What do we do about our small defender position??

[DanA]

As far as I can tell, Mullins played a pretty flawless game positionally. He didn’t see a lot of the ball as we’ve seen Bews do 100’s of times. There was one push in the back in a marking contest 65m out, and he missed Holmes on a chip kick that could’ve been costly. That was the sum of his mistakes.

None of those goals in Freo’s run were on Mullins.

Guthrie was on Reid and Mullins was 50m away on Frederick for the first.

The second had nothing to do with Mullins either. It was a fast break where Henry was caught one on one with Reid in an impossible situation. Mullins was further up the ground forming a wall a kick behind play. The fast break broke through too quickly for anybody to get back. He did well to get close thanks to his speed.

The 3rd Mullin was not to blame. He was glued to Reid but handed him off to O’Sullivan and zoned off (the correct play). The ball was kicked over Mullin, O’Sullivan spilled it for a goal line goal.

The 4th was not Mullins fault. He was tight to Reid but had to leave him to cover a loose man with ball in hand 15m out from goal.

Crazy to pot Mullin’s positioning. He needs to find more of the ball but he did not else much wrong.

 

[iameviljez]

Crazy to pot Mullin’s positioning. He needs to find more of the ball but he did not else much wrong.

Yeah, I agree. I find the whipping-boy nature of it a bit over the top as well. Bews or Jack Henry gets nine touches and he's "doing his job".

For the moment, I think we persist will giving Mullin game time. He's obviously a very good athlete, and has a decent ceiling.

When we get better player availability - i.e. Guthrie or Bruhn come back, or Clark shoots the lights out and demands a senior role - then O'Connor or Guthrie can drop back into defence. But it's early in the year and we can carry young players a little in the name of development.

 

[Warhorse]

36 total games

• 17 VFL matches
• 19* AFL matches; activated sub on 4 occasions and subbed off once

36 matches and poor in pretty much all of them.

I don't really care if he provides drive out of the backline. We have Lawson, Stewart and even Holmes/Zuthrie who are capable through there kicking or leg speed. Needs to learn to become a lockdown defender first before his offensive game should be considered.

 

[Gazzathegoat]

Atkins could get thrown back if we're desperate. We have more than enough midfield depth now.

Mullin is more than servicable until Kolo / Bews return.

Zuthrie plays well on small/medium forwards.

Hawthorn will be the test with their mosquito fleet of small forwards. If the ball hits the ground, we will be in danger.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Mullin was fine. Good first half and he didn't do much wrong in the run of goals. We're not playing through him so he's not going to get it much but he was getting hands in when outnumbered and his defensive positioning was good.

O'Sullivan was probably the one who had a couple of moments in the 3rd quarter he'd want back. But it was his second game. We noticeably dropped SDK more behind the ball early in the last and released COS more probably just to take the pressure off him a bit.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

There are two free agents we could target to cover this spot. Starcevich and Maynard. They’d both be hard to get out of their clubs but either would be a good solution.

Starcevich is elite as a small defender. His career might be heading the wrong direction with his third concussion in a row on the weekend

 

[iameviljez]

There are two free agents we could target to cover this spot. Starcevich and Maynard. They’d both be hard to get out of their clubs but either would be a good solution.

If there is one position it should be reasonably easy to fill, it's small defender.

A lot of good small defenders have come from midfielders who were squeezed out - Hunt, Enright, Wojcinski, C Guthrie. Others - like Mackie and Jack Henry - didn't quite make it up forward, but found a niche down back.

IMO there should be someone on the list who can make a fist of it.

 

[you pick one]

Hope we get this Saints side out there today next week they are crap.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Last line defender he isn’t. We knew that already.

My concern is that we blame the last defender when the entire process is at fault.



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I agree with that but both things can be true

Ie the team needs to improve as a whole defensively
And secondly the coaches should not be stubborn and should play him on the wing instead of the back pocket.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

There are two free agents we could target to cover this spot. Starcevich and Maynard. They’d both be hard to get out of their clubs but either would be a good solution.

Starcevich you would be brave to give him a big contract now due to the concussions.

Maynard would be ideal but I think he's happy at Collingwood and I think it would be too hard to convince him to come.

