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Changes vs Fremantle
- Thread starter Smoking Aces
- Start date
No need to show silly when we know you aren’t. Circumstances could not have been more different.
We haven’t had a functioning forward line since Lynch fell in the 3rd round. Millions of dollars wasted, a season with many playing at the appropriate level all wasted, because we lost Tommy and Jack for understandable reasons, hasn’t been unable to keep up. Dimma gone as a direct result .. I repeat. It is no small matter.
Yes against all odds they did.
Highly improbable that with a mostly non functioning forward line and a hardly competitive mid field, we could do the same.
Again he has been better this year but that only tells us that as a KPP he has improved. Some of the very best have played both forward and back at different times of their careers.
But you still wouldn't have moved Rance forward.
Again I will repeat this is a long game. You clearly think finals are out of the question but want to play the short game. We don't know what the club have in store for us. Himmelberg could be with us next year playing forward with Lynch, so we'd have wasted 6 months of ongoing development with Noah in the backline with Broad, Rioli, Vlastuin and Young for what?
Woofers in 2016. It's difficult but it can be done.
If you want to win finals and flags then you need to make sure your defence is absolute premium set and forget. Forward set ups can be fudged as we did in 2017.
Posh I don’t know what you mean and I doubt you do either.
We will go into next year with Tom in uncertain condition but given his particular history, with at least a no lesser chance of re injury than he started with this year. To be clear it could happen again.
And for the purposes of this discussion consider the possibility that Himmelburg, (who won’t be as easy a sell as we might have expected when his two mates arrived), may not be with us.
It may also give you conniption but remember he is actually playing in defence this year so heaven help us if he has to take on a different job!
Seriously you need to relax. All I have suggested is taking this opportunity to see if things turn bad through injury or whatever and a change up is needed, that moving Noah downfield may be carried through with a measure of confidence.
In a year that promises to deliver little it is the smart move.
The emergence of Young has been one of the few positives for the club this year. He should be given every opportunity to continue to develop.
True, but I think that development will only occur if he plays in a settled, functioning backline.
To me, Balta is part of that backline, especially with Gibcus out, Grimes now injured as well, and Miller very inconsistent.
It’s a good point. I’d still go ahead though.
We have been fighting with one arm tied for most of the season. Leading to a massive waste in resources, time and preparation. Missing out on Van Rooyen has really cost us and losing our future 1st has again tied our hands.
Going into 24 then with out a few options in case of further injury would mean the remainder of this year would also have been wasted. Especially as one of these is so easily doable.
We might then be close to OK ripe for a complete rebuild, which would be a further waste of our present reasonably strong list position. AGGH
Yeah I agree.
As others have posted our defence is functioning very well at the moment and will only improve with the inclusion of Vlaustin.
So I would think this is the perfect opportunity for Gibcus to be trialled as a forward. He will probably need a month at VFL level anyway so why not give him the freedom of running around up forward, with the aim of him replacing Jack next year.
A forward line of Lynch, Gibcus and Sampson has the potential to be very damaging IMO
Balta is settled. 9th for intercepts in the league, 8th for contested marks. Don't have stats on me but likely top 4 or 5 for contested intercept marks. Pivotal atm and keeping our backline functioning the way it is.
He's joint 2nd for intercept marks. Same as Darcy Moore, only behind Charlie Ballard.
I do know what I mean.
You want to test Balta forward this year because we have no talls, but knowing that his best position is probably in defence so he will most likely play the bulk of his career in defence. This is a short term move based on lack of personnel.
I acknowledge that his best footy is played as a backman, he's a natural backman and doesn't appear to be anywhere near as natural when played forward, so its the better long term solution to keep him back and have the entire defensive group gain more and more understanding of each others games.
Thats the long game vs the short game.
You think you want to play the long game but are actually playing the short game.
Balta won't and should not play forward. Our backline is a rare strength this year despite injuries. Yes Jack is nearly gone and Lynch is out, but we'd better off trading/developing our younger forward prospects rather than robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Agree. He reminds me of Grimes when he started (without all the injuries). Hopefully he follows a similar trajectory (finishing with 4 flags
