Goaltracker

[Lods]

So basically what folk are saying is that it wouldn't matter who was up front the result would be the same because of our weak mid-field.

In effect our forward line is irrelevant.

So then why not use it to....
-stack it with players we're looking to delist (one last chance so to speak)
or
-get senior ground time into McKay and Kerr
or
-send Jack Silvagni and Curnow to the Northern Blues for the rest of the year and let the youngsters work out an understanding together.

I still have a hope that towards the end of the year the scoring power will improve significantly on last years totals both for team and individuals...but I doubt it will be until after the bye.

Round 10 last year we kicked 16 goals.
We're likely to slip behind our 2016 total this week.

Sending the same group out week after week just seems a pointless exercise

[DJC]

He would be currently sitting in the top 5 in our B&F so far. 

Sure he is not as tall as some of the giants BUT what he gives around the ball that many just don't see is where he value is. Would be nice to have a taller ruckman but then they wont be able to block, smoother, tackle, harass and be that big extra mid around the contest that big Kruezer is.

Until our midfield group changes drastically he is a very important player. Just look at our winning record without him in the side to realise his value to us.

I don't always agree with David King's views but I was interested to hear him state that Kreuzer is the best ruckman in the competition this season. Of course, that's not based solely on hitouts but King emphasised his work around the ground, marking and the assistance that he provides to our midfielders.

[PaulP]

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

Pretty much agree.

[Lods]

I don't always agree with David King's views but I was interested to hear him state that Kreuzer is the best ruckman in the competition this season. Of course, that's not based solely on hitouts but King emphasised his work around the ground, marking and the assistance that he provides to our midfielders.

The old Ruck-Rover

[laj]

I don't always agree with David King's views but I was interested to hear him state that Kreuzer is the best ruckman in the competition this season. Of course, that's not based solely on hitouts but King emphasised his work around the ground, marking and the assistance that he provides to our midfielders.

I rate what a ruckman does around the ground way more than how many taps outs they get. Often sides dominate hit outs but lose the clearances. Unless you can palm a ball out like John Nicholls or Polly Farmer the hitout stats are overrated. Kreuzer is a way better player this year because of his overall output around the ground, which I put down to him being the lone genuine ruckman. That's more important to me. Never any good when he shares. While playing the dual role maybe taking a little toll on Levi he is still a better player for it too both around the ground and on the scoreboard. Last year, Phillips. Kreuzer struggled bad around the ground, while Levi struggled to be the lone key forward. Like we were playing with 15 players. This year is alot different.

[Mav]

We're just treading water until this 195cm tall forward arrives:

[flyboy77]

No doubt taller than that by now Mav?

[Mav]

Let's hope so.

[kruddler]

Disagree with much of that. Our midfield is a far bigger problem than the forward line...

Fix the midfield, the forward lines all but fixes itself...we're two to three quality mids short.

And Kreuzer, for all his good form, really struggles against the new swathe of rucks considerably taller than him .

put the Crows front 6 in with the way we moved the ball last Sunday after quarter time, we'd score much the same....f... all.

We have a former AFLCA MVP winner in Murphy. He goes ok.
Gibbs, for all the flack he gets, is still an a-grade mid, not A+, but A.
Cripps is breaking all the records for clearances and contested possessions for games played and if he isn't there now, will certainly be an elite mid soon enough.
Kreuzer would be amongst the top 6 in terms of ruck output this season.

There is your starting midfield. Not too much to complain about there.
From there it does drop away, E. Curnow, Graham...etc

However, our forwardline....
Is anyone there considered elite? No.
Is anyone there considered a-grade? No.
Is anyone there considered b-grade? Questionable. Plenty of potential...but nothing guaranteed.

....before anyone says Weitering, he is a gun player, but is not a gun forward by any stretch of the imagination.

In short, our forwardline needs more attention than the midfield.

[kruddler]

Going back to jeza'a point, if we (hypothetically) dispensed with our forward line, and brought in the Crows forward line (Jenkins Walker Betts), and kept everything else the same, what would happen ?

Would they sit in the F50 like spare pr!cks at a Jewish wedding, waiting for half decent delivery (or any kind of delivery), and not look nearly as potent as they do now ?

Would we see an ability to kick higher scores ?

Do our mids subconsciously feel the substandard nature of our forward line (and behave accordingly), and once this change occurs, would they work harder for more and better F50 delivery, because they see a better return for their efforts ?

Is there something in the Crows style and advanced stage of development, that gives them the ability to score 135 points a game ? is it ball speed, is it leg speed, is it cohesion, is it the cattle, is it the coaching ?

If Bolton took over the Crows, would they still be where they are now, playing the way they play ?

Lost of questions that I'm just throwing out there folks.

Bolded the answers.

Bolton, and the players, play the way they play based on the cattle we have. That is, we won't kick too many winning scores with the forward line we have, so its best we hold possession and starve the opposition of chances to score.
When the opposition is double your score your chances of a comeback if the score is 4 goals to 8 is a lot more likely than if the score is 7 goals to 14.