But you are on the right track these are the type of players we should target.

 

[BennyGan]

does anyone think Teddy could be converted to a defender? has the speed and toughness and loves to tackle
I cant see him getting into the side as a forward

 

[Gee Class Loco]

does anyone think Teddy could be converted to a defender? has the speed and toughness and loves to tackle
I cant see him getting into the side as a forward

Any quick small forward would tear him and us apart... he is and has been lacking in quickness and speed his whole career thus far... needs to do a bit of speed sprint work IMO but i have my doubts.

 

[Vdubs]

36 matches and poor in pretty much all of them.

I don't really care if he provides drive out of the backline. We have Lawson, Stewart and even Holmes/Zuthrie who are capable through there kicking or leg speed. Needs to learn to become a lockdown defender first before his offensive game should be considered.

why should he learn to be lockdown defender first? his speed asset is superior to others

 

[Pure_Ownage]

does anyone think Teddy could be converted to a defender? has the speed and toughness and loves to tackle
I cant see him getting into the side as a forward

I was saying this on the other thread. Good idea. Question mark might be his kicking skills.

 

[Warhorse]

why should he learn to be lockdown defender first? his speed asset is superior to others

Because he gets bags kicked on him?

 

[My Tilly]

Why can’t he break lines from defense?? He just is a very poor reader of the game

Bit easier to play your own style of game as a midfielder. See ball, get ball. Mullin's footy IQ is lacking for a defender. It's why he looks good as a tagger.

 

[My Tilly]

Having said that, there was a time when Blicavs was all at sea in his first couple of seasons. Lacking footy IQ. Took him a few years to finally develop into the game.

 

[Mr Meow]

He's too busy playing 14% game-time as a mid.

What's even the point of a post like this? If anything it endorses his potential to be trialled elsewhere (if midfield minutes are tough to come by), yet comes across as an intended bitch at the MC or Clark himself.

 

[Mr Meow]

Yeah, I agree. I find the whipping-boy nature of it a bit over the top as well. Bews or Jack Henry gets nine touches and he's "doing his job".

For the moment, I think we persist will giving Mullin game time. He's obviously a very good athlete, and has a decent ceiling.

When we get better player availability - i.e. Guthrie or Bruhn come back, or Clark shoots the lights out and demands a senior role - then O'Connor or Guthrie can drop back into defence. But it's early in the year and we can carry young players a little in the name of development.

Have you changed your mind on Jack Henry's potential?

Was very good, and prolific on the weekend - similar to his 2021 season (and some halves rather than full games in 2024).

I think you undersold how good he can be for this team if he's at his absolute best.

 

[DanA]

I just don’t see a problem. I’m pretty happy with the wingers we have (Smith/Dempsey) and I like Mullins as a small defender. His speed is rare and allows us to be more effective with a high line.

I’d like to see him get more ball and offer more on the rebound but a lot of that is curbed by his assignment.

Really I think the only backline change I want to see is Kolo for O’Sullivan.

Outside that, I’d shuffle Bowes to the midfield group to make way for Mannagh (squeezing O’Connor out). I’m pretty keen to get a few months into Knevitt on ball after his Rd 1 performance but he’s probably the one to make way for Bruhn. It’s the same with Mullin. I’d like 6-8 weeks to see how he acclimates.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Knevitt?

You want a guy who is 194cm playing small defender?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Bring on the Hofmann

Has he got a frame filled out enough to stick tackles at AFL level yet? I'm not against giving him a run but would like to see some VFL at least from him first.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Could Bruhn play back pocket?

Probably not fast enough

I don't think he has the acceleration

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I’ve been thinking Jhye Clark.

Maybe worth a shot but I would assume he doesn't have the tank to play out a game chasing a small

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Mullin has what many players don't have, and that is elite pace and physicality, but he is raw.
I like it when he is in the team.
Specific small defender roles- we have 2 ideal players imho- Atkins and Clark, if Bews does not make it back, if Bruhn comes back in, if Mullin gets moved. Lot of ifs.

Like it or loathe it Atkins was or number 2 player for cbas. I don't think we have the depth to move him out the middle. Clark also I'm not sure has built the tank yet