HAS THE swingman disappeared?

In previous seasons the forward or back discussion went back and forwards, but this year it's stopped in its tracks.

Collingwood's Ben Reid hasn't kicked a goal this season.

Neither has Geelong's Harry Taylor – so far, just his second goal-free season in nearly nine years of AFL.

Add Hawthorn's James Frawley, who played his last game up forward in the first week of last year's finals series, to the no goals in 2016 crew too.

The pendulum seems to have swung back, and stayed there.

Or has it?

Geelong coach Chris Scott, who recruited one of the best swingmen in the business in former Blue Lachie Henderson, says match committee still have conversations about whether it might be worth throwing Henderson forward, despite his superb form in defence for the Cats.

"We talk about it seemingly weekly," Scott said.

"It's been more a product of us being happy with our defence rather than being reticent to move those guys forward."

Why so little public discussion then?

Admittedly, the absence of suspended trio Cale Hooker, Michael Hurley and Jake Carlisle and the retirement of Luke McPharlin has calmed the debate somewhat.

Hawthorn's Ryan Schoenmakers and Sydney Swans' Sam Reid have had seasons ruined through injury, while the Brisbane Lions' Daniel Merrett has sat back, not having kicked a goal since the last round of 2014.

That's kept the swingmen off our minds.

Gold Coast has been forced to play Sam Day at either end – where he has battled manfully – but the Suns have made no secret of the fact they see him as a future forward.

And the Swans tried Ted Richards forward for a couple of weeks in an experiment even the champion defender's wife couldn't help find amusing.

Eventually they asked his brother Xavier to take over.

Collingwood tried something last week when it threw Jeremy Howe forward after half-time in exchange for Jesse White.

While Howe has appeared a possible forward at times, all his best and most consistent football has been played in defence. 

Richmond tried Troy Chaplin forward momentarily too but no-one really debated where he might be best suited.

But let's face it, it's not only the debate that is missing but the romantic notion of throwing a defender forward who has changed the game in the past seems to gave gone too.

Remember Adam Hunter at West Coast, or Chad Cornes at Port Adelaide or Brent Crosswell's famous end-to-end run mid-game at North Melbourne.

All such moves had the crowd involved and the super coach myth running into overdrive.

Luckily, the Cats coach doesn't seem to have forgotten entirely what is possible.

"Lachie [Henderson] in particular. We brought him in to play in defence but safe in the knowledge he has played some good AFL footy as a forward so we think we have still got that up our sleeve," Scott said.

"Our preference is always to have tried it before we do it in a big game but we have the contingencies to pull that lever if we feel we really need to."

Let's hope we see West Coast's Jeremy McGovern or North Melbourne's Robbie Tarrant – another goalless goalkicker of yesteryear – turning a game their team's way by pushing forward mid-game before the season ends.

Perhaps for those clubs, it's time to swing if they want to get on a roll.