Is Johnston no good as a forward?

[Hartijon]

Thanks BSA5. That's just what I meant!

You guys make a good point but I still feel the Swans are tied to the notion that you win by preventing your opponents kicking goals and therefore there is always a defensive first response to fitting a player in. My son summed up what I am trying to say by saying "If Podsiadly played for us he would be in the backlines!"
Why? He is tall,can mark and kick straight.

Who knows ? This strategy used to work for us and won us a premiership but teams like Geelong and Hawthorn have shown another way.

[Triple B]

I just see it as all part of his development. It would not surprise to see him at either end of the ground when he finally debuts.

[BSA5]

You guys make a good point but I still feel the Swans are tied to the notion that you win by preventing your opponents kicking goals and therefore there is always a defensive first response to fitting a player in. My son summed up what I am trying to say by saying "If Podsiadly played for us he would be in the backlines!"
Why? He is tall,can mark and kick straight.

Who knows ? This strategy used to work for us and won us a premiership but teams like Geelong and Hawthorn have shown another way.

We moved Sam Reid from defence into attack. Ditto Paul Bevan. Adam Goodes went from the midfield to the forward line, as has Jude Bolton at times. ROK started as a defender and moved forward. It goes both ways.

[ugg]

We moved Sam Reid from defence into attack. Ditto Paul Bevan. Adam Goodes went from the midfield to the forward line, as has Jude Bolton at times. ROK started as a defender and moved forward. It goes both ways.

Plus we like to play them in different positions to where they were 'brought up' in the ressies.

Reg was mostly a forward (although I acknowledge they tried him as a forward first up in the seniors)
Jesse played both forward and back as well as in the ruck.
Kizza started as a back pocket, as did Smith.
Simon Phillips (remember him?) was a potent small forward in the ressies, yet they played him a lot up the ground.
Sumner has been used mainly in the backline and midfield, yet in his first game they played him as a forward tag.

As for Johnston, I don't see him making it as a backman, not in the short term anyway. While he has done well, and deservedly received praise for his latest game, he hasn't been truly tested by a really good forward yet. I still think he will get done by a clever, bulky forward who knows how to use his body to full advantage. The Reserves have dominated most of their games, and hence dominated most of the possession.

With Campbell Heath, Spangher coming back and LRT, Malceski, Kennelly to be inserted into the seniors backline soon and hence pushing some guys out, he won't be needed as a defender anymore.

[Mountain Man]

LJ currently 20; 192 cm and 88kg

Malceski aged 26; 189cm and 86kg
Kennelly aged 29; 190cm and 89kg
Mattner aged 28; 189cm and 86kg

The latter 3 are clearly in our 'best' 22 both as players and for the roles they play in the team. If LJ playing down back is part of some 'succession planning' by the coaches, so be it.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Tarrant !

[Auntie.Gerald]

Grundy
LJ
AJ
Reid
Everitt
White

are our talls of the future where ever they play

Goodes, Kennelly, LRT, Mattner and Teddy we have a few more years from............which is much more genuine depth then I suspected coming into 2011

[GongSwan]

[QUOTE=ShockOfHair;525416]Not unusual for young players to take a little while to find their place in things. Plenty of batsmen who started as bowlers and vice versa (not that I can think of one right now...).

What's that guys name that opens the batting for Australia, oh yeah, Shane Watson, fast bowler bats a bit, now our best batsman. There is still a lot to be said for making forwards by playing them in defence on good forwards to learn to read the play, ball drop, body position etc, I don't understand why they haven't moved White into the backline to give some size to it, this is where we are lacking, not running backs, they abound in great numbers, if u include the injured, Irish, and Eski, they have to be in the top 22, no what we need is a backman who can throw his weight around and create a contest with a big forward, and White is my choice, make him work a bit harder, learn a few things, then move him back if we need him, the kids can only do so much while they're bodies fill out. Once LRT and the others come back into the team, a major overhaul of the back six will be necessary. I'm not necessarily bagging Jesse, but he needs to do more, and he needs to learn quick

[nomae]

With Campbell Heath, Spangher coming back and LRT, Malceski, Kennelly to be inserted into the seniors backline soon and hence pushing some guys out, he won't be needed as a defender anymore.

