Our team's strengths and weaknesses entering 2018

[RudeBoy]

Can I please request that this not be turned into another debate about Bucks. Clearly we've all had enough of that.

Rather, I'd like to analyse our teams strengths and weaknesses, and examine where we expect improvement to come from and where we still have weaknesses to overcome.

Strengths

1. Our ruck/forward combination of Grundy and Cox demonstrated in the last game of the year, that it has the potential to become a powerful weapon for us for many years to come. With Grundy at 6'9" and Cox at 7 foot, they are both mobile and should both continue to get better and better. No team in the comp has anything like a combination this good, and it alone could propel us to finals success next year.

2. Using Grundy/Cox as key forwards will relieve enormous pressure off Moore and he will blossom as a consequence. He will also be that much stronger next year, and we could easily see him emerge as an out and out star of the game.

3. Maynard and De Goey should both become our central midfield enforcers, allowing us to run straight through packs and play a much more direct and efficient brand of football.

4. Our midfield depth should then allow us the luxury of playing Pendles and Sidey much more around goals. This will give us much more fire power and experience up forward.

5. Langdon should be even better next year, after the good form he showed late this season, after returning from serious injury.

6. Adams, Treloar, Elliott and Hoskin-Elliott should all be at their peak next season.

Weaknesses

1. Our major weakness will be our continued heavy reliance on Dunn at full back, given his age, as well as on Reid at CHB, given his proneness to injury. Hopefully McLarty has a future down there, but realistically, it may yet take him a couple of years before he can make a real impact in a key defensive spot.

2. We still are without a top crumbing forward. Both Elliott and Fasolo rely more on their marking prowess, rather than the front and centre work of a genuine crumber. Let's hope that one or more of Kirby, Daicos and Brown can step up next year to fill this role.

3. A general lack of depth remains a problem. Injuries to our bigs in particular could easily expose our lack of depth.

Overall

Given the expected improvement and development of players such as Maynard, De Goey, Grundy, Cox, Elliott, WHE, Moore, Adams, Treloar, Daicos, Brown and Kirby, I reckon we have the makings of a very good side. The key will no doubt be the form of Grundy and Cox. If this combination fails to deliver, then we will have massive holes to fill in the ruck as well as up forward. As well, we will need Reid's body to hold up, at least until McLarty can develop and be ready to fill his shoes. I guess I'm a glass half full kind a guy.

Being optimistic, as long as Cox and Reid deliver, I actually don't think we need to trade in a ready made KPP, Rather, I'd like us to use our draft picks on the best young talent available.

[MatthewBoydFanClub]

Good summary.

I think now is the time to play Moore on the wing as Pendlebury suggested and rely on the ruck combination of Grundy and Cox at the centre bounces to get us by. Cox is averaging above a goal a game so we can rotate Grundy and Cox between centre and the goal line. Use Reid as our other tall forward and now our forward line becomes a lot more flexible with the resting ruckman and our small crumbing forwards in Daicos/ Kirby and the taller marking forwards in Elliot/Fasolo.

Our mids are our strength in Wells/Pendlebury/Treloar/Sidebottom. I think Maynard has to come into the midfield rotations equation together with De Goey who will continue to spend time in the forward line. Brown will be groomed to spend more time in the midfield as he works up his fitness base. Thomas/Wills/Sier are back up for me.

Varcoe and WHE have the wings covered. Varcoe needs to watch his calfs and hammys.

I see Dunn as a strength, not a weakness in the backline. Dunn could last another five years, more than enough time to groom his successor, be it McLarty, or someone we draft. I'm hoping we persist with Schade for a while still. I don't think Goldsack/Langdon/Scharenberg are the answer at CHB. They offer more as defensive link men to move the ball from halfback to half forward. Howe is our intercepter/marking player at halfback, another strength. We lack someone with a bit of pace off the halfback line. I wish Sinclair was that player but he keeps getting injured. Ramsay will be better next year after his first year back from his ACL.

Drafting/ Trading Needs: Anyone offering a bit of height and marking power in the forward line who can also kick goals. Backup CHB. A speedy runner off half back who is also a good kick. Everyone we draft or trade for needs to be a good kick and not slow off the mark (no one slower than 3.0 sec over 20m - we have enough slow players on the list).

[John LEWIN]

Small crumbing forward and pace of half back. Basically we need a fit Reid, Cox stepping up, Leon, Heater and Heritier. Bingo!

