hard nuts in the backline

[Wrote for Luck]

We have hard nuts in the backline. For too long too soft.

I always fancied Dawson when he had blood on his hands.

Our blood and guts men:

Simpkin - brutal hardman, punches people
Delaney - crazy eyes nutjob will hurt you especially in the air when you least want it
Wright - born tough, will not blink
Geary - fearless and a bit mental, will go after you and wear you down

I strongly believe your backline must be feared. Reckon Richardson will go for a bit of intimidation.

Bring on the blood and guts brigade and make life hell for forwards. That's my call for 2014.

[Con Gorozidis]

Love it millar. Ive thought on similar lines.
Great sides of the past have always had feared back lines with at least one lunatic. Hawks in the 80s. Eagles in the 90s. Lions in the 00s. Geelong in late 00s.

The last 2 years we played bruise free footy. We lost the game and also lost the physical. I think last year teams would have look fwd in the fixture towards a 'week off' against us.

But if Simpkin and Delaney play together down back - fwds won't be so brave against us.

Agree Wright is tough as mentally and always up for a scrap - by all reports he has bulked up this year so he won't get rag dolled ever again.

Geary is just old fashioned eyes on the footy kind of guy.

Apparently Gwilt is the best boxer at the club but seems to have a calm demeanour and personality and lacks the 'mental, nut job' attributes as you call them..

Throw in Weller and Dunstan in the next 2 years and teams might stop looking fwd on the fixture and start to dread playing us again.

[plugger66]

Think it is the wrong era to worry about hard nuts especially as Simpkin will struggle to get games and IMO Delaney will also be eventually found out. Wright is injured and geary may have to play on the ball. I think beating your opponent will worry players more these days than how hard you are.

[Wrote for Luck]

Simpkin possibly had a problem with Watters or the other way round, and he was injured a bit last year. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a stand out year. And I don't think Delaney will die wondering. He's spent years turning himself into a monster; now that can be unleashed, and we can enjoy the show.

Last season felt a little like Gears was carrying the blood and guts load. And we had a situation where Eddie Betts took out a first year player ('rag dolled'). This can never happen again without brutal repercussions. Eddie Betts should never have been able to walk off the ground that day. Baker would have removed his head.

Same when Newnes got clobbered by Brogan.

Con - you put it very well re Gwilt. I've always admired his ability but have been underwhelmed with his physicality considering his strength and size. And you mention Weller, which I was tempted to do, who could certainly be another certified nut job. Look forward to early VFL shenanigans and mischiefs.

[spot on]

I really hope simpkin can grab his opportunity, love his courage and hardness at the ball and player. Hopefully he won't have to take the really tall forwards now with our new recruits

[Con Gorozidis]

Think it is the wrong era to worry about hard nuts especially as Simpkin will struggle to get games and IMO Delaney will also be eventually found out. Wright is injured and geary may have to play on the ball. I think beating your opponent will worry players more these days than how hard you are.

Agree mostly. There is certainly no longer any place in the game for the hard man who can't play footy - whereas there was in the old days. So if you can't play and execute all the skills etc - as you say you will be found out.

But i still think there is still the elements of double guessing and uncertainty that plays a part. You can't just allow the big Alpha fwds like Buddy, Hawkins, Cameron, Pav to just dominate you and own the fwd line like Kings of the jungle. You need them thinking well this guy is first going to compete against me fair and square and if i do get it on the ground I can expect to be tackled hard and I can't just break his tackles at will.

For e.g Opposition players always try to rough Roo up - it doesn't help them because he just runs them into the ground - but they do try. Perhaps rather than 'hard nut' which might conjure up thugs who can't play (e.g Mick Martyn) we should now use the term 'physically combative' because thats still a good attribute to have imho.

[BigMart]

The backline is,probably the best position for a soft player nowsdays? Except maybe ruck??

Defenders get the cheapest posessions, lay the least tackles, zone off the most...

Jason Gram and Aussie Jones were effective but not very hard defenders...

[The Craw]

My preference is to have hard nuts on the frontline....

[Cairnsman]

The backline is,probably the best position for a soft player nowsdays? Except maybe ruck??

Defenders get the cheapest posessions, lay the least tackles, zone off the most...

Jason Gram and Aussie Jones were effective but not very hard defenders...

I can't recall anyone ever claiming Gram and Jones were hard defenders although Gram played one game in very difficult conditions that would suggest he was capable of being fearless.

Not sure soft players play AFL let alone hide in the backline as you suggest.

[BigMart]

Nice try

Did i say they were soft?

There are however degrees of toughness or hardness

Lenny Hayes..... Right through to Jamie Cripps

Modern Footy allows players who like uncontested ball to zone off across half back
Grant Birchall for eg....

[plugger66]

Nice try

Did i say they were soft?

There are however degrees of toughness or hardness

Lenny Hayes..... Right through to Jamie Cripps

Modern Footy allows players who like uncontested ball to zone off across half back
Grant Birchall for eg....

You said there were soft players in the AFL. Cairnsman has a point. There are no real soft players in the AFL anymore. There is degrees of hardness though. I wish I saw you play. Must have been Hayes and Williams rolled into one the way you attacked the ball.

[PJ]

I prefer my nuts to stay soft but my muscles hard, back line or anywhere else.

[Cairnsman]

Nice try

Did i say they were soft?

There are however degrees of toughness or hardness

Lenny Hayes..... Right through to Jamie Cripps

Modern Footy allows players who like uncontested ball to zone off across half back
Grant Birchall for eg....

If there are players that "LIKE" uncontested ball then surely they would be silly to take to the field in an AFL match and not expect regular physical contests. As best I know AFL is the only contact sport in the world where your opponent can initiate body contact from any angle or position on the field at any time in the game because there is no offside rule and as such you have to not only be trained to expect and handle that type of physical contact, but you also have to have the guts to want to play the game. To me it sounds like you are suggesting players are soft because they only like uncontested ball.

[The Fireman]

That's the good thing about this game...if you have a lack of skill it can be compensated to a certain degree with toughness and I'm not insinuating anything.

[BigMart]

Cairnsman my old knowledgable pal

You are suggesting every player is a 'hardnut' in the AFL?

Is Kade Simpson as tough as Steven Baker
Harry O Brien as tough as Jason Blake
Josh Hunt as tough as Max Hudghton
Jason Gram as tough as Sean Dempster
Courtney Dempsey as tough as Clint Jones
Terry Milera as Tough as Aaron Hamill
Aaron Fiora as tough as Luke Ball

Shoul I keep going....

Some are skilful or fast enough to play AFL some are tougher than others .

[plugger66]

Cairnsman my old knowledgable pal

You are suggesting every player is a 'hardnut' in the AFL?

Is Kade Simpson as tough as Steven Baker
Harry O Brien as tough as Jason Blake
Josh Hunt as tough as Max Hudghton
Jason Gram as tough as Sean Dempster
Courtney Dempsey as tough as Clint Jones
Terry Milera as Tough as Aaron Hamill
Aaron Fiora as tough as Luke Ball

Shoul I keep going....

Some are skilful or fast enough to play AFL some are tougher than others .

Are they soft though as you suggested?