Match ups for

[gringo]

I think Blake will be the guy who ends up standing the gorillas and Simpkin will have to just develop on the hop. Long term Jay Lever will probably be developed into a tall back. Staley can kick goals so would be a waste. Max played in the era where they overlooked chopping of arms and crashing into the forward from behind. They have it a bit harder these days. Wilkes looks better as a forward at the moment. Simpkin is so similar to Fisher the way he handles the ball cleanly and read the fall of the ball it's a shame he's not bigger but he may lose that with size. He could play a defensive half forward role even if we want to be creative, it would be nice to have someone up there with those traits.

[vacuous space]

Not sure you have looked closely at

Ben Rutten 192cm 100kg
Darren Glass 192cm 98 kg
Matthew Scarlett 193cm 96kg

Defenders need to get a fist on the ball, or lock up their opponent so a teammate can jump in front. They don't need to win a bench pressing contest. Glass and Scarlett are listed at 192/94 and I'm guessing they came into the league at about the same size Simpkin is. They've done well against the same much bigger opponents that Simpkin will need to beat.

Simpkin's done enough to at least get a shot at the spot. There are enough 'undersized' guys around the league to say it can be done by a guy of his size. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in other areas. He reads the play well and doesn't take a backwards step. He'd be my choice for the spot R1.

[Con Gorozidis]

Defenders need to get a fist on the ball, or lock up their opponent so a teammate can jump in front. They don't need to win a bench pressing contest. Glass and Scarlett are listed at 192/94 and I'm guessing they came into the league at about the same size Simpkin is. They've done well against the same much bigger opponents that Simpkin will need to beat.

Simpkin's done enough to at least get a shot at the spot. There are enough 'undersized' guys around the league to say it can be done by a guy of his size. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in other areas. He reads the play well and doesn't take a backwards step. He'd be my choice for the spot R1.

agree with all of that. I think we all expect simpkin to play. the issue is most clubs have 2 tall guys in the fwd 50. who takes the 2nd tall?

(i am very keen on jackson ferguson as a long term chb but he he is 2 years off).

[SainterK]

So, Raphs not in anyones defence anymore?

He is actually a really good 'defender'

[Teflon]

Its so much about how the ball is coming and in and what pressure is being put on opposition ball carriers.

Collingwood took the ball the length of the field often and easy. They had numbers in support always and when they delivered to Dawes/Cloke it was mostly to their fwds advantage. They used the corridoor a bit and moved it fast and in the first 3 qtrs were taking it out of the middle with ease.

I dont care who you are IF you let the opposition bring the ball in fast, with little pressure only to deliver it to their forwards advantage.....your backlines gonna get massacared and you can forget rebounding cause you spend all day defending.

We need to badly get a hold of our press - too slow them up and give our backs a chance.
Win some bloody clearances/contested ball.
Kick to our fwds advantagefor once....(and our fwds need to stop leading to bloody pockets...)

[groupie1]

I guess i take your point, but I can't agree with the implication that the 2011 Blake, Dawson, Gwilt, Fisher and dreadful Gilbert defense is better than the proposed Simpkin, Fisher, maybe a bit better Gilbert, Gwilt defense of the second half of 2012.

I might suggest many otherwise capable defenses look poor when the ball is rocketing in with unrelenting frequency and leaving everyone one-on-one. As we all know, in a one-on-one, most forward line players should win, given forward line players are generally better footballers (which is why they're in the forward line)

[matrix]

lets face it
we'll get scored on a lot this season
the back line is going to get carved

[SainterK]

lets face it
we'll get scored on a lot this season
*the back line is going to get carved

*subject to our midfield getting smashed

[PJ]

Seeing how we don't know who is actually playing in the backline for certain perhaps we should wait till round 1 and see how they go. Just a thought

[BackFromUSA]

why optomistic

Kosi => competitive beast that will defend on slow moving gorillas / ruckmen

Stanley => great leap, athletic, needs space to make his pace a weapon

McEvoy => clunks marks but at worst makes contest for smaller players to swoop

By doing that you are puting 3 players in worse positions than they play already. Kosi cannot play back. Stanley couldnt ruck for most of the game and Ben isnt really a marking forward. We need to just work something out with our backmen we currently have.

Kosi can definitely play deep defense (he is a competitive beast) and would benefit from the game coming to him

Stanley CAN ruck (he has been too slight previously but has now added weight) and within a few years be by far our best tap ruckman

McEvoy played all his junior footy as a marking forward / restinf 2nd ruck - yet still managed to get drafted ...

I played all 3 of these positions ... but Plugger66 you would know best so I shall stop posting my useless contributions and leave this discussion to those with superior knowledge

[matrix]

with no jungle, raph or dawson (still a big body that was reasonable quick for size) and with either wilkes of simpkin coming in i dont think we are big enough

fisher has to be on the chb line, so does gram.
that leaves
blake
gilbert (mr fend off no right foot)
dempster


yeah...im worried

archer chb?????
no good??

[BigMart]

We seem to have
6 third tall defenders
&
6 tall half backs
&
4 forward/Rucmen.....of slight build or undersized
&
6 hit up forwards

0 power key position players......a real trend in today's footy is to hit a long contest to either force a down the line stoppage or produce a contested mark or crumb

Not counting Wilkes or Archer....... Not sure either are up to it, and I believe both were recruited for insurance purposes only, and not a view to developing into senior KPP

Interesting list management
A couple of Jackson's were available over the past two years who fit the bill

[BigMart]

We seem to have
6 third tall defenders
&
6 tall half backs
&
4 forward/Rucmen.....of slight build or undersized
&
6 hit up forwards

0 power key position players......a real trend in today's footy is to hit a long contest to either force a down the line stoppage or produce a contested mark or crumb

Not counting Wilkes or Archer....... Not sure either are up to it, and I believe both were recruited for insurance purposes only, and not a view to developing into senior KPP

Interesting list management
A couple of Jackson's were available over the past two years who fit the bill