Matthew Laidlaw

[Cheese]

Hopefully he gets given the spot on the HBF or wing. He has shown that he is not out of his depth, although being injured in the pre-season wont help.

although, i cant see who else could play on the back-flank with height speed and rebound ability of the new crop. Bird is too short and not suited.

Mattner to the wing, and Tiger & Laidlaw on the back flanks? discuss?

[liz]

Leo Barry (now we have LRT back and Grundy as another possibility to play on semi-tall forwards) is one option.

Barlow's another. I agree with NMW's comment from a week or so ago that it would be good to see Barlow be given a proper position to play to help him develop. Playing the roaming tall midfielder is probably harder than it looks - players have to know where to run as well as being able to do it. It's taken Goodes many many years to learn to play his current role, and along the way he's played as a ruckman, key forward, key defender and in a more structured midfield role along the wing. And of course, with Goodes one of the best current proponents of that role, it's not something the team really needs young Ed to be doing right now.

I reckon HBF is structured enough to give someone like Barlow a definite role to play but still with enough flexibility to allow him to try and be a bit creative.

Thornton also has a lot of the attributes that, for a week, might have had him pencilled in as as possible replacement for Malceski.

[BSA5]

What's wrong with having Kennelly and Mattner across half back? Laidlaw didn't impress me much. I don't think there's any need to bring him into the side. We don't need Mattner in the centre of the ground. We've already got O'Dwyer and Bird knocking on the door, looking for midfield positions. It wouldn't make sense to put Mattner there, when he's used to playing HBF, and we've got enough players in the midfield already.

This should be our backline:

B: Richards Bolton Barry
HB: Kennelly LRT Mattner

I really can't see any problems with that setup.

[liz]

What's wrong with having Kennelly and Mattner across half back? Laidlaw didn't impress me much. ...

We've already got O'Dwyer and Bird knocking on the door, looking for midfield positions.

You're judging Laidlaw based on one game in the pouring rain.

If you compare what he and O'Dwyer delivered over last year in the twos, you wouldn't be mentioning them in the same breath. Sure, there is scope for someone to have suddenly improved but I am not convinced that O'Dwyer is anywhere close to "knocking on the door" quite yet.

[2005]

Leo Barry (now we have LRT back and Grundy as another possibility to play on semi-tall forwards) is one option.

Barlow's another. I agree with NMW's comment from a week or so ago that it would be good to see Barlow be given a proper position to play to help him develop. Playing the roaming tall midfielder is probably harder than it looks - players have to know where to run as well as being able to do it. It's taken Goodes many many years to learn to play his current role, and along the way he's played as a ruckman, key forward, key defender and in a more structured midfield role along the wing. And of course, with Goodes one of the best current proponents of that role, it's not something the team really needs young Ed to be doing right now.

I reckon HBF is structured enough to give someone like Barlow a definite role to play but still with enough flexibility to allow him to try and be a bit creative.

Thornton also has a lot of the attributes that, for a week, might have had him pencilled in as as possible replacement for Malceski.

Agree with you there Liz.
Firmly believe Leo or Cheese are ready for that type of role.
Cheese needs some accountability in his game now as he has come in and just played .Having a job will further develop him into a more rounded footballer. And Leo would be great player on smaller forwards and can give us some run and break the lines. He aint afraid of having a ping either which is something different to how we normally bring it in.

[BSA5]

That set up is fine, although it does leave the midfield somewhat lacking!

My midfield:

C: Adam Goodes - Brett Kirk - Luke Ablett
R: Peter Everitt - Nic Fosdike - Jude Bolton

Midfielders on I/C: Jolly, Bird and Buchanan. Barlow could be played in the midfield as well.

So that's ten midfield options. Sure, not the best midfield in the league, but certainly not the worst. I don't see who you would drop from the midfield to make room for Mattner, just to make room for Laidlaw. Bolton is perhaps arguable, but I don't think so.

[Old Royboy]

When Laidlaw was carving them up in the ressies last year he was floating around on the midfield/half forward line. Same for Cheese Barlow. Laidlaw was thrown in at the deep end last year (as was Keiren Jack) into an unaccustomed defensive role. In fact most guys promoted from the ressies into a defensive role will in effect be learning on the job.

