About time.... everybody but the match commitee could see he's NOT a forward. And before the smarties say yeah but kicked 6 goals in one game, then thats about it ONE GAME. Plays in defence in 2025!

A good move..

2 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

A good move..

Yep. And it'll happen now cos we can rather than have to.

Good times!

I understood the compelling need to have that tall forward target in 2024, and if it had worked even a little better it could have turned a few games and we may even have played finals.

But

I've long seen Petty as a potential All-Australian level defender, and our medium-long term succession in defence is actually more of a concern than our longer term forward line.

It was worth trying, it didn't really work, and Petty in defence is a much more effective player than Petty up forward.

Also, Picket Fence, don't go thinking you're sneaky - I can see you over there quietly loading coal into the Jefferson steam train ;)

I'm glad he's moving back. As good as TMac was for most of the season, he was exposed 1v1 a number of times at the back end of the year. Petty is better 1v1 IMV.

I think we're going to see JVR, Turner and Johnson/Jefferson. JVR, Turner and Johnson will be preferred in 2025, as it'll free up JVR from second ruck duties, and Jefferson won't be damaging enough this year (if he makes it at all).

1 minute ago, Adam The God said:

As good as TMac was for most of the season, he was exposed 1v1 a number of times at the back end of the year. Petty is better 1v1 IMV.

Good call. Incredible year from McDonald, but unwise to think he'll just do it again (or, as you say, to pretend it was week after week of complete defensive dominance). 

I remember when Petty wanted to leave I came across a Kane Cornes tirade about him being absurdly overvalued and regularly losing one-on-one contests as a defender. I remember thinking, I know he likes to be inflammatory, but doesn't there need to be a kernel of truth even in the most click-baity take? Petty has always struck me as a very strong one-on-one defender. 

So does this mean that T-MAC will be FF at Casey ?

1 minute ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

Good call. Incredible year from McDonald, but unwise to think he'll just do it again (or, as you say, to pretend it was week after week of complete defensive dominance). 

I remember when Petty wanted to leave I came across a Kane Cornes tirade about him being absurdly overvalued and regularly losing one-on-one contests as a defender. I remember thinking, I know he likes to be inflammatory, but doesn't there need to be a kernel of truth even in the most click-baity take? Petty has always struck me as a very strong one-on-one defender. 

I don't listen to anything Cornes says. Even if he is occasionally right, he is wrong the majority of the time and he knows full well he is just there to rile people up.

I was big on moving Petty forward the past couple of years and part of me will always wonder what would have happened had he not injured himself so seriously at the end of 2023

But with May and TMac aging we need another quality tall defender and only Petty fits the bill at the moment 

It will be curious to see how our defenders line up in round 1 as we clearly can’t play all of Lever, May, TMac and Petty 

Although competition for spots is never a bad thing 👀

1 minute ago, dl4e said:

So does this mean that T-MAC will be FF at Casey ?

Don't think so. Think it just means our key defender stocks are May, Mcdonald, Lever, Petty and Adams.

Whoever is fit and inform will get a gig.

If TMac is fit and training the house down as per reports are we seeing him forward or back?

Makes sense he goes back as the ''experiment'' up forward never worked at all.

TMac up forward wouldn't be the worst as he was decent when he was pushed forward in 2024.

HF - Turner, McDonald, Pickett

F - Melksham, van Rooyen, Fritsch

Edited December 4, 2024Dec 4 by SthSea22

1 hour ago, demoncat said:

I was big on moving Petty forward the past couple of years and part of me will always wonder what would have happened had he not injured himself so seriously at the end of 2023

But with May and TMac aging we need another quality tall defender and only Petty fits the bill at the moment 

It will be curious to see how our defenders line up in round 1 as we clearly can’t play all of Lever, May, TMac and Petty 

Although competition for spots is never a bad thing 👀

Yes I agree - Petty was disappointing last year but was coming back from a significant injury.  And right from the start his accuracy was not there (which was a strength for him in 2023)

Having said that, he was still 11th in the league for contested marks in 2024 and played less games than everyone ahead of him other than Charlie Dixon.

