Is the specialist small forward dead?

[whufc]

One glaring weakness in the recent state game against WA was that when the ball hit the ground inside 50 SA lacked any crumbers/small forwards. I then thought who should have played that role, and to be honest i couldn't come up with 1 specialist small forward worthy of a state guernsery.

Looking back through Central sides between 2000-2009, one common theme between all those squads is that there has never been a true specialist small forward, the 3 that come closest to that description IMHO are Danny Stevens, Ian Callinan and Scott Dutschke but all three of them would probably still have been selected based soley on their midfield ability. Without having specialist small forwards Centrals have still been the team of the decade.

I then thought is this just another change in football that is happening all over the land, but in the AFL teams have still found room for the specialist forward such as Milne, Ebert, LeCras, Wonnameri, Betts, Ryhan Hooper, Matty Campbell, Farmer etc.

Been someone who only ever played as a small forward in aussie rules i would be sad to see the art of crumbing and being a small forward lost to make shift forwards.
Is the small forward dying, or is it just a phase?

[Macca19]

Might just be a stage as there still plenty of small forwards left in the AFL.

Maybe teams are looking for extra midfield rotationers instead at the moment.

[Mr Beefy]

Definitely not dead. Maybe the current batch of small forwards going around are just not good enough. When they are not kicking goals they need to be applying defensive pressure otherwise they are a liability.

[Chambo100]

This has been my issue for a long time - especially with a forward like Chambo.
Need to tie someone to his boot laces.

The only Sturt player that has done it either reasonably or at all in the last 10 years, was Brodie Atkinson once he was released from mid-field duties.

Of our recent brigade only Crane and to a lesser degree Gum ever set themselves up at the front of a contested mark. Most of them don't bother or want to have a fly themselves.

When we have had Chambo and the resting ruckman in the FP, it is essential a small parks themselves underneath.

It doesn't happen enough and we miss opportunities because of it.

[JK]

At Norwood the question "Is the specialist forward dead" is more appropriate.

[SABRE]

At Norwood the question "Is the specialist forward dead" is more appropriate.

Not dead CP, just injured. Scotty Borlace performed pretty well for NFC & the state.
I reckon Gags could have filled this position. Phillips is trying to do it for us, he doesn't lack
enthusiasm, but mishandling the ball under pressure sometimes lets him down wouldn't you say ?
WAFL seem to have a gem in Jetta. What did you think of him ?

[MST]

This has been my issue for a long time - especially with a forward like Chambo.
Need to tie someone to his boot laces.

The only Sturt player that has done it either reasonably or at all in the last 10 years, was Brodie Atkinson once he was released from mid-field duties.

Of our recent brigade only Crane and to a lesser degree Gum ever set themselves up at the front of a contested mark. Most of them don't bother or want to have a fly themselves.

When we have had Chambo and the resting ruckman in the FP, it is essential a small parks themselves underneath.

It doesn't happen enough and we miss opportunities because of it.

Have to disagree there mate. Josh Richardson was a fantastic crumbing forward, in the mould of a Mick Nunan and Brodie Atkinson and with the same toughness as those two also.

Had it not been for a couple of big injuries and the pull of the family farm, he would have been a 200 game player for the DB's.

I do agree that we lack that at the moment and have done so for a while but luckily the likes of Crane, Gum and recently Evans are providing alternative scoring avenues.