Goddard at FF?

[spert]

We need to get more mobility into the full forward area, I think Goddard at FF could be worth a shot -its going to be our weak link this season if we can't get it sorted.

[saintsRrising]

I would rather him in the play.

With zonning and forward pressure you need guys that can set-up play more than ever.

BJ is our best kick and so it makes sense to have him setting thengs up rather than being the final finisher.

Though yes allow him to drift forward and even play HHF on occassion.

[Dr Spaceman]

We need to get more mobility into the full forward area, I think Goddard at FF could be worth a shot -its going to be our weak link this season if we can't get it sorted.

Whoever plays at FF has to be able to keep out of the way of Mr Everywhere (aka Nick Riewoldt) and that's no easy task.

Given that, it's highly unlikely that anyone who plays in that position will be kicking big bags of goals.

With that in mind, while BJ could no doubt play well in that position, and while there are some other prospects coming through, I'm not convinced that Kosi is still not the best option at this stage.

[bigcarl]

We need to get more mobility into the full forward area, I think Goddard at FF could be worth a shot -its going to be our weak link this season if we can't get it sorted.

i've no doubt he'd be very effective as an alternative target to riewoldt and would contribute well on the scoreboard, but you would lose a fair bit around the ground.

you are right that ff is a concern though. kosi will probably get the first part of the season to show some form but if it continues to be a problem something will have to give.

[bigcarl]

Whoever plays at FF has to be able to keep out of the way of Mr Everywhere (aka Nick Riewoldt) and that's no easy task.

that he is called upon to do so much is a part of the problem imo.

[meher baba]

Playing BJ at full forward would be a major waste of talent.

If Kosi isn't considered to be good enough, I'd rather see Stanley or McEvoy go there. Indeed, even Zac would be a better option than BJ IMO.

FF is a position where you do a lot of work to win relatively few posessions. BJ is a player who is at his best with the ball in his hands.

You do the math.

[Moods]

Playing BJ at full forward would be a major waste of talent.

If Kosi isn't considered to be good enough, I'd rather see Stanley or McEvoy go there. Indeed, even Zac would be a better option than BJ IMO.

FF is a position where you do a lot of work to win relatively few posessions. BJ is a player who is at his best with the ball in his hands.

You do the math.

Good post - completely agree. However the O.P. also has a point. Hopefully Kosi finds form otherwise something radical may have to be done down there. Stanley is still too raw I reckon.

[fugazi]

If you could clone 1 player to play in all positions it would be Goddard...would love to see him at FF, but would miss his crucial set ups...BJ is usually the player to make the cross field kick to a running HBF or wingman to free us up on , that kick is the hardest one to execute andhence he is invaluable through the guts

[bigcarl]

Playing BJ at full forward would be a major waste of talent

not necessarily. there's been some very talented players used at ff.

the reason is that sometimes (like in the grand final for instance) simply winning around the ground isn't enough ... you have to put it on the scoreboard as well.

shots at goal are worth more than regular kicks and it pays to have guys who can get the ball and nail them near the goals.

that said, i think ross is likely to 1) give kosi every chance to find some form and, if he doesn't 2) explore other options before bj. but who knows.

[matrix]

nope
across the back

stanley at ff on the lead

[Solar]

nope
across the back

stanley at ff on the lead

your a very wise man

[Eastern]

We need to get more mobility into the full forward area, I think Goddard at FF could be worth a shot -its going to be our weak link this season if we can't get it sorted.

Not whilst Sam Fisher is out injured. Why not wait & see how Kosi goes at Full Forward when the REAL season starts? !!

[SainterK]

Kosi (IMO) has earned to at least have first crack at the FF position in the season proper.

Our forward set up this NAB cup has been anything but consistent, I am not sure why you would expect it to have clicked yet.

Last night we saw our forward line trying to syncronise for the first time this year. Sure it was rusty, Roo and Kosi contesting the same ball far more often than is ideal.

Better this week than round one though, when I am confident that all will begin to return to normal.

[Eastern]

Kosi (IMO) has earned to at least have first crack at the FF position in the season proper.

Our forward set up this NAB cup has been anything but consistent, I am not sure why you would expect it to have clicked yet.

Last night we saw our forward line trying to syncronise for the first time this year. Sure it was rusty, Roo and Kosi contesting the same ball far more often than is ideal.
Better this week than round one though, when I am confident that all will begin to return to normal.

There were at least two occasions on Saturday Night when BOTH Roo & Kosi were "there" for a marking contest, with Kosi doing the "Donkey Work" to make it easier for Roo both times, resulting in goals. There were some real good signs that things are set to fall into place !!

[matrix]

put him round the ground for gods sake

look at richo at the tiges, was stale as an old piece of bread and did very well

they tell us kozi is actually super fit and for the size of him is doing unreal times in runs etc
if he has the engine, get him on the wing or off the back flank then
fishers gone for a few
zac stays where he is
ffs, we groom the guy for the spot, he got ill lost a few kilos and we want the position filled by someone else already?
end of last year he was the bees knees and now he is no good?
pfftt

stanley at ff
roo centre half

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Playing BJ at full forward would be a major waste of talent

not necessarily. there's been some very talented players used at ff.

the reason is that sometimes (like in the grand final for instance) simply winning around the ground isn't enough ... you have to put it on the scoreboard as well.

shots at goal are worth more than regular kicks and it pays to have guys who can get the ball and nail them near the goals.

