Trent Croad: Play him as a backman or a forward?

[trunks]

Where do you think the best place for him in the team is?
I personally think he is a far better player in defence rather than foward. We won a All- Australian spot a few years back in the defence and our defence looks a lot stronger with him in it. I don't believe there is a point in playing him up foward he can't kick straight for starters. But a few years ago when Roughead, Franklin and Boyle were much more raw he played down there lot to provide a a big target and create a foward line presence but surly Roughy and Franklin can do that now and we could blood a young player while Boyle is injured.

What are your thoughts?

 

[blackhead&boil]

start him back and throw him forwards if the game circumstances require it...

 

[hawkslore]

I have a feeling we willl be asking that question even when trents retired//all our talls coming thru appear 2 all be 4wards//and maybe not as versatile as trent,,so maybe the backline is his spot if we ave a full list 2 choose from..but this weekend with boyle out and jacobs back i think hed ave 2go 4ward ala blues and kick hopefully a bag of 6//ONYA TRENT LOVE THE TAT//ALL BLACKS RULE!

 

[Roughie]

He can take a great grab but cant kick at goal. I think leave him playing the majority of his time in defence throw him up forward occaisonally and let McGlynn run by and grab a handpass and kick his goals for him.

 

[Bobbyhawk]

i think streaming through the centre from chb and banging long to roughy is his forte

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

Cant believe people keep asking this question.
He is our best CHB. He has been an AA CHB.
He got his first big contract as a CHB.
His fave position is CHB.
His career was near ruined when played forward and elsewhere.
He is a horrible kick for goal.
Pinch hit when desperate or forwards injured.
That's it. No more please.

 

[Smiggs Pig]

I am one of the few in previous forum's that have put forward this view but I believe Trent is a natural forward. I am yet to see any of the characteristics of a great backman in Trent but have seen plenty from him as a forward. However he is the only player we have capable of matching up against the monster forwards of other teams and as a necessity he must play back on the Halls, Browns, etc of the league. Hoping he will be forward this week.

 

[Birchall01]

Cant believe people keep asking this question.
He is our best CHB. He has been an AA CHB.
He got his first big contract as a CHB.
His fave position is CHB.
His career was near ruined when played forward and elsewhere.
He is a horrible kick for goal.
Pinch hit when desperate or forwards injured.
That's it. No more please.

Spot On
People keep mentioning our supposedly potential "top heavy" forward line, now they wanna throw croad down there. We have a shortage of key defenders and we wanna throw away one of our best and stick him up forward, where his kicking for goal is erratic at best.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Back. He's AA CHB and not a reliable kick for goal and the Pies have shown how that ends up.

 

[Old Hawk]

Cant believe people keep asking this question.
He is our best CHB. He has been an AA CHB.
He got his first big contract as a CHB.
His fave position is CHB.
His career was near ruined when played forward and elsewhere.
He is a horrible kick for goal.
Pinch hit when desperate or forwards injured.
That's it. No more please.

Spot on!
We have what we all seem to claim is a great forward line in Franklin, Boyle, Williams, Roughhead and @ the moment Dixon (After Injury)
When Croad streams through the centre and kicks long it is reminisent of the great Peter Knights, and I do't say that lightly.
And has also been said in this thread he was an All Aussie CHB and that he not only loves to play there but also plays his best and most valuable footy there.

 

[kidneyhawks]

start him back and throw him forwards if the game circumstances require it...

spot on. Exactly what i think.

 

[Smiggs Pig]

Lots of good reasons as to why Croad should be considered a backman, however (and I know I will get grilled for this) the fact he was named at CHB in AA team is not one of them. The year he was named AA Trent spent a lot of time forward and did some of his best work there.

Using the same logic Fremantle should be lining Matthew Pavlich up at FB because he was named AA there in a year he rotated between forward, back and midfield.

 

[Trickstar]

I think it depends on the opposition, this week I would start him forward as Adelaide don't have any huge forwards such as a Cloak, Pavlich, Hall and co, so putting him forward initially will leave Adelaide short for height in defence, it will force Neil Craig to make some changes and upset their game plan. I would leave him there for a quarter at least and as long as he is presenting and providing another go to option in combination with Roughie and Buddy and take a few marks then it will be a benefit. If one or two of Adelaides forwards start getting a run on then I would move him down back. We need to be proactive and mix it up a bit. Also we can use Smith down back instead of Croad. I remember him playing against the lions up here in Brisbane and he had something like 7 marks in the forward 50, only kicked 3 or 4 goals so his goal kicking isn't the best. We could make him play forward of the 50m as more of an upfield focus then bomb it into the goal square for buddie and Roughie to take a screamer!

