Back in the days where men were men and Wim Rosbender was smacked behind the play, all teams had a small forward whose job was to read the ball off the pack, zip in, scoop it up, and kick it through the sticks. Sometimes this small forward was the resting rover.

Over the years, I've heard many claim that our Club needs a crumbing forward. Some thought that Jeffery was that; others believed in Medhurst. I heard someone exclaim this again today. Apparently we are a good top four chance if we get a crumbing forward.

Rubbish. There is no place in the AFL for a crumbing forward any more. The defenders find it too easy to sit on them, restrict their run and completely shut them down.

Was Phil Matera the last of the breed?

I would suggest that they were never tinct to begin with.

Buggered rovers who couldn't jump would have a rest in the pocket, sitting at the back of the pack to try and make some use of themselves. Now they do the same they just aren't resting, they are running past.

Small forwards, on the other hand, are forwards who aren't tall.

well thats the biggest load of cods wallop i've ever heard, as long as there are contested marks and long bombs to a pack there will be a need for a crumbing forward. its just a shame medhurst was a cry baby and jeff was performing. not to mention the excitement it brings to the game to see the small bloke break away snaffle a loose ball and snap from deep in the pocket. i think you need to get more out of a small forward in todays game they cant just wait at the back of a pack and hope to get lucky, they need the ability to take a big mark, out play good defenders, make play off the cuff, and play a defencive roll to try and stop run out of the back line. to say there is no need for a small/crumbing forward is like saying there is no need for tall mids............ i blow my nose in your general direction

Crumbing is a skill, not a player type. It's like wanting a spoiling defender or a handballing midfielder.

good point shane

I must admit that I have thought a lot about this - about the misplacement of a crumber behind the talls.

In my view the best in the business was Jimmy Krakouer as he would roam all over the place - with Phil (at Claremont/North) it was a different role. It was frustrating to see Jeff behind the talls in 2007/08 as most of the rebounds came out the other way (and too quickly once Matt Carr wasn't there).

In his last year with us we never used Medders properly. At Colonwood last year Medders was positioned around the forward 50 - he could scoop Cloke's drops and present himself as a target as well (and did very well from Mick's placement in 2008).

The goal mouth has become too congested for a 'traditional' crumber in the modern game. Positioned on the other side of the marking forwards there seems to be more opportunity/space as well as an option to intercept the other team attempting to move the ball out of the zone (quite often in a panic).

It may be a different placement, but no, I wouldn't say the small crumber is gone - both Jetta and Walters were superb in this role/placement for Swan Districts last year.

If Medhurst had kicked straight in his last year he would have been used brilliantly. As a general rule, the number on your back shouldn't be your accuracy percentage.

are players allowed to have the number 100 on their backs? or maybe 99?

Tony Lockett is the only player who's ever met all both criteria for getting 100 across his back.

All Both sounds more of a cricketer.

Is it too much of a stretch to suggest Docker Dave is the only crumber we have on the books?

Phil Matera a crumbing forward??? I just threw up.

He was perhaps the last "handball over the top I'm alone in the goalsquare" or "give it to me whilst noone is on me" or "weak as piss" forward. Certainly not a crumber.

I dislike Milne almost as much as I did Phil Matera but he is more of the "crumber" than old big nose was.

Whoever gets Walters in between picks 10 and 20 will be getting someone very, very handy indeed. He's a midfielder who can play as an "unbig" forward rather than the other way around and he is fantastic.

AND he is a Mike,Dolphin.

Yeah but not a mark.

Well, Nathan Chapman doesn't think they are extinct: click

Needs:
A crumbing forward to feed off Pavlich and Tarrant is a crucial requirement. Pavlich was clearly Fremantle's No. 1 avenue to goal last year kicking 67 of the side's 232 goals, while Tarrant and Jeff Farmer were the next productive, each hipping in with 23 goals. Freo needs an agile and creative small forward to replace the retired Farmer and provide a goal scoring alternative to the Pavlich/Tarrant combination.


Stupid Nathan. What would he know!

Strangle. He also seems to think they are the priority for the third last team with long standing midfield issues.

Poor old Chris Mayne doesn't get much respect, does he.

Actually shane thats a good point, you should be ashamed that it took you so long to make it. Mayne has the ability to be that unbig forward. I think he offers alot of what someone like Ballantyne does anyway, with added toughness and attitude.

Maybe not the classical "crumber" but he'll work his perm off to keep the ball in his area.

My only problem with Mayne in a permanent forward spot is that he probably isn't that clinical finsher or mercurial snapper that you'd like your unbig to be.

I didn't like to taint him with the tag.

Tha tag of "crumber" or "small forward".

I'm not surprised the ABC or the other news outlets haven't raised him as a possibility for the role. He has none of the heritage factors that Mitchell & Co deem necessary for that spot.

They may not be extinct but it looks like they're all going to Sowfs to die
http://www.dockerlan...cussions/souths-loading-up-on-guns/view.html

Souths is obviously a great place to go to die, only a short distance to heaven from there.