Author Topic: Our small forwards have gone missing this year  (Read 5425 times)

Offline mightytiges

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Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« on: May 07, 2021, 11:53:32 PM »
Not only tonight but our small & half-forwards have been bloody ordinary so far this year. The past 3 weeks against top 4 sides have really shown them up. We haven't been able to stop the ball exiting and rebounding out of our forward line as quickly as it enters and ending up in the opposition's F50 unless Lynch & Jack mark everything (second half vs Dogs) and the ball doesn't come to ground. What use to be our strength is now a major issue. They are too often lost in no man's land and nowhere near front and square for the fall of the ball.

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Offline Hard Roar Tiger

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2021, 08:56:25 AM »
We need fresh blood in there.
Dimma made a comment about Dan Rioli a few weeks ago - how mentally draining it is to play that role for us.
He’s right and at the moment, the entire fleet of small forwards look mentally spent.
I think we all know that it’s time for MRJ to play. I’m not sure we have a second option to bring into the small forward role in the 2’s?
Is it time to give a young mid that role?
“I find it nearly impossible to make those judgments, but he is certainly up there with the really important ones, he is certainly up there with the Francis Bourkes and the Royce Harts and the Kevin Bartlett and the Kevin Sheedys, there is no doubt about that,” Balme said.

Offline WilliamPowell

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2021, 09:42:53 AM »
The only other small forwards option I see in the VFL  at the moment is Stack.

He also offers the option of sending him back if we change things up.

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Online georgies31

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2021, 10:44:37 AM »
Change it up you can clearly see its not working personal or system has to change.

Offline Diocletian

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2021, 11:36:56 AM »
We don't need three of them now...we barely need two permanent ones...we need another tall and probably a medium too (who isn't slow like Caddy)...if they're not applying any defensive pressure or regularly crumbing goals what's the point of them...prefer to  just have Rioli -either one- up there with others like Baker, Lambert, Stack and even Short rotating through....actually the eventual ideal set up for me is MJ forward , Daniel on the wing....Baker & Stack playing both ends and swapping around..... Castagna & Aarts can stuff off back to the VFL ..preferably at another club... :shh
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FJ is the only one that makes sense.

Online georgies31

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2021, 02:43:30 PM »
Big concern for us the smalls.

Offline the claw

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2021, 03:53:28 PM »
Been saying it for ages weDont need any of them.

Want a good sized medium genuine fwd in the fwd half give Ralphsmith a game BLOODY QUICK AS WELL. could also play him wing or h/b if we want.. Play ccj ffs it has been smacking them in the face and still no second ruck/fwd.
As others have said bring in stack theres more flexability ,we dont even need to do that when everyone is fit. Bolton Lambert Graham Edwards all say hello just rotate em thru there it aint rocket science.

To my way of thinking Aarts and Castagna have always needed to be looked upon as us needing longer term upgrades. This unfortunately now applies to Rioli as well he just has not come on in fact if any thing hes gone backwards.



Not playing rioli castagna Aarts means more mids can play and we obviously get more rotations.

Offline crackertiger

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2021, 05:04:17 PM »
Clearly they are not dangerous and rarely kick goals. On the flip side they are performing their other roles well. Need a change.

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #8 on: May 09, 2021, 06:52:59 PM »
During our 3 in 4 years streak we have always done things our own unique way but we you look at all the other top 8 sides this year most are either playing 2 key forwards, 1 mid-sized forward and 2 small forwards or they are playing 3 talls & 2 smalls *.

Melbourne:  2-1-2 ....... McDonald & Brown, Fritsch, Pickett & Spargo.

Bulldogs:   2-1-2 ......... Naughton & Bruce, Hannan, McNeil & Scott.

Port Adel:  3-0-2 ......... Dixon, Marshall & Georgiades, -, Gray & Motlop.

Geelong:   2-1-2 ......... Hawkins & Cameron, Rohan, Close & Dahlhaus.

Brisbane:  3-0-2 ......... Daniher, Hipwood & McStay, -, Cameron & McCarthy.

Sydney:    2-1-2 ......... Franklin & Ried (inj) [currently McLean], Hayward, Papley & Wicks.

West Coast: 3-0-2 ....... Kennedy, Darling & Allen, -, Ah Chee & Petruccelle.

We are the only ones going with 2 talls and 3 smalls.

* Five forwards as the sixth forward usually pushes up into the midfield.


So if we were to go with a similar configuration as the other top 8 sides then one of our smalls goes out for either a tall (CCJ or Chol) or a midsized forward who is a good mark for their size (Caddy or Stack). CCJ would give us a second ruck option rotating with Nank and would be the frontrunner if we went down that path. Chol isn't aggressive and consistent enough for his size and blew his chance last year. Caddy is seen as too slow now although he did do the job as a midsized marking target in 2017. Stack isn't match fit yet.
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Online georgies31

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #9 on: May 09, 2021, 07:19:53 PM »
We need to change it up to static for me to predictable.Even why can't we bring in CCJ use him like we did Nank and Soldo combo resting up forward or downback etc and will help teams from double teaming our talls.

Offline Tigeritis™©®

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #10 on: May 09, 2021, 07:28:23 PM »
Lynch plays in front v bulldogs leads and takes grabs eventually kicks some goals.

Lynch v Geelong drops marks and then plays from behind all game. How the hell is he supposed to take a grab from behind, hasn’t worked all season.  :banghead

Sometimes he gives me the poos.

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Online Willy

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2021, 07:54:07 PM »
Lynch plays in front v bulldogs leads and takes grabs eventually kicks some goals.

Lynch v Geelong drops marks and then plays from behind all game. How the hell is he supposed to take a grab from behind, hasn’t worked all season.  :banghead

Sometimes he gives me the poos.

Get in front & Lead!

Totally agree.

He went back to bad Lynch on Friday.

Offline the claw

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #12 on: May 09, 2021, 09:02:08 PM »
Lynch plays in front v bulldogs leads and takes grabs eventually kicks some goals.

Lynch v Geelong drops marks and then plays from behind all game. How the hell is he supposed to take a grab from behind, hasn’t worked all season.  :banghead

Sometimes he gives me the poos.

Get in front & Lead!

So how do you think the smalls are going?

Offline Tigeritis™©®

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #13 on: May 09, 2021, 09:21:56 PM »
Lynch plays in front v bulldogs leads and takes grabs eventually kicks some goals.

Lynch v Geelong drops marks and then plays from behind all game. How the hell is he supposed to take a grab from behind, hasn’t worked all season.  :banghead

Sometimes he gives me the poos.

Get in front & Lead!

So how do you think the smalls are going?
Needs some serious work. It hasn’t been good. If they’re not kicking goals or front and centre for the crumbs they certainly should be chasing and pressuring in f50 so the ball doesn’t get out so easily.

I complain about Rioli most weeks he’s a very frustrating player to watch. Aarts is just an ordinary player who gets lucky sometimes.

Melbourne and Geelong games have clearly shown this particular issue is a major concern.
I called for Castagna to be dropped this week.
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Offline eliminator

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Re: Our small forwards have gone missing this year
« Reply #14 on: May 10, 2021, 06:34:00 AM »
The only other small forwards option I see in the VFL  at the moment is Stack.

He also offers the option of sending him back if we change things up.

Agree.