Demon Dynasty

Why is Casey playing White up forward instead of back where he usually plays (of late)? He is taking a KF spot and we need to try and play both Weid AND BB into some form? Perplexing

This and the next few matches could be some of the most crucial in the recent (post 64) history of this club.

I've yet to see a player mark up forward and kick a goal from the bench. Someone might want to pass that on to him. Werridee!?

BB in and Sparrow out today allows additional options BW. You can rotate Gawn and Dogga in the ruck but also allow mostly Dogga to play a higher percentage as a forward but generally less game time so he's playing in bursts. Better option for a rookie? He changes up on occasions with BB for the bench / rest and giving the opp a different look up forward. BB offers the lead anywhere out to 50 and even a tad higher on occasions. He can also go deeper if he and Dogga are both on with Gawn in the ruck. Dogga taking CHF for a bit where his mobility/clever distribution of the pill & ground ball pressure come into play. From there Dogga can also push back to the goal square when BB is taking a shot from long range, offering the smalls a potential crumb/snap if the kick falls short. Or he might take the occasional contested and goal himself (wishful thinking at the mo). Gawn can also drop back for the chop out across HB on more occasions with Dogga taking the ruck and another KF (BB) handling the tall marking target role up forward. Means he is not really needed here and might possibly have more impact. Handy to slow momentum (opp on a roll) and / or keep momentum (icing a lead late in a quarter or end of a match). Macca also gets the opp's second best defender where he seems to perform a little better.

On at least three occasions today (that i saw from behind the Punt Rd goals) players were coming off the wing (southern side) with decent space for someone to lead into within the southern flank hot zone (30 / 40 meters out / approx 45 degrees). And I'm talking very nice grass to run into as a forward. No one lead on those 3 or so occasions or those that did had already made their move into places like true CHF or the deep pockets / flanks (Fritta). I had visions of BB (or any KF) running into those spaces, presenting themselves to said player running off the southern wing taking a relatively straight forward mark on the lead. But alas he wasn't even selected and instead we had one too many mids / mid forwards IMHO in Sparrow, Clarry, Tracc, Viney, Harmes and JJ running around. And due to no lead the said players ended up kicking to tricky targets either towards true CHF (most of whom would have been too far out...see Harmes on one occasion...any turnover sees ball go straight back into their 50 most of time making this a very risky option) or to the deep pockets/ flank southern side which also lessons the chance of converting. Who is teaching / training / promoting these awful methods? Former ruck coach Greg Stafford? This game is all about balance and we fluffed that part at the selection table today. And it may have cost us the match, momentum in the back half as well as a top four double chance. Crazy stuff from Goody & Co this week.

He wasn't but in the time he played forward he didn't impact at all TU and on at least one occasion went up for the same contest with Macca and they both spoiled each other. One could argue they both brought the ball to ground but not a small/medium forward in sight. The forward line and its methods are a dog's breakfast and have been for some time now. There is no fear for the oppo in this present forward set up/method (barr Fritta) and they play accordingly with confidence and belief that if they get the basics right up the field and pressure us, their defence wil keep us to a low score and they'll be in with a chance. Could any of this (in part) also be due to having a ruck coach as a forward line coach now?

P.S. the Kozzie call is correct. Him & Spargoat (to a lessor degree) were bog ordinary. Vanders could come in for Spargoat (not great but couldn't be worse) but who replaces Kozzie? Bedford and Chandler are worse options at the moment IMV.

While i agree he's having little impact up forward it would be best to watch the game first Dazzle. LJ was our best by a fair margin and kept us in the hunt in the first half (from ground level at the ground anyway...wasn't the greatest seat today)

Can't argue with any of that. I said same to bro before match today when it looked like slim chance of rain? Someone should've been onto the local radar forecast and like many top liner clubs do at the last minute (and wear a fine if needed) ... "In BB ...out Sparrow!" for the likely win!

Fritta only forward Mid field pressure? Around ground pressure? Forward line pressure? Forward Zone [censored] BB in 2Win! Goodwin stuffed up ☝ Viney nowhere man Kozzie see Viney Tracc bit slack Clarry kicking woes Spargo no go Sparrow Chirp Cheap ANB caught fleas? Dogga rising star!? Gawny bit prawny Macca kicked crappa Rivers got shivers Gus bit puss May earned pay Lever Busy Beaver Poise up Forward? First half spuds? Mucked at Selection? Jones for Sparrow Vanders for Viney? Too soon Declase? Jordan not Michael Hunt up front??? Lingers Positive Winger Hunters to Hunted Old Melbourne Ways

