Developing our forward line for a tilt at the premiership...

[NickyDal]

Very difficult decision coming up for RTB and the rest of the coaches this year regarding our forward line. From my perspective the locks are as follows...

Option 1.
HF: Hill - Membrey - Owens
F: Higgins - King - Butler


Option 2.
HF: Hill - Sharman - Owens
F: Higgins - King - Butler

I would go option 2 so in 2 years time when we are a genuine premiership threat Sharman has 80 games under his belt.
I think the coaches will go for Membrey because he is probably a bit more reliable and more experienced than Sharman.

The other decision they will have to make is when injuries strike. Do they go for Hayes as the ruck forward? Or, do they blood Keeler for that ruck forward role.
If it was me I would always go for the younger player. I feel we should be looking to fast track these guys for a full on tilt in 2026.

Thoughts?

[Scollop]

Thoughts?

Don't get too attached to any player/players on our current list. We're in proper rebuild remode

I don't expect us to have a genuine tilt for a few more years. I think perhaps King and possibly Sharman and Higgins will be the only ones still around in 3 years time

For this year, I'd like us to keep experimenting and at the same time providing opportunities to those who are performing well at VFL level. That means Butler, Higgins, and other experienced players will be managed unless they show consistent outstanding form in the seniors

[Otiman]

Keeler and Heath are the future, I don't mind dropping down the ladder a bit if we give them good development time in the senior team.

Hayes is depth at this point, sadly for him.

[B.M]

Integrity in selection

I would always go the better player at that point in time. Can’t put the cue in the rack before round 1.

Tim is a proven performer - if he’s right to go - he’s in

[NickyDal]

Keeler and Heath are the future, I don't mind dropping down the ladder a bit if we give them good development time in the senior team.

Hayes is depth at this point, sadly for him.

I agree. Membrey and Hayes I would say should be depth players from now on. We have to get as many games into Sharman, Heath and Keeler as possible!!!

[Saintmike65]

I would imagine the front half will be built around King and Membrey, with Owens and Phillipou combining between midfield & forward…hopefully Collard and Keeler will press for selection!
Hill high half forward you’d think, Wilson May start his career forward of centre.

[Big Max]

Very difficult decision coming up for RTB and the rest of the coaches this year regarding our forward line. From my perspective the locks are as follows...

Option 1.
HF: Hill - Membrey - Owens
F: Higgins - King - Butler


Option 2.
HF: Hill - Sharman - Owens
F: Higgins - King - Butler

I would go option 2 so in 2 years time when we are a genuine premiership threat Sharman has 80 games under his belt.
I think the coaches will go for Membrey because he is probably a bit more reliable and more experienced than Sharman.

The other decision they will have to make is when injuries strike. Do they go for Hayes as the ruck forward? Or, do they blood Keeler for that ruck forward role.
If it was me I would always go for the younger player. I feel we should be looking to fast track these guys for a full on tilt in 2026.

Thoughts?

Personally feel this forward set-up is a bit small and a bit weak. Of these, I like King and Owens as 'locks', but feel that King needs a companion strong forward, that might be Membrey if he's at his best or it may be Caminiti if he's improved a lot. I'm not so sure about Hill as a forward as I see him on a wing or half back flank. If Phipipou can improve he'd be fine as a half forward. And, as for Higgins and Butler, I'm not so sure both should be in the same forward line, perhaps Butler for his forward pressure, and perhaps one of the new brigade will have more tricks than Higgins.

[NickyDal]

Very difficult decision coming up for RTB and the rest of the coaches this year regarding our forward line. From my perspective the locks are as follows...

Option 1.
HF: Hill - Membrey - Owens
F: Higgins - King - Butler


Option 2.
HF: Hill - Sharman - Owens
F: Higgins - King - Butler

I would go option 2 so in 2 years time when we are a genuine premiership threat Sharman has 80 games under his belt.
I think the coaches will go for Membrey because he is probably a bit more reliable and more experienced than Sharman.

The other decision they will have to make is when injuries strike. Do they go for Hayes as the ruck forward? Or, do they blood Keeler for that ruck forward role.
If it was me I would always go for the younger player. I feel we should be looking to fast track these guys for a full on tilt in 2026.

Thoughts?

Personally feel this forward set-up is a bit small and a bit weak. Of these, I like King and Owens as 'locks', but feel that King needs a companion strong forward, that might be Membrey if he's at his best or it may be Caminiti if he's improved a lot. I'm not so sure about Hill as a forward as I see him on a wing or half back flank. If Phipipou can improve he'd be fine as a half forward. And, as for Higgins and Butler, I'm not so sure both should be in the same forward line, perhaps Butler for his forward pressure, and perhaps one of the new brigade will have more tricks than Higgins.

Membrey is only 188 but Sharman is 193 (same as Riewoldt).

[skeptic]

One of the challenges ahead for our team… and I think it’s a big one, is confronting the harsh reality that our forward line’s best level of functioning all season occurred across rounds 1-7 or something like that.

When the forward line was something to the effect of

Butler, Caminati, Phillipou
Higgins, Cordy, Gresh

Something like that.

Now obviously this isn’t the most talented group of players but they all put in to operating as a unit, supporting each other etc…
And more importantly… the midfield played very controlled, smart and considerate football. There was considerably less bombing/kick and hope, more willingness to the forwards pushing up and a Mason Wood dropping down etc

I always found it really interesting…
When King returned to the team… forward delivery deteriorated rapidly and there was a huge tendency of the midfield to kick long when under pressure.

King himself copped a huge amount of flak for not leading better and Coops copped it a bit a times for being in the team or high flying a bit…
But I’m not sure that that’s entirely fair because those players couldn’t exactly kick it to themselves and they had to suck up the slow movement and bombing.

