Carltons backline for 2007?

[ShlomoGlickstein]

Well now that 'our best defender' T-Bird is gobne, how will the hole be filled?

Pagan got any genius ideas?

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Lance Whitnall ..... lol

watch us play Carlos as a FB. Ridicoulos ..

or Draft Nathan Brown and make him do a Zac Dawson.

 

[HBF]

T-Bird will be hard to replace, but I don't think it's all doom and gloom. This is a possible back 6 we could go with:

Backs: Carrazzo Livingston Whitnall
H-Backs: Lappin O'hailpin Bower

We still have Hartlett that could play back, as could Saddington and Walker. No doubt we'll go after a ruckman or a defender in the PSD, but Gilly1972 mentioned McGregor from the Crows in the PSD. I'm sure he'd be handy at CHB.

 

[Jeremias]

By the end of the 2007 season, I want this backline to have been tested and kept:

B: O'hailpin Hartlett O'Brien

HB: Bower Brown/Whitnall Scotland

Very young, very talented, very promising. Sure, we may have a few nightmare games due to inexperience, but that is what needs to happen for us to be abe to move forward.

That backline gives us 3 genuine talls, 1 medium defender capable of running everywhere, 1 small defender capable of pushing up into the midfield, and 1 midfielder who will be sort of like a sweeper. A perfect combination for a backline.

Come on Blues, make it happen!

 

[Dramoth]

I can see the no drafting anyone over 24 who can also play 100 games for us coming back to bite us on the ass over the next year or so...

If Smorgon and his bunch of muppets had been in charge when it came time to pick up Bradley, we would never have taken him...

I vote with drafting kids in the draft and picking up quality under 30's players in the PSD to fill any holes we might have now. give them a 2-3 year contract and then when the youngsters start coming through, then the older players we brought in can be allowed to leave or traded off.

 

[Effes]

T-Bird will be hard to replace, but I don't think it's all doom and gloom. This is a possible back 6 we could go with:

Backs: Carrazzo Livingston Whitnall
H-Backs: Lappin O'hailpin Bower

We still have Hartlett that could play back, as could Saddington and Walker. No doubt we'll go after a ruckman or a defender in the PSD, but Gilly1972 mentioned McGregor from the Crows in the PSD. I'm sure he'd be handy at CHB.

If Livingston couldn't get a game this year in the wooden spoon team what makes you think he could play full back next season?

 

[HBF]

By the end of the 2007 season, I want this backline to have been tested and kept:

B: O'hailpin Hartlett O'Brien

HB: Bower Brown/Whitnall Scotland

Very young, very talented, very promising. Sure, we may have a few nightmare games due to inexperience, but that is what needs to happen for us to be abe to move forward.

That backline gives us 3 genuine talls, 1 medium defender capable of running everywhere, 1 small defender capable of pushing up into the midfield, and 1 midfielder who will be sort of like a sweeper. A perfect combination for a backline.

Come on Blues, make it happen!

Pick 17 or 19 Jeremias?

 

[HBF]

If Livingston couldn't get a game this year in the wooden spoon team what makes you think he could play full back next season?

Just becuase we don't have a choice IMO. Don't get me wrong, i'd love to see Hartlett claim that spot now, but I don't think we'll do anyone any favours if we play him when he's not quite ready.

I just think that if Pagan says to Livingston that FB is his spot for the whole 2007 season and just lets him settle there, it might just give him some confidence to perform. Who knows, with T-Bird leaving, it might just be the shot in the arm Livo needs.

 

[BlueVision]

Give Livo a chance at CHF were he played when he was younger (remember the guy is still a kid now) and let Waite have a crack across the Half Back Line.

 

[Jeremias]

Pick 17 or 19 Jeremias?

If he is still around, pick 17. Probably picked at 18 if we don't, so he may not be around at 19. O'Brien at 1, Brown at 19 would be ideal.

 

[Jeremias]

Give Livo a chance at CHF were he played when he was younger (remember the guy is still a kid now) and let Waite have a crack across the Half Back Line.

Instead of who? Not Fev, not Fish, not Waite and not Kennedy. That's 4 talls in our forward line. There is no room for Livo. The move you are proposing should have happened 3 years ago. Now it is too late, and we won't be moving him into the forward line. Not a chance.

 

[deluxeman]

Just becuase we don't have a choice IMO. Don't get me wrong, i'd love to see Hartlett claim that spot now, but I don't think we'll do anyone any favours if we play him when he's not quite ready.

