What to do with Battle...

[skeptic]

If there was any doubt as to whether he was top 22, and there has been little here for a while but I think the coaches weren’t sure at the start of the season, that’s well and truly gone.

The question for me... what’s he’s best position?

So far we’ve seen him as a forward, a defender and in the role of good old fashioned running utility.

Personally... I like him lining up as a defender that runs off his man and punishes on the rebound if they don’t keep up with him. Obviously the challenge there is Carlisle but he looked great today... though Carlisle too has looked pretty good as of late.

What are other people’s thoughts on how best to use Battle... and more importantly, how good do we think he can get?

[The_President]

Reckon he'll end up being our Blicavs type, someone that plays a different role most weeks, just plug and play where we need him most.

[CURLY]

Think he’s a better forward that can play as a wingman/ 7th defender.

[WellardSaint]

Reckon he'll end up being our Blicavs type, someone that plays a different role most weeks, just plug and play where we need him most.

Like Jason Blake (he called himself Selleys cos he plugged gaps)
Battle gets bagged cos he 'runs on tram tracks' but i disagree with that, he moves real well and can mark well, good all-round competitor for me

[bigcarl]

Play him anywhere, including pinch-hitting in ruck. I’d say it depends on our needs. Perfect swingman really.

[bergsone]

Play him anywhere, including pinch-hitting in ruck. I’d say it depends on our needs. Perfect swingman really.

This,will always be a spot for a player who can play in any spot

[George27]

Classic swingman. Clearly comfortable at both ends of the ground, which gives us huge flexibility. He even lined up on the wing a few times today.

Reads the play well, runs all day, strong mark.

Agree he is absolutely cemented in our best 22.

It is important we keep playing the 2 rucks, and not ask Josh to ruck. That is asking too much of him.

[Plugger12]

Whilst Battle is a great gap man is that the best for his development. I think he is a natural half forward flanker. Need to be careful that we stop the development of a potentially top player. I have seen this with Billings, Long to some extent Hunter Clark. Battle is a natural forward.

[Secret Kiel]

Classic swingman. Clearly comfortable at both ends of the ground, which gives us huge flexibility. He even lined up on the wing a few times today.

Reads the play well, runs all day, strong mark.

Agree he is absolutely cemented in our best 22.

It is important we keep playing the 2 rucks, and not ask Josh to ruck. That is asking too much of him.

Agree. An absolute genuine A grade swingamn in the making. Extremely verstile and highly desirable by all coaches in any sport.

[Ghost Like]

Reckon he'll end up being our Blicavs type, someone that plays a different role most weeks, just plug and play where we need him most.

I agree with most but TBH, f@ck Blicaves. Tonight they played him perfectly, from the wing. If his opponent leads him forward he'll intercept. If Battle goes forward not many wingers will out mark him. Let him make wing his position, let other clubs worry about coverage.

[Toy Saint]

Reckon Battle is one of our most important players. Could not believe he wasn't selected earlier in the season.

Good forwards are harder to find than defenders, so I'd use Battle in the Aaron Hamil role on the half forward line. He's a good endurance runner so he can even play up the ground like Riewoldt.

[vacuous space]

The way we're using him now seems to suit him pretty well. He's frequently starting on a wing, which allows him to drop back and help out in defence or push forward to create mismatches. He does both those things very well. For all that got made of his agility testing back when he was drafted, he's been fine when he's been part of the midfield play. He's contributed at ground level as well as in the air, if not to the same level. He's really starting to use his running capacity as a weapon and it has been very enjoyable to watch.

[St Plugger]

After Roma, I think Josh is the next top flight "prospect" in the Saints team that will blast on to the AFL elite list. He can do it all!
Bruce will just drool in a couple of seasons!!!!

[Joffa Burns]

The way we're using him now seems to suit him pretty well. He's frequently starting on a wing, which allows him to drop back and help out in defence or push forward to create mismatches. He does both those things very well. For all that got made of his agility testing back when he was drafted, he's been fine when he's been part of the midfield play. He's contributed at ground level as well as in the air, if not to the same level. He's really starting to use his running capacity as a weapon and it has been very enjoyable to watch.

