Retired #26: Cale Hooker - Has announced his retirement at season's end šŸ·

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Contract Status: Retiring at the end of Season 2021
Last Game Played: Round 19, 2021 (omit)
Injury Status: n/a
 
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Doss said:
It's a fair mark of just how far he's come that to ask whether he's the best player at the club is not at all a stretch.

Not saying he definitely is, by the way, but by jove he's in those calculations.
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He's just such an unlikely/ungainly looking character its seems laughable really but the bottom line is he would have to be very, very close.

Saw him in a praccy up here in Canberra and they swung him forward and he looked quite good (nice goal etc).

Going through the list id say Jobe and Heppell are the only 2 that are actually better players - lots of movement to come though.

I was really happy for him when he turned down the West Coast trade and thrilled for him now. Deserves all his success big time.
 

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ManWithNoName said:
Further to my last post

Marks inside 50 per game pre Hooker forward = 9.6
Marks inside 50 per game post Hooker forward = 10.5

Not really that different is it...
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That's because he has basically replaced Carlisle in the forward line. Hooker averages 3 marks I50 per game, Carlisle averages 2.
 
Interested to see your guys opinion on who will be the 3rd tall defender next year. Assuming that Fletcher retires and Hurley and Carlisle/Hooker take up the two defensive posts, who will be the third tall? Gwilt? Steinberg? Pears? Watching the Bulldogs game yesterday they only played with two tall backs (Talia and Morris), which gave them a lot of run off half back which could be an option. Looks most likely now we will structure up with Gwilt down back, which concerns me with his decision making at times.
 
Bombers1234 said:
Interested to see your guys opinion on who will be the 3rd tall defender next year. Assuming that Fletcher retires and Hurley and Carlisle/Hooker take up the two defensive posts, who will be the third tall? Gwilt? Steinberg? Pears? Watching the Bulldogs game yesterday they only played with two tall backs (Talia and Morris), which gave them a lot of run off half back which could be an option. Looks most likely now we will structure up with Gwilt down back, which concerns me with his decision making at times.
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Good pick up - Especially if you can get a Hibberd type to double up as third tall.
 
Kakkle said:
That's because he has basically replaced Carlisle in the forward line. Hooker averages 3 marks I50 per game, Carlisle averages 2.
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Precisely my point though. For all this talk of how much better Hooker's doing, it's more or less the same result.
 
ManWithNoName said:
Precisely my point though. For all this talk of how much better Hooker's doing, it's more or less the same result.
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There might not be a stat to show it but it "feels" like hooker is winning or neutralising more contests than Jake. If the ball is on the ground he locks it in or he causes a loose ball.

This might just be my imagination however but thats where I think the improvement may be coming from. In addition to some of those younger players.
 
kelvin_sheedy said:
The thing with Hooker is he fights for the ball if out of position. A fair few of his marks have been taken when the kick is not to his advantage.

If Carlisle is forward and if he doesn't have best position then the ball is pretty much gone.

Love watching this guy play.
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The recession (injury) we had to have
 
Mercurial89 said:
There might not be a stat to show it but it "feels" like hooker is winning or neutralising more contests than Jake. If the ball is on the ground he locks it in or he causes a loose ball.

This might just be my imagination however but thats where I think the improvement may be coming from. In addition to some of those younger players.
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Maybe. But I think his visible competitiveness is exaggerating the difference he's having.
 

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ManWithNoName said:
Maybe. But I think his visible competitiveness is exaggerating the difference he's having.
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Yeah your probably right. He is just a good player to watch play, his celebrations and enthusiasm is great to see.
 
If people can't see that forward line is functioning better with Hooker there then there really isn't much help for them, forget stats and aall that mumbo jumbo we are playing better and are far more competitive than we were 6 weeks ago.
 
Halftimehero said:
If people can't see that forward line is functioning better with Hooker there then there really isn't much help for them, forget stats and aall that mumbo jumbo we are playing better and are far more competitive than we were 6 weeks ago.
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Nobody's arguing the forward line's better now than it has been. My point is I don't think as much of it is down to Hooker as people may think.
 
Halftimehero said:
If people can't see that forward line is functioning better with Hooker there then there really isn't much help for them, forget stats and aall that mumbo jumbo we are playing better and are far more competitive than we were 6 weeks ago.
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I don't think people are arguing that. the conversation at hand is-

- Is it because of Cale?
-Is it because the way our ball movement has changed?
-The other players that have been brought in?
- Possibly the teams we have played (less focused on defending the corridor against us)?

So while yes the forward line is functioning better, there are too many variables to know what this is down to (personally I believe its a bit of all of them). the debate then becomes, do we keep it as is, do we switch Carlisle back? or do we put him back forward when he returns.

In the end its a great convo to have and so much more entertaining and enjoyable then SAGA related stuff that has been all over this board for 3 years. This is a football debate. That's exciting :)
 
ManWithNoName said:
Nobody's arguing the forward line's better now than it has been. My point is I don't think as much of it is down to Hooker as people may think.
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I reckon you will find that it is though, Hooker compliments Daniher far better than Carlisle does, Jake and Joe are to similar, Hooker not only adds a bit of mongrel but he fights to keep the ball in better than anyone in the team, this in turn allows the other forwards to become more dangerous and create space for themselves and each other.

Have you maybe considered that the ball movement is better because Hooker is providing a far better option, I reckon the players further up field have more confidence to move the ball better and quicker knowing they have one of the best if not the best contested mark in the game up there.

So yes I put the major factor for our forward line functioning far more efficiently in recent weeks down to Hooker without a doubt.
 
Halftimehero said:
I reckon you will find that it is though, Hooker compliments Daniher far better than Carlisle does, Jake and Joe are to similar, Hooker not only adds a bit of mongrel but he fights to keep the ball in better than anyone in the team, this in turn allows the other forwards to become more dangerous and create space for themselves and each other.

Have you maybe considered that the ball movement is better because Hooker is providing a far better option, I reckon the players further up field have more confidence to move the ball better and quicker knowing they have one of the best if not the best contested mark in the game up there.

So yes I put the major factor for our forward line functioning far more efficiently in recent weeks down to Hooker without a doubt.
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All fair. But the last few weeks we seem to have stopped playing half the team around the stoppage. Now when I look at our forward half there are players there to kick it to. That's a marked change on earlier in the season.
 
Has probably overtaken Heppell as our most important/valuable player this year.

Even though he's playing forward at the moment, I think Hooker/Hurley/Baguley is the best three man defensive rotation in the league.
 
daffo said:
What about comparing our average scores for and against with Hooker playing forward. Sure, he may be giving us a bit extra up forward but we are losing out a hell of a lot at the other end.

Hooker is a defender. He always will be. Needs to be played there.
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79.7 points per game against pre Round 14
111 points per game against post Round 14
 
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