Here’s my thoughts...

 

FF:    Spargo.     Brown.     Jackson

HF:    Kossie.      Weid.       Melsham

With Tmacd now back to close to his 2018 form, clearly he deserves a spot. Apparently, the plan preseason was to play him on the wing should his form warrant it. Whilst this is a good idea, l think we should consider having him on the ball since he is the best endurance runner at the club, and also a good kick/mark. Jackson also needs to be encouraged to back himself in his marking. We have seen just flashes of what he is capable of, which is very exciting. Oh yes, and we need to teach him to kick!!

This I think turns the forward line from our biggest weakness into one of our biggest strengths, and could just about turn us into a top two side.

 

Edited March 31, 20214 yr by Dees2014

11 minutes ago, Dees2014 said:

Here’s my thoughts...

 

FF:    Spargo.     Brown.     Jackson

HF:    Kossie.      Weid.       Melsham

With Tmacd now back to close to his 2018 form, clearly he deserves a spot. Apparently, the plan preseason was to play him on the wing should his form warrant it. Whilst this is a good idea, l think we should consider having him on the ball since he is the best endurance runner at the club, and also a good kick/mark. Jackson also needs to be encouraged to back himself in his marking. We have seen just flashes of what he is capable of, which is very exciting. Oh yes, and we need to teach him to kick!!

This I think turns the forward line from our biggest weakness into one of our biggest strengths, and could just about turn us into a top two side.

 

Kossie/Petracca       Brown      Fritsch/Jones

Spargo/Sparrow       Weid/TMac Jackson/ANB

Edited March 31, 20214 yr by Roost it far

Bayley has taken 9 marks inside the forward 50 after 2 games. Harsh to give him the boot even if his kicking a little off. 

1 hour ago, Roost it far said:

Kossie Brown Fritsch

Spargo Weid Jackson 

I’d play Fritsch on the bench to start with. Certainly he deserves to be in the 20.

Edited March 31, 20214 yr by Dees2014

Fritsch must be in that forward line.

He’ll be awesome taking the opposition’s 3rd or 4th defender.

Not in a hurry for the Weid to come back. Happy with BBB and T Mac.

Fritch Brown Weed

Kossie TMAC Sparrow

Jackson and Spargo on bench. Putting Jackson at this stage of development as a forward is a waste of space. He looks much better in the ruck.

I would have Weidemann in the team ahead of Fritsch.

Weid kicked 19 goals 8 behinds last season.

Fritsch has kicked more behinds than goals last year and this season.  Hes becoming a coach killer.

Edited March 31, 20214 yr by Pickett2Jackson

Career goal accuracy

Weideman   65%

Fritsch    53%

24 minutes ago, roy11 said:

Bayley has taken 9 marks inside the forward 50 after 2 games. Harsh to give him the boot even if his kicking a little off. 

Totally agree Bayley is still my first choice for our top goal kicker in 2021.

BUT he must solve his goal kicking YIPS. I believe it is mostly in the head but an expert could examine things  like ball drop and preferred angle of each side of the forward line to kick from.

He could also help himself by leading within a 45 m arc of the centre of the goal square on the goal line.
 

As a last resort yes he may need to d hi back to Casey if it's not solved or improved by half way Through the year.

It  is deflating as his marking ball getting snd skills are essential for our forward line to go to another level. Melksham is NOT a replacement for Bayley On many fronts.
 

Here's hoping ...

The Weid in place of TMac you have to be kidding. IMO the only way he gets back in if injuries happen.

7 minutes ago, old dee said:

The Weid in place of TMac you have to be kidding. IMO the only way he gets back in if injuries happen.

HF: Pickett, McDonald, Neal-Bullen\Melksham

F: Fritsch, B.Brown\Weideman, Spargo\Jackson

Melksham, Weideman to only get a game depending on form and injuries.

Fritsch is our best forward but doesn't kick straight.

Brown is a no brainer.

Spargo just ahead of Chandler has to continue to improve.

Pickett is a star.

McDonald's form warrants him to be ahead of Weideman

Neal-Bullen's form warrants him to be ahead of Melksham.

Jackson will mainly play second ruck with a little bit of time up forward when Brown comes back.

1 hour ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

I would have Weidemann in the team ahead of Fritsch.

Weid kicked 19 goals 8 behinds last season.

Fritsch has kicked more behinds than goals last year and this season.  Hes becoming a coach killer.

Stating the obvious really but I don't see Brown, Weid, Jackson, T Mc and Fritsch all in the same side. 

Can we even get 4 of those in the same side? Or are we best off with the current 3?

I think Fritsch, T Mc and potentially Jackson can rotate through the wings so that gets us to 4 in the same team.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a great forward line or an embarrassment of riches though. I'm still not sure we have any truly elite well rounded key forwards, and the guys who can play a more mobile smaller role are talented but not special. 

