Strategy Curtin's role in 2025?

[Cleric]

With Tex back this season, we have a pretty tall forward line with him, Fog and Thilthorpe, so putting Curtin up there could well make it too one dimensional.

I think that he may well be put into the 2nds or used as sub over a few games.
The addition of ANB, along with Keays, and Rankine spending more time in the midfield possibly again this year, we are really short on speed and smalls.

I don't think throwing him all over the ground does him any good, and with the extra midfield depth this year I dont see that as an option for him either.

He may well have to wait for injuries to get a go.

 

[BRL121]

Sausage

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Most of the time one of Tex, Fog, Thilthorpe, Curtin or ROB will be on the bench.

Rest of the time he can play off wing/inside midfield.

Then when we rest Tex, play him as a full-time forward.

We need to get games into him as a high end talents.

 

[Samcro24]

Sausage

 

[1970crow]

Most of the time one of Tex, Fog, Thilthorpe, Curtin or ROB will be on the bench.

Rest of the time he can play off wing/inside midfield.

Then when we rest Tex, play him as a full-time forward.

We need to get games into him as a high end talents.

I’m not sure it’s enough. Clubs can play with 3 because often there’s only 2 on the ground due to rotations and covering ruck. 3 on the field is too many and that’s going to be our minimum.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I’m not sure it’s enough. Clubs can play with 3 because often there’s only 2 on the ground due to rotations and covering ruck. 3 on the field is too many and that’s going to be our minimum.

We often have 3 on the ground.

If conditions are atrocious then you would think about going in smaller.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

Wherever he plays he needs to play AFL. It is a dilemma but such a young player needs a consistent position to learn his role in the side and his best place. TBO I don't know the answer but playing him in the 2nds is not it.....full stop.

 

[MrBarry]

Don't care where he plays, it just needs to be in the seniors. Walker should be getting rested whenever possible anyway.

 

[MarcusP2]

Sausage

Would've gone with double cut for versatility.

 

[Go the Guts]

With Tex back this season, we have a pretty tall forward line with him, Fog and Thilthorpe, so putting Curtin up there could well make it too one dimensional.

I think that he may well be put into the 2nds or used as sub over a few games.
The addition of ANB, along with Keays, and Rankine spending more time in the midfield possibly again this year, we are really short on speed and smalls.

I don't think throwing him all over the ground does him any good, and with the extra midfield depth this year I dont see that as an option for him either.

He may well have to wait for injuries to get a go.

I have a gut feeling he may end up down back, which is you know, where we drafted him to play.
He would make a Nathan Bock-like CHB.

If we play him in the 2's he will request a trade straight back to W.A.

 

[MrBarry]

With Tex back this season, we have a pretty tall forward line with him, Fog and Thilthorpe, so putting Curtin up there could well make it too one dimensional.

I think that he may well be put into the 2nds or used as sub over a few games.
The addition of ANB, along with Keays, and Rankine spending more time in the midfield possibly again this year, we are really short on speed and smalls.

I don't think throwing him all over the ground does him any good, and with the extra midfield depth this year I dont see that as an option for him either.

He may well have to wait for injuries to get a go.

He'll be off at the end of the year then.

 

[AFC979810]

2 things need to happen for 2025 to be a success for Curtin:

1. 16+ AFL games.
2. The coaching staff have an actual plan for his development AND he understands it clearly.

 

[NSolis]

I suspect that if there are no injuries he will play a decent amount of SANFL or sub. Assuming that the side is mostly fit and is performing reasonably well (i.e. around the mark for finals) it's difficult to find room. The obvious roles are 3rd tall forward or maybe rebounding defender, with the occasional run through the middle or the wing, but those roles are pretty well subscribed with players who will be difficult to displace. I can't imagine him playing ahead of Walker, Worrell, Keane or Sholl for example, and trying to squeeze him into the forward line alongside the other 3 seems like it will cause balance issues.

Might be the first to come in if there is an injury or someone (Walker) is rested. If he is picked I think it'll be as the 4th tall, which I'm dubious about, or as sub.

 

[1970crow]

I think he’s going to struggle to find enough ball and our forward line is going to concede fast exits. I’m also seeing a fair bit of SANFL as the season progresses. He’s versatile, so injury up the ground will help. I think the regular Texan rest is a total pipe dream and he’ll be unlikely to miss more than a couple.

Sadly I reckon Curtin will be squeezed out after a month or so.

 

[davos44]

He most likely wont play round 1 and will have to push Pedlar, Bond, Cumming, Nank, Crouch or Laird out of the side.

