It's time...

[caj23]

I'll need to see a replay to confirm this but I thought for the majority of the night the forward matchups were

Taylor Goodes
Lonergan Reid
Scarlett Mumford/Pyke
Hunt LRT

not sure about the others Ugg but certainly looked like LRT was playing the decoy forward on Scarlett (and doing a pretty poor job of it)

[Melbourne_Blood]

Surely a decoy forward who could clunk a mark or two In the forward line and convert would be more valuable

[DamY]

His disposal efficiency was around 50% and also he had less disposals than Everitt :|


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[SwansFan1972]

LRT would not get a game in any other reasonable side. That is a fact. He should have played on hawkins tonight as grundy was struggling. He can't ruck at all. I have no idea why he is playing as any other reserves forward would offer more. His decision making is poor as is his disposal. Time to go, he's had his time.

Bit harsh. Not good enough to get a game, but you'd want to use him on one of the opposition key forwards when a team mate is being beaten. If Grundy is the struggler in this scenario, maybe he's the one for the outs (which is of course a patently ridiculous line of reasoning).

LRT is a tough match up - maybe because neither he or his opponent can easily predict what will happen when he's with or near the ball - a bit of footy chaos theory if you like! Anyway, he has a lot of credit in the bank and the calls for him to be dropped are a bit lousy I reckon.

[SwansFan1972]

And another thing. I think the forward line balance isn't too bad - not too many clubs would be moaning about a forward set up which has boasted opening quarters of 7.0, 5.3, 9.0, 4.4 and 7.1 over the last five games. And we're winning games - a neutral observer who didn't know our wins/losses and scores for the season would infer from the chatter about LRT that we are neither scoring nor winning!!!!

I think most teams would be pretty happy with a forward line that has been producing like ours has. And it is pretty rare that everyone on the line will be firing all the time. LRT is there and deserves a bit of slack. Why things seem to slow down scoring wise after quarter time makes for far more interesting conversation than bagging one person on a winning forward line!

[Ludwig]

With the injuries to Goodes and Mummy, LRT was a reasonable forward/ruck option, mainly because all the other possibilities weren't much better. And he put in a number of admirable performances. But now with the Pyke/Mummy ruck combo looking pretty good and Goodes back in, LRT doesn't do much for the side. His best role is a 1st backup tall defender if any of the regulars get injured, for which he is quite capable. We need someone more dangerous up forward, not just another tall body.

I wouldn't mind seeing Nipper given a go vs. GWS. But TDL or Morton or Cunningham are all options. Even Moore could be given another chance, given his good performances in the ressies. And given the great cameo by Drey yesterday, he looks like a better tall option in the forward line than LRT, and can ruck just a well, or just a poorly if you like.

Morton, for instance, would demand coverage by a good defender, as no team would want to see him with ball in hand inside 50. Nipper will make his mistakes, but does everything, chases, tackles, kicks goals, takes marks and can run all day.

There must be at least 6 or 7 better options than LRT up forward at the moment.

[bloodsman]

How is he a tough match up? He doesn't kick goals up forward. He's only reasonable in the air and very ordinary once it hits the deck. He used to play just OK down back but even then opposition teams would plan to ensure he gets the rebounding ball as they knew he could often turn it over. Grundy is not bad but undersize for the Hawkins matchup. As LRT was playing, he could have been tried on Hawkins last night. Having said that unless there is an obvious tall foward he could play old fashioned defence on then he's of no value. This has been the case for a long time now.

[Lucky Knickers]

You do realise that Lewis is the embodiment of Thor? God of Thunder people! The Swans personal footy god. Don't dis it.

I think that his inclusion up forward has really helped Sam in recent weeks. He isn't a natural forward but he makes a contest up forward and plays quite defensively as well. Our forward pressure has been very good IMO with him in the side.
Without Goodes we needed someone with some heart and guts to protect Sam.
Best available at the time. What's our win/loss ration with him in?

[bandwagon]

Many real forwards have been made to look rubbish by Scarlett, so I'm not surprised LRT had a sub par game. However he has put in some reasonable performances recently, so there may be no need to change a winning team until Goodes and Mumford regain fitness and form.
On the other hand, if we are going to tinker with the forward line (Walsh, TDL, Morton etc), the next couple of weeks may be the perfect introduction.

[stellation]

And another thing. I think the forward line balance isn't too bad - not too many clubs would be moaning about a forward set up which has boasted opening quarters of 7.0, 5.3, 9.0, 4.4 and 7.1 over the last five games. And we're winning games - a neutral observer who didn't know our wins/losses and scores for the season would infer from the chatter about LRT that we are neither scoring nor winning!!!!

I think most teams would be pretty happy with a forward line that has been producing like ours has. And it is pretty rare that everyone on the line will be firing all the time. LRT is there and deserves a bit of slack. Why things seem to slow down scoring wise after quarter time makes for far more interesting conversation than bagging one person on a winning forward line!

But has it been the forward line producing, or has it been the midfielders kicking a hell of a lot of goals?

An interesting observation from my dad last night- he wondered if our heavy reliance on our smalls whilst our forward line was struggling had contributed somewhat to the struggles against Essendon and Geelong, I guess using the logic that talls don't get any shorter as the game wears on but smaller legs that have to keep running do get tired. I can't really recall the spread of goals in those early quarters, but it kinda makes sense to me.

[707]

As I said in another thread, I think the Pyke/Mumford ruck/FF combo needs to stay, Goodes as the other deep tall forward and LRT isn't needed.

We desperately need a genuine goal sneak added for the extra run and clever goals. Either TDL comes back or Morton is given a go. Morton is genuinely dangerous inside 50 and genuinely clever.

Remember we have Weagles at Subi coming up and don't want to be top heavy there and with Pyke and LRT we are.

Next week isn't too soon to drop LRT and add TDL or Morton so we get it right before we go to Perth.

[Jewels]

I've always been a big supporter of Lewie but he was horrible against the Cats. Yes, Scarlett has made many a forward look ordinary over the years but he didn't make Lewie look ordinary, he made him look like an Auskick kid.
I watched the ressies game and the Strut looked pretty damn good to me. He offers everything that we LRT supporters have said that Lewie brings to the team - versatility, a contest, effort, but he does it all a hell of a lot better then Lewie did on Friday night.
Lewie out, The Spang in!

[Reggi]

I think a better title for this thread would have been "which is the more effective forward LRT or a licorice stick"

For mine, at least the licorice stick would get the attention of the opposition.

[Dosser]

I think a better title for this thread would have been "which is the more effective forward LRT or a licorice stick"

For mine, at least the licorice stick would get the attention of the opposition.

At least the licorice stick would put some runs on the board.

[stellation]

I think a better title for this thread would have been "which is the more effective forward LRT or a licorice stick"

For mine, at least the licorice stick would get the attention of the opposition.

By planting an aniseed of doubt in defenders.