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Analysis of the Demon’s Forward Line

Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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30 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

Just dropping in that the Demons are now the highest scoring team of 2023.

And the most effective at converting inside-50s to goals.

And the most accurate.

With a pair of key forwards practically on debut and our veterans with big question marks.

But I’ve always thought our mids and backline play a monumental role in our scoring.

Only have to look at the patch in the 3rd when we kept bombing it to Grundy from kick outs compared with the rest of the game where we took aggressive options.

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    I thought our forward line looked structurally so much better with Petty and JVR in it. I have thought for some time that unfortunately BBB has had his time. For mine, I would bring Tomlinson and TMac back next week, drop BBB and somehow find the space for Tomlinson and Kossie.

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    Moving the ball quicker from the back half definitely. Brown looks more dangerous than he ever has. But when we went small… gee whiz, golly gee wowee as Brian Taylor would say. 

    Throughout the game we were creating front half turnovers, they still went coat to coast but they are the best in the comp at that. So when they screwed up we made them pay - that’s all you can do to good teams. 

    Petty is as really serviceable but seemed a little lost the closer to goals he was. Spargo, ANB, and Chandler are the fuel that powers that forward movement.

    Soaking in a win against that arrogant mob.

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    32 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

    I thought our forward line looked structurally so much better with Petty and JVR in it. I have thought for some time that unfortunately BBB has had his time. For mine, I would bring Tomlinson and TMac back next week, drop BBB and somehow find the space for Tomlinson and Kossie.

    Our forward talls were mobile and defensive attacking. They were a presence when they did not mark. 

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    On 3/9/2023 at 5:54 PM, Diamond_Jim said:

    Excellent article

    Weideman got off lightly and no discussion of Meldrum *. It also failed to discuss our pocket tendency

    * apologies... Melksham

    Molly. 😂

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    1 hour ago, Demonsterative said:

    Our forward talls were mobile and defensive attacking. They were a presence when they did not mark. 

    Petty had the role on Rampe today nullified his influence i thought and made him accountable in the air.

    We took their intercept game away from them and the introduction of the Snake 🐍 onto the Lizard 🦎 completely shut down their run mid way through the 3rd.

    But gee JVR hits the packs hard and tackles with ferocity. He also puts away his good work absolute piece of business at the draft table by Jason and his staff.

    The kid is a genuine livewire who energises all around him.

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    Did not expect to make 2 big changes to the forward line and kick over 100 points today.

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    10 hours ago, Ollie fan said:

    I thought our forward line looked structurally so much better with Petty and JVR in it. I have thought for some time that unfortunately BBB has had his time. For mine, I would bring Tomlinson and TMac back next week, drop BBB and somehow find the space for Tomlinson and Kossie.

    Tomlinson and TMac? Where would TMac play? 

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    https://www.afl.com.au/news/896733
     

    Story on the forward line changes. The stat that caught my eye was the reduction in Harmes being forward. I have long endured the pure mids that find themselves ‘playing roles’ in the forward line but they don’t know what they are doing and gum up the works so to speak. Been refreshing to have less of that and more of those that actually have some forward craft and instinct in there.

    Edited by rpfc

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    Some posters pretty harsh on Bbb.

    He didn't have a great day against the Swans but had averaged 4 goals a game coming in. Yes it's a small sample but if he's not injured, must play.

    Edited by leave it to deever

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    On 4/3/2023 at 6:38 AM, Bombay Airconditioning said:

    Tomlinson and TMac? Where would TMac play? 

    On the bench/ backup ruck and forward/ into defence if we need him.

    6 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

    Some posters pretty harsh on Bbb.

    He didn't have a great day against the Swans but had averaged 4 goals a game coming in. Yes it's a small sample but if he's not injured must play.

    I admire him and I love what he brought in 2021 but eg against Brisbane he may have kicked four goals but Harris Andrews annihilated him. He is too slow when he is chasing and very clumsy when the ball hits the ground. Our defensive system requires constant pressure from every player on the field and he can’t do that.

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    9 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

    On the bench/ backup ruck and forward/ into defence if we need him.

    I admire him and I love what he brought in 2021 but eg against Brisbane he may have kicked four goals but Harris Andrews annihilated him. He is too slow when he is chasing and very clumsy when the ball hits the ground. Our defensive system requires constant pressure from every player on the field and he can’t do that.

    No it doesn’t. He plays his role and does it well. He also showed in the first two rounds what he can still do when his knee isn’t hampering him. Manage him this year and next and he will be a weapon still.

