Strategy 2025 Forward Line

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Surely, SPP is the sole defensive forward. DBJ was a stop gap and that gap has now been stopped.

I don’t think SPP should be a defensive forward at all. Once fit, he should spend sometime in the midfield rotations again as we have other forward options and play more of an enforcer role when he is up forward. We’re wasting his other abilities if we just want him to play defensively and follow his opponent around.

DBJ is more limited as a player and doesn’t have that ability to pinch hit in the middle. That’s why I’d have him play that defensive role while the other forwards have an attacking mindset and rotate up and down the ground.

 

[Gryllis]

I'm not entirely sure what Mead's role was, but if it's fwd/mid, I wonder if SPP takes that and spends more time pitch-hitting in the midfield in the second half of his career.

We like a small forward as sub, so that probably means the team is 8(1)-7-7 fwd-mid-def. Which was basically the mix in 2024, depending on which box you put Mead in.

 

[pstew2dstew]

I've got a gut feeling that Meade takes the next step and moves more permanently into the mid rotation.

I don't seem him in the fwd line at all.

 

[Imhotep]

I am completely on the same thought that SPP can't be pigeon holed as a forward and needs to be transitioned into a mid again. I think we should play him at SANFL level for the first half of the year and let him just beat up on the lower level mids and get his form back after a year off.

Our small forward line should be completely reworked with DBJ, Berry, Richards and Anastasopoulos, it will give us true speed and a good mix of attack and defense. Whomever performs worse as the year goes on comes out for SPP who can rotate with Rozee and JHF.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I've got a gut feeling that Meade takes the next step and moves more permanently into the mid rotation.

I don't seem him in the fwd line at all.

In the SANFL, yeah.

 

[Scodges]

Let's erect a bollard in the middle of F50 and long bomb onto it. It's the perfect way to honour Dixon and Kenny.

The statue of liberty with Dixons head would be more accurate.


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[Scodges]

I’d actually like SPP to play more on ball, think we have enough smalls to cover.


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[philthy05]

Surely, SPP is the sole defensive forward. DBJ was a stop gap and that gap has now been stopped.

Well you would hope so but drafting players doesn’t equal players being 200+ game standout first 22 players, otherwise Carlton and north would have 11 million first 22 players on their list right now.


We don’t know if Dbj has been relegated to the sanfl until we see berry / Richard’s / canasta and co playing in our kit.


In all likihood i reckon at least one of some of them knock him out of a starting spot, but as we saw guys like mcintee / f Evans , narkle and mead notching up a combined 70ish games means we’ve got a few spots to be open during the season.

You’re really looking at Houston’s 22 games as well so there’s 90 odd games to be replaced before we even get to Dbj. (And yes we’ve got a returning spp to eat into some of that , but of course there’s always injuries)


IMO Dbj as an option for the bench / sub is a decent upgrade on the options we had last year.

I've got a gut feeling that Meade takes the next step and moves more permanently into the mid rotation.

I don't seem him in the fwd line at all.

Seems more line wishful thinking than anything.

Has been given plenty of opportunity to establish himself and gotten nowhere.

Spp can’t crack our midfield, and spp >>>>>>mead.

Bergman has elite midfield potential but he’s more valuable as a defender than playing spot minutes as a midfielder behind so many others.

Sinn and Jase burgs show more potential through the middle and there’s no way we’re going to run them through anything other than a wing at most.

Who in our midfield is going to make way for mead?


Mead didn’t even look great as a starting mid given license to do his thing in the sanfl.

 

[shewho]

Not sure what we will do with Mead. The bonus of getting real forwards is JHF can play more midfield where he is our best clearance player. That means less midfield time for Mead.

I think the role Mead played last year was “extra mid”/ fwd. By skill set, Moraes is better suited in that role or will be when he is AFL ready.

Mead is too good for SANFL, not good enough for our midfield, not an instinctive forward. I see Jones and Sinn being used in the midfield- only midfielders have done the US trip before. Where that leaves Mead, idk.

 

[jackag24]

I think auto selections are
Mitch
Luko
Rioli
SPP
DBJ

I feel like DBJ was a stop-gap in lieu of actual small/medium forwards.

Now that you have SPP, Berry and Richards, I'd move him back

 

[Imhotep]

Jones and Sinn being used in the midfield- only midfielders have done the US trip before. Where that leaves Mead, idk.

Ahh yes Ryan Burton the well known AFL midfielder.

 

[Holden Hillbilly]

Most goals: Travis Boak (209)
Players with 100-plus career goals: 8 (Travis Boak, Jeremy Finlayson, Todd Marshall, Willie Rioli, Connor Rozee, Mitch Georgiades, Sam Powell-Pepper, Ollie Wines)
Players with 50-plus goal seasons: 0
Leading goalkicker in 2024: Mitch Georgiades (44)
Average goals kicked in 2024: 11.9 (13th most)
Players with 20-plus goals in 2024: 6 (Mitch Georgiades, Willie Rioli, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Jason Horne-Francis, Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall)

List analysis: Which club has the most goalkicking firepower?

Who has kicked 100-plus career goals, and who has booted 50-plus in a season before?

www.afl.com.au

 

[Doctor Feel]

Actually surprised Marshall is even trying again. Surely he's one game away from retirement because its gonna happen again.

 

[Willsy10]

Has Marshall been participating in match simulation/competitive drills this pre season?

I hope it’s not the end for him, would be such a waste, his future was looking so bright in [emoji[emoji6][emoji6]].


