Our Back Line - Your Thoughts

[Shermanator]

My 5 cents worth..

Matty Campbell to the back line to play the Neon Leon role. He can play a shut down role on Betts, Milne, Ballantyne when needed
Speight to eventually replace Spud to give us more leg speed on the rebound. Mullet and Richardson on the wings and Wright to fill back into Flash's forward spot when he returns.

 

[HARPSichord]

My 5 cents worth..

Matty Campbell to the back line to play the Neon Leon role. He can play a shut down role on Betts, Milne, Ballantyne when needed
Speight to eventually replace Spud to give us more leg speed on the rebound. Mullet and Richardson on the wings and Wright to fill back into Flash's forward spot when he returns.

Matty is far too short IMO. Why not play Speighta on a wing and either Richo or Mullett on a flank with Scotty Mac. Back line will hopefully look like this:

FB S.Thompson L.Delaney M.Firitto
HB S.McMahon N.Grima A.Mullet/C.Richardson

 

[Mailman]

Dont want small bodied kids in the backline.

Dont want short forwards in the backline.

Dont want slow players in the backline that get torn apart by good teams/players.

Dont want opposition small players treating our backline with contempt.....I want an enforcer down there.

Having said all that.....who does that actually leave? Not many, if any...

Time for a big shift in our backline structure next year i think.

We have to rely on the fact that certain players will improve next season.

Levi (enforcer) to take Firittos spot
Wellsy to take Rawlings spot
Tarrant at Full-Back (one of Thompson and Grima make way......Thompson)
Grima as third tall
Hansen at CHB
And a lottery for the other spot. Richardson, McMahon, Macmillan at the top of the list

Greenwood Tarrant Grima
Wells Hansen Richardson

 

[Robertsonroo]

One of our players recently suggested to me that he could see Majak Daw as a possible Centre Half Back. My HB line would read Jamie MacMillan - Daw - Sammy Wright

Too left-of-centre???

 

[Daz]

One of our players recently suggested to me that he could see Majak Daw as a possible Centre Half Back. My HB line would read Jamie MacMillan - Daw - Sammy Wright

Too left-of-centre???

No idea about Maj but I don't think you could have both MacMillan and Wright in defence. They're a bit slow.

 

[showusyacunningt]

Thompson - The only safe bet out of the older guys to be in the side in 3 years. Quick, takes the game on and uses it well. Excellent 1on1 defender who's better when it's on ground but is improving the air.
Grima - A safe bet if he gets his form back, but that's never a given. We need his ability to kill the ball in the air and also miss his play out of defence.
Hansen - If he wants it he has the tools to be an AA chb. Competes in the air better than any of our other talls but has noted awareness issues.
McMahon - Smart defender, generally puts himself in the right spot and is our best user in defence. Lacks pace and that's always trouble for a defender when you hit 30.
Firrito and Rawlings - Went at 66 and 68% KE this year, big worry when your two main users out of defence don't hit a target a third of the time, the odds would be a lot less when under pressure. Rawlings was a champion defender but Firrito is just ok and doesn't bring enough.
MacMillan - Really like the look of this kid. Not just his dash but his composure and body work in contests has been very impressive. Looks like a natural back pocket, needs to be given responsibility from Rd1.
Richardson - Hasn't really been given a role yet so it's hard to judge him as a defender. Has all the tools to be that sort of half back sweeper we need - pace, ball finding and overhead ability. Skills did improve as he got used to AFL pace so hopefully we can give him a role to see what he's really made of.
Mullett - Haven't seen much but very excited. Has it all but needs an AFL body, another pre-season and we'll see some great things I'm sure.
Tarrant - I like him. Pace and ability below his knees are the issues. I'm sure as he learns more he won't look so out of place. Only played 10 or so games and has showed more than enough.

Our biggest issue is the ball constantly coming back as we struggle to break an opponent's press, getting better users of the ball in will inturn help us defensively.

My back 6 Rd1 2012:
B: MacMillan, Hansen, McMahon
HB: Thompson, Grima, Richardson

 

[Teffy]

That's probably a good post if you format it properly SUYC.

Have you been in to tazaa's bikkie supply?

 

[showusyacunningt]

That's probably a good post if you format it properly SUYC.

Have you been in to tazaa's bikkie supply?

Haha

I've found I have to use a proxy at work or BF crashes, it's not that it's blocked just that it crashes due to some IE issue. Anyway, when I post I get crazy results.

 

[Bren]

The fundemental flaw in our deficiencies can only come down to recruiting methods from 2001-2008. We continued to turn over recycled players and didn't grow our own. Just look at the OP's list as an example... Over half that list is made up of Rookie listed players. This is the reason that we cannot get continuity into the backline, with the revolving door exercise that we have implemented down there. IMO we need to forget Bucher boy and go after the defensive player that we require... Our midfield is coming good with the great young talent... Perhaps Cunners and Atley should take a role there.