My best 22 & squad of 30 for round 1 2013

[wynner]

I have rewatched every game we played in 2012 with no emotions as I knew the results

Observations

Kosi had a pretty good year. Marked well when it was kicked to him. Kicked well and competed in the air if he had a chance. He cannot chase but neither can Big Mac

Goddard will not be missed. He rarely got a contested ball, when hard tagged he was beaten, and his disposal over all pretty poor.

[gringo]

I have rewatched every game we played in 2012 with no emotions as I knew the results

Observations

Kosi had a pretty good year. Marked well when it was kicked to him. Kicked well and competed in the air if he had a chance. He cannot chase but neither can Big Mac

Goddard will not be missed. He rarely got a contested ball, when hard tagged he was beaten, and his disposal over all pretty poor.

I thought he went well until rucking took it's toll the big Kos. Agree on Goddards year too, didn't put in more than he had to to get a game and he has always struggled when tagged. I think we will see Scotty play a tag on him in 2013 just to s*** them.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

With Kosi, he can look OK on the TV and he does generally do those things you mentioned well, wynner, but in the last 2/3 of his season he just generally wasn't doing those things enough, for whatever reason and I believe it put a lot of pressure on the rest of our team. You'd be sitting there at the game and he might go for a quarter at a time without getting more than a touch or two, all the while whoever he was playing on was probably running off him and doing a lot of damage the other way. Then of course were the regular clumsy free kicks that he would give away and this year the number of 50m penalties that he gave away was just ridiculous. Those hurt in a big way and depending on where they are given, pretty much guarantee that the other team can put the ball into their forward 50 with their next kick, which gives them a golden opportunity to either kick a vital goal, or else lock it into their forward line and make it hard for us to score at the other end. Those are genuine "coach killers" and he was doing them with monotonous regularity.

I know stats don't tell the whole story, but in his last 14 games this year (after the Hawthorn game) Justin kicked just 13 goals (less than one per game- many of those games of course he was playing at FF, especially after about R12), he averaged a paltry 3.57 marks per game (less than one per quarter, despite playing a fair bit of that time in the ruck, where you can run all over the ground, often unmanned), averaged just 8.3 disposals per game (basically one every 15 minutes of the game), and in his last 9 games he averaged a puny 3.4 hitouts per game (again, less than one per quarter). Against North he had just 3 disposals (no marks and no kicks). Against Collingwood he had just 5 disposals and then in his final game, when Watters and co. had finally had enough, he had had just one handball to half time. About the only way those sort of numbers are "acceptable" is if they are putting on extraordinary levels of defensive pressure, like a Cyril Rioli or something, or doing some amazing stuff off the ball, but even then you'd have to wonder if they are worth having in the team, if they are getting such low numbers.

Before R6 he was good and in R6 he was the best he'd been in probably 2-3 years, but for whatever reason he pretty much fell off a cliff after that game (even the weeks when he was playing a lot in the ruck (rounds 6-12) he never got more than 10 hitouts in a game) and his season just deteriorated to the point where it became hard to watch him play, especially when the ball hit the ground and everyone just pretty much ran past him. He needs to improve massively on the way he was playing in the 2nd half of this year (if he's to play regularly next year, all things being equal). I hope he does improve massively, because he is an asset to our team when he's in good form and he seems like a top bloke, but he's certainly got his work cut out for him, especially if he was in fact in good physical shape, as he claimed to be at the time.

[saint6709]

dempster Stanley simpkin

geary fisher gwilt

gilbert hayes sipposs

lee reiwoldt milne

saad wilkes schnieder



mcavoy del santo montagna


hickey armo steven sub from milera, newnes, ledger, TDL, ray, ross, dunnell, jones

Geary and Gilbert interchangeable depending on forward structure of opposition

Back up in big man dept: kosi, Blake

with 8 guys lining up for the subs role I don't see us as having a depth issue in the midfield

the 2 questions to me are can stanley perform down back and can hamil turn wilkes into something formidable at FF if they are both 'Yes's" I think we will have a very good year

Forgot about Roberton - who I think will get alot of games - would have to make him 1 of the 9 going for sub at this point

[gringo]

With Kosi, he can look OK on the TV and he does generally do those things you mentioned well, wynner, but in the last 2/3 of his season he just generally wasn't doing those things enough, for whatever reason and I believe it put a lot of pressure on the rest of our team. You'd be sitting there at the game and he might go for a quarter at a time without getting more than a touch or two, all the while whoever he was playing on was probably running off him and doing a lot of damage the other way. Then of course were the regular clumsy free kicks that he would give away and this year the number of 50m penalties that he gave away was just ridiculous. Those hurt in a big way and depending on where they are given, pretty much guarantee that the other team can put the ball into their forward 50 with their next kick, which gives them a golden opportunity to either kick a vital goal, or else lock it into their forward line and make it hard for us to score at the other end. Those are genuine "coach killers" and he was doing them with monotonous regularity.

