Goaltracker

[jeza]

The media seem to look at our goal tally and then state with great confidence that it is because we have a bad forward line. This is a little too simplistic for me.

The biggest contributing factors to our goal tally are:
A - our midfield
B - Bolton's game plan

We are out-gunned in the midfield by pretty much every club in the comp (outside the core 4).

E.g. line the Saints up against our second tier: Samo / Fisher / Wright / Kerridge / Daisy / Cunningham/ Smedts VS. Koby Stevens / Mav Weller / Montagna / Gresham / Savage / Ross / Steele / Acres / Dunstan.... the list goes on. Outside our top 4 our mids drop away quicker than any other team in the comp.

That's why Bolton doesn't like to handball and move the ball quickly because we can't pull it off just yet and we'll get burnt on the turnover. He dabbled with in the JLT and we clearly weren't up to it and regularly got torn apart.

I agree though... Kreuze / SOS / etc. missing sitters doesn't help!

[flyboy77]

Good post Jeza and very largely agree!

No Graham.

We are two emerging/established good to very good mids short, no question.

Even if SPS and Cuningham make the grade....

I'd like to see Pickett played as a mid in the 2s - that is what e always was, first and foremost but i guess he needs to get his fitness to a minimum level...

[cookie2]

I think the focus will turn to the mid field starting with this year's drafting and trading.

[kruddler]

The thing I'm finding difficult to understand is the "impression" or "reality" that we have abandoned the forward line.
There appears (to me) to be no attempt at all to shake it up.
It's basically the same week after week....and showing no sign of progressing.
None of the forwards from the VFL are getting a run.
None of the guys playing back are being given an opportunity up forward.

Why not swap Weitering for Marchbank in the forward line for a game.
Give Plowman, Macreadie, Williamson...even Alex Silvagni (to shake it up)a run up forward.

Welcome to 6 months ago!

Said it time and time again. We had the worst forward line in the comp last year and did NOTHING to improve it in the off-season.

Why people expected anything different is beyond me.

I still can't believe how good our run with injuries has been this year. If i was told we were going to be basically injury free, i would've expected much more going on the scoreboard up to this point.

[PaulP]

Possible reasons :
1. Our recruiters stuffed up
2. Tanking
3. No decent KPF or small forwards available, once we used our various draft picks to fulfill other priorities
4. Belief that the young ones waiting in the wings will come good.

EDIT :
5. A belief (ahem) that our current senior forwards were sufficient.

[kruddler]

Possible reasons :
1. Our recruiters stuffed up
2. Tanking
3. No decent KPF or small forwards available, once we used our various draft picks to fulfill other priorities
4. Belief that the young ones waiting in the wings will come good.

EDIT :
5. A belief (ahem) that our current senior forwards were sufficient.

IMO, only 3 is acceptable...and even then you could take a chance on someone with a rookie spot.

[Lods]

Welcome to 6 months ago!

Said it time and time again. We had the worst forward line in the comp last year and did NOTHING to improve it in the off-season.

Why people expected anything different is beyond me.

I still can't believe how good our run with injuries has been this year. If i was told we were going to be basically injury free, i would've expected much more going on the scoreboard up to this point.

There's a subtle difference in our observations.

My point is that we don't seem to be doing anything with the list we have to address those forward problems.
There are numerous options we could try but we send out the same structure week after week.

[jeza]

Again... it is too simplistic to blame the forward line. Our midfield is undermanned and incapable of breaking through the flood / press. Our forwards are never one on one.

[Lods]

Again... it is too simplistic to blame the forward line. Our midfield is undermanned and incapable of breaking through the flood / press. Our forwards are never one on one.

But surely there have been games and quarters this year when we've been well on top of the opposition yet the forward set-up has still failed to produce.

[laj]

Again... it is too simplistic to blame the forward line. Our midfield is undermanned and incapable of breaking through the flood / press. Our forwards are never one on one.

I agree, at least partially. Get the ball in quickly enough and the forwards do have more one on one opportunities. We still lack depth in our midfield.

Alot of our forward line though is young, or in Levi's case, plays two roles, where he actually performs best so still has to focus on both roles, so not alot of experience there. From what i've seen we have two potentially very good young key forwards in McKay and Kerr, that may well hold up our forward line for years, but they need to develop. I'd soon play another one, either McKay, Kerr, or even Jaksch, to partner up with Weitering, and let Levi focus on the 2nd ruck role. Might slow things a touch run-wise, but I'd prefer we get games into the young key forwards to help their development along.