Movers & sliders

[Leysy Days]

agree with barnzy.

why does morton need to run all the way back to halfl back and up to the wing? if hes a fwd pocket, why cant he hang around inside the fwd 50, lead up, and crumb around goals. there is a place in all sides for a steve j type fwd. you wouldnt want ur third tall kicking you 3 goals a game?? morton can kick goals, and as a fwd pocket id say his major role was kicking goals, not helping get the ball at half back/wing.

This is the role Riewoldt plays. & in ours & Hawthorns game plan they dont keep as many guys structured close to goal as some other sides.
Especially with Riewoldt being so good one on one they dont want other defenders dragged near him.

Morton is going to have to get supremely fit even in AFL terms (which he is far from) to play under Dimma. Running up & back all match.
If he does there will be a place for him. If he's doesnt work his absolute arse off they'll p!ss him off as there wont be a role for him.

 

[Barnzy]

This is the role Riewoldt plays. & in ours & Hawthorns game plan they dont keep as many guys structured close to goal as some other sides.
Especially with Riewoldt being so good one on one they dont want other defenders dragged near him.

Morton is going to have to get supremely fit even in AFL terms (which he is far from) to play under Dimma. Running up & back all match.
If he does there will be a place for him. If he's doesnt work his absolute arse off they'll p!ss him off as there wont be a role for him.

Why can't we have so many guys structured close to goal? If anything given everyone has worked Hawthorn out since 2008, they haven't been the benchmark for a couple of years. Geelong are. Mooney, Hawkins (now replaced by Pods) have been their 2 talls and they have also had Johnson playing as the permanent 3rd forward which is the exact role Morton should be playing. Then they have guys like Stokes, Chapman, Byrnes pushing through there. Playing 2 talls then a bunch of mids is ridiculous IMO.

Morton (41 goals goals), Riewoldt (35 goals) worked well last year and can again. Add in Griffiths which pushes Morton back down to the 3rd forward option with a smaller and lesser defender and it's the start of a very good structure. Morton has rarely if ever got the opportunity to play that role he should be playing. Instead of the go to man, playing as the 3rd/4th forward on smaller defenders. He's a 40+ goal a year forward and DH needs to get the best out of him. My advice would be to stop playing him on the wing and half-back at Coburg and play him where he excels.

 

[linuscambridge]

tambling is going nowhere. he goes in hard, and does the hard things cause that is all thats keeping him in the side. doesnt kick goals, doesnt set up fwd thrusts, cant play well as a defender, isnt a midfielder.....dont know what role he is apparently playing ???

Missed those 2 goal assists on the weekend?

No doubt Richie coming off some post season surgery and limited pre-season, has been a slow starter this year, but his last couple of games have been OK.

Tambling had as many possesions as Collins, White, Edwards, and more than Nason and King. Opinions on this site are a little like a battleship sometimes, they take a long time to turn around.

 

[Mr Brightside]

2 Thursty =Personally think his been soild in his role, however no doubt his under the pump and DH needs him to add some attack to his game.
3 Lids +1 continued to rise
5 Simmo -2 served his purpose it seems now
6 Polly- 1
8 Jack +2
9Cotch+1 simply getting better due to playing games
10 Edwards +1 good example of what happens when a coach talks to his players
13 Mcmahon -2
14 Polo -1
15 Farmer=
16 Mcguane +1, looks to be the first picked defender
17 Newman +1 , done very well under the circumstances and playing in a tough way the old Tiges would be proud of.
18 Rance -1
19 Connors +2 Just needed a chance
20 Morton -2 Not sure the story here, however fact is his not in the first 22 at this point which is dissapointing at this stage
21 Tuck = Same old Tucky IMHO
22 Gilligan =
23 Jacko =
24 Collins +1 same has Bendigo team mate, just needed a gig
25 Graham +3 Shocked
26 Nahas = Still the same in my eyes, just not quite good enough
27 Hislop = As above
28 King = As above
29 Vickery = Graph is about to start to rise slowly
30 Tambling -1 Dissapointing coming of his best year, have a feel if he lifts the work rate graph will rise
31 Thomson -2 , DH gave him a chance, its all over now
32 Cousins -1 Coming of best game of year , stays fit will rise again
33 Gourdis +1 Strange to say he has risen , however he is on the cusp of debuting and now is a gun VFL full back
35 White +1 Improved
40 Moore = played a couple of his carer bests and a couple of very ordinarys
41 Foley unfair to comment
43 Browne = Word is his on the up

Coaching staff +10000000 :clap :clap

 

[IanG]

So he has gone from our leading goalkicker to playing wing/half-back at Coburg yet he hasn't gone backwards? That's laughable. Sometimes your posts are really odd, Ian.

