Opinion Now hear me out.... Jayden Short to play Mid / Forward in 2025

[Michaels]

Now hear me out...

It is no secret that Jayden Short had a bit of a stinker in 2024, and I was saying for most of the back half of the season that he needs to find a new role to get his enjoyment back and be rejuvenated.

For 2025 I'd like Shorty to play more Mid / Forward per my video below.

He has a cannon right foot so lets use it to score more.

 

[tiger_tough]

Depends if the club thinks Smith or Banks are ready to own a half back spot.

Ideally Brown and Smith step up to replace Short and Rioli. Then Short moves to HFF so he can roost it from 50 more often and his lack of defensive ability is less exposed. And he adds some much-needed experience in the front half.

 

[Michaels]

Depends if the club thinks Smith or Banks are ready to own a half back spot.

Ideally Brown and Smith step up to replace Short and Rioli. Then Short moves to HFF so he can roost it from 50 more often and his lack of defensive ability is less exposed. And he adds some much-needed experience in the front half.

Tresize could also slot into the HBF role!

 

[Do the Dew]

Now hear me out...

It is no secret that Jayden Short had a bit of a stinker in 2024, and I was saying for most of the back half of the season that he needs to find a new role to get his enjoyment back and be rejuvenated.

For 2025 I'd like Shorty to play more Mid / Forward per my video below.

He has a cannon right foot so lets use it to score more.

Thought this was another Magic thread.

We may need him as the rebounding defender again now that D. Rioli is gone.

 

[Calcium Man]

Whatever results in his trade value going up, then trade him at end of season like we should have done 2-3 years ago.

 

[Michaels]

Thought this was another Magic thread.

We may need him as the rebounding defender again now that D. Rioli is gone.

might be times he needs to go back there in a rotation possibly.

but are we better off passing on the baton to some of the youngsters to turn that role into their own?

 

[Simche]

He needs to play back. We've got to replace Rioli's run and disposal off half back and while he make take some of Baker's rotation time further up the field I would imagine he'll be our primary user off half back.

Brown might be a great kick but isn't in a position to be the main man off half back yet as he's still establishing himself. There are really good signs but should be the secondary option.

Part of Short's decline over the last few years has been the fact that we've pivoted to using Rioli as our primary user. I think he'll benefit from a return to his role of 2020/21.

Something like the below is how I anticipate the backline looking like for the short term:
Vlastuin, Miller, Broad
Short, Balta, Brown

Banks should be targeted as a Pickett wing replacement and with the above lineup hopefully as the year progresses Miller can potentially be supplanted by someone like Blight and we can start to provide Trainor an opportunity with Gibcus also coming back.

I'm also not sure what Short offers us up forward or through the midfield that is greater than his contribution off half back. He's still going to be kicking to spuds (Kosi) or kids.

The more I think about Gibcus, Blight and Trainor all being developed the more I think the coaching staff are intent on Balta being full time forward to try and protect the kids up there and provide a marking target. Particularly if Lynch is going to spend prolonged periods injured as I suspect he might.

 

[Grrr]

Up to the wing rotations and even half forward. We need to overhaul our half backs because Short is not going to replace Rioli, plays nothing like him.

 

[prodigy]

Can we add a VFL option to the poll?
He had a horrible year and there were no consequences to his poor games as he just kept getting selected.
I don't care if we have 40 injuries or 1 injury.
I don't care if we have a list of 40 kids

Getting gifted games just because you are in an older age bracket is a terrible standard to set.
His best position is half back and we played him there for an entire year and he just phoned it in when we had Rioli (who was leaving by the way) busting his backside every week.

Expectations need to be set on this group now and no one should be exempt from that.

 

[LTT]

Up to the wing rotations and even half forward. We need to overhaul our half backs because Short is not going to replace Rioli, plays nothing like him.

Half forwards need to run hard defensively. Will Short do that? if he can then that would be important because last year the opposition simply swarmed forward leaving our half forward and mids in their wake. Maybe that was part of the reason Short and some of the other defenders lost heart (read Miller etc) and did not seem to fully commit at the end of last season. If Short did buy in then he could be a not only a really good half forward but hopefully lead the defensive mindset of the other young forwards.

 

[beema limapep]

Sadly he has 3 full years on his contract to run.

And is about to turn 29. Would offload for a pick in the 30s if he returned to 75% of his peak form.

 

[beema limapep]

Half forwards need to run hard defensively. Will Short do that? if he can then that would be important because last year the opposition simply swarmed forward leaving our half forward and mids in their wake. Maybe that was part of the reason Short and some of the other defenders lost heart (read Miller etc) and did not seem to fully commit at the end of last season. If Short did buy in then he could be a not only a really good half forward but hopefully lead the defensive mindset of the other young forwards.

Short has never been defensive even as a defender. hmmm......

