In 2008, Matthew Richardson almost won a Brownlow medal as a key forward turned roaming wingman. He averaged career high possessions and still kicked 48 goals for the season. Since, I’ve often wondered why clubs haven’t felt compelled to do something similar.
As Lance Franklin has been showing in this NAB Cup, an athletic forward starting on the wing with license to roam can run through the midfield wreaking havoc, give a chop-out down back as third man up, and then contribute a steady flow of goals in the forward half.
Not every club has a Buddy or a Richo, but let’s have a look at the ten players most likely to dominate in such a role. We’re looking for as many attributes as possible out of height, athleticism, aerobic capacity, marking power and goal sense.
Adelaide
Taylor Walker immediately comes to mind. He covers four of the five bases, albeit missing the most important. One suspects that he’ll need another 2-3 years working on his ‘tank’ before he could be fully utilised, but few know where the goals are like he does. To see a player of his X-factor allowed off the chain would be most exciting indeed.
Brisbane
Jonathan Brown has had the odd run in the middle over the years, but I actually think the candidate for the Lions could be Matthew Leuenberger.
I’m certainly not the first to compare him to Dean Cox, but his ground level skills for a man his size are simply phenomenal, his marking is ever improving, and he’s starting to show that he can snag a goal or two. I’d love to see him roam the ground at will in years to come.
Carlton
Jarrad Waite is a no-brainer for the Blues, and with plenty of forward options in the side, the opportunity is there to provide him with some freedom. He showed what he was capable of in a similar free-running role before he got injured in 2009. Over that four-week period he averaged 26 touches, nine marks and one goal a game. You know it makes sense.
Essendon
Patty Ryder is one of the most obvious options in the league. Not many tick every box like this Bomber, especially at his age. Fits the bill of a player in the category of ‘just let him play’, and does his best work when given a free hand. He’d cause no end of headaches for opposition coaches if he were to be given his head from a wing.
Greater Western Sydney
It may be folly to nominate Israel Folau before he’s even played an official game, but he already has a couple of tricks, not least of which are that he’s an athlete who can mark. Reading of the play would obviously be his issue, but perhaps we can see him unleashed in 2014-15?
Hawthorn
I’ve written about Franklin all pre-season. If he can avoid the head-high bumps, he’ll be winning the Brownlow. Hawks will win 18-plus games, Buddy will kick 80-plus goals, and he’ll also be standing on the dais being interviewed by Bruce McAvaney on the last Monday in September. Just back him already, and when he wins we’ll all celebrate in the pub together.
Melbourne
No one has been bashed more by the press and on social media this pre-season than Jack Watts (I admit to being one of them on Twitter). His intensity is often lacking, but he can play, as evident when he played further up the ground between rounds 8-15 last year.
Would you take a player who could average 20 efficient disposals and 1.5 goals a game roaming through your midfield? Add in six marks a match, and considering the much-maligned former number one draft pick is only in the infancy of his career at 20 years of age, he is one who could reap major benefits from a permanent move to the wing.
St Kilda
Nick Riewoldt struggled to have an impact as a key forward in 2011, and debate has raged over whether it was merely mental baggage or the advent of the ‘press’ pushing too many opponents into his space and causing the game to pass him by.
Hopefully we don’t have to wonder any more, as new coach Scott Watters has surmised that Saint Nick might often start up the ground in 2012. We all know what he’s capable of when on song, and if it transpires, it would have the added benefit of giving all a look at the likes of Rhys Stanley and Arryn Siposs inside forward fifty, away from the shadow of the big skipper.
Sydney
Adam Goodes has been doing what he likes all over the field for years, and the result has been a glittering career containing almost every honour available in AFL football. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
West Coast –
Nic Naitanui already has a lengthy highlights reel, and hopefully he has only scratched the surface. John Worsfold has realised that there is little point in wasting the talents and athleticism of Cox and Nic Nat in just a ruck/deep forward combination, so they often start together in the middle of the ground.
Here, they dominate hit-outs and clearances, and also kick a couple of goals a match between them. Look for even more this year.
My ultimate contention is that it is a waste to keep your most athletic players locked into one position over the course of a game. They should be kept where the ball is as often as possible so they can have the most impact. You’ll also see that their goal tally won’t necessarily suffer as a result.