He hasn't gone backwards because he isn't playing the same role. If he was playing a deep small forward and not kicking goals then he would have gone backward.

 

[IanG]

Why can't we have so many guys structured close to goal? If anything given everyone has worked Hawthorn out since 2008, they haven't been the benchmark for a couple of years. Geelong are. Mooney, Hawkins (now replaced by Pods) have been their 2 talls and they have also had Johnson playing as the permanent 3rd forward which is the exact role Morton should be playing. Then they have guys like Stokes, Chapman, Byrnes pushing through there. Playing 2 talls then a bunch of mids is ridiculous IMO.

The Geelong forwards do run back a fair way then forward, you will frequently see Varcoe, Byrnes, Johnson and Stokes get the ball on the defensive side of the centre square.

 

[Barnzy]

The Geelong forwards do run back a fair way then forward, you will frequently see Varcoe, Byrnes, Johnson and Stokes get the ball on the defensive side of the centre square.

Johnson plays 90% forward, he only pushes up when he's not in the game and chasing cheap kicks. LeCras rarely pushes past the HF flank and he's one of the best small forwards in the AFL. He should've been AA. Last year Morton wasn't that far behind him in performance when he kicked 41 goals. If he's kicking that many goals why do we need him up in the middle? Ridiculous. His best role is as a small/mid sized forward who should be the 3rd or 4th forward option behind Griffiths, Riewoldt, etc in the forward structure. He's not a wingman/flanker. As I said, Hardwick needs to get the best out of him.

 

[IanG]

Johnson plays 90% forward, he only pushes up when he's not in the game and chasing cheap kicks. LeCras rarely pushes past the HF flank and he's one of the best small forwards in the AFL. He should've been AA. Last year Morton wasn't that far behind him in performance when he kicked 41 goals. If he's kicking that many goals why do we need him up in the middle? Ridiculous. His best role is as a small/mid sized forward who should be the 3rd or 4th forward option behind Griffiths, Riewoldt, etc in the forward structure. He's not a wingman/flanker. As I said, Hardwick needs to get the best out of him.

He can still be a fwd option he just has to develop the tank to run back then forward with the play to provide that option. Nahas has a similar issue. As for LeCras your comment about imitating the Hawks goes double for LeCras. You want us to imitate the Eagles? As for Johnson he's had more inside 50s than Rioli this year and similar rebound 50s.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Coaching staff +10000000 :clap :clap

Ain't that the truth. Good analysis Clinton Casey.

 

[Leysy Days]

Why can't we have so many guys structured close to goal?

Because forwards need to split defenders up. We have just about the best body on body player in the league. The last think Hardwick wants is to have forwards & therefore defenders close to him so they can zone off when the high ball comes in to Jack. They need to p!ss off up the ground, be dangerous & work back.

You go on about Geelong having Stevie J play close to goal, they try to isolate him a lot because like Jack he's there best one on one player. But he also works har up the ground. Mooney plays the hit up role more often than not. Riewoldt was playing that hit up role last year.

There is a place for Morton but he will need to play more like Chapman, Stokes, Varcoe etc who work hard & push up throgh the middle to create an outlet coming from defence. He also run patterns through the forward 50 when its there but there will be far more to his role than that. To do this he needs to get fitter & work hard to get a game. That is why they are playing him up the ground at VFL level.

 

[Leysy Days]

Johnson plays 90% forward, he only pushes up when he's not in the game and chasing cheap kicks. LeCras rarely pushes past the HF flank and he's one of the best small forwards in the AFL. He should've been AA. Last year Morton wasn't that far behind him in performance when he kicked 41 goals. If he's kicking that many goals why do we need him up in the middle? Ridiculous. His best role is as a small/mid sized forward who should be the 3rd or 4th forward option behind Griffiths, Riewoldt, etc in the forward structure. He's not a wingman/flanker. As I said, Hardwick needs to get the best out of him.

The highlighted part is where your thinking is wrong. Hardwick needs to get the best out of the forward line. Not Morton.

Hardwick has set roles for everyone in a team, he's not going to make one up for Mitch to he detriment of the forward line. So Mitch either gets working or gets left out.

 

[GoodOne]

Some great points brought up. Personally I think Morton is of best benefit close to goal. I think his engine would be his biggest concern in terms of being able to play in the mould of a Varcoe, Stokes or Chapman. Starting to think maybe his time is up at the Tigers if this is the role he's being asked to play. Would be great currency if this is the case.