Point that I’m making here…
As a forward group we saw some improvement and organisation:

Higgins stayed closer to goal and in range of where he could do his snap kicks

Butler was utilised up the ground a bit more to take advantage of his skills and smarts

Coops and King managed to flip between being targets and the decoy at times

But the key point is that King is the key weapon and we need to build the forward line around him in a way that both exploits the advantage of his build/reach but also always the other forwards to shine/take advantage

[B.M]

Membrey plays more like a key forward than Sharman

[samuraisaint]

Membrey plays tall, can take great intercept marks at both ends of the ground and kicks straight. Apart from that he offers physical pressure.
If he's fit, I think he plays.

[skeptic]

Obviously injury interrupted Membrey’s 2023 but I feel like he’s been out of sorts even before then.

Offers great leadership and experience but I worry that he may have lost a step

[CQ SAINT]

A spot is Membrey's for the taking, but the smell of opportunity would be thick in the air for those behind him.

[Teflon]

Caminiti has a lot to learn ….hed dropped away late I thought abd we looked better without him up there tbh
I do think King needs more help
I like Higgins but lack of pressure is a concern

[CQ SAINT]

Caminiti has a lot to learn ….hed dropped away late I thought abd we looked better without him up there tbh
I do think King needs more help
I like Higgins but lack of pressure is a concern

Caminiti just had his first season and was signed right at the depth without a training lead up. I'd think he'd be projecting at a faster rate than Membrey has dropped, and Membrey took a nasty drop, slowly at first, then some injuries, then POW.

[spert]

I'm not sure what I would do with our forward setup- we need to kick more goals basically. I reckon King needs to be at CHF, and be more involved in the play, maybe see Coops on a HFF and Membrey at FF. Higgins and Butler probably need to pull their fingers out in the small forward roles, they played a bit lazy in the past season and the pressure might start coming through for those positions. The pre-season will be mighty interesting.

[Sainternist]

I like the idea of Hill playing more on the HFF. Providing we don’t get riddled with injuries again, selections will be spoilt for choices in playing the forward line.

[CQ SAINT]

Unless we are only prepared to leave power forwards in the 50 and get everyone else up the field, defences will hold their structure, crowd us, and make us slow down or rush our entries.

If we get over powered in the midfield at the same time, then we are caught in last years final.

We may as well develop that forward line now.

[CQ SAINT]

The undersized Sharman and inexperienced Caminiti, weren't the problem.

[NickyDal]

The undersized Sharman and inexperienced Caminiti, weren't the problem.

Sharman is not undersized. He is exactly the same height as Riewoldt.

[CQ SAINT]

The undersized Sharman and inexperienced Caminiti, weren't the problem.

Sharman is not undersized. He is exactly the same height as Riewoldt.

Minus 11 kg. Hmmmm

[mad saint guy]

At this point all we can do is guess. We have a plethora of young forwards who will reach different levels of development over the coming years but we have no idea who will make it and who won't.


King is a lock when fit, though will he stay fit? And will he continue on his current path of being a 50-60 goal per year forward (from a full season) or will he hit another level and start kicking 70-80?

Will Higgins improve his consistency and play his best footy regularly? If he does, he can easily kick 50 in a season. If inconsistency remains an issue he'll be around the 30 goal mark.

Will Membrey even play again?

Does Sharman put it all together and become a gun forward or does he remain on the fringe?

Is Caminiti just a big clumsy body that we had to play because there was no one else or is he going to be an athletic beast will improved endurance, smarts and skills with more time to develop?

Where do Owns/Pou/Wilson end up playing and what level do they reach?

Is Collard the next Milne or will he struggle and go home to the WAFL when his contract is up?

Keeler has skills and athleticism that could see him become a superstar but he has a long way to go.

Does Hayes go up a level now that he's a year removed from his ACL injury?

Does Heath force his way into the senior team?

The only one that I think I can confidently and accurately make a judgement on is Allison. I will say he's not going to be a part of our next premiership forward line....

[B.M]

I can assure you Cooper Sharman is not as big as Nick Reiwoldt

I can also assure you
He’s not as good a mark
Is not as quick
Is not as powerful
Not as agile

[Vortex]

At this point all we can do is guess. We have a plethora of young forwards who will reach different levels of development over the coming years but we have no idea who will make it and who won't.


King is a lock when fit, though will he stay fit? And will he continue on his current path of being a 50-60 goal per year forward (from a full season) or will he hit another level and start kicking 70-80?

Will Higgins improve his consistency and play his best footy regularly? If he does, he can easily kick 50 in a season. If inconsistency remains an issue he'll be around the 30 goal mark.

Will Membrey even play again?

Does Sharman put it all together and become a gun forward or does he remain on the fringe?

Is Caminiti just a big clumsy body that we had to play because there was no one else or is he going to be an athletic beast will improved endurance, smarts and skills with more time to develop?

Where do Owns/Pou/Wilson end up playing and what level do they reach?

Is Collard the next Milne or will he struggle and go home to the WAFL when his contract is up?

Keeler has skills and athleticism that could see him become a superstar but he has a long way to go.

Does Hayes go up a level now that he's a year removed from his ACL injury?

Does Heath force his way into the senior team?

The only one that I think I can confidently and accurately make a judgement on is Allison. I will say he's not going to be a part of our next premiership forward line....

That was a good read and objective without the fanboy hype, I like.

[B.M]

Our most important forward going forward is


Isaac Keeler


If he is NOT a bust and becomes an AFL player

It gives us

King 202cm - Power Forward
Caminiti 196cm - Power Forward
Keeler 198cm - Forward/Ruck
Owens/Phillipou 190cm - Hybrid/Mid

Higgins 178cm - Small Forward
Collard 180cm - Small Forward
Hotton/Garcia 180cm - HF/Mid

All