Michael Hurley, Scott Gumbleton, Nick Kommer and Alwyn Davey have all missed matches this season through injury and suspension resulting in inconsistent forward setups from week to week.
“I think the forward line this year has changed a lot, every week it seems to be the area that two or three players are coming out of,” Assistant coach Matthew Egan said.
“It is a positive that we are playing a lot of guys through the forward line but it is a negative that we are not getting the consistency with the same guys playing together.”
“There is no doubt we are going to try and find the right balance and when we do we will settle it so they can get the consistency of games.”
Stewart Crameri leads the club’s goal kicking with 27 goals this season in one of his most consistent years to date.
“Stewy has kicked 27 goals at this stage which is better than last year so he still has a lot of areas to improve his game in which is a good thing but his year to date has been pretty good.”
“I think it has been good to see a few of the young guys come in and play really well in the forward line.”
Jackson Merrett in just his second season of football has played seven games and Nick Kommer in his debut season has played ten.
Egan realises the importance of the intensity the young duo bring to the side’s forward half.
“Jackson Merrett comes to mind as one who has come in and had some really good games,” Egan said.
“Most games he has played he has got six or seven tackles which as a small forward it is really important to have that pressure.”
“Nick Kommer is someone in his first year at the club and he is second in the league for pressure inside the forward half.”
“There is no doubt we are trying to get him some more of the ball because it is a hard position to play that he is at the moment.”
The impressive debut season of Kommer comes as not surprise to the coaching staff who knew exactly what the 22-year-old would bring to the side.
“We recruited him for a reason, watching him play in the WAFL he was playing exactly how he is now.”
“He gets to the contest all the time, plays with really high intensity and he wins his one on ones.”
“That was the sort of player that we looked at and thought we needed in our team and drafting him we probably thought he was going to play right from the start.”
The lack of luck has continued during the start of 2013 for Michael Hurley who has been subbed out of four matches with injury concerns.
“Hurls has been really unlucky with his ankles and a few little niggles here and there but we are really confident in how he is training that he will get the form back,” Egan said.
“The way Hurls has handled situations he has been in this year has been fantastic for the group and he is a really important part of the forward line for his leadership.”
“The games where he is not getting a huge amount of ball as long as he is setting up and organising, giving the intensity and competitiveness that the forward line needs he is a great asset for us.”
Round one draft selection Joe Daniher has impressed during his first two matches of the season and Egan is confident his development is heading in the right direction.
“I think it is really important for Joes development that he gets games but in saying that we want to play the player that deserves the spot the most,” he said.
“Early in the year it was Gumbleton who had played some really good football, he was dominating VFL level so you have to reward them and Joe came into his debut with a few really good games under his belt.”
“We will play guys that are in form, I think that is the right thing to do by the club and the player then see how we go.”