 

[Tigers_06]

Johnson plays 90% forward, he only pushes up when he's not in the game and chasing cheap kicks. LeCras rarely pushes past the HF flank and he's one of the best small forwards in the AFL. He should've been AA. Last year Morton wasn't that far behind him in performance when he kicked 41 goals. If he's kicking that many goals why do we need him up in the middle? Ridiculous. His best role is as a small/mid sized forward who should be the 3rd or 4th forward option behind Griffiths, Riewoldt, etc in the forward structure. He's not a wingman/flanker. As I said, Hardwick needs to get the best out of him.

Hardwick is trying to get the best out of Morton, the problem is with Morton, he isn't doing what is required in terms of following the gameplan and therefore is playing at Coburg. It was evident when he came back in for the Saints game a couple weeks back, was forced to play up the ground and work back into the F50 once the ball had been delivered, unfortunately for Mitch he couldn't adapt to playing this role and found himself back at Coburg the following week.

The question that needs to be asked is does Hardwick change a gameplan that seems to be working well without Morton to fit Morton in? Or does Morton change his game to ensure that he fits in with the gameplan?

 

[Barnzy]

Some great points brought up. Personally I think Morton is off best beneift close to goal. I think his engine would be his biggest concern in terms of being able to pay in the mould of a Varcoe, Stokes or Chapman. Starting to think maybe his time is up at the Tigers if this is the role he's being asked to play. Would be great currency if this is the case.

Exactly. Morton will never have that engine to play through the midfield ala Chapman, Varcoe. He will be traded and star in the role he was playing last year. 40 goal small/mid-sized forwards don't come around too often and we're wasting him. The last coach had his favourites and ones that he didn't like. Look at those ones now they're playing in their best roles. Edwards, Connors, etc. Seems Morton is in the latter category for Hardwick.

 

[Barnzy]

Hardwick is trying to get the best out of Morton

Well he's failing. It's all well and good to say he's putting him in a new role, teach him new lessons, bla bla but no one had a problem with Morton last year. Everyone right now would take a 40 goal a year mid-sized forward. Hardwick has made him much worse than what he was under Wallace/Rawlings.

 

[Disco08]

Exactly. Morton will never have that engine to play through the midfield ala Chapman, Varcoe. He will be traded and star in the role he was playing last year. 40 goal small/mid-sized forwards don't come around too often and we're wasting him. The last coach had his favourites and ones that he didn't like. Look at those ones now they're playing in their best roles. Edwards, Connors, etc. Seems Morton is in the latter category for Hardwick.

Never say never mate. Imagine how much more effective Morton could be if he had an engine to match those guys to go with his knack for kicking goals. This year seems to be as much about education as results and Morton's treatment looks like a definite result of that.

 

[Hayfever]

Movers

1. Jack..... amazing and awesome improvement
2. Tuck..... V8 motoring at it's best. Dimma applied pressure and Tucky put his foot to the floor
3. Angus.... gone from a camel to a draught horse in a matter of weeks

Sliders

1. Morton.... has the kicking skills, needs to improve team skills and second efforts.
2. McMuffin.... ought to be fighting a lot harder for his future
3. Post.... been disappointing for mine. Hopefully one step backwards, then we'll see him take two steps forward

 

[Pettifer08]

sounds like Gourdis could take Thursty's spot on the list..

 

[sashback]

Well he's failing. It's all well and good to say he's putting him in a new role, teach him new lessons, bla bla but no one had a problem with Morton last year. Everyone right now would take a 40 goal a year mid-sized forward. Hardwick has made him much worse than what he was under Wallace/Rawlings.

Barnzy,,,mate,,, the only person that is failing Morton is himself.
He has to adapt!!! If he doesn't, it's his loss.

Take your Morton coloured glasses off Barnzy, the team is more important than one lazy individual.

 

[Tigers_06]

Well he's failing. It's all well and good to say he's putting him in a new role, teach him new lessons, bla bla but no one had a problem with Morton last year. Everyone right now would take a 40 goal a year mid-sized forward. Hardwick has made him much worse than what he was under Wallace/Rawlings.

Hardwick isn't failing Morton, as Hardwick said back when he was on the couch, the ball is in Mortons court as to whether he gets back or not. Morton was told what he needs to do in order to be part of the future at this club, if he doesn't/can't do the work necessary then he has no-one to blame but himself.

As for the topic at hand,

Movers:
Riewoldt - we all know why.
Graham - 6 weeks ago he was dead man walking, now he is all but assured of being number 1 ruck for the next couple of years.
Edwards - getting better every week. When we're a good side he'll be more than handy.

Sliders:
Polo - played most of the season last year and looked reasonable, now struggling to get out of Coburg
Nahas - was seen as the answer to our small forward need, another who seems to have been passed by in a hurry
Post - was seen as next in line for a KP spot and has seemingly been passed by Griffiths & Astbury. Needs to step it up soon