bigcarl wrote:kosi is playing forward to stop riewoldt being monstered by two and sometimes three opponents and to break down our, at times, pathetic reliance on him.
kosi's ability to take contested marks (and to bring the ball to ground for milne, schneider etc) is just too important to a forward structure that (without him) netted the lowest score in the competion last year.
he just gives you a target that you can go long and direct to rather than dick around, chipping it sideways, waiting for an opportunity to hit fraser or riewoldt laces up on the lead ... all the while giving the opposition a chance to get numbers back.
forgive me for going on and on like a broken record on this topic, but i feel very strongly about this and believe that not having kosi forward would be just about the biggest mistake we could make.
kosi forward is just vital for us to have a shot at a premiership this year, imo.
for once the forward line last week actually kicked some goals last week (unlike most of 2007) and people are still finding reason to be critical with it.
imo kosi chf, gehrig ff, riewoldt licenced to create havoc anywhere in the front half.
give kosi the responsibilty of a key position rather than continue to ask him to fill in as a bit parts player.
So why not King or Gardiner playing same role?
They are both big monsters and take the big grab.
Kosi is obviously not a FF. Neither is King nor Gardiner. Coaches for whatever reason persevere in trying to make them into a FF. But they are all dangerous around the sticks so long as they are not permanents.
G-Train, Fev, Richo, Lloyd, Hall, Neitz etc have in common with Kosi, King and Gardiner is they take a top grab in a pack.
Where they are different is that they are deceptively fast off the blocks and they have super strength not merely to break a pack going for a marking contest but to bust through tackles. Kosi, King and Gardiner cannot do that.
2 years running Kosi is starting the year with a lack of confidence being played out of position.
IMO Kosi is better then Goodes who doesn’t go for hit outs either but also doesn’t play KPP forward. Kosi was one of the top 5 players in the AFL 2 years ago. I think he is better than Goodes but Goodes is better positioned (for the moment).
Kosi needs room to move and FF is the most stifling position on the football field.
For the criticizers of Kosi :- G-Train, Fev, Richo, Lloyd, Hall, Neitz would be hopeless as ruck men/ followers around the ground so **** Off.
Being played continually out of position is extremely hard.
If Kosi is played mid field he will kick 40+ Goals per year. But not as a FF (IMO).
I don't disagree with Big Carls theory. But I would rotate Kosi, MG and Kingy through the forward line. None of them of them are any good as a permanent forward but they are all very dangerous as part timers.