Do we stick with three tall forwards?

[bigcarl]

... or two and a half, given that Membrey, strictly speaking, is an in-between size?

I say yes, give it a fair run and see if it can work.

Admittedly Paddy wasn't great Saturday. His timing was off and he looked to be labouring.

But it is only one match. I reckon you go with what you've got to a degree. You find a way to get your best footballers on the park unless team balance will not allow it.

It may be that Paddy isn't in our best footballers, of course, but I'm not willing to call that yet.

What's everyone else think?

[St Loxton]

We need to get Paddy out one on one more often, deep inside the 50.
I know it's hard to have that space in modern day football.
Have Members and Bruce marking around the arc of the 50, and the small fwds buzzing within the Bermuda triangle.

Maybe it is too old school.

I just hope they really give the 3 plenty of chances to click because if it does click for us, we would have one of the most dangerous fwd lines in the game.

[parkeysainter]

Yep. We need 3 talls as 1 of them will need to be resting at times during the game so on occassion we will only have 2 key forwards on the field. Members isn't really a key forward anyway. He is more of a taller HF.

Throw in the crumbers and small fellas like Gresh, Long, Billings, etc. and the forward line is well balanced.

[saint-stu]

Paddy had a quiet game. Looked very rusty and low in confidence, yet he kicked one, should have kicked another but gave it to Bruce instead, and missed a set shot. Could easily have kicked 3 goals. Once he gets a decent run and starts stringing games together, I think he will be a good key forward. We need to forget the draft number and hope he gets some continuity and no more injuries.

I like the combination of Paddy, Bruce and Membrey. They're all such different players and each offer something to the team.

Besides, Membrey is not much bigger than Jack Billings. Shorter than Shady Acres.

[stonecold]

Yes!!!!!

[parkeysainter]

Interesting side note: not one of our starting forwards has played a 100 games yet or is over 25 years old. That is a very good stat to contemplate.

Bruce is oldest (25 years) and has played most games (89).

You look at a guy like Membrey, he has only played 50 odd games and is only 23 - he will get even better. Paddy is still 21. Plenty to like Saints fans.

[stonecold]

Interesting side note: not one of our starting forwards has played a 100 games yet or is over 25 years old. That is a very good stat to contemplate.

Bruce is oldest (25 years) and has played most games (89).

You look at a guy like Membrey, he has only played 50 odd games and is only 23 - he will get even better. Paddy is still 21. Plenty to like Saints fans.

Well said, also our only Big Bloke that is old is Brown and as we know, Big Blokes take Longer!!!!! Haha!!!!!

[parkeysainter]

Interesting side note: not one of our starting forwards has played a 100 games yet or is over 25 years old. That is a very good stat to contemplate.

Bruce is oldest (25 years) and has played most games (89).

You look at a guy like Membrey, he has only played 50 odd games and is only 23 - he will get even better. Paddy is still 21. Plenty to like Saints fans.

Well said, also our only Big Bloke that is old is Brown and as we know, Big Blokes take Longer!!!!! Haha!!!!!

Like Brown alot as a stopper, but he is warming the FB spot for either Claravino, Austin or Goddard when ready. I would prefer it was McGovern in 2019 but lets see.

[stonecold]

Interesting side note: not one of our starting forwards has played a 100 games yet or is over 25 years old. That is a very good stat to contemplate.

Bruce is oldest (25 years) and has played most games (89).

You look at a guy like Membrey, he has only played 50 odd games and is only 23 - he will get even better. Paddy is still 21. Plenty to like Saints fans.

Well said, also our only Big Bloke that is old is Brown and as we know, Big Blokes take Longer!!!!! Haha!!!!!

Like Brown alot as a stopper, but he is warming the FB spot for either Claravino, Austin or Goddard when ready. I would prefer it was McGovern in 2019 but lets see.

This!!!!!

[supersaints]

Interesting that jimmy Bartell ( who's football knowledge I really rate) said that the Saints should go with three talls and not follow the way some sides have gone smaller. Thinks it will work and cause more headaches to opposition backlines because they have to pay attention to them all. Thinks that as they gell together and the smaller quicker players buzzing around will create more than enough pressure should the ball fall to ground.
On another footy show someone else said the same type of thing , The idea being two players to lead out and give three options and leaving one of them plonked in the square one on one.

