Is there a case for Harris playing forward?

[Dry Rot]

Robbing Peter to Paul with a not necessarily suitable player, or do we have kind of a solution if we can't trade for a KPP forward and McDougall and Williams step up? (And Grant plays on down back).

[LostDoggy]

dont think harris has enough class or footy smarts to be a full time forward,plus his kicking is suspect. grant is to old and injury prone to play in backline, and macdougall doesnt have it. at best he is a good vfl/wafl forward....williams might step up and be a very good player in the next few yrs

[LostDoggy]

dont think harris has enough class or footy smarts to be a full time forward,plus his kicking is suspect. grant is to old and injury prone to play in backline, and macdougall doesnt have it. at best he is a good vfl/wafl forward....williams might step up and be a very good player in the next few yrs

ATM Williams has less smarts than Harris.
Harris has a few attributes of a FF, played there as junior, aggressive, loses his head, can take a contested mark.

[Mantis]

If we do not pick up a ready made forward through the draft/ trade period I would like to see Harris play FF next year. I suppose we are taking a big gamble in thinking Williams and McDougall can hold down the key defensive posts with back-up from Wight, Everitt, Morris, etc.. but we have to take that chance. At the very least I would like to see us trial it through the pre-season. If it fails then we can chuck Brian back in defence.

For it to work we need our midfielders and forwards to play a far more accountable style so that the ball comes into our defensive 50 under more pressure. If we move Harris up forward and play the same style we did this year then we will be throwing our young defenders to the wolves.

[LostDoggy]

i think cameron wight will develop in to a very good player. he moves so well for someone 200cm's. pre season is the gym and work on his leap, i think he could be a gun in the ruck.

[LostDoggy]

i think cameron wight will develop in to a very good player. he moves so well for someone 200cm's. pre season is the gym and work on his leap, i think he could be a gun in the ruck.
He need more than just a leap and muscle, he isn't a ruckman backside at the moment.

[LostDoggy]

have faith

[Sockeye Salmon]

Wight has no chance to make it as a ruckman. Doesn't have a clue.

Eade thinks he will make a defender, I think he moves like a natural forward but I'm not sure he's good enough overhead.

[LostDoggy]

why no chance as a ruckman? he needs more weight and bulk, then he will be able to take the punishment. he looks bit 'shy' in there at the minute

[The Underdog]

I'm just not sure he's a forward despite playing junior footy there.
His few shots on goal this year were beyond atrocious, he has decent hands but does he know what to do movement wise? Plus he's a pretty good full back.

As for Cam, if rd 22 showed anything it's that he's a long way off being a ruckman.

[LostDoggy]

if he cant get big enough to ruck, then he has got no chance at full back... darren glass is a tank

[Sockeye Salmon]

why no chance as a ruckman? he needs more weight and bulk, then he will be able to take the punishment. he looks bit 'shy' in there at the minute

Nothing to do with height or bulk. I simply don't think he knows what to do.

[LostDoggy]

fair enough. i think its more a size and confidence thing. weights, work and wynd over the pre season and we will see

[Sockeye Salmon]

I'm just not sure he's a forward despite playing junior footy there.
His few shots on goal this year were beyond atrocious, he has decent hands but does he know what to do movement wise? Plus he's a pretty good full back.

As for Cam, if rd 22 showed anything it's that he's a long way off being a ruckman.

Stewart Loewe was an atrocious kick when he started - he got better. Loewe did have an advantage over most, those huge buckets of his that marked everything that come near him.

I still think the single biggest attribute you need to be a forward is to be smart enough to lead at the right time and to the right place. In the very short time Wight played CHF he seemed to be doing this. He also has the tank to present over and over again - essential for a CHF. All he is missing is strength overhead.

Eade singled out Wight in the latest edition of the Bulldog magazine and said that he (Eade) thought Wight would develp into a more than handy defender.

[LostDoggy]

seems a waste to have a guy 200cm and can run all day sitting in the backline

[LostDoggy]

Hi guys. First time post.

Now i think this is a very debateable topic.

We are no doubt screaming out for a big bodied player who can play in the forward line and who can take a pack mark. But i dont think Harris is the answer. Our backline is leaking goals as it is so why take our best KPP out of his home and play him up forward. Yes he might have played there as a forward when he was a junior playing against smaller, less skilled opposition but by no means does that make him the answer to our prayers.

Williams will be a great player but cant hold down a key defensive post as of yet.
Doogs could also make it as a backmen but i wouldnt be holding my breath.

Maybe he could pinch hit up there from time to time but we cant afford at the moment for him to be playing there permanently and sacrificing the backline.

By all means if we had two Harris' then i would be all for the idea but the fact is we dont and the Harris backmen will be better than the Harris forward

[Dry Rot]

if we had two Harris'

Can you organise this?

Welcome to WOOF Borgy.

[LostDoggy]

I can only wish :)

Thanks mate, how long has this site been up?

[Dry Rot]

I can only wish :)

Thanks mate, how long has this site been up?

I think 9 or ten months from memory.

[Bulldog Revolution]

We are no doubt screaming out for a big bodied player who can play in the forward line and who can take a pack mark. But i dont think Harris is the answer. Our backline is leaking goals as it is so why take our best KPP out of his home and play him up forward. Yes he might have played there as a forward when he was a junior playing against smaller, less skilled opposition but by no means does that make him the answer to our prayers.


Welcome Borgy - great avatar

I'm inclined to agree - I dont think Harris is the answer up forward - I think Harris is a season or two away from having the type of impact that Glass and Scarlett have for their respective teams. Its more likely to me that Everitt, Williams or Tiller will develop as our key forward targets. Wight just seems most comfortable at centre half back but its not out of the question he could develop as a forward.

[MrMahatma]

I think our backline is shaping up well, and think settling guys like Williams and Harris down there will be good for the future of the club.

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on Tiller. Do you think he'll make it? Any word on what Eade thinks of the kid?