The height is not so much the factor as the run. It's really only Reg where we sacrifice run for additional height, but of course Reg just happens to be our best key defender. Both Melican and Aliir are quick, so we won't be sacrificing run with them in the side. Eventually Reg will retire and I would expect Melican and Aliir to be the key defender mainstays. I think it would valuable to get them working in tandem before Reg is no longer there to steady the ship.
With teams like Richmond playing smaller forward lines it might not be necessary to play 3 tall defenders, let alone 2. But there are still teams playing tall forward lines, like Adelaide, GWS and perhaps Geelong and Essendon to name a few, and we have to be prepared to match the height against those kinds of teams.
With super talented players like Rampe and Mills there's a logical temptation to continue to play them where they've demonstrated an ability to play well. My theory is that Rampe and Mills would be stars wherever they play and as a general rule play your best players closer to goal if possible. Rampe is our best overall defender, but in AFLX we saw a glimpse of what is possible if he's released to attack the goal.
We have a plethora of running defenders coming through the ranks. Fox and Stoddart both look good so far this year and I would expect Ling to offer plenty of dash off the backline once he's fit to play. I would rather see those guys playing back and have Rampe and Mills playing more through the midfield. It doesn't mean that they don't drop back to help in defence when ball in coming to our defensive zone. Traditional positions don't mean what they used to.
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