2015 Forward Line

[Morris Major]

I like the idea of:

Crameri Redpath Dahl
Hunter Boyd Stringer

String playing as 4th tall is all kinds of absurd, in a good way. Maybe Stringer and Dahl rotate through the mid, and add Grant in as a more permanent forward. Either way it's absurd, and to think that maybe someone can give Jones a good punt where the sun don't shine so he can keep up some pressure on the KPF spots.

Grant can play footy mate

Needs a coach that can teach him how to play the position

He has elite speed for someone that big so if he can learn to run to position his marking skills don't need to be fantastic coz no one will keep up with him.

Is prefer Jones obviously but he isn't staying and Redpath is another option but he isn't even on out list yet.

JG is a big bloke who plays short, very valuable attributes

 

[Mattdougie]

From my perspective, Dickson is one of our most natural small forwards. Very few have the capability to be a threat leading from the goal square, in a one-on-one contest, and at ground level. His experience, maturity and leadership will also be a big asset next year. I don't consider Hrovat or Hunter natural forwards and think they play much more midfield time next year. For me, Dickson plays most of his footy in the forward line, but does push up into the midfield occasionally.

IMO if he plays we are going nowhere

He is average at best and if he is playing he is taking games from Hinter or Honey or another kid and halting their development.

But let's reassess on 12 months and see who is right shall we??

 

[TMoney22]

What happens to Campbell, does Boyd ruck for a few mins a qtr. We will lose forward pressure playing 2 rucks and boyd

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

IMO if he plays we are going nowhere

He is average at best and if he is playing he is taking games from Hinter or Honey or another kid and halting their development.

But let's reassess on 12 months and see who is right shall we??

See I don't see him as taking games away from Hunter or Hrovat at all. For mine, he's a forward who can play rare minutes through the middle. The other two are very clearly natural midfielders who rest in the forward line.

But yep, happy to see how the year unfolds. Just personally, I'd be playing him.

 

[JTCWBFC]

Think at least one of Hunter or Honey, along with Hrovat, will need to pick up some serious midfield minutes this year with Griff and probably Cooney gone.

 

[Dav1d]

Dickson won't ever be a star, he is a role player

a good one to
in the right age bracket and coming off a year where he was interrupted by injury through out

lets hope we have a healthy list in 2015, could shoot up the ladder if we're lucky

 

[Dogsman16]

What happens to Campbell, does Boyd ruck for a few mins a qtr. We will lose forward pressure playing 2 rucks and boyd

Get Walker and have him play CHF and give will a chop out. Or better yet have Roughy float between a defender and ruck spot.

Boyd is like a Hawkins big and strong enough to play 2nd ruck but you don't do it.

 

[Mattdougie]

See I don't see him as taking games away from Hunter or Hrovat at all. For mine, he's a forward who can play rare minutes through the middle. The other two are very clearly natural midfielders who rest in the forward line.

But yep, happy to see how the year unfolds. Just personally, I'd be playing him.

And I didn't say Hrovat mate

I think Dickson and Hrovat will be VFL players next year, as I've said I don't think either will make it

Very interested to see what a new coach does with each of them, new coach new ideas and they may change my mind.

Let's hope so, I don't mind being wrong and players turn out to be very good

 

[Mattdougie]

Go and get Harper

That kid is a jet trust me

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

And I didn't say Hrovat mate

I think Dickson and Hrovat will be VFL players next year, as I've said I don't think either will make it

Very interested to see what a new coach does with each of them, new coach new ideas and they may change my mind.

Let's hope so, I don't mind being wrong and players turn out to be very good

Whoops, that's my bad; read Honey as Hrovat for some reason (been a long week). I'm not sure Honeychurch is quite ready yet but then again I wasn't sure Bont would be ready this season. He sure proved me wrong.

I can see where you're coming from with Hrovat more than most to be honest. I'm not quite as confident as a lot of others are. I'm somewhere between your extreme of, "Won't make it," and the other extreme of, "He'll be a gun."

 

[Dav1d]

Whoops, that's my bad; read Honey as Hrovat for some reason (been a long week). I'm not sure Honeychurch is quite ready yet but then again I wasn't sure Bont would be ready this season. He sure proved me wrong.

