Full Forward

[swansrule100]

Who would you drop then?

read the papers and watch tv we have a stack of injuries comming now.

[NMWBloods]

At 190cm I would say he is tall, and plays like it IMHO. I don't think Roos would have him at FF if he didn't.

MOL is normally a leading forward or a crumbing forward. You can't bomb the ball in long to him and expect a good outcome. I think 'tall' forwards need to be able to crash packs, outbody their opponents and be a presence in front of goals. I don't see MOL being that, especially against a decent-sized defender.

[dread and might]

Richcards is much more likely/ useful in that throwing a defender forward kind of role. We haven't really had, or used anyone like that for years

[ScottH]

Richcards is much more likely/ useful in that throwing a defender forward kind of role. We haven't really had, or used anyone like that for years

I like that idea.

Like Hunter, Leppitsch, Fletcher Silvagni and others used to do. Can easily switch between back and forward. We haven't done that for a long time. Dunkley used to go fwd when things we needed a marking option up fwd.

But ideally if we could plonk the Donk, or another ruckman style in the goal square, not many defenders would cope with the size. Another Salmon, perhaps?

[Nico]

Roos hasn't gone with the resting ruckman or ruckman FF theory since he started coaching so I can't see how all of a sudden he will change his mind. It doesn't fit with his game plan or style.

Luke Darcy kicked 2 goals last week for the Bullies and they bombed it to him all day. Just doesn't work and never has.

[Nico]

Richcards is much more likely/ useful in that throwing a defender forward kind of role. We haven't really had, or used anyone like that for years

On that, Roosey's coaching/development goes against the player versatilty theory of others. He concentrates on positions and midfield numbers rather than switching players backwards and forwards.

[NMWBloods]

The resting ruckman doesn't have to kick a lot of goals - he has to be a target and create opportunities. It would be a great return if one of our ruckman could regularly kick 2 goals in a game. The Bulldogs kicked 16 goals to 3QT, so it must have worked to a certain extent.

[Big Al]

The resting ruckman doesn't have to kick a lot of goals - he has to be a target and create opportunities. It would be a great return if one of our ruckman could regularly kick 2 goals in a game. The Bulldogs kicked 16 goals to 3QT, so it must have worked to a certain extent.

I agree. I thought Roosy might try Everitt in this role because when in form Everitt can be very dangerous. It would also straighten the attack if we can isolate Everitt in the square. I hope Roosy gives it a go just to see what happens. It would also ensure that a tap ruckmen is always on hand in the forward 50 leaving Hall free from that duty.

[Bleed Red Blood]

Darcy also kicked four behinds to go with his two goals. Not sure how you could say it didn't work.

Remember Kel and Dunks last game? Doyle pretty much won that for us kicking four from the square and drawing attention away from Hall and whoever else was down there that day.

Everitt has also kicked something like 350 goals in his career. Play him out of the square and he'll have an influence.

[swansrule100]

not to mention the ruckman draws a tall defender, could free up hall and co.

[DST]

I like your sentiment, and it would seem that Roos has been playing either Jolly or Spida more forward when resting and if it was not for poor kicking by Spida it would have produced some success.

Problem is, we don't have the leg speed and line breakers to play another big man at presence so that means Doyle only comes in if either Spida or Jolly don't play.

Now with Kennelly (one of our key line breakers) out for 4 weeks, it becomes evem more apparent that we need to strenghten the line up with more run and pace.

DST

[SimonH]

I'm concerned that this thread has gone on for 3 pages, anguishing about genuine FF options, and Grundy has been mentioned only once, in passing. Have people given up on him already?

Admittedly, he does have time on his side (if he isn't getting restless), whereas the Donk does not. The Donk is a proven contest-maker and focal point; he isn't a proven goalkicker. Whereas Everitt is a proven goalkicker. That said, both of them (and Jolly) would be rotating. The quid pro quo for playing 3 ruckmen, BBBH and MOL is that we would have to play Flipper and/or have Schneider as the specialist crumbing forward pocket. (Otherwise, the ball would just get swept out with monotonous ease whenever we didn't take a mark.) You could debate endlessly who we leave out as a result.

It all makes you wonder what would have happened if the Donk hadn't done his knee in round 1, 2005-- as far as I know, the only game of Roos' reign where he has played 3 specialist ruckmen.

[NMWBloods]

Roos ran with the ruckman resting at full forward a bit last night. Seemed to work reasonably well.

[dimelb]

Roos ran with the ruckman resting at full forward a bit last night. Seemed to work reasonably well.

When he wasn't down the back taking goal-saving marks!

[NMWBloods]

Yes - very smart footballer that Spida. Jolly did a couple of nice ones too (but stuffed one up big time).