Hopefully its one of the latter 2 as the writing should be on the wall for them.

Even Murphy is on the fringe, what hope does DC have of getting a game right now?

 

[AFC979810]

He most likely wont play round 1 and will have to push Pedlar, Bond, Cumming, Nank, Crouch or Laird out of the side.

Hopefully its one of the latter 2 as the writing should be on the wall for them.

Even Murphy is on the fringe, what hope does DC have of getting a game right now?

I would say it's pretty likely he plays round 1. He played the last 5 games of 2024. We have seen from the past 5 years that Nicks likes to use preseason to play his best 22. Curtin was in this best 22 against Brisbane and against the pear.

We had 3 possible best 22 out of the lineup for the matchup vs Brisbane - Rachele, Max, Milera. Based on that you would say that Bond was in for Max (like for like) and Rachele in for Pedlar (like for like). If Milera is fit - he would come in at the expense of Nankervis (like for like).

It seems now that the lineup is pretty settled. The big question is who will be sub. If I was a betting man I would say Nicks will choose either Curtin or Draper.

Me personally - I would select Sholl as the sub.

 

[Peter Doherty]

I think he’s going to struggle to find enough ball and our forward line is going to concede fast exits. I’m also seeing a fair bit of SANFL as the season progresses. He’s versatile, so injury up the ground will help. I think the regular Texan rest is a total pipe dream and he’ll be unlikely to miss more than a couple.

Sadly I reckon Curtin will be squeezed out after a month or so.

You have more faith in Walker's body than I do, I see him missing alot of footy this year.

 

[Cleric]

I have a gut feeling he may end up down back, which is you know, where we drafted him to play.
He would make a Nathan Bock-like CHB.

If we play him in the 2's he will request a trade straight back to W.A.

We have Worrell, Murray, Michaelanny, Hinge and Keane already down back, and more advanced than him.

I think there is another issue for Curtin, and that is that Nicks is going to be picking the team to win each game, he ain't worrying about developing a player at this point in his contract.
If I was picking a defence line to give me the best chance of winning, I'm not putting Curtin in at the expense of those players I listed.

 

[maxlilly]

It's crazy to think a guy like Sholl is keeping Curtin out of the team.
I would hope he plays wing and gets a few CBA's throughout the game.
I still think we need to develop him as a midfielder when you get a player with that talent
But you know Nicks wont be thinking that way

 

[cleanhands]

It's crazy to think a guy like Sholl is keeping Curtin out of the team.
I would hope he plays wing and gets a few CBA's throughout the game.
I still think we need to develop him as a midfielder when you get a player with that talent
But you know Nicks wont be thinking that way

We don’t know that yet, but could very well be the case

 

[davos44]

I would say it's pretty likely he plays round 1. He played the last 5 games of 2024. We have seen from the past 5 years that Nicks likes to use preseason to play his best 22. Curtin was in this best 22 against Brisbane and against the pear.

We had 3 possible best 22 out of the lineup for the matchup vs Brisbane - Rachele, Max, Milera. Based on that you would say that Bond was in for Max (like for like) and Rachele in for Pedlar (like for like). If Milera is fit - he would come in at the expense of Nankervis (like for like).

It seems now that the lineup is pretty settled. The big question is who will be sub. If I was a betting man I would say Nicks will choose either Curtin or Draper.

Me personally - I would select Sholl as the sub.

Dan was part of the 23 and didn't do much with 77% TOG, Pedlar looked far more dangerous and should be sub.

Milera is behind Smith at this point and wasn't part of the 23 for Brisbane, so it wouldn't make sense to drop Nank for him.

MM for Bond.
Rachele for Curtin.

 

[1970crow]

You have more faith in Walker's body than I do, I see him missing alot of footy this year.

You don't need the bottom half to be going that well to raise your hand.

 

[DroppingTheBall]

One has to play like a tall forward before one counts as "one of those tall forwards", especially if we are thinking in terms of weaknesses.

 

[1970crow]

Dan was part of the 23 and didn't do much with 77% TOG, Pedlar looked far more dangerous and should be sub.

Milera is behind Smith at this point and wasn't part of the 23 for Brisbane, so it wouldn't make sense to drop Nank for him.

MM for Bond.
Rachele for Curtin.

Why do you reckon that Milera is behind Smith?

 

[AFC979810]

Milera is behind Smith at this point and wasn't part of the 23 for Brisbane, so it wouldn't make sense to drop Nank for him.

I don't think Milera is behind Smith. He missed the game against Brisbane because of a Quad.