Player Watch #5: Caleb Daniel

[ferball]

Just chooses not to contest way too often for someone in our back six and a leader.

Yeah I noticed that. Thought he had a good game otherwise but some of those efforts were terrible.

 

[King Hansen]

So if Brady didn't trade for this guy, we could have had Lachie Jaques, Jobe Shanahan, Matt Whitlock, Sam Gjrl, Lachie Dovaston and Blake Thredgold on our list??? Am I missing anyone? Hugo Munuda too? Am I doing this right??

Brady needs to gtfo if this is correct.....

 

[Samsquanch]

About as effective as a distributor with no rotor button....

Sorry millenials, but only us dinosaurs that maintained older vehicles would understand that....

They won’t get your points Kosh.


But getting back to Dinkers, he was good yesterday. Can’t criticise what we saw against Port. If he can keep that kind of form I think most of us would be happy.

 

[Themanbun]

They won’t get your points Kosh.


But getting back to Dinkers, he was good yesterday. Can’t criticise what we saw against Port. If he can keep that kind of form I think most of us would be happy.

I'm surprised that's the prevailing theme after yesterday's match. I thought he was much better ball in hand but his issues without the ball persist.

 

[koshari]

They won’t get your points Kosh.


But getting back to Dinkers, he was good yesterday. Can’t criticise what we saw against Port. If he can keep that kind of form I think most of us would be happy.

i like what you done there.... very smart.

 

[koshari]

I'm surprised that's the prevailing theme after yesterday's match. I thought he was much better ball in hand but his issues without the ball persist.

The absence of the 10m dinky kick was the first and foremost issue. i saw only one of these defensive kicks yesterday that trapped LMAC HTB, I cant recall who kicked it but i know it wasn't daniels.

Should be a non negotiable, under 20m in the backline its a handball so the receiver is under any illusion of the pressure he is under. different story in the forward line where a short kick can create chaos like the groundball simpkin kicked in that resulted the the PC goal.

 

[perplexed]

Caleb had a great first quarter. He was contesting well and hit a few nice kicks through the middle. But after that, it was his normal puss. He retained possession but went nowhere, and he often pulled out of contests when it was his turn to go.

There was one shocker about halfway through the second quarter. We had set up really well behind the ball and Port had chipped it around sideways and backwards for a minute or two unable to find a way through. Rozee had the ball at half back and couldn't find any gaps so he chipped the ball onto Caleb's head. All Daniel had to do was jump and contest the mark, instead he stepped out of the way and let Willem Drew

28

Willem Drew

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

8.7

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

5.6

5star

CL

2.3

4star

No current season stats available

D

18.0

5star

K

9.2

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

2.8

5star

hobble in and take an uncontested mark then hit a teammate inside 50. It wasn't Tony Lockett

Tony Lockett

Age

60

Ht

191cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.2

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.5

3star

G

4.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.4

5star

charging at the ball, Willem ....ing Drew scared him out of it. Daniel can't defend one on one, he can't even guard grass.

With Parker organising the defense, there is no need for Daniel. We need an extra runner back there, Caleb should be the one who misses for Hardeman.

 

[Themanbun]

Caleb had a great first quarter. He was contesting well and hit a few nice kicks through the middle. But after that, it was his normal puss. He retained possession but went nowhere, and he often pulled out of contests when it was his turn to go.

There was one shocker about halfway through the second quarter. We had set up really well behind the ball and Port had chipped it around sideways and backwards for a minute or two unable to find a way through. Rozee had the ball at half back and couldn't find any gaps so he chipped the ball onto Caleb's head. All Daniel had to do was jump and contest the mark, instead he stepped out of the way and let Willem Drew hobble in and take an uncontested mark then hit a teammate inside 50. It wasn't Tony Lockett charging at the ball, Willem ....ing Drew scared him out of it. Daniel can't defend one on one, he can't even guard grass.

With Parker organising the defense, there is no need for Daniel. We need an extra runner back there, Caleb should be the one who misses for Hardeman.

That's the exact play I was thinking of too

 

[ferball]

That's the exact play I was thinking of too

Same here.

Stood out and was not a good look.

Then he did it again later on.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

The one with drew was more powell then daniel

 

[King Corey]

Give him is chocolates.

His decision making and absolute daisy-cutters as a playmaker HB was good.

Yes he has glaring weaknesses. No he isn't a long term solution and wasn't worth pick #25.

But that's done now and he helped us to a damn good win so good for him.

 

[El Capuano]

Haven't been a fan but played his role good yesterday, even got a spoil in there (somehow?!)

 

[Disco Dew]

Solid game from the little lad. More of that please

 

[perplexed]

The one with drew was more powell then daniel

Na. Or not the one I'm thinking of anyway. I just looked at it on the replay. 13:30 to go in the second quarter, kick was actually from Marshall. Powell is trailing Drew to the contest but Daniel is under the ball and just steps out of Drew's way. It was particularly frustrating because we actually looked organised and had Port stuck the way teams regularly lock us in the back half when we give them time.

 

[speedy]

Here is a long and time consuming post that no one will be interested in, but I did it for peace of mind. Just to confirm that I’m not totally wrong.

