The point has already been made that it isn't so much how tall they are, but how flexible they are and how they play.

St Kilda, Geelong and Collingwood who rank as three of the top four defensive units this season all have tall backlines (the other being Adelaide who I haven't seen enough of to comment)

They all still seem able to score and rebound effectively even though they have tall timber.

I fear for Aussie in all of this. What do we do, develop him as a tall forward? Fev won't be around forever.

Would hate to see him go, but boy wouldn't he have some currency at the trade table. Instant CHB for West Sydney or GC17.

Whatever, great insurance for Jamo's dodgy shoulders.

lets not kid ourselves. Setanta has been good, but he is easily replaced by an in form Waite or even Kreuzer as a CHF.

i agree, that the balance of talls is spot on atm. So i would even look at a trading off one of our defenders if we are able to get something we desperately need back (hard mid/ our next FF/ speed etc)

Depends on match-up, as with most modern footy.

We had a big win on the weekend playing the 180 cm Wiggins on the 199cm Westhoff, because Westhoff can be outgunned by someone (anyone) with physicality.

We have room for all sizes and shapes if they have a role in the side and can execute it.

The Cats are on record saying they only play with 2 talls in defense, Saints are not that tall and the Maggies are not that tall.

I think THornton and Bower are enough for us providing Russ can continue to do what he is doing. Walker would be the perfect sized defender for the modern game but his shoulder problem may rule him out.

True. Tall and lumbering is one thing but tall and mobile is something completely different.
Setanta is great below his knees and is finally taking pack marks.
Kreuzer is better on the ground than in the air.
Hampson is one of the fastest on the list, appaerently and even though he isn't taking a lot of marks, was sadly missed at the centre bounces last weekend.
Warnock is apparently moreof your lumbering tall so we can carry him if needs be but the others play both tall and short as Bondi has alluded to and therin lies the secret.

By the way, Waite isn't that tall and Houla isn't that short, either.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

I agree with a great deal that you write Club29, but not on this one mate


St Kilda who have the best defensive record by a fair margin have Gilbert 194cm, Fisher 191, Blake 191, Dawson 195 and Hudghton 191. At times when they have all been fit and available they have played all five, but generally four. With Goddard 191 sometimes rotating through there.

I think Geelong more specifically Hinkley was talking about the forwardline when talking about two talls. I could be wrong or perhaps they talked about both ends...either way if they said that about their backline they spoke with forked tongue Taylor 193cm, Scarlett 192, Mackie 192, Harley 193 and even Milburn is 189. With their injuries they have used Gillies 192, Lonergan 197 and even Corey who is 191, to replace the missing defenders.

Collingwood have used combinations of L. Brown 194cm, N. Brown 195, Presti 191, Maxwell 193 and Goldsack 193. The Pies probably aren't as consistent as the other two in using four talls, but at their shortest use a combination of three of their taller blokes with O'Brien at 187 the fourth.

They aren't full of ruckmen, but these are still tall backlines and not based on a two talls model.

Yeah you a probably right. When i think about it, i dont think of Mackie being a tall like scarlett. So really it depends on the player like many have said.

The saints and the pies use the whole team as defense so perhaps that is different again.

I still think we are best with Bower and Thornton as our tall defenders flanked by more mobile players. It encourages more run. I guess that is where swing man Waite is an advantage. With him in we will never be left short as he is mobile and tall and can play at both ends.

I like the team balance of the one we named against the Cats. Waite in for Wig or Robo and it is just right for me.

stKildas defence does not come from the talls in defence but the defensive pressure all over the ground.. when that was down... take a look at how their talls went against Essendon* on the weekend....

Zac Dawson
Max Hudgton
Sam Gilbert
and Lee Fisher struggled.. and they even had Fisher in the forward line to free up the defence....

They were top heavy!!!

Essendon* rang rings around them till they had a few out injured....


Foolish to watch what STKilda do unless you play the game like they do...