I just think that if Pagan says to Livingston that FB is his spot for the whole 2007 season and just lets him settle there, it might just give him some confidence to perform. Who knows, with T-Bird leaving, it might just be the shot in the arm Livo needs.

I agree with you HBF. Give him a 1yr deal and play him just to ensure that we don't have the big powerhouse forwards lining up on Setanta, Hartlett, Bower etc. I don't want to see the same thing happen to these blokes as happened to Dawson.

With Thornton and French gone, Prenda, Chambers, Longmuir, Davies and Sporn soon to be delisted. Theres 7 spots on the list gone and considering Hughes has started he is only looking at 4-5 ND picks, then I've got a feeling that Livo could be very lucky and have a place on our list next year.

 

[sticks74]

I agree with you HBF. Give him a 1yr deal and play him just to ensure that we don't have the big powerhouse forwards lining up on Setanta, Hartlett, Bower etc. I don't want to see the same thing happen to these blokes as happened to Dawson.

With Thornton and French gone, Prenda, Chambers, Longmuir, Davies and Sporn soon to be delisted. Theres 7 spots on the list gone and considering Hughes has started he is only looking at 4-5 ND picks, then I've got a feeling that Livo could be very lucky and have a place on our list next year.

I would love them to start Waite at CHB next year, i really believe he has the ability to play there!
JK, Fish and Fev up forward is enough fire power...
Whitnal free accross half back and walker in the guts with Murph and Gibbs... oh that sounds good...Walker, Gibbs and Muphy!

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

FB Scotland Brown Russell
CHB Simpson O'hAlipin Bower

Would get beaten just about every week but i think in a few years this is how our backline could look and the more years they have together the better.

I really like O'hAlipin and i think we should do the same with him as we did with thorton. Also if he takes the best forward he will learn the game much faster.
I really hope we can pick up Brown in the draft. His 20m time just goes to show his more then just a good stopper.
Scotland can be the wise head down back also he will gett pushed out of the middle by Gibbs and the like.
Russell- we could try playing him on the best small forward and see if he can ever make use of his footskills and speed.
Bower will be the third tall. Would provide good run of the HB line.
Simpson i would love to see him play like Raines; breaking lines and making the forwards have to man up on him.

that would mean we would have a very attacking backline with great pace which you need in the modern game and still be able to have three players over 194cm

 

[Bluebear]

Our backline Rnd 1 2006

B: Carrazzo Livo Walker
HB: Thornton Whitnall Lappin

Our Backline Rnd 1 2007
B: Carrazzo Polak/Brown/Hartlett O'Hailpin
HB: Walker/Scotland Whitnall Lappin/Bower

A lot of scare mongering, but the fact is with Bret gone our backline doesn't look that much worse than it did a year ago.......one could argue it looks better with O'Hailpin instead of Livo, and Bower for Lappin (depending on match-ups etc).
FB depends on trades and drafts........but if someone is going to get monstered lets make it Livo....who knows......he may produce something.

If Livingston couldn't get a game this year in the wooden spoon team what makes you think he could play full back next season?

By the way Effes, Livo played 5 games this year.
Nothing personal, just hate braod generalisations when the facts are only a web page away.....
Secondly, they might concede that we have to continue to develop a FB (?Brown...unless we draft Polak.....proabably more a CHB anyway), unless Hartlett does something amazing over the summer.....remains uninjured!
So Livo might be pulled in to do any job he can, and if he gets flogged, well, the scars can't really go much deeper can they.

 

[AlecDuncan]

Our backline Rnd 1 2006
Our Backline Rnd 1 2007
B: Carrazzo Polak/Brown/Hartlett O'Hailpin
HB: Walker/Scotland Whitnall Lappin/Bower

A lot of scare mongering, but the fact is with Bret gone our backline doesn't look that much worse than it did a year ago

It's a disaster. Thornton is the key-stone of the defence as it has evolved. There's no way around it - we're going to get a lot of goals kicked against us next year.

Lappin will be struggling to get a game in 2007 based on his 2006 form. Carazzo's disposal is so bad that he's usually counter-productive to have around - especially coming out of defence. Polak and Hartlett have done nothing to suggest they can hold FB, and Brown hasn't even been drafted let alone played a game!

The others are all good to great - but there's not enough of them, and they're not in the right places.