Same goes for the smalls. Everyone's rightfully pleased with what Kozzie, Spargo, ANB and the resting mids have done so far but they aren't world beaters. They'll be ups and downs with those guys.

1 hour ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

I would have Weidemann in the team ahead of Fritsch.

Weid kicked 19 goals 8 behinds last season.

Fritsch has kicked more behinds than goals last year and this season.  Hes becoming a coach killer.

The only player that comes in for Fritsch is Joel Smith !

 

 

Edited March 31, 20214 yr by John Demonic
Prelim joke sorry

Fristch     T.Mac     Kozzi

Spargo.   B.Brown  ANB

if T Mac struggles, Weed comes in. 

25 minutes ago, John Demonic said:

The only player that comes in for Fritsch is Joel Smith !

 

 

What has he ever done to warrant a game

29 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Fristch     T.Mac     Kozzi

Spargo.   B.Brown  ANB

if T Mac struggles, Weed comes in. 

On form spot on. 

We could look at the flexibility of the players as well, look at positions that they can rotate into. While I like Fritta in the forward line I could also see him be used in a wing role as he's a good mark and pretty well paced, as well as a good field kick. Likewise I think TMac could be used as a high forward half/wing role (it's kind of how he's been playing already).

I pretty much only see Brown and Wied as the two players that are less flexible. Weid can pinch hit in the ruck, but Brown we recruited to be our lead up FF so that's where he stays. As @DeeSpencer said it's unlikely we can find a way to have all of them in, makes competition for spots even stronger.

Whoever it is, they just need to stop leading to the pockets!

Tmac to a wing Richo style

Pickett Brown Jackson

Spargo Weid Fritsch

Gawn playing the kick behind ruckman when ball forward of centre, Dogga up the ground for contests, creating more space for Weid/Brown

 

18 minutes ago, Ben Reyment said:

Whoever it is, they just need to stop leading to the pockets!

Tmac to a wing Richo style

Pickett Brown Jackson

Spargo Weid Fritsch

 

 

Or Fritsch to the lead up forward/wing.  He dominated at the end of 2019  in that role. Best footy hes ever played.

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Stating the obvious really but I don't see Brown, Weid, Jackson, T Mc and Fritsch all in the same side. 

Can we even get 4 of those in the same side? Or are we best off with the current 3?

I think Fritsch, T Mc and potentially Jackson can rotate through the wings so that gets us to 4 in the same team.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a great forward line or an embarrassment of riches though. I'm still not sure we have any truly elite well rounded key forwards, and the guys who can play a more mobile smaller role are talented but not special. 

Same goes for the smalls. Everyone's rightfully pleased with what Kozzie, Spargo, ANB and the resting mids have done so far but they aren't world beaters. They'll be ups and downs with those guys.

Brown and Weid the only 2 "foward only" players on there to be fair. T-Mac and Jackson can pair up and play anywhere in the middle or front of the ground. Fritsch and Melksham similar. Rotate Kossie and Petracca out of there add Spargo buzzing around and Jones/Viney rotating in and out and it's mayhem. Imagine the miss matches

 

You could have Brown, Weid, T-Mac Fritsch Melksham Jackson start in the foward line at a center bounce with Spargo, Kozzie, Jones and Viney in the centre and wings then next bounce T-Mac and Jackson and Melksham are up the ground with Petracca, Kozzie and Spargo have gone deep. 

 

And any combination you can think of

Actually when you think about it you have Brown and Weideman locked on the fowardline. Then May, Lever, Tomlinson, Jetta, Hunt, Salem and Rivers locked in the backline (including a bench rotation) 

 

Nearly every other player can play all over the place at any given time. Apart from Langdon locked on a wing.

I've said it before, and I don't agree with it but I just don't see where Brayshaw fits, which is criminal in my opinion.

If Jordon and Sparrow are getting center bounces ahead of him he's in trouble.

I think we could find Jackson playing a little more on the ball as Brown and Weiderman get fit (and hopefully firing). 

If we're looking at playing them all (big if), it could look something like this:

TMac    Weid    Spargo

Pickett  Brown  Fritta

Jackson starts on the bench and plays a more on the ball role, Melksham, Fritta, and Tmac take turns playing the opposite wing to Langdon. The tricky part then becomes who loses their place in the line up, Jordon and Sparrow have been playing well, while we may also look at trying to squeeze Hibberd into the line up. 

It's rare to have a close to full compliment of players available anyway so other injuries will likely start to open some doors.

3 hours ago, Pickett2Jackson said:

Career goal accuracy

Weideman   65%

Fritsch    53%

5 goals could change that stat.

Fritsch’s tackling and pressure acts have really improved this season. His kicking is his only liability now. If he is playing 3rd tall then it is like also having another small in the forward line maintaining tackle pressure.