Forward craft is a critical element in any AFL football teams’ success. For too long, this has been a stagnant area of the game. Read on to discover a range bold initiatives, pioneered by McBurn and honed on the field with his beloved Daylesford Football Netball Club.
The Lurking Forward. The Lurking Forward is to an extent, just what it sounds like. The Lurking Forward prowls the 10 metre arc around the goal square, ever watchful, ever alert to the fast break, the turnover against the flow of the play that delivers the ball within the Lurking Forwards ‘Effective Attack Zone’ (EAZ). The true Lurking Forward has a number of cards up his or her sleeve, Veritable Invisibility (VI) being one of them. Defenders are routinely lulled into complacency as they ball watch, stalk the imagined drop zone or merely neglect their duties. The photo’s below clearly demonstrate McBurns mastery of this. No one knows how devastating the Lurking Forward is until it’s too late.
Veritable Invisibilty 1. Well inside the EAZ. 
Slinking away from defender into the EAZ 
Veritable Invisibility 2. Supreme Lurking. 
Veritable Invisibility 3. Lurking with intent. 
Veritable Invisibility 4. Ready to strike. 
Three quarter time. Hope there’ll be some oranges.
The Ladder Forward. You’d be very much mistaken though to think that Lurking and VI were the only weapons in the Lurking Forwards arsenal. Oh yes you would be. Very much so. The Lurking Forward is not just about expertly and deftly putting away the loose ball. He or she also possesses explosive pace and dominant aerial skills. And in this, the Lurking Forward has a critically important ally in the forward line; The Ladder Forward. The Ladder Forward teams with the Lurking Forward to create a supportive surface for when the Lurking Forward has the opportunity to pull down a screamer in the goal square.
The action shot above shows the Ladder Forward in the uniquely designed Ladder Jumper TM which has step like protrusions built into it, seen here with a tasteful woodgrain finish. The Ladder Forward assumes the demonstrated position as the ball enters the EAZ. The Lurking Forward, never one to need an invitation, dashes into action from the rear and leaps initially onto the first step, but from there makes his or her way up the Ladder Forwards back, courtesy of the ladder like placement of the steps, achieving a commanding arial superiority over the pack. The Ladder Forward seen here is emerging young Daylesford Bulldog, Ronnie Martino. Sure, Ronnie doesn’t look that thrilled about it, but he’s a team player and has aspirations of one day himself being a Lurking Forward. His experience as a Ladder Forward will be invaluable in his development.
You may well expect the Lurking Forward and Ladder Forward to eventually become common features of the game. And you may also well expect that Scorch McBurn, will most certainly have dazzling new additions and adornments to the game by then, and do you know why? Because he’s Ahead of The Forefront.