Team Mgmt. 2024 Forward Line

[jdstorm]

I suspect like most are suggesting - Draper will predominately be forward (with Bryant in the ruck) … but I’m not a fan.

Neither Bryant or Draper are of such quality we can afford both on the same team (too tall / too slow). Draper’s drive gets the gig for mine…

I think there’s overthinking on Bryant and Draper getting out of contract - don’t let that wag the dog on team balance. Crazy to play both when we lack speed, coverage, poor transition (ours or defending).

Would like to see us address a lack of forward pressure by looking at Cox and / or Jones over a second ruck (2MP or Bryant). Even if it’s only when not playing under the roof. Forward pressure won’t just get solved by Kako & ADJnr.

My thought with Draper at FF (and I don’t think it’s an uncommon thought) is he provides a physical marking target close to goals in the way the other forwards don’t.

Even if he’s not taking marks he’s still crashing packs, bringing the ball to ground and negating the opposition’s biggest key defender which frees up our better forwards via easier matchups. That’s a net positive and point of difference that no other players on the team offer.

If Harris Andrews or Darcy Moore or whoever have to defend Draper then they aren’t stopping Langford/Caddy or slingshotting turnover possession that’s a win.

Plus Drapers normally good for a fluke goal every so often and the closer he is to the sticks the more chance he is of that.

Averaged about .7 goals a game the last 2 years which is pretty normal for mids.

If he can manage to bump that up to a goal a game. Have better durability and get to about 20 goals that’s par for a 6th-8th option on the best teams in the comp this year.

Edit: going into next season if you were to rank our Targets/threats from 1-8 you’d have something like

1. langford (40+)
2. caddy (hopefully plays a full season and makes a jump to at least 30)
3. Gresham (30)
4. Kako (TBD but high hopes)
5. Jones (20 playing wing/3rd tall)
6.Martin (20)
7. Guelfi (20)
8. Perkins(20 M/F)
9. Draper (10+ FF)

You would expect that group to be in the 200-230 goal range based on past performance

Add 100 goals from your mids/next 10 and that’s 300-330 goals and a top 5-8 offence. Provided we can move the ball effectively into the forward line

Edit2: and that’s with 2MP penciled into the VFL.

 

[Bombers36]

My thought with Draper at FF (and I don’t think it’s an uncommon thought) is he provides a physical marking target close to goals in the way the other forwards don’t.

Even if he’s not taking marks he’s still crashing packs, bringing the ball to ground and negating the opposition’s biggest key defender which frees up our better forwards via easier matchups. That’s a net positive and point of difference that no other players on the team offer.

If Harris Andrews or Darcy Moore or whoever have to defend Draper then they aren’t stopping Langford/Caddy or slingshotting turnover possession that’s a win.

Plus Drapers normally good for a fluke goal every so often and the closer he is to the sticks the more chance he is of that.

Averaged about .7 goals a game the last 2 years which is pretty normal for mids.

If he can manage to bump that up to a goal a game. Have better durability and get to about 20 goals that’s par for a 6th-8th option on the best teams in the comp this year.

Edit: going into next season if you were to rank our Targets/threats from 1-8 you’d have something like

1. langford (40+)
2. caddy (hopefully plays a full season and makes a jump to at least 30)
3. Gresham (30)
4. Kako (TBD but high hopes)
5. Jones (20 playing wing/3rd tall)
6.Martin (20)
7. Guelfi (20)
8. Perkins(20 M/F)
9. Draper (10+ FF)

You would expect that group to be in the 200-230 goal range based on past performance

Add 100 goals from your mids/next 10 and that’s 300-330 goals and a top 5-8 offence. Provided we can move the ball effectively into the forward line

Edit2: and that’s with 2MP penciled into the VFL.

Agree Draper our best option against the likes of Moore/Andrews - if the 200cm mobile Cox can split ruck duties with Draper then 2MP may well find himself on the outer…


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[jdstorm]

Agree Draper our best option against the likes of Moore/Andrews - if the 200cm mobile Cox can split ruck duties with Draper then 2MP may well find himself on the outer…


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Or ya know Nick Bryan. The incumbent mobile ruck who’s been decent since getting called up from the VFL last year.