Don't forget Flint as a possible HBF/BP. Also I wouldn't be surprised if the club selected Hansen over Gibbs now. Key defenders are so much harder to find than midfielders and now we don't have any, they're a priority.

**** - everything's a priority except the forward line.

 

[Effes]

Wouldn't say our forward line is up there with the best. It looks good on paper but besides Fev the rest of the forwards don't kick many goals.

 

[av76]

It's a disaster. Thornton is the key-stone of the defence as it has evolved. There's no way around it - we're going to get a lot of goals kicked against us next year.

Lappin will be struggling to get a game in 2007 based on his 2006 form. Carazzo's disposal is so bad that he's usually counter-productive to have around - especially coming out of defence. Polak and Hartlett have done nothing to suggest they can hold FB, and Brown hasn't even been drafted let alone played a game!

The others are all good to great - but there's not enough of them, and they're not in the right places.

Don't forget Flint as a possible HBF/BP. Also I wouldn't be surprised if the club selected Hansen over Gibbs now. Key defenders are so much harder to find than midfielders and now we don't have any, they're a priority.

**** - everything's a priority except the forward line.

Yeah it really crap...no two ways about it.

I would keep Livo and tell him just to play close on the big forwards. No one else is up to it yet in terms of strength...Hartlett is unproven and Bower needs to learn on other youngsters not get beaten up by monsters.
The other thing is Lance is only going to get slower so maybe he is better playing up forward creating opportunities. He will be very dangerous if Kennedy starts get the 2nd best tall.
Setanta I wouldnt want on the last line of defence...I think he should be developed as a running half back.
I think Carazzo is better suited to ball winning and shouldnt be relied on to dispose it cleanly out of defence. Maybe McGrath is the best for back pocket at this stage. He is　versatile with size and speed and has good long kicking.

Anyway, I think I would line them up like this in the first game
B: McGrath/Bannister, Livo, Bower (Bannister as backup)
HB: Walker, Setanta, Lappin

If Livo and Setanta can negate the opposition FF and CHF, the others should be skilled and smart enough to mop up and create some drive out of defence. If we need a bit more height we might be forced to play Whitnall and/or Waite down back instead of Lappin...but I would prefer not too.
I suppose we can play Scotland, Simpson, Stevens off the half back but I think given the last line of defence is weak, the best defence is attack...play our best players in mainly attacking roles and hope it doesnt get rebounded back like last year. Let Whitnall rally the forward line so hopefully we have an extra target instead of bombing it long because Fev is covered.
We will miss Thornton a lot I think but maybe someone else can step up.

 

[DIG]

Carrazzo is not a back pocket. He hasn't been put there since Shannon Grant towelled him mid-season. Next year he'll be in the middle/wing or on a HFF where he spent some time in the later rounds.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Wouldn't say our forward line is up there with the best. It looks good on paper but besides Fev the rest of the forwards don't kick many goals.

That's because the ball gets into there in slow motion. On top of that, because of our game plan, it's usually outnumbered badly. Put our forward in with the West Coast midfield and you might see quite a few more goals.

 

[Aussie Joe]

1st half of season
B: Carrazzo O'hAilpin Polak
HB: Walker Whitnall Lappin

with Hartlett and Bower playing off the bench

2nd half of season
B: Carrazzo Hartlett O'hAilpin
HB: Polak Bower Lappin

Whitnall to go up forward rotating with Kennedy at CHF
Walker to rotate through the midfield with Murphy, Gibbs and co.

Saddo can also be used as a back-up.

 

[Sir Luke Molan]

You need to draft E.McKenzie and move Waite from the forward line to CHB. B.Thornton is dead weight so I wouldn't be overly distressed. It's all about Bower-Waite-McKenzie. That would form the basis for a pretty formidable back half in 3-5 yrs...

 

[Aussie Joe]

Carrazzo is not a back pocket. He hasn't been put there since Shannon Grant towelled him mid-season. Next year he'll be in the middle/wing or on a HFF where he spent some time in the later rounds.

I cannot see Carrazzo getting a game in the midfield with Walker, Murphy, Gibbs, Scotland, Stevens, and Simpson before him. And if we get Tuck?

 

[Aussie Joe]

What about Kouta off the half-back line? Any opinions?

 

[DIG]

I cannot see Carrazzo getting a game in the midfield with Walker, Murphy, Gibbs, Scotland, Stevens, and Simpson before him. And if we get Tuck?

Maybe not, ideally he wouldn't even be in our starting 18, but he's not a back pocket - find someone else.