Footy analysis: the role of the spearhead

[neilfws]

I couldn't work this into an existing thread, but I think it deserves a new one.

An excellent piece from the analysis team at ABC Sports:

The Brisbane Lions' key forwards have put their own spin on the AFL's traditional 'spearhead' role


It includes extensive quotes from Chris Fagan, who has some interesting things to say about Buddy leaving Hawthorn:

"I was lucky enough to be with Hawthorn in some pretty good years. You know, when Lance Franklin went to Sydney, we were sad to lose him. But an interesting thing happened: We became this team that nobody could really predict where the ball was going to inside 50," Fagan told the ABC last week.

"Whereas, when Lance was there — because he attracted the ball — it went to him so often. So we became a little bit easier to pick off."

"So I've always had that lesson [of Franklin's departure] in my mind and trying to help us create that forward line where we have multiple targets," Fagan added.

[Maltopia]

I couldn't work this into an existing thread, but I think it deserves a new one.

An excellent piece from the analysis team at ABC Sports:

The Brisbane Lions' key forwards have put their own spin on the AFL's traditional 'spearhead' role


It includes extensive quotes from Chris Fagan, who has some interesting things to say about Buddy leaving Hawthorn:

My two cents about this article - I think it is a retcon fancy because guess what, they had the 193 cm Jarryd Roughead kick 72 goals in 2014 and 50 goals in 2015.

Roughead also took more marks than Franklin in the 2012-2015 era.

If Roughead wasn’t a spearhead, what was he?

Certainly we target Franklin too much given his marking ability, but I think Fagan’s article is selective memory creative writing.