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Position 2022: Forward Discussion
- Thread starter KLo30
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To be honest, I didn't know anything about Logan MacDonald. Doing a quick search, I found McDonald to be19 years old and 196cm.
History says that generally, young tall players need more time to physically develop to be competative in AFL. But if he is exceptionally talented, then he may play a lot this year. I will monitor his preseason.
History says that generally, young tall players need more time to physically develop to be competative in AFL. But if he is exceptionally talented, then he may play a lot this year. I will monitor his preseason.
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Horse said Isaac Heeney is set to spend more time on the ball next season, a 70/30 midfield/forward split.
My concern is, will Heeney still play midfield if Sydney's key forwards miss games. Reid and Franklin don't fill me with confidence. Reid last 2 years played 10 and 10 games. 35yo Franklin played 10 and 17 games.
Maybe that is why Sydney have signed Paddy McCartin as back-up to play as a key forward, so Heeney plays more midfield?
13 games is the highest McCartin has played in 4 seasons, again, I'm not confident of Heeney playing a 70/30 midfield/forward split.
My concern is, will Heeney still play midfield if Sydney's key forwards miss games. Reid and Franklin don't fill me with confidence. Reid last 2 years played 10 and 10 games. 35yo Franklin played 10 and 17 games.
Maybe that is why Sydney have signed Paddy McCartin as back-up to play as a key forward, so Heeney plays more midfield?
13 games is the highest McCartin has played in 4 seasons, again, I'm not confident of Heeney playing a 70/30 midfield/forward split.
Not as worried on the forwards, would expect McDonald should pass Reid for the #2 spot this year. Ladhams is a lock for the #3 spot and capable of filling the #2. Also have Amartey and McLean who've both shown a bit and even Sinclair as a break in case of emergency type.
McCartin was playing in defense for the reserves and I'd imagine the goal is for him to play there, we're very thin down back with really only Melican and T. McCartin as KPD along with the amazing Rampe but I'm not sure how much longer Rampe can continue to give up 10kg+ as an undersized KPD and I'd rather he played as a genuine 3rd this year. Obviously if all hell breaks loose then McCartin is a capable forward.
Basically I believe Horse and Heeney did play probably about 60% mid over the last 7 or 8 games last year, more on a wing than genuine midfield but he's shown he's an incredibly capable midfielder in his bursts in the past and he really should push past 100 in that kind of role pretty comfortably, body allowing.
Put it this way, if Heeney doesn't average 100 this year I'd go with 88% that it's his body failing and 10% the role not eventuating, that's my confidence level in his two risk factors for that scoring range. The other 2% is he's not good enough, so I'm pretty confident on that side of the coin
I mean this is the same coach that has been playing Greene, who is probably his best midfielder, as a forward for the last few years now and Kelly anywhere but the guts who is the other candidate for their best midfielder.
Personally I think Taranto is too fairly priced as a mid to justify the risk that he plays forward for significant stints of games where he'd do well to be an 85 guy. Let's be honest, he's a poor man's Greene and he's a low 90s guy in a team that moves the ball like going forward causes them genuine physical suffering to do.
Only difference this year is he starts cheap. Durability wise he's been great except for one freak injury that is the kind of injury with no recurrence history that I know of in any sport.
His ceiling would be role based as well, he's a ~100ppg player in the bad primarily forward with mid stints role and he's probably still a 110 type guy in a primarily mid with forward stints role.
His fitness entering round one will be the big question, he hasn't been in good shape the past couple of seasons, almost think losing the weight will help him as it's a lot easier to control your weight from a low starting point than it is to drop back down after blowing out.
Still, he's purely a watch list guy until we see how he goes in the preseason, actually an important hitout for him for the first time in forever and I definitely think he's got the potential to be one of the better starting picks.
I'm quite willing to slam Cameron as much as the next guy - my wife can attest to us making the GF, my first comment was "well I guess we can't sack him now" - but Greene up forward saved Greene's career. His disposal was absolutely detestable and he was often a liability, and somehow he has turned that into an amazing shot at goal and a massively smart forward. Otherwise we'd be describing Greene as "Rockliff but he's an even worse kick".
The use of Kelly ****s me though. So many butcherers of the ball in the middle there - give them someone to get the ball out too.
Completely agree. Taranto is an ok enough forward, but that's a string that most of the other guys don't have. Still too many same-same players in the middle there. I almost felt like it would've been addition by subtraction if Hopper had moved on last year.
The use of Kelly ****s me though. So many butcherers of the ball in the middle there - give them someone to get the ball out too.
Completely agree. Taranto is an ok enough forward, but that's a string that most of the other guys don't have. Still too many same-same players in the middle there. I almost felt like it would've been addition by subtraction if Hopper had moved on last year.
Agree it saved his career but the time to release back to the midfield was a couple of years ago as his kicking has been cleaned up remarkably, he looks genuinely classy when he goes through the middle now and he's still got the ability to get it 35 times without even looking like he's trying. He should be playing the Brownlow Martin role right now, imo. They're now playing him in a role where he can't get the ball half the time when they've got a lot of forwards who can at least be competitive if given double the supply, especially if that supply happens to involve creative angles like Greene is so good at. Just think he should be on a 70/30 split instead of a 5/95 split.
Kelly is so wasted on a wing, it's his clearance work that is his best skill, imo, and his spread from the contest is his next best skill. Skillset wise it screams wing but he's just very ineffective at it. Cameron just seems to have a hard-on for low skill hard at it guys to the detriment of the team. It's so hard to compete when you play 3 guys who can't kick in the middle, who don't win clean clearances and just hack it forward for the quick turnover. Callan Ward should never be your most skillful midfielder, nevermind consistently throughout the season being that and I love Ward.
Kelly is so wasted on a wing, it's his clearance work that is his best skill, imo, and his spread from the contest is his next best skill. Skillset wise it screams wing but he's just very ineffective at it. Cameron just seems to have a hard-on for low skill hard at it guys to the detriment of the team. It's so hard to compete when you play 3 guys who can't kick in the middle, who don't win clean clearances and just hack it forward for the quick turnover. Callan Ward should never be your most skillful midfielder, nevermind consistently throughout the season being that and I love Ward.
