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Forward line fix?

Previously known as LITD.
in Melbourne Demons

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Hi good Dlanders.

Due to a few health issues, I've very much been out of the loop regarding our trades and expulsions etc.

Have we picked up a couple of tall fwds yet to fix a problem that I'd say 99 % of supporters agree on.

That our fwd line has been lacking a big bodied , uninjured, experienced tall player that can compete for the Coleman.

Perhaps we are missing a decent full forward and chf.

In any case our fwd line has cost us possibly two flags and has been a problem very much unprofessionally ignored by the club for three years in a row.

Have the powers to be woken up and done anything about it in the last four months?

Much obliged.

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    5 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

    Hi good Dlanders.

    Due to a few health issues, I've very much been out of the loop regarding our trades and expulsions etc.

    Have we picked up a couple of tall fwds yet to fix a problem that I'd say 99 % of supporters agree on.

    That our fwd line has been lacking a big bodied , uninjured, experienced tall player that can compete for the Coleman.

    Perhaps we are missing a decent full forward and chf.

    In any case our fwd line has cost us possibly two flags and has been a problem very much unprofessionally ignored by the club for three years in a row.

    Have the powers to be woken up and done anything about it in the last four months?

    Much obliged.

    Hope you are on the mend Deevs 

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    • Author

    Reading this article...

    Melbourne to explore forward line troubles in off-season

    doesn't fill me with great confidence.

    We have experimenting enough and for too long.

    No more bandaid solutions.

    There has to be at least one proven big fwd we can lure.

    We must have have a bit of cash to spend.

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    •  

    Kick ball to player in space

    Do not kick ball to pack of 20

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    I think the bones are there to have a functioning forward line.

    JVR - for the love of god stop using him in the ruck… this decision has frustrated me no end. He will get 50+ goals next year if left at full forward.

    Turner - showed great signs, think they should persist with him at CHF. Think he could kick 20-25 goals in 2025 if fit.

    Fritsch - needs to get back to his very best next year and kick 40 goals

    Pickett - should be kicking 35-40 goals in 2025

    Tholstrup - think he will run as a 60% fwd and 40% mid in 2025. Think 20 goals is not impossible for him.

    Chandler - hopefully keeps improving and can up his goal tally to 25-30 for 2025

    Petracca - think he will play maybe 50% time up forward. Was on track for a 25 goal season before getting injured so think that’s the aim again.

    So tallying those up it gives us 225 goals between 7 players. Last year we kicked 259 for the whole team! So if we get additional goals from the mids we should be able to go way past that.

    My key concerns are:

    1. Back up ruck - this just can’t be JVR anymore. He has to be our main forward target. If this means Fullarton plays then so be it, as I’d rather him rucking than Petty.

    2. Additional mid/small - these players are so important in the modern game and with ANB gone we need someone to step up. Will be between Sharp, Spargo, Billings and Laurie I think. Unless we get someone in the draft who fits the bill.

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    Have to agree about JVR, he needs to be allowed to play his position. He can ruck when its deep in the forward line if need be but his job is to contest and kick goals....simples.

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    its not who we have down there but how they play. the leading patterns are horrribleeeee.

     no one leads at the ball carrier

    no one blocks to create separation so they can lead at the ball carrier unopposed...

    new coach will do wonders down there i hope

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    15 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

    I think the bones are there to have a functioning forward line.

    JVR - for the love of god stop using him in the ruck… this decision has frustrated me no end. He will get 50+ goals next year if left at full forward.

    Turner - showed great signs, think they should persist with him at CHF. Think he could kick 20-25 goals in 2025 if fit.

    Fritsch - needs to get back to his very best next year and kick 40 goals

    Pickett - should be kicking 35-40 goals in 2025

    Tholstrup - think he will run as a 60% fwd and 40% mid in 2025. Think 20 goals is not impossible for him.

    Chandler - hopefully keeps improving and can up his goal tally to 25-30 for 2025

    Petracca - think he will play maybe 50% time up forward. Was on track for a 25 goal season before getting injured so think that’s the aim again.

    So tallying those up it gives us 225 goals between 7 players. Last year we kicked 259 for the whole team! So if we get additional goals from the mids we should be able to go way past that.

    My key concerns are:

    1. Back up ruck - this just can’t be JVR anymore. He has to be our main forward target. If this means Fullarton plays then so be it, as I’d rather him rucking than Petty.

    2. Additional mid/small - these players are so important in the modern game and with ANB gone we need someone to step up. Will be between Sharp, Spargo, Billings and Laurie I think. Unless we get someone in the draft who fits the bill.

    I wouldn’t write off McAdam yet. His season was ruined by injury which ended up costing form. He’s a very good player at his best. That doesn’t just vanish forever. I hope 

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    3 minutes ago, Its Time for Another said:

    I wouldn’t write off McAdam yet. His season was ruined by injury which ended up costing form. He’s a very good player at his best. That doesn’t just vanish forever. I hope 

    McAdam will need to be very match fit as well to have any chance. 

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    10 minutes ago, Its Time for Another said:

    I wouldn’t write off McAdam yet. His season was ruined by injury which ended up costing form. He’s a very good player at his best. That doesn’t just vanish forever. I hope 

    I view him as depth for Fritsch. I don’t think you can play both of them in the one forward line, but happy to be proven wrong.

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    13 minutes ago, biggestred said:

    its not who we have down there but how they play. the leading patterns are horrribleeeee.

     no one leads at the ball carrier

    no one blocks to create separation so they can lead at the ball carrier unopposed...

    new coach will do wonders down there i hope

    Fully AGREE a New Coach or our current one is forced to admit his style and game day setups have not worked 

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    43 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

    Turner - showed great signs, think they should persist with him at CHF. Think he could kick 20-25 goals in 2025 if fit.