    The dismissiveness is not only naive, it’s just wrong.

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    3 minutes ago, rpfc said:

    No it doesn’t. He plays his role and does it well. He also showed in the first two rounds what he can still do when his knee isn’t hampering him. Manage him this year and next and he will be a weapon still.

    The dismissiveness is not only naive, it’s just wrong.

    I disagree. Whole team defence means whole team defence, not 17-man defence. On Sunday, Petty and JVR showed the value in having forwards who pressurise the defenders. Thus, 21 goals. Proof of the pudding….

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    … and when Harris Andrews monstered BBB, BBB may have kicked four goals but Andrews set up countless counterattacks: one of a number of reasons Brisbane killed us.

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    1 hour ago, Ollie fan said:

    I disagree. Whole team defence means whole team defence, not 17-man defence. On Sunday, Petty and JVR showed the value in having forwards who pressurise the defenders. Thus, 21 goals. Proof of the pudding….

    You make good points, I'd still like to have a fit and firing Brown in as there could be some fruit yet to come from our ball movement with him playing but we do need as much defensive pressure as we can get.

    Edited by layzie

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    • 1 month later...
    On 3/15/2023 at 8:46 AM, 58er said:

    You're criticism of Tmac is wrong. His first half last year was good 15 goals in 10 games and he always ( you obviously don't notice) leads and prevents the CHB dominating plus all the smaller forwards cash in as a result of his competitiveness. Team games are that and Tmac mss add Jed our forward line a strength as indicated by our record when he plays. 
    Tske off those blinkered glasses and also Spargs  and ANB play team roles yes some more goals is required from all our forwards but their fitness is better this year and the more we play good players that need minding it will help all the time we enter with improved plans and style. 

    Like in 2021 we will get the job done with new old and refreshed players on our forward line. Max and Brody will both need watching.

    You still love our forward line?

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    Aside from Fritsch and the odd cameo from Kozzie it’s a complete shambles.

    Compare that to Brisbane who can get a 4 goal performance on any given night from any of Daniher, Hipwood, Gunston, Cameron, Rayner, McCarthy or Bailey.

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    2 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

    Aside from Fritsch and the odd cameo from Kozzie it’s a complete shambles.

    Compare that to Brisbane who can get a 4 goal performance on any given night from any of Daniher, Hipwood, Gunston, Cameron, Rayner, McCarthy or Bailey.

    Not a shambles as such but yes we only have 2 forwards that an opposition would be concerned with...

    A list management shambles maybe.

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    It’s not great…

    But, and it is an important but, the way we move the footy gives the forwards very little opportunity. We go slow, we go short, we go flanks/pockets - it is a real shame because JVR won’t develop in that, TMac or BBB won’t excel in that, Kozzie won’t showcase in that, and we won’t win with that.

    We play boring footy. Where inspiration goes to die and hope turns to ashes - that is how we move the footy.

    Edited by rpfc

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    JVR is our junior big key forward with 1/2 fox games , so who is our senior big key forward scaring the life out of opposition backs?

    Current set up is terrible.

    Dreaming about Tommy Mac and Ben Brown coming good is high risk.

     

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    I'd hate to be a Melbourne tall forward atm. Repeated long bombs mostly to an opponent, crowded forward 50, smalls who go missing for large periods, second grade mids who get in the way.

    Been like that for most of the last 5 years

    Edited by Stiff Arm

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    Rivers is our only half back who breaks a line, and some times Hibbo. And we almost never use the corridor unless it was by mistake.

    Lever, is the ultimate ball stopper who only ever goes backwards, boundary side or after an eternity long down the line.

    Our backs seem allergic to handball receives and switches.

    The one guy out there today looking for handball receives was Gus, who would then quickly be under pressure and inevitably blast it to no one.

    Quick or open ball movement - forget about it.

    Then when we do get clean play from say a centre bounce without Oliver we lack burst to drive it deep. And we love multiple talls deep contesting rather than balance it up with a tall and a small, have the tall fly and the small crumb.

    And suddenly we’re both too tall and too short up forward with the 3 talls and 3 smalls. Fritsch is in the only who looks like he can win a contest in the air or on the ground and he’s Fritsch.

    Plus our mids don’t cover off and our backs give a lot of leg room sagging back so our pressure forwards and up against it. Particularly from stoppages where we always drop the ruck right out deep and give the opposition an extra 

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