According to some - “Caleb’s best game for the club”

2026 round 1 v port power

Recount of Caleb's 17 kicks
1st quarter:
19:50 half back, handball receive, 25m sideways kick to teammate.
15:45 receives backward kick in D50, 25m sideways kick to teammate.
7:55 receives 20m sideways kick at half back, slow play kicks it 25m backward
4:37 kick-in, 25m to the pocket
3:14 half back handball receive, 35m kick forward to teammate, quick play on
2:35 wing, receives 15m kick, kicks it 30m forward on the boundary to teammate, quick play on
2nd quarter
15:10 D50 handball receive, quick 40m forward kick to space on wing, turnover
12:45 kick-in, 20m to pocket
11:15 wing, 20m mung kick by port mark intercept by Caleb. Slow play kicks it 25m backward
7:07 wing, handball receive, kicks it 25m forward to teammate, slow play ensues
3rd quarter
19:00 half back, receives 25m forward kick, kicks it 20m forward to teammate, slow play ensues
18:45 receives 25m forward kick on wing, kicks it 20m forward to teammate slow play ensues
16.20 kick-in, 40m to teammate on boundary
13:05 half forward on boundary, handball receive, fluffs 20m kick to leading forward inside 50
4th quarter
8:37 kick-in, 25m to pocket
8:31 continued from kick-in, handball receive, 40m kick to wing, contest no mark
6:47 receives from from 15m kick-in, kicks it 40m to opposite pocket, slow play ensues
3:40 half back, handball receive, kicks it 40m to wing, Darling contested mark, slow play ensues


In summary,
Caleb only won one contest for his 17 kicks, the intercept mark. The others were 3 kick-ins, 7 handball receives and 7 marks from short kicks often backward or sideways.
He had 4 crapy kick-ins to the pocket, 3 sideways kicks, 2 backward kicks, 1 turnover kick to space and 1 fluffed inside F50 kick. Of the 17 kicks only 6 kicks went forward to a teammate. Of which only 2 resulted in a quick play-on. Only 5 of the 17 kicks made it into our forward half.

This is our half back playmaker? And if that’s not his job, WTF is he in the team for? Just to seagull some kicks in the back half?

2 spoils (career high)
1 intercept possession
1 goal conceded from 50m penalty
1 scoring shot conceded from deliberate out of bounds.
Guarding plenty of grass, no opponents
No inside kicks
No line breaks
No tackles
No goals (ever)
No goal assists
No nothing.




Maybe it is true…. this was his best game for the club.

 

[perplexed]

Here is a long and time consuming post that no one will be interested in, but I did it for peace of mind. Just to confirm that I’m not totally wrong.

According to some - “Caleb’s best game for the club”

2026 round 1 v port power

Recount of Caleb's 17 kicks
1st quarter:
19:50 half back, handball receive, 25m sideways kick to teammate.
15:45 receives backward kick in D50, 25m sideways kick to teammate.
7:55 receives 20m sideways kick at half back, slow play kicks it 25m backward
4:37 kick-in, 25m to the pocket
3:14 half back handball receive, 35m kick forward to teammate, quick play on
2:35 wing, receives 15m kick, kicks it 30m forward on the boundary to teammate, quick play on
2nd quarter
15:10 D50 handball receive, quick 40m forward kick to space on wing, turnover
12:45 kick-in, 20m to pocket
11:15 wing, 20m mung kick by port mark intercept by Caleb. Slow play kicks it 25m backward
7:07 wing, handball receive, kicks it 25m forward to teammate, slow play ensues
3rd quarter
19:00 half back, receives 25m forward kick, kicks it 20m forward to teammate, slow play ensues
18:45 receives 25m forward kick on wing, kicks it 20m forward to teammate slow play ensues
16.20 kick-in, 40m to teammate on boundary
13:05 half forward on boundary, handball receive, fluffs 20m kick to leading forward inside 50
4th quarter
8:37 kick-in, 25m to pocket
8:31 continued from kick-in, handball receive, 40m kick to wing, contest no mark
6:47 receives from from 15m kick-in, kicks it 40m to opposite pocket, slow play ensues
3:40 half back, handball receive, kicks it 40m to wing, Darling contested mark, slow play ensues


In summary,
Caleb only won one contest for his 17 kicks, the intercept mark. The others were 3 kick-ins, 7 handball receives and 7 marks from short kicks often backward or sideways.
He had 4 crapy kick-ins to the pocket, 3 sideways kicks, 2 backward kicks, 1 turnover kick to space and 1 fluffed inside F50 kick. Of the 17 kicks only 6 kicks went forward to a teammate. Of which only 2 resulted in a quick play-on. Only 5 of the 17 kicks made it into our forward half.

This is our half back playmaker? And if that’s not his job, WTF is he in the team for? Just to seagull some kicks in the back half?

2 spoils (career high)
1 intercept possession
1 goal conceded from 50m penalty
1 scoring shot conceded from deliberate out of bounds.
Guarding plenty of grass, no opponents
No inside kicks
No line breaks
No tackles
No goals (ever)
No goal assists
No nothing.




Maybe it is true…. this was his best game for the club.

He did have a very good first quarter. But after that, he really struggled. It's getting harder and harder to understand why we keep playing him. With Parker back there, we don't need him trying to organise the defense. He can't defend one-on-one, he pulls out of contests, and provides no rebound at all. All he is good at is ball retention. But as our switches and slow plays never lead anywhere, why haven't we replaced him with a running defender?