[What'sinaname]

Bring in Jolly and Ball and the flag is ours for the taking.

[stui magpie]

Personally I think we have a surfeit of midfielder half back types.

What we need is:

Pace. but pace that can dispose cleanly. We're short of line breakers
KPF. Yes, our key backs atm are Dunn and Reid surrounded by mediums, but we do have Keeffe, Schade and Mcclarty to call on. We need a young genuine KPF.
Small lock down back pocket. Teams are developing small forwards and we routinely get opened up by opposition forward hobbits. We need a small lockdown player .

Icing for the moment would be a medium tall forward. If mayne gets his shit together, the role is there for the taking until then I reckon it's Goldies unless we get Stringer.

[Pies4shaw]

Our strength is that we have about 14 demonstrably AFL-standard players on the list. Our weakness is that we have only about 14 demonstrably 14 AFL-standard players on the list. As to which, see http://www.magpies.net/nick/bb/viewtopic.php?t=76663&start=30

The screaming problems are:

No full back, a CHB who is near the end (although if he went to Hawthorn, they'd probably get six more seasons out of him - perhaps our new fitness staff can do something about that), no speedy back-pocket who can lock down the opposition goal-sneaks, insufficient midfield speed and only two good forwards - Elliott and Moore (possibly 3 if Fasolo stays and kicks straight). In particular, up forward we lack the player that has traditionally been the key to every successful team that has had a good era - your actual centre half forward ( think Walls, Hart, Brereton, Carey, Cloke etc etc, rather than, say, White). Until we accept that it is the hardest position on the field to fill and you don't find this gem in the detritus other clubs pick out of their teeth, we will be also rans.

Otherwise, some of the kids look like they have the potential to fill some of the gaps but, make no mistake, a huge lift in overall output from most of players 15 to 30 on our list will be required, or else we'll be talking again this time next year about how to fill the gaps with another CHF made of polyfilla.

[Pies2016]

[watt price tully]

[RudeBoy]

Thanks wpt.

Watching Dangerfield being so effective at full forward, I'm more convinced than ever that Pendles should play primarily as a forward next year. I realise he's not as explosive as Dangerfield, but he's great in the air and his ability to read the play, and sway away from opponents, plus his accurate kicking could well transform our whole forward line and solve our problems in that area.

[stui magpie]

When we're on we put on serious pressure, which is good. We move the ball quickly and directly which is also good.

When we're off we fart around with the ball too much, then bang it long in hope.

Things to work on in the off season:

1. Bucks has said we're a grunt team, so lets show it consistently. Hunt the ball and the player, play defensive when we don't have it and do it hard. Look to the Sack for inspiration. Find a level that's sustainable and repeatable. Relying on pure manic pressure isn't sustainable, so it needs to be mixed with....

2. Good disposal. Once you get the ball, don't give it up with stupid disposals, we need to have...

3. Better decision making. Don't panic, hit targets. Work on the skills and decision making so we can....

4. Play with flair and instinct. hard attacking footy that hits forward targets rather than pop it up for their defenders. Hit up clear targets in good position relies on.....

5. midfield and forwards on the same page. Midfielders knowing the forwards, where they run to and what their strengths are and working to deliver it to their strengths rather than farting around until they get tired of doing multiple unrewarded leads and just stand their then bang it on them. Forwards need to read the play up the ground, know the midfielders, have faith in them playing to the system and get in good positions. Then we can....

6. Kick fkn straight for goal. It's not that fkn hard. Practice, know your limitations, know your capabilities, practice set shots and get a routine that works and you can trust.


/6 point plan.

[Johnno75]

Small defender you can provide some run as well as go 1 on 1 with opposition small forward.

You know a Leon of 2011, it's only been 6 years...............

[BazBoy]

Goldy nailed it in his chat on Pie media by saying we played some good footy this year but our inconsistency thru a game cost us

And said we have a competitive culture which differs from a winning culture I experienced when first at club

[RudeBoy]

[BazBoy]

Yes he did say that winning culture comes from winning

Well if true must start winning with what we have in the sheds OR if there is
a player out there with thirst and knowledge of winning we can add

[masoncox]

Yes winning give us a winning culture. Sort of begs the question that we won 20 and lost 2 the year before Buckley came. So what happened????? I know, we kicked out a winning coach and slotted in an unknown. Now that was a winning move.