(03-08-2021, 10:26 PM)cookie2 link Wrote:Further to that, it is very important to play SPS in the role that suits him best. Agree with EB1 that he's not an out and out defender so to play him as one will do nobody any favours.

(03-08-2021, 01:07 PM)ElwoodBlues1 link Wrote:Can you play three small defenders ie Docherty, Saad and SPS whose preference is to play loose/attack and not defend?
I thought Gresham, Higgins and Lonie all played well in the community game and the degree of difficulty will only increase with the Tiger small forwards. Imo two out of our three have to give preference to defending..

(03-08-2021, 10:53 PM)DJC link Wrote:Like all of our defenders, Samo, Doc and Saad are made to look bad by lack of defensive effort up the ground and rebound entries from poor delivery into our forward 50.  How many times did the Saints score after gaining possession on halfback?

I think that Samo, Doc and Saad all defend reasonably well (and Saad’s defensive work is better than I thought), but they are playing to instructions and within a structure that relies on rebounding and retaining possession.  Williamson is another rebounding defender so four of our seven first line defenders are primarily less defensively orientated.

Williamson spent a fair bit of time on the wing against the Bummers and I would prefer to see Samo spending more time there.  Fewer rotations mean that the opportunity to spell defenders on the bench will be limited.  I would like to see our defenders “rested” up the ground and, depending on match ups and game situation, more defensive players like Newnes, Silvagni, McGovern and Newman spending time in the backline.

(03-09-2021, 01:49 AM)Pratty date Wrote:I'd play SPS in the midfield and on the wing. If he needs to 'tag' at times then so be it. He's a natural ball winner and I reckon he's become better defensively by playing down back. I think his footy nous, evasive skills and foot skills would be beneficial in the midfield group.

We've got some players to rotate but we desperately need a big break out year ala Jacob Weitering at CHB from 1-2 midfielders such as Walsh, Setterfield Dow, Martin, Cuningham, SPS, Gibbons, Stocker, Fogarty, O'Brien, and Kennedy. A great big 'next step' if you will. Setters took a nice step forward last year as did Walsh. I'd love to hear those two plus Cripps and Williams mentioned as AA squad candidates with guys like Dow, Martin, Cuningham, Gibbons and SPS riding shotgun as big improvers and regular starting 22 in the midfield/wing group. It would mean we are getting plenty out of our underperforming midfield.

Then there's the likes of Philp, Ramsay, Kemp, Cottrell and Carroll who are still very green and developing.

(03-09-2021, 01:55 AM)LP link Wrote:I liked the look of Setterfield in the practice match, they used him sparingly but he looks cherry ripe!

I think they tried SPS in the mid-field tagger role before and excluding the bounce he hardly got within a kick of his opponent, he's too slow to keep up with most of them in-between the stoppages when he catches back up to the play. So if he doesn't win the football we are one short in open space and that is a big problem. fwiw, It was nice to see Martin with some run-down tackles when he first arrived, I'd forgotten what they looked like!

Maybe Cunningham needs a tagging role to help him take the next step, opponents will try to break away in heavy traffic but if he learns that gig he could be invaluable as he has the pace needed to run and spread.

(03-09-2021, 01:55 AM)LP link Wrote:I liked the look of Setterfield in the practice match, they used him sparingly but he looks cherry ripe!

(03-10-2021, 11:07 PM)Pratty link Wrote:I'd take guys like Dow and Cuningham matching up/tagging opposition mids. SPS too but I like his creativeness also.  Martin I like but gee he goes missing a heap, like McGovern.

My fear is we've paid big money for guys who are flash in the pans type without enough regular substance or meat & potatoes types. I find we cannot rely on those two to be consistent enough. I hope we get more out of them as opposed to highly paid forward flanker types. Martin into the midfield I want. At least 50/50 split but would prefer more midfield minutes.

(03-11-2021, 01:13 AM)ElwoodBlues1 date Wrote:Dow and Cuningham would worry me playing on anyone decent, much prefer Setterfield and Williamson to do run with roles.
I'd like Martin in the midfield to compliment Cripps to offset Williams being out, be tempted to play Eddie to cover Martins absence down forward if that happened.

(03-11-2021, 02:09 AM)LP link Wrote:I think Setterfield will be Cripps main chop-out this season, with Williams, Martin, sMurph and others in the outside roles. Taggers can be anybody, just pick someone who can run and hump!