It is fairly evident and simple statement that you need to kick more goals than the opposition to win games, and therefore you need to kick goals. But if i was picking a forward line and a forward line strategy i would also pay an equal amount of attention to the other side of that equation. Saving a goal from the opposition is just as valuable as kicking one yourself. And in modern footy most forward attacks are marshalled from the half back line.
So if i was picking a forward line it would be just as important to me to pick one that can force a fierce contest on the ground at the very least every single time the ball comes in if they can't mark it, lock the ball in and not allow any easy clearances or uncontested marks to the defenders. That hapenned far too much last year. If you kick the ball in to the 50m and it goes straight to a defender without even a contest on the deck you have cost your team a shot a goal and almost certainly conceded a shot at goal at the other end to the opposition as a result.
For that reason i suggested trying Kennedy at full forward and for the same reason McKinley can not be the "focal point" of the forward line. He is far too small a target to hit consistently for the midfielders. You need a target that is big enough for an under pressure midfielder to aim for going forward and who can bust a pack and bring the ball to ground if it can't be marked. That is not McKinley. If we kick the ball to him first option and he doesn't mark it it is an almost certain turnover. Only kick it to him if he is out in space.
So if i was picking a forward line it would be just as important to me to pick one that can force a fierce contest on the ground at the very least every single time the ball comes in if they can't mark it, lock the ball in and not allow any easy clearances or uncontested marks to the defenders. That hapenned far too much last year. If you kick the ball in to the 50m and it goes straight to a defender without even a contest on the deck you have cost your team a shot a goal and almost certainly conceded a shot at goal at the other end to the opposition as a result.
For that reason i suggested trying Kennedy at full forward and for the same reason McKinley can not be the "focal point" of the forward line. He is far too small a target to hit consistently for the midfielders. You need a target that is big enough for an under pressure midfielder to aim for going forward and who can bust a pack and bring the ball to ground if it can't be marked. That is not McKinley. If we kick the ball to him first option and he doesn't mark it it is an almost certain turnover. Only kick it to him if he is out in space.
