Firrito and Gibson

[The Teflon Dean]

Have we all managed to calm down yet?

Okay, a whole lot of finger pointing goes on when we get a touch up, but the continuation of playing these two blokes out of position is the BIGGEST problem the NMFC is undergoing.

Until this situation is rectified, we are going to be a middle of the ladder side at best.

Firrito is NOT a Full Back.

Gibson is NOT a Centre Half Back.

 

[alf24]

We really got lucky last year with these two.
Spud played as a tagger initially and we could use him in the guts at the moment. In defence, he is searching for his opponent and is not providing any run out of defence as he has no confidence in anyone covering his man if he wants to create.
Gibson is better on the ground than in the air but he goes round and round when he does get the ball and rarely gives off first option.
Petrie will need to help in the ruck for the rest of the season so he will not be able to go back. I think JWS and Sinclair coming back into the team would assist as these guys would be more confident with those two providing the run out of defence. We probably need Watt in there as well as another option.I dont know if Pratt could be used in the centre in bursts this week to fire the other guys up.

 

[Hoser]

I like Petrie as a CHB, I think he plays his best footy there and really strengthens our defence. Unfortunately, he is needed elsewhere as well, and now he is also likely to be needed in the ruck.

In a perfect world I am really hoping to see Thompson and Edwards back up forward. Would like to see Taz uninjured up there with them learning the role from Thommo.

Then I can see Petrie at CHB, and hopefully Hansen somewhere near him learning his role.

 

[hellas_johnny]

dean you are absolutly spot on with what you said, they both are not key possition backmen, we were just lucky last year and now look, firitto had probably 20 goals kicked on him in 3 games and i'm sick of it! and with hawthorn this week hell get paired on buddy(if he plays) and if not then roughhead hes gonna get killed! as has been said on another post lachlan hansen should come in, he is the perfect build to play on players like buddy and roughy.

 

[HongKongRoo]

Longmire played a year of fullback before becoming a coleman winning full forward. Why not try the same with Josh Smith. At least he couldn't do any worse than firrito and he would be learning his own trade for the future.

 

[The Teflon Dean]

Longmire played a year of fullback before becoming a coleman winning full forward. Why not try the same with Josh Smith. At least he couldn't do any worse than firrito and he would be learning his own trade for the future.

He's nowhere near fit enough.

 

[scottywiper]

I like Petrie as a CHB, I think he plays his best footy there and really strengthens our defence. Unfortunately, he is needed elsewhere as well, and now he is also likely to be needed in the ruck.

In a perfect world I am really hoping to see Thompson and Edwards back up forward. Would like to see Taz uninjured up there with them learning the role from Thommo.

Then I can see Petrie at CHB, and hopefully Hansen somewhere near him learning his role.

It was noticeable that when Petrie went down back late in the game, for the first time all day we had someone dropping in front of Pavlich.
I think the defence looks much more solid when he's back there.
But then we need a marking forward and he's our best option there too at the moment.
Using him in the ruck is a tragic waste.

 

[HongKongRoo]

He's nowhere near fit enough.

So what's your immediate solution? Obst may still be a few games away and we are looking at a Roughead Franklin combo next week.

 

[shintemaster]

It was noticeable that when Petrie went down back late in the game, for the first time all day we had someone dropping in front of Pavlich.
I think the defence looks much more solid when he's back there.
But then we need a marking forward and he's our best option there too at the moment.
Using him in the ruck is a tragic waste.

Agree with all of this, especially using him in the ruck. I'd rather use Matt Campbell than Petrie. Personally I think we need Drew down back and it makes more sense to be trying to grow players in our forward line. We will have Petrie for the next 5 years down back, we need to work on a forward line post Thommo.

 

[The Teflon Dean]

So what's your immediate solution?

My solution was to gio hammer and tongs at another key defender after the Hay debacle. My solution is to still do that whilst we draft and develop future replacements.

Obst may still be a few games away and we are looking at a Roughead Franklin combo next week.

Apparently Obst did very well on the promising Dowler on Sunday. If he is up to fitness I would bring him in for Roughead and perservere with him for the rest of 2008.

