It's time - Jack into the middle

[Sintiger]

Pavlich has gone into the middle at times but still played predominately as a forward. I don't mind that as a prototype but my view is that we can't take our best forward away from the forward line.

Richo is not the prototype because he was an outstanding athlete with an great tank. Jack isn't but he is an outstanding forward

 

[graystar1]

After just watching...again....round 13 last year against the Swannies, where Jack kicked 6 goals, I would have to say no way should he play anywhere else but up forward. At this stage we don't have anyone else of his goal kicking ability up forward.

Why would we want anyone else there??

 

[Quickdraw]

Jack has the best football smarts in the team but taking him out of the forward line for long periods would be a mistake.

Short bursts only.

 

[Brodders17]

After just watching...again....round 13 last year against the Swannies, where Jack kicked 6 goals, I would have to say no way should he play anywhere else but up forward. At this stage we don't have anyone else of his goal kicking ability up forward.

Why would we want anyone else there??

have you also watched a replay of the Roos final where we were bullied around stoppages?

when Jack is dominating up forward and ours mids are doing well he stays forward. when Jack is struggling and our mids are getting beat moving him onto the ball should be an option.

 

[Tenacious]

Jack has the best football smarts in the team but taking him out of the forward line for long periods would be a mistake.

Short bursts only.

After just watching...again....round 13 last year against the Swannies, where Jack kicked 6 goals, I would have to say no way should he play anywhere else but up forward. At this stage we don't have anyone else of his goal kicking ability up forward.

Why would we want anyone else there??

Agree with both of you.
Watched some of that Swannies game too today and reckon you've nailed it.
Short bursts are the go - probably much as he's tended to do at times anyway.
Otherwise we need Jack up forward ready to act on delivery from our (hopefully improved) midfield e.g. the likes of CEllis and Yarran staring to delivering more quality ball.

 

[BillyJean17]

First I need to acknowledge Spooker, who has been advocating this move for a while now.

I've been saying all summer that we're light on for grunt and Maric is on his last legs.

Unless Conca seriously steps up and Townsend proves to match Jacko in endeavour as well as size, we are going to need a containment policy in the middle.

This means degrading the opposition clearance. Effective, but we will leak inside 50s which is never ideal. We depend far too much on Rance and Vlastuin as it is.

Unless ...

Jack goes in. Doesn't have to be all game, just for extended creative sorties. When we want to make the play. Or arrest opposition momentum. We have Griff, Ty and McBean looming up forward along with Deledio, Lennon, Lloyd and Martin in highly skilled support.

Surely we can release Jack for ruck roving assignments for 40% of the time.

The thing about Jack is he is sublime in heavy traffic. I can see him releasing the likes of Shed and Cotch with a deft tap here, a canny block there. He is just so smart. Plus, he cops intense opp focus which takes away from prime extractors Cotch and Miles.

His field kicking is elite. Elite. He is different to Richo in that he wouldn't be able to find space like he did. But Richo didn't have Jack's uncanny read of the ground ball.

The best part? Jack can even give Ivan a chop out from time to time. "Need me to go third man up?" "Want me to sit on this tiring ruck's head?"

The beauty of all this is Jack is large enough to be a strong presence in the pack and take opportunistic hitouts. He is small and smart enough to win some contested footy and help his midfield comrades win theirs.

The move requires innovation and vision. Not sure if Dimma has enough funk in him.

Funk or stupidity, one of the more hair brained ideas I've heard, we have any number of emerging midfielders headed by Corey Ellis coming through, yet you suggest we remove a dual Coleman medalist and AA FF and put him in the pivot , lol up there for thinking :rofl

 

[Leysy Days]

Yep silly idea.

Best tell Alastair Clarkson and Beveridge how stupid they are as well BJ lol.

 

[leon]

Agree with both of you.
Watched some of that Swannies game too today and reckon you've nailed it.
Short bursts are the go - probably much as he's tended to do at times anyway.
Otherwise we need Jack up forward ready to act on delivery from our (hopefully improved) midfield e.g. the likes of CEllis and Yarran staring to delivering more quality ball.

So after 12 pages, it seems to have come close to a consensus to play JR in the middle at times "probably much as he's tended to do at times anyway."

Anyone for cloning?

 

[Bullarto Tiger]

If we could clone Jack then I would order at least half a dozen such entities.

 

[Baloo]

If we could clone Jack then I would order at least half a dozen such entities.