I think another big body is needed around JVR - not sure if Disco or Jefferson are there yet?  Maybe AJ is the answer? 

For this reason I think they will want to use Petty as a utility - if May, TMac, Lever hold up then he is not needed in defence.

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

About time.... everybody but the match commitee could see he's NOT a forward. And before the smarties say yeah but kicked 6 goals in one game, then thats about it ONE GAME. Plays in defence in 2025!

And the Richmond list had all packed it in by that stage.

Mind you the Geelong game last year was fantastic, so we at least know we can swing him forward if the need arises in-game 

Edited December 4, 2024Dec 4 by John Demonic

29 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

Makes sense he goes back as the ''experiment'' up forward never worked at all.

TMac up forward wouldn't be the worst as he was decent when he was pushed forward in 2024.

HF - Turner, McDonald, Pickett

F - Melksham, van Rooyen, Fritsch

McDonald has said a number of times in interviews that because of the state of his ankles, he no longer has the mobility required to play as a forward. Those days are over.

Freddy ( restricted vision) says..... Told ya !!

And on another aspect of Harry's movement possibilities, it's nice to know it's not just him/us!

From The Age:

...Also high on Cox’s to-do list is getting a deal over the line with off-contract star Chad Warner, and fighting off the huge interest in his signature from the two clubs in his native Western Australia.

The 23-year-old reportedly went golfing in Perth recently with former Swans types Don Pyke and Kieren Jack, who just happen to be employed by the West Coast Eagles as chief executive and head of strategy and innovation, respectively.

Former Geelong champion Cameron Mooney said on SEN last week that such a meeting was a 'bad look' for Warner, and that he’d be 'filthy' if he was his teammate.

Cox said: 'He’s certainly known Don and Kieren from his time here. We take it at face value on that'...

34 minutes ago, Dee Boys said:

McDonald has said a number of times in interviews that because of the state of his ankles, he no longer has the mobility required to play as a forward. Those days are over.

Might cost him a spot then

 

2 minutes ago, SthSea22 said:

Might cost him a spot then

 

There comes a time for players when another year on an afl list is just as important as how many games you play.  Tom will fight for his spot but he knows where he is at.

 

Petty, interesting with move, a good move.  Wonder if this season we left him struggling up forward, interest for Adelaide drys up, new extension and he is back to the backline

2 hours ago, Roost it far said:

If TMac is fit and training the house down as per reports are we seeing him forward or back?

potentially 23rd man or Casey if everyone fit

But when is everyone fit? especially when talking Lever/May/T Mac

Depend on his role as a forward.  He's a great contested mark.  Was his role to be the link and take those marks and feed it forward to the other forwards in a system.  Or primarily to kick goals as the measure of success.  

The problem was his lack of fitness in 2024 to play forward really effectively.

Happy with him to go back as well, a handy swingman. 

Forming the much vaunted Bermuda Triangle again Petty, May and Lever.

Forward experiment was born out of necessity, for the past 2.5 years BBB has been on one leg and Tmac had his foot issues from half way through 2022.

Don't think Tmac has the agility to play Key Forward anymore.

Petty back makes sense and gives us a healthier balance of key forwards and defenders.

Forwards: JvR, Turner, Jefferson, Johnson, Kentfield, Fullarton

Backs: May, Lever, Petty, McDonald, Adams

Turner and Petty can swing forward or back as required as well while I noted that the recruiters mused that Johnson could probably play behind the ball as well.

I suspect we will be on the hunt for a key defender at years end given the age of May and McDonald. Particularly if Adams doesn't come on. Perhaps we will look closely at Derkson again.

If Petty has his mobility back I'd like to see him have a go as CHF.

Obviously ...