While Richmonds small forward line did help them get a flag, it wasn't Hardwicks plan , one of his assistants tried it it practice matches and it was dumped for the season proper , they got injuries to their talls and had no other options. There was an article somewhere on all this , Townsend for example was a last resort and told just to go in the forward line and create pressure, he kicked about six the coaches were shocked . It wasn't some radicle plan .....the planets aligned, just like they did for the Bulldogs when they were forced to play Boyd in the ruck and he played a blinder ... never to be seen again Whether short forwards will end up sustainable time will

I think Bartell may be right .... if Paddy comes good we will soon see. If he doesn't I'm tipping we will still go three talls with Marshall when he is ready

[bigcarl]

Interesting that jimmy Bartell ( who's football knowledge I really rate) said that the Saints should go with three talls and not follow the way some sides have gone smaller. Thinks it will work and cause more headaches to opposition backlines because they have to pay attention to them all. Thinks that as they gell together and the smaller quicker players buzzing around will create more than enough pressure should the ball fall to ground.
On another footy show someone else said the same type of thing , The idea being two players to lead out and give three options and leaving one of them plonked in the square one on one.

While Richmonds small forward line did help them get a flag, it wasn't Hardwicks plan , one of his assistants tried it it practice matches and it was dumped for the season proper , they got injuries to their talls and had no other options. There was an article somewhere on all this , Townsend for example was a last resort and told just to go in the forward line and create pressure, he kicked about six the coaches were shocked . It wasn't some radicle plan .....the planets aligned, just like they did for the Bulldogs when they were forced to play Boyd in the ruck and he played a blinder ... never to be seen again Whether short forwards will end up sustainable time will

I think Bartell may be right .... if Paddy comes good we will soon see. If he doesn't I'm tipping we will still go three talls with Marshall when he is ready

Good stuff. I hate it when clubs mindlessly follow what the reigning premier did the previous season, as though that is now the only way you can do it. Much prefer that we be trend-setters rather than sheep.

[saynta]

Paddy had a quiet game. Looked very rusty and low in confidence, yet he kicked one, should have kicked another but gave it to Bruce instead, and missed a set shot. Could easily have kicked 3 goals. Once he gets a decent run and starts stringing games together, I think he will be a good key forward. We need to forget the draft number and hope he gets some continuity and no more injuries.

I like the combination of Paddy, Bruce and Membrey. They're all such different players and each offer something to the team.

Besides, Membrey is not much bigger than Jack Billings. Shorter than Shady Acres.

Good post.

[saintsRrising]

Interesting that jimmy Bartell ( who's football knowledge I really rate) said that the Saints should go with three talls and not follow the way some sides have gone smaller. Thinks it will work and cause more headaches to opposition backlines because they have to pay attention to them all. Thinks that as they gell together and the smaller quicker players buzzing around will create more than enough pressure should the ball fall to ground.

THIS, plus you need to make the best of what you have.

Also
- you CANNOT just consider any 3 players in isolation. It has to be considered in terms of all our players, and also the team gameplan rolled out.
(so as mentioned when those three are blended with Billings, Gresh, Long, Sinclair, Stevens, Hunter etc.... you consider the whole)
- Membrey while a very good mark is not a tall
- Membrey and Bruce are both very mobile. Bruce has a huge tank

Way, way bigger problems to me are:
- Ruck/follower. It is not just tap-outs, but impact around the ground
- Disposal skills. No team is perfect, but we still hand the ball back to the opposition too often to be a good team. And indeed doing this against good teams is deadly.
- Moving the ball more directly and quickly (At present the quick gets confused with just handball quickly to the NEAREST St Kilda player rather than to the best positioned St Kilda player (doing this last season is while Sinclair's Champion Data rating was so high. We need more players using the ball WELL)

Also yes we need some young players to become elite, and others who are average to become good, and for some GOPs to become average.

ie Acres rolling out games like he had against the Lions on a regular basis .

