Tarrant to bulk up

[jackcass]

[roar]

[DaVe86]

For his frame...he is incredibly well built. However he is not big enough to play a full forward role. However with Anth Rocca back, we have enough muscle up there.

Hope he doesnt try and get too big, especially in the legs because he will lose his almighty leap.

[EddieGold]

roar - agree. I am glad he is strong but the last couple of seasons it has taken Tazza a few games to get up to full fitness. maybe that is because they have given him a delayed preseason but this doesn't work. What has happened the last couple of years is that we have lost a couple of early games and lost some other forwards and then the pressure is on Tazza to perform from round 3 or 4. Get him out on the track running lap after lap so he comes into round 1 as fit as a murray trout. This is more important than him flexing his bicepts.

[pietillidie]

Can someone please solve this problem?

I'd like to revive this thread because those who want Taz to keep roaming and leading way outside fifty have failed to deal with this issue:

Pebbs is the only player we can rely on to be a genuine big forward focal point. Taz is a great second focal point next to Pebbs, but if Pebbs is injured there is no one to replace him - no one who can bust packs and take out two or three defenders. Our inbility to kick goals against a big defence like Brisbane in 02/03 presaged the problem; last year proved it conclusively.

Those of you who want Taz to keep roaming up to the wing have to at least have a crack at solving this problem. Neither C2 or Tex are good enough to play Ant's role at this stage, while C3 and Josh aren't strong enough yet. It's all well and good to get excited about our many forward options, but Ant is still the key and therefore if Taz doesn't play a more traditional role (stronger/beefier and keeps his leads to about 40m), we're buggered once again if Ant gets injured.

(An improved midfield will obviously go some way towards solving the problem, but it never helped against a team as good as Brisbane).

[Johnson#26]

So you are arruming that Rocca is injured in that certain match you speak of, pietilidie?

If so:

HF: Caracella, T.Cloke, Rusling.
FF: Tarrant, Fraser, L.Davis.

With Bucks, Dids and Burnsy floating through.

We'd need to improvise. Travis Cloke showed the world in 2005 that he can play at CHF if need be and hold his own. Another pre-season means more strength - he would be our number one choice to fill the role, I'd presume. Rusling would need to pick up more of the slack in this situation. He is already a strong boy with good hands, and will generally enjoy having the bigger names of Rocca, Tarrant, Fraser, Caracella and Travis Cloke take the onus off him. However, if we could buy two goals from him (in this situation), I'm sure we'd be well pleased.

Tarrant is not at his best one out in the square/30m range. We must allow him to play his natural game by leading hard up the field onto the wings and into the middle, startng him this time from the forward pocket, not full forward. Fraser is the key man here - he must play FF. Even if he can stack on the muscle again this summer, I doubt he will be able to properly compete against the Michael's/Scarlett's/Glass' of the world. However - one thing we have learnt about Josh Fraser over the course of the past six years is that he enjoys a challenge, and in a markling contest, he holds his own, and will at least force the ball to ground. Look at the way he dominated Justin Leppitch in the 2002 Grand Final.

But its no good bringing the ball to ground without any crumbers. We have two options here:

a) Re-instate Leon Davis to the FP (I can't find a place for him in our best 22).

or

b) Use Shane O'Bree as the FP.

O'Bree is our best natural crumber, whilst Davis can turn a match at his best.

It makes for an interesting situation - but one where we have enough depth (or so we think) to fill the hole.

[browny4pm]

Taz putting on a bit of weight isn't such a bad move.

He does have huge arms but he's not a big man.

If he puts on more weight in the body he may be more able to handle the rigours of holding down a key position.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new and improved Taz!!

[pietillidie]

J26 and Browny4pm - thanks for replying. J26 I know what you're saying, but I believe the side you name is good on paper but in reality would be mongreled out of the contest by a big disciplined backline.

Let me put it this way:

It's on the eve of the finals, and Pebbs is ruled out for a month with a hammy. Would you prefer:

(a) A beefed-up Taz who has refashioned his game (traditional f/f mould, leads to 40m, can wrestle in the square and bust packs); or

(b) The old model (even in 02/03 form)

Anyhow, I seem to be one of the few who want Taz to totally refashion his game for team balance. Don't forget, C2, C3 and Rusling are a fair way off key position status yet, and there are no guarantees with any of them (though we have every right to be strongly confident of C3, and the other two could well be top players too). IMO Josh is a ruckman/pocket - hence he was in the top 3 players every week for the 10 or so games we won on the trot in the second half of 2003.

I feel some sides can get away with smaller/lesser focal points because of their midfield skill and game plan, but teams like the Pies and Sydney need a monster or two because the ball often comes out of a midfield scrap and therefore the delivery isn't always pretty. Sydney without Hall are like us without Pebbs, and personally I'd like to see that situation rectified.

It will be interesting to see what style of game MM has Taz play this season.

[die4pies]

Two things will help Chris combat the molestation problem he suffered in 2005. The weight he has put on is in his lower half. He has built up his legs which will lower his centre of gravity and give him more power to body opponents and bust a pack or two. He may not be a Lockett or a Hall, but that leads to the second point. Going by the rule modifications players that try and wrestle an opponent are going to serverely penalised. This has to be a direct result of MM's outburst mid-2005. Taz should have more freedom of movement.

Unfortunately it is important to have 1 or 2 imposing large framed forwards in a team and depending on C3's and Sean's progress over PS, we may still be one year off that luxury.

The key for Collingwood is managing the use of Ant. He may be very servicable in the Rucking role, but this has to take a toll on his body. Spring and leap is all achilles generated and this may have contributed to his injury. No Ruck for Pebbles and plenty of pocket resting I say and let Taz run free.

[lethalburns]

Tarrant is either 6'2 or 6'3... not 6'4

Rocca is 6'4

Rocca plays like he is 6'7.. I always thought he was about that height... till I met him and realised he was my height. Bit of a shock.

[EddieGold]

Billy Morrison was 6 ft 9

and that is only the size of my body part.

[Johnson#26]

[loki04]