Too many talls.. mobile or not means you dont have the runners... and the players to fan out like runners...

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So who would be your back six if you had a full squad Synbad?

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STURDYISM!!

My back six

Thornton, Bower, Russ, armfield and any of Waite(if fit), Walker (if shoulder is right), Scotland, Joseph, Simpson,Browne and wiggins.

On occasion i would have Austin or Jamo on the bench for insurance depending on how well we are playing. Depending on how well our mids have theirs covered and or if waite is in the team.

I would still count Jamo (horrible year with injury) as part of our best 18 with Bower and T-Bird. Waite and Walks to provide the x-factor and unpredictability of where they will line up to confuse the enemy (although as you wrote earlier it will depend on Walks shoulders as to how and where he can play) We are really only talking one player difference in Jamo.

What we probably can't afford, at this stage of their careers, is to play combinations of Jamo, Aussie and Harts together, that stifles run, more because of the type of players they are now rather than their height. Although I can see where the MC were coming from. We needed gametime into Aussie and to give Harts a chance to save himself. So even though it probably hurt team balance and while they were teaching a few blokes a few lessons, I think they tried a few things... not always successfully

You can say that about any team. If the defensive pressure is down across the ground any backline will struggle. Without the defensive pressure further up the ground and the hard work of their midfield pushing back, a relatively short Sydney defense wouldn't have made two grand finals.

The Bombers were great. Fantastic rolldown, smashed them in contested possessions and held them to about 100 less disposals than their season average. Really put pressure on their usual set up players from their back half in Gilbert, Fisher and Goddard.

One game though does not detract from a whole season where the whole team including their tall backline has been great. You can't just dismiss a quarter of their teams defensive efforts just because they are tall Or their run either.

You forgot Blake and I think you were referring to Sam Fisher rather than the shorter Leigh Fisher, who even if he had played instead of Sam and if a smaller bloke replaced Gilbert, on the day they still would have been flogged for three quarters.

I don't disagree that St Kilda are probably a better side when they play four of their taller defenders, but that is more to do with I don't think Dawson and Hudghton are a good fit in the same side, because of how they play rather than their heights.

There isn't a rule that says that if you reach a cetain height you can't run anymore or that you can't fan out Are all shorter blokes good runners and or willing to run hard enough to create spread repeatedly?

Drug doubts aside I'm sure no-one has said to Usain Bolt...Look sorry mate you are 196 cms so you can't run

I'm not talking about teams full of Presti's, but the best defensive units this year are tall.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one. I have nothing against the tall players. Jamo and AUstin are a couple of my favourites and are both fine players. I just reckon we look better when we have more medium sized players in the backline providing run. It creates run further up the ground and really sets the tone. If we cough up a few pack marks and goals it doesnt bother me providing our run creates more goals our way. Being able to do this for 100 mins is also an advantage of smaller more nimble players.

Fair enough we will agree to disagree

Well this is all very civilized....

....what ever happened to that Melvey guy?

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STURDYISM!!

Benf???

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"Truth, for the tyrants, is the most terrible and cruel of all bindings; it is like an incandescent iron falling across their chests. And it is even more agonizing than hot iron, for that only burns the flesh, while truth burns its way into the soul"     — Lauro Aguirre

NFI Fev. NFI.

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STURDYISM!!

Probably pretty much the same set up... but Simmo across half back(instead of Wiggo)... with Grigg in on one wing...
Not too many teams have 3 big strong forwards...

(thats for current players available..)

Full list... best form players..

Waite playing through the midfield...helping back in defence and ghosting forward as another forward option..as well as creating the missmatch in the midfield for a marking option...

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Andrew Mackie is 192cm's, Bower is 193cm's.

Its not about their height at all, its about how they move across the ground, defend in the air and anticipate an attacking opportunity.

If we are going to be using Wiggo as a third tall in defence then we'll be in trouble more often than not. There's room for another tall backman easily in our lineup.

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We are Carlton, @#$%&! the rest !!!!!!