Everitt and LRT

[giant]

Apparently it wasn't even us playing last night, it was the Crows by stealth. BT is a disgrace.

This comment from Daniel Merrett:
I like BT's technique of calling anyone he doesn't know 'Smith'. #Classy #commentary #AFLGiantsSwans

Fabulous!!

[DLBIA14]

I'd like to see Richards, Grundy or Johnson forward. Even if just for a quarter or two. Swing men can be really valuable to change the game and cover injuries.

This idea has a little bit of merit in my mind, though the place to trial it would have been the NAB cup. Johnson did play as a forward at junior level so he shouldn't be too uncomfortable with the idea. LRT could slot into the backline and Johnson could be used up front. I seriously doubt Horse will be brave enough to pull that move in the Freo game though.

[nicko18]

Geez I coulda sworn BT just called Gary Rohan "Cameron Ling"... but only half listening and Lingy is actually riding the boundary so i'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Swansongster]

In defence of our attack - Fragile as it was and we do need a partnerfr Reid, but their Cornes was pretty good at the back last night.

[Reggi]

You don't plan to be mediocre. LRT is a very solid defender, but a terrible forward and ineffectual ruck. Frankly if there is no defensive role for him he should not play. Everitt was unlucky, he played well on the wing, not as well up forward, but he has more upside, than LRT, as much as I like him.

I don't think any opposition side would see LRT as a threat

White lacks competitiveness but he is a better option than LRT. Hopefully Walsh can break into the side mid year.

Hanners looked to be struggling for fitness and might have been bought in too early

[wolftone57]

Lets face it Everitt, White, Morton, Tdl, Moore, Walsh, Seaby,and Pyke are all very average footballers. I doesn't matter which ones of them you put in they're never going to amount to much. I'm reserving judgement on Spanger and LRT should play Full back.

I would not rate TDL an average footballer. Very clever but not average. You might as well put a few of the seniors in there if you are going to look at average as far as skills are concerned. Our skills are not up to AFL level at this time. I think several of the guys you mention have potential they are just not showing it. I reckon if we give TDL a few games on the trot he will prove his worth.

[caj23]

You don't plan to be mediocre. LRT is a very solid defender, but a terrible forward and ineffectual ruck. Frankly if there is no defensive role for him he should not play.

This sums up the situation perfectly.

I don't think anyone in this thread is bagging LRT as he is quite competent in the backline, he is just out of position as a forward/ruck and he may only get games down back depending on match ups

[aardvark]

I reckon if we give TDL a few games on the trot he will prove his worth.

I hope you're right cos we need a few decent forwards.

[old blood]

This has probably been argued to death but I've only just started reading so I may as well have a go. On Saturday night we had four tall forwards. If they were four Franklins I wouldn't mind, but we just don't have the cattle to fill the positions. A return of two goals from four forwards tells the story. You can't rely on Kennedy, Jetta and Bird to each kick two every week to make up for it.

Reid is terrific at almost every level, but he has the goalkicking yips. Maybe that will change, but Richo never lost his, nor did Cam Mooney and Nick Riewoldt still suffers from them. Maybe we just have to take the rough with the smooth.

Goodes is a fine player anywhere but he always looks far more comfortable playing in the mid-field. We'd be better off rotating him between the mid-field and the forward line. As a permanent forward he gets marked tightly and hasn't the space to burn off his tag so gets frustrated and loses his cool. Why not rotate him with O'Keeffe when he gets back? For years ROK was a goal-kicking forward - his transformation into a bash and crash midfielder is a mystery when we've got bash and crash midfielders to spare.

LRT looks ungainly, but he presents well and always gives a 100% contest when he plays forward, unlike Everitt or White who are basically oxygen thieves. I can't buy Pike as a semi-permanent forward - he may be more mobile than Seaby but that's hardly sufficient qualification.

Spangher may help when he returns, but we need some instinctive forwards. TDL, Morton and Lamb are natural goal-sneaks. Whatever their weaknesses are, we surely need at least one of them up there!

[Hartijon]

This has probably been argued to death but I've only just started reading so I may as well have a go. On Saturday night we had four tall forwards. If they were four Franklins I wouldn't mind, but we just don't have the cattle to fill the positions. A return of two goals from four forwards tells the story. You can't rely on Kennedy, Jetta and Bird to each kick two every week to make up for it.

Reid is terrific at almost every level, but he has the goalkicking yips. Maybe that will change, but Richo never lost his, nor did Cam Mooney and Nick Riewoldt still suffers from them. Maybe we just have to take the rough with the smooth.
Goodes is a fine player anywhere but he always looks far more comfortable playing in the mid-field. We'd be better off rotating him between the mid-field and the forward line. As a permanent forward he gets marked tightly and hasn't the space to burn off his tag so gets frustrated and loses his cool. Why not rotate him with O'Keeffe when he gets back? For years ROK was a goal-kicking forward - his transformation into a bash and crash midfielder is a mystery when we've got bash and crash midfielders to spare.

LRT looks ungainly, but he presents well and always gives a 100% contest when he plays forward, unlike Everitt or White who are basically oxygen thieves. I can't buy Pike as a semi-permanent forward - he may be more mobile than Seaby but that's hardly sufficient qualification.