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[Sewer de Lance]

Luko gets first crack at CHF
Mitch takes FF
Rioli one pocket, Joe Berry the other
Rozee & Marshall to fill the flanks

Off the bench

SPP - possible delayed start
DBJ
Richards

Rotating Mids

JHF & Butters
——————————————————————

On paper, our main strengths would appear to be mobility, & 3 genuine goal scoring crumbers which we haven’t had in a very long time.

 

[El_Scorcho]

DBJ kicked 28 goals and gave off 25 goal assists this year while playing as a "defensive" forward.

He's so far down the list of people who need to be replaced it's not funny. He's super underrated on this board.

 

[Schulzenfest]

DBJ kicked 28 goals and gave off 25 goal assists this year while playing as a "defensive" forward.

He's so far down the list of people who need to be replaced it's not funny. He's super underrated on this board.

That can't be right, I've heard if a player is playing as a defensive forward it's actually impossible for them to be expected to produce offensively as well and they should have a job in the side for life because they 'play their role'?

 

[JimmyBC]

My only issue with DBJ is he has soft **** moments and too many of them.

 

[ElectricG]

I think we should be doing anything except what we do, and what Hinkers wants to do.

Hinkley needs to do a costanza and just do the opposite

 

[wgt]

everyone knows what the solution will be, and it wont even be bomb it to MG, it will be bomb it to Marshall. That Hinkley guy is one of the best coaches ive ever seen!!!!!

 

[Scodges]

[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]" data-quote="wgt" data-source="post: 0" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

everyone knows what the solution will be, and it wont even be bomb it to MG, it will be bomb it to Marshall. That Hinkley guy is one of the best coaches ive ever seen!!!!!

He’ll be concussed in the first long bomb.


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[El_Scorcho]

Marshall will be our 3rd KPF this year. I assume he'll probably play higher up the ground, providing a marking target in transition and delivering in to the forward 50, a role he's good at. With Houston gone, we need our elite field kicks playing and firing. I'd hope that our plan for Marshall this season is to increase his I50 numbers with a goal for him to lead the league in goal assists. He should probably be aiming to lead the club in goal contributions.

Who knows what their plans are though, they might play him out of the goalsquare and bomb it on his head 20 times a game.

The concussions are absolutely a concern but he did play 17 games last season before he got one. I'd hope we're doing everything we can to care for him medically and that he's getting frank advice from the doctors and working within that advice.

 

[Powerage]

I think the most important aspect of the forward line is that it has been reconditioned and was the worst part of the ground by a long shot and lost us games last year.

Georgiadies and Lukosius has the potential to be a very quick, tall, great kicking, great finishing one two punch. Whitlock looking in.

Rioli is borderline top 10 small forwards in the league.

Gone are Fevans, Narkle and McEntee. In come Richards, Berry and Barrett. Great. Anastasopoulos also looking in.
The corpse of Dixon is gone for Luko.
Lots of upgrades this off season.

We could go small but will probably play Lord or Esava as the gorilla forward, 2nd ruck.

Rioli, Powell-Pepper, Richards, Byrne-Jones, Berry, Anastasopoulos, Barrett gives us a lot of scoring potential.

The Perminator is the odd one out and not a real forward and might become a utility player off the bench.

The guys who came in have finishing power. Something we lacked big time last year.

Harsh on DBJ. In 2024 1.1 goals/game. 1 GA/game. 11 disposals, 3 tackles and more pressure acts than any other forward. What exactly would his stats have to be for him to be a 'real' small forward?

I get that he was a makeshift small forward initially and that he is more of an opportunist than a speedster/x-factor forward. However he has good vision, good execution and works hard defensively.

I don't know where he fits with Rioli, SPP and probably Berry and/or Richards the first small forwards picked, but as of last season's effort he is a real small forward. Personally I would rather not see him playing as a defender ever again.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Harsh on DBJ. In 2024 1.1 goals/game. 1 GA/game. 11 disposals, 3 tackles and more pressure acts than any other forward. What exactly would his stats have to be for him to be a 'real' small forward?

I get that he was a makeshift small forward initially and that he is more of an opportunist than a speedster/x-factor forward. However he has good vision, good execution and works hard defensively.

I don't know where he fits with Rioli, SPP and probably Berry and/or Richards the first small forwards picked, but as of last season's effort he is a real small forward. Personally I would rather not see him playing as a defender ever again.

Agree fully with this. He's so underrated on this board and by the wider supporter base. It's like reputation hasn't caught up with performance yet. He led the team in goal contributions last year.

Berry and Richards haven't demonstrated that they can outperform DBJ as a small forward yet, not even close.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Harsh on DBJ. In 2024 1.1 goals/game. 1 GA/game. 11 disposals, 3 tackles and more pressure acts than any other forward. What exactly would his stats have to be for him to be a 'real' small forward?

I get that he was a makeshift small forward initially and that he is more of an opportunist than a speedster/x-factor forward. However he has good vision, good execution and works hard defensively.

I don't know where he fits with Rioli, SPP and probably Berry and/or Richards the first small forwards picked, but as of last season's effort he is a real small forward. Personally I would rather not see him playing as a defender ever again.

If you go to the Byrne-Jones thread, you will see that I thought he had a good enough perhaps the best word is a solid year and has nestled into the role but there is some talent coming into that area of the ground with a lot of potential and the skillset of the medium and small forward of goal kicking that we have been lacking for a long time.

There are just guys with huge potential who could easily pass him in Powell-Pepper, Berry, Richards, Anasta and Barrett.

If these guys come on, I don't think the Perminator will be missed at all.

The Perminator is solid but he is soft as butter. I can hear Timmy Ginevar grimacing typing this sentence out.

Whatever you think of Byrne-Jones, he will have serious competition for his spot this year. That is a good thing.

He is one of the old Greyhound boy types so he will probably keep guys out based on the poor selection policies of Hinkley.