDONALD, PETRACCA

F: MELKSHAM, WEIDEMAN, FRITSCH

FOLL: GAWN, VINEY, BRAYSHAW

IC: HARMES, JONES, PETTY, BROWN

EMERG: HUNT, HANNAN, VANDENBERG, NEAL-BULLEN

 

CASEY

B: TYNAN, HUTCHINS, J.WAGNER

HB: HORE, O.MCDONALD, KOLODJASHNIJ 

C : VANDENBERG, SPARROW, BAKER

HF: HANNAN, WHITE, NEAL-BULLEN

F: HUNT, SMITH, WEIGHTMAN

FOLL: PREUSS, C.WAGNER, MUNRO

IC: LOCKHART, SPARGO, JORDON, BRADTKE

EMERG: DUNKLEY, NEITSCHKE, CHANDLER, BEDFORD

 

Petty and Brown to play 3rd tall forward or defender which ever suits. Hunt to play if Bennell isn't ready so Hunt isn't Casey bound yet. 

  On 14/11/2019 at 12:04, WERRIDEE said:

Forward for now 21 goals is a good return especially considering he was dropped. A keeper as a forward who creates pressure. Forget him playing down back he's lost his drive and turns the ball over too much.

B: JETTA, MAY, SALEM

HB: YOUNG, LEVER, HIBBERD

C : LANGDON, OLIVER, TOMLINSON

HF: BENNELL, T.MCDONALD, PETRACCA

F: MELKSHAM, WEIDEMAN, FRITSCH

FOLL: GAWN, VINEY, BRAYSHAW

IC: HARMES, JONES, PETTY, BROWN

EMERG: HUNT, HANNAN, VANDENBERG, NEAL-BULLEN

Have you considered investing in some sort of automation technology WERRIDEE? You could set up bots to scan the media for players linked to the MFC, and if they're an upgrade according to an established statistical algorithm have your first 22 instantly updated and posted to your favourite social media channels. I did some quick sums and estimate that you would save approximately 38 days per year.  

Edited November 14, 20195 yr by Skuit

I would’ve had him on the wing in 2020, but then we recruited Langdon and Tomlinson (which I’m very pleased about).

Forward or back?  Dunno - there are arguments both ways.

If our forward line is as dysfunctional as it was in 2019, I’d say forward.

Our backline, on paper at least, seems far more settled and less in need of him down there.

 

At the risk of sounding like I'm sitting on the bench,  I would actually put him on the bench and then put him on where he's needed. He can play wing, half back, half forward or even deep forward leading at the ball with his speed. His returns to date have been inconsistent at best but he can add spark up forward and run and carry from half back or wing. Langdon and Tomlinson obviously take the wing spots first but there may be times Tomlinson is required elsewhere (tall forward?) and Hunt can take his place there. Hunt and Langdon on either wing provides serious run and carry on either side of the ground.

All of the above may well depend on opposition matchups, in-game injury cover, rotations etc but for mine at least at this stage, he is inside the best 22 with what he can bring. He still has some good upside and his 2019 in a poor team was better than his 2018 when he really lost his way and injury has played some part in his journey.

Some of what he does is breathtaking, a bit like Frost, and a bit like Frost it can be heart in the mouth stuff, but he adds some X-factor and is a tough matchup for the opposition, particularly up forward. 

His talents need to be lauded, but also harnessed to the team's advantage and hopefully Jordan Lewis can be some sort of a mentor for him both as a kicking coach and as a player who played in similar positions to Jayden for us and the Hawks. Whether he plays better settled into a position, or whether he enjoys the freedom of playing multiple roles, I'm not sure, but I somehow suspect the latter. It keeps him fresh.

I think, if he can stay injury free and his self-belief and confidence can be restored and maintained, he will be a late bloomer and his best is yet to come.

Hunt should have a role down back.

 

With Frost gone our back line could become very slow. Even our small backs Salo/Nev /Jones(?) lack pace.

Most successful clubs have a line breaker, admittedly with polish, to open up the play.  Jayden needs to work on his disposal skills or we need to build a set up when he has the ball, in order to take advantage of his main attribute.

   

This is going to be a big preseason and year for hunt. If he drops off even a little bit I can see him spending a fair bit of time at Casey. He does have the attributes to cement a spot, both forward and back, when he is in form and firing. I will be watching with interest. I do think with players like hunt we need to give them one specific role rather than chopping and changing. We can see how Fritsch began to flourish once he settled into the forward line. 

I've added a poll to the top of the page.

Wing. Make or break.

Obviously behind Langdon and Tomlinson (who I suspect may spend some time forward or rucking). He would need to spend a fair bit of time working on his decision making and disposal of course, but I feel like the way our backline has been reshaped somewhat to be more 'safe' that Hunt isn't currently in the plans there (IMO). Forward still possible, but I'm hoping we are looking at cleaning up everything about the forward line and the delivery to it, and part of that may involve less leading type players, which is what I think Hunt is as a forward.