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Fuddnuddler said:
I have very different info. Nicks never saw him as a defender at all, recruiting team did. One might say Nicks played him there to prove his point.
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Nicks has openly "joked" that they didn't know where to play him

Nice to have a player with a varied skill set of course but a challenge for coaches given the options available.

It was Davis who suggested wing as an option during the preseason

After trying him as a 4th tall forward early in 2025 with limited effect and with Sholl struggling to impact they made that switch.

It's ended up working fine but it feels like a lot of circumstances (not of our design) had to fall a certain way for us to stumble into a good idea. Are we missing opportunities to develop other young players by waiting for fate to intervene? Or not knowing intuitively how to get talented players into their best role quickly?
 
Fuddnuddler said:
I have very different info. Nicks never saw him as a defender at all, recruiting team did. One might say Nicks played him there to prove his point.
Click to expand...
Didn't hear Hamish mention him as anything other than a midfielder straight after the draft? Drafting 2 players over 190cm that had played a lot of midfield. Also mentioned he likes Murray Bushrangers because they fit in well in Adelaide.... keen on a cuppla Bushies in this draft?
Riley Onley and Liam Hetherton anyone? ;):fire:

 
You would have to assume this season is the last chance saloon for Brayden Cook.

Played games in all 5 seasons at the club, but still not found a best 22 position and held it.

Did think he looked like he finally has come back in better shape then he left though. Which is a positive.

Kid has the size, mobility, skills, goalsense and marking prowess to be a player. Even has a but of X Factor. I would love to see him finally piece it all together this year.

Bigman can you keep an eye on him this offseason?
 
Betts are off said:
You would have to assume this season is the last chance saloon for Brayden Cook.

Played games in all 5 seasons at the club, but still not found a best 22 position and held it.

Did think he looked like he finally has come back in better shape then he left though. Which is a positive.

Kid has the size, mobility, skills, goalsense and marking prowess to be a player. Even has a but of X Factor. I would love to see him finally piece it all together this year.

Bigman can you keep an eye on him this offseason?
Click to expand...
If Curtin does play mainly in the guts, then Cook on a wing wouldn't be the worse option to replace him.
 

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DJ75 said:
If Curtin does play mainly in the guts, then Cook on a wing wouldn't be the worse option to replace him.
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Curtin was drafted as a mid but despite the fact that we’re starved of good midfielders he’s been played everywhere but there. We’ve been looking everywhere for a midfielder when there’s one in front of our nose.

As for Cook, you can’t have him getting 20 touches one week and 3 the next. Maybe he should go to a wing and told to forget structure for a few weeks and just selfishly hunt the ball. Matt Connell did that every match and won a B&F (we weren’t very good that year)
 
Apsaalooke said:
Curtin was drafted as a mid but despite the fact that we’re starved of good midfielders he’s been played everywhere but there. We’ve been looking everywhere for a midfielder when there’s one in front of our nose.

As for Cook, you can’t have him getting 20 touches one week and 3 the next. Maybe he should go to a wing and told to forget structure for a few weeks and just selfishly hunt the ball. Matt Connell did that every match and won a B&F (we weren’t very good that year)
Click to expand...
Matt Connell... some say he is still standing behind his mark indecisive on where to kick to at AAMI Stadium
 
Apsaalooke said:
Curtin was drafted as a mid but despite the fact that we’re starved of good midfielders he’s been played everywhere but there. We’ve been looking everywhere for a midfielder when there’s one in front of our nose.

As for Cook, you can’t have him getting 20 touches one week and 3 the next. Maybe he should go to a wing and told to forget structure for a few weeks and just selfishly hunt the ball. Matt Connell did that every match and won a B&F (we weren’t very good that year)
Click to expand...
Not many kids are ready to play inside mid in their early years.

For context, only 5 players Curtin's age attended more centre bounces than Curtin did in 2024 (Harley Reid, Will Graham, Ryley Sanders, Kane McAuliff and Hugo Garcia).

Wing is a great place to build a player's mid capability while he's getting his fitness and craft up to the standard to actually impact inside. Curtin was also able to impact the game from the wing, so I don't see the issue with having played him there this year.

However, given Curtin's development this last season, I'm hopeful that Curtin (and Draper) can impact inside this year.
 
Big Dub said:
Not many kids are ready to play inside mid in their early years.

For context, only 5 players Curtin's age attended more centre bounces than Curtin did in 2024 (Harley Reid, Will Graham, Ryley Sanders, Kane McAuliff and Hugo Garcia).

Wing is a great place to build a player's mid capability while he's getting his fitness and craft up to the standard to actually impact inside. Curtin was also able to impact the game from the wing, so I don't see the issue with having played him there this year.

However, given Curtin's development this last season, I'm hopeful that Curtin (and Draper) can impact inside this year.
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Your opinion has certainly changed from this time last year when I suggested exactly that in the development
of Curtin and the jettisoning of Sholl. IMG_2434.jpeg
 
Mutineer said:
Didn't hear Hamish mention him as anything other than a midfielder straight after the draft? Drafting 2 players over 190cm that had played a lot of midfield. Also mentioned he likes Murray Bushrangers because they fit in well in Adelaide.... keen on a cuppla Bushies in this draft?
Riley Onley and Liam Hetherton anyone? ;):fire:

Click to expand...


Does this clip only go for 1 second for anyone else?
 
Floating Doughnut said:
Your opinion has certainly changed from this time last year when I suggested exactly that in the development
of Curtin and the jettisoning of Sholl.View attachment 2474768
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I stand by not trading Sholl until we had a better winger. We now have a better winger, so I would have been fine trading out Sholl this year.

Good call by you on Curtin to the wing. I'd always thought that his best skills were in close and that he wouldn't have the tank in his second year to own the wing. Glad to be wrong.

I also like the Finn Callaghan comparison for Curtin. But I hope Curtin comes inside a bit quicker than Finn (ie this year).
 

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Fuddnuddler said:
I have very different info. Nicks never saw him as a defender at all, recruiting team did. One might say Nicks played him there to prove his point.
Click to expand...
Nicks played Curtin mainly as a sub in his 1st year, which was rather pointless.
 
Apsaalooke said:
Curtin was drafted as a mid but despite the fact that we’re starved of good midfielders he’s been played everywhere but there. We’ve been looking everywhere for a midfielder when there’s one in front of our nose.

As for Cook, you can’t have him getting 20 touches one week and 3 the next. Maybe he should go to a wing and told to forget structure for a few weeks and just selfishly hunt the ball. Matt Connell did that every match and won a B&F (we weren’t very good that year)
Click to expand...
in 1995 Connell played centre rather than wing though
 
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