I don’t get this obsession with playing Cox other positions he’s a decent mobile KPD2/3 who can swing forward in a pinch. Just needs to add some strength

 

[crackers65]

Cox in the ruck? Someone like Nankervis snarls at him and that’s it for the day.

 

[Vindicater]

Agree Draper our best option against the likes of Moore/Andrews - if the 200cm mobile Cox can split ruck duties with Draper then 2MP may well find himself on the outer…


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Or maybe Bryan. The guy who can actually ruck.

 

[Keystone agony]

Think they like Draper over 2MP just because of his competitvness and ability to atleast get the ball to ground and reduce intercept marks

I dont think the 2 of Draper/Bryan/2MP is settled. Id say Draper will be one until signed though

 

[Bombers36]

Think they like Draper over 2MP just because of his competitvness and ability to atleast get the ball to ground and reduce intercept marks

I dont think the 2 of Draper/Bryan/2MP is settled. Id say Draper will be one until signed though

Yeah can’t have all 3 of Draper, Bryan n 2MP playing - that’s why Cox as an option for short stints in ruck not all bad - just not against monster ruckman that snarl


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[Agronomus]

Isn't Draper leaving at the end of next season? May as well start working on a long term forward line without him

 

[ant555]

Isn't Draper leaving at the end of next season? May as well start working on a long term forward line without him

It is not set in stone. So far it has only been reported that the Crows will make him a decent offer.

 

[Keystone agony]

Yeah can’t have all 3 of Draper, Bryan n 2MP playing - that’s why Cox as an option for short stints in ruck not all bad - just not against monster ruckman that snarl


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Well you only need 2, so whichever 2 of the 3 big 100kg +

 

[jdstorm]

Isn't Draper leaving at the end of next season? May as well start working on a long term forward line without him

Or we work on increasing his value. Either keep via Warchest or get a massive return

 

[Duckworth]

Yeah can’t have all 3 of Draper, Bryan n 2MP playing - that’s why Cox as an option for short stints in ruck not all bad - just not against monster ruckman that snarl


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Cox is the one out of that list I'd send to the VFL first.

 

[ant555]

It is why 2025 is another build year. We do not really know what the best combination is.

 

[jdstorm]

It is why 2025 is another build year. We do not really know what the best combination is.

Or even if any of that combination are good enough moving forward

 

[crackers65]

It is why 2025 is another build year. We do not really know what the best combination is.

This is Scott’s third year. If he doesn’t know what the best ruck combination is, he’s
no good.These blokes have all been there longer than the coach.

 

[ant555]

This is Scott’s third year. If he doesn’t know what the best ruck combination is, he’s
no good.These blokes have all been there longer than the coach.

So you are saying that they are all good enough then ? Has nothing to do with Scott. It has everything to do with the fact that if none of them make the grade next year then we are starting again. The last build gets an F and that has nothing to do with it being the third year of the coach next year.

 

[Agronomus]

Yeah can’t have all 3 of Draper, Bryan n 2MP playing - that’s why Cox as an option for short stints in ruck not all bad - just not against monster ruckman that snarl


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This is Scott’s third year. If he doesn’t know what the best ruck combination is, he’s
no good.These blokes have all been there longer than the coach.

But we're now going to add Hobbs and Tsatas to Caldwell and Durham for 2025. None of our rucks have ever worked with actual good inside midfielders before

 

[Yoda_]

But we're now going to add Hobbs and Tsatas to Caldwell and Durham for 2025. None of our rucks have ever worked with actual good inside midfielders before

You're right; All Australian Darcy Parish was a fluke

 

[crackers65]

So you are saying that they are all good enough then ? Has nothing to do with Scott. It has everything to do with the fact that if none of them make the grade next year then we are starting again. The last build gets an F and that has nothing to do with it being the third year of the coach next year.

