Our Dysfunctional Forward Line

[Testekill]

The best FF at the club is Brian Lake. His marking and strength were good enough to control Cloke- so I'm guessing he would be a handful for most FB's. His 55m kick on the run on Friday show how good his goalkicking is.
I know our backline is depleted but Austin and Markovich have held good opponents this year and we should have Morris and Williams back eventually.

I'd only move Lake forward when Morris has had a couple of runs under his belt.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Josh has the luxury at West Coast of being the 4th forward. With Cox/Nat, Darling and JK taking the bigger bodies players. Hill has always been a fantastic contested mark, though he can get out bodied easy by bigger players. At the Dogs he would not have the quality tall timber up front to ease the burden.

Yep, I think this sums it up.

 

[Butane]

Can and VFL watches tell me what Galea's story is Port Melbourne. From what I've seen he'd walk straight in the Bulldogs side as our best forward.

 

[scottyjc]

2. Only one of Grant , Higgins and Gia can be our forward line at any one time.

The simplest and best thing I have read in here.

How long will Macca persist with Higgins/Gia.. it pains me to watch them most weeks. Soft receivers - both players against his mantra of winning the contested ball.


Grant, I don't mind waiting a season or so more. I think his role is slowly changing from being a forward marking target to a lead up the ground play making role. I wouldn't mind seeing him chase the ball as a ruck rover for a few games.

Does remind me of a younger Bob Murphy (minus the polish, and with half the smarts), so maybe a move down back in coming years?

 

[touchwood27]

Galea has been fantastic at Port Melbourne and by far one of the most damaging forwards in the VFL at present.

GALEA believe it or not was always on the outer when playing at Willi under Gotchy. I know there were issues with his attitutde and work rate. Seems to have turned it around.

He is not overlly tall but havent seen him beaten one on one much at all, plays deep forward. Very good hands but probably has missed the boat in terms of an AFL list.

 

[Butane]

Galea has been fantastic at Port Melbourne and by far one of the most damaging forwards in the VFL at present.

GALEA believe it or not was always on the outer when playing at Willi under Gotchy. I know there were issues with his attitutde and work rate. Seems to have turned it around.

He is not overlly tall but havent seen him beaten one on one much at all, plays deep forward. Very good hands but probably has missed the boat in terms of an AFL list.

Thanks Touchwood.

I think it's now been proven that the gap between AFL and VFL isn't as big as some make out. Sure there will be players that don't make the step up but more often than not the mob(us) are better at predicting these mature players than the AFL teams themselves. Just speak to the very keen fantasy players who scream at AFL coaches to give such and such a game because they are killing it in the VFL.

Like I said, it's not an exact science but I think sometimes we complicate football drafting to much while seeking the edge.

We need goal kickers. Go and get them.

 

[StringyDog]

How long will Macca persist with Higgins/Gia.. it pains me to watch them most weeks. Soft receivers - both players against his mantra of winning the contested ball.

So your plan to fix a dysfunctional forward line is to get rid of the 2 best forwards

We would be kicking soccer type scores without these 2.

 

[StringyDog]

We need goal kickers. Go and get them.

You mean like Tory Dickson, I think he shows the gap between being a big goal kicker at lower levels and stepping it up to AFL level.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

hey guys. Just wondering why Zeph Skinner isnt playing 1's? Would imagine he would add to your forward woes right about now...

 

[Igloo]

hey guys. Just wondering why Zeph Skinner isnt playing 1's? Would imagine he would add to your forward woes right about now...

He's a long way off. Having trouble impacting at VFL level, let alone AFL. The week before last he had a good game, but before then he was hardly even getting near the football. Last week the conditions didn't suit him at all, so I think we can put that one behind us, but yeah, a fair way off AFL football.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

He's a long way off. Having trouble impacting at VFL level, let alone AFL. The week before last he had a good game, but before then he was hardly even getting near the football. Last week the conditions didn't suit him at all, so I think we can put that one behind us, but yeah, a fair way off AFL football.

i loved his work pre season... some blokes are average VFL players yet step into AFL and go well... possible he is one of them? VFL is a very different game...

 

[Butane]

You mean like Tory Dickson, I think he shows the gap between being a big goal kicker at lower levels and stepping it up to AFL level.

Yes, like Tory Dickson. He'll kick goals at AFL level if given enough chances. Wouldn't mind a bigger bloke though with a proven goal scoring record.

 

[yebiga]

A forward, my kingdom for a forward!

Let's be honest we simply no longer have one. We have Dalhaus who looks like he belongs there. Then we have some who might, could, need time or something: Jones, Higgins, Grant, Cordy.

Then we have Gia. God bless him, he somehow gets all alone on the end of a Griffen Goal to toe pock it thru, finds himself mismatched momentarily against a short Marty Clark to take a fabulous mark, and engineers two crafty frees; ensuring he is still in the side next week. He is surviving entirely on smarts and the lack of alternatives at the club.

You have to wonder about our recruiting over the last decade. It seems we just can't develop a decent forward. Poor Johno had to move from the mid field and carried it for 5 years, Aker gave a chop out and then Barry had to carry it for a couple. There is still nothing new there.

You have to wonder about our forward line development because they are not progressing: Higgins, Grant, Hill, Cordy, Roughhead, Minson. Whatever we are doing it is not working.

Pods was hanging around in the VFL but overlooked. There are others there now also being overlooked: Galea, Burstin to name a fee. Dickson looks like the best we have got and he is hanging around at Willi. I Hill just has to play Now!

