Moving Right Along.....

[admin]

OK, There are two big issues that affect the team greatly at the moment.
The terrible blow of losing Otto for so long, and the much awaited return to fitness of Dutchy.
Dutchy back in the team will give us far more versatility. Either him or Andy could play forward if needed.
Until then I was wondering who'd be our best option for full forward.
I'd assume Razor will relieve Staff in the ruck.
Richo comes to mind, but to me he's far better using his athletic ability to run opponents around rather than stand double or triple tagged in the goal squre. He's really wasted there imo.
Any suggestions on how the forward line could be structured, and who'd be a good choice for FF?

 

[admin]

BTW, not wanting to be a prophet of doom, but did anyone notice Richo pull up in the game last Saturday?
He chased his opponent up the ground and was left for dead. He pulled up and was feeling the back of his leg, and was taken off for the rest of the game. (It was in the 3rd quarter)
He did a couple of sprints along the boundary grimacing, but then again I'd grimace too if I had to sprint flat out.
Please footy Gods give Richo's hammy's a fair run this season.
Go Tiges.

 

[Tigerdog]

How many weeks constitute a 'long term injury'? If we can promote a rookie I have a feeling Pickering will be tried at full forward.
Not sure where I heard this as an option but am almost certain it will be tried if he can be promoted.

 

[Dean3]

My forward six would be:

HF: Bowden Richo Blumfield
F: Rodan Stafford Pettifer

Hall in the ruck to change with Staff. Shulz on the bench as another tall option forward or back if we want to push Dutch/A Kellaway forward.

 

[Dean3]

Hmm, this is happening to me a lot rosy. I promise I'm not hitting the post button more than once!

 

[admin]

Hmm, this is happening to me a lot rosy. I promise I'm not hitting the post button more than once!

It's happened to me before too Dean. Dunno why. :-/

 

[Tigerdog]

I agree about the half forward line and if Staffy is to play at FF which seems like it may be a luxury now then have Rodan or Krakouer at his feet.But I can't see him spending a great deal of time down there because our ruck stocks are slim. (said to my Dad at the beginning of the draft period that we needed an extra, young ruckman to begin developing for 3 years time and 'just in case' He disagreed, but now is 'just in case' and we could have thrown the kid to the wolves ) IMO it''d be worth trying Campbell out of one pocket as a leading forward option he proved at times he is more than capable of doing this.And really if the backline is our strength and the forward line one of our perceived weaknesses (amongst others) then why stack the backline more? It's no good having them do all the work only for it to come straight back again, as we have seen in the past.So that'd be an option. Also this may force the clubs hand a little re Marty Macgrath where he may to prove a revelation in in a first few of the games allowing us to 'buy some time' until (hopefully) the successful return of Otto.

 

[admin]

If we can promote a rookie I have a feeling Pickering will be tried at full forward.

Pickering seems an obvious choice out of our 3 rookies.
He's listed as 183 cm, 83kg, and has played 6 games in  the Carlton forward line.
If we can promote a rookie I hope they do it sooner rather than later.
We all know how injuries can linger on the indefinite list too long.
Might as well give soemone the experience if we can afford it and it's within the rules.
The last thing we need is players missing long term off our already reduced list.

 

[tro-boy]

Given that Staff's strength is not in his ruck work anyway (he is by no means the best tap ruckman you would ever see), it would probably be worth trying to keep Staff out of the ruck as long as possible and keep him up forward. Ruck options could be rotated evenly between Staff, Hall and Holland

 

[Tigerdog]

I'd hate to see Holland come back too early!! Though surely the club would have more sense than that :-/

 

[mightytiges]

Any suggestions on how the forward line could be structured, and who'd be a good choice for FF?

Rogers did ok in 2000 when Richo was out for most of the year.

I know we have been training over summer to basically go long and direct to the talls so it would be a dramatic change so close to the start of the season proper but we could go small and mobile (a la Coburg last year). They just missed a GF by less than a kick using that method. That way say for round one we could expose for pace the likes of prestigicomo, wakelin and cloke. Just a thought.

I hope we don't put Richo in the goalsquare otherwise every contest will be 3-1 then rebound and goal to the opposition like rosy said.