TheSwan wrote:
We need a forward 50 tackling machine.
That is all...
Actually we're also going to be looking for Lachie and Kreuzer to make up the gap of about 2.5 contested marks a game that we've lost from Jarrad, and Levi and Kreuzer to make up the 2.5 marks inside 50 a game he provided.
What kept us in games throughout the season was that while we were in the bottom 6 in the competition for contested possessions, we still won a good chunk of clearances (Gibbs, Murphy, Judd, Carrazzo, McLean), and we took grabs inside 50 when we actually got it in there.
Having a dead weight midfielder like Robinson out of the mix is going to help with our retention of possession and delivery inside 50: per game he managed 19.9 disposals, 3 clangers, 2.33 clearances, 3.8 inside 50s and 1.83 scoring involvements (bear in mind I'm note counting all scoring assists, just goals).
Lead the team in average effective disposals and top 3 for average inside 50s but couldn't outpoint Gibbs, Judd, Yarran or Everitt in scoring involvements and barely outpointed Thomas & Murphy. And that's not counting the forwards. Having players like Walker, Thomas and Buckley involved more in that aspect of play is going to be huge for us, but it'd be nice if we have some of our blokes catch it more often, particularly in 50/50 contests. On last year's form, only Waite, Casboult and Jones are likely to do so consistently, so improvement is needed.
Back to forward 50 pressure and scoring opportunities there within, that was mostly provided last season by Menzel, Ellard and Thomas. Menzel did a really good job of pressuring players while being available as a lead target, Thomas did OK with a fantastic work rate, and Ellard was basically there to apply pressure (yes I'm predictably going to point out Ellard but bear with me).
Ellard is a weak link to our scoring movement of the same ilk as Mitch's kicks into 50, Lachie's contested work and the general lack of goals and marking presence from our rucks. The only statistic Ellard lead the forward group in was tackles. The three other statistics he didn't come last in for the forward group were scores, where he edged out Thomas (our high HF), possessions, where he edged out Menzel and Casboult and inside 50s, where he again edged out Casboult and Menzel (our deep 50 targets).
Waite's forward 50 pressure helped make our forward line function better, and Ellard basically wiped up for Garlett's laziness and Casboult being knackered from carrying the forward line. Next season we need to demand more of Menzel and his smaller assistants to create pressure, but our first choice small forward must not be coming in at the expense of goal scoring threat, so that's a no to both Ellard and Armfield. That's why I put Buckley in my lineup and built a HB rotation without Yarran.
Having Yarran, Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Buckley, Thomas, Menzel taking turns terrorising the opposition backs and having players like Walker, Thomas and Yarran more involved in the inside 50s will allow our talls to secure a few more 50/50 contests and easy contests due to quicker kicks in that are more often on the advantage side and will create a positive feedback loop by leaving the marking forward fresher and able to execute more pressure acts. Jones of course is plan B if Lachie, Casboult & Kreuzer don't do the job in terms of marks inside 50.
So in summary we need all of our forwards to scrub up on their weaknesses, and we need to not bring players in just to hit one statistical category alone because that's not a role player: that's a liability. Same goes for our midfielders.
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