 

[Boxo004]

Now hear me out. Short has been average past few years. No more free rides for this bloke. I think for long term he should be placed on the same bucket as KMac and be transitioned out of the side for longer term options. Needs to earn every kick and every spot in the team

 

[Grrr]

Half forwards need to run hard defensively. Will Short do that? if he can then that would be important because last year the opposition simply swarmed forward leaving our half forward and mids in their wake. Maybe that was part of the reason Short and some of the other defenders lost heart (read Miller etc) and did not seem to fully commit at the end of last season. If Short did buy in then he could be a not only a really good half forward but hopefully lead the defensive mindset of the other young forwards.

He's fit as anyone and he has been a defender for ages, so n reason to question his defensive running game. I think he is even more suited as a wingman with his huge kick. Get it to the wing and then he can bomb it because defenders hate the ball going out the back. He is also well versed in the defensive structures.

 

[beema limapep]

He's fit as anyone and he has been a defender for ages, so no reason to question his defensive running game.

 

[tora tora tora]

Now hear me out...

It is no secret that Jayden Short had a bit of a stinker in 2024, and I was saying for most of the back half of the season that he needs to find a new role to get his enjoyment back and be rejuvenated.

For 2025 I'd like Shorty to play more Mid / Forward per my video below.

He has a cannon right foot so lets use it to score more.

The "stinker of a year" is not correct really. 2024 was Bang on Career average 22 disposals. Rioli sprinted a lot. Through the centre square a fair bit.

Short had no one good to kick it to so has to just bomb it. Ground zero, Kick in from behinds, our Ryan, Kosi, Naismith just can't win those contests vs Witts, King and oppo mids have the ball back in their own 50. That's been a problem for years. Remember "Down the line Dave Astbury."? More kicks dowm the middle? Sounds good. Riskier spot for a turnover.

No Lynch for 2 seasons has killed us. Our smalls crumbed off Ryan's spilled marking contests but not enough damage on the scoreboard.

Need more F 50 marks; Last game, Prestia, TT & JH got the ball inside 50 60 times for 10 goals.

there's often multiple players rotating on each wing. Jack Ross was playing well, Banks still only 20 odd games under his belt. Hugo, KMac. Trainor & Gibcus. Keep em safe. Some clubs using 200 cm players on wings.

Hugo played average half back in 2021, was killing it there in the VFL 2024. Got promoted on the basis of that. If we need Rioli~like sprint. Hugo.

see what happens with senior player automatic selection.

 

[Cdog71]

He’ll probably start Back flank again, but as a mid I think he’d only be a receiver.
Maybe as a high half fwd like others have said but he doesn’t seem a gut runner Lambert type.
If he could do that sorta running maybe we could roll through Campbell, Brown, Short and others.

We always have had a free wheeling type on the other flank. Houli, Rioli sometimes Baker.
We need to find more ways to kick goals…maybe that leg of his would be better forward.

I dont think he’s physical enough to play mid.

 

[Danog]

He'll have a better year than his 2024.

Will be given Rioli'a role while our young medium defenders mature.

 

[Reservoir tiger]

He just needs to have a crack.. we don’t expect him to be glen archer but god at least stick a tackle now and then…

 

[Grrr]

He’ll probably start Back flank again, but as a mid I think he’d only be a receiver.
Maybe as a high half fwd like others have said but he doesn’t seem a gut runner Lambert type.
If he could do that sorta running maybe we could roll through Campbell, Brown, Short and others.

We always have had a free wheeling type on the other flank. Houli, Rioli sometimes Baker.
We need to find more ways to kick goals…maybe that leg of his would be better forward.

I dont think he’s physical enough to play mid.

He played mid a few years ago and for someone just stepping into the role I thought he was pretty good. Had a few games over 30 disposals from memory. He would be a receiver, but we need one up to a point. But I still think the wing is where he is best suited. I think he easily has the running game, he knocks up possessions (chasing cheap one's).

 

[Cdog71]

I still think the wing is where he is best suited.

Might be wrong but thought he was in the last group on the time trial vid.

Nobody looked great last season but seeing Hugo drift forward and being there on the last line a few times was good to see.
I dunno Short has that sortve running power.
We have to get more outve our strengths and it’d be good if we got more outve his leg than just a smash kick down the line.

 

[Tigerandy63]

Love this idea. You only have to look back at the Freo game in Perth 2023 when he slotted 3 goals, all from outside 50m. At best he does that regularly, at worst he takes a very good lock down small defender. The move gets my vote.

 

[tigerdan]

So much disrespect for this guy, it's ****ed.

Half Back is the training wheels position for new kids coming through. I have no problem playing him half forward or off the bench. Ideally you'd do it in the preseason and if it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. Pre season is a good time for throwing guys into random positions and seeing how it goes. I remember we tried Daniel Jackson as a forward one year. It didn't work (at all) but was worth a try.

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

I did mention this a while back. He began as a forward and I don’t see why he couldn’t play inside 50.

His kicking is creative; good skills, evasive. Could work.

 

[Michaels]

Love this idea. You only have to look back at the Freo game in Perth 2023 when he slotted 3 goals, all from outside 50m. At best he does that regularly, at worst he takes a very good lock down small defender. The move gets my vote.

And reality is we need to find some more avenues to goal after the players we lost this off season made up over 50% of our goals in 2024!