I know stats don't tell the whole story, but in his last 14 games this year (after the Hawthorn game) Justin kicked just 13 goals (less than one per game- many of those games of course he was playing at FF, especially after about R12), he averaged a paltry 3.57 marks per game (less than one per quarter, despite playing a fair bit of that time in the ruck, where you can run all over the ground, often unmanned), averaged just 8.3 disposals per game (basically one every 15 minutes of the game), and in his last 9 games he averaged a puny 3.4 hitouts per game (again, less than one per quarter). Against North he had just 3 disposals (no marks and no kicks). Against Collingwood he had just 5 disposals and then in his final game, when Watters and co. had finally had enough, he had had just one handball to half time. About the only way those sort of numbers are "acceptable" is if they are putting on extraordinary levels of defensive pressure, like a Cyril Rioli or something, or doing some amazing stuff off the ball, but even then you'd have to wonder if they are worth having in the team, if they are getting such low numbers.

Before R6 he was good and in R6 he was the best he'd been in probably 2-3 years, but for whatever reason he pretty much fell off a cliff after that game (even the weeks when he was playing a lot in the ruck (rounds 6-12) he never got more than 10 hitouts in a game) and his season just deteriorated to the point where it became hard to watch him play, especially when the ball hit the ground and everyone just pretty much ran past him. He needs to improve massively on the way he was playing in the 2nd half of this year (if he's to play regularly next year, all things being equal). I hope he does improve massively, because he is an asset to our team when he's in good form and he seems like a top bloke, but he's certainly got his work cut out for him, especially if he was in fact in good physical shape, as he claimed to be at the time.

I think you are probably seeing it a bit black and white. He looked physically spent late season after rucking. He was really only used as a ruck man because we had Rhys, Blake and Big Mac out for long periods. The problem for both Kosi and Riewoldt is that neither can really chase their man anymore. That leaves others to do the hard work. Cloke and Dawes closed space in the zone but never really go nuts chasing either, it's more the structures that broke down to me.

Lee will be a better pressure player the other way but you lose the height in there. Kosi has always played the foil role to Riewoldt- just has to pop up for a couple of goals and a handful of marks while drawing his man. I won't be surprised to see him play that role this year but wouldn't be surprised to see him left out either.

He was pretty much a victim of our short ruck supply and by the end of the year really was just making up numbers. Comparing him to a guy like Rioli is a bit harsh, if Ciril couldn't pressure and got low possession counts each week he would be hard to select. Kosi will get a game ahead of others because there aren't many players his size.

[lefty]

Geary Simpkin Newness
Dempster Fisher Gilbert
Montagna Hayes NDS
Schneider Roo Siposs
Milne Kosi Saad

McEvoy Armo Steven

Ray, Gwilt, Stanley, sub Wilkes

We''re in for a world of pain if Kosi's still our best option at ff. Aside from that I quite like your team, Lefty.

Kosi was in very good form for the first few games of the year. I just haven't seen Wilkes grab those big pack parks in the square. The issue is whether Kosi is "on" or not. I'd say for the first few games of the season he is fresh, and then needs a rest, so Wilkes would play that roll.

Perhaps it would be better if I didn't have Wilkes as the sub, and rather just stick with him or kosi in the side and put a mid onto the bench (CJ or Curren or Ross), and put Gwilt as the sub (the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to do this).

I really can't see T.Lee playing FF, he won't be ready or big enough for that role.
Playing Stanley at FB would be another waste imo, his speed is perfect beat his opponent around the ground in the ruck and in the forward line.

I watched Milera a bit this year as well, he seems to drift through games on the outer, Saad was imo the better performer during the year. I'm thinking Milera could become more of a winger, rather than a forward, put some pressure on Joey and use his speed. He also seemed to get caught holding the ball a lot but I don't mind, it means he's not just booting the ball anywhere.

