Collingwood’s finished an admirable job of remaining aggressive regardless of their wretched run with accidents.
However whereas they’ve been pressured to suppose laterally, a number of the choices don’t appear solely logical. Listed below are 5 factors which have sprung to thoughts over the past fortnight.
Billy Frampton
It was a wierd resolution to start out the season with Charlie Dean in defence. Whereas the membership charges him, Dean hadn’t performed any kind of soccer (together with VFL) for 2 years resulting from accidents.
It might’ve appeared extra logical to permit Dean to construct a physique of labor within the VFL, reasonably than choose him in opposition to final 12 months’s finalists in Higher Western Sydney and the Sydney Swans.
Injecting Billy Frampton into defence has been the one positional win Collingwood’s discovered this season. Though Frampton’s 27, he’d solely performed 40-odd video games (and a few of these as a utility) when he was chosen for Collingwood’s spherical 3 conflict in opposition to St Kilda.
Since then, he’s made an affect, and begun to develop the kind of partnership Darcy Moore beforehand loved with Nathan Murphy, and stabilised an space (the defensive 50) that had grow to be problematic. So why throw him ahead?
Frampton’s not going to rework into Buddy Franklin. At greatest, he’s going to be a physique.
If that’s all Collingwood wants, then Dean would appear a better option as a result of it wouldn’t lead to disrupting Collingwood’s newfound defensive stability. Taking Frampton out of defence, and reverting to Dean, has turned a power again right into a weak point.
This isn’t a knock on Dean. However he’s nonetheless extraordinarily inexperienced, missed all of 2022 – 23, and continues to be acclimating to the tempo and calls for {of professional} soccer, not to mention AFL.
Alternatively, Darcy Moore or Jeremy Howe, now that he’s again, might be thrown ahead – two guys with real X-factor and ahead credentials. Whereas such shifts would additionally destabilise defence, at the very least it could considerably enhance the ahead six. But they hold going to Frampton.
The counter is likely to be that it’d be too exhausting for Frampton to play defence and in addition be the reduction ruck given the absence of Mason Cox.
That’s a risk however, once more, Frampton isn’t a ruck. He’s only a physique filling that spot – a job that might be handed to anyone.
Ash Johnson
Johnson burst onto the scene with such promise in 2022 – a high-flying ahead with neat abilities and a laconic nature. Too laconic, some may say.
This season he’s struggled – he barely touched the ball within the opening two video games, after which morons horrendously mocked him on his social media accounts, which wouldn’t have helped. Consequently, he struggled within the VFL, trying damaged and bereft of confidence.
The brains belief performed him sporadically in defence – one thing I’ve been arguing that they trial since final 12 months.
Johnson appears to lack the depth to be a ahead. You’ll see a few efforts from him, however he’s but to show the depth and industriousness that nice forwards want, for instance, attacking each contest with gusto, and making lead after lead after lead.
However, as a defender, Johnson must comply with an opponent, which you’d hope would hold his head within the recreation. He’s bought a very good mark, can spoil, and has good abilities.
I’m normally detest to see forwards thrown into defence till they’ve exhausted all risk of realising their potential as forwards. I believe Johnson’s at about that stage.
So far as Friday night time in opposition to the Canine went, the one time Johnson appeared possible was when he led as much as the wing.
It might appear preserving Frampton in defence, and enjoying Johnson as a key ahead/reduction ruck, wouldn’t solely be way more logical, but additionally productive.
Giving Johnson the license to roam the bottom (because the reduction ruck) would additionally assist him rediscover contact and construct his confidence.
He’s considerably shorter than Frampton (by 8 centimetres), however he would be capable of compensate within the ruck together with his leap – at the very least sufficient to fill the function in addition to Frampton.
Steele Sidebottom
Sidebottom began the season okay, struggled, after which has appeared all out of kinds – nicely till they threw him in defence in opposition to West Coast.
Sidebottom appeared rejuvenated, accumulating 17 kicks, 4 handballs, six marks, and 4 tackles. Everyone celebrated the Collingwood genius of giving this wily veteran a brand new lease on life. However this was in opposition to West Coast at Marvel.