 

[black pup]

I hope we take the best two kids available I this years super draft. Galea you would have to be joking, no more quick fixes lets work the system to our advantage, we are developing our younger players very well and our key forward options are coming along nicely. Tom Hill Ayce Cordy, and young Jack Redpath is learning and getting better each week.

 

[CrozaN]

Elevate Tom Campbell and problem solved.

He showed during the NAB he can be the next big forward and took several good contested marks.

He is our future IMO.

 

[tonydean]

So your plan to fix a dysfunctional forward line is to get rid of the 2 best forwards

We would be kicking soccer type scores without these 2.

Mate you need to open your eyes a bit more. We are kicking soccer scores at the moment with these 2 in the side. If we took them two out of the side, and played someone like Grant/Hill/Campbell we would be kicking more goals. Stop protecting inept forwards.
Gia got 3 goals on friday night, 1 from a free kick, and one that was going through anyway, and he nearly fell over it in the goal square.

 

[StringyDog]

If we took them two out of the side, and played someone like Grant/Hill/Campbell we would be kicking more goals.

Dogs goalkicking

1. 8 Giansiracusa
2. 6 Higgins, Cooney, Jones

You think taking our 2 highest golakickers is going to lead to more goals , you're reaching new levels now tonydean.

 

[stefoid]

Gia showed what he can do with a chance to compete 1:1 with his opponent against the pies when we actually moved the ball quickly. Its pretty hard for anyone to score, let alone small forwards, when the entire opposition team is in your forward half and the ball is delivered high and and long.

The guy can play , we know that - hes been hampered by injury recently and on a hiding to nothing as a small forward in a team that moves the ball forward at a glacial pace.

 

[Mofra]

If we took them two out of the side, and played someone like Grant/Hill/Campbell we would be kicking more goals.

Our major issue is experience - raw types like Jones & Cordy are being asked to become the major target for F50 entries at different stages of the season. More inexperience is not a panacea to this issue.

As stefoid noted, moving the ball in quicker will help somewhat with our efficiency - with Sherman, Dahlhaus and Grant running onto the ball, we will often have a chance of a big guy bringing the ball to ground, then using the only real pace we have in the side to manufacture something.

As it stands, we simply don't have the ability to slowly hit up targets in the F50.

 

[beaser]

This year is depressingly like the Year Adrian Campbell won our goalkicking with 23 goals 1989 i think.Im for at least giving the new Campbell a try.

 

[tonydean]

Dogs goalkicking

1. 8 Giansiracusa
2. 6 Higgins, Cooney, Jones

You think taking our 2 highest golakickers is going to lead to more goals , you're reaching new levels now tonydean.

Yeah ok Griff's Revenge, let's just stick to what's not working

 

[nicko77]

You mean like Tory Dickson, I think he shows the gap between being a big goal kicker at lower levels and stepping it up to AFL level.

A bit too early to be making a call on Dickson. He's gone from being a part-time footballer and full time tradesman to a professional footballer in the space of six months and he needs to be given further opportunities, which I'm sure will come down the track.

I don't know what the answer is in the forward line, I think they have to keep persisting with Jones and Grant until someone else is ready and keeps putting their hand up week after week to be picked. But what I do know is if they move the ball quicker like they did early against collingwood it will make life a whole lot easier for them.

 

[Lex22]

Skinner should be playing imo. Don’t think we will lose a lot by getting 10-15 games in to him this season. Jones, Cordy, Skinner, Grant and possibly Hill should be getting every opportunity to work together throughout 2012/2013. I reckon Lake will spend the rest of his career forward when Marko, Williams and Morris return. Should soften the workload on Jones especially and maybe even allow him to play up the ground a bit more. I think we are all being a little impatient on the young KPP’s. They will come on and I reckon they will be a pretty daunting prospect for opposition defences 2014 onwards.

 

[StringyDog]

Yeah ok Griff's Revenge, let's just stick to what's not working

Higgins is about the only thing that is working in our forwardline at moment, the funny thing is you bitch about so called soft players getting games but when they are found out early and delisted like Everitt you think they didn't get a chance, how'd he go on the weekend supersub 1 handball and 1 free against, what an impact player.

A bit too early to be making a call on Dickson. He's gone from being a part-time footballer and full time tradesman to a professional footballer in the space of six months and he needs to be given further opportunities, which I'm sure will come down the track.

By all means Dickson may turn out a player and I have certainly not written him off, but he isn't going to be a 40+ a year goalkicker.

 

[skooshtamart]

Our Forward Line

Higgins needs to stay, young, he can use both sides of the body, & can mark.

Gia, has to go, his 3 goals consisted of a potential touched on the line, when he should have blocked the defender from touching the ball. A free kick from him falling over causing the backmen to fall on him (cheat). And a peach of a kick from Libba (great vision) to advantage which anyone could have out marked the full back of the century. his defensive pressure is non existent, opposition coaches launch attacks with his opponents.
Skinner, Grant, Hooper, Dickson provide a better defensive options

Jones has to stay his stats are better than Cloke after 30 games

MARKS 140-130, GOALS 31.18 - 16-28, CLANGERS 7-19
his break out game is fast approaching, hope its against a contender.

Dahlhaus in, Cooney in, give Campbell a crack.

Would like to see Murph pinch hit around CHF during games, he needs to be kicking the ball from between the centre and CHF.

Leave lake in defence, marking a ball against a forward who is also trying to mark (lake's strength) versus marking a ball with someone spoiling is completely different.