Should Picken and Higgins Swap spots

[bornadog]

This is something I think we should have tried on Sunday, but just thinking about the performance of both players, we need to change things up abit. Both have vital experience and we can't just drop these players and bring in more young players. We already have 13 players with less then 50 games.

So Why change?

I really don't like Picken in the backline, he is giving us nothing. Under pressure, his disposal is suss. I think as a small forward he could be very good and in the past some of his snaps at goal were just fantastic. Give him a target (the goals) and he will go for it. He is a booming kick when he gets on to it, he chases hard and can apply forward pressure now lacking.

Well we know Higgins is not kicking goals, he does have some talent but seems in the forward line he is being found wanting. Rocket tried him on the HBF and I believe he played well there using his kicking skills to find targets further up field. (Some will disagree on the success of this.)

thoughts

[F'scary]

Not unless Picken is playing in the reserves.

[The Adelaide Connection]

This is something I think we should have tried on Sunday, but just thinking about the performance of both players, we need to change things up abit. Both have vital experience and we can't just drop these players and bring in more young players. We already have 13 players with less then 50 games.

So Why change?

I really don't like Picken in the backline, he is giving us nothing. Under pressure, his disposal is suss. I think as a small forward he could be very good and in the past some of his snaps at goal were just fantastic. Give him a target (the goals) and he will go for it. He is a booming kick when he gets on to it, he chases hard and can apply forward pressure now lacking.

Well we know Higgins is not kicking goals, he does have some talent but seems in the forward line he is being found wanting. Rocket tried him on the HBF and I believe he played well there using his kicking skills to find targets further up field. (Some will disagree on the success of this.)

thoughts

I was actually thinking the same as I watched my recording at midnight last night (hardly worth staying up for I know) but I thought it might be one of those late night thoughts.

I think with Picken's ferocious tackling it could help keep the ball in our forward area and provide some scores from turnovers. He could also be used in a lockdown role on a dangerous rebounding defender at times too. Certainly worth the try.

[Cyberdoggie]

Higgins is a midfielder that can't seem to stay injury free or get fit enough to play in that position.

Unfortunately he's slow and developed an unaccountable style of football, and he's not the only one like this in the forward line.

I'm not sure i want that in defence.


Higgins can show ability from time to time but he is far too inconsistent.
Certainly some hard calls may need to be made over Shaun or Gia in coming weeks to bring in someone quicker and more accountable because we are leaking out of the forward line.

[bulldogtragic]

I'm not sure that it's easy or simplistic as swapping them around. I think thy should play in their BEST position to the BEST of their potential. Pickens made his reputation as a tagger and why they tinker with this I don't know why. Higgins is a creative goal kicker who doesn't seem to do ALL that is required by him. I don't think he has the fitness and game to go back, I would like him to add pressure, tackling and presence to his game and apply himself as the team needs.

If either can't make the most of themselves in their best positions, then they should be sent to the VFL to find form in those positions. I think it would send a bad message that those out of form can stay in the side if they get moved around positions. Bad form is bad form. And both of them were poor on the weekend. Back them in in their best positions. They decide their fate then.

[bornadog]

I'm not sure that it's easy or simplistic as swapping them around. I think thy should play in their BEST position to the BEST of their potential. Pickens made his reputation as a tagger and why they tinker with this I don't know why. Higgins is a creative goal kicker who doesn't seem to do ALL that is required by him. I don't think he has the fitness and game to go back, I would like him to add pressure, tackling and presence to his game and apply himself as the team needs.

If either can't make the most of themselves in their best positions, then they should be sent to the VFL to find form in those positions. I think it would send a bad message that those out of form can stay in the side if they get moved around positions. Bad form is bad form. And both of them were poor on the weekend. Back them in in their best positions. They decide their fate then.

I am agreeing with you to an extent, I don't think Picken's best role is in the backline. Lower has taken the tagging role and I believe Picken would be an excellent forward pocket.

As for Higgins, tell me where do you think you have seen him play his best football in the last three years? (I k now he has had injury concerns). HBF thats where.

[bulldogtragic]

I am agreeing with you to an extent, I don't think Picken's best role is in the backline. Lower has taken the tagging role and I believe Picken would be an excellent forward pocket.

As for Higgins, tell me where do you think you have seen him play his best football in the last three years? (I k now he has had injury concerns). HBF thats where.
Higgins has been a tease for a long time. I think we furiously agree he should be out of the forward line for not meeting expectations on performance output. Where we differ I think is that:

You think he deserves a chance for a Reprieve down back, which I suppose is fair enough.

I say drop him and make him perform to his potential.

In any event, I think he is lazy and without presence on the ground. I want form improvement, I don't want to move the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[craigsahibee]

I just can't see Higgins being accountable enough if required to play down back.

No argument with the Picken move forward, Liam has proved handy around goals before.

Would Dahlhaus moving into defense be an option? Can distribute the ball and does have relentless pressure acts like Picken. Just a thought.

[Cyberdoggie]

As for Higgins, tell me where do you think you have seen him play his best football in the last three years? (I k now he has had injury concerns). HBF thats where.

Wasn't there a game at the SCG recently where he was bloddy awful in the backline and that sealed his fate as a defender? It was either Higgins or Veszpremi or both, i think both from memory (it was a wet grey sunday arvo where we got spanked).

[Cyberdoggie]

Would Dahlhaus moving into defense be an option? Can distribute the ball and does have relentless pressure acts like Picken. Just a thought.

