LAV
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Been around the world don’t speak the language
But your booty don’t need explaining
All I really need to understand is
When you talk VERDE to me
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We need to get Laverde a kicking coach.
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Time to revisit this in terms of forward structure.
What is shaping as our preferred structure- not just personnel- this year ?
Preseason Game 1.
1 tall - Smack
1 medium- Laverde
4 smalls - rotating through
This seemed to improve our forwards pressure overall, but was it necessity or a similar system to Richmond pre Lynch?
Having a fit Joe would change things, but that’s a while off.
So, assuming Stringer plays as a medium, is it;
Smack, Stringer 4 smalls
Smack, 2 mediums- Stringer & Laverde, 3 smalls
2 talls - Smack, Hooker / Stewart / Belly, 1 medium in Stringer 3 smalls
No way will we go for the 2 talls, 2 mediums 2 smalls, so I won’t bother with that option.
A quick reminder that our rotating smalls include Walla Fanta Snelling Mosquito, and possibly Conor
plus any of the rotating mids - Smith, Parish, Shiel McGrath Merrett .
If Langford rotates forward I assume he’s a rotation for a medium.
And if you want Townsend I’d count him as a small, rather than a true medium in the Stringer or Laverde pattern.
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With JD out Hooker was my preference fwd, with flexibility as needed to swap with Francis or Ambrose in game.
But now with Ambrose out also who despite lack of height has shown can match up against taller, heavier & far more experienced opponents we will probably have to play Hooker back.
If Hooker is not able to be played fwd then Stewart is my next in line. But he isn’t seemingly going to be ready albeit in full training now. He might go close but will surely need some VFL match time since been out for so long.
Then with what we have left it probably comes down to opposition. 2 rucks strategy or a smaller fwd line with 1 kpf/ruck & 2 mediums.
The latter I’m not really a fan of as think our fwd structure would be too negatively impacted by opposition intercepting / killing contests & our dangerous smalls not being able to get into game. Especially when our pinch hit ruck goes to do so.
Given will be up against Darcy (201cm, 111kg) and Lobb (206cm, 106kg) in round 1, and Darcy not exactly being a mobile ruck so Belly ok against if fit could see us playing Belly & Phillips.
Phillips contests hard, moves well for his size and can kick straight (unlike Zlarke). And Smack is no good pinch hitting against really big rucks.
Sides are loath now to give up such an advantage at the centre square given 6:6:6 and getting scored more easily against from a clean centre clearance.
So I’m going with…
Smack permanent fwd, and Stringer 3rd tall.
HF: Smith Smack TIPPA
F: Fantasia Phillips Stringer
7th: Snelling
Freo’s backline is going to be young and undersized also with their main kpd’s out which we can exploit.
Over the first 5 or so weeks of season we should then get Stewart & Ambrose back and have more options. And then hopefully JD not much longer after that. Come on JD! 
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I’m confident that for round 1 at least whilst the available personnel is as it is, they will play Smack, Stringer, Laverde & 3 rotating smalls.
They will reward the pre-season form (including on the track, not just practice matches alone) of Lav and give him the opportunity.
It’s up to him to make something of it or not.
I don’t believe we will play two rucks.
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Snelling McKernan Tippa
Orazio Laverde Stringer
that’d be my preferred round 1 forward line
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Is McKenna still an option up forward or was that just a ploy to keep him mentally fresh in the preseason
I’d start Smith on the forward flank rotating through the middle and interchange with Snelling
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Yeah that will be intriguing to see how that plays out.
If he is still considered a forward then all of a sudden you’ve got:
Tippa
Raz
Smith
Snelling
McKenna
Parish
All vying for forward rotation roles. Some of them such as Parish and Smith aren’t out and out forwards but if past years are anything to go by they will take their turn up there.
It gets tight for spots up there if McKenna were considered a forward that’s for sure. That is where a Snelling may just miss out. Who knows. Intriguing.
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from what worsfold said, I took it as they wanted him to train as a forward so he could be swung up there during games
our small defender stocks are dire, and our small forward stocks are reasonably well off. I hope he stays down back with stints on a wing
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I might have missed a few training reports and I’m sure more goes on behind closed doors, but I only recall the one time that Conor went forward and it was about a day before he went home.
I don’t reckon McKenna forward is a full on plan like it was for Hooker in 2017 (which was a criminally underrated stint).
Smack McNurnan; contested marking beast CHF.
Stringer/Laverde; hard charging medium sized FF.
Tippa, Fanta, McKenna, Snelling, Smith; starvation corner & midfield rotations.
Mozzie; understudy small.
Lockyer; understudy 3rd tall.
It is v doubtful that Hooker will be ready for R1, and as others have noted, with Ambrose out, he will be needed in defence to counter the opposition gorillas.
Belly and Atewart are not yet fit enough, so Phillips to ruck.
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Walla. Frang. String.
Raz. Smack. McKenna.
A very mercurial freakshow…
Could do anything!
(Laverde a bit stiff obviously).
Reckon McKenna’s position above will really be sort of a rotation slot; Smith, Merret, Parish, Ham, Zaharakis, Langford could all spend time through there.
Wouldn’t mind McGrath having the odd stint forward (inside mid should be his main position though).
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I have the feeling McKernan will play higher to give us leverage along the wings and we’ll have to go back to a Hird method and get it deep to a pocket for our smalls to either show their class or reset and lock it with a boundary throw in or stoppage.
Laverde and Stringer will hardly take a contested mark and McKernan on the rare chance of resetting combine for a merely 5 marks per game inside 50.
The importance will be our small forwards, starting with your mainstayers Fantasia and Walla with the likes of Smith, Snelling, McKenna, Parish, Merrett, Shiel, Zaka trying to snag a few from ground balls and clearances inside 50 or on the fast play.
However if Stewart and Daniher can get back in then we’re looking at a more typical forward arrangement. The other likelihood is Hooker can move forward if Hurley, Francis and Zerk/Ambrose can control our key defensive posts. Hooker is the best inside 20m of goal player we have. He won’t concede inside 50 marks.
Walla. Frang. Mozzie.
Raz. Stringer. McKenna.
Now that is a freak show.
“5 months later” … and by the way he wasn’t traded.
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