Firstly, our small forwards are too much looking for cheapies out the back. They're doing what St Kilda runners were criticized for by David King against us the week before. When we are attacking they are playing roulette and running past the contest expecting someone else to win and feed them the ball rather than being front and square at the fall of the ball and winning the footy themselves. It's hurting us offensively because they aren't get the ball and it's hurting us defensively because it's not protecting the defensive side of the contest and it's allowing the opposition to run the ball out of our forward line too easily for counterattack goals. We effectively matched Melbourne at their strength at stoppages but gave them soft goals from rebounds out of our F50
.
Secondly, our small forwards are also meant to push up high and drag the opposition defenders with them. But on the weekend, Melbourne kept their defensive structure in place and kept defenders back. Worse still, our small forwards weren't defensively accountable so Salem was allowed to run around free. Our small forwards were in no man's land. They didn't give us greater numbers around the contest to dominate the midfield and they didn't give us numbers at the fall of the ball up forward to kick goals. We had this problem early last year too.
George like all our small forwards need to get back to doing the basics right beginning with being front and square at contests as well as chasing and putting pressure on opposition HBs to keep the ball inside F50.
