It’s the way the game is going too re multiple dangerous and high pressure small forwardsReason I mentioned small forwards and it’s a specific type of player the team’s missing it’s that quick hybrid small forward that can play closer to goal that is a natural goal kicker and not a failed/unused/undersized midfielder, the team desperately lacks natural forwards that have played forward through their junior career and aren’t just junior midfielders that can’t make it as midfielders at AFL level for various reasons.
As I mentioned earlier in this thread when talking about Rosas being available, I feel in the 7 years since Charlie Cameron left the club has never found anyone to fully replace his unique attributes he provided in the forward line that made him dangerous in front of goal but also able to panic the opposition defenders when they had the ball. Closest they’ve come is probably McAdam providing x-factor and scoreboard impact and Rankine with his freakish goals, pressure and ability to read balls off packs when he played closer to goal at the start of 2023.
Just feel Ogilvie and the recruitment team’s ‘physical and numbers heavy’ based strategy especially in recent years has meant specific more ‘tougher’ measurable stat-wise role players like your small forwards and rucks have really not been on radar and fallen by the wayside and become afterthoughts. Also James Rahilly planting the ‘old’ Geelong small forward method of not relying on them to be a main target in the 50 but instead playing them high up around stoppages then running back into the 50 has become part of Nicks’ gameplan 101 so he prefers to play extra midfielders in those roles instead, which IMO has taken away actual extra scoring options that should be available to those up the ground when actually trying to find an option forward to kick to.
Sam Mitchell is trying to be ahead of curve and is using it , giants are definitely recruiting for it with multiple players of this type including using 1st rounder on Phoenix Gothart last year out of the blue … also Daniels Bedford Jones Thomas etc
So yeah we need another one for sure
Keays ANB Pedlar and one more … Rachele plays more like a medium forward but his pressure is improving