CA and Bizkit, I think in most circumstances I'd prefer Cox back than Hogan. I think if Cox was going to play as a backman it would be as a marking third tall - a bit like Johnno used to play. I'm not sure if that works as well now with the 6-6-6, I can’t see a good match-up for him on Saturday, and Ryan has excelled as the intercept marker. All that said, I’d start with Pearce on the most dangerous forward, try to get Cox picking up the other tall forward close to goal, and get another defender to follow the other tall forward up the ground. The hope would be that Freo wins enough of the ball, and team defence does enough, that you can keep Hogan forward where he is of most use.
If that didn’t work, we were getting torched in the middle and in defence, and Hogan wasn’t contributing much as a forward, I’d swing Cox forward and put Hogan back to the forward who was playing most up the ground. People often talk about coach’s ‘not having a Plan B’, but I think that’s one of the scenarios and adjustments you could plan for.
PhilGilbert, there are a few other coaches I’d have on the positive list, I decided to just limit it to current AFL coaches. Personally, I’d go after Justin Longmuir, get a very senior assistant (like Brett Ratten), then surround them with younger smart footy people like Michael Barlow where possible. Knowing Freo we would probably get stuck with Simon Lloyd.
Yeti, I agree I probably am a known quantity. I don’t feel the need to admonish people if their optimism is overzealous because I feel like there are enough people on here who will do that. I do bag the club when I feel like it’s deserved (you will have noticed I’m not a fan of Rosich and the broader admin, for example).
I don’t really think you could name half a dozen posters who support Lyon without fail. For example, I said at the time I didn’t think Lyon’s extension was the right thing for the club (I still believe that), but I just don’t think he’s as bad a coach as the sentiment on Dockerland would suggest, or that everything he gets blamed for is fair. My guess is the half-dozen people you might name would feel roughly the same way.
