Player Watch #26: Cale Hooker - Back against Brisbane! - 11/4

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Vander18

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I had high hopes for Hooker forward next year - could see him kicking 50-60 goals whilst taking the oppositions best defender. Don't see anyone else on our list that can do this and don't see us filling this gap via trade/free agency. My instinct is that key forwards are harder to find than key backs and that Hooker should stay forward.

If we can plug and play and extra tall defender (Brown, Hartley, Talia...whoever) then I think the back six is still pretty strong and experienced. If memory serves didn't it all really come unglued when Hooker was forward and Hurley out injured?

With no Carlisle or Hooker forward then I agree with Yaco.....it starts to look VFL level. If its going to work then at least one or two of McKernan, Edwards, Laverde and Lagford need to break out in a big way and JD need to progress much further and quicker than he has thus far ( and I think his progress has been reasonable). This structure does JD no favours however - he'll get the #1 defender every week and unless the above guys get dangerous, defenders will zone off and create 2 on1 contests as they did much of this year.
 

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Mr Mojo Risin

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SherbertLemon

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I've stuck by the club through years of mediocrity and the supplements saga.... But if we even entertain the thought of recruiting Dawes it's membership microwaved.
 

Mr Mojo Risin

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Seems odd. Didn't Woosh pretty much state point blank he'd be back?
I can't remember now whether he did or it wasn't as definite but interpreted that way.

It could be he thought that until they got both Hartley and Brown. They might want to improve his forward nous for when they swing him forward and believe he will be fine not training with the back group for awhile.

However this still doesn't mean Hooker won't be back. But I'm someone who would like him to be given at least the first half of the year to cement a spot as a KPF so I find this promising.
 

hurlygurdy

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Seems odd. Didn't Woosh pretty much state point blank he'd be back?
During his first week at the club? I thought at the time he was jumping the gun. Since then he has probably had time to consider what the team might be capable of if it had a well constructed, completely settled forward line to build around. Brown/Hartley look really capable down back so it has to be pretty tempting. Hopefully Mckernan can look the goods up forward to keep everyone honest...
 
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