 

[Hoser]

Agree with all of this, especially using him in the ruck. I'd rather use Matt Campbell than Petrie. Personally I think we need Drew down back and it makes more sense to be trying to grow players in our forward line. We will have Petrie for the next 5 years down back, we need to work on a forward line post Thommo.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[HongKongRoo]

My solution was to gio hammer and tongs at another key defender after the Hay debacle. My solution is to still do that whilst we draft and develop future replacements.



Apparently Obst did very well on the promising Dowler on Sunday. If he is up to fitness I would bring him in for Roughead and perservere with him for the rest of 2008.

If Obst is fit I would definitely like to see him in.

 

[B-Rock]

Please dont bring back Shannon Watt.

Id Shannon Watt comes back ahead of Obst...

I will have lost all faith in Laidley.

 

[Boozeroo]

Unfortunately Nathan Grima was drafted as a full back.... Would have fitted in nicely as a mature bodied player.

 

[shinboner magic]

Spud is playing like brown and to watch one guy play like that is bad enough,let alone two.

 

[Shagga is all Class]

Well these two and Pratt are some of Dean's success stories who currently look mentally shot and the success does not quite gloss over the Hay/Brown/Watt debacle.

Firrito and Gibson are really 3-4 defenders or 2-3 at a stretch. Hunter does not look big enough either and at 22 is unlikely to get much bigger.

Hansen and Tarrant would need to be ready to go Rd1 next year.

Unfortunately Dean cannot gloss over that Watt and Brown were way too soft for their size and Firrito and Gibson too small.

Firrito and Gibson look OK when Petrie is down back and our midfield is not getting killed.

 

[Dingster]

Firrito and Gibson look OK when Petrie is down back and our midfield is not getting killed.

That's the best option atm. Along with Pratty, the defence looks much safer with Dish there.

Thommo will be back soon to cover FF. I'd play Hansen as a roaming CHF providing the target coming out of defence. He might be inconsistent, but it will serve us better in the long run.

Some midfield pressure would be appreciated.

 

[macka11]

they are both playing out of position and they both realise this neither has looked very interested for a few weeks now, lets face facts we will not go any further with these two playing where they are for fu8#$ sake put spud in the middle somewhere to give us some drive and bite the bullet and put petrie at centre half back and leave him there.Try some of the young guys down back because realistically we will be lucky to win one more game this year with our run home (Melbourne).Time to bite the buullet and see what these young guys can do we may get beat but I guarentee you we will continue to get beaten by the better teams with the setup we putting on the park each week. Ps dont bring watt back get rid of Brown and tell Davies to get a haircut that dosnt make him look gay.

 

[rooloc]

Petrie must play CHB to sure up our defense. Build a defense around him with Pratt Harding Gibbo and Thompson. The team is less structured when we move him week to week.

Its time to push Spud back into the midfield, we need mature bodies in our midfield rotations.

I would like to see J.W.S. and Wells on the Wings with instruction to go forward and kick goals.

Hale in the Ruck and have to bring in Goldy to rotate from the Bench IMHO

Play CJ at CHF forward in the Murphy mould.

Brown to FF until Thommo gets back. Cant believe I just said that. But he can kick a football and if he spills a couple of grabs that can only help Flash and LT.

Shagga comes back at HF

Gibson Thompson Pratt
Harding Petrie Urquart
JWS Harris Wells
Shagga CJ Riggio
Flash Brown LT

Hale, Simmo, Harvey
Spud, Rawlings, Goldy, Davies/Lower,

Go Roos

 

[theanalyst]

Just have to face it the season is over as far as a flag or even a good finals position is concerned, the best Laids can do is keep playing the younger players and just let them enjoy their football and gain some confidence and experience.

I was watching and things were looking great until the forward line is out injured, and there still is not someone comparable to Mick Martyn down back, and then when the boys play the top four sides they are lacking the likes of someone like Longmire and Carey, and then even a Craig Sholl and Mark Roberts, the side has almost been there a number of times, but it needs something and something quick.

 

[Paddy_Mac]

Have Firrito play as a medium defender / rebounder.
Have Gibson play as a third tall defender.
Petrie down back.

Along with Smith, Pratt and Thompson and it doesn't look too bad.

Pratt, Thompson, Gibson
Smith, Petrie, Firrito