I can see where you're coming from with Hrovat more than most to be honest. I'm not quite as confident as a lot of others are. I'm somewhere between your extreme of, "Won't make it," and the other extreme of, "He'll be a gun."

Didn't you say Bontempelli reminded you of a baby giraffe at some stage?

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Didn't you say Bontempelli reminded you of a baby giraffe at some stage?

He still does.

 

[scooter600x]

Grant could be one of the best small forwards going around if he gets a clean run at it through the preseason - no stingrays, no broken feet - and everyone forgets he's 6' 4" and pretends he's 5' 11"

 

[yebiga]

And I didn't say Hrovat mate

I think Dickson and Hrovat will be VFL players next year, as I've said I don't think either will make it

Very interested to see what a new coach does with each of them, new coach new ideas and they may change my mind.

Let's hope so, I don't mind being wrong and players turn out to be very good

Hate to agree with you
But with the maturity of the kids - I think Dickson will be up. Against it

Hrovat on the other hand is very clean with hand and foot and makes great decisions - any new coach will give him every chance - ditto hunter and honey
They will have to step up though to get into the mid field mix - the forward line is jammed pack now

The defence is heavily reliant on the progress of Talia, Roberts,

 

[Mattdougie]

Grant could be one of the best small forwards going around if he gets a clean run at it through the preseason - no stingrays, no broken feet - and everyone forgets he's 6' 4" and pretends he's 5' 11"

Grants speed is his biggest asset.

Clearly his confidence is shot but don't forget how he finished 2013.

I know he isn't a normal CHF but woth his speed other teams will find it very hard to man him up if he is played properly with room for him to run into to in front and behind him.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I actually really like Grant in the team. For me (when playing well) he's better up the ground than Crameri is, and Crameri is better closer to goal. Having him in the side ensures Crameri gets more time in goal-kicking range, without losing the taller presence up the ground.

That said, he's gotta bring back his late 2013 form in a big way before I trust him enough to say he's best 22 again.

 

[_M_16_]

FF: Honeychurch, Boyd, Stringer
HF: Dahlhaus, Crameri, Hunter

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

I'm not sure about Grant. He just doesn't have the shit in him.

Boyd loves himself, Crameri's a gentle giant but is not a bear to be poked, Stringer's a lunatic, Dahlhaus and Hunter have so little regard for their own wellbeing that it's not funny, and I'll be damned if there's a Bulldog brawl that one of Hrovat or Honeychurch isn't involved in.

He's got the talent, and in a team on a roll, he's a very valuable asset. I'm just not sure whether he gets a spot because of that, when other guys want it more and will fight and scrap consistently throughout games.

 

[D Collinson]

The way I see it is load up on the big guys and let all the mids we have just roll in and out of the forward line.

Minson struggled on his own this year and we have campbell who can also play forward. I loved the setup in the vfl with 4 big blokes (redpath, campbell, jones, cordy) and then roll threw a very deep midfield as small forwards.

HF - Crameri - Boyd - Stringer
FF - Dalhouse - Redpath - Campbell

Stringer was developed by McCartney to go threw the midfield so can play both deep in goal and as a high half forward
I see huge heart and potential in Redpath especially if he doesnt receive main focus
Campbell has showed promise forward and is a great second ruckman, how would other teams man up on a third monster
Crameri gets off the hook.

 

[#1 Dogs Fan]

Not so much for next year but for a few years from now based on the potential they have to become A graders.

ff = Stringer - boyd - dahlhouse
Hf = Hunter - ??? - hrovat/crameri

All we are missing now is a Chf, anyone know where I can find one because looking at this forward line, its got potential to be argubely best ever.

 

[fronkalicious]

Not so much for next year but for a few years from now based on the potential they have to become A graders.

ff = Stringer - boyd - dahlhouse
Hf = Hunter - ??? - hrovat/crameri

All we are missing now is a Chf, anyone know where I can find one because looking at this forward line, its got potential to be argubely best ever.

Tomlinson and Carlisle are off contract at the end of next season.

 

[Bazza Bulldog]

IMO if he plays we are going nowhere

He is average at best and if he is playing he is taking games from Hinter or Honey or another kid and halting their development.

But let's reassess on 12 months and see who is right shall we??

He is also our last player to kick 6 in a game (v Crows 2013). A bit rough having a pot at a guy who had a serious injury last year.