Exactly, like Gary Ablett senior.
It seems many on here ought to have a look at the replay of last year's GF and see that we went inside 50 something like 35 times to 15 in the first half, yet had virtually no-one in there to finish it off. And that was after kicking only about 20 goals in total, in the 2 finals leading up to the GF.
And you want to keep BJ in the middle? Why, so that we can continue to dominate the inside 50's, but not win Premierships, or kick more than 10 goals in a game? Boring.
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. Don't we want to actually win a flag and maybe even kick some goals along the way?
We were "lucky" to beat the Doggies in the '09 Prelim and now they're better overall, plus they now have a rampant Barry Hall in their forward line.
They're likely to be goals better off per game this year (and they were already the highest scoring team in the comp last year), so unless we find a way to kick more goals, on a regular basis, we'll be left in their wake (unless Kosi fires up, or something extra-ordinary happens).
I wouldn't necessarily put BJ at FF, but he surely needs to be played mostly in the forward line, so that Roo can stay closer to goal and so that someone is there to put it lace out to those inside 50 (and kick a bunch of goals himself). He could play the role Hird played when Essendon dominated in 1999-2001. Mainly half forward, roaming far and wide (including into the midfield) and dropping inside 50 when appropriate.
BJ would dominate across the forward line, like he dominates everywhere else and we have enough other guys who could do well enough across the midfield (Hayes, Dal Santo, Montagna, Armitage, Jones, Gram, Ray, Geary, Steven- that's 9), to cover him. Up forward, on the other hand, as was clearly evident last year, there's no one who would do anywhere near as well as he would there. I don't remember seeing Gwilt or Dempster kick 5 goals in 25 minutes in any games, like BJ did against West Coast. And guys like Lynch, Walsh and Stanley are at least a year off being consistently good there.
Yet most seem unwilling to even have them try it out. Surely the NAB Cup was the ideal time to give it a go, but they didn't even have the guts to try it out then. Sure our midfield would have been weaker, but who gives a f***, it's the pre-season? It's the perfect time to experiment. We had him in the midfield and what a surprise, we came up short again, in a game that, while they may not have totally "busted-a-gut", I'm sure they wanted to win.
No goals no win.
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.
If we're not prepared to take a chance we're not going to win the flag. You don't win AFL premierships playing it safe. We should know that better than anyone.

[borderbarry]

Goddard to play on ball and Half Forward. Leave Kosi FF, but have Milne and either Stanley or McEvoy in the pockets. Tell Roo to not come closer than 25m of the goals. Give the fwds some room. Whats the point of having your two major forwards contesting the same marks each week.

[borderbarry]

I would line up Stanley Kosi and Milne on the FF line. McEvoy on the bench as 2nd ruck. During course of the game I would give both Kosi and Stanley a run in the ruck, with McEvoy moving to Forward line while they were on the ball.

[linz]

On Saturday night it may well have been worth lining Goddard up against Barry.

Eade may well have then requested Barry to lead to the pockets to take Goddard out of the play.

[Bernard Shakey]

I would line up Stanley Kosi and Milne on the FF line. McEvoy on the bench as 2nd ruck. During course of the game I would give both Kosi and Stanley a run in the ruck, with McEvoy moving to Forward line while they were on the ball.

bbarry, I've got news for you and many others, Stanley is a long way off getting a gig in the St Kilda seniors. He will be a great player, but mostly at Sandy this year.

[skeptic]

Riewoldt would easily be the best CHB in the league... strong, good playing infront of the pack and few CHF could keep up with him when he drifts forward + his disposal could set a lot of forwards up.

But he's a CHF because he can do it and do it well.

There's a reason why forwards get the big bucks because not many players can do what they do.

Goddard is an immensly talented utility and can play a number of positions and seems very well suited to the mid BUT if he can be an ace forward IMO then that's where he needs to go

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Remember '97? Everyone said Adelaide was gone because Tony Modra got injured.

But then Blight threw a guy called Darren Jarman to full forward.

Point is, talented midfielders can be hugely damaging if you're prepared to sacrifice their input downfield.

I have a feeling it works best in finals, though.

[Spinner]

Anyone for Kosi to CHF.....




Stick Roo in the square....he'll kick 10 each week!

[Moccha]

I reckon the next team that plays the Bullfrogs will plonk their lumbering ruckman right in front of Hall to limit the space he leads into. Hall has never been a great pack mark even thought he took two in the NAB cup, so restricting his space is a way of negating his speed and crowding their forward line. Hall is used to playing as the lead up forward so I reckon the tactic of clogging the forward 50 might screw him as the stay at home forward. It will certainly get him frustrated.

[spert]

I would have parked Kosi down there in the backline early in the piece-I'm surprised Lyon didn't try it cosidering Kosi was doing three fifths of nothing much in the forward line.