[Con Gorozidis]

Kosi is done. Realistically he cant play more than 6 decent games a year. So maybe play him - 1 week on, 1 week off, 1 week sandy, 1 week off, 1 week on to get his 6 games in.

Lee is ready to play FF straight away. Needs to bulk up a bit over next 3 years but is already fast and tall enough to play immediately.

Milera will be ready to rotate through mids in 2013.

[plugger66]

Kosi is done. Realistically he cant play more than 6 decent games a year. So maybe play him - 1 week on, 1 week off, 1 week sandy, 1 week off, 1 week on to get his 6 games in.

Lee is ready to play FF straight away. Needs to bulk up a bit over next 3 years but is already fast and tall enough to play immediately.

Milera will be ready to rotate through mids in 2013.

How do you know all that? Not sure even SW knows all of that.

[bigcarl]

Kosi is done. Realistically he cant play more than 6 decent games a year.

Unfortunately that is about right. Hopefully Lee is ready to slot in, and if he's not there's always Wilkes

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I think Wilkes is being a bit undersold on here, as he had earned the FF spot in our team by the end of this season and had effectively pushed Kosi out of the team through performing better than him in the last several rounds. As far as I'm concerned, it's his spot to lose now, if anyone in the team in fact "owns" a spot over summer (or at any time).

I thought Beau's best form throughout the year was almost as good as Kosi's best form and while Beau also had down weeks, when he didn't do a lot, that is to be expected from someone who, in the first half of the season, was only playing every second week a lot of the time, due to all of Sandy's byes and being emergency for St Kilda (and not playing there or for Sandy that week/s). Lacking that continuity is surely going to affect your ability to play consistently well every week, especially when you're new to a team and are not used to playing at senior AFL level and the fact he was apparently reasonably unfit and carrying a bit of junk in the trunk would also not have helped. So the fact he was performing better than Justin, even with all that taken into account, is pretty telling, especially if Kos was fully fit.

Word is that Beau has arrived to preseason training in ripping shape and slimmed down, though and if he has a good preseason and a good NAB Cup, then I think it would be a big mistake for the club to go back to Kosi at FF, unless he is absolutely killing it in the NAB Cup himself. I can see plenty of potential improvement in Beau that I'm not expecting from Kosi at this late stage of his career (and coming off the worst half a season in his whole career), so I think now is likely to be the ideal time to see exactly how much Beau does improve on what he did in trying circumstances this year and whether he is able to play consistently good footy at AFL level. If he is, then we may have found our own version of the J Pod, or even Heatley, who likewise came to us at 25yo (the same age Beau was this year) and maybe he will provide the muscle in the forward line that we have probably missed since Frase retired.

He might not bring quite as much height to the goalsquare as Kosi does, but he is still listed at 194cm and has shown that he can clunk big pack marks and even "hangers" and he also brings more muscle and better chasing and pressuring ability to the table and like Kosi, he is also tall enough to provide a contest in the air and help bring it to ground, if he doesn't in fact mark it himself. I think it's well and truly worth backing him in to have a sustained run of games (form and fitness permitting) so that we can find out sooner rather than later if he has what it takes to be more than just a "stop gap".

Kosi will well and truly know that he has his work cut out for him to get his spot back though, so that may inspire him to have one last huge crack at it and to do the hard work off field that GT reckoned earlier this year he doesn't do enough of. It's going to be interesting to how how it pans out, but one thing's for sure and that is that we have more strong competition for key forward spots than we've had in a long, long time and that is healthy and will hold us in good stead for next year.

I'm seriously looking forward to the NAB Cup. Competition for some spots in the team is going to be fierce!

[borderbarry]

I am looking forward to when we start playing practise matches. Will be interesting to see who the FF and FB's are, and how they go.

[Dr Spaceman]

I am looking forward to when we start playing practise matches. Will be interesting to see who the FF and FB's are, and how they go.

Spot on BB.

[Jimmy O'Dea]

Nathan Wright is good enough to play in 2012 especially given our limited midfield options.

[The Redeemer]

I am looking forward to when we start playing practise matches. Will be interesting to see who the FF and FB's are, and how they go.

Spot on BB.

If Lee lines up at full-back it will shut many up...

[gringo]

I am looking forward to when we start playing practise matches. Will be interesting to see who the FF and FB's are, and how they go.

Spot on BB.

If Lee lines up at full-back it will shut many up...

I still think he isn't going to be anymore effective than Simpkin down back. We need a Gorilla not tooth pick. Lee is a forward and probably even a mid sized 3rd tall at that. Even though he's tall he doesn't seem it when he plays.

