I think you are incorrectly putting Lav into the tall bracket. Heโs a mid forward and Iโd argue has a similar speed to Green, is just as good if not better on the ground compared to Green and is miles better in the air.
Keep in mind that Laverde is also seen as a midfielder so is not seen as a tall and gives some flexibility to go into the midfield.
When youโre next to him talk is what you think.
He is not an outright Key Position player, agreed. But the manner in which he plays is very much as a lead-up marking target who is also strong enough to win contested marking battles.
i.e. the comparison to Tom Lynch who is the exact same height and is their 4th โtallโ if you like. He has the speed and good hands to be the hit up target but is also agile enough to be pretty good when it hits the deck.
Lav is an exciting prospect because like you say, he is clean with his ball handling (no puns please lol) and has speed.
You can say he is โseenโ as a midfielder but the fact is if he is coming into the AFL side this year he will be playing as a forward not as a midfielder.
I hope next year and into the future he can develop into a mid/fwd.
Been around the world donโt speak the language.
Heโs a mid IMO. Play him in the fkn guts
If Laverde comes in for Green, other players would need to change their rotations fwd% vs mid%. The talls would need to drift out of the F50 more and guys like Parish or Colyer would need to spend time providing forward pressure. You would get Daniher and Stewart spending more time as tall midfielders. If Laverde can rotate to the wing and provide some chase pressure around the ground, while other smalls drift forward we could largely cover the loss of Greenโs forward pressure. That role would require a solid fitness base, which Laverde propably doesnโt yet have.
The forward rotation would look something like:
Hooker
Daniher
Stewart
Laverde
Fantasia
Walla
Parish
Colyer
I think LAV has the smarts and agility to be effective when the ball hits the deck in the forward 50, as well as providing a target.
Anyway, I think it is more about the defensive pressure heโll apply - can he do it to a level consistent with a โsmallโ forward, e.g. Green? Thatโs half the battle with small forwards these days.
Donโt want to muck around with the forward line formula as it is obviously working, but iโd love for Woosha to
BRING
HIM
IN
LAV certainly ainโt like Greenโฆ he knows how to lead!
Also, he takes his high speckies more than a foot off the ground.
This
In my mind hes competing with Parish, Colyer, Zaha for an spot in the midfield.
He shouldnt come in for stewart etc.
Disagree heโs a mid. Pre season he was looking like a great third tall, ran in straight lines, good mark, good kick. Heโs kicked 6 this week and 3 last and I donโt reckon heโs clean enough handling the ball to be a midfielder
Iโm with you there WOB
LaVerde has some great attributes but the running in straight lines is a potential problem as a mid
Turning circle of a truck.
If you kick 6 in the magoos, you should probably come in
Green looks cooked to me. Iโd swap them, to at least see what that setup looks like anyway
Even if green is injured, I donโt think Lav comes in for him yet.
As others have said, itโs his 3rd game back, first full game but โฆ
ATM all of our small forwards in the seniors are running through the midfield for periods of the game, they are applying pressure in our forward half.
I just canโt see lav doing either of those 2 important things ATM. He wonโt get the luxury of solely being able to play in the fwd 50, and he definately wonโt be the no.1 main target like he was on the weekend.
Iโd say work on his match fitness, get the midfield time up and work on his defensive pressure and he could and should be ready to play seniors in 2-3 weeks.
I agree with you DKP.
I need a lie down.
3 goals off limited time.
6 goals off 10 shots whilst not 100% fit
Doesnโt come in.
If he gets goals next week and doesnโt come in. Iโm gonna burn tulla
Doesnโt have clean hands? To me has looked like one of the cleanest youngsters in the senior side in years.
Right now he is a forward because the club clearly wants him to develop that side of his game, plus there seems to be a best 22 spot for him in that role. But I have no doubt at all Lav will become a mid in a couple years when Watson, Goddard, Stanton, Hocking are retired.
Against popular opinion, I agree with that. Before he was drafted, I figured him for a big-bodied, forward/mid. I donโt agree with the โstraight-line/non-agileโ opinions about him.
himself and langford are Half fwd flankers and good ones. Not that they cant eventually play in the midfield but they are both natural smart fwdโs.They both look out of place in the middle.
I reckon they play nothing like each other though.