[BringBackMadDog]

We kicked 16 goals for the game and that is with us getting belted in clearances and contested ball. If we were to get first use and move the ball quickly I think we have the right balance in the forward line to really trouble teams. McCartin is the only forward who is not very effective when the ball hits the ground, Membrey and Bruce are very mobile and have great tanks so they can provide defensive pressure and work up the field.

[saynta]

s*** yes, We stick fat.

[barneyboyz]

We kicked 16 goals for the game and that is with us getting belted in clearances and contested ball. If we were to get first use and move the ball quickly I think we have the right balance in the forward line to really trouble teams. McCartin is the only forward who is not very effective when the ball hits the ground, Membrey and Bruce are very mobile and have great tanks so they can provide defensive pressure and work up the field.

Yes, McCartin is the only one not mobile, if we had three like him (or traditional talls) then No. Interestingly, many of our turnover goals were kicked by smalls that were more mobile and reading play well.

I think Paddy is being asked to roam more than he would like just to get fit. Once he gets there and spends more time at home, he will be getting those goals too

[ROLS-LEE]

Yes but then we need less inside mids and more mids with pace. Having 3 talls and a slow inside mids makes us look like treacle.

[saynta]

Yes but then we need less inside mids and more mids with pace. Having 3 talls and a slow inside mids makes us look like treacle.

We looked pretty quick at times against the Lions who are not slow.

[Joffa Burns]

We need to get Paddy out one on one more often, deep inside the 50.
I know it's hard to have that space in modern day football.
Have Members and Bruce marking around the arc of the 50, and the small fwds buzzing within the Bermuda triangle.

Maybe it is too old school.

I just hope they really give the 3 plenty of chances to click because if it does click for us, we would have one of the most dangerous fwd lines in the game.

I see where you are heading St Loxton and agree its worth a try, however against the Bears we got most of our goals leaving space open and running back to goal. If the big fella is deep it may throw the whole game plan out and take up the space or leave the opposition with a goal keeper.

[barneyboyz]

Yes but then we need less inside mids and more mids with pace. Having 3 talls and a slow inside mids makes us look like treacle.

Not if two of those three are quite mobile, and can go through the middle

[ROLS-LEE]

We move the ball fast by disposal but that also causes us to turn it over because we dont move fast.
We are not a fast team in running and spreading.
Lucky Dunstan was not in and i dont think we can play all three inside mids in Steele Dunstan and Stevens.
Steele seems too defensive so far and needs to be more attacking.

[saintspremiers]

We kicked 16 goals for the game and that is with us getting belted in clearances and contested ball. If we were to get first use and move the ball quickly I think we have the right balance in the forward line to really trouble teams. McCartin is the only forward who is not very effective when the ball hits the ground, Membrey and Bruce are very mobile and have great tanks so they can provide defensive pressure and work up the field.

Yes, McCartin is the only one not mobile, if we had three like him (or traditional talls) then No. Interestingly, many of our turnover goals were kicked by smalls that were more mobile and reading play well.

I think Paddy is being asked to roam more than he would like just to get fit. Once he gets there and spends more time at home, he will be getting those goals too

WHY is Paddy so slow???

[samuraisaint]

Yes.
Paddy - stay at home full forward
Membrey - Half Forward Flank
Bruce - Centre Half Forward - no ruck duties please (unless the ball up is actually in the forward line, then it's okay)

[samuraisaint]

WHY is Paddy so slow???[/quote]

This is the $64,000 question. I thought all he was doing for most of last year was fitness work and running. Lockett was extremely quick and powerful on the lead.
I think Paddy should be played as a stay at home full forward anyway. That is what he was recruited to be. Horses for courses.

[Scollop]

This is the $64,000 question. I thought all he was doing for most of last year was fitness work and running. Lockett was extremely quick and powerful on the lead.
I think Paddy should be played as a stay at home full forward anyway. That is what he was recruited to be. Horses for courses.[/quote]

How many one on one's have you seen with Paddy winning the footy? From what I've seen he can take a pack mark ok when his confidence is high, he is good on a lead, and he and the other talls work well together as multiple options. Not saying he doesn't compete well. He is a big fella so can provide a contest and bring the footy down so that Sincs, Gresh, others can crumb, but if he is the stay at home forward and there's no one else around when the ball hits the deck, he's a liability.