[BSA5]

You're judging Laidlaw based on one game in the pouring rain.

If you compare what he and O'Dwyer delivered over last year in the twos, you wouldn't be mentioning them in the same breath. Sure, there is scope for someone to have suddenly improved but I am not convinced that O'Dwyer is anywhere close to "knocking on the door" quite yet.

That's true, I am judging Laidlaw a bit harshly, but he just doesn't seem right to me. At least not yet. We certainly shouldn't be shuffling the team around, trying to make room for him.

[smasher]

We won't really know how best the players can perform until we are into the proper season.We have only played Hawthorn who were,like us,topped up with younger,inexperienced players and a Port Adelaide team who seemed to find it a bother just to turn up.I am looking forward to seeing some of these younger players who are doing well up against the big strong bodies that they will cop week in,week out.That will sort the men from the boys.

[satchmopugdog]

Laidlaw is fast..supposedly. I have never seen him play live so I don't know how testing results translate to on-field speed.

Though speed is relative. As I remember it ...it is always easier to run fast into attack rather than ran fast back into defence. It's always uphill.

[BSA5]

J Bolton or Ablett - Mattner uses the ball better than either of them and will get it more too. Goodes should start in the centre. Fosdike plays on the wing, but off the bench. Buchanan is not really a winger. Barlow unlikely to become a midfielder. Bird hasn't played a senior game yet so we'll see what he can do.

One of the problems with the midfield is we lacked speed - bringing in Mattner and moving Malceski up to the midfield were meant to alleviate that. Losing Malceski and leaving Mattner at half back won't solve our problems.

Ablett? Bolton? Are you saying they should be dropped? Bolton, perhaps arguably, but I'd stick with him. There's nothing wrong with Ablett at all. I never said Buchanan is a winger, but I think Barlow could be a winger. There's no reason Fosdike has to play off the bench anymore, as he develops.

I agree, leaving Mattner won't solve our problems, but at least it won't cause problems. We'll be putting a guy who isn't used to playing in the midfield, in the midfield, just so we can create a nice hole in our backline which can be filled by a guy who isn't our best player outside of our best 22. If you ask me, Bird and O'Dwyer have a stronger claim to getting a game than Laidlaw. Let THEM be the ones to give us speed, and play Mattner where he is comfortable.

[Robbie]

I saw Laidlaw last year at the Gabba in his first game in Seniors.

The "Cheese" was fast and showed that he was a "thinking" player. I was really impressed, and hope he continues to show that promise.

[TheGrimReaper]

I saw Laidlaw last year at the Gabba in his first game in Seniors.

The "Cheese" was fast and showed that he was a "thinking" player. I was really impressed, and hope he continues to show that promise.

Matthew Laidlaw played against Geelong at Skilled Stadium mate. In his one and only game last year.

[swantastic]

Leo Barry (now we have LRT back and Grundy as another possibility to play on semi-tall forwards) is one option.

Barlow's another. I agree with NMW's comment from a week or so ago that it would be good to see Barlow be given a proper position to play to help him develop. Playing the roaming tall midfielder is probably harder than it looks - players have to know where to run as well as being able to do it. It's taken Goodes many many years to learn to play his current role, and along the way he's played as a ruckman, key forward, key defender and in a more structured midfield role along the wing. And of course, with Goodes one of the best current proponents of that role, it's not something the team really needs young Ed to be doing right now.

I reckon HBF is structured enough to give someone like Barlow a definite role to play but still with enough flexibility to allow him to try and be a bit creative.

Thornton also has a lot of the attributes that, for a week, might have had him pencilled in as as possible replacement for Malceski.

Why not learn the ropes from the best in the business,and have two players in that role.

Goodsey and a Mini-Goodsey i wouldnt say no to that and i'm positive that 90%+ of supporters wouldnt say no.

[Robbie]

Matthew Laidlaw played against Geelong at Skilled Stadium mate. In his one and only game last year.

I started to write a bit about Laidlaw and got it mixed up with a piece about Barlow. Hit the submit button before I corrected it.

Entry should read: "I saw Barlow at the Gabba last year ...".