PattyKwasagun
Norm Smith Medallist
- Thread starter
- #76
Cal's injury seems to have taken a little longer than expected to heal if the Lions site is anything to go by. He's still listed as 2 weeks, yet did the injury almost a month ago now.
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Callum Bartlett: A Study in Patience
- Thread starter PattyKwasagun
- Start date
- Tagged users None
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My mail is he will play GWS this weekend.
You mail??? It's in the coaches wrap!!
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That's two bad injuries he's returned against GWS from now, so it looks like I'll have the privilege again of wandering out there and checking his return out.
Haha Dlanod, I hope he's not the feisty lad of one of your posts from his return following the 2nd ACL. I think I remember he gave a way a free from the get go!
I can't wait until Cal debut's later this year, I can't remember such a universally loved player on this board (outside absolute club legends).
The guy just sums up how you want players on your team to be - would have been easy to quit or make excuses, but the guy just keeps turning up - can always find room for a person like that at a club.
The guy just sums up how you want players on your team to be - would have been easy to quit or make excuses, but the guy just keeps turning up - can always find room for a person like that at a club.
I'd love to see him in the middle, in the seniors right now. The way he was playing in the twos before his injury, gives me great hope that he could still become an excellent midfielder.
POBT
Brownlow Medallist
Not knocking Cal at all but was his form that much superior than what we've seen from the likes of Lester, Polks, Karnezis, Mayes etc when they've spent time on ball in the reserves?
He was the best onballer in the two games I have seen him play this year and his combination with Longer was first class. Onball I would have said he was better than Mayes and Karnezis (didn't see Polks and Lester in the games) but outside those two were better than Cal.
PS - the quality of his disposal was also better than any of those barring Mayes. This is a factor which I think needs to be considered.
PTizzle
Brownlow Medallist
Fair point, but I feel he plays a different role than all of the above. In fact, looking at all those players I'd say they all are pretty different players in terms of what their roles are when they're in the seniors. So agreed, you can't read too much of the ressies, but in the words of one L.Darcy you can't help but "love the way he goes about it" with respect to how he may assist us in the seniors.
POBT
Brownlow Medallist
My point is that most of the guys in senior contention do well at Reserves level. Arguably Bartlett had his nose in front but plenty of guys have dominated the midfield in the reserves over the past season and a half. Bartlett misses games and Hayes steps up. Polkinghorne and Lester racked up touches in the reserves when dropped.
I really like Bartlett and am barracking for him to make it as a footballer. But, IMO, we've got a lot of players on roughly the same level and, in my opinion anyway, Bartlett's reserves form was not so superior to all of those others that makes me think "yep, he's gonna make it".
As someone said in another thread, we've got an awful lot of players who you'd describe as "fringe" senior footballers. I think Bartlett's early season form allows him to be considered among them whereas, over the course of 2012 and the summer, he was probably considered to be a step or two behind. But there's a lot of water to go under the bridge before I start "calling" the result of his career, particularly when he's going to be fighting for a senior spot with several players who are just as well performed at reserves level but are yet to prove themselves as genuine senior footballers long term.
chopperduck
Brownlow Medallist
I can see Cal starting up forward and teaming with Green very well in the seniors. Those two across HF rotating a few minutes into the middle. Cal will give us more goal kicking, more speed and some hardness as well.
POBT
Brownlow Medallist
Do we have a clear understanding of what Bartlett's senior role might be? My suspicion is that he's more likely to be in line for the Green or Zorko role than competing for a spot in the first string midfield rotation. I'm not basing that on anything other than gut feel and the fact that I think the opportunities are more likely to open up as a forward than as a mid.
chopperduck
Brownlow Medallist
We do have a lot of fringe players, I think this is due to the youth our list has. Many of them show good signs, but haven't had the consistency or fitness to actually command a senior 22 spot. If they are good enough, they will make that jump. Players like Green have done that recently, Lester is nearly the same, probably needs another preseason but is like Green was last year I think. Beams would have been close to a regular senior 22 spot this year as well.
