The way i look at it our defense is fragile as it is, and when you consider that Gasper and Kellaway are both about 30 and would only have a couple of years left each, our defense is a major part of our list that has to be addressed.
Graham was a bandaid solution to our defense, and while it worked well, he is now retired.
Gasper and Kellaway are very good defenders in their own right, however we have to look past these two and towards the future.
Hall, who will be 25 1/2 come the start of next season, has been a revelation in defense this year after a poor 2004 in that end of the ground.
Now while he will never be as good as defender as Gas and Andy, he is a very handy player, who can also play up the ground (Hawks game) and pinch hit in the ruck, and i hope he is re-signed by the club.
Bowden is a Flanker/Sweeper, and a bloody good one two (his AA selection backs that up) but IMO he is NOT a key defender, yes i know he took care of Brown up at the Gabba in 2004 but that was one game, there have been many other games where he has been playing as a key defender and has gotten creamed (The most infamous example of this was the West Coast game where debutant Edwards took him to the cleaners early, before someone else was put on him and Edwards preceeded to have no impact on the game, he then played played 3 more AFL games, doing very little, and is now struggling in the WAFL so i have heard).
So i guess our current lineup of our backline would be:
B: --------,
Gasper, -----------
HB: Kellaway, Hall, Bowden
Thursfield was a revelation towards the 2nd half of the year, playing 6 games and acquitting himself admirably against opponents such as O'Loughlin and Milne, arguably decent forwards on any given day.
His height (190cm) and his body type/the way he plays suggest he will never be a key defender, but more of a Small/Medium defender, who can also run it out of the backline, essentially a Flanker.
Maybe after a few years be may grow a little bit and bulk up like Eagles of the 1992 pre-season and be able to play in a key defensive post, but i am not counting on it.
He is only 20 at the start of next season, so he is definetly a 10+ year player, if he continues to improve, he is no certainty to make it yet, but the early signs are promising.
For the time being though, lets put him in a Back Pocket, as thats where he played most of his games this year.
B: Thursfield,
Gasper, -----------
HB: Kellaway, Hall, Bowden
The next cap off the rank if Newman, poor Chris is a midfielder who has been forced to play in defense thanks to our crappy recruiting and list management over the past few seasons.
While he has done nice things in defense, talking strong marks and providing run off the half-back line through the midfield, linking up play, he has also been shown up when he has been forced to play 1v1 in defense.
Now i am not going to hold it against him, because IMO his place his in the midfield, but he has clearly shown that he is NOT a very capable defender.
So for 2006, Chris is "banished"
to the midfield, and out of our defense, hopefully.
Schulzy, our next CHB, you have to be kidding me!
Sure this kid has a tank and a half of potential, and has essentially lost a season due to a nasty anke injury, but he is a forward by nature.
IMO he is similar to McPharlin in the way he plays the game, although i tend to think Schulz might be under orders to cut back on the hangtime.
Anyone can look good playing as a loose man in Defense (Jason Cloke anyone?) but when it comes to 1v1 contests in defense, Schulz............ well........... i've never seen him in one at AFL level, and not in the couple of Coburg games i've seen either.
The Geelong game looked pretty good, but don't get carried away by that performance, we were playing TWO loose men in defense all day.
We need replacements for Richo, and Schulz is one of them (potentially).
He is still very young at 21 at the start of next season, and like i said above this season could nearly be considered a write off due to injuries and personal problems (aka catching up with a mate, getting smashed, and playing 2 Fast 2 Furious on the way home in his car).
Now that Fiora is gone, and Pettifer is playing great football, tiger fans need another high draft pick to go after, and unfortunately Schulz is looking like an easy target (especially if Tambling goes great guns early next season).
People need to have patience with him, as IMO a couple of years down the track he could be anything, but as for playing in defense, maybe as a pinch-hitting option if we are struggling with injuries, or as a loose man taking uncontested marks, but anything after that, no thanks.
Kelvin Moore, who was the Thursfield of 2004 (young guy, on rookie list, floating around in defense and doing a few nice things) looked promising, but injuries and a move to the forward line seems to have put Moore in a bad position.
He is a simliar height and build to Thursfield, plays a bit like him too, but isn't as athletic or skilled IMO.
He kicked a bag or two of goals down at Coburg, and looked good as a forward against Carlton, however, this is the same Carlton backline that has conceded the most points in the AFL this year, so that performance must not be taken on face value.
Besides that, poor Kel hasn't done a whole lot else, he is given wraps for his performance against Franklin in round 21, however i don't think it was as good as some people have made it out to be.
Moore is 22 going into next season, and 2005 is definetly a make-or-break year for him.
As far as playing in defense goes, IMO you couldn't play Moore and Thursfield in the same backline, as their games are very, very similar.
I don't know what to do with him, if we get injuries or suspension to our backline, he will be called upon (if he is still on the list mind you) and will have his opportunities to come thorugh, if he can do it, i don't really know.
Morrison and Hilton won't be on our list in 2006 (if common sense prevails) so i won't really comment on them, but i will say that IMO Morrison is a bit stiff not to have gotten more of an opportunity in the seniors and Hilton showed some potential as a small defender, but meh, i won't lose sleep if/when they are delisted.
It has been said that Archibald goes alright in defense at Coburg, it has also been said that he will be delisted, so who knows with him.
The kid seems to have a bit of agro in him, which i like in a player, so hopefully he is kept on the list.
19/20yo tall who had OP in his first season, he should consider himself a bit screwed over if he is delisted.
Who else can we get to fix our rusty (old) and leaking (crappy) defense?
Hopefully we draft a kid or two higher up who can play defense, and not rely on the rookie list to build our defense.
I hope that we recruit some mature aged (21-22yo) guy from the VFL/SANFL/WAFL or similar leagues who is a excellent defender at that level and who has never gotten an opportunity at AFL level.
Or we could pick off a defender or two from other clubs.
The whole "pick 8 for Jared Rivers" idea i heard i don't like, at all.
With late picks, or the PSD draft, we should look to pick up a defender who has been given the ass from another club.
Yes i know, recycled players are the root of all evil, but its better then drafting another HFF!
Players such as Barid (25yo, Kangaroos) and Hunt (23yo, Essendon) both look like being delisted, and IMO could be another bandaid solution to our defense, you never know, all they might need are opportunities to improve and become solid defenders.
Baird had a very good game against the Saints a few weeks ago, and his VFL form is solid, while Hunt has never been given a go by Sheedy.
I was thinking Livingston from Carlton aswell, but apparently he has re-signed with the club.
Now that i've typed all that, im going to lay down, i have a headache!
