Should we playing Higgins, Gresham and Butler?

[darylcowie]

I think not, because one of them doesn't finish like an AFL player.
Higgins has had at least five years to sort his set shots out at two clubs.
Butler and Gresham can only impact as forwards, so they can't be moved anywhere else.
None are mids IMHO.

[magnifisaint]

Gresham needs to drastically improve. He's definitely not worth his pay packet. Injuries aren't an excuse.

[skeptic]

I think they’ve done ok this year to be honest.

What I like about them all is that each has a few weapons and their respective skill sets complement the style of game they try to play… it’s a big step up from the trios we’ve had over the last few years that seem ill-suited to their own style.

Gresh tends to be mercurial and pushes up the ground to play as mid and provide bursts
Butler is really clean and polished with a tendency to get the ball around half forward and cleanly deliver the ball forward
Higgins finds space and takes marks in addition to playing the crumbing role.

All in all, despite the odd down game or sluggish patches, collectively I think they’re doing ok. There’s an interesting note in that it seems like only two of them ever play well at the one time.

Individually… all have a few notes
Gresh has poor decision making with a natural instinct for the power play rather than tee-up
Butler can struggle to get the ball
Higgins set shots are interesting. As Teflon pointed out… why on earth did he suddenly decide to go drop punts yesterday… he’s been doing round the corner with his goal kicking almost flawlessly all season. That was weird.

I would put this down as the least of our concerns for now

[nobhead]

Gresham needs to drastically improve. He's definitely not worth his pay packet. Injuries aren't an excuse.

Yes they do
All three have a point of difference.
Gresham did spend time in the midfield yesterday and won a couple of clearences.butler kicked 2 goals yesterday and should've had 3 had he marked the ball instead of letting it bounce and trying to kick a miracle goal.
Higgins had he kicked straight also could've had 3. He also worked back defensively yesterday too.
All 3 need to find consistency week in week out imo

[IluvHarvey]

Just because they are all smallish forwards (to a degree) we do understand they all play different roles yeah? It’s not like the three of them are there to do the same thing. Gresham is playing a hybrid half forward/midfield role, Higgins has been used as more of a marking target up forward and Butler is a more traditional small forward/pressure type player. All 3 deserve their spot in the team.

[darylcowie]

So you're all prepared to accept that Higgins set-shot goalkicking will kerp being a lottery then?

[darylcowie]

So you're all prepared to accept that Higgins set-shot goalkicking will keep being a lottery then?

[darylcowie]

So you're all prepared to accept that Higgins set-shot goalkicking will keep being a lottery then?

[older saint]

Why not? Gresham playing as a part forward part on-baller

[shanegrambeau]

Set-shot kicking and even snapping or on-the-runners seem to be an enigma.

I remember a Canadian mate watching AFL for the first time, seeing Carey miss from 35 out on a slight angle (in play) and him being astounded at how he misses. 'How'd he miss that?', he exclaimed.

It surely has to be mental, even though we can see the mechanics with the naked eye.
Remember Billings's season a while back? Also, Membrey can have prolonged spells of misses, not to mention King.
Even Goddard seem to lose the magic in penetration and accuracy for one season towards the end of his St Kilda days. He recovered.

It is an enigma that know one knows how to fix by the looks.

Maybe erect a Temple at Moorabbin near the goals..say a prayer and visualize that temple each time??
Or park a Mr Whippy van there..free icecream for a goal.
It couldn't be worse that some of the advice they are paying for.

[skeptic]

So you're all prepared to accept that Higgins set-shot goalkicking will keep being a lottery then?

I’m really miffed by why he all of a sudden stopped doing the snap routine.
Has been dead eye all season since he started doing it.

[Banger9798]

No idea why a tall forward or ruckman doesn't stand on the goal line with arms up to provide a visual target for set shot kickers. Instead they move to the pockets and leave the goal square empty.
Don't get it

[The_Dud]

I think as a small forward, Butler is ahead of the other 2.

