We do have a lot of talls now.

So who do we play forward out of Henderson, Casboult, Jaksch, Jones, Watson and Kreuzer

Seems to me that Casboult and Jones cannot play in the back half. If we play Kreuzer he also has to go forward (I guess Kreuzer and Casboult could rotate ... that means no other ruckman).

It looks likely that if Watson plays ... he will also go forward. Henderson and Jaksch could play back but how do they fit in with Rowe and Jamison

Then what do we do with players like White and Everitt.

The more I look at our tall stocks, the more I think we should be going after mids in the draft.

It will be interesting to see which way Madhouse goes.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

Who knows? He is like crazy mad

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Krooz is not a forward

I agree ... but Madhouse says he wants to play him forward at times.

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I am as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!!!

I don't think we're overstocked with talls at all. There's debate over what our fwd structure will be, but personally I think we'll go with Jones, Henderson & Casboult. Down back we'll have Jamison, Rowe & Jaksch. Kruezer will ruck, backed up by Casboult. That leaves Warnock and Wood as ruckmen in the 2s and Watson, Giles & White as key position players in the 2s. Giles is unproven. Watson is no doubt in a make or break year and White is a third tall. We're lucky to have flexibility with Henderson, Jaksch, White and to a lesser extent Watson, but numbers wise we're not overstocked. I'd say the numbers are about right, although if Watson fails and Giles doesn't kick on we will again be undermanned. I'm prepared to take another tall in this draft to help shore things up, and the club has made it clear we'll be targeting a young ruckman, most likely in the rookie draft, but I'd be inclined to use the rest of our picks on midfielders and runners.

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@cecil_anderson

Can't play him on ball for 120 minutes; probably would be able to extract 90 out of him in that capacity. Drifts forward well but needs to learn to be a resting forward option consistently to get the most out of both he and a player like Casboult.

Has done ok out of the square on occasion, but needs to improve his overhead marking. Sadly the techniques for good ruckwork and good marks are almost directly opposing to one another.

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29 different attributes,
And only 7 that you like;
20 ways to see the world,
Or 20 ways to start a fight.

..I've been saying the same thing for a while now, tap work and marking oppose eachother.. ..rucks average less marks than supporters think they should be getting, and usually the better marking rucks are the older players.. ..krooz is above average for his marking ability.. ..the only good contested marking ruck of a youngish age is bellchambers.. ..krooz is more dangerous as a ruck pushing coward, than he is when resting deep.. ..he does however always bring the ball down to ground, we just need a crumber at his feet.. ....but he is huge work horse though, so I'd consider giving a rest on the pine and just work him as a flat out onball ruck..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

..watto is an odd type, that for his size he is actually a running tall versus a power or contested key position..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

I agree.

Can he get lighter? Just to give him that gap between himself and his opponent, if he really is susceptible body on body.
Ive seen him do well body on body. Someone like Hawkins would still rag doll him. Watto has a way to go.
Fingers crossed its this preseason whicg gets him to the next level. He's a confidence player.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Walker and Thomas can play tall. They're mobile and quick too.
Menzel uses his body well and has great hands. Good overhead mark too.
These guys play tall and their speed makes up for the need of a small zippy goal kicker (Bettsy Jeffy)

If those 3 play forward how many KPFs do we need?

No doubt premiership teams have at least 2 Full time bona fide forwards. A strong bodied power full forward and a mobile CHF.
Most have a ruck/ruck relief and that makes it 3 talls.

Henderson is the lead up, and Jones I guess has been brought in to become a lead up CHF.
If they run up the ground they open up the forward line.
This gives us strong presence in the square with either Levi or Kreuzer....and the first 3 at their feet.
The 3 Amigos is a thing of the past. Nice to have a good one like Bettsy.

The there's Jaksch Rowe White Everitt and even Jamison who can play the tall forward role if needed.
They can actually do it.

I believe Giles will come on. I love the whole package.

We have plenty of talls

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Its a complex question, not easily answered.

Every team we'll face during a season is different, they have different strengths and weaknesses, having options for who we play forward and who we play down back will depend on who we play. Also there is the matter of form and injuries. Will Matlhouse rather a settled side week in week out? That again depends on injuries and form. If Henderson for example hits a purple patch slotting everything he kicks through the big sticks, no doubt he'll be the forward option week in week out, and will stay there until injury or form dictates otherwise.

Its really hard to predict where we'll use our players during a season. If we have some luck, a fantastic pre-season and we get a bit of that magic (everything just comes together) anything can happen.

But who plays where I couldn't even guess to tell. But wherever they play, all I want to see is a team determined to improve and NEVER slack off. I give Malthouse one thing, he does do his all to extract the best from his charges and won't put up with slackers.

How about we trial them in different combinations during the preseason and see what works?

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“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn't become a king. The palace turns into a circus.”
Turkish Proverb

Over the past couple of years I have said to my mates whilst watching games that we will have the backbone of a good side when we are strong enough to play M Jamieson as the third tall. No disrespect to him but that would make our back 6 very strong. The emergence of Sam Rowe has filled one of the missing pieces giving us a big strong bloke to take care of the power forward.

There are a few options for CHB, but I like it best when Henderson plays there. Yes he is often a fine forward, but when he is playing well on the HB line he creates, he beats his man and then counter attacks.

But for him to play that role we need another forward to stand up. The two key forwards we have recruited may well fill CHF and FF with Casboult in the FP 2nd ruck. At least we are starting to get the depth in KP players that good sides have.

A couple of good fast mids in the draft and will have the capacity to improve significantly.

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“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

+1.

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O say does that star spangled banner yet wave.

Kreuz was such a good overhead mark and mega accurate kick for goal when he first started out. If he can someohow get some confidence back in his body and re discover this form, he is capable of being a very effective ruckman / forward.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Hopefully such comments were previously made out of necessity rather than desire.

Krooz may need to play up FWD at times with reduced rotations, but at least he can now be a third prong, rather than the main man.

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..back then all the heat was on fev, and he kicked most of his goals as a ruck pushing forward to be a threat, beating his opposing ruck up forward, not so often beating a kpd when resting as a kpf.. ....he plays like an onballer, he is dangerous up forward like a tall midfielder is.. ..as a lead up target he is good, but he doesn't have a kpf natural smarts.. ..he isn't a forward, thrash hm in the ruck, give him a breather on the bench, then back in the ruck..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

Spot on.
And agree that Kruezer is not a forward. He is a ruckman 1st, 2nd and 3rd!! but he did quite well resting occasionally forward in his first year or two - he'd take a mark,kick a goal or 2 pretty regularly.

...and because hes done it before, implies he is capable, so he can do it again if he's 100% fit and not too heavy.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

..^^^... ..goal kicking accuracy for set shots has been a bit off lately, but he's good for a ruckman in terms of marks inside fifty..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..