I would disagree that Dempsey is more of an out-and-out scorer than Nash. Dempsey is a good player, but I would say that Nash has consistently outscored him all up through the age grades and at club level. Not that Dempsey can’t take a score or anything.
I think that Nash’s best skill is running at defences from the half-forward line but I think the way Kiely wants to play is to have a pacy, mobile but strong player at full-forward. I think that player will be Nash, and Dowling isn’t that type of player. Dowling will be on the wing.
Hayes was very good at 14 and went completely out of the game when he was moved half forward. Why is everybody switched him to half forward? Dowling had a fine game at half forward yet everybpdy is moving him to full forward?
Dowling is a born wing forward, great hand on him, but he hasn’t been near fit enough for it for the last few years. If he is as fit as he looks then half forward is where he belongs.
Nash is another man who can win dirty ball I’d start him half as well. You are reducing your scoring threat but we haven’t won a puckout in a championship match since 2014 so it’s more important to address that
They both have the instinct to turn their man and go for the score when they get the ball, but Nash has an extra work ethic to his game off the ball which I don’t believe Dempsey has. That’s purely the reason I would have Nash further out and Dempsey inside. A similar story with Dowling, in a traditional style game, his best position is probably wing-forward, but at intercounty I don’t believe he has the engine to cover the ground needed. You can’t ignore his goal-scoring record for us either and since his game will never be charging through the defence like, say, Downes or David Breen, you want him as close to goal as possible.
Dowling is probably our best bet to bag a goal, he won’t score them from wing forward though. He has great vision for passing the ball to a player in a better position which is a dimension I don’t think Nash or Hayes have to the same extent. (Same goes for Casey over Mulcahy) He has a great ability to get out ahead of his man at full forward which is often overlooked. At the same time, he’s a big unit and you wouldn’t describe him as rangey, other players will cover more ground at wing forward. That’s just how I see it.
Dowling has a decent goalscoring record, but I think he will offer a threat for goals from the wing, drifting into space off his man, it’s something he is very good at.
While it’s true that he wouldn’t be the best at running at defences, he’s a naturally intelligent hurler, good vision, etc. If we take Tipp as the prototype, they only really have Bonner as a direct runner, McCormack is the pure workhorse scrapping for everything, McGrath being a playmaker, rarely taking a man on. Their second runner was Breen from midfield.
Dowling would be fulfilling McGrath’s role so to speak. Not as naturally skilful as him, but probably a more consistent scoregetter. But I think every one of your inside line have to be able to take their men on, go past them and get goals. Which is why I’d have Nash inside for now.
I’d ask how much of that was a symptom of the gameplan falling apart further out the field - good stick-passing through midfield and into the forwards early on being replace by ball being aimlessly driven forward. It didn’t do any of the forwards any favours.
Hayes is still a little bit rough around the edges - the ball doesn’t necessarily stick first time, but the dog in him stops it coming back out. There’ll be a good bit of rotation either way.
Kiely’s going to have us playing total hurling this year, that’s why he’s swapping around backs and forwards. You’ll play whatever position you happen to be standing in at that time.