Blue Sombrero wrote:
bondiblue wrote:
There's 3 parts to our game: Defence (sorted), Midfield (developing and bolstering) and Forwards (developing and in need for more quaity supply).
With one more preseason ahead of this developing group, no doubt the focus will be on bolstering our midfield group, and improving our scoring power. The norm is to sort out the spine first and work from there, but we have a plethora of talls and a push by the coach for versality/swingmen. Lets look at them ie what we have.
We have a few KP players we can swap around but we can't play them all despite the quality.
Last year we saw Marchbank on a wing, Weitering forward, Silvagni at HB, C.Curnow in the ruck.
Talk about veratility.
I expect the revelation, Jones, to continue his form to hold FB and improve (learn from Buddy game).
A.Silvagni proved to be a class and reliable CHB, and consider him to be No. 1 CHB if we are playing to win round 1.
If so, Weitering would play CHF.
The big questions I have regarding our KP stocks.
Is Lobbe to be the KP 2nd ruck in preference to Casboult who did kick over 30 goals? Casboult becomes depth?
Does Curnow trump both Lobbe and Casboult as the forward/ relieving ruckman for Kreuzer?
Will McKay have a great preseason and given time to develop as a leading forward in the seniors?
Macreadie is the natural replacement for Jones, when Rowe and Silvagni hang the boots. Will he play much in 2018?
Kerr's game looked sound in the VFL for a first year kid. Will he be given a taste in the seniors this year?
Can McKay and Kerr become the main targets in our forwardline? Will Ben Silvagni bump one of them out?
We the option above we seem to have enough KP stocks, with or without Lynch, and we just have to win the contested ball in the midfield and work it forward to create opportunities and put it in the hands of bona fide goal kickers.
Geez, Bondi, I thought you were going to resolve all our present and future issues but all you did is ask questions there is no answer to.
One thing we seriously need to do is improve our delivery. Time after time we lock the footy in our forward line and in our half to concede a goal against the run of play because of a run and carry through the midfield and a pass to a forward leading at the ball or into a hole created for him by people getting the hell out of the way.
To my way of thinking, the midfield is the key. yes, we need to get the clearances as you said towards the end BUT we have to use them better. Getting a class clearance and then bombing it to a contest in the hope we will get a chaos goal is NOT the way to go about things. Better forward setup to go with a more organized midfield is the answer.
I see Casboult being the one to drop out in due course. Richmond used Grigg as a backup ruckman in the GF. He didn't get a hitout but he just jumped for the ball and made the opposition ruck work a bit. Perhaps Charlie will be the one. I hope he plays more in the midfield and he is big enough to compete at stoppages even if he doesn't get the hit.
Great times ahead and some of our current favourites are going to have to fight for their positions and one of them is Jack Silvagni who is a great competitor and the family jewel BUT he has a lot of work to do to stay in our first 22.
Ha! Somehow missed this post BS.
I've got my views on the current list.
Its obvious we have plenty of quality KP/tall players.
It's obvious BB's mantra for versatlity.
It's obvious we have a very very young list in need for exposure and development.
I agree midfield is the key, and I am mindful the wheels fell off due to a lack of depth when we lost Cripps then Curnow.
They are back along with Kennedy and Lang to replace Gibbs.
Fisher SPS Cuningham Polson Pickett need time in the middle, and they will add value to our midfield.
I am sure we will take 3 quality mids with picks 3, 10 and 30.
Kerridge, Thomas, Lamb, ASOS and yes, Wright, may all become good depth players in 2018.
They will play a significant role as the kids develop....and tire.
So I'm bullish about our prospects with the midfield.
2018 is the time to start working our way forward to give our forwards the best chance to score goals.
What I am thinking is that Lobbe wasn't traded for just to make up numbers.
I think Lobbe poses a huge threat to Casboult despite his 30 goal season.
I can see McKay given 15 games in 2018, to help him expedite his development.
Lobbe and McKay as our KP size players forward?
Silvagni and Curnow our mobile talls?
Then there's the FA at the end of 2018 we will target....Lynch or Shiel?
We may not need / desperate for Lynch given we will have Ben Silvagni coming in too.
We don't need a super tall forwardline, just a couple of big targets. Who?
Against that backdrop, I feel we will continue to add class to our midfield group next Trade/Draft/FA season and that will set us up for sustained success.
I feel we are ready to compete after this next preseason.
I'm really bullish about our list.