Is Campbell Heath any good?

[aardvark]

Is Campbell Heath any good?

What little i've seen of him he looks really good IMO.

[Hartijon]

Getting back to Johnston (LJ) ,I don't really mind where they play him as long as they play him(,although I would have thought a crack in the forwards was a good idea). What I really want however is for the selectors to play him and fairly soon. It must be a bit of a psychological hang up waiting for the call when you are recognised as one of the best kicks in the side and have played as well as any in the twos. I don't want to see self doubt impair this young man's progress.

[Primmy]

Is Campbell Heath any good?

Yes.

He has the Best hands. Looking forward to seeing him play. He is an AFLer, IMO.

[unconfuseme]

Henry is on record as saying "... we are teaching him how to play down back ..." which is what you do with every new kid to the game!

LJ reminds me very much of the Jack Watts style silky athletic FF or CHF who was just superior to all the other kids, right through junior football - tall and agile, great kick for goal so all he had to do in those junior talent squads, was present, mark and goal!

Unfortunately, this does not always immediately translate to senior AFL ... ask the Demons!

Also, he lost a full season with injury, plus they have already had to work to get his head around the necessary changes, and to understand that it is NOT going to just all fall in his lap for him.

To me, he is at the same stage as a first year rookie, and he is going OK! ... still not sure where he ends up playing, but suspect he IS a forward.

[BSA5]

Plus we like to play them in different positions to where they were 'brought up' in the ressies.

Reg was mostly a forward (although I acknowledge they tried him as a forward first up in the seniors)
Jesse played both forward and back as well as in the ruck.
Kizza started as a back pocket, as did Smith.
Simon Phillips (remember him?) was a potent small forward in the ressies, yet they played him a lot up the ground.
Sumner has been used mainly in the backline and midfield, yet in his first game they played him as a forward tag.

As for Johnston, I don't see him making it as a backman, not in the short term anyway. While he has done well, and deservedly received praise for his latest game, he hasn't been truly tested by a really good forward yet. I still think he will get done by a clever, bulky forward who knows how to use his body to full advantage. The Reserves have dominated most of their games, and hence dominated most of the possession.

With Campbell Heath, Spangher coming back and LRT, Malceski, Kennelly to be inserted into the seniors backline soon and hence pushing some guys out, he won't be needed as a defender anymore.

Quite possible, though he wouldn't necessarily have to be a "true" KPD. He could be used in a Birchall/Mackie/Gilbert sort of role, even Goddard. A tall HBF who can compete with any HFF in the air, and can pinch-hit as a key defender on certain forwards if absolutely needed. It's a type of player we've never really fostered, all of our HBFs have been pure runners. Having a tall mark-taker with good disposal and some versatility on the HBF can be a very damaging thing to have.

[Hartijon]

Henry is on record as saying "... we are teaching him how to play down back ..." which is what you do with every new kid to the game!

LJ reminds me very much of the Jack Watts style silky athletic FF or CHF who was just superior to all the other kids, right through junior football - tall and agile, great kick for goal so all he had to do in those junior talent squads, was present, mark and goal!

Unfortunately, this does not always immediately translate to senior AFL ... ask the Demons!

Also, he lost a full season with injury, plus they have already had to work to get his head around the necessary changes, and to understand that it is NOT going to just all fall in his lap for him.

To me, he is at the same stage as a first year rookie, and he is going OK! ... still not sure where he ends up playing, but suspect he IS a forward.

Thanks for this.It finally makes sense and it is now obvious what is going on with him. Ironically his success as a junior has probably delayed his debut in the seniors as he has to be taught all those things that the backline teaches you.Accountability,teamwork,giving off to the best option,tackling,zoning, spoiling,gut running to name a few.