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

I voted for a bit of both. He should start back and play prodominently back, he was AA down there! But as AFL is all about ebs and flows of momentum, when the time comes that we are dominating general play he should be moved forward to stretch the other teams defence, but only for short time periods. His shot on goal lets him down but is a great strong mark

 

[cs61]

The reason we've been so dangerous this year is because we've been able to capitalise on our midfield's work by having multiple targets. Boyle Roughead and Franklin mean there is always somewhere down there to take a mark.

Just having Boyle and Franklin weakens that a little, and makes us a little less dynamic, and are lacking that consistency that Boyle offers as he is more mature with age and experience in terms of time on the list.

I'd be happy to throw Croad forward again now Boyle is out, its an attacking move and can throw the opposition out as I don't think they really ever expect it, or realise that Croad is quite dangerous flying for marks in our forward 50. He has his limitations with our kicking, but overall I think he can do damage as a pinch hitter from time to time.

In a perfect world sure, CHB is his spot, but I think Clarkson has been positive in his approach and he prefers our forward structure to be in place first, and then back whoever is left in our defense to do the job, not the other way around.

I don't think we should be too closed minded with Croad like some people suggest and say "never move Croad from CHB" because he obviously at times has something to offer as a forward, its just working out when the best time to use him is. I think this weekend we'll see him forward at least some of the time, if not for the game.

 

[matrixfire]

start him back and throw him forwards if the game circumstances require it...

Couldn't have said it better myself

 

[Alan Alda]

Back.

He plays well down there and you can tell that he loves it there too. He has a big enough body to match it with the Browns and is mobile enough to run with the Reiwoldts.

Other clubs would kill to have a key position backman like Trent (aside from Geelong who already have Scarlett, Egan and Harley - quality tall backline that one).

 

[ojeriojo]

In a perfect world sure, CHB is his spot

Agreed. If all our players are fit, Croad belongs down back. But there is may be a role for him forward to provide a target if one of our big men is out (e.g. when Franklin was out against Carlton).

I'm not so keen on the idea of him being a pinch-hitter as such during a game, as I think there are others who can have a bigger impact (e.g. Hodge against West Coast).

 

[bungholes_premiers]

mate - put trent whereve the fug we need him !!

 

[kolchak]

Cant believe people keep asking this question.
He is our best CHB. He has been an AA CHB.
He got his first big contract as a CHB.
His fave position is CHB.
His career was near ruined when played forward and elsewhere.
He is a horrible kick for goal.
Pinch hit when desperate or forwards injured.
That's it. No more please.

He spent half that AA season at CHF, and did it very well.

Sometimes he looks good forward, not always. But he has more ability than simply being a KP backman.

 

[phillm1]

I think with trent leve him back as he strong and big but if he plays forwad when needed " i know he cant kick as good" but he still demands a quality defender on him which leves buddy,boyle,ruffy,hodge.mglyn etc with little attention,he will very hard to replace i hope he stays forever CHEERS TRENT

 

[BringBackTheShotgun]

As much as I love Trent, I think this Saturday's game will be a wet, low-scoring slog, and think that we will really need to make the most of every opportunity for a goal. Trent's accuracy is questionable, which I think may prove costly in a game like the one against Adelaide. I think he will do more damage silencing an Adelaide forward, spoiling any opportunity they have for goal and rebounding it for us than he would in the forward line.

In saying that, I'm not against him in the forward line if we are truly struggling there, but start him in the back and let Buddy and Roughy do their thing up front.

 

[RustyHawk]

I'll post this as RUMOUR only.......

Maybe, just maybe the club have been working on Trent's goal kicking..........l

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

I'll post this as RUMOUR only.......

Maybe, just maybe the club have been working on Trent's goal kicking..........l

Whether back or fwd I would hope this is the case rusty. I would hope that maybe, just maybe they have been working on hodgey and roughy's as well.

 

[illnino]

He spent half that AA season at CHF, and did it very well.

Sometimes he looks good forward, not always. But he has more ability than simply being a KP backman.

Couldnt agree LESS!!!--

One out of bounds on the full, coming right up!

Most inconsistent set shot in the AFL for his experience!