NOT long ago, centre half-forward was the most important position on the field, and Wayne Carey and Dermott Brereton would dominate from the key forward post. Not any more.
These days, the new-found emphasis on defending the forward 50-metre zone at all costs has made life extra difficult for the traditional power forward — almost to the point where the role as we knew it is extinct.
The area through what was the traditional centre half-forward position is now used in a totally different way.
Most attacking sides will try to open it up as much as possible, either for the deep leading forward to work into or for the midfielders to run through. Most defensive sides will try to clog it up as much as possible.
If you don't believe me, ask Jonathan Brown or Barry Hall or Nick Riewoldt or Warren Tredrea. All are struggling to kick goals in big numbers and have the same dominant influence they have had. And it's not because of any great loss of form.
Look at the stats. In 2004, '05 and '06, the "big four" combined, averaged 2.87, 2.64 and 2.75 goals a game each. This year, that number has dropped to 1.82. The number of marks inside 50 they have taken also has dropped significantly, from a high of five each in 2005 to less than three this season.
Yes, there have been other contributing factors, but you can't tell me the change in mindset that stems from the coach's box and affects all defenders isn't having a pronounced effect on the marquee forwards.
So much so that players such as Brown, Hall, Riewoldt and Tredrea will probably dream of the days when they can have an old-fashioned one-on-one contest with an opponent more than a couple of times a game.
It wasn't long ago that these four superstars of the modern game were centre half-forwards in the traditional mould.
And it was no coincidence that the premiership sides of recent years — the Brisbane Lions, Port Adelaide, Sydney and West Coast — have had players of real class in these roles.
There were the Lions' twin goliaths in Brown and Alastair Lynch. Browny was told not to get into the 50 too often because he'd clutter things up.
As a result, he worked up the ground and created space behind him for Lynchy.
Hall was the same at Sydney. He'd push up to create space for Michael O'Loughlin behind him — and for Ryan O'Keefe at times.
Tredrea, too, could carry the load as that dual-purpose big man — as a leading target or a one-out stay-at-home type.
Last year at West Coast, Ashley Hansen's role at centre half-forward was to work up the ground and leave space for Quinten Lynch.
Lynch is quite the same one-on-one marking powerhouse as his Lions namesake was, but he's going to hurt the opposition more in a one-on-one situation every time.
So what has happened recently? Hansen is absent due to injury and Lynch isn't having the same impact. And the Eagles aren't the force they were. Nowadays, Brown, Hall, Riewoldt and Tredrea are more centre half/full-forwards, if there is such a thing. They play mainly in that in-between space closer to goal, trying to have more of an impact and working in a more confined space. They are easier to negate, as the opposition pushes numbers back to clog things up.
The Western Bulldogs' answer to this has been clear cut — they don't play a centre half-forward. They leave that space open completely and use the comparatively smaller Brad Johnson as their primary target.
Likewise, Hawthorn prefers to use the centre half-forward space for more room for run and carry rather than for spotting up a leading forward. It likes to keep all forwards back at stoppages.
It is accepted these days that the good defenders cannot go with the good key forwards for four quarters. They work too hard and cover too much territory. So what do the defenders do? They let the forwards go on the long lead, working on the basis that no matter how good they are and how many marks they take up on the wing, they aren't going to really hurt them on the scoreboard. Not unless they are Superman and can mark the ball 85 metres from goal, kick it into the scoring zone and race down to mark it again for a shot at goal.
I've felt at times this year that big Browny, without his No. 1 ally in Daniel Bradshaw, is almost trying to play like Superman. Or like the gun player in the under 12s, who will get the footy in the middle of the ground, kick it to the other gun player and then race off downfield so he can receive it back.
It's a workload that's too much even for the big man.
I reckon my old teammate Justin Leppitsch was one of the first key defenders to explore the "let them go" theory. And it first occurred when he was playing on Riewoldt.
"Leppa" worked on the philosophy that he would defend the 50-metre zone with his life.
If that meant conceding marks up on the wing, so be it. Often, he was shouted down by outside influences, but he was effective because he was one of the best one-on-one players in the business.
In the last couple of years, the focus on defending the "hot spot" has intensified. So much so that the primary marking target inside 50 usually will confront two and sometimes even three opponents.
There's no doubt the most important stat in football is marks inside the forward 50.
Players such as Brown or Hall, Riewoldt or Tredrea have more influence on a game by taking four or five marks and having four or five shots on goal than by taking 15 marks and having two shots on goal. It's much more about efficiency than quantity.
The question now is: how will this work come the finals? And how will sides such as the Bulldogs get on without a traditional centre half-forward type to work hard and present through that part of the ground?
In finals, under immense pressure, the "get-out kick" is still very much needed.