    Think we can get more from this fella, Kicked 17.7 this year from 15 games in 2024.


    Hopefully he stays fit and kicks on again in 2025.

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    If I were Tom Campbell I'd be absolutely frothing at the mouth to get into 2025.

    He doesn't even need to suddenly deliver his best ever football. the poor guy never got a run at it, always either stuck behind a clear 1st ruck or at a club which simply didn't care much about the ruckman. The only two seasons (2017 and 2021) where he got any kind of run at it he did fine - not spectacular, but fine.

    He's not an answer to our forward issues except that he can be out on the ground as a supporting ruck, is a proper big lump who can take the impacts as well as contest overhead, and clearly has the humility and experience to work with a clear first ruck.

    Campbell isn't a star but if he is doing his job well it lets Van Rooyen, Fritsch and so on do the job they are actually best at, and that could make a very big difference.

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    8 minutes ago, roy11 said:

    Think we can get more from this fella, Kicked 17.7 this year from 15 games in 2024.


    Hopefully he stays fit and kicks on again in 2025.

    Was being conservative… but could easily kick 35-40 goals

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    2 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

    Have we picked up a couple of tall fwds yet to fix a problem that I'd say 99 % of supporters agree on.

    That our fwd line has been lacking a big bodied , uninjured, experienced tall player that can compete for the Coleman.

    No or not yet. JVR needs a big year or else same old same old.  Naturally Fritta aand Turner will do their bit.

    Get well mate.

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    39 minutes ago, Ferghus31 said:

    Fully AGREE a New Coach or our current one is forced to admit his style and game day setups have not worked 

    i meant that we have a new forwards coach and this will surely change things.

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    As I have said across a number of different threads since 2022 - it is less about ‘the big tall forward’ and more about how we have moved the ball in transition from the backline. We just have to continue to move in the bold and daring direction. There are variants but in today’s game of disciplined athletes executing team defence - moving it quickly and directly to players with decent forward craft is key.

    When they come back for pre-season training - Chaplin has to continue what McQualter reignited and push our best players out of their baser instincts; May demanding the ball and slowing down play, Gawn requesting dump footy and waiting for him to get into the forward 50, CP5 and CO13 running 5m and dumping it indiscriminately forward - run further and get it over the defensive setup or use forward handballs but our best players are so predictable it makes their dominance moot.

    So, yes, would love a dominant forward but they would be wasted until we fix these issues and get the ball moving.

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    Our forward line would work adequately enough if it wasn’t based on protecting field position.

    It certainly won’t be the envy of the competition but there’s enough goals to come from our current group if given a more attacking mindset across the ground.

    The dilemma is that it opens up our defensive end, which is very shaky when the ball is not coming in predictably - slow, high and long. 

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    2 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

    Hi good Dlanders.

    Due to a few health issues, I've very much been out of the loop regarding our trades and expulsions etc.

    Have we picked up a couple of tall fwds yet to fix a problem that I'd say 99 % of supporters agree on.

    That our fwd line has been lacking a big bodied , uninjured, experienced tall player that can compete for the Coleman.

    Perhaps we are missing a decent full forward and chf.

    In any case our fwd line has cost us possibly two flags and has been a problem very much unprofessionally ignored by the club for three years in a row.

    Have the powers to be woken up and done anything about it in the last four months?

    Much obliged.

    Sorry to hear that you haven’t been well LITD, hope you are on the mend. As it stands we have JVR, Petty, Disco and an improving Jefferson as tall forwards Will Verrall, Tom Fullarton as ruck/ forwards and Luker Kentfield as a 19 yo developing tall. Throw in Fritsch, Kozzie, Chandler, Sharp, Sparrow, Tholstrup and Petracca plus Picks 5 & 9 I believe that we have potentially all the cogs that we need to make a very capable forward machine in 2025.

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    29 minutes ago, DeeZone said:

    Sorry to hear that you haven’t been well LITD, hope you are on the mend. As it stands we have JVR, Petty, Disco and an improving Jefferson as tall forwards Will Verrall, Tom Fullarton as ruck/ forwards and Luker Kentfield as a 19 yo developing tall. Throw in Fritsch, Kozzie, Chandler, Sharp, Sparrow, Tholstrup and Petracca plus Picks 5 & 9 I believe that we have potentially all the cogs that we need to make a very capable forward machine in 2025.

    Interesting thoughts here, all posters. Thanks. A well-examined subject over the recent years!

    Each time I see our talent enumerated in its quality, breadth and depth - as you have here, DeeZ - it makes me realise how important, then, are a coached effective method and player buy-in to that method. Then I realise the frustration that we can only get a sense of the method and buy-in from the players' play (successful or otherwise!) We never know what they're being coached or their willingness to execute it.

    Retaining competitive edge/s dictates this, as Brad Green confirmed in his review email.

    Edited by Timothy Reddan-A'Blew

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    2 hours ago, adonski said:

    Kick ball to player in space

    Do not kick ball to pack of 20

    Yep.

    Just add @biggestred's ingredient:

    Get players in space.

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    16 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

    Yep.

    Just add @biggestred's ingredient:

    Get players in space.

    Ha ha what’s the issue?

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    2 hours ago, roy11 said:

    Think we can get more from this fella, Kicked 17.7 this year from 15 games in 2024.


    Hopefully he stays fit and kicks on again in 2025.

    Agree, 17.7 is very poor indeed. Needs to be 7.17 if he wants to have a long career at the Dees.

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    3 hours ago, adonski said:

    Kick ball to player in space

    Do not kick ball to pack of 20

    And if there is no space, kick to the forwards advantage - not on his head or as is often the case, his opponents advantage.

    Does my head in.

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    I've got confidence in Chaplin. Very excited by what he can provide the forwardline in 2025.

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