[WinnersOnly]

B: Simpkin Stanley Geary
HB: Dempster Fisher Ray
C: Gilbert Armitage Montagna
HF: Schneider Reiwoldt Lee
F: Saad Wilkes Milne

R: McEvoy, Hayes & Dal Santo
Inter: Hickey, Sipposs, Ledger Sub Milera

Comments:
Gwilt, Dunell & Ray emergencies.
Some might think it was harsh leaving Gwilt out but IMO he had a pretty ordinary year last year and needs to find some urgency in his game.
Dunell was just edged out by Schneider due to experience.
I believe Ledger will become a top class midfielder he just needs game time hence he gets a start on the bench.
Hickey/McEvoy to interchange through the forward pocket to stretch the opposition defence and screen for Wilkes.

[8856brother]

B: Simpkin Stanley Geary
HB: Dempster Fisher Ray
C: Gilbert Armitage Montagna
HF: Schneider Reiwoldt Lee
F: Saad Wilkes Milne

R: McEvoy, Hayes & Dal Santo
Inter: Hickey, Sipposs, Ledger Sub Milera

Comments:
Gwilt, Dunell & Ray emergencies.
Some might think it was harsh leaving Gwilt out but IMO he had a pretty ordinary year last year and needs to find some urgency in his game.
Dunell was just edged out by Schneider due to experience.
I believe Ledger will become a top class midfielder he just needs game time hence he gets a start on the bench.
Hickey/McEvoy to interchange through the forward pocket to stretch the opposition defence and screen for Wilkes.

You have Ray HBF & Emergency. Was one supposed to be Jack Steven? Maybe you just forgot him or don't you think he's good enough to be in the 25? Otherwise pretty solid.

Would love to see one of the new youngters pop up early and also reckon Roberton will be in the mix straight up. Maybe even TDL.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I still think he isn't going to be anymore effective than Simpkin down back. We need a Gorilla not tooth pick. Lee is a forward.

Have you seen any of his games when he's played down back? I've heard from some over in WA that he was just about as good last year when he was playing down back as he was this year when he was moved forward, but it's just that he got more attention this year because he was kicking bags of goals.

I know some who follow the drafts and the U18's and state comps who actually suggested we pick him up 12 months ago, to play down back for us once Zac Dawson left, so there are plenty who rate Tom's abilities down back as well. One described him 12 months ago as being someone who could have come in this year (if he'd been picked up) and played on the likes of Buddy Franklin, due to his height, speed and athleticism, so I imagine he'll be even more ready to be able to play on anyone tall and athletic next year. Remember, Zac Dawson wasn't exactly a ball of muscle and he was only a year older than Tom when we picked him up.

I don't for a second think we'd want him playing on the "gorillas", but he is someone who, if he was in the general area, could be very handy third-up, with his extra height, speed to get to a contest and big leap to jump over the top. (I was just reading an old thread on him on Big Footy (from the time he was originally drafted) and it said that he at the time held the high jump record at Scotch College in Perth, so he has a serious leap on him, as Zac does, to go with his genuine speed).

If we are going to be trying anyone from the forward line down back, due to the plethora of key forward options, I'd probably see how Rhys goes first, due to him having that significant height edge on the others (and the fact that kicking goals doesn't seem to come as naturally to him as it does the others), but I won't mind at all if we have a good look to see how Tom goes down back at some stage next year as well, unless he's going too well up forward to warrant moving back, or the backline are going well enough to not need to move anyone else there.

[plugger66]

I still think he isn't going to be anymore effective than Simpkin down back. We need a Gorilla not tooth pick. Lee is a forward.

Have you seen any of his games when he's played down back? I've heard from some over in WA that he was just about as good last year when he was playing down back as he was this year when he was moved forward, but it's just that he got more attention this year because he was kicking bags of goals.

I know some who follow the drafts and the U18's and state comps who actually suggested we pick him up 12 months ago, to play down back for us once Zac Dawson left, so there are plenty who rate Tom's abilities down back as well. One described him 12 months ago as being someone who could have come in this year (if he'd been picked up) and played on the likes of Buddy Franklin, due to his height, speed and athleticism, so I imagine he'll be even more ready to be able to play on anyone tall and athletic next year. Remember, Zac Dawson wasn't exactly a ball of muscle and he was only a year older than Tom when we picked him up.