He's developing into a really good player and uses his strengths really well.
He's terrible below his knees and is not at all agile, but uses his aerobic gifts to get back in defence and to push forward as you rightfully point out.

Nice hands, good kick, courageous and plays with a lot of heart and passion.
I saw a bit of him as a junior and didn't think he'd transition into AFL but is really looking comfortable at the moment.

[Goose is king]

Remember when England won the Ashes and Australia wanted a player like Flintoff?
Remember when Collingwood won the flag and everyone wanted a Leigh Brown type?
Remember when the Saints stole the 2020 premiership because of Battle’s role? We need one of them.

[saynta]

The way we're using him now seems to suit him pretty well. He's frequently starting on a wing, which allows him to drop back and help out in defence or push forward to create mismatches. He does both those things very well. For all that got made of his agility testing back when he was drafted, he's been fine when he's been part of the midfield play. He's contributed at ground level as well as in the air, if not to the same level. He's really starting to use his running capacity as a weapon and it has been very enjoyable to watch.

He's developing into a really good player and uses his strengths really well.
He's terrible below his knees and is not at all agile, but uses his aerobic gifts to get back in defence and to push forward as you rightfully point out.

Nice hands, good kick, courageous and plays with a lot of heart and passion.
I saw a bit of him as a junior and didn't think he'd transition into AFL but is really looking comfortable at the moment.

Battle is a true footballer mate, and not a pure althlete although he has skills in that area also.

[st.byron]

I’m hoping he goes on to become the new Sam Fisher. Not in the same role, but as a low draft pick who develops into an AA quality player. Love his hardness, attitude and strong marking. And he kicks goals.

[spert]

Should be CHF- has all the attributes for possibly the most important position on the ground. Strength, marking, goal-kicking, toughness. We need to get the CHF position sorted.

[bigcarl]

Should be CHF- has all the attributes for possibly the most important position on the ground. Strength, marking, goal-kicking, toughness. We need to get the CHF position sorted.

His goal-kicking is becoming a feature.

We’re lucky we have Marshall who can also play that role.

So aerially we are a real threat. Oppositions have to cover King, Marshall, Battle, Membrey. If they have two guys on King, theoretically it leaves someone without a man.

The hard part is ensuring they have space in which to work.

[saynta]

Reckon Battle is one of our most important players. Could not believe he wasn't selected earlier in the season.

Me either mate, Me either. I have posted several times my view that Josh should never be left out of the side. Easily top 22.

[The_President]

The more I think about it, he sort of reminds me of a bigger version of Goddard.

[remboy]

Thanks Hawthorn:)

[samoht]

BR leaving a fast-developing and important young player like Battle out of the side and preferring Marsh or some other player over him at the start of the season, is just as bad as (or probably worse than) AR playing Longer over Marshall - what was it, for 1 game, only??

I mean, AR didn’t have much to go by with Marshall at AFL level - BR, on the other hand, already knew that Battle was tracking beautifully.

If we’re going to be fair and balanced ... BR got this terribly wrong.

[skeptic]

BR leaving a fast-developing and important young player like Battle out of the side and preferring Marsh or some other player over him at the start of the season, is just as bad as (or probably worse than) AR playing Longer over Marshall - what was it, for 1 game, only??

I mean, AR didn’t have much to go by with Marshall at AFL level - BR, on the other hand, already knew that Battle was tracking beautifully.

If we’re going to be fair and balanced ... BR got this terribly wrong.

It was raised at the time...
Key difference seemed to be that Ratten corrected his mistake in a few weeks whereas it was well over a year, year and a half before Marshall got consistent opportunity... and even that was more due to injury

[bigcarl]

BR leaving a fast-developing and important young player like Battle out of the side and preferring Marsh or some other player over him at the start of the season, is just as bad as (or probably worse than) AR playing Longer over Marshall - what was it, for 1 game, only??

I mean, AR didn’t have much to go by with Marshall at AFL level - BR, on the other hand, already knew that Battle was tracking beautifully.

If we’re going to be fair and balanced ... BR got this terribly wrong.

Agree Battle should have been playing all season, but I sure am glad he’s not in at Ryder’s expense.

Paddy - and the two-good-ruckmen strategy - has been massive and a point of difference between us and other sheeple.