- Apr 25, 2013
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- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
I am a fan of playing another tall, mainly because once Trengove was not available, Westhoff was used more in the back and ruck. I noted that did not happen as much against the Suns.Key forwards are a different kettle of fish.
If Lobbe went down we'd play Hugh Minson or Fabian Deluca if he was available. Why? Because you need at least one big boy to serve as a human totem pole all day, banging in to the other team's totem pole and so on. It's just the way it is.
Butcher, in structural terms has something of a gold pass because he's 197cm. Sam Gray and Kane Mitchell aren't. They're dime-a-dozen smalls recruited literally as an afterthought.
Again I point to Sam Reid. Another negligible performance on stats, but Buddy and Tippo keep making hay while he doesn't shine as it were.
I'd pick Butcher on size alone. The benefits to Schulz and Westhoff would be worth it alone. If he snags one or two or creates a couple himself, bonus.
Put the argument the other way. What if our forward line was firing with Neade, Westhoff, Schultz, Butcher, Harvey and Wingard. If Neade goes down and Shaw was playing well, would he be brought in. Not in a month of Sundays. So why not the reverse?