Greg Mac
Guest
Good topic... I'm hoping we see more of this type of player in 2012. One of the interesting things the tall midfielder question brings up is what kind of defender/midfielder do you play on them? Part of the reason why Richo and Goodes have been so good in this role is that it is very difficult to match them up? If you go with height and weight you'll be compromised for pace and visa versa... Any chance of seeing Goodes play on Buddy this year? And who'd come out on top?
ChrisH
Guest
Agree. This is the what will happen with Franklin as well. Franklin is inefficient up front. He drops marks, misses goals he should get, gives away free kicks and is often shut down through double teaming. He kicks five a game but a lot bleed away and the overall result for the team is inefficient. In the midfield he'll get four per game and so will four or five other guys.
The Oudsman
Guest
Ryder is the one for me that should almost be forced into this role. They lack zip and spark in the midfield, and if Hurley and Crameri can play key talls up forward, and Hille/Bellchambers rotating in the ruck and up forward, there's still a spot for Ryder to play as a genuine mid/forward, as you have described. Still, it appears as though his best footy has only ever been played as first ruck, which must be maddening for Bomber supporters. Get his head right and his role clear, and he's got plenty of untapped (as yet) potential.
Actually, the Tigers went from 16th in 2007 to 9th in 2008, so I daresay most clubs would take a seven spot bump up the ladder. And Richo only kicked five less goals for the season than he did the previous year, while considerably reducing his percentage of total team goals, so the benefits are there for all to see.
D.Large
Guest
Not sure where I stand with this. I agree totally with players like Buddy, Richo & Goodes doing it as they are physical freaks with sublime skills. Not sure that applies to any of the others on the list or in the AFL. I sense it takes a very rare type.
Swampy
Guest
Chris Judd is 6'2" or 6'3" so I guess he fits the mould. The major con to the article is that despite how good Richo was up the ground it didn't improve the Tigers W/L column. I've gotta say as an opposition supporter I'm relieved when Riewoldt and Franklin are marking on the boundary just outside their defensive 50. Says it all really. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
samwise
Guest
I reckon his injury problems probably meant that the extra running wouldn't have gone well.
ChrisH
Guest
Franklin should've been playing midfield at least last year, probably last couple of years.
Sausages
Guest
Always wondered why Riewoldt didn't get more of a run upfield last year when he was down on form...what harm could it have done?? I know the argument is that their disposals inside 50m are so much more valuable, but not the way Roo was spraying them last year!! GODS!!!!!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I'm sure every club would love a bloke the size of Buddy who can run up and down the paddock all day long!! The Cox/NicNat combo in the middle of the park is just awesome beyond words.
damo
Guest
All i'll say is Dipidiminico. Tall wingman, couldnt be matched by the average midfielder, and just byllocked his way from half back t half forward
Gucci
Guest
I'm with you 50%. I agree that the true value of a tall key forward is they take big marks and kick big goals. As much as I love Adam Goodes, I think he's much better in the midfield than forward 50 because his set-shots are iffy, so I think it was more by luck that Swans uncovered a star who can play anywhere. Having said that, the point of this article is about "tall guns" but not necessarily "tall forwards", so your argument isn't totally correct. I do think though, even for a tall forward, there is value in them venturing up the ground because hopefully that drags the full back away and therefore creates space for others. It would be quite useful to drag the likes of Scarlett, Glass and Fletcher away from the dangerous drop zone 20m out in front of goal.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
The problem with this is that a contested mark by a key forward usually results in a goal. A contested possession further up the ground doesnt. Call me old fashioned, but I think you play big men up the ground to get a feel of it and their confidence back when they cant get their hands on the ball in the square.
Paul T
Guest
Hawthorns' testing of this idea over the preseason with Buddy has worked well. Players like Leuengerger and Ryder I would query as you would not want to take too much away from the ruck position that they currently do well in. Waite is too old in my opinion to play that role and I think that Kreuzer could do it well if he has the tank. As stated Nic Nat can and does play on the ball with positive results and would be the most devastating player if put in this postion. Jack Watts who has been talked about negetively all preseason could also play this role however Melbourne need to make a stand which I think they are doing. Neeld says that he is a key forward and that is where he is going to play, last year he was forward, wing, back and did not have a permant home. Learning to be a key forward in the AFL takes time and Neeld seems determined to turn him into one.
Rob
Guest
Jack Watts is the perfect example of this, regardless of how much he has been maligned, I think most would say he showed positive signs last year in the way he was played. I'll lock Israel in for my 2015 Supercoach team...
Poohdini
Guest
Great topic! Adam Goodes is the perfect example. Would of thought Chris Tarrant in his prime could of played this role.