Player Watch Pick #16 (2016) - Todd Marshall

[RangaInTeal]

We had the weakest attack of the top 8 primarily due to most of our forward line consisting of non-forwards (Rat, Narkle, McEntee, Evans, DBJ - albeit the latter has done a decent job up there) and your answer is to chuck another non-forward up there?

I think Visintini at CHF and Luko, Georgiadies, Rozee, Berry, Riolli, SPP, Butters and JHF drifting throughout wouldn’t be a horrible mix.

 

[240volt]

I don't really get the uncertainty. Our preferred set up has been Dixon, Georgiades and Marshall. Lord replaces Dixon, Georgiades is still there and Lukosius replaces Marshall. It was actually kind of weird that we went out and got Lukosius anyway given he's the exact same player as Marshall and didn't fill a need whatsoever so it's actually worked out pretty neutrally given this injury.

The big difference is Lukosius doesn’t fall on his head.
I personally would have told Todd no more son

 

[FishingRick04]

I think Visintini at CHF and Luko, Georgiadies, Rozee, Berry, Riolli, SPP, Butters and JHF drifting throughout wouldn’t be a horrible mix.

JHF CHF

 

[Grave Danger]

I think Visintini at CHF and Luko, Georgiadies, Rozee, Berry, Riolli, SPP, Butters and JHF drifting throughout wouldn’t be a horrible mix.

Has anyone ever noticed that Visentini looks a bit like Stephen Kernahan?

 

[JimmyBC]

Ruckmen are not good permanent forwards in the modern game.

 

[RangaInTeal]

Ruckmen are not good permanent forwards in the modern game.

I don’t disagree but I also think it has benefited Rowan Marshall.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I think to play the 2nd ruck/fwd role, a player has to be able to hold their own as a key forward as a priority. There's no point having a lame duck key forward for 75% of the game so they can backup in the ruck for 25% of the game. It's much better to pick a better quality key forward and cop that you'll be using a part timer in the ruck and plan for that.

 

[dirty2]

I think to play the 2nd ruck/fwd role, a player has to be able to hold their own as a key forward as a priority. There's no point having a lame duck key forward for 75% of the game so they can backup in the ruck for 25% of the game. It's much better to pick a better quality key forward and cop that you'll be using a part timer in the ruck and plan for that.

 

[Bennie the Nurse]

I think Whitlock would be ahead of Finlayson, Rat and the Resting rucks in terms of Forward craft. The body and strength will determine his readiness to be a viable option throughout the year.

I think we play a Resting Ruck as a Key Forward, Soldo, Visintini or Lord throughout the year, but wouldn’t be disappointed if Whitlock was given 3-12 games throughout the year. Anymore and either we are bottom 10 or he has exceeded expectations.

It would be destructive to play Whitlock as a second ruck at this stage in his development. As someone who has played as a ruckman….. you’d be licking your lips to be up against an 19 yo skinny kid with little experience……. It would set back his career and seriously undermine his development and confidence.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

Whoever comes in as the third tall will have to play 2nd ruck.

As others have said, that makes it very hard for Whitlock to play it as a rookie. IIRC he did play extended minutes in the Coates Talent League but AFL is a bit different.

Another alternative is to play a third tall, Horne-Francis or more smaller players and have Soldo on the bench as the 2nd ruck with limited minutes at best up forward.

The Hornet played a decent whack of half forward towards the end of last year.

I'm hoping Lord is ready to go. His 2nd ruck work just has to be decent but you'd want him to show some mongrel up forward and to crash some packs, take a few big marks, kick a few commanding goals, etc. and be a point of difference to Georgiades and Lukosius.

We don't really have that genuine third tall type of player on the list. The Hornet is the closest thing to it but he's needed in the guts.

 

[rogerjames]

Let’s be serious, Finn is very hit and miss and his form last year was crap.
Lord struggled in the Magpies to make an impact.
Esava doesn’t kick goals, we have had enough of forwards that don’t kick goals.
He had one good game but then struggled to hit the scoreboard.
Soldo and Dante are not forwards.
The old put a ruckman up forward because we have nobody else bullshit.
All of the above on last years form are ruckman or SANFL forwards.

Agree with most of this. The advantage of Soldo is he is a good kick for goal. Esava & Lord are not. I would like to see Finn played as a tall defender. I'm not keen on him rucking, think it physically ruins players that haven't played that role in their development years. Finn has been out of form for 1 & 1/2 seasons now. He's a very talented player & we need to find a position that works for him at this stage of his career. I strongly believe that is as a defender & would be training him there all pre-season.

 

[rogerjames]

Look, let's face it. It was unlikely that Todd was going to last the season with his concussion history.
This is a blessing in disguise.
Sad for Todd. Good for our development.

Agree, I didn't expect Todd to play more than 5 games this season due to concussion issues. He may actually play less than that now given his injury. Over his career under Hinkley he has been picked many times when his form hasn't warranted it. Has so much talent but his lack of body robustness & mental toughness has let him & the team down.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Pick the best 3rd tall available, get then pick that player to ruck. It's likely to be either Finlayson or Lord, neither are ideal as a ruck, but it's fine. In the modern game, IMO, it's much better to have a sub par 2nd ruck who might attend 20 ruck contests a game, than a sub par 3rd KPF who is playing forward the whole time.

Unless we're specifically training Soldo to play forward and he can get picked on his merits as a forward, he's in the Maggies for me.

 

[240volt]

Agree with most of this. The advantage of Soldo is he is a good kick for goal. Esava & Lord are not. I would like to see Finn played as a tall defender. I'm not keen on him rucking, think it physically ruins players that haven't played that role in their development years. Finn has been out of form for 1 & 1/2 seasons now. He's a very talented player & we need to find a position that works for him at this stage of his career. I strongly believe that is as a defender & would be training him there all pre-season.

He would have to improve drastically in endeavor on last year.
Not sure if there’s still family problems but last year it looked like he didn’t give a rats behind when he did play.
Hopefully he brings the A game this year.
He could still be a handy utility player if he’s on song.