 

[JAMES_B_101]

I think it should go something like this...

FF: Honeychurch Boyd Stringer
HF: Crameri Jones Dahlhaus

I think it makes sense to have 2 high pressure forwards who lift intensity, will crumb off boyd and have good goal sense. I like dahl pushing up the ground more so hw gets the gig on the flank. Boyd just the target leading out of the goalsquare playing like tomohawk. Stringer and crameri both highly productive third talls who just hit the scoreboard hard and shake tackles, also putting on pressure and more pressure. Crameri gets the gig on the flank purely because stringer, when forward, should be used as close to goal as possible (without getting in the way of big boyd) and I like crameri's power running pushing inside 50 and finishing from distance. I also feel crameri will still kick his goals anyway.

Jones back into his usual role of pushing up the ground, taking marks up the ground and delivering inside 50. The goal kicking power behind him will take pressure off. As for boyd, all players in front of him will be putting on such pressure that his job will be made easier.

Stringer pushing into the middle and Bontempelli giving jones a chopout at chf (feel he will be our best player, and whatever positiin he plays he will be above average) so it will just about make the fwd structure work even better. Then the mid/fwds pushing through there like Hunter and hrovat.

 

[igloo dweller]

i don't have grant in my line-up. again, same as this time last year - in his mid 20s now, granty needs to be a week to week threat as a forward.

FF: lukey D, tom boyd, tory dickson
HF: lachie hunter, crameri, stringer

the presence of tom boyd down there could see dalhaus kick 35+ as a FP/rover next year. dickson i like more than most (see below). hunter's spot is open to a range of young midfielders (hrovat, bonts, honey - but i'd really like to see JJ played forward of the ball a bit next year). stuey on his bike upfield and roaming, jakey stays closer to goal.

no doubt about what jarrad CAN do...it's how often he DOES do that i don't like. i rate him as a player highly, and he's got a tremendous drive to succeed and get the best out of himself. he's not all talent, no drive like many others. the clip shows that when he's on, he's deadly.

but he's not un-tradeable. his best may appeal to a top 8 team, he might be the guy that wins a final for a team (anyone remember nick davis?). so, i think grant has value on the trade market, and i don't think we'd be monumentally worse off without him (see stats below).

he's played 24 games since 2011, and kicked 27 goals in that time. in contrast, tory dickson - a different style, but same position - has 48 goals from 34 games. dickson has more hauls of 3+ goals in 34 games (8) than grant does in 61 (7). score invovlements (goals, behinds, goal assists), disposals and marks & contested marks are practically equal. grant is 2 years younger, but had completed 3 pre-seasons before dickson was drafted. one stat that favours grant is games won over the 3 year period (37% to 29%) - perhaps because the threat of grant being there makes life easier for other players?

so, an honest trier like dickson is not getting blown off the park statistically by grant. grant has trade value based on his brilliant best. our side is still looking for 'cake', and trading some 'icing' for a few more ingredients makes sense to me.

 

[smashh]

I don't think you can look at the forward line without looking at the mids as well, given how much players will be rotated between both areas.

I'll have Dickson in there. He's about the only bloke over the last couple of years who hasn't looked completely and utterly lost up forward.
He knows how to play.
The way I see our list makeup at the moment is as such (and excuse me if I've forgotten any)

FWDS: Boyd, Crameri, Grant, Dickson, Redpath, Campbell, Jones(?)
FWD/MID: Stringer, Bont, Dahl, Hunter, Hrovat, Honeychurch
MID: Boyd, Wallis, Macrae, Libba, Koby, Cooney(?)

Now let's say theres 7 forward spots and 7 midfield spots

F: Hunter - Boyd - Dickson
HF: Crameri - Jones - Stringer
C: Macrae - Boyd - Dahl

Foll: Minson - Bont - Libba

INT: Wallis - Koby - Campbell

I don't think we can have three of Hunter, Hrovat and Honeychurch in the same side. And given what I've read on here about Hrovat, I'm probably alone on this but I think Hunter will be the best of them. I've also left out Cooney and included Jones, but we'll know more by the end of the day. I've also included Campbell as I think we need a second ruckman, seeing non-rucks pinch hit in the ruck makes me really anxious.