Though West Coast has been way more aggressive this 12 months, the opposition has nonetheless gotten a maintain of them at occasions – as Collingwood did on this recreation. The result’s a false financial system so far as Sidebottom’s transformation right into a rebounding defender goes.
(Picture by Michael Willson/AFL Images by way of Getty Pictures)
He’s a sensible footballer, dual-sided, and as a winger, he’s all the time been able to dropping again and taking a helpful mark or offering a chop-out. However as an precise beginning defender enjoying one-on-one in opposition to an opponent? That’s not in his skillset.
On Friday, we noticed Oleg Markov enjoying up ahead. Whereas I applaud McRae for making an attempt one thing completely different, logically Markov could be the higher alternative as a defender and Sidebottom, who’s all the time proven nous round targets, could be the higher ahead.
It’s enjoying two guys out of place and hoping for constructive returns, whereas enjoying them the place they’ve proven type is likelier to supply extra.
As an apart, I’m certain any person will cite that Sidebottom’s not a ahead both. However he did begin there for Collingwood.
In his second season in 2010 (his first full season as an AFL footballer), he kicked 24.13, and adopted that with 25.13 – thirty targets are typically the mark for a small ahead of this ilk, so that they weren’t unhealthy returns for a child.
Later, he was used extra as a midfielder who would drift ahead, however even then he’s proven he is aware of learn how to kick a objective.
Will Parker
The substitute can be utilized considered one of two methods: tactically, bringing any person on to have an effect; or as a utility, bringing any person on to cowl for an harm. I’m uncertain which function Parker fills.
He’s in his second recreation and continues to be studying his craft. He’s unlikely to come back on and produce a right away affect – he’s definitely not going to do it nestled in defence.
The one argument to be made right here is that on Friday night time John Noble had a recreation he’d choose to overlook, and he was subbed out to mitigate the injury.
However Parker’s not going to offer the searing counters that Noble makes an attempt, so how was Parker going to supply a right away affect?
If there was an harm, Parker doesn’t supply loads of scope as a utility. At greatest, he’d be thrown into a job and positions could be reshuffled round him.
Now a few of it is a necessity – Collingwood doesn’t have loads of choices to play that function as sub. Parker will get the nod just because he’s able-bodied.
Banking on the chance that the sub could be used tactically, even any person like underdone ahead Nathan Kreuger could be a better option – throw him ahead later within the recreation when the tempo has gone of it and it’s opened up. And even Ash Johnson.
Simply to qualify this, none of it is a criticism of Parker. It’s simply at this stage of his profession together with his inexperience, he appears a restricted choice as sub.
The Midfield Combine
One criticism of the midfield, particularly given the absence of Scott Pendlebury, Jordy de Goey, and Tom Mitchell, is an absence of dimension. Jack Crisp is a big-bodied participant, and that’s about it.
Collingwood fields a smaller, lighter midfield. Anyone like Nick Daicos can compensate together with his elite talent and his studying of the play, however missing that, the opposite midfielders get bustled out of the competition.
I simply marvel if it could be value throwing any person like Isaac Quaynor in there. Quaynor has struggled this 12 months for no matter causes, and with John Noble and Oleg Markov obtainable, Collingwood can cowl him in defence.
Quaynor’s a giant physique and, at his greatest, gives sprint. Additionally, Collingwood does want to consider what their future midfield will appear like given the age profile of their stalwarts.
Conclusion
Clearly, the brains belief has a lot better credentials than me, in addition to information and perception that we punters aren’t aware of.
However I’ve all the time struggled to grasp positional strikes that don’t supply way more than a participant filling a place.
Anyone will little doubt remark that I shouldn’t complain – McRae performed Frampton at full-forward within the 2023 grand last, and the Pies received – nice.
However Frampton was performed as a defensive ahead whose precedence was to curb Harris Andrews’ affect. This 12 months, Frampton’s being chosen as a key goal. It’s a distinct function.
As an apart, had the Lions received the 2023 flag, it’d be fascinating to think about how the context round Frampton would’ve radically polarized.
I recognize Collingwood’s accidents imply they’ve to seek out methods to cease the haemorrhaging, however I simply want a few of these positional alternatives weren’t simply stopgap – and weren’t simply instances of a physique occupying an area, however precise experimentation about what the longer term may appear like.
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