Analysis Fyfe and the way forward

[FreoRicci]

A fantastic win yesterday gives the lads back to back wins to end the hub.
A big question arose and lingers, for coaches and fans alike.
Is Fyfe best in the middle or in the forward line? There’s no doubt Fyfe is the best contested midfielder in the AFL, wills himself to each disposal and puts the team on his shoulders. But that’s often at the sacrifice of others, particularly Brayshaw, Cerra and Tucker.
When JLo backed the younger guys, again Brayshaw, Cerra and Serong, they clawed all the way back into the game and eventually the win. Fyfe spent nearly all of the last three quarters planted in the forward line.
Is it only 2020, an experimental year, that Fyfe will be protected to prolong his career or could this now be a permanent fixture in which Fyfe stays Full forward kicking bags of goals maximising his aerial prowess? What is the best way forward for the club and for Fyfe himself?

 

[kp junior]

Yep keep him forward. As JLo said we have a lot of mids in the team. And still have Blakely and Valente in the wings


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[FreoRicci]

Yep keep him forward. As JLo said we have a lot of mids in the team. And still have Blakely and Valente in the wings


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Agree. Have no forwards to debut, as back up. Whereas we have runners and inside mids that can come in and do the job. Like you said, we bring in Valente, Blakely even Fredericks and Fyfe can start up forward for the benefit of the team, especially long term. Developing Valente for example is a real positive to come from it, and he’s in line for a spot in the next fortnight.

 

[cardamon]

50-50, slim him down a little, play him all over forward and in the midfield for bursts, he's not getting any younger and could have an absolute ridiculous game up forward eventually. His body fat is probably elite so slimming down will mean he loses a bit of muscle but look at Tex Walker for an example of a guy who had a hulking, intimidating presence when he was younger but now lumbers and gets turned inside out often. I'm sure Nat will know what is best for his body as he gets older though.

 

[MadMundy]

He surprisingly only played 52% of the game forward, but yes keep him there.

 

[malpaso]

60-40 (mid-forward)

It also depends on how the game is going. He was kept up forward due to injuries to other players yesterday. I believe it confuses the opposition when he's not in the middle, they don't know who to focus and conversely we don't narrow our vision to get it to Fyfe.

 

[Vimal Anand]

Lyons plan was fyfe centric while longmuir has more of a group work plan?

60-40 (mid-forward)

It also depends on how the game is going. He was kept up forward due to injuries to other players yesterday. I believe it confuses the opposition when he's not in the middle, they don't know who to focus and conversely we don't narrow our vision to get it to Fyfe.

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[Troy Cooked It]

This question is something that will be brought every week that it works and every other week when it doesn't. I think our best plan is to plant him 1 out in the square as he is one of the very best in 1v1 contests, and use him in bursts through the middle when things stop going our way.
I'm assuming it was taking a lot from JLo not to send him up to the centre after the Saints got a run on but the circumstances with our structure meant he needed to stay forward.

I can imagine as each year progresses he will go from being 60/40 middle/forward then to 40/60 until finally becoming just a full forward.

 

[eastfreo75]

Horse for courses principle.

Structurally it work yesterday for two reasons. The centre bounce we are getting predictable going to Fyfe and we lost Darcy, Fyfe become the second marking option.

If we have Darcy, Lobb, Hogan and Taberner, then Fyfe doesn't work as well. IF one of our talls is on the bench, then Fyfe going forward makes sense.

 

[eastfreo75]

Maybe, we steal the Erin Phillips move.

She starts at the Centre bounce and then runs forward.

 

[ozzie69]

Gary Ablett Snr finished his career at full forward and was pretty intimidating there. His career lasted quite a lot longer this way. We could engineer a similar move for Fyfey and he could play for quite a few more years - Jk from the slime is no spring chicken.

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[mightymouse75]

Ah duh.
Now jlo if you are still reading my bigfooty posts Bewley out, free that spot up for valente..

 

[Halfbaked]

Also don't underestimate the effect having Fyfe going forward would have on the opposition's backline.
Reorganizing who moving on Fyfe, double teaming him and there would only a few backman in the comp who wouldn't shit standing next to Fyfe in a goal square.
Doing it 4 or 5 times a game, some times for only a few minutes, other times for a long period would stop a lot of backlines getting into a rhythm.

 

[eastfreo75]

Also don't underestimate the effect having Fyfe going forward would have on the opposition's backline.
Reorganizing who moving on Fyfe, double teaming him and there would only a few backman in the comp who wouldn't sh*t standing next to Fyfe in a goal square.
Doing it 4 or 5 times a game, some times for only a few minutes, other times for a long period would stop a lot of backlines getting into a rhythm.

I remember Hunter from the Eagles went forwards on occasions and it caused a lot problems for back lines.

 

[malpaso]

Lyons plan was fyfe centric while longmuir has more of a group work plan?

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Didn't mention Lyon at all.

 

[Purpletown]

I like that Fyfe played very deep almost to the point of being in the goal square. The opposition just have to respond to this and stretch their defense out further down the ground thus exposing their backs to more one on one defense efforts. It also creates more forward space for our other forwards to use if they are good enough. It will be very interesting to see how this works out long term if it's a coaching strategy rather than a move to help Fyfe protect his hammy for the moment. Whatever the reason the move has been made it's definitely a win/win situation the way Walters and Mundy along with the younger guys are going in the middle minus Fyfe.

 

[StingBitten]

I doubt we'll ever be in a position to 'park' Fyfe in one patch of the ground, unless of course we consistently win the clearances week in, week out for the next 4-5 years with him in the forward line.

Certainly worked a treat yesterday though.

 

[Taylor]

He is our best midfielder. He should play there.

If we are winning the ball out of the middle without him but getting intercepted by a loose defender then put him forward and they will lose their spare as they have to man him up.

That's how it worked yesterday

 

[Bring back Drum]

Week to week, quarter to quarter I would have thought. Play him where he’s needed most at that time, less predictable & doesn’t allow opposition to work out match ups or double teams to contain him.

Start mid most weeks though & as long as his teammates know what’s going on, he can push forward when he wants from the middle & wont have a defensive match up at the next forward contest.

 

[Taylor]

You're right, we want opposition midfield coaches planning for Fyfe at every stoppage so they have to adapt on the fly in the game