Was a defender at Geelong Falcons. Looked pretty good except his disposal was average and penetration was poor. Was a tackling demon though.

I think we need his creativity up forward and perhaps in the middle. We don't have a lot of speedy players with class up forward in the smalls department.

[Greystache]

Wasn't there a game at the SCG recently where he was bloddy awful in the backline and that sealed his fate as a defender? It was either Higgins or Veszpremi or both, i think both from memory (it was a wet grey sunday arvo where we got spanked).

That's correct. The Higgins experiment as a defender lasted about 3 weeks until Craig Bird kicked 4 goals on him in a performance that would have made Jordan McMahon look like Dale Morris in terms of defensive accountability.

Higgins shouldn't be in the team end of story.

Picken has to tag or play deep in the forward line.

[Ghost Dog]

Not unless Picken is playing in the reserves.

He'll be doing weights and swimming for the rest of the year by the sounds of it.

[bulldogtragic]

Pretty sure Picken wouldn't want to swap with Higgins now!

[bornadog]

Pretty sure Picken wouldn't want to swap with Higgins now!

He should still be moved to the forward line

[Sedat]

I am agreeing with you to an extent, I don't think Picken's best role is in the backline. Lower has taken the tagging role and I believe Picken would be an excellent forward pocket.
Is there an unwritten rule that you can't have more than 1 run-with player? Against certain teams that bat deep with potential match winners in the middle (such as yesterday's opponent), Picken should absolutely take a run-with role. Hell, he's one of the best in the business at it.

I've had 24 hours to mull over it and I am still completely mystified by the rationale that a defensive forward with no skill should have more defensive work put into him than an outside jet like Deledio. That's not even to mention the fact that Picken has completely owned Deledio for 4 years. Just staggering.

[Ghost Dog]

Is there an unwritten rule that you can't have more than 1 run-with player? Against certain teams that bat deep with potential match winners in the middle (such as yesterday's opponent), Picken should absolutely take a run-with role. Hell, he's one of the best in the business at it.

I've had 24 hours to mull over it and I am still completely mystified by the rationale that a defensice forward with no skill should have more defensive work out into him than an iutside jet like Deledio. That's not even to mention the fact that Picken has completely owned Deledio for 4 years. Just staggering.

I don't quite get what you're saying. That Picken should just be a tagger? His stocks have dropped significantly since he moved down back, that's for sure.

[Greystache]

I've had 24 hours to mull over it and I am still completely mystified by the rationale that a defensice forward with no skill should have more defensive work out into him than an iutside jet like Deledio. That's not even to mention the fact that Picken has completely owned Deledio for 4 years. Just staggering.

I get what you're saying, and at stoppages around the ground I think you're spot on. The issue is at the centre bounces you're limited to 3 midfielders plus a ruckman. If all your players are purely focused on stopping their opponent from getting the ball you're already paying the game on the opposition's terms and inevitably they will win majority of the clearances. There has to be a balance and you have to back some of your players to win the ball and your ruckman to direct the ball to the area you want. We didn't have either yesterday so we were screwed from the outset.

Just while we're on the topic, why is such a major taking point for everyone in football about the legitimacy of tagging and how much is too much etc? As Dermott Brereton says "do you know what a forward calls a player who's sole focus is to stop you playing to your best and who has no interest in getting the ball themselves? An opponent. Harden up you whinging midfielders"

[Sedat]

I don't quite get what you're saying. That Picken should just be a tagger? His stocks have dropped significantly since he moved down back, that's for sure.
No, that against certain teams/players (Richmond/Deledio) I'd much rather see Picken terrorising a match winner than some small forward hack. I'd also like to see him played in our forward 50 against certain teams (Sydney for example) so that he can terrorise all those attacking defensive rebounders. And precisely where I don't want to see him is scrapping out rushed kicks from our defensive 50.

[Ghost Dog]

No, that against certain teams/players (Richmond/Deledio) I'd much rather see Picken terrorising a match winner than some small forward hack. I'd also like to see him played in our forward 50 against certain teams (Sydney for example) so that he can terrorise all those attacking defensive rebounders. And precisely where I don't want to see him is scrapping out rushed kicks from our defensive 50.

Ok. No doubt Liam is more an attacking, rushing style of player. He's much better moving in straight lines, using the force of his run to affect the contest. Never really seen him do the careful stop and prop, switch kick kind of stuff a half back must do without turnovers. Succeeded as a forward at local level, then defined himself as a tagger. Why change it now?

[bulldogsman]

Fremantle played two taggers the other night, I don't see why we can't. Crowley on Stanton and de Boer on Watson. It may have even been three with Mzungu on Heppell.

I think it's something we should at least try. Lower on the inside ball winner and Picken on a winger/half forward. Picken should only move to the back line if there's a player (Rioli type) our back line can't manage IMO.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's disappointing to see Picken being played as a lockdown defender. He's one of the worst users of the ball in the league, and like Sedat said, he needs to play a tagging midfield role or up forward.

[Bulldog4life]

I'd like to see Picken play forward where his ferocious tackling is much needed. He also is quite a handy kick for goal too.

[Maddog37]

Every player should have a defensive mindset when his opponent is beating him. To tag or not is a good question but it does not have to be all or nothing.

[F'scary]

He should still be moved to the forward line

Certainly worth a try. There is currently a lot of open spots in the team - a situation which lends itself to a bit of experimentation.

[LostDoggy]

Does Picken take Dicksons' role this week?

Good kick for goal, defensive mindset etc. Down back doesn't seem to be working for him/us.