I'd upsize a couple as well. Imagine jack playing CHB, Ruck, CHF, FF, RR, Wing and HHF with some stints running off HB ?

 

[Bullarto Tiger]

I'd upsize a couple as well. Imagine jack playing CHB, Ruck, CHF, FF, RR, Wing and HHF with some stints running off HB ?

Now you're just dreamin', Baloo ... but I am imagining the possibilities ... imagine.

 

[achillesjones]

This thread has just made a bigger comeback than Lazarus (not Gary)!

 

[leon]

This thread has just made a bigger comeback than Lazarus (not Gary)!

Sorry about that, Accy, not my intention. Strange as it may seem, I want our one elite forward playing within range of goal ... most of the time. Especially if we need one or a few badly, goals that is.
This thread, it seems to me, is like so many on PRE that are reactions to another EF debacle. That's all understandable, explicable.

But it represents another response to the midfield failure in 2015 final. Taking your best forward away to redress the problem is IMHO, a knee-jerk reaction.
How about ... improve the midfield options? So they stand up under pressure better; so we have some bigger, tougher bodies in there, other rotations.
Club couldn't attract Treloar or Bennell, so grabbed Townsend and Moore. Plus we have a raft of young talent to come through, but don't expect overnight sensations.
It's all due to justified frustration, but the team, the players, structures ... hey even the coaching and game-plan will evolve. All will be revealed soon enough now and we'll all find out who throughout the whole club is up to it.
My cloning joke is simply saying, remember if Jack's playing mid, he won't be kicking the goal too. ATM, only one of him.

Best scoring goals, with good supply from successful midfield.

 

[Carter]

Sorry about that, Accy, not my intention. Strange as it may seem, I want our one elite forward playing within range of goal ... most of the time. Especially if we need one or a few badly, goals that is.
This thread, it seems to me, is like so many on PRE that are reactions to another EF debacle. That's all understandable, explicable.

But it represents another response to the midfield failure in 2015 final. Taking your best forward away to redress the problem is IMHO, a knee-jerk reaction.
How about ... improve the midfield options? So they stand up under pressure better; so we have some bigger, tougher bodies in there, other rotations.
Club couldn't attract Treloar or Bennell, so grabbed Townsend and Moore. Plus we have a raft of young talent to come through, but don't expect overnight sensations.
It's all due to justified frustration, but the team, the players, structures ... hey even the coaching and game-plan will evolve. All will be revealed soon enough now and we'll all find out who throughout the whole club is up to it.
My cloning joke is simply saying, remember if Jack's playing mid, he won't be kicking the goal too. ATM, only one of him.

Best scoring goals, with good supply from successful midfield.

... or how about we load the forward line with goal scoring talent so that when Jack does go into the middle we have him covered.

Jack is our only forward that we can rely on. But why?

I would argue that Dimma's propensity to play a defensive forward line has denied opportunities for Lennon, McBean, Lloyd etc to develop their natural games.

Our forward line could be great. Jack going into the middle for 40% of a game, like Roughy, makes sense.

We have forward talent. We don't have midfield size.

 

[leon]

... or how about we load the forward line with goal scoring talent so that when Jack does go into the middle we have him covered.

Jack is our only forward that we can rely on. But why?

I would argue that Dimma's propensity to play a defensive forward line has denied opportunities for Lennon, McBean, Lloyd etc to develop their natural games.

Our forward line could be great. Jack going into the middle for 40% of a game, like Roughy, makes sense.

We have forward talent. We don't have midfield size.

If you look closely at my posts, haven't disagreed about using Jack in the midfield at times, if really desperate.
Also agree largely with what you say about forwards and being more offensive. Share the same hopes; agree that these guys need opportunities. Over the years, have always seen new forwards only develop once given their chances but they take time to step up, prove themselves and gain the smarts and the confidence.
I would include Griffiths too because I still believe he's got the goods and the size. However, it's not as if our FL has been JR only, but he's our only true star there.
It's the hardest position to play and succeed because scoring is the greatest challenge at least against the top opposition, plus they will nearly always be outnumbered by opposition extra defender, use zone defence, mids dropping back etc. ATM, only Jack is getting it done and TV really.
I alluded to our recruiting of larger mids to back up our quality players.
Other factors are that Jack has the smarts but probably not the leg speed for much time in the midfield. Also he would cop more tackles and therefore greater chance of injury.
So, in short, new midfielders and younger forwards to step up and there won't be the need or pressure to play Jack in the guts any more than he has been doing.

 

[AngryAnt]

Way too sensible Leon.