Just knows the craft better, where to stand, where to run to, and he has very clean hands and 'knows' where the goals are.

Higgins and Gresh both have poor disposal (Gresh inparticular) and are unreliable shots at goal. Higgins seams a bit better snapping around his body.

Gresh appears to be the only one who can run through the midfield tho.

So they all provide something, none are perfect, I'd keep Butler in as a must, but think someone like Billings could do the Gresh/Higgins role better maybe.

[Impatient Sainter]

All three are unrealiable set shots on goals unless they can kick across their body. Butler is marginally better than the other two, Higgins has days where he can kick 5 straight and others where he will miss the lot. Gresham can't kick more than 30-40 metres hence he often over kicks the ball and gets too cute. It amazing that they would all have a better accuracy rates snapping than they do directly in front 20-30 metres out!

[Otiman]

Higgins has kicked 14 goals 4 behinds this year and single handedly (bootedly) won us the Essendon game.

Butler is an opportunistic pressure forward

Gresham is a contested ball winner with poor disposal decision

[Life Long Saint]

So you're all prepared to accept that Higgins set-shot goalkicking will kerp being a lottery then?

Not sure why you're singling Higgins out after yesterday's performance by all our forwards.

[darylcowie]

Higgins has kicked 14 goals 4 behinds this year and single handedly (bootedly) won us the Essendon game.

Butler is an opportunistic pressure forward

Gresham is a contested ball winner with poor disposal decision

Higgins has also missed the lot with many of his set shots, due to his terrible ball drop!

[IluvHarvey]

So you're all prepared to accept that Higgins set-shot goalkicking will keep being a lottery then?

So who do you replace him with?

Correct me if I’m wrong but he is our highest goal kicker for the year and had more shots on goal than any other forward yesterday.

[Rizz64]

I think not, because one of them doesn't finish like an AFL player.
Higgins has had at least five years to sort his set shots out at two clubs.
Butler and Gresham can only impact as forwards, so they can't be moved anywhere else.
None are mids IMHO.

Harry McKay has won a Coleman and still has no idea how to line up for goals...Gresham has shown many times that he can be very effective in the middle.

IMHO your HO is flawed and just plain idiotic...

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[shanegrambeau]

Haiku

Higgo is tough slug.
Like a mini Jake Stringer
Butler more like gazelle

Butler dance in out
Higgo hold own ground and mark
Both be good sometime

[B.M]

Absolutely

All great teams have 3 dangerous small forwards

Gresham can play at stoppage

Higgins is very good in the air

Butler an excellent crumber and good with defensive pressure

I would absolutely pick all 3

[mad saint guy]

They're all going reasonably well. They've all had down games but Butler has kicked 14 goals and is second in the comp for tackles inside 50, Higgins has kicked 16 goals and Gresh is averaging 17 touches, a goal and an assist per game. Very solid numbers for a group of small forwards, especially considering our lack of talls capable of bringing it to ground.

[saintbob]

I think once we get the talks sorted Gresham will be required to prove his worth in the midfield or he’ll find himself back at Sandy.

[Scollop]

I think Billings and Gresham could be the go to hybrids with Butler OR Higgins as the specialists. Hopefully Billings gets his chance soon

Gresh is good as an opportunist forward, but he needs to be disciplined and stick to the basic role of a small forward

Not be competing in the air against Pou and Coops...good to see Snags front and square for the crumbs

https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/images/ ... 8_fmax.jpg

[Scollop]

The other consideration that we haven't discussed is that Higgins is one or 2 concussions away from seriously considering his health with relation to the brain injury he suffered

I'm not sure if he is any more susceptible to brain injuries than other players, but I'm sure one of the reasons Richmond traded him was because of the perceived risks.

Has he earnt his stripes and his place in the team. Yes, I think he has so far, but we shouldn't be offering him any sort of long term deal imo.