The Ryder / Hayes dilemma?

[Impatient Sainter]

I wonder when Ryder returns, whether Ratten will consider moving Membrey to a permanent defensive HB position? I know Hayes has only played one game but we have him and Sharman as alternatives for the role.

After losing Coffield I believe we need another intercept marking option down back. Membrey has been drifting back at times during games and acquitted himself very well. He would sure up our defense and hopefully become an intercepting weapon.

I think it warrants consideration particularly until our midfield sorts itself out and stops teams bursting through the square.

The other move I would make is Hill back to a wing. Get him running through the F50 more and kicking those long goals.

[bigcarl]

I wonder when Ryder returns, whether Ratten will consider moving Membrey to a permanent defensive HB position? I know Hayes has only played one game but we have him and Sharman as alternatives for the role.

After losing Coffield I believe we need another intercept marking option down back. Membrey has been drifting back at times during games and acquitted himself very well. He would sure up our defense and hopefully become an intercepting weapon.

I think it warrants consideration particularly until our midfield sorts itself out and stops teams bursting through the square.

The other move I would make is Hill back to a wing. Get him running through the F50 more and kicking those long goals.

Good idea. Would hate to see Hayes miss for “team balance”. Pick your best and most in-form 22 players and fashion a team around that.

[The Fireman]

Membrey is a gun. Play him anywhere

[B.M]

Membrey has won the goal kicking 4 times and kicked in excess of 200 goals

Hayes has played 1 game

Sharman 4 games

Membrey has NEVER played as a defender in his life

He played as a spare behind the ball at times

[WellardSaint]

Membrey has won the goal kicking 4 times and kicked in excess of 200 goals

Hayes has played 1 game

Sharman 4 games

Membrey has NEVER played as a defender in his life

He played as a spare behind the ball at times

Skunk has dropped back into D50 many times during a game, to take saving marks. It's worked wonders.

'Never played as a defender in his life'?
You're funny.

[B.M]

When you play as a defender

You play on a forward!

He drops back as a spare late in quarters

Big difference

[Ghost Like]

No dilemma - if Ryder is fit, he plays.

Membrey is still our best forward, do not see value in weakening our forward line to patch up our backline.

There are 3 players for two spots, Hayes, Wood & Sharman. For whatever reasons, Sharman is behind those two. Unless we opt for a mid tall heavy forward line which may be possible as all three offer more than Kent.

I suspect the deck chairs, Kent, Butler, Higgins & Long, to be shuffled though.

I've never seen Membrey pick up a forward and mark them. A huge difference to being the spare man.

[wally]

I tend to think that this is something to worry about when the time comes , the chances all 3 are fit and not needing a break/ maintainance are probably slim…
As far as moving Membrey back no successful forwards are harder to find than stopgap defenders , that said maybe that is the thought behind trying Sharman down back during preseason

[Yorkeys]

The dilemma is a dysfunctional mid/ clearance set up. A group that has become a lot less than the sum of its parts. What to do with them, some are one dimensional with no under studies in training.

This is largely due to paying a fortune for Hannebery who is never on the park and stifled recruitment of mids plus picking up Jones who is spasmodic in playing - and performance when he does actually front. His recruitment has been as disruptive as Dan's in its own way - mercurial but a net bust.
Our much vaunted football IP team are losers. Classic middle managers that over rate themselves/self promote.
We need a clean out, far too much baggage, far too much denial of mistakes. And the obvious. Sooner it's started the better. Unless there is a miraculous turnaround Ratts to fall on his sword at the bye stage and the dumb dominos to follow. There is a good core for a new coaching team to develop.

[spert]

Paddy has been reasonably good for us but is not the future, and I doubt if he will make much impact this season if he is able to get over injury. At the moment is doesn't matter who is rucking as our ground level players are second to the ball, or nowhere near it.

[B.M]

Are they second to the ball because they aren’t getting a good look at it from the ruck?

I’ve played in the midfield to great and poor ruckman

There is a stark difference, it makes a huge difference on how you set up at stoppage and centre clearance

It helps if you know where it’s going

[Impatient Sainter]

Membrey has won the goal kicking 4 times and kicked in excess of 200 goals

Hayes has played 1 game

Sharman 4 games

Membrey has NEVER played as a defender in his life

He played as a spare behind the ball at times

I agree and it was just food for thought, but we need to find a way to stop us leaking goals so badly. The other option is get Hill out of defence back to wing, play Highmore and move Wilkie to the HBF and use him in more of an intercept attacking role.

Our midfield were poor in all of our preseason games and were smashed against Collingwood. Our mids were completely reactionary, it was more their lack of movement than Grundy dominating. It was like they were second guessing themselves.

Also people need to stop judging players by their number of possessions rather than the quality of possession and how it sets up team mates. Crouch is the classic possession padder, if you watch him the majority of his handballs travel less than 5 metres to players under pressure and his kicking is no better than Dunstan. There is no quick fix to our midfield we simply dont have the players, the only relief will be Ryder back and in form. We have Jones to return but he is not an inside beast to win the ball at the break down, he is a burst player. Ross is a poor mans midfielder and should never be used at centre bounces unless we are completely on top. I think we need to persist with players like Bytel & Byrnes in there with short bursts from others, its the only way forward. But in the interim we need to help out our leaking defence.

[bigcarl]

Membrey has won the goal kicking 4 times and kicked in excess of 200 goals

Hayes has played 1 game

Sharman 4 games

Membrey has NEVER played as a defender in his life

He played as a spare behind the ball at times

All true and good points Marto.

To me Membrey is a very good forward and the perfect third banana, but lacks the height and physicality to be a true key position player. Sharman may be in the same boat

I think Hayes (despite not being super tall) and Marshall may have those attributes.

Hayes could also play second key defender if Battle continues to struggle.

Structurally we need to cover those two positions, the old CHB and the old CHF.

Part of the reason we go long bombs to Max King is that there is no real physical presence in the forward line. This needs to be remedied ASAP along with an appalling lack of playmakers in the guts.

[lefty]

Ryder should be used as a top-up.

He can't string two games together due to age, what's the point, he'll probably retire at the end of the year. If we have to rely on him, that's an issue.

[The_Dud]

If we want to have any hope of winning the centre clearances we need Ryder in there, was one of the aspects of Friday nights game that cost us the most.

I was thrilled with Hayes' game as much as any BUT am not sure its sustainable. Most likely that will be his best performance of the year, not sure where his permanent spot would be.