I don't for a second think we'd want him playing on the "gorillas", but he is someone who, if he was in the general area, could be very handy third-up, with his extra height, speed to get to a contest and big leap to jump over the top. (I was just reading an old thread on him on Big Footy (from the time he was originally drafted) and it said that he at the time held the high jump record at Scotch College in Perth, so he has a serious leap on him, as Zac does, to go with his genuine speed).

If we are going to be trying anyone from the forward line down back, due to the plethora of key forward options, I'd probably see how Rhys goes first, due to him having that significant height edge on the others (and the fact that kicking goals doesn't seem to come as naturally to him as it does the others), but I won't mind at all if we have a good look to see how Tom goes down back at some stage next year as well, unless he's going too well up forward to warrant moving back, or the backline are going well enough to not need to move anyone else there.

If we dont want him to play on gorillas then why play him down back unless of course he cant make the grade as a forward. We recruited him as a forward so the club would be hoping he makes it there. If he just becomes a handy third up then we have played well and truely over the odds for him which would be a very disappointing recruit.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

I was talking more in the immediate, for next year, if by some miracle all of Kosi, Roo and say Stanley, or Wilkes are all firing on all cylinders and keeping Tom out of the forward line, then he could be very handy down back, until say Kosi retires, or someone gets injured. In the long term I am extremely confident that he will make it up forward, as I've said previously, but the simple fact is that for next year we have a plethora of options for the key positions up forward and are still likely to be lacking some height down back, so I think at least one of those who usually plays up forward is going to be tried down back at some stage next year and he is one of few who actually has experience back there.

As for why we would want him (or Rhys) to play down back, even if he wasn't playing on the "gorillas" (who by that I was referring to the huge balls of muscle like Cloke, Tippett, Cox (when he's forward), Taylor Walker, Johnno Brown, etc, who may rag-doll him, as opposed to those who are more athletic and thinner, like a Sam Reid, Liam Jones, or Nathan Vardy, or not as strong overhead, like Buddy) I think it could be valuable to just have someone with that extra height and leap in the area, to be able to go third-up and help out whoever it is we have on the stronger ones (probably Fisher), just like how Dustin Fletcher no longer seems to play on the no.1 target that the other team has, but instead plays nearby and tries to use his height and reach to impact the contest by going 3rd up.

There were many times this year when someone like a Tippett or Cox was going for a mark in our backline against us and we had someone on one side of them and someone going 3rd up to try and help him out as well, but because they were both around that 190-192cm mark, were simply too short and/or not athletic enough to be able to stop them marking the ball at its highest point.

That is where someone like a Stanley or Lee could potentially be valuable for us down back next year, as I said in another post. Not necessarily playing at FB themselves, but playing very close by, like Fletcher, so that when the high ball comes in, they can use their height, speed to get to the contest and huge leaps to be able to help out and get a fist in, where the likes of Simpkin, Dempster or Gwilt are simply too short and/or not athletic enough to do so.

No-one's suggesting that it's the perfect solution, but it may just be the best one we've got with who we've got to work with.

[MCG-Unit]

.....Lee is ready to play FF straight away. Needs to bulk up a bit over next 3 years but is already fast and tall enough to play immediately.

Milera will be ready to rotate through mids in 2013.

Who will Milera displace to play midfield, with the current mids plus Ross and Ledger coming thru? He will need to go majorly harder at the ball, and put on some bulk for that. Doesn't look an inside/clearance player to me.

I reckon another early call, but who knows.....

[plugger66]

I was talking more in the immediate, for next year, if by some miracle all of Kosi, Roo and say Stanley, or Wilkes are all firing on all cylinders and keeping Tom out of the forward line, then he could be very handy down back, until say Kosi retires, or someone gets injured. In the long term I am extremely confident that he will make it up forward, as I've said previously, but the simple fact is that for next year we have a plethora of options for the key positions up forward and are still likely to be lacking some height down back, so I think at least one of those who usually plays up forward is going to be tried down back at some stage next year and he is one of few who actually has experience back there.

As for why we would want him (or Rhys) to play down back, even if he wasn't playing on the "gorillas" (who by that I was referring to the huge balls of muscle like Cloke, Tippett, Cox (when he's forward), Taylor Walker, Johnno Brown, etc, who may rag-doll him, as opposed to those who are more athletic and thinner, like a Sam Reid, Liam Jones, or Nathan Vardy, or not as strong overhead, like Buddy) I think it could be valuable to just have someone with that extra height and leap in the area, to be able to go third-up and help out whoever it is we have on the stronger ones (probably Fisher), just like how Dustin Fletcher no longer seems to play on the no.1 target that the other team has, but instead plays nearby and tries to use his height and reach to impact the contest by going 3rd up.