Having the lower quality reserves grade doesn't help us, and I think most of our players need an extra year to adjust from NEAFL to seniors coming in and out of the team to get a taste. Jump isn't as big down south and players can transition a bit easier and quicker I think. Having so many fringe players is also a reason why we rotate so many players. Managing so many young players work loads, rewarding good form and trying to get a game here and there so they know how good they need to be for senior footy.
I think with Cal basically being a mature age player, and his type of play style, he will handle the jump to AFl level better than some of the other boys.
Having the lower quality reserves grade doesn't help us, and I think most of our players need an extra year to adjust from NEAFL to seniors coming in and out of the team to get a taste. Jump isn't as big down south and players can transition a bit easier and quicker I think. Having so many fringe players is also a reason why we rotate so many players. Managing so many young players work loads, rewarding good form and trying to get a game here and there so they know how good they need to be for senior footy.
I think with Cal basically being a mature age player, and his type of play style, he will handle the jump to AFl level better than some of the other boys.
PTizzle
Brownlow Medallist
I had him pegged as a Green type role as well early on - small forward focusing a lot on defensive efforts with bursts in the midfield. I think that places him in a fairly different spot to Mayes/Lester/Karnezis etc, is what I was trying to say
Not that he was going to be a midfield superstar straight off the bat or anything. I do like his grunt but I worry a bit with a few of our players that 'mongrel' is translating into 'ill-discipline' on the field. I definitely worry about Bartlett regarding that.
POBT
Brownlow Medallist
It is a positive and a negative. On one hand, there is a heap of competition for those last 5 or 6 spots in the side which has to be good.
On the other hand, it isn't the competition you would like. You'd rather have 22 blokes who are playing well at senior level and another 10-15 trying to bust the door down to senior selection. The senior selection benchmark doesn't appear to be as high as what we would like. Of course, we've moved on from when limited footballers got games purely because there were no other options. I don't doubt that we've progressed as a group from 2 years ago.
chopperduck
Brownlow Medallist
The last 3 years it has been very easy to cut the min 3 players from our list. Much harder to do this year I think, which shows our list is definitely better. Problem is it has been from new draftees coming in, not existing players improving, so our 22 isn't that significantly stronger looking. Best 22 is a work in progress, and will be for a few more years. Agree that we don't have the game gifting happening that we were having to do. We so many players on the fringe that are young, it will take time for them to develop to a point of pushing best 22 though. But youth is a good problem to have. List just needs time, as does Cal.
I think he can play mid, but his mid development will continue in the ressies. He should be able to get a few senior games in the second half of the year, but will be a small forward/HF role and probably sub, like Green was last year. If he can get his foot in the door that way, finish the year strong and have a full preseason he could explode next year. Staying on the park has always been the problem tho.
I think he can play mid, but his mid development will continue in the ressies. He should be able to get a few senior games in the second half of the year, but will be a small forward/HF role and probably sub, like Green was last year. If he can get his foot in the door that way, finish the year strong and have a full preseason he could explode next year. Staying on the park has always been the problem tho.
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Wozzie81
Senior List
For those who have seen Cal play, who in the AFL would you liken him to?? From the ridiculously good TAC highlight package I instantly thought "Wow...there's our Cyril Rioli!"
However from what I'm reading here, a tenacious Luke Dalhaus is springing to mind (whom I rate very highly).
However from what I'm reading here, a tenacious Luke Dalhaus is springing to mind (whom I rate very highly).
- Aug 17, 2012
- 14,261
- 21,373
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
Explosive speed, very good contested player and breaks from clearances with ease. Rioli and Dalhaus would be the best comparisons as well. Let's hope he turns out just as good, or even better than them.
Grimreepah
BigFooty One Armed Man
At this stage I'm just hoping he turns out better than Pat Garner.