It has everything to do with this being Scott’s third year. You said that we don’t know what the best combination is, while I think they have had ample time to work that out. We haven’t been in a rebuild because all we’ve done is Band-Aid things over and tried to make finals. Also I don’t think our rucks are good enough anyway.
Bryan maybe, but he hasn’t had enough of a go, mainly because this year we played Goldy as a mature ager thinking finals were a big chance.

 

[Rick Ross]

You're right; All Australian Darcy Parish was a fluke

Sarcasm is hard to determine in the plain written word. Was that:

“You’re right”

Or

“You’re SO RiGHT… CHAMP”

 

[Keystone agony]

It has everything to do with this being Scott’s third year. You said that we don’t know what the best combination is, while I think they have had ample time to work that out. We haven’t been in a rebuild because all we’ve done is Band-Aid things over and tried to make finals. Also I don’t think our rucks are good enough anyway.
Bryan maybe, but he hasn’t had enough of a go, mainly because this year we played Goldy as a mature ager thinking finals were a big chance.

Scott has worked out that the missing piece wasnt just training standards on and off the field. Hes changed that a fair bit, hes realised the group isnt good enough either.

So that is why theyre taking a step back for a year or two and trying to get 3-4 quality players in over 2 drafts

Our rucks are far different to other teams. Were young and average

Port a top 4 side thought Soldo was their best ruck half way through last year

GWS a top 4 side in 2023 thought Flynn was their best ruck half way through that year and not Briggs aswell

We dont have a Gawn, Grundy, Roma, English type quality and it seems you dont need one either

I do think Scott needs to show that path now though with finding out more about Hobbs and Tsatas in 12 months, because if theyre no good we need to stay down for much longer. They just have to be played until we work that out now..... and Hayes over Laverde. Davey over Guelfi/Gresham

I dont want to see as much of Laverde, Setterfield, Gresham, Guelfi, Menzie types next year

Had Perkins, Reid, Cox, Hobbs, Tsatas, Davey group had far different years in 2024 then i think we may have been thinking otherwise

 

[ant555]

It has everything to do with this being Scott’s third year. You said that we don’t know what the best combination is, while I think they have had ample time to work that out. We haven’t been in a rebuild because all we’ve done is Band-Aid things over and tried to make finals. Also I don’t think our rucks are good enough anyway.
Bryan maybe, but he hasn’t had enough of a go, mainly because this year we played Goldy as a mature ager thinking finals were a big chance.

We do not know because Draper always gets injured. Bryan has not been ready to grab the number 1 role. 2MP has been injured and then out of form. Jones has been given a chance but has not grabbed the opportunity. That is a rebuild. They started at the end of 2020. Throw in Reid injured. Cox ? Perkins ? both who Scott has given opportunity. Add to that a coaching change plus most positions in the footy department since the end of 2022 and you do actually get another build. These guys did not come in to just continue on. You think that Rosa has been recruited to the top job so he can make the same decisions as Dodoro ? Scott is not running the rebuild. He is rebuilding the footy program and as he goes along they have worked out that they need to change. Two years is not an unreasonable time frame. Hardwicke over 6 years to build his side. Goodwin over 7 years. Bomber Thompson over 6 years.Fagan over 5 years.

 

[ant555]

Or even if any of that combination are good enough moving forward

That is correct. It is why we do not know .

 

[jdstorm]

That is correct. It is why we do not know .

Going to be an interesting year for sure. assuming Rosa holds to form/his quotes and the draft is Kako + 3-4 picks in the 30s or later the projected healthy best 22 is unlikely to change much from last year.

Hopefully what does change is better depth and balance leads to better training standards/intensity and when guys get injured we have players who look capable at AFL level filling in. Which would be a big improvement from last season

 

[Agronomus]

You're right; All Australian Darcy Parish was a fluke

He's a pick 5 who's been at Essington for 9 years of Essendons umpteen years of mediocrity, playing an inside role and never protecting our one genuine good user of the ball. He made all Australian once.
Whoopty f**ken do