Army the Wonderkid wrote:
With Rance being a premium defender Casboult won't get a touch unfortunately. Those resting rucks can't mark- Gorringe or Phillips.
We'll need our mid forwards to work out but walks was rusty and Everitt isn't in touch.
No small forwards to speak of.
So I'd say a good effort already and a score of 5.12.
Agree Casboult wouldn't get a touch on Rance, moreover would be torched the other way. My preference would be to play Everitt or even White on Rance and try to drag him away from where the ball will probably be kicked, if he doesn't go with his man then hit them up unopposed if the kicker is able. We want to minimise indiscriminate kicks forward anyway. Cas can hold his own against the other Tiger KDs one-on-one, the key then is to try and avoid them double teaming him. So whether you go with a resting ruck or a more mobile type just keep them operating away from Cas to limit the third man up against him. But as you rightly say the problem is none of the other tall/ish forwards are either in form (Walker, Everitt) or much of a marking threat (resting rucks) so Cas remains pretty much our one-out marking threat in attack. We need Weitering down back along with Rowe and Jamison or I'd contemplate Weitering or Rowe forward. And there ain't nothing in reserve to write home about. McKay? injured and not ready (but might have been called upon if fit). Plowman? Injured and not tall enough (but might have been called upon if fit). Curnow and Silvagni not ready and not big enough (yet). Foster not ready. Jaksch coming back from illness and too slight certainly at the moment. Jones - enough said. None of our Rucks clunk marks up forward - the most likely is Kreuzer who we want to be rucking as much as possible, but perhaps we have to consider rucking someone else and plant Kreuze forward most of the time. If a Wood or Phillips or Gorringe could be competitive - even just negate Maric's influence - in the ruck perhaps the loss of Kreuze in the middle could be justified if he can give us a second target up forward, though I'd probably play Kreuze in the ruck and hope against all evidence that Phillips could clunk a mark or two down forward.
Things aren't quite so bad on the small forward front, with resting mids able to assist but we do lack a quality small forward unless Gallucci steps up to AFL quality.
All in all the most obvious weakness we have - WTF is going to kick our goals?