There were many times this year when someone like a Tippett or Cox was going for a mark in our backline against us and we had someone on one side of them and someone going 3rd up to try and help him out as well, but because they were both around that 190-192cm mark, were simply too short and/or not athletic enough to be able to stop them marking the ball at its highest point.

That is where someone like a Stanley or Lee could potentially be valuable for us down back next year, as I said in another post. Not necessarily playing at FB themselves, but playing very close by, like Fletcher, so that when the high ball comes in, they can use their height, speed to get to the contest and huge leaps to be able to help out and get a fist in, where the likes of Simpkin, Dempster or Gwilt are simply too short and/or not athletic enough to do so.

No-one's suggesting that it's the perfect solution, but it may just be the best one we've got with who we've got to work with.

Fletcher is one of the best FB of all time and yes now plays as a third man up. Not sure it is that easy to play though so I am unsure Lee can just come in and do that or even Stanley for that matter. because they are inexperienced I doubt they would leave their player to be third man in. If Chips doesnt play on the bigger guys I would expect he would do that job or even Blake if he plays. We have plenty of backmen but we just dont have the big guy so I dont see the need for Lee to go down there. I would suggest if he cant get a game in the forward line then he will be playing forward for Sandy to get his form to where he cant be overlooked up forward. If we have to get a forward to go back then I reckon Stanley is the one who will be tried there. I hope he has improved from his time down back for Sandy in 2011.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

As I said, Stanley is the first one I would try there as well, for a couple of reasons, but I was just suggesting Lee as another option, especially if Rhys doesn't work out, or if we think there isn't a spot for Tom forward but that he's too good to be playing in the VFL, given that he's apparently played good footy down back before and because he has the height, athleticism and by the sounds of it footy ability to be OK back there.

I'm also perfectly aware that Fletcher has done very well at FB in the past, but I'm talking solely about the role he plays these days as the one that I see Stanley or Lee being better suited to than FB, at this point in time, if we are desperate to get some extra height back there.

[gringo]

I still think he isn't going to be anymore effective than Simpkin down back. We need a Gorilla not tooth pick. Lee is a forward.

Have you seen any of his games when he's played down back? I've heard from some over in WA that he was just about as good last year when he was playing down back as he was this year when he was moved forward, but it's just that he got more attention this year because he was kicking bags of goals.

I know some who follow the drafts and the U18's and state comps who actually suggested we pick him up 12 months ago, to play down back for us once Zac Dawson left, so there are plenty who rate Tom's abilities down back as well. One described him 12 months ago as being someone who could have come in this year (if he'd been picked up) and played on the likes of Buddy Franklin, due to his height, speed and athleticism, so I imagine he'll be even more ready to be able to play on anyone tall and athletic next year. Remember, Zac Dawson wasn't exactly a ball of muscle and he was only a year older than Tom when we picked him up.

I don't for a second think we'd want him playing on the "gorillas", but he is someone who, if he was in the general area, could be very handy third-up, with his extra height, speed to get to a contest and big leap to jump over the top. (I was just reading an old thread on him on Big Footy (from the time he was originally drafted) and it said that he at the time held the high jump record at Scotch College in Perth, so he has a serious leap on him, as Zac does, to go with his genuine speed).

If we are going to be trying anyone from the forward line down back, due to the plethora of key forward options, I'd probably see how Rhys goes first, due to him having that significant height edge on the others (and the fact that kicking goals doesn't seem to come as naturally to him as it does the others), but I won't mind at all if we have a good look to see how Tom goes down back at some stage next year as well, unless he's going too well up forward to warrant moving back, or the backline are going well enough to not need to move anyone else there.

I never saw him play back and it sounds like he can play. I just can't imagine he would offer more than others still -but I'm no coach.

[bigcarl]

I'd be disappointed if we looked to Lee as a defender.

He was recruited on the back of 60 goals at full forward in the WAFL, no doubt with a view to fixing something that has been a problem since G-Train ... the lack of a genuine spearhead.'

Yes, full back is a problem but full forward is an equally pressing concern.

Wilkes showed something towards the end of last season, it's true, but would he be capable of kicking, say, 50 plus for the season? Lee might be able to do that down the track.