Dogga Dogga Dogga oi oi oi. And that's about it apart from our usual down back, Maxy trying hard and Macca in the last 10 minutes or so of that quarter. Gus playing smart also on the odd possession. Tracc started the rubbish with his early play ons without looking then unrealistic disposals both inside 50 and at HB. He's s right off and so is Viney and Clarry. Harnes has been 'ok. Need to sort out the middle and stoppages we are getting murdered with too many at the contest and not holding their outside set ups very well. As for the forward line. There's been no genuine target, no cohesion and no smalls crumbing. Dogga & Macca going up for the same mark. Ok so that fails but where was even one small to mop up? And the pressure inside 50. Non existent. If we aren't losing it out of the middle we are certainly not helping anyone from HF onwards by playing forward half zone,with virtually zero pressure on their backs rebounding, picking their way up the field the launching deep inside 50. Seen this last issue far too often this year. You ain't making a PF with that method. Some change ups needed. Dogga to play mostly ruck. Kozzie into the middle for Viney. Tracc / Harmes rotating through HF for a good % of this second half vs minor minutes so far. Need to find some run & dare off HB also. Unlikely to win but who knows they might fire up. Most have been flat as so far, bar a few mentioned. Back line doing its usual job. Forward line not doing theirs.

Hopefully a draw

Quite optimistic there deev

Maybe it was time for a Vanders 'special edition' entre'

Don't think you'll be waiting long Uncle.... P.S. didn't know @picket fence loved his cuppas so much

I would just set him some very basic tasks to achieve the next few weeks without asking him to push up the ground. Focus on getting the front and square crumbing work happening as well as his pressure aspect. Add to that some help with penetration on his kicking and kicking through the pill. At the momentfrom what i'm seeing as an amateur he appears to be leaning back on that final step and pulling most of his kicks. Reckon he'll get back to doing what he's best at if the FD work on the basics above before asking too much up the ground / through the middle etc. Get the basics right first and hopefully from there the belief and confidence will grow ....form should follow from there.

I would say this is the most likely change now that Viney is back.

Once Viney gets back to decent match fitness i would agree with that FT albeit it might be a week to week proposition and the percentages up for debate. I don't think Tracc pushing forward and BB possibly coming in are mutually exclusive though. No reason why we couldn't do both. The only issue with BB coming in is who do you leave out? Some are suggesting Sparrow. Again, with Viney back in the mix, that sort of change might be in the discussions at the selection table this week.

Any chance you could enlarge that font a tad pls Dazzle and help this Ol' fella out

I didn't mind it it was just getting there that was a pain in the [censored]

And the only two of those Key Forwards who are ahead on goal averages (career) are Buddy & Kennedy Sydee. I agree he isn't as agile as some but is just as effective in terms of scoring/conversion. Equal 5th with Tex & Tomahawk. Only players above are in order... 1. Buddy 2. Cameron 3. Kennedy 4. Riewoldt I'd be happy with the 5th best (KF) running around in my team if we / he can get back to his best or somewhere near it. The rest is important in terms of getting to a minimum level that satisfies the FD but he's there to convert at the end of the day and he's one of the best (Key Forwards) going around when he's on. In terms of career accuracy (KFs)... T-mac is No.1 for us sitting at 8th in the league at 62.1% and BB is 2nd for us and 12th in the league at 59.8%. Noting that both our boys are more accurate (career) than any of the other Key Forwards we have mentioned so far including the likes of Buddy, Kennedy, King, Cameron, McKay etc.

There is also plenty of merrit here. If that is the case i would be bringing Chunk in for Sparrow. He's ready to fly

Eloquently put uncle

Possibly accentuated when not at his peak fitness Bin but i reckon he pretty much always gives this impression. While not being as agile as some of the genuine tall (very good) forwards going around like Cameron (196cm), Lynch (199cm) he is extra tall at 200cm compared to these fellas and as a result probably a tad more unco. Not as dynamic either but does seem to get the job done by getting the basics right and playing within his limits (when at or near his best...not so far this season). It is also worth noting that on 2021 season averages, after supposedly being NQR having had an interrupted pre-season, BB is sitting just behind T-Mac on goal averages (T-Mac 1.71 BB 1.67). Yes T-mac has had a much bigger impact in general around the ground in general ball getting and use as well as a pressure perspective. Tackles inside 50, pressure acts in general. The FD probably wanted a fair bit better in these areas where he is well behind T-Mac and LJ (as an aside LJ is equal 1st in the league for pressure acts as a Key Forward along with Freo's Josh Treacy!). BB ahead of Weideman on tackles inside 50 but well behind LJ & T-Mac on pressure acts. Maybe this is part of the agility aspect you are referring to. Accuracy of our KFs so far this season are... T-Mac (58.5%) , LJ (57.1%), BB (55.6%) and Weid (30%). Haven't included Mitch Brown here as he's only played one match so far.

Say Whaaat!!