Spangher may help when he returns, but we need some instinctive forwards. TDL, Morton and Lamb are natural goal-sneaks. Whatever their weaknesses are, we surely need at least one of them up there!

+1 This pretty well sums it up!

[Doctor]

Spang is injured. That's why he didn't play.

He was actually sitting 2 seats in front of me on Saturday night. Early on when someone kicked out on the full I said loudly "Matt Spangher wouldn't have kicked that out on the full" and got a laugh from him and his friends/family (not sure who he was with). Hope he's a bit closer to the action than that very soon!

[ernie koala]

This has probably been argued to death but I've only just started reading so I may as well have a go. On Saturday night we had four tall forwards. If they were four Franklins I wouldn't mind, but we just don't have the cattle to fill the positions. A return of two goals from four forwards tells the story. You can't rely on Kennedy, Jetta and Bird to each kick two every week to make up for it.

Reid is terrific at almost every level, but he has the goalkicking yips. Maybe that will change, but Richo never lost his, nor did Cam Mooney and Nick Riewoldt still suffers from them. Maybe we just have to take the rough with the smooth.

Goodes is a fine player anywhere but he always looks far more comfortable playing in the mid-field. We'd be better off rotating him between the mid-field and the forward line. As a permanent forward he gets marked tightly and hasn't the space to burn off his tag so gets frustrated and loses his cool. Why not rotate him with O'Keeffe when he gets back? For years ROK was a goal-kicking forward - his transformation into a bash and crash midfielder is a mystery when we've got bash and crash midfielders to spare.

LRT looks ungainly, but he presents well and always gives a 100% contest when he plays forward, unlike Everitt or White who are basically oxygen thieves. I can't buy Pike as a semi-permanent forward - he may be more mobile than Seaby but that's hardly sufficient qualification.

Spangher may help when he returns, but we need some instinctive forwards. TDL, Morton and Lamb are natural goal-sneaks. Whatever their weaknesses are, we surely need at least one of them up there!

Excellent post. As I said on the R2 changes thread. Seaby and TDL would be far more dangerous than LRT or Everitt up forward.
In reference to O'keefe, I agree he's an all australian half forward flanker, and should play most of his minutes there. I get the feeling, when they talked him into staying and signing a 4 year deal, part of that was apromise to give him plenty of midfield time.

[swansrule100]

You don't plan to be mediocre. LRT is a very solid defender, but a terrible forward and ineffectual ruck. Frankly if there is no defensive role for him he should not play. Everitt was unlucky, he played well on the wing, not as well up forward, but he has more upside, than LRT, as much as I like him.

I don't think any opposition side would see LRT as a threat

White lacks competitiveness but he is a better option than LRT. Hopefully Walsh can break into the side mid year.

Hanners looked to be struggling for fitness and might have been bought in too early

I agree with all of this, I think LRT lost his spot when Ted reinvented himself when LRT was injured last year. It is almost as though they feel bad about it so pick him as a forward.

At least they try something i guess, but LRT and Everitt are just sticky tape solutions to the forward problem, id rather focus less on height and more on forward and goal kicking ability for the forward line, as opposed to the belief if we stack the team with talls it is hard to match.

Yes tall men dont get any shorter as the game goes, but how many tall people doing nothing do we need up forward.

Out of the talls we played saturday night only Reid is a forward lock for mine and he needs support as he is still developing.

LRT is one of my favourites, but unless theres a spot for him down back get him out of the team ( am not poo pooing his effort either he plays at 100% all the time)

[liz]

I get the feeling, when they talked him into staying and signing a 4 year deal, part of that was apromise to give him plenty of midfield time.

That is absolutely the reason. I remember Roos commenting a few times before then that ROK had been pestering him to play in the midfield, and if you watch how far up the ground ROK was running in his final season or two as a HFFer he was almost playing as a midfielder by stealth (though not an onballer). I reckon there is little doubt that much of the discussion around ROK remaining at the club once the trading period finished was a change in role. And given he won the BS Medal the following season as an onballer, it is has to been seen as a good thing.

The problem is just that we have never found anyone to fill the role that ROK used to, providing long leads to the flanks and wings and taking strong marks. I think this is a role that might suit Walsh more than that of providing a presence in the goal square, though I've not seen enough of Walsh to know if his marking is good enough.

[caj23]

That is absolutely the reason. I remember Roos commenting a few times before then that ROK had been pestering him to play in the midfield, and if you watch how far up the ground ROK was running in his final season or two as a HFFer he was almost playing as a midfielder by stealth (though not an onballer). I reckon there is little doubt that much of the discussion around ROK remaining at the club once the trading period finished was a change in role. And given he won the BS Medal the following season as an onballer, it is has to been seen as a good thing.

The problem is just that we have never found anyone to fill the role that ROK used to, providing long leads to the flanks and wings and taking strong marks. I think this is a role that might suit Walsh more than that of providing a presence in the goal square, though I've not seen enough of Walsh to know if his marking is good enough.

Im with ernie on this, we've got a million inside mids and desperately need him up forward.

If midfield time was promised to him to get him to stay then we should have let him go, the tail doesn't wag the dog!

Even if it was promised to him its detrimental to the team and he should be selected forward again. ROK doesn't strike me as someone who would put his individual performance ahead of winning though so it's probably just another